Beef and Cheddar Potpie

6 TB Butter
1 sm onion, chopped
1.5 pounds ground sirloin
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup beef broth
salt & pepper
1.5 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 c milk

Preheat to 375.
Spray 9x13 pan.
In lg pan, heat 2 TB butter over medium high heat.  Add onion and cook til tender but not brown.  Add beef and cook til no longer pink.  Add tomatoes and beef broth and season with salt and pepper.  Reduce heat and let simmer 20 minutes until most of liquid is gone.  Pour into prepared baking dish.

In lg bowl combine flour, baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt.  Using your fingertips blend remaining 4 TB butter and cheese until mixute becomes crumbly.  Gather the dough and make a big ball and press or roll out to 1/2 inch thickness.  Using 3 inch cookie cutter (I used a glass) cut out biscuits.  Re-rolll scraps until all dough has been used up.  Layer biscuits on top of beef mixture and bake for 35 minutes til browned. 

Ropa Vieja Joses (Cuban Sloppy Joes) and Cheesy Squash Casserole

This ain't your typical cafeteria sloppy joe...oh no...these are so flavorful!!! Make sure to toast your bun though!!!
Cuban Sloppy Joes (Rachel Rae)
Ingredients
Mojo Sauce:
10 cloves garlic, cracked from skin
1 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin, eyeball it in your palm
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball the amount
1/4 cup water, eyeball it
The Joes:
2 pounds ground sirloin
1/4 cup green olives with pimiento, finely chopped (I didn't have any so I left this out)
1 tablespoon paprika, eyeball it in your palm
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (recommended: Tabasco) eyeball it
1 cup tomato sauce
A palm full grill seasoning blend (recommended: McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
4 crusty rolls, split (if available to you, look for Cuban rolls or Portuguese rolls, they are slightly sweet, but good ole keisers work fine, too) 

Directions
Make the mojo sauce: put the garlic and onion in a food processor with cumin, lemon zest and juice. Turn processor on and stream in about 1 cup of extra-virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup of water. Turn off processor and reserve.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown. Add half of the mojo and crumble the meat as it cooks, about 3 minutes. Add olives and pimientos, paprika, Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, tomato sauce and grill seasoning. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook over low heat 10 minutes.


Cheesy Squash Casserole (Paula Deen)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 medium yellow summer squash, thinly sliced
1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 sleeve crackers, crushed medium to fine (recommended: Ritz)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the squash, onion, and butter until soft. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the Parmesan, Cheddar, and sour cream. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Place in the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the cracker crumbs evenly over the top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly

Ranch Chicken

This one I tried the other night and it was AMAZINGLY GOOD! Like really good.  It's a Pioneer Woman recipe so I'm just linking to her post about it!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/ranch-style-chicken/

Strawberry Slush Punch....

This is my absolute favorite punch...I serve it at all showers!

You need:

2 quarts water, divided

2 cups sugar

3 packages cherry koolade

16 oz frozen strawberries, thawed and pureed

3 banana, peeled and mashed

6 oz can frozen oj concentrate, thawed

6 oz can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 liter ginger ale

In LARGE pot/dutch oven bring two cups water to boil and add sugar.  Stir to dissolve.  Remove from heat and add Kool-ade packets and stir.  Stir in remaining water, strawberries, bananas, and concentrates.  (I sometime have to blend it in the blender for get a good consistency).  Pour into gallon freezer bags and freeze.  Set out at least 3 hours to thaw...pour ginger ale on top.  Sooo goooood!

Summer Soup and fruit shortcake!

We made this tonight and it was really good ...you can pretty much make it out of all the veggies you have out in the garden!

You need:

2 TB Olive Oil

2 jalapenos seeded and chopped

1 green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced

3 ribs celery, diced

3 cloved garlic, minced
salt and pepper

1 (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 (16 oz) stewed tomatoes

1 can vegetable stock

3 TB fresh cilantro,chopped

Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add 2 TB oil and all veggies....saute until veggies are tender (5-10 minutes).  Add crushed tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, veggie stock, salt, pepper, and cilantro.  Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer.

Serve with grilled cheese quesadillas and top with avocado smash!

Avocado Smash:

2 Avocados

2 TB chopped cilantro

3 scallions

1 lime, juiced
1 cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

1 plum tomato chopped

Add first 5 ingredients and smash with potato smasher.  Add the tomatoes and salt/pepper to taste!

Fruit Shortcake:

fresh fruit (we used strawberries, blueberries and peaches)

1 package frozen pie crust

vanilla ice cream

cool whip

Bake the pie crust in the oven for about 10 minutes on aluminum pan....once cool break into pieces.

Put several pieces of pie crust in bowl and top with ice cream, fruit, and cool whip!

Banana Bread

1/2 c veggie oil

1 c sugar

3 very ripe bananas (mashed)

2 beaten eggs

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat to 350.  Cream oil and sugar together.  Add in mashed bananas and mix well.  Add in remaining ingredients.  Pour into greased loaf pans (will make 2).  Bake 50 minutes!

zucchini & squash cakes

I found this recipe and just had to try it out! It was very, very yummy...of course it's Paula Deen's!
Ingredients

3 medium zucchini
3 medium yellow squash
1 cup toasted bread crumbs
1 cup shredded Parmesan
1/3 cup minced Vidalia onion
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 jar store-bought marinara sauce

Directions
Grate zucchini and squash with a fine grater. Press between paper towels to remove excess moisture.
In a medium bowl, combine grated zucchini and squash and next 7 ingredients. Shape mixture into 2-inch patties, pressing together firmly.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook squash and zucchini cakes 3 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly browned.

Place onto serving platter and serve with marinara sauce.

Hamburger, "baked" beans, and grilled corn

Hamburgers:
1 lb ground sirloin
BBQ sauce
Montreal Steak Seasoning
worchestershire sauce
brown sugar

Combine the ingredients...I don't use measurements...just use as much or little as you like.  Combine and split meat into four patties.  Grill!

"Baked" Beans:
1 big can pork and beans
mustard
brown sugar
bbq sauce
Strawberrys BBQ seasoning
diced onion

Combine in crock pot and cook on low several hours.


Grilled corn on the cob...
Pull off the outer leaves of the stalk. 
Carefully pull back the inner leaves...leave them intact. 
Remove the silk.
Coat with butter, salt, and paprika.
Cover back with the leaves and tie the open end.
Soak in cool water for 15 minutes.
Remove and shake off water.
Grill for 15-20 minutes.

Pineapple Black Bean Enchiladas

I used to make this a lot but forgot all about it...it's very flavorful...has no meat...and is pretty healthy!

drizzle of oil

1 med onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 large (20 oz) can pineapple tidbits (drained but save 1/3 c for later)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can chopped green chiles

fresh cilantro chopped (about 1/2 cup)

3 cups lowfat sharp cheddar cheese

1 can enchilada sauce

flour tortillas (8)

Preheat oven to 350...spray a 13x9 with cooking spray.

Over medium heat, cook onion and bell pepper in a drizzle of oil until tender (about 5 minutes).  Add the pineapples, black beans, green chiles and heat through.

Remove from heat and add cilantro and cheese.  Stir until cheese is melted and well combined.

Spoon a few teaspoons of enchilada sauce onto tortilla and then add a few scoops of pineapple/black bean mixture.  Roll up and place seam side down in 13x9.  This should make 8 enchiladas.  Once all enchiladas have been made, mix the remaining enchilada sauce and the reserved pineapple juice together and pour over the top of enchiladas.  Sprinkle remaining cup of cheese over enchiladas. Spray foil with cooking spray and place over pan, sealing tightly.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes.

Serve with sour cream and fresh cilantro.

corn and black bean relish

I got this one from my friend Sarah! It's good on tacos or as a dip!

1 can rotel

1 can corn (drained)

1 can black beans (drained)

chopped fresh cilantro

lime juice

salt to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve!