Creamy Taco Casserole

our friend Bob Towery made this for us for lunch and it was delicious!

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1 pack taco seasoning
1 cup water
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
4 ounces taco sauce
3 ounces cream cheese
8 oz can corn kernels (I used a 14 oz can and it was fine)
4 ounce sliced olives
1 bag Fritos corn chips, 10 oz size--he used the chili cheese kind which was great
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or cheddar

Toppings:
lettuce
tomato
green onion
sour cream
guacamole

Directions:
1. Brown beef with onion and garlic
2. Add seasoning mix, water, cream cheese, corn, olives and taco sauce.--let simmer for 4 minutes
3. Crush fritos
4. In an 8x12 casserole dish layer 1/2 the fritos, 1/2 the meat mixture, and 1/2 the cheese, repeat the layers.
5. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes
6. To serve you can top with lettuce, diced tomatoes, green onion, sour cream, or guacamole (like a warm taco salad).

Banana Muffins

Ingredients:
2 bananas mashed
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup craisens
1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon of buttermilk (we used regular milk and it was just fine!)

Mix together all ingredients and bake on a lower oven rack at 350 for 45 minutes-1 hour for a lof and 25 minutes for muffin tins.

Mom's Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

½ of a 10 oz bag of colored pasta spirals

4 slices sharp cheddar cheese

4 slices Monterey jack cheese

1 jar marinated artichoke hearts (small jar)

several slices of pepperoni or salami

1 small can ripe sliced olives

good seasons Italian dressing mix

vegetable oil

balsamic vinegar

salt

Directions:

1. Mix Italian dressing.

2. Cook noodles.

3. Dice cheese into small squares.

4. Cut up salami.

5. Combine everything. Salt the salad a little.

6. Add dressing 1 hour before serving and chill.

BBQ Chicken Salad with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Salad Ingredients:

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

¾ cup your favorite BBQ sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1 bag romaine lettuce

2 ripe avocados, peeled and thinly sliced

2 cups tortilla chips

Black Bean and Corn Salsa (for topping salad)

1 can black beans rinsed and drained

½ cup frozen corn kernels cooked, drained and cooled

½ red bell pepper finely diced

½ green bell pepper finely diced

½ red onion finely diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoons EVOO

1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing:

½ cup buttermilk

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tabelspoon sour cream

¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

½ teaspoon minced garlic

1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives

Directions:

1. Prepare dressing and refrigerate

2. Coat chicken breasts with BBQ Sauce and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. Grill 6-8 minutes per side until chicken is no longer pink.

4. Combine salsa ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. Divide lettuce among plates. Drizzle with dressing and top with a spoonful of the salsa, avocados, tortilla chips and chicken breasts.

Meat Fondue

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken stock

¾ cup white wine

2 Tablespoons chopped garlic

2 teaspoons rosemary (dry or fresh)

2 teaspoons oregano (dry or fresh)

Directions:

Begin by sauteing the garlic in a splash of the chicken stock for about a minute, just to bring out the flavor. Add the white wine and deglaze any garlic on the pan, and let evaporate for about two minutes. Finally, add chicken stock and herbs and bring to a slow boil. The broth is ready to cook your meat! Use these time estimates for your raw meat and veggies:

• Beef (steak) 2-3 minutes (Depends how rare you like it).
• Chicken 3-5 minutes (Make sure ALL pink is gone from meat).
• Seafood 1-3 minutes (Go easy on the lobster and salmon!)
• Veggies: Broccoli, zucchini and mushrooms 2-3 minutes, potatoes 5-8 minutes (just dump them in and scoop them out with a slotted spoon).

Salami Roll Ups

Ingredients:

1 pound thuringer (a type of salami—get sliced from deli counter)

cream cheese

dill pickles

toothpicks

Directions:

1. Spread a line of cream cheese down the center of the thuringer. Place a wedge of the dill pickle on the cream cheese. Roll and secure with a toothpick.

Rachel Ray's Cheese Fondue

Ingredients:

1 clove crushed garlic

1 ½ cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard—more if you want more spice/tang

½ cup apple juice or white wine

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup flavorful Swiss cheese (Gruyere or Emmenthaler)

Salt & Freshly ground pepper

Dipping stuff! Great with honey wheat pretzels, assorted vegetables, French bread cubes, and Granny Smith Apples.

Directions:

1. Rub the inside of a fondue pot with the crushed garlic clove and then discard.
2. Add chicken stock to the pot, whisk in the mustard, and then bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. While it’s coming to a boil, combine apple juice or wine and corn starch in a separate bowl and whisk until there are no more lumps. Once chicken stock has come to a boil add the white wine and corn starch mixture while wisking.
4. Bring that back to a boil, let it boil for 1 minute whisking constantly. Remove pot from heat and stir in cheese. Season with salt and pepper, serve immediately.