Tomato Bacon Quiche

1 deep dish pie shell
1 tomato, diced
1/3-1/2 C crumbled bacon
1/2 C shredded Monterrey jack cheese
6 eggs
1 C evaporated milk
Salt & pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried basil

-Preheat oven to 375
1.  Poke pie shell several times with a fork then layer with tomato, bacon and cheese.
2.  Whisk eggs with remaining ingredients until well blended then pour into pie shell.  Bake 45-60 minutes until thoroughly cooked and browned on top. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

4-6 Dinner rolls or Croissants
1 large can chicken breast chunks or 1 chicken breast, cooked and chopped
1/2-3/4 C. mayonnaise
1/4-1/3 C. raisins
1/2 Gala apple, cored and diced (you can use the whole apple if you'd like)
1 green onion, chopped
Celery salt OR Seasoning salt
Black pepper
1 tsp. paprika

1.  Combine all ingredients, except for the bread, in a medium bowl and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.  Do taste the salad before serving and adjust seasonings if you would like to.

-This salad is so easy and yummy!  It's even better if you let it sit overnight and enjoy it the day after it's made.  Enjoy!

Beef Stew

1 1/2 lbs stew meat (you may need to chop your meat a little for smaller pieces)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 Tbsp butter
3 potatoes, washed and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 tomato, diced
2 cans beef broth + 1 can water
1/4 C. flour
Salt & pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1-2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried parsley

1.  Heat butter in large pot on medium heat.  Add meat and brown on all sides.  Add onion, garlic, carrots and potatoes and cook until garlic begins to brown.
2.  Add broth, water, flour and seasonings and bring to a boil.  Add tomato, cover and reduce heat to medium-low.  Let simmer for about a hour, stirring occasionally, until meat is cooked, veggies are tender and stew has thickened slightly.  Remove bay leaves, serve and enjoy!

-You can add 1/2 C. frozen peas or 2 chopped green onions if you would like a little green in your stew.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded OR 1 can of chicken breast chunks
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 onion, finely chopped
5 tomatoes, diced
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2-1 C. frozen corn
2 cans chicken broth + 1 can water
1-2 tsp dried oregano
Fresh cilantro ( I just trimmed a bit off of the bunch, you can use as much as you like)
Chili powder
Salt & pepper
Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
Corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
Canola oil
Sour cream

1.  In large pot heat oil and add onion, garlic, lemon juice and chicken.  Saute until garlic begins to brown.
2.  Add remaining ingredients, except cheese and tortilla strips, and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer at least 30 minutes before frying the tortilla strips.
3.  In a separate pan heat enough canola oil to fry the tortilla strips.  Wait until small bubbles form at the bottom of the pan (this means that the oil is hot enough) to add the tortilla strips.  Be sure not to overcrowd the strips!  Fry for about 2-3 minutes, remove and drain on paper towels.  Set aside.
4.  Serve soup with cheese, tortilla strips and a touch of sour cream if you'd like.  Enjoy!

-Like I've said before I really don't measure my spices, I just taste my dishes every so often and adjust the seasonings to my liking.  Do take it easy on the chili powder though, only add a little at a time unless you want your soup to be very spicy.

Crock Pot Chili

1 lb ground beef
2 mild or spicy pork sausages (Sunflower Market's are the best)
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can red beans
1-2 cans chili-ready tomatoes (depends on how much you like tomatoes)
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 white onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 Serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
Salt & pepper
Onion powder (optional)
Paprika (about 1 tsp.)
Chili powder (about 1 Tbsp.)

-In a large skillet cook beef and sausages.  I prefer the sausages at Sunflower Market, or anywhere that makes them fresh daily, because they have great flavor and because I like to cut the wrapping and remove the meat so it's easy to cook along with the beef.
1.  Drain and rinse beans and add to crock pot along with all remaining ingredients. After adding the tomatoes fill the can with water and add to the pot.  Cook on high heat for at least 4 hours or on low heat for at least 8 hours.  Serve.

-Be sure to taste your chili after every hour or two and adjust seasonings to your liking.   After a few hours you may want to add more water if you don't like your chili to be very thick.  Also, keep in mind that the longer peppers and "hot" spices are heated the hotter/spicier they become so be careful with the seasonings.  I typically don't add any seasonings until the chili has cooked for a few hours.

Butter Herb Rice

2-4 Tbsp butter (depending on how buttery you want your rice)
1 1/2 C. chicken broth
3/4 C. white rice, uncooked
Salt & pepper
1/2 tsp. Onion powder
1 tsp. Dried parsley
2 tsp. Dried oregano

1.  Heat butter and water in small pot until boiling, add rice and seasonings.
2.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is cooked through and tender.

-I don't usually measure my seasonings when I cook so it's hard for me to give exact amounts.  I advise that you season to taste and adjust the flavor to suite you.  You can also experiment with other herbs and spices if you would like.  Enjoy!

Creamy Tuna (or Chicken) Noodle Casserole

1/2-1 box pasta shells
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can tuna in water, drained  OR 1 can cooked chicken breast, drained
2 Tbsp butter
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Dried parsley
Salt & pepper
1/4 C.  flour
2 C. milk
3/4 C. grated cheese (4-blend or cheddar)
Potato chips

-Preheat oven to 350
1.  Cook pasta according to directions on package, drain.  While pasta is cooking heat butter in medium saucepan.  Once melted add garlic and onion powder (about 1 tsp each), salt & pepper, parsley (1-2 tsp) and flour.  Stir well then add milk and 1/2 C. cheese.  Whisk to prevent clumping and continue to heat until thickened and slightly boiling.
2.  In casserole dish toss together pasta, sauce, cream of mushroom, and tuna (or chicken).  Sprinkle top with remaining cheese and chips.
3.  Cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Broil for a few minutes uncovered to crisp the chips.  Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

-You can add broccoli or peas if you would like more veggies.  I can't eat broccoli right now because I'm nursing and I'm sick of peas so I left them out.

Twice Baked Potatoes

3 large potatoes, scrubbed and washed
2 Tbsp butter
Sour cream
Milk
Salt & pepper
Grated cheese (I use a 4-blend or cheddar)

-Preheat oven to 375
-Pierce potatoes a few times with a knife or fork, wrap in foil and bake for 1 hour.  Remove and let potatoes cool enough to handle.
-Reduce oven heat to 350
-Cut potatoes in half and scoop out.  Mash scooped out portion slightly with a fork then add butter and a few spoonfuls of sour cream, mix well.  Season lightly with salt and pepper, add just a bit of cheese and a touch of milk.  Mix until desired consistency is reached.
-Fill potato halves with filling and top with desired amount of cheese.
-Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.  Serve.

Waffles from Scratch

2 eggs
2 C. flour
1 3/4 C. milk
1/2 C. canola or vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt

-Start heating the waffle iron before mixing batter.
1. Beat eggs on low/medium speed until fluffy.
2. Add in remaining ingredients and beat until mixed well.  Cook and serve!

p.s. Substitute 1/2 C. applesauce for the oil for a healthier version.

Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Topping

1 lb. chicken breast tenders, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1-2 potatoes, chopped
1/2 C. frozen peas
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans chicken broth
1/4 C. flour
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Parsley
Dried sage
Olive oil

Easy Biscuits:
2 C. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
5 Tbsp. shortening
3/4 C. milk
1/2 C. grated cheese (optional)

-Preheat oven to 400
1.  In large skillet heat oil on medium heat and cook chicken with seasonings.  While chicken is cooking prepare veggies.
2.  Once chicken is cooked add remaining ingredients, seasoning to taste, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer while preparing biscuit mix. 
3.  In medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt and mix well.  Cut in shortening with a fork.  Add milk gradually and stir in with a spoon until a dough forms.  Add in cheese and mix in well.
4.  Pour chicken and veggies into a greased baking dish and top with biscuit mix (just drop by spoonfuls).  Bake 30-45 minutes until biscuits are golden brown and veggies are soft.  Serve.