Chalupa

Remember when I said the Mexican Meat Mix, which makes my favorite Chimmichangas also makes the best soup? Well, this is it. This soup is so good. I love it because if you already have the meat mix in the freezer, this soup takes no time! Everyone can top it the way they like - I like cheese, cilantro, green onions, shredded lettuce, tomato, avacado & chips. It is perfect for a cold night!

Chalupa

2 cans pinto beans (or black)

4 cups water - or to your desired consistency

3 cups Mexican Meat Mix

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. chili powder

Toppings

chips

cheese

green onion

shredded lettuce

cilantro

avacado

tomatoes

Add the beans, water, Meat mix, salt and chili powder in a soup pot. Cook uncovered for approx. an hour, stirring occasionally until it is heated all the way through.

Serve in a bowl over the chips. Garnish with the toppings of your choice. Enjoy!

Homemade Pizza

One of my very best friends, Stephanie, gave me this recipe. She told me a couple times about this pizza and how easy & fast it was. I wasn't sure what her definition of "easy" was until she told me it takes about 15 minutes to make it! That is my kind of easy. I knew I had to try it too. I have always had a hard time with pizza dough - I never found the recipe that made the kind I liked. Well, I am happy to say that I have an easy, new favorite! I have made this recipe about 5 times now and my whole family loves it. And I love that I can make it quickly - the only thing I need to plan ahead for is to make sure I have mozarella cheese!

Homemade Pizza Dough Recipe

printable recipe

2 1/2 c. flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup hot water (120-130°)
1 Tbsp. Rapid Rise or Bread Machine yeast
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 500°. Mix dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add hot water and olive oil. Mix for five minutes and then let the dough rest 10 minutes. Press dough on pizza pan, pizza stone, or jelly-roll pan. Bake at 500° for 3 minutes. It will look like this...

After you take it out of the oven, you can cover it with toppings.

I cheat when it comes to the sauce! I have found an easy solution that my family loves. I use the Hunt's brand "Garlic and Herb" sauce for my pizza. It tastes great, makes it even easier and costs under $1 at Wal-mart!

When you are done adding your toppings, return to the oven and bake 8-10 minutes. I usually just make the traditional pepperoni, but have also done a BBQ chicken which was great. I might have to make this today and experiment!

Mexican Meat Mix / Chimmichangas

This is my favorite meal ever. No joking. My mom has been making this since I was a little girl. This was what all of the kids in my family picked for their birthday dinner. If I had to pick one dish to remind me of my home growing up, this is it. I love it.

It is from the cookbook titled Make-A-Mix Cookery. It is a great cookbook - that I seem to have borrowed from my mom about 10 years ago - that has many great meals. It is written by 3 moms who were trying to make more time for their families and still make good dinners. They are the original mix makers! They teach you how to make and prepare a mix and make it work for many meals. I found some copies of their book on Amazon if you are interested. Ours is well worn and I think I may break it out again and see what new things I can find!

In this meal, you cook up one large roast and then freeze it in 3 cup portions to make 3 separate meals. Our favorite is the Chimmichangas, but it also makes an amazing Chalupa (thick soup) that everyone loves.

Mexican Meat Mix

5 lbs. beef roast or combination of beef & pork roast

3 Tbs. vegetable shortening

3 onions, chopped

1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies

2 (7 oz) cans green chili salsa

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

4 Tbs. flour

4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

Juices from beef roast

Preheat oven to 200 degrees and place the roast in a large roasting pan. Cover with a tight lid and roast about 12 hours, until well done. OR cook all day in crock pot until it shreds easily.

Drain the juices and set aside for later. Cool the meat and then remove any bones. Shred the meat and then set aside.

Melt the shortening in a large pot. Add the onions and green chilies & saute 1 minute. Add the green chili salsa, garlic powder, flour, salt and cumin. Cook 1 minute over medium-low heat. Stir in the reserved juices and shredded meat and cook another 5 minutes, until thick. This will smell so good! At this point, I usually have the chips out for a nice snack!

Cool the meat and put about 3 cups mix into 3 freezer zip-lock bags. Seal, label and use within 6 months.

For the chimmis, we grab a bag out of the freezer in the morning and let it defrost in the refrigerator. Take the meat out of the zip-lock bag and heat up in the microwave. Put a little bit in a tortilla and roll up. I took some pictures of my hubby as he rolled up the tortilla...

Put a little canola oil in a skillet and heat up until popping. Add the rolled up tortillas and then flip them when they are golden.

They should look like this when they are done! SO GOOD! You could always make it a little healthier and bake them instead, but why? They are way to good this way.

Put them on a bed of shredded lettuce and then top with your favorite toppings. We like tomato, cheese, cilantro, green onion, guacamole and sour cream.

You will be glad there are 2 more bags in the freezer!!

7-up chicken

This is my favorite chicken recipe. We have made it since I was a little girl and I still can't get enough. It is so good!! And it tastes great the next day in sandwiches, so we always make lots of extra.

When I was younger my parents made this for a church youth group activity. They put the marinade right into the frozen chicken bags, let them sit for the day and then took the bags to the activity and grilled them there. This recipe can feed a huge crowd (just adjust the marinade to your amount) or for your family. But, seriously make some extra for the next day!

7-up Chicken

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup soy sauce

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. horseradish sauce

2 cups 7-up

Chicken breasts or tenders - enough to fit comfortably in a gallon zip-lock bag

Mix all the ingredients together and marinade the chicken overnight. The longer the better! I usually put my zip-lock bag on a cookie sheet in the fridge and I try to remember to turn it over every so often. Grill and enjoy!

Top Ramen Chinese Chicken Salad

One of my very best friends made this for me when I was in High School. I loved it. I made her give me the recipe before I left her house and I have been making it ever since. I wont say how many years that has been! But, it is really one of my favorite meals. Especially this time of year when it is hot and a cool dinner sounds great.

I like this salad also because it seems to taste better the longer it sits and the spices mix together. I usually pan fry my chicken, but you could easily use rotisserie or grilled chicken also. My kids eat this up without any complaints. Actually, they love it too and try to go for the serving with the most top ramen!

Top Ramen Chinese Chicken Salad

Recipe given to me from Cami Stephenson

1/2 head lettuce, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 head cabbage, cut into bite size pieces

3 cups chicken, diced or shredded

2 Tbs. sesame seeds

1/4 cup slivered almonds

2 packages Top Ramen Chicken Soup Noodles, broken into small pieces

2 green onions, diced

Dressing

1 Top Ramen noodle dressing packet

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp. salt

1Tbs. sugar

3 Tbs. vinegar

1 tsp. pepper

Combine all of the dressing ingredients and stir very well. Set aside while you put the salad together.

Add all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl and mix with the dressing. That's it. Sometimes I don't have sesame seeds or almonds & it still tastes great! Enjoy this one!

Taco Rice

My mom made up this recipe when I was in high school & it was a big hit in our house. Now, it is a big hit in mine. There aren't that many recipes where I get a big smile from each member of the family - some are a little picky. But, when I make this dinner I ALWAYS hear "Thanks, mom!" They get to top it with whatever they like and everyone is happy.

And the best part is how easy and fast it is to make! You can make it quickly on the busy nights and enjoy a great meal. My mom always made it with ground beef and white rice, but since we are trying to eat a little better I tried it a little different last time. I made it with ground turkey and brown rice & couldn't tell any difference!! The kids had no clue.

Taco Rice

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

2 cups (approximately) cooked white or brown rice

1 packet or 1/4 cup taco seasoning

3/4 cup water

2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

Taco toppings -

chopped tomatoes

cilantro

cheese

onions

avocado

shredded lettuce

salsa

tobasco sauce

Tortilla or corn chips

Brown the meat in a skillet and drain the juices. Add the taco seasoning and water, mix and then simmer for a couple minutes. Add the tomato sauce and rice and then mix well. Heat all the way through.

Serve on plate and top with all of your favorite taco toppings. My husband and I needed a little bit more kick to ours last time (but the kids didn't), so we sprinkled it with a little Tobasco sauce and it was great! We love to eat ours with a handful of chips for a little crunch.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

I love my crock pot. It saves me on days when I don't have time to think about dinner, which seems to be a lot lately. I have been trying to find ways to adapt some of my favorite recipes into crock pot dishes so we can still have a good meal on busy days. I have had this recipe for a while and it is one of my husband's favorites. It was our anniversary on Sunday and since we were in church from 1-4:00, I thought this would be a good one to prepare for him. It is super easy and tastes so good!

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

1 lb. cubed beef stew meat

2 cans condensed golden mushroom soup

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup beef broth or water

1 pack onion soup mix

fresh mushrooms - optional, but so yummy!

4 ounces cream cheese

"scoop" of sour cream

Wide egg noodles

These are the two items you might not have right in your pantry. They are both necessary for this recipe and substitutions will not taste the same. I had a little bit of a hard time finding the Golden Mushroom soup, but eventually found it at Raleys grocery store (here in Nor Cal.)

Combine the beef, Golden mushroom soup, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, water and onion soup mix in your crock pot.

Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours. Add some sauteed mushrooms about a 1/2 hour before time is up. And then mix in the cream cheese and sour cream just before serving. Serve over some wide egg noodles and enjoy!

Buttermilk Chicken

I have another SUPER easy and great recipe for the crock pot. My mom told me about this one years ago & it has been a favorite ever since. I love it because of its simplicity. It has 3 ingredients - you can always add more, but you don't need to. It tastes great with just the 3.

It tastes like a labor intensive southern meal, only in reality it takes about 2 minutes to make!

Buttermilk Chicken

Frozen chicken tenders (you can also use breasts, I just always prefer the tenders)

2 cans cream of chicken or mushroom - whatever you have on hand

Buttermilk to fill 2 cans

All you do is throw the chicken into the crock pot like this. Don't worry about it being frozen.

Pour the cream of whatever you choose over the chicken. Tonight I chose cream of chicken and cream of mushroom! Fill both of the empty cans with buttermilk and then pour over the chicken. That's it! Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

I completely forgot to take a picture of the finished meal, sorry! We like to eat ours with mashed potatoes, but it also tastes great over egg noodles. Add some biscuits and you have a great meal without much time or effort, perfect for those afternoons you live in the car!

turkey meatballs & spaghetti

We have been trying to eat well and exercise everyday in this house. Last year Pete and I followed the Body for Life program and felt great. It was easy to do and we both felt like we weren't giving up anything. We loved how much we could eat and how we were still reaching our goals. So, for Christmas this year one of Pete's presents was the "Eating for Life" cookbook. It is fantastic!

This book comes with amazing tips, recipes and beautiful pictures. And the best part - all of the recipes are made with NORMAL ingredients you would find in your home! Ok, there might be an occasional new spice, but it is not anything you wouldn't like to add to your spice rack. It is exciting for me to find a book I can cook from and know I am feeding my family healthy meals!

Last night I made the recipe titled "Spaghetti and meatballs." I had to really read into the ingredients because I am not a meatball fan. I decided to try this one anyway...I had all the ingredients. Oh my gosh! This was so good! All of my kids had seconds and I liked it so much I ate two of the meatballs for breakfast...cold! YUM!

Turkey Meatballs & Spaghetti (from Eating for Life)

1 lb. lean ground turkey

2 egg whites

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

1/4 cup water

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

2 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. ground black pepper

3 cups low-fat marinara pasta sauce

12 oz. spaghetti

1/4 cup reduced-fat parmesan cheese

Preheat oven broiler.

In a large mixing bowl, combine turkey, egg whites, breadcrumbs, water, onion, garlice, parsley, basil and black pepper. Mix ingredients thoroughly and the shape into 1 1/2 inch diameter meatballs.

Arrange meatballs on a baking sheet and place under broiler for 10-12 minutes (I did a little longer - phobia about under-cooked meat!), turning occasionally until they are browned on all sides.

While the meatballs are in the broiler, prepare spaghetti according to its package directions.

Place a portion of spaghetti on each plate, cover with a portion of meatballs and pasta sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Rotisserie Chicken Taco Soup

I bought a rotisserie chicken at Costco for dinner the other night and had a lot leftover. So, I came up with this soup to use up all the good chicken I had left! It was a big hit with my family!

Chicken Taco Soup

Rotisserie chicken - shredded (as much as you like!)

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 package taco seasoning (or 1/4 cup)

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 tbsp. red taco sauce

6 oz. can tomato paste

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced celery

1/5 cups frozen corn

cheese

avocado slices

cilantro

tortilla chips

Take the shredded chicken and heat it up in a skillet. Add the taco seasoning to the chicken and stir until it is well coated. Allow the chicken to heat all the way through and then set aside.

Add your onion and celery to a soup pot with a tiny bit of olive oil and heat on low for a couple of minutes. You want the onion to be soft and translucent. When it is done, add the chicken broth and water to the pot. Then you can add the rest of the ingredients.

Add the chicken to the pot and cook the soup on low for about 20 minutes. So easy! You could do this in the crock pot also & could add more flavors (beans, rice...). Next time, I will add some fresh lime... so many options. We topped ours off with cheese, avocado, tomato, cilantro & chips. Yum!

Hawaiian Haystacks

This dinner has been one of my favorites since I was a little girl. Now my children love it just as much! It is a great Sunday dinner- not too hard to prepare, but tastes great! I love it because there is no need for any side dishes, everything is mixed together. It is great for dinner parties also because every plate is custom made & everyone gets exactly what they want!

Hawaiian Haystacks

Layer the following ingredients as you choose...

Steamed rice

Shredded cooked chicken

Cheese, grated

Curry Gravy Sauce (recipe below)

Tomato, sliced

Celery, chopped

Green onion, chopped

Slivered almonds

Crushed pineapple, drained

Shredded coconut

Chinese noodles

Fresh ground pepper

The order of the ingredients is important. Make sure to put the gravy on after the chicken and cheese! It makes the cheese melt and it allows the rest of the ingredients to not get soggy.

Curry gravy sauce

3 cups of chicken broth (you can save this from the chicken you cooked & shredded!)

1 tsp. curry

1 cup cold water

1/2 cup flour

Combine all the ingredients. Wisk until well blended and heat through.

Enjoy!

Applesauce Pork Chops

Looking for another easy & delicious crock pot recipe? Here you go. This meal is so good & tastes like it took a long time to make. The good news is that it only takes about 5 minutes!

When you are done the pork chops are so tender they fall apart with a touch of your fork. The sauce is a great mix between sweet and sour - my kids loved it!

Applesauce Pork Chops

6-8 boneless pork chops

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

16 oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup vinegar

Salt and pepper the pork chops and put in the bottom of the crock pot. I took mine out of the freezer and let sit on the counter for about a half an hour and then threw them in, don't worry about them being frozen! Then pour the applesauce on top of the chops followed by the rest of these ingredients...

When you are done it will look like this. It already looks good. Let it cook on high for 6-8 hours.
You and your family will love them! And your busy fall schedule will love it also!

Crock pot salsa chicken

When school starts, so does all of the craziness around here! I want my kids to be able to have the opportunity to develop new talents and keep themselves active. So, when school starts so does soccer, piano, dance... which doesn't leave much time for dinner. I LOVE crock pot recipes. Love. When 3:00 rolls around I don't have the time to think about whats for dinner. Especially when I have 30 minutes to get out the door and won't be home all afternoon!

This dinner is so easy and tastes GREAT! This is all you need to make it. It should take you about 2 minutes!

Chicken

1 jar Medium salsa

frozen corn

1 can of black beans

Put the frozen chicken in the bottom of the crock pot. Don't worry about it being frozen.

Pour the salsa on top of it. Make sure you use Medium salsa or else it may be a little bland. Cover the chicken with the corn (as much as you like) and the beans. Cook for 4-5 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
Chop up some good toppings...
and then put them on top of your chicken. I shredded the chicken real quick with a fork before putting in the bowl. And I always put the chips on top so they aren't soggy. One more good meal for the busy, crazy days! Enjoy!

Kahlua Pork

I have been getting some requests for my new favorite recipe. I guess I have been talking about it a lot lately. But it is so good, I crave it all the time! The best thing is how easy it is to make. It takes some time and preparations, but it is pretty easy. I make it with a really yummy rice recipe I got from Our Best Bites blog - the only difference is I add a little coconut in the rice too. I cut up a fresh pineapple and make some Coconut rolls (in my next post!) and done! Delicious!
6 pound pork roast

Sea salt

1 Tbsp. liquid smoke

1 bag of shredded cabbage

The first thing I do is cut off as much of the fat off the roast as possible. It is so much easier to cut fat off the roast when it is frozen or cold than when it is warm. When you have gotten as much of the fat off the roast, pierce it all over with a large fork or knife. Rub the Sea salt into the meat with your hands. Then, do the same thing with the liquid smoke. Rub it in as good as you can & if you think it needs a little more, then add some more! Place the roast into the crock pot. You will want to do this the night before you are planning to eat - this meat needs to cook on low for about 20 hours!

After 20 hours, remove the meat and shred it with a couple forks and then return to the crock pot. In the meantime, strain the liquid to get rid of the "floaties" and then pour it back over the shredded meat.

About an half hour before serving, add the bag of cabbage and mix with the meat. I love the cabbage, it adds just the right texture to the pork.

I hope this pork makes you think of your last luau!