Recipes – Page 2

Frito Chili Pie Casserole

I have loved Frito Chili Pie since I was a little girl. I used to call it Cheeto Frilly Pie. 😉 However you say it, it’s delicious. With the weather turning cooler, (which I hate) this Frito Chili Pie Casserole is the perfect ‘warm your bones and your belly’ meal.

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I made my own chili, but if you want to keep it simple just use your favorite brand of prepackaged chili seasoning and follow the directions on the package. If you want to make your own, my recipe is below. We are a bean-free chili kind of family, but throw in a couple of cans of your favorite beans if you prefer it that way. Just be sure to drain the liquid before adding.

CHILI

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef

3 cloves garlic minced

1 yellow onion chopped

1 – 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes (drained)

1 – 8 ounce can of tomato sauce

3 1/2 Tbsp of chili powder

1/2 Tbsp cumin

1/2 Tbsp sea salt

1 Tsp pepper

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS FOR CASSEROLE

shredded cheese

sliced jalapeño peppers

1 bag of Fritos

Brown hamburger meat with onion and garlic. Add the diced tomatoes, sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Let simmer for 30 minutes on low heat stirring occasionally.

Spoon chili into 9×12 casserole dish (mine is 9×9 but deep) and then line the edges with Fritos. Top with shredded cheddar and jalapeños. Heat in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Serve with additional chopped onion, peppers, and cheese. I love adding mustard to the top of mine. Weird? Maybe a little.. but it’s so good. 🙂

This is the first piece of Rachael Ray Bakeware that I have purchased and I love it! You can get it from Amazon and there are other beautiful color options.

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#36 Spicy Chicken w/Peppers and Onions

Recipes

Man, I’m on a roll! This low calorie, good for you stuff isn’t as hard as I thought. Most people think of low calorie as low taste.. or at least that’s what I usually think when I hear ‘low calorie’. It sooooo doesn’t have to be that way! And THAT, my friends, is awesome!!!

One of our local Mexican restaurants serves something similar to this.. I don’t remember what it’s called, but it’s #36 on the menu. 😉 So, this is my version of #36 Spicy Chicken w/Peppers and Onions. (I’m sure whatever the official name is on the menu sounds way cooler.. but oh well)

What you’ll need

3 boneless chicken breasts sliced and diced (small pieces)

1 small onion diced

1 bell pepper diced

1 jalapeño pepper diced

1 poblano pepper diced

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil

salt & pepper (I also used a little cayenne pepper for added spice)

Heat skillet to medium/high and add coconut oil. Toss in everything but the chicken, salt, and pepper. Cook until onions start to get transparent. Add the chicken, along with salt and pepper. Cook until chicken, onions, and peppers are browned.

Yummy Sweet Iced Coffee – Low Calorie and Low Carb

Recipes

I’ve come to the realization that I don’t like warm drinks.. not a fan of hot chocolate or hot coffee.. I prefer my coffee iced. Maybe it’s because of my cold, cold, heart. 😉 Just kidding. This isn’t the best picture. I took it with my cell phone, but you get the idea.

If you are anything like me, you don’t like to drink your calories/carbs. This recipe is so stinkin’ good and has less than 3 carbs and less than 30 calories. Yay!

All you need is:

Your favorite coffee

Ice (duh)

Silk Original Almond Milk (only 60 calories per serving, but there’s nowhere near a cup in the recipe.. probably less than a 1/2 cup)

Sugar Free Coffee Syrup (zero calories)

Add all ingredients to taste. I prefer a stronger coffee since the ice melts and I don’t like mine too watered down… but that’s me. I add 2 tablespoons of Sugar Free Syrup, and 2 or 3 good heaping splashes of the Almond Milk. I also add a packet of Splenda for a little extra sweetness.

Fried okra… I could live off this stuff.

Recipes

This is an ‘approximate’ but very close recipe.

3 cups okra sliced a little less than 1/4 inch thick

1/2 cup flour

A little over 1/2 cup of yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

Cast iron skillet if you have it, if not I guess that’s ok too. 😉

Heat oil on med/high heat. While your oil is heating up, pour cornmeal and flour into a gallon baggie. Add okra and shake until completely coated. Drop one piece of okra into skillet and it will sizzle when the oil is hot enough. Add okra one handful at a time shaking off excess flour/cornmeal. Stir okra really well and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir occasionally until crisp. Lower heat a smidge if you need to as it cooks. I like mine just this side of burned, but that’s me. Enjoy. I could seriously eat the whole skillet full. I won’t… but I could.

If you need a cast iron skillet, here is a great price on one. They are great to cook with. Plus, it ships free.

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Honey BBQ Meatloaf

Recipes

I was really surprised at how good this was for being so easy. Lane has decided that Beefloaf isn’t that bad after all. 🙂

1 lb Ground Beef

1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs

3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 Tbsp Dijon or Spicy Mustard

1 Cup BBQ Sauce

3 Tbsp Honey

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Pepper

Mix together beef, crumbs, 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce, 1 Tbsp Honey, Mustard, Salt and Pepper. Once combined, form into a loaf in a casserole dish.

In separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients and brush over meatloaf before baking in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

I removed mine 1/2 way through and added more sauce on top. Serve with additional sauce. Yum!

Cowboy Casserole

Recipes

Have you ever had one of those days… the kind of day where you would rather take a beating than to have to stand at the stove and cook dinner? The kind of day where you are tempted to throw a loaf of bread on the table and call it good? Well, that’s me on MOST days.

We eat out probably just as much, if not more than I cook. My Grandmother and Grandma would be so ashamed, I know. Well, faced with that dilemma AGAIN (like I said, it’s pretty much a regular thing 🙂 )

It’s pretty hard to find something my son Lane will eat. His diet pretty much consists of PB&J, chicken nuggets.. well, anything chicken for that matter, grilled cheese, and chocolate chip cookies.. you get the idea. Anyway, he choked this down quite easily. No gagging, crying or anything.. I was impressed. My husband and I really liked it. Simple, yet good.

Ingredients

2 lbs Ground Beef

1 Medium Onion Chopped

3 Cloves of Garlic Minced

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 15 oz Can of Whole Kernel Corn, Drained

2 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

2/3 Cup of Milk

5 Tbsp of Sour Cream

1 Bag of Tater Tots

salt and pepper to taste

It works best if you let the tater tots thaw for a bit before starting, I actually forgot to do this, so I stuck them in the microwave for a minute or so.

In a large skillet cook the onion, garlic, and ground beef until cooked thoroughly add salt and pepper. Drain and transfer to large bowl. In a separate bowl combine together sour cream, soup, and milk. Add to hamburger meat and mix well. Mix in 1 1/2 cup of cheese and corn. In 9 x 13 casserole dish layer 1/2 of tater tots on the bottom of the dish, then spread the mixture over them. Top it off with remaining tater tots and cover with leftover cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until tater tots are browned. Serve with a dollop of sour cream to finish it off. 🙂 Enjoy!

Peanut Brittle (light, crispy, & oh so good)

Recipes

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Ingredients

2 Cups Raw Peanuts

2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup White Corn Syrup

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tsp Vinegar

½ Cup Water

Add ½ cup water, 2 cups sugar and 1 cup white corn syrup in a large skillet (I used a 12” cast iron). Cook until sugar has completely dissolved, about four minutes. Then add the 2 cups of peanuts. This is the hard part. If you cook too long the peanuts will burn and if you do not cook long enough the peanut brittle will not have the correct flavor. Cook until the mixture starts to turn brown. Usually about 8 to 9 minutes. You can watch the peanuts to see when they start to turn brown. When it is done cooking add the teaspoon of salt, Baking soda, and vinegar. Stir the mixture. This will cause air bubbles to form in the brittle. The mixture will double in size this is why you need a large pan. Now pour the mixture into 3 disposable buttered pie pans and let if flow out do not spread the mixture out.

A lot of recipes call for the mixture to be spread.. to me that makes peanut brutal, not brittle. 🙂 It’s a matter of preference, by not spreading, the air bubbles stay in… giving it more of an airy crispy texture. When it is spread out, it removes all of the air bubbles, making it really hard.

Also, you can also use pecan pieces in place of peanuts for pecan brittle.. very good too! We’ve made almond brittle, cashew brittle, etc.

You will want to have you baking soda, salt, and vinegar ready to go so you can add it quickly to the mixture. Make sure your pie pans are buttered and ready before you start.