Baked Zucchini Pasta

Serves 6-8 people. This is SUPER easy and fast to put together. (My favorite kind of meal.) I found this on a great facebook page 5dinners1hour.

INGREDIENTS:

2 zucchini
8.5 oz dried penne noodles
28 oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 C water
1 t dried basil
1 t dried oregano
1 C Ricotta or cottage cheese
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Chop zucchini into 1 inch pieces and add to a large bowl.
2. Add next 6 ingredients to zucchini and mix well.
3. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray and layer ingredients. First add 1/2 of the mixture. Top with 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat, ending with cheese on top. Cover with foil.
4. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until bubbly.

Mom's Homemade Vegetable Lasagna Soup

INGREDIENTS:

I yellow onion, diced

4 – 5 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

¾ lb. Italian sausage

¾ lb. Ground beef

¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1 jar (24 oz) Prego Traditional Italian Sauce

1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (14 oz) whole kernel corn, undrained

2 whole carrots, grated

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced

5 cans (14 oz) low sodium chicken broth

(about 8 ½ cups)

1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 whole bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

10 uncooked lasagna noodles, broken into smaller pieces

CHEESE GARNISH: (individual bowls, to taste)

shredded Mozzarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

Ricotta cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add olive oil, onion and garlic. Brown until onion is translucent. Add sausage and beef. Cook until browned. Add pepper flakes, if desired, and saute for 30 seconds. Drain off excess fat.
2. Add Prego sauce, tomatoes, corn, carrots, celery, 3 cans of chicken broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, sugar, spices and broken lasagna noodles. Mix thoroughly.
3. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook until lasagna noodles are tender, approximately 20 – 30 minutes.
4. Discard bay leaf. Stir in remaining 2 cans chicken broth. Let simmer another 5 minutes.
5. Serve cheeses alongside soup allowing individuals to garnish to their desires.

OPTIONAL NOTES:

For creamier lasagna soup add ½ cup heavy cream with 2^nd batch of chicken broth, if desired.

Other vegetables to consider adding in place of celery for varied flavors:

8 oz. fresh Kale

2 cups broccoli florets

8 oz. Baby spinach

SPINACH CHEESE MANICOTTI

Delicious, filling, and restaurant quality Manicotti.  No need to boil pasta making it easier to stuff Manicotti shells, use a knife to stuff halfway from one side, turn and finish stuffing from the other side.  Can be made ahead and kept over night in the refrigerator. 

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1/2 cup minced onion

1 egg

2 teaspoons fresh minced parsley, or 1 teaspoon dry parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese / divide into 1 1/2 cup and 2/3 cup

3/4  cup grated Parmesan cheese / divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup

2 (26 ounce) jars marinara sauce or 6 cups homemade marinara sauce

1 1/2 cups water

1 (8 ounce) package Manicotti shells, uncooked

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrrees

In a large bowl combine ricotta, spinach, onion and egg. Season with parsley, pepper and garlic powder/  Mix in 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan. In a separate bowl, stir together spaghetti sauce and water.  

Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Stuff uncooked manicotti shells with ricotta mixture, and arrange in a single layer in the dish. Cover with remaining sauce.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.  

Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until noodles are soft.

Note:  If refrigerated over night remove from the refrigerator and let sit on counter for 30 minutes before baking. 

         Tomato Lemon Pepper London Broil     

Very easy, very tasty, very tender!  A great meal with hardly any effort.  Bake or slow cook, both are good.  I like to serve with green beans and one of these sides; either rice, orzo pasta, or red potatoes (Potatoes can be added for the last hour if baking, two if slow cooking.)

Serves 4 - 6.  

Ingredients:

1 (2-pound) top round London Broil

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

Lemon Pepper to taste

Garlic salt to taste

Onion powder to taste

1 (28 ounce) can stewed tomatoes

or for Italian flavor substitute

      1 (14 ounce) can diced stewed tomatoes

      1 (14 ounce) can Italian diced tomatoes

optional oriental flavor - 2 tbsp Soy Sauce

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, or set slow cooker to high

Pour Tomato sauce in bottom of pan, or slow cooker

Mix Lemon pepper, Garlic salt and Onion powder

Rub half the spices on one side, then half on the other side.

Place roast in pan or slow cooker.  Pour stewed/diced tomatoes over the top.

Make sure liquid completely covers meat, this combined with cooking slowly
on low heat is the secret to its tenderness.

Roast for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until fork tender.  Slow cook on high for two hours, turn to low and cook another 4 to 5 hours, until fork tender  Let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature before carving and serving.

Pudding Pudding and more Pudding!!!

Here are a couple of our current favorite pudding recipes. Erin has one food per pregnancy that she can't get enough of. This has been the pudding pregnancy. We like these recipes because they are almost as easy as a cook and serve box, but don't taste like chemicals. I hope you all enjoy!

Butterscotch

1 cup light brown sugar (dark brown sugar was a little too intense)
2 Tbs corn starch
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs beaten
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter

In a 1-quart sauce pan mix all the dry ingredients. Failure to mix the corn starch with the sugar will result in lumpy pudding. All the beaten eggs and the milk to the pan and mix well. Cook on medium high heat until it starts to boil. Allow it to boil for 30 sec to 1 min longer just to kill the taste of the starch. Take off of heat and add vanilla and butter. Pour into serving dishes and refrigerate until cook.

Chocolate Pudding

1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 Tbs cocoa powder
3 Tbs corn starch
1/8 tsp salt
2 3/4 cup milk
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a 1-quart sauce pan mix all the dry ingredients. Failure to mix the corn starch with the sugar will result in lumpy pudding. Add milk to the pan. Cook on medium high heat until it starts to boil. Allow it to boil for 30 sec to 1 min longer just to kill the taste of the starch. Take off of heat and add vanilla and butter. Pour into serving dishes and refrigerate until cook.

I hope you all enjoy.

Cheesy Chicken & Veggies - Crock Pot Meal

A good friend here in good old SC gave me this slow cooker chicken and veggies recipe, and it is our new favorite! Our kids request it all the time and actually eat it, which is the highest compliment a meal can receive at our house. It also makes great leftovers, so I usually make the full amount so we can enjoy it again later.

This is a make-ahead meal- start it as early in the day as you want. It takes 15-20 minutes to get everything in the slow cooker. 30 minutes before serving, add 3 cups dry rice to rice cooker, cover with 6 cups water and 2 T. chicken bouillon paste (or 6 bouillon cubes).

4-6 chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, cubed

2 pkgs dry Italian dressing mix (I make my own with this recipe. Use 4 T. to equal 2 pkgs.)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1-2 cans water

16 oz. frozen veggies of choice

Mix chicken, cream cheese, Italian dressing mix, soups, and 1 can water in the crock pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Stir once when cheese has melted to help it blend better. When finished cooking, transfer chicken to a plate and shred- mashing with the back of a fork works great. Stir in frozen veggies and add another can of water if mixture seems too thick. Add shredded chicken back to soup mixture and turn off crock pot. Serve over rice.

To cut meal in half, use 2 cans soup and half of a can of water. It took a couple of hours less time to cook on low. I've made it this way twice with good results. Enjoy!

Favorite Marinara Sauce

About a year ago, I got fed up with the cheap spaghetti sauces in a jar that always include corn syrup and other unnecessary, unpronounceable ingredients. I went on a quest to find a great marinara sauce that included only basic ingredients like tomatoes, basil, olive oil, etc. The closest I found was the Kirkland Marinara from Costco, however that sauce also tasted pretty basic and needed some extra help. I eventually found that making my own marinara is well worth the effort; the payoff is amazing flavor, as well as knowing what's in it!

2 (15 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1/4 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 T. dried parsley

1 t. dried oregano

1 t. Italian seasoning

1 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

Add these ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

1/4 c. olive oil

2 T. dried onion

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender.

Add pureed ingredients to skillet and heat through. Simmer up to 30 minutes for best flavor, or use immediately if desired.

We usually use half the sauce right away and store the other half in the fridge. It stores well and works great for a quick meal later in the week. I'll never go back to store-bought sauce!

*Recipe adapted from "Best Marinara Sauce Yet" on Allrecipes.com.

GREAT SUMMERTIME MEAL

Dilled Chicken Sandwich Wrap                     8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

     8 ounces cream cheese, softened                        3 to 4 tomatoes, diced     

     4 teaspoons dried dill weed, divided                   Parmesan or grated cheddar (optional)

     2 Tablespoons minced garlic, divided                 1 leaf lettuce or spinach bunch (optional)
                            

     4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves,        1 package 10 inch tortillas
           cubed in bite size pieces                                                                              

         
     1/3 cup olive oil    

                                                                                            

         

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream Cheese Spread:  Use a medium bowl.  Mix together softened cream cheese with half of the dill weed and half of the minced garlic.  Set aside.
2. Dilled Chicken Filling:  Use a ten inch skillet.  Mix olive oil and the other half of both the dill weed and minced garlic and preheat over medium high heat.  Add bite sized chicken pieces and brown, stirring frequently to cover with spices.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer chicken mixture until meat is firm and juices run clear. 
3. Preheat tortillas over chicken mixture 10 to 15 seconds per side to soften for wrapping. 
4. Use Cream Cheese Spread in a light layer over the inside of tortilla.  Add chicken, cheese (optional), tomatoes, lettuce or spinach (optional).

Serve with fresh melon and corn on the cob 

Nachos In A Hurry

We tried these nachos the other night when we were short on time, and I can tell this is going to become a fast week-night favorite. My favorite part is the avocado- it is the secret ingredient. This dish is versatile- you can add many different toppings according to your own taste. It's going to be hard for me to keep from making it more than once a week! I'll try to rein it in though so it doesn't get worn out too fast.

1/2 - 1 lb. extra lean ground beef

1 (1.25 oz.) package taco seasoning

1 cup water

1 16 oz. can re-fried beans

1 13 oz. bag tortilla chips

4 cups (I honestly used 2 cups) grated cheddar cheese

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1-2 avocados

Sour cream

Salsa

Other topping ideas: 

Olives, bacon bits, bell peppers, green onion, etc.

Brown ground beef in a skillet. Add taco seasoning and water. Stir and let cook about 5 minutes. Stir in re-fried beans and cook until warm. Place tortilla chips in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Drop beef mixture by spoonfuls onto the chips and then sprinkle generously with cheese. Bake at 450 degrees until cheese is melted. Serve, adding toppings individually. 

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Oven Roasted Potatoes (Roast 'em, boil 'em, stick 'em in a stew)

4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed.

1/8 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. In a large bowl, combine everything except the potatoes, then stir in potatoes until evenly coated.  Place potatoes in a single layer on a roasting pan or baking sheet.

3.  Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

Basic Potato Kugel

Basic Potato Kugel

We tried this the other night and it was a hit!  Even Jerry Lister liked it.  Note:   The traditional recipe does not have carrots, but I saw them added in other recipes and tried it - they were great (grate). Lynn

Potato Kugel, moist on the inside and crispy on the outside, is a staple of Eastern European Jewish cooking.

8 medium potatoes
2 onions
2 medium carrots
6 eggs
1/2 cup oil
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper


1. Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit

2. In a large bowl, mix eggs, oil, flour, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

3. Coarsely grate the potatoes, onion and carrots by hand or food processor.  Let stand 3-5 mintues.  One handful at a time, squeeze out excess liquid.  Add grated veggies to the egg-flour mixture.  Mix by hand only until smooth.

4.  Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

5.  Bake uncovered, for 1 hour or until golden brown on top and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Serve warm or hot as a side dish with a meat entree such as roast chicken.

Lemon Chicken Italiano

This was the dinner I requested for my birthday on Sunday. When it's made with the Kirkland marinara sauce, it is easily in my top five favorite meals. Hint: for those who don't like butter, cut it and use 2-3 T. olive oil for the topping instead.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

5 T. butter, divided

1 T. olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

2 cups Kirkland marinara sauce (or whatever you like)

4 T. chopped onion, or 1 T. dried

2 T. lemon juice

1/2-1 T. dried parsley (2 T. fresh chopped)

Pound chicken breasts between waxed paper until flat (or do what I do and slice them into chicken fingers). Put flour and chicken in a plastic bag and shake to coat. Melt 2 T. of butter and 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet (cut the butter if desired). Place chicken in skillet and cook over medium-high heat until cooked through. (5 min/side for chicken breasts.) Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place marinara sauce in a 9x13 baking dish, top with chicken. Keep in a warm oven while making the lemon sauce.

For lemon sauce, melt remaining 3 T. butter (or use olive oil) in the same skillet, scraping up chicken bits. Add onion and cook until tender. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and parsley. Pour over chicken and serve. 

Italian Meatloaf

Mike's favorite. :) 

2 lbs. extra-lean ground beef

2 cups soft bread crumbs (or 3/4 c. dry)

1/2 cup favorite marinara sauce

1 large egg

2 T. dried onion

1-2 t. minced garlic

1/4 t. pepper

1 t. salt

1 t. garlic salt

1/2 t. Italian seasoning

marinara sauce for topping

Line a cookie sheet or crock-pot with foil, spray with non-stick spray.

Combine beef, bread crumbs, marinara sauce, egg, onion, garlic, and seasonings in a mixing bowl with hands or potato masher until well-mixed. Shape into a loaf and place on cookie-sheet or into crock-pot. Spread desired amount of marinara sauce on top. 

If cooking in the oven:

Bake at 375 for 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 160 F. Scrub 6-8 potatoes, poke with a fork, and bake next to the meatloaf for an easy side.

Crock-pot instructions:

Cook on High 2 1/2-3 hours or Low 5-6 hours.

GRANDMA LISTER'S VEGETABLE CHOWDER

This is an old family favorite that we still like to make.

2 cups diced potatoes
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup chopped onion

Don't worry about exact measurements on the veggies.  I usually get a glass 4 cup measure and chop until it's full.

1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups boiling water
2 cups milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup flour
10 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese (medium works OK)
1 16 oz can cream style corn.

In a sauce pan that will fit, combine veggies with salt & pepper and water.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Do not drain.

In a large pan Make cream sauce with butter, flour & milk (melt butter, while stirring add flour and then slowly add milk)
Add cheese and stir until melted.  Add creamed corn and undrained veggies and heat through.  Do not boil.  Serves 6-8 rest-home patients or 4 normal people.

Lynn

FAVORITE SLOPPY JOES

This is pretty basic, but has a good flavor and seems to be liked by everyone.  It can easily be doubled or tripled or more.

1 lb ground beef

2-3 stalks celery, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown ground beef, celery and onion - drain fat.

Stir in remaining ingredients, simmer covered, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If too much liquid remains, leave the cover off and simmer to let moisture evaporate.

It's pretty versatile.  If you don't have dry mustard, use regular mustard.  You could also add garlic or other seasonings.

Lynn

Thanksgiving Recipe-Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
• 1/2 lb. of bacon, cut in little 1/4″-1/2″ pieces
• 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a pot of boiling water seasoned with a tablespoons of salt, cook brussels sprouts for 5 minutes and drain. In a large stir fry pan, cook bacon pieces with onions until bacon is crispy on medium high heat. When bacon is crisp, carefully soak up as much bacon grease possible with paper towels and tongs. Add brussels sprouts to the pan and stir fry everything for 5 minutes or until brussels sprouts begin to brown. Season with salt and pepper and serve. Enjoy!

This was way good on Thanksgiving.   Even Jerry Lister liked it!

Chicken Tomato Pasta

by Mom

Robin's Easy Chicken Tomato Pasta

 Prep Time:  15 Min     Cook Time:  30 Min     Ready In:  45 Min

1/2 (16 ounce) package angel hair pasta, thin spaghetti, or rotello

olive oil

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - chopped

(or 2 cans Kirkland chicken)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 can black olives, quartered and drained

1 (8 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained

3 (16 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1 (8 ounce can) tomato sauce

freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Boil pasta for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain. 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle chicken with Italian herb seasoning, onion powder, seasoned salt, and pepper.   

Add chicken to olive oil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic, drained black olives and mushrooms. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until chicken is golden brown. 

Reduce heat to low. Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. 

Toss the pasta and chicken mixture together, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve. 

(NOTE:  My additions to original recipe making this one my own were -- an extra can of tomatoes, tomato sauce, minced garlic, pepper, and substituting the two cans of chicken)

Everyone voted this one a keeper!

Tomato Beef Noodle Soups

by Mom

Robin’s Sweet Tomato Beef Noodle Soup

1    lb. extra lean ground beef

½   tea. black pepper

½   tea. salt

3    Tbsp Olive Oil

1    green pepper, cut in bite size

          pieces

3    whole green onions, sliced

          about 1/8 in thin

2    large tomatoes, diced

1    cup frozen sweet corn

1    Tbsp. Better Than Bullion,

 vegetable

1    26 oz can tomato soup

2½ cans water

1 to 1½ cups Country Pasta, home-

          style egg noodles

In a fry pan brown ground beef, add black pepper and salt.  Gently simmer on low while preparing vegetables. 

Warm olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; add green pepper, green onions, tomatoes, and frozen corn, sauté about 5 minutes. 

Drain ground beef; add to vegetables.  Stir in Better than Bullion, simmer 2 minutes.  Mix in tomato soup and simmer 3 minutes. 

Use tomato soup can to measure water - first add 2 full cans, then fill can halfway, swirl water to collect remaining soup from sides and bottom before adding to mixture. 

Add egg noodles.  Bring mixture to a rolling boil. 

Turn heat down enough to keep soup at a gentle boil, covered for ten minutes.  Reduce heat, gently simmer for 20 minutes. 

Serve suggestions:  fresh hot rolls and fresh sliced fruit.  

Easy Tomato Beef Ramen Soup

4 servings          210 calories per serving

½ lb. extra lean ground beef
3 ½ c water
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 c frozen mixed vegetables
1 t beef bouillon flavoring
2.8 oz. package beef flavored ramen noodles

Brown beef and drain then add water, tomatoes, veggies, bouillon flavoring and flavoring packet from the ramen noodles and bring to a boil.

Break up ramen noodles and add to soup and cook 3-5 minutes then serve.

Breakfast, Anytime?

Mini Breakfast Quiches

 by Mom

I haven’t tried these yet, I plan to try them on an upcoming Saturday.  My friend at work gave me the top version and I found the second on Allrecipes.com  I am looking for good food I can make on Saturday for lunch, then reheat on Tuesday night after I get home from work for dinner.  These muffin tin quiches keep and freeze well and, best of all, I anticipate they taste heavenly.

Ham, Cheese and Spinach Cups

8 Eggs

¾ cups shredded low-fat sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

¼ cup cottage cheese

5 oz frozen spinach, defrosted, water squeezed out, and roughly chopped  (Half a standard frozen box of spinach)

1/3 cup roasted red peppers, diced (jarred or make your own)

1/3 cup finely diced ham, Canadian bacon, or crumbled bacon

¼ cup sliced green onion

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

½ tsp hot sauce

12 foil muffin tin liners, or 12 pieces sliced ham. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  If using ham slices as liner spray muffin tin with non stick cooking spray and place one piece of ham in each well to form a bowl  If using foil liners, spray the insides of the liners with non stick cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients.  Evenly divide the egg mixture between the 12 ham lined muffin wells (about ¼ cup each) being careful to keep ingredients well dispersed. Fill each well right up to the top 

Place in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes  The eggs should be puffed and the mixture just barely ‘set’ on top.  Remove from oven, let cool five minutes before serving. 

LEFT OVER TIPS:

Store leftovers in an air tight container in the fridge OR freeze them 

When reheating in the microwave be sure to REMOVE FOIL LINERS. 

Reheat from FROZEN:  Take out of freezer and let thaw overnight in fridge.

When microwaving place quiche on a folded paper towel to drain excess moisture. 

  

Mexican Salsa Cups

24 (2 inch) frozen mini tart shells

6 slices bacon

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons garlic salt

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, for topping

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup cubed fully cooked ham

1/4 cup salsa

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F

Place the tart shells into muffin pans and set aside.

Cook the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate; crumble once cool.

Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl; whisk in the cream, flour, garlic salt, onion powder, chili powder, and cumin until smooth. Stir in the crumbled bacon, 2 cups Cheddar cheese, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, ham, and salsa. Ladle the mixture into the tart shells; sprinkle with 1/2 cup of Cheddar cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the center of the quiche comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

These could be so fun to experiment with

 for lunch or snacks as well, 

depending on what you like 

in your QUICHE!  

Happy eating =) 

Homemade Refried Beans

This past summer we needed good, healthy meals that wouldn't require us to turn on the oven. We also needed quick lunches. We had a big box of canned beans in food storage, and what ended up happening was a beautiful thing. I was looking through recipes one night and came across a basic refried bean recipe. I thought, "Hmmmm, we can do that." The next day I tried it.

They turned out pretty good, but some tweaking needed to happen. It got better with time, and pretty soon we were trying different kinds of beans for fun. One day I even threw a bag of lentils in the crock pot with the same recipe and we had Lentil Tacos. They were fantastic! 

The idea behind this is to make a huge batch and use it through the week for lunches, or quick dinners. Tacos, burritoes or enchiladas are all fast and easy to assemble. You can even freeze this stuff and pull it out for recipes. It's much better than canned, in my opinion! Our favorite so far has been the black beans.

1/2-1 c. onion

 3-6 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 T. olive oil or butter

4 oz. can diced green chilies

4 - 15 oz. cans of beans, drained slightly or 1 lb. dried beans (2 cups), soaked overnight

1/4 t. cumin

3/4 t. black pepper

1-2 c. chicken broth or water

Salt to taste (add this last as the chicken broth is salty)

Skillet Version:

Saute onion & garlic in oil until tender. Add chilies, beans and seasonings. Let cook down, adding broth or water as needed. Stir and mash until desired consistency is reached. Taste-test and add salt if needed.

Crock Pot Version:

Dried Beans: Add 6 cups of water (or 3 cups broth/3cups water for more flavor) to a crock pot. Add 2 cups of dried beans- no need to pre-soak for crock pot cooking. 

Canned Beans: Add 2 cups water (or 1 cup broth/1 cup water for more flavor) to the crock pot. Add 4 cans slightly drained beans.

Add the rest of ingredients, minus the salt. Omit oil/butter if desired. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until beans are soft. Mash up the beans with a potato masher, draining off excess liquid if necessary. Taste-test and add salt if needed.