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Black Bean and Corn Casserole

  • 3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast (steamed or broiled)
  • 1/2 package taco seasoning mix
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (8.57 oz) can sweet corn, drained
  • 1/4 cup salsa
  • water as needed
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups crushed plain tortilla chips

In a large skillet over medium high heat, combine chicken, taco seasoning, beans, corn, salsa and a little water to prevent drying out. Cover skillet and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Transfer chicken mixture to a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Top 1/2 cup of the cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.

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Make-Ahead Slow-Cooker Herbed pork and Red Potatoes

  • 3 lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed of visible fat and cut into 2-inch chunks
  • 2 lb baby red potatoes
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (1 cups)
  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 bulb garlic, cloves peeled
  • 1 spring fresh thyme
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 Tbs salt
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes

Place all ingredients except chopped thyme in labeled 1-gallon freezer bag. Lay flat, and freeze up to 3 months.

Thaw completely in refrigerator, 12 to 24 hours.

Pour contents of bag into 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 6 to 7 hours or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a paring knife and pork shreds easily.

Shred pork, and quarter potatoes. Divide mixture among 8 bowls, and sprinkle with chopped fresh thyme leaves.

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Kneaders caramel syrup

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened (Don’t know why it says softened since you melt it in pan. Also we tried with 1/2 the butter and it tastes great and isn’t as bad for you.)
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp baking soda

Heat an empty medium or large empty stockpot over medium high heat. Make sure the sides of the pot or pan are tall to prevent the syrup from bubbling over.

Melt the butter in the heated pan and stir in the buttermilk and sugar. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil and boil for one minute.

Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the vanilla and baking soda. The mixture will bubble and grow. That’s okay! Keep whisking until the bubbles are gone and the mixture reaches a caramel syrup consistency.

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Dill Pickles

Ingredients are for 1 quart. You can multiply by the number of quarts you plan to make.

  • 1/2 lbs 4 inch pickling cucumbers (5 or 6 cucumbers)
  • 4-6 heads fresh dill or 2-3 Tbs dill seed
  • 1 tsp mustard seed
  • 1 3/4 cups water
  • 3/4 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbs pickling salt

Thoroughly rinse cucumbers. Remove stems and cut off a slice from each blossom end. Pack cucumbers loosely into a hot sterilized quart jar leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Add dill and mustard seed. Make a brine by combining water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to boiling.

Pour hot brine over cucumbers leaving 1/2 in headspace. Adjust lid. Process in a boiling water canner for 15 min. Let stand 1 week before opening.

Kosher- same, but substitute 2 cloves garlic, halved for the mustard seed.

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Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch Dressing Copycat Recipe

  • 1 pkg ranch mix traditional NOT buttermilk
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tomatillos remove husk, diced
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro fresh
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 1 jalapeno, if you like it spicy keep the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds
  1. Add all the ingredients into a blender.
  2. Blend until smooth.
  3. Serve as a dressing over salad or as a dip for veggies and chips.
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Butterfinger Poke cake

Cake

  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 1/4 cups water
  • 1/2 creamy peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 eggs

Filling

  • 1 box (6 serving size) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling mix
  • 3 cups cold milk

Topping

  • 1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 1/4 cup chocolate flavor syrup
  • 4 Butterfinger candy bars, chopped (about 1 2/3 cups)

Heat oven to 350 degrees (325 fro dark or nonstick pan). Grease or spray bottom only of 13 by 9 inch pan.

In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan. Bake 26 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Remove cake from oven to cooling rack; cool 5 minutes. With handle of wooden spoon (1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter), poke holes almost to bottom of cake every 1/2 inch, wiping spoon handle occasionally to reduce sticking.

In large bowl, beat filling ingredients with whisk 1 minute (mixture will thicken). Pour over cake; spread evenly over surface, working back and forth to fill holes. (Some filling should remain on top of cake.) Refrigerate 1 hour.

Spread whipped topping evenly on top of the cake. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. sprinkle with chopped candy. Store covered in refrigerator.

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Slow-Cooker Chicken Pot Roast Dinner

  • 1 lb small potatoes (6-8), unpeeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups)
  • 2 cups ready-to-eat baby-cut carrots
  • 1 cup frozen small whole onions (from 1-lb bag), thawed
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (1 1/4 lb)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1 jar (12 oz) chicken gravy
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen sweet peas, thawed

Spray 3 to 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, place potatoes, carrots and thawed onions. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; place over vegetables in cooker. Pour gravy over top.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8- 10 hours.

Stir in thawed peas. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook about 15 minutes longer or until peas are tender.

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Frito Lay Type Bean Dip

  • 1 (15 oz) can refried beans
  • 5 slices bottled jalapenos (nacho slices)
  • 1 Tbs brine, from bottled jalapeno slices
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp paprika
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine refried beans with the other ingredients in a food processor.

Puree ingredients on high speed until smooth.

Cover and chill for at least an hour before serving.

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Buttermilk Syrup

  • 3/4 cube butter
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 tsp Karo syrup
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Place butter, sugar, buttermilk, and Karo syrup in saucepan and bring to a boil continually stirring. Once it hits a rolling boil, allow to boil for 3 minutes, constantly stirring. Turn down heat and add baking soda (there will be a reaction, so keep stirring), add vanilla.

Serve warm and enjoy!

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Sister Sullivan’s Monster Cookies – Mom and Dad’s mission president in Ukraine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  • 1 stick butter take out of refrigerator and let sit on counter til soft (important – use butter not margarine)
  • 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
  • 1 1/6 cups brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups if you don’t have m&m’s)
  • 1 cup plain M&M’s (approx)
  • 4 1/2 cups rolled oats

Cream butter with peanut butter. Add remaining ingredients in order, mix well. Add chocolate chips and m&m’s last once everything else is well mixed. It’s fun to put a couple extra M&M’s on each cookie after baking. Using a spoon drop onto cookie sheet, spacing about 2″ apart

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 min. (should be slightly browned)