A New Family Favorite

If I could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life, I would be hard pressed to choose between Mexican and Italian (if you notice, both use LOTS of cheese, my favorite food group), but these Taquitos make me lean a little more strongly toward the Mexican side.  I rarely find a new recipe that my ENTIRE family goes ga-ga for, but let me tell you, the kids BEG me to make these multiple times a week.  They are so tasty, I'm tempted to agree.  Right now they are our weekly Tuesday night meal because Meghan, Taylor and Jeff can eat them on the way to 4-H.

My friend posted the original recipe from a blog that I have quickly fallen in love with.  Here it is from Our Best Bites.  Of course, if you know me, you know that because I am an incredibly picky eater, I can almost NEVER follow a recipe as written.  So I had to make a few changes to what I've been told was already a KILLER recipe.  I am not a fan of either lime or cilantro, so here is the recipe that I created based on the original recipe from Our Best Bites.  So, now you can choose--lime and cilantro or NO lime and cilantro.

Baked Chicken Taquitos

4 cups chicken-cooked and finely chopped

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup salsa verde, pureed

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic

3 cups co-jack, shredded

flour tortillas (soft taco size)

Combine all of the above ingredients.  Place about 2 TBSP of the mixture across one end of a slightly warmed tortilla.  Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can and place, seam side down, on a baking sheet lined with foil.  Make sure the taquitos do not touch each other on the baking sheet, so they get nice and crispy.  Just before baking, lightly brush oil over the tops and sprinkle with a little kosher salt.  Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes.

I have not tried making these and freezing them before I bake then yet, we seem to eat all that we make each time, but they are supposed to freeze well.  The last time I made this recipe, I got 26 taquitos, but I over-filled them and lots of the filling oozed out onto the pan, so I could probably get 3 or 4 more.

According to my salsa verde bottle, the La Victoria brand is gluten free, so if you change the tortillas you use, this is also a gluten free recipe.

Saving Money the Homemade Way

I love convenience.  Running to the store, picking up this or that; keeping it in my cupboard to grab when needed.  This is how I roll.  There are things I have learned to make from scratch, not because I've had to conserve, but because I wanted better tasting (think Alfredo Sauce).  Now that the price of food is steadily climbing higher and higher (not to mention my growing kiddos eating more and more), I am beginning to look for ways I can save a buck.  Making convenience foods from scratch is a great and TASTY way to do that. 

I do still buy things that could probably be made at home, because let's face it, I have a TON on my plate and I can only do so much.  I have found a couple of recipes that are super fast and super cheap.  Hillbilly Housewife is a great site to wander around if you are looking for lots of ways to eat cheaper.  Another place that you can look for ANY recipe, not just knock-offs is Recipe Zaar.  Can I just say, "I LOVE RECIPE ZAAR!"?

I made homemade Bisquick the other night for our dinner biscuits.  I found the recipe at Recipe Zaar.  I would TOTALLY recommend this.  It went together super fast-I did not sift the dry ingredients, I just used my small wisk to break up the lumps and make sure it was nice and fluffy. 

We used it to make Cheesy Garlic Drop Biscuits.  Turned out BEAUTIFULLY!  Light and fluffy and o-so-tasty.  Here is the recipe for you to try.

Cheesy Garlic Drop Biscuits
4 1/2 c. Bisquick Mix
1 1/3 c. milk
1/2 tsp. (or more) granulated garlic
1 1/4 c. cheese, grated (we like colby jack or cheddar)

(We no longer measure the cheese or the garlic.  We just kinda guess.)

Mix Bisquick, water and garlic together with a wooden spoon.  Stir in the cheese until incorporated.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet.  Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Brush tops of cooked biscuits with a little melted butter seasoned with a bit more garlic.  This makes ABOUT 18 biscuits.

This morning, Jeff and I made homemade Pancake Syrup.  I was leary--to say the least.  I LOVE Mrs. Butterworth syrup.  It's what I grew up with.  Jeff loves REAL Maple Syrup--that stuff is spen-dy!  This recipe worked  WONDERFULLY for us.  It's sort of a mix between real maple and Mrs. Butterworth.  I loved it, Jeff loved it, the kids loved it.  It's a WINNER and I'm a ROCKSTAR!

I may never BUY syrup again.

Here is the recipe that started it all.  When Jeff and I started making it, I asked him if we were going to follow the recipe EXACTLY as it was, and he replied (in a VERY nasty, sarcastic little voice) "No, it's a recipe.  Why would we follow THAT?" 

So, because I can rarely follow a recipe as it is written, here is the recipe as I changed it.

Pancake Syrup
2 c. warm water
2 c. white sugar
2 c. brown sugar-packed
2 TBSP molasses
1 tsp. maple flavor (only because that's ALL we had in the bottle)
1TBSP butter

We followed the cooking directions from the link above, but I will rewrite them for you so you don't have to go back to the link again.

Combine the water, sugars and molasses in a good size pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Watch the pot because if it's too small and you're not looking it may bubble up and pour over onto your stove top. Can you say "sticky, nasty mess"?  After it comes to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes-DO NOT STIR during this 10 minutes. Then remove from heat and take the lid off. Stir in the maple (ok, honestly, Jeff didn't read the directions carefully, and he added the maple at the beginning with the sugar. The world did not end and the syrup still tasted like maple-go figure) and the butter. Let cool for 15 minutes.

When first made and still warm, this recipe has the consistency of real maple syrup. I have been told that after storing it in the fridge overnight, it thickens up to a consistency similar to store bought syrup.

Are there things you love to make from scratch that also save you a bit of money?  Please share!

Tacos-REBORN!

I love Mexican food. I could eat it every day for a week, I think. Enchiladas and tacos are my favorite-mostly because they are perfect for a picky eater like me! You can customize them however YOU like them. For a while I made enchiladas on a pretty regular basis, but at some point I decided that they were just too messy and now I save them for special occasions. So instead I make tacos, but when I stopped eating ground beef (did I mention I have some picky food issues?) I stopped making tacos. For a Christmas Party this year we were asked to bring chicken for a taco bar (Don't you love taco bars? They are PERFECT for parties) and I remembered the Chicken Tacos I had at a friend's house for dinner a few years ago. They were delicious! Tacos have been REBORN!

Like I said, I used to make enchiladas all the time and for the tacos I used the same basic idea to prepare the chicken. Well, actually, my daughter Meghan took my instructions and made them hers, both for the Christmas Party and tonight for dinner. I will give you the *amounts* she used, but remember this is done mostly by sight/texture/taste. Honestly, I don't think you can mess it up.

Meghan's Chicken Tacos

1 1/4 lb chicken breast cooked and finely chopped
(We used about 19 frozen,boneless, skinless tenderloin cooked in the Pampered Chef Micro Cooker with no seasoning, in two batches for about 10 minutes-stir halfway through- or until the juices run clear)
1 (10 ounce) can of Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce
7 tsp. of Taco Bell Taco Seasoning (this is almost a whole packet)
A little water

Put the cooked chicken in a skillet and add the taco seasoning and the water (just like making tacos) and cook a bit (I know, really technical, huh? Hey, it cooking not baking...) then add the enchilada sauce and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn and all the chicken gets nicely coated.

That's it. Super simple.

I eat mine wrapped up in the flour tortillas from our local Mexican bakery and top them only with cheese and crispy lettuce, (Here's a tip to keep your cheese melty and your lettuce cold and crispy-put the cheese on top of the meat and the lettuce on top of the cheese. I know it's not Taco Bell's way, but it sure tastes yummy!) but I am sure that for those of you who aren't Miss Picky you could add all kinds of goodies; sour cream, black olives, onions, tomatoes, guacamole...

For sides I heat up some refried beans (stir a little enchilada sauce into these as well as some cheese and they are extra yummy) and sometimes (although we forgot tonight) corn in a butter sauce.

This is one of the recipes I would love to make a huge batch of and freeze in small batches for quick dinners. One of these days I will try some Once A Month Cooking. I'll let you know how that turns out!

I love it that tacos are back on my menu.

Cake Mix Cookies

I got a recipe from my friend a few years back for Cake Mix Cookies. This is a great recipe to have in your recipe box. They are fast and easy and require only a few ingredients, but best of all they are super versatile. You can mix and match mixes and chips for all kinds of cookies. If you watch for cake mixes and chocolate chips to go on sale you can stock up and then you’ll be just a few steps away from Chewy Cookie Goodness all the time. The recipe I am posting is a single batch, but the original recipe was doubled so I know it doubles well.


The cookies I made today were with a Devils Food Chocolate Cake and Dark Chocolate & Mint Chips. They turned out FABULOUS! I will list some other combinations at the end of my post.



{INGREDIENTS}

1 box (any flavor) cake mix
2 eggs
1 stick of butter (soft)
1 tsp vanilla
Chocolate chips (any flavor)

{DIRECTIONS}

Cream eggs, butter and vanilla. Add cake mix and stir until all powder is moist and combined. Mixture may be VERY thick.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for 14-16 minutes. {The cookies should be "just set" and beginning to dry a bit on top when you take them out. Do not over bake them or they get crispy instead of staying soft and chewy.} Then remove from oven and let sit for 3 more minutes to finish the baking. Remove to a wire pan to cool.

Makes about 30 3" cookies

These go stale after about 4 days so eat them quickly!




Some other combinations are:

Yellow Cake with Milk Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Chips
German Chocolate Cake with pecans and coconut
Yellow Cake with Butterscotch Chips
Devils Food Cake with Cherry Chips


You get the idea-be creative! Now, go look in your cupboard and see what cookies you can whip up. Pour yourself a tall glass of milk, turn on some music and relax with me.

Enjoy!

What Do We Eat When Jeff is Gone?

When I got done preparing this week's menu, I looked at it and thought-"It's like Homemade Junk Food Week!" Jeff is out of town, so I am cooking all MY favorites. At first, I asked the kids what THEY wanted for dinner and they started coming up with things like Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Fettuccine Alfredo with Grilled Chicken or (ACK!) Grilled Steak! Are you kidding me? My husband is gone, this is almost like a vacation. They are lucky they are not eating cereal and boxed mac and cheese all week. I will be cooking things that go together very easy. Casseroles, One Pot Meals and the like. YUM!! I can't wait.

On the Menu This Week:

Monday - Creamy Chicken Noodle Casserole with Carrots and Cheddar Biscuits

Tuesday - Chicken Pockets and Fruit Salad

Wednesday - Homemade Personal Pizzas

Thursday - Chicken Tacos, Refried Beans and Corn

Friday - One Pan Basil and Tomato Angel Hair Pasta, Salad and Garlic Bread

Saturday - Roast, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Green Beans and Rolls

Can you tell when Jeff is supposed to get home? I'll give you a hint-look for the first green veggie (salad does count as a veggie, right?) and the red meat!

This week I am going to give you my One Pot Basil and Tomato Angel Hair Pasta recipe. This pasta is an all-time favorite with my family. I cook everything in one large skillet-including the angel hair. It is one of my staple quick and easy recipes.

One Pot Basil and Tomato Angel Hair Pasta

1 pound dry angel hair pasta
3 cans diced tomatoes with onion, basil and oregano (not Italian Stewed Tomatoes)
5-10 cloves of garlic, pressed
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 cups of grated Romano cheese, plus extra for topping
32 ounce box of chicken broth
Fresh basil, chopped (dried works fine, too-but use A LOT)

In a large skillet with sides and a lid, saute the garlic in olive oil just until you smell it. Add all three cans of tomatoes (DO NOT DRAIN). Cook these until they start to get bubbly, stir in the Romano cheese. Add about 1/2 the box of chicken broth and bring to a boil, salt and pepper to taste. Add the dry pasta and spoon the tomato sauce over the noodles, add more broth to cover the noodles and keep it at a boil. Add fresh basil, cover the pot and let it cook until the pasta is cooked just enough to stir it into the sauce more. Keep cooking with the lid on, stirring occasionally (separate the pasta so it doesn't stick together) until the pasta is cooked how you like it. It takes about 15 minutes and the pasta will absorb quite a bit of the liquid, I keep adding more broth until the pasta is almost done. The sauce is not soupy like a spaghetti sauce-it's more chunky. Top with more Romano cheese and chopped basil.

This is one of those recipes that I totally eyeball. You can't really mess it up. Just keep tasting it and make sure the pasta gets cooked all the way and you will love it!

*The sauce itself is gluten free (check your tomatoes and broth)-just make sure that you get a pasta that is gluten free also.


Enjoy!

It's Dinner, You'll Like It

So what is blogging etiquette? Is it o.k. to post twice or even *gasp* three times in one day or should you save it all up and do one major post each night? Well, things in my life are either feast or famine and I'm pretty sure it's going to be the same with this blog, so forgive my blogging excess and fill up, who knows when I will post again.

I have been trying to branch out when it comes to cooking dinner. Who am I kidding, I'm doing great if I actually cook dinner lately! But, in the last few days I have tried two new recipes and I must admit, I am pretty impressed with myself. The first recipe was Spaghetti Carbonara (made with eggs and no cream) which my husband called "weird" but ended up liking o.k., the recipe needs a few tweaks, but I will probably try it again. The other recipe I tried out tonight.

A few months ago The Hubby and I took Miss M to a horse clinic in Utah with some friends of ours and we ate dinner at The Olive Garden. I ordered their Chicken Gnocchi Soup, which was to DIE for and have been pining away for an Olive Garden to be in Twin ever since. Then a few weeks ago I saw an episode on the cooking channel with one of their chefs making homemade gnocchi and I thought, "Ah-Ha! I can do this." So after some web searching, I found a knock-off recipe for the soup at Olive Garden and another recipe for gnocchi.

The soup itself was pretty simple to make and I had most all of the ingredients in my pantry (or I would have if it wasn't so close to pay day). The gnocchi was a bit harder and in retrospect, I would make the gnocchi one day and refrigerate it to use at a later date rather than try it all at once. I'm not in love with the gnocchi recipe I found, it wasn't quite as "dumpling-like" as I remembered, although it WAS tasty. It was mostly like little balls of mashed potato in my soup-not a bad thing because I love mashed potatoes! I am wondering if I had too much potato and not enough egg. I will experiment and see if I can get it just right. The Hubby and most of the children liked the soup and I know I will be making it again, and probably soon. I will share the soup and the gnocchi recipe with you. It's dinner, you'll like it!

Potato Gnocchi

(this recipe made twice as much gnocchi as I needed for the soup. I will freeze the rest of my uncooked gnocchi to use later)

1 lb. of potatoes-baked, cooled and peeled
1 large egg
1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP all purpose flour (divided)
Salt and Pepper to taste (I used white pepper)

Mash potatoes until smooth (use a ricer if you have one). Season with salt and pepper. Stir in egg and 1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP of flour. Knead until a dough forms, but do not over knead or it will become tough. Pour the other 1/4 cup of flour onto the counter. Turn dough onto floured counter and roll into a log about 1 inch wide. Cut log into 1 inch pieces and roll each across the times of a fork (this is what will hold the sauce). Put pieces all at once into a pot of salted, boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Pull gnocchi out with a slotted spoon and use as desired. (I cooked my gnocchi directly in my soup)

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

3-4 chicken breast, cooked and diced (I used 12 tenderloin)
6 cups chicken broth
3 cups heavy cream
1 stalk of celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup of carrot, chopped or grated
1/2 onion, diced
1/3 - 1/2 package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 TBSP olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. thyme
salt
white pepper
16 ounces of potato gnocchi

Sautee the onion, garlic, celery and carrot in the olive oil until the onion is translucent.

Add in the chicken stock, cream, salt and pepper, chicken pieces, and thyme.

Boil gently for 10 minutes.

Add in the gnocchi and spinach and boil for another 5 minutes.
(If you would like your soup thicker you can mix a little corn starch and water and add that in.)

I served this soup with a green salad and all the fixin's and Cheesy Garlic Drop Biscuits. I am still stuffed.

Enjoy!