The Cookbook Experiment: Cheesy Nacho Bake

The final cookbook experiment of the night is Mrs. Susan Strom's Cheesy Nacho Bake. Susan is a woman at church who I greatly admire. She is a very brave and courageous woman who believes and loves with her whole heart.

Cheesy Nacho Bake by Susan Strom

(1 1/2) pounds ground beef or turkey
(1) 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, unstrained
(1) package Taco seasoning mix (1 1/4 ounce)
(1/2) cup water
(1 1/2) cups sour cream, divided
(1) 5 ounce package tortilla chips (8 cups)
(1) 8 ounce package Shredded Colby and Monterrey jack cheese
Chopped tomatoes and green onion for garnish

Brown meat, drain. Add tomatoes, 1/2 cup water and seasoning mix. Cook, uncovered 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in 1 cup sour cream. Place 1/2 of the chips in a 13" x 9" baking dish, cover with 1/2 the meat mixture and 1/2 the cheese. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through.  Top with remaining sour cream, chopped tomatoes and green onions if desired.

My take-a-ways for this recipe:

• This was very easy and very tasty
• The sour cream blended with the meat and tomato mixture was just perfectly creamy.
• Adding the fresh grape tomatoes and green onion on top with some sour cream was wonderful.
• This is definitely going on the list of things I will make again and again. Thanks Susan!

The Cookbook Experiment: Pinto Bean Casserole

Tonight's cookbook experiment is another good one from our now CANCER-FREE Cindy Carrothers. How awesome is that? Congratulations Cindy!

Pinto Bean Casserole by Cindy Carrothers

(1 1/2) cups freshly cooked pinto beans, drained
(1/2) cup diced green pepper
(2) scallions, minced
(1) teaspoon olive oil
(2/3) cup diced tomatoes
(1) teaspoon chili powder
(1/2) teaspoon dried oregano
(1/2) teaspoon ground coriander
(2) eggs, whisked
(1/4) cup cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute green pepper and minced scallions in olive oil for 5 minutes, or until soft. Stir in the drained pinto beans, tomatoes, chili powder, oregano and coriander. Cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove heat and stir in the whisked eggs.  Spray casserole dish with cooking spray. Add the bean mixture and spread evenly. Cover with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until filling is set.

I forgot to take a picture before I served it!!

Here it is on the plate with sauteed zucchini and some garlic bread.

My take-a-ways for this recipe:

• I did not have shallots so I used a regular white onion. I figured it would be okay because I love them with pinto beans anyway.
• I was naughty and instead of regular chili-powder I used Chipotle chili-powder. Why was this naughty? I did not warn my daughter about it! She cannot handle a lot of spice. I was surprised when she ate hers and did not complain. I asked her about it and she said it was "a little spicy" and that is when I confessed. Next time that I make it, I would most likely not add the Chipotle but use regular chili powder. It was too spicy for me; it is a rare thing that she can handle spicy and I can't. 
• Do not neglect to add the ground coriander. The blend of spices with this dish was simply amazing.
• I actually forgot to grab a tomato at the store. I substituted a bit of V-8 juice. I am not really sure how much. I just added until I thought it looked right (no help, huh? Sorry!).
• Don't forget to temper the eggs! I added some of the pinto bean mixture a little at a time to the whisked eggs so they would not accidentally scramble.
• Cindy, thank you for this recipe! It was really good and definitely will be added to our regular menu.

The Cookbook Experiment: Super Sloppy Joes

Sharon Giambrone to the rescue again! I needed a quick and yummy dinner tonight so I dug through the cookbook again and found this gem by Sharon.  The best part is that I had almost all the ingredients in my pantry/fridge.  Thanks Sharon!!

Super Sloppy Joes by Sharon Giambrone
(1) tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
(1 1/4) pounds ground beef sirloin
(1/4) cup brown sugar
(2) teaspoons to (1) tablespoon of steak seasoning blend, such as McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning
(1) medium onion, chopped
(1) small red bell pepper, chopped
(1) tablespoon red wine vinegar
(1) tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
(2) cups tomato sauce
(2) tablespoons tomato paste
(4) crusty rolls, split, toasted and lightly buttered

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and meat to the pan. Spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar and spice mixture to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes.  Add tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, pile sloppy meat onto toasted, buttered bun bottoms and cover with bun tops. Serve with your favorite sides or sliced tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper, dill pickles and Deviled Potato Salad. Have  plenty of napkins on hand.

Okay, a few things to know:

• I did not have red wine vinegar. I have actually never tried it. I used balsamic vinegar and it tasted great.
• I did not serve on bread. I poured it over white rice and served it in a bowl. I needed something fast and did not want to run to the store for bread.
• I will NEVER buy Manwich again. This Super Sloppy Joe was AMAZING!

Dinner rescued again by the Princess Anne Plaza Baptist church cookbook!!

Open-Faced Tostadas - Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian

Nothing beats a fast dinner that is really tasty. Even better when you plan ahead and have the ingredients on hand.  One of our favorite fast meals is what we like to call "Open-Faced Tostadas" Is it really a tostada? Beats me! That is just what our family calls it!

It starts with a flour tortilla on a cookie sheet sprinkled with some shredded marble cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you like) and put in a 350 degree oven for the cheese to melt and the tortilla to heat up and curl just a bit.

What happens next is up to you. My family prefers the Non-Vegetarian route. Before I heat my tortillas up, I brown one pound of ground chuck (poor chuck) in a skillet with one half of a medium yellow onion, chopped. When it is browned, I drain and add one package of taco seasoning per the directions. I have also used shredded chicken seasoned with onions and peppers in lieu of ground chuck.

The best part about the tostadas is that you can stack them up with whatever you want. The main ingredients that ours always have is the following:

Broccoli Slaw
Shredded Marble Cheddar Cheese
Grape Tomatoes
Black Beans (rinsed and heated)
Queso Fresco

I have to say that I have tried several different brands of Queso Fresco and I keep coming back to the Cacique brand. No, I am not being paid to endorse them. I just like them the best.

Once you have your meat ready, go ahead and get your tortillas in the oven with the shredded cheddar to start melting so you can begin to prepare the remaining ingredients.

On top of the melted tortilla and melted cheese I stack the meat, a generous handful of black beans, then a little more shredded cheddar, next the broccoli slaw, sliced grape tomatoes, crumbled queso fresco. Sometimes we add a dollop of salsa or sour cream. It all depends on what we have on hand.

For the Vegetarian version - I substitute the meat for sliced and diced Avocado. I never even miss the meat! And the best part of it all is that I generously sprinkle with Celtic Sea Salt.

It was a wonderful dinner, maybe a little heavy on the cheddar but truthfully a totally customizable (is that a word?) meal for each person in your household!

Chicken and Sausage Soup

It's a cold snowy day here in Virginia Beach, VA so it seemed like a good day for soup.  Yesterday I picked up some bone-in split chicken breasts on sale plus some Andouille sausage.  It sounded like an interesting marriage!

Here is what went in my big green soup pot:

(4) bone-in split chicken breasts
(1) medium onion, chopped
(8) cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
(2) packages Johnsonville New Orleans brand Andouille Recipe smoked sausage
(1) package crinkle cut carrots
(1) package peas
(1) package roasted red & green peppers
(2) cans of Hunt's diced tomatoes
(1) small can of V-8
(2) drops of Texas Pete
chili powder

Boil the chicken until done and no longer pink.
While the chicken is boiling, saute the onion and garlic in 1/2 a stick of butter until tender.
Slice the Andouille sausage into about 1/2" thick rounds and toss with onions.
When the chicken is done, remove from bones and discard bones and skin.
Chunk the chicken and add back to the broth, keep at a low boil.
Add the sausage and onions to the pot with the chicken.
Add the remaining ingredients, the chili powder and Texas Pete are to your liking!

I served this with jalapeno poppers! It was very good.