Turkey Ham & Scalloped Potatoes

From: My mom sent me this recipe.  She got it from a slow cooker recipe book she has had for 30 years.

Ingredients:

Turkey ham, cut into bite sized pieces
3-5 medium potatoes cut but not peeled
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
sprinkle with paprika
green chilies (optional)

How to: 

Put all the ingredients in the slower cooker and cook it on high for 3 hour or low for 6-8 hours.

Side notes:

For lactose intolerance, hold the cheese and add it on the side when serving.

Taco Salad

From: This one is an original.  :)

Ingredients:

romaine lettuce
crushed tortilla chips
tomatoes
ground beef
cinnamon
olive oil
salt
sugar
barbecue sauce
ketchup
cheese
salad dressing (my favorite is Ranch flavor)
other options:  raisins, craisins, anything else you think you might want to add

How to: 

Start by browning meat withe same spices from my hamburger recipe. The only difference is that you add about a Tbsp per pound of ground beef of olive oil to help break it up and add more ketchup and barbecue sauce so it's juicier.  Then add all the ingredients together in a salad.  Enjoy!

Hamburgers

From: My across-the-street neighbors growing up were our best friends.  Elizabeth and Danielle were like our other sisters and we spent more time during the summer in their back yard than our own, I think.  Their dad, Carl, was known for his hamburgers.  Man, he could make a mean hamburger!  Finally one time I paid attention to what he put in it.  You won't believe how good these are!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
2 Tbsp your favorite barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp of ketchup
a generous pinch of salt
a generous pinch of sugar
two generous pinches of cinnamon
(all the measurements are general estimations... I just add it until it looks about right)

How to: 

Add all the ingredients in a bowl and knead well so that the seasonings are well mixed into the meat.  Form it into patties and grill it!  Yummmmmm.

Side Notes: 

I use this combination of spices for ground beef in all sorts of recipes like Stromboli.

Tuna Bites

From: This one's an original!

Ingredients:

tuna mixed with your favorite ingredients
cheese crackers

How to: 

Put one on top of the other and munch!  It makes a great snack or a side for a meal.

Tuna Quesadillas

From: I came up with this one on my own!  :)

Ingredients:

tortilla
tuna (not mixed with any other ingredients)
cheese

How to: 

Put cheese and drained tuna inside a tortilla and fold in half.  Butter the outside.  Sauté in a pan on medium heat on both sides.

Side notes:

Tastes best to little boys when served outside on the front porch with rocks to play with.

Chicken, Asparagus & Mushroom Bake

From: This is another recipe I found in a recipe magazine next to the tabloids at the grocery store.  I might end up cooking through this entire casserole magazine.  It's seriously GOOD.  As soon as I can figure out how to link to the proper place, I'll give credit where credit is definitely due!  I almost didn't try this one because there were so many steps, but don't be intimidated.  It's really easy and worth it!  SO YUMMY!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups sliced asparagus
black pepper
1 package (about 6 oz.) corn bread stuffing mix (although in the picture above I used regular corn bread mix)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 can (about 14 oz) chicken broth
1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of asparagus or cream of chicken soup undiluted (I used cream of chicken soup)

How to: 

Heat butter and oil in a large skillet or wok.
Add chicken and garlic.  Cook and stir for about 3 minutes over medium-high heat until the chicken is no longer pink.
Add mushrooms.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
Add asparagus.  Cook and stir for about 5 minutes or until the asparagus is crisp-tender.
Season with pepper.

Transfer the mixture to six small casseroles.  Top with stuffing or cornbread mix.  I only had one large casserole dish and that worked just fine.

Add wine to the skillet and cook and stir for one minute over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.  Add broth and soup; cook and stir until well blended.  Pour broth mixture over stuffing mix.

Bake, uncovered at 350°F, for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and heated through

Side notes:

Makes 6 servings.

PB & J Pocket

From:  Costco sells pre-made peanut butter and jelly pockets.  Essentially it's two pieces of bread sealed at the edges with PB&J in the middle.  My son ate one  up like it was candy and I thought, "I can make that!"  Plus it cuts down on the mess that usually happens when jelly squeezes out the sides of the sandwich.

Ingredients:

peanut butter
jelly
bread

How to: 

Make a regular peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Then take a mug and use it to gently squish the sandwich down, cutting off the sides and sealing the edges.

Use a knife to finish cutting off the sides and serve!

Coddled Eggs

From: I learned how to make coddled eggs from my grandmother.

Ingredients:

eggs
salt
pepper
cooking spray

How to: 

First, you need an egg coddler, or several.  They look like this.

Spray the inside of each coddler with cooking spray.  Then dust it with salt and pepper.  Next drop in one egg and screw on the top.

Lower into a pot of boiling water.  The water should reach the edge of the coddler tops like this.

Boil until egg is cooked through (about 7-9 minutes).  To lift out of the pot, use a hook or a fork twine.  Unscrew the tops using a dish towel or oven mit and scoop out the coddled eggs.

Side notes:

Coddled eggs make great toppings for toasted English muffins, which is how I like to eat them.

Saffron Chicken & Vegetables

From: This recipe came straight from one of the recipe magazines you find next to the tabloids in the grocery store.

I was impressed with how good and how easy it was!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
6 bone-in skinless chicken thighs
1 bag (16 oz) frozen mixed vegetables (such as broccoli, red bell peppers, mushrooms and onions) (I used the peas, carrots, green beans and corn mix in the picture and it was delicious!)
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup undiluted
1 can (10.75 oz)condensed cream of mushroom soup undiluted
1 package (8 oz) saffron yellow rice mix
1/2 cup water
1 tsp paprika

How to: 

Spray a 3 quart (9x13 inch) casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Brown chicken on both sides; drain fat.  Meanwhile, combine vegetables, broth, soups, rice mix and water in a large bowl.  Mix well.  Place mixture in prepared casserole.  Top with chicken.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is cooked through (165°F) and the rice is fully cooked.  Makes six large servings.

Apricot Chicken

From: This recipe has been passed down from my grandmother, to my mother, to me.  It's tried, true, and yummy!

Ingredients:

1.5 to 2 lbs of chicken - any cut will do, bone in or boneless and skinless...  makes no difference so pick your favorite or whatever's on sale
1 package of onion soup or onion dip mix
4 oz French dressing
4 oz apricot preserves

How to: 

Clean and trim the chicken if necessary.  Lay the raw pieces in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan.  In a 2 cup measuring cup put 4 oz of French dressing.  Add apricot preserves until you have 8 oz of total marinade.  Add the packet of onion soup/dip mix.  Mix well with a small spatula.  Pour over the chicken.  I like to then move the chicken around so it's completely coated.Then bake it at 350° F for an hour.

(With a slower cooker:) Clean and trim the chicken if necessary.  Lay the raw pieces in the bottom of the cooker.  Mix 4 oz of French dressing, 4 oz of apricot preserves and a packet of onion soup/dip mix.  Mix well with a small spatula.  Pour over the chicken.  Add enough water to the pot so that about 1/4 of an inch covers the bottom..Then cook on high for 3 or 4 hours.

Side notes:

I like to serve it over Costa Rican rice, as shown in the picture.

Costa Rican White Rice

From: I learned how to make Costa Rican rice when I lived there for a year.  Now, my husband and I make rice for our meals a couple times per week.

Ingredients:

2 cup white rice
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
3 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
3 cups of water

How to:  

Put all the ingredients except the water in a rice cooker or pot.  Mix well so that the rice is well coated with the oil.  Add the water.  Cook the rice.