Chicken Enchiladas

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

1 can evaporated milk

1 can of diced green chilies

1 bottle of Herndez salsa Verde green sauce

1/2 package of white corn tortillas

Sour cream (mom suggests 1 cup)

Chicken -precooked.

Monterey-jack cheese shredded

Directions: Put a small amount of soup into a 9 x 13 pan. Layer chicken, tortillas, cheese, and cover with soup mixture again. Cook in the oven at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until done.

Crock Pot Garlic Bacon Chicken & Couscous

5-6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I cut them in half)

1 (3-oz) package precooked bacon bits (not artificial)

1 can roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

½ cup flour

Place chicken in slow cooker. Mix all remaining ingredients together well and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over egg noodles, rice or couscous.

If Freezing: Place chicken in gallon-size freezer bag. Pour sauce mixture over chicken. Seal and freeze.

Basic Couscous
1 garlic glove, finely minced or pressed
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup couscous
1 1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Heat garlic, onion, and salt in sauce pan with olive oil over medium heat. Stir and cook until onion becomes translucent (about 2-4 minutes). Add couscous, toss until couscous is coated. Cook, stirring often, until some of the grains are just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a separate sauce pan (or in the microwave) heat broth, bringing to a boil. Once couscous has begun to brown and get toasted, remove from heat. Carefully pour hot broth over couscous, quickly stir to combine, and place lid on saucepan. Let set for 5 minutes. When 5 minutes is up, fluff with a fork and throw in parmesan (and S&P to taste). Serves 4.

G.O.R.P.

I always thought my mom had just made up the name "gorp" as a funny term for this mix. However, I learned from Wikipedia that it actually stands for both "Good Old Raw Protein" and "Good Old Raisins & Peanuts". Hikers are apparently big fans of mixes like these. So, to begin: Mix the following items in a large bowl.

½ box Crispex cereal

½ box Golden Grahams cereal

½ package shredded coconut

1 Cup slivered almonds

Combine the following items in a saucepan:

¾ Cup butter

1 Cup sugar

1 Cup karo

Stir together and bring to a full boil – boil for 2 minutes, then pour over cereal mixture, & mix gently.

Macaroni and Cheese

• 3 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 tbsp. mustard powder
• 1 tsp. cayenne powder
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 200 grams elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 cups aged cheddar, grated (I like white & orange)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• salt & fresh cracked black pepper
• olive oil
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup fine bread crumbs

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Cook your pasta according to directions, but undercook by a minute or two. Once baked, the pasta will be cooked perfectly.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add in the flour, mustard powder and cayenne. Whisk continously for 3-5 minutes and until mixture is smooth. Add in the milk and cream and bring to slow simmer. Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
4. In a mixing bowl, add and mix the cheese varieties together. Add half to the hot milk mixture and combine well.
5. Drain pasta and add in with cheese/milk mixture, combining until pasta is well coated.
6. Butter all sides of casserole dish or individual ramekins and add in the pasta mixture. Top with remaining cheese.
7. Using a saute pan, melt the butter and fold in the bread crumbs until mixed well. Sprinkle on top of the cheese and put on a baking tray and into the oven.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until browned and bubbling.
9. Remove and let rest five minutes before serving.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

• 2 cups buttermilk biscuit mix (such as Bisquick or Jiffy)
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together biscuit mix, cheese and garlic powder. Add in milk, and stir until well mixed. (Heads up – the dough will get very sticky!)

With a spoon, cookie scoop, or with your fingers, shape the dough into biscuit-sized clumps, and drop onto the baking sheet. (Note that the dough will pretty much hold its shape when baked, so feel free to pat down random peaks in the dough if you’d like them to look more uniform!)

Bake for 10-13 minutes, or until biscuits begin to brown slightly around the edges.

While the biscuits bake, prepare the warm butter mixture by mixing together the melted butter, oregano and garlic salt in a small bowl. As soon as the biscuits are removed from the oven, brush the biscuits (while they are still on the baking sheet) with the mixture until they are well-coated.

Serve warm.

(*This recipe usually makes about 16 biscuits for me when I use my scoop.*)

Tip: If you’d like to actually see more of the grated cheddar in the finished biscuits, opt for the more thickly grated cheddar (rather than the super-fine stuff!). Both of course taste exactly the same, but I love seeing the little whisps of cheddar.

Cheesy Baked Dip

8 oz. sour cream

8 oz. cream cheese

16 oz. cheddar cheese grated

4 oz. chopped green chilies

Green onion (I like about 4-6)

1 C. chopped ham

½ pound chopped bacon (or less)

1 round hollowed out sourdough bread loaf

Method: Mix first seven ingredients together and put into the hollowed out bread loaf. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for one hour. Served with squares of leftover bread or chips. I like the gluten free “Food Should Taste Good” brand in the black bag from Costco.