Tomato & Black Bean Quinoa

Have you tried Quinoa? (pronounced keen-wah). It is such a tasty treat. I have tried a few recipes lately with Quinoa and have fallen in love with its nutty flavor and crunchy, interesting texture.
Ok, so Tomato and Black Bean Quinoa:
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp sugar
1 cup quinoa
1 14 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 medium tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk together lime zest, juice, oil, sugar and 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper to make the dressing. 
Cook the quinoa according to package directions.
(or if you buy it bulk from a local market like I do, first rinse your quinoa, and then cook one cup quinoa in 2 cups salted water for about 20 minutes. The water should be absorbed, and the germ ring will be visible when it is done.- you'll know what I mean when you see it.)
Put your quinoa into a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Add beans, tomatoes, cilantro and onions and toss to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Yum!
We ate this as a side dish to grilled pork chops for dinner last night, but I ate it on it's own for lunch today and it was perfect.

Audrey's Go To Meals . . .

I know you are all in shock that I am actually posting a recipe. I have throughly enjoyed lurking on our blog and trying out many of your delicious recipes, but I have finally been shamed enough to start contributing:)

1. Chicken Tortilla Soup
1 family size can Campbells Chicken and Rice Soup
1 can of Corn undrained
1 can Texas Style Beans
1 can Mexican Style Rotel Tomatoes
2-3 chicken breasts cooked and chopped or shredded

Throw all ingredients in a big pot. Add two small cans of water. Heat thoroughly. Serve with Doritos Nacho Cheese chips or regular tortilla chips (Doritos are better), sour cream, shredded cheese, and avacado.
So easy and so yummy! I often will double or even triple this and then freeze the left over in large ziploc bags for later.

2. Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
1 lb. stew meat
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
1 pkg. Brown Gravy Mix
1 cup Sour Cream

Brown meat with Lawry's seasoning and pepper. Place meat and drippings along with the soup, gravy mix and about 1/2 cup of water in crockpot. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4. About an hour before serving add sour cream. Serve with rice or noodles.

3. Strombolli
Rhodes frozen bread loaf
mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese
colby jack cheese
dried oregano
Toppings(whatever you like on your pizza)
we usually use
pepperoni
ground sausage
olives
onions

Defrost and roll out dough into large rectangle. Cut stips on the two outside edges of the dough about 1" wide and 2" deep. Fill the center of the dough with pizza toppings of your choice and a variety of cheeses sprinkle with oregano. Braid dough over toppings, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with parmesan and oregano on top. Bake the strombolli at 375* for 20-30 minutes.

This is probably my family's very favorite meal. We cut it into slices and dip it into either marinara sauce or homemade ranch dressing. And honestly Scott's Grandmas ranch dressing is probably my most "go to recipe." I never buy ranch dressing anymore because no one in my family will eat store bought anymore.

Ranch Dressing
1 8oz. cream cheese
2 cups mayonnaise (Best Foods)
2 cups Buttermilk
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/2-1 tsp. Garlic Salt
1/2-1 tsp. Onion Salt
1-2 T. Parsley Flakes

Soften cream cheese and cream together with mayonnaise. Add the rest and mix together.

Anne's Go-To Meals

Nana's Chicken Pie

Not chicken pot pie, just chicken pie. Think Southern. This is an old family recipe from my friend Melissa Maxwell. It's Scotty's favorite food. I only "go to" this if I want to be impressive.

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 pie crusts

1 ½ c. chicken broth

1 T. flour

4 pats of butter

salt and black pepper

Cook chicken in salted boiling water until done, cut into small pieces.

Line pie plate with bottom crust and add 3 cups chicken, broth, and flour. Top with 4 pats of butter, dash of salt, and plenty of black pepper. Moisten edge of bottom crust and top with 2^nd crust, pressing edges together. Cut slits in top crust, then sprinkle generously with butter and flour that have been worked together.

Bake at 350 for 65 minutes.

Never Fail Pie Crust

Makes 2 pie crusts.

3 c. plain flour

1 ¼ c. shortening

1 tsp. salt

1 egg, well beaten

5 T. water

1 T. vinegar

Mix first three ingredients, cutting shortening in with pastry blender. Mix last three ingredients, stir into dry mixture. Mold into a ball. Roll out 2 crusts.

Peggy's Pot Roast

This is an easy and awesome Sunday dinner from Wade's Grandma Peggy (think lots of diamonds).

In a medium-sized crock pot combine:

5 lbish chuck, rump, or pot roast

1 package Lipton Onion

1 package Au Jus

3T balsamic vinegar

2T worcestershire sauce

1 t. dry mustard

Simmer 5-6 hours on high or 8-9 hours on low. Halfway through, cut into meat so it will soften and fall apart.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

A good "compassionate service" meal . . .

1 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 c. rolled oats

1 egg. slightly beaten

1/3 c. chopped onion (or 1/4 c. dehydrated)

1/2 t. salt, pepper

3/4 t. Worcestershire sauce

1/3 c. milk

Sauce:

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. vinegar

2 t. mustard

1/2 c. barbecue sauce

2 t. Worcestershire

Form into balls and place in 9x13. Cover with sauce. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes at 350. (I take off the foil for the last few minutes and actually cook them a little longer.)

Suzanne's 3 go-to meals

1. Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Salad Wrap

-4 cups torn romaine lettuce
- Grilled Chicken breast strips (this recipe calls for the prepacked Southwestern Seasoned Chicken Strips, but I season my own chicken--usually with salt, pepper and celery salt.)
-1 large tomato, chopped
-1 (11oz) can corn, drained
-1/2 cup Mexican style shredded cheese
-1/4 cup Ranch Dressing
-1/4 cup chunky salsa
-8 flour tortillas (I like the ones you cook yourself)

Toss romaine, chicken strips, tomato and corn in a bowl; sprinkle with cheese. Combine dressing and salsa. Pour over romaine mixture; toss to coat. Spoon in to tortillas and enjoy.

My family really likes this recipe and I like it because it is quick. (This is what we are having for dinner tonight!)


2. Grilled Chicken Penne Al Fresco (Sorry, Pam it is kind of similar to yours.)
I like this recipe because most of it is cooked in the microwave.

-4 garlic cloves peeled
-2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
-3 cups uncooked mezze penne pasta
-3 cups chicken broth
-3/4 cup dry white wine (I use sprite)
-1/2 tsp of salt and pepper
-11/4 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves divided. (I have used dry basil before, but have not put in as much)
-1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
-2 cups diced grilled chicken breasts

Spray a microwave safe dish with Pam/olive oil. Slice garlic and add whole tomatoes. Cover; microwave on high 4-5 minutes or until tomatoes begin to burst, stirring after 2 minutes. Crush remaining tomatoes (i use a potatoe smasher). Add pasta, broth, sprite/wine, salt and black pepper.

Return to microwave; cover and microwave on high 16-18 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring after 1o minutes (I had to cook it about 22 minutes last time.) Meanwhile, coarsely chop basil. Reserve 2 tbsp for garnish.

Remove from Microwave when noodles are done. Add remaining basil, cheese and chicken; mix well. Garnish with reserved 2 tbsp basil, additional Parmesan cheese and black pepper, if desired.


3. Taco-topped Potatoes. It is pretty much taco salad on top of a baked potatoe.

-4 large baking potatoes (bake as you wish--I prefer the oven)
- 1 pound lean ground beef
-1/2 cup chopped onion
-1 garlic clove, pressed
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/8 ground pepper
-1 can tomato sauce
-1/4 cup water
-2 teaspoons chili powder
-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 cup shredded cheese
-Ranch dressing

optional toppings: chopped tomatoes, sliced pitted olives, torn romaine lettuce, sour cream, snipped cilantro, sliced green onions, and salsa.

Fry hamburger. Add onion and garlic and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is tender. Stir in tomato sauce, water, chili powder and cumin.

Serve on top of cooked split potatoes. We like to add lettuce, tomatoes, green onions and ranch dressing.


Have fun cooking. I can't wait to try some of Kate's and Pam's recipes.

I tag Anne!

Kate's 3 Go-to Meals Tag Response

Okay, here are three of my go-to meals. I realized that I have only put one of them up as a separate post so most of this is new.

1) The Mexican Meat-zza. I love this and I'd rather have it than plain tacos.

2) Some kind of burger with something other than red meat. Here are three varieties

Black Bean Burger: (Makes 8 patties)

1/2 cups prepared salsa

1 jalapeno (optional--sometimes Max and I just put jarred jalapenos on our burgers so it's not too spicy for the kids)

2 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 8.5-oz corn muffin mix (I use Jiffy)

2 1/2 and then 1/2 tsp chili powder

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp chili powder

In colander, drain salsa (just let it sit in the sink for a minute). Seed and finely chop half of jalapeno; thinly slice remaining half (if you're using it). In large bowl, mash beans with vegetable masher or fork. Stir in muffin mix, drained salsa, 2 1/2 tsp of chili powder. Shape into 8 patties. In 12-inch skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil over meduim-high heat. Add four bean mixture patties to skillet. Cook 3 minutes each side until browned. Remove from skillet and repeat with remaining oil and bean mixture. In a bowl, combine sour cream and 1/2 tsp chili powder to spread on the buns. The you can top the burgers with anything you want--more salsa, lettuce, tomato, cheese (I like it with cheese), the sliced jalapeno and definitely Cholula!

Curried Turkey Burgers: (Makes 4 patties) (I know this maybe sounds weird, but even my kids love these)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp curry powder

1 lb ground turkey breast

1/4 tsp salt

2 oz feta cheese with basil and tomato, crumbled

4 Greek pita flatbread or burger buns (I like to use wheat burger buns)

Heat broiler. Stir together mayonnaise and curry; set aside. Combine turkey, 2 Tbsp of curry mayonnaise, feta, and 1/4 tsp salt. Shape into four 1/2 thick patties. Broil 4 inches from heat 11-13 minutes, turning once. Spread remaining curry-mayonnaise on flatbread or patties. Top with red onion, spinach and more feta.

Salmon Burgers--(not a real recipe, just something I threw together based on a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens)

2 6-oz pkgs precooked salmon or about about 12-14 oz cooked salmon fillet

1/3-1/2 cup seasoned fine dry bread crumbs

2 Tbsp snipped fresh dill (or I've used dry dill--probably just 1 Tbsp or less though)

chopped chives or green onions to taste

(you can also add leftover mashed up potatoes with a little sour cream too if you have it)

Mix all ingredients and form into 6-8 patties (about 3.5 inches wide). Coat a non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Cook cakes over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes each side--the salmon is already cooked so your really just heating them through and browning them. Serve on hamburger buns with lettuce and honey-dijon salad dressing.

3. Chicken Enchilada

2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed

2 cans mushrooms (4 oz) (optional)

1 can chopped green chilies

1/3 C minced onions, sautéed in a little oil

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

1/3 lb cheese

1/2 C sour cream

Combine ingredients, leaving a little cheese aside.

Mix:

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 C sour cream

Lightly smear glass baking pan with soup/sour cream mixture. Place about 1/4 cup of chicken mixture into flour tortillas. Roll and place tortillas in pan. Cover with remaining soup/sour cream mixture and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 450º for 10-15 mintues.

Oh, yeah....I tag Pam

Ok, how about this.

I am in a bit of a rut. I need some good meal ideas. Let's play a game. We'll call it "Hungry Tag". Here's how it works. I'm going to post my top 3 meals (the top 3 things that I usually make for dinners) including recipe. Unless of course it doesn't really have a recipe like, say, tacos, or spaghetti or something. And then you get to tag someone else. You know how tag works, right, I tag you, and then you have to do it or you mess up the whole game. (love you)
Here's my top 3 in no particular order (except for maybe #1).

1. Curried Chicken with Carrots and Lime This meal is hands down my favorite. Only a few ingredients, minimal prep, and a delicious meal to show for it. My family loves it, too.

2. Homemade Pizza. This is a great dinner, because it's yummy, and my kids(and hubby) have fun topping it how they want to. I've been using Kate's pizza dough recipe here and most times I'll use store bought sauce.

3. Some Kind of slow cooker burrito/tacos. I love the Cafe Rio Pork recipe, actually, do any of you have a version that you think is pretty authentic? I don't love the version I have... Or I also love doing these slow cooker chicken tacos. Of course both of these things need to be served with all of the yummy fixin's... cilantro, tortillas, salsa, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes...

I tag....KATE.

Vanessa's requests

Vanessa had asked for these two recipes a long time ago--sorry it took me so long to get a round to it.

Tortellini Soup
10 cups water
6-7 chicken bouillon cubes
90z. tortellini, uncooked (I like to use more just because my kids predominately eat the tortellini.)
1lb. baby spinach
1 cup instant rice, uncooked
2 tsp. dry tarragon leaves
1 red bell pepper, cut up

Optional ingredients
1/2lb mushrooms
2 chicken breasts, cut up uncooked
grated Parmesan cheese

Bring broth to a boil then add tortellini for 6 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring back to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Garnish with grated Parmesan when serving.

Beef and Broccoli

1lbs. Flank steak, sliced
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. sprite, 7-up or mitsuya cider
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup sliced onions
4 to 5 Tbsp. cooking oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 bunch broccoli

Optional ingredients

Bamboo shoots
Water chestnuts
Mushrooms

Cut beef on an angle. Marinate with soy sauce, cornstarch, sprite and sugar (Alan and I like to double the marinade.) Set aside. Cut broccoli. Pour 2 tablespoons oil in a hot skillet. Add salt. (If bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and mushrooms are used, they should be cooked about one minute before the broccoli.) Add broccoli. Stir constantly-not over 3 minutes. Remove from the skillet and spread out on a plate. In the same skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and onion. Stir in the beef mixture and turn constantly until the beef is almost cooked ( about 3 minutes). Add broccoli and mix thoroughly. For crispness, do not overcook. Serve immediately. Serve over rice.

Stuffed Acron Squash

It's Shake n' Bake, and I helped! Well, not really, but it's Acorn squash, and I grew it! It is so rewarding eating food that you grew in your own backyard!

3 medium Acorn squash, cut in half and seeded
9-12 oz sausage ( I like Bob Evan's original, but you can't get that everywhere).
half of an onion, chopped
1-2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
1 box stuffing and seasonings (like stovetop) (any variety, 6 oz)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup toasted sliced or slivered almonds (spread your almonds out on a cookie sheet or cake pan, cook on 350 until they are just getting "toasted" looking. Watch them carefully, I am notorious for burning these.)

Place your squashes face down in a glass dish and microwave for about 8-10 minutes. While this is happening, brown and crumble your sausage, with onions and celery. When your squash is done, scoop out the pulp (the squash part) onto a cutting board. Leave about a 1/4 inch lining of squash still in the shell. Coarsely chop the squash you scooped out. Add Chicken broth, brown sugar, and cranberries to your sausage mixture. Let this come to a boil. Then, add your stuffing packet, chopped squash and toasted almonds to the pan. Stir it up and then remove from heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Spoon this into your squash shells and cook on a baking sheet 30 minutes at 350.
This dish is yummy served with a green salad and rolls.

Chicken Tortilla Soup (White Chicken Chili?)

This is a recipe that I had at Anne's house a couple of years back. It is absolutely delicious and I try to enjoy it often.

She didn't ask me to post this one, but since I'm doing the posting, I'm making the rules! :)

2 cans great Northern Beans
3 cans chicken broth (4 cups-ish)
1lg can green enchilada sauce
4 c. cooked cubed chicken
1 bag frozen white corn
1/2 c. cilantro

Bring to a boil (except cilantro) turn down and simmer 20 minutes. Add cilantro and serve w/ (fresh) salsa (and chips if so desired) (i desire chips) (a lot).

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

(anne's recipe)

Brown 1/2 lb. ground beef
add
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 15-oz can corn
1 15-oz can kidney beans
1/2 package taco seasoning

Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Serve with cheese over crushed tortilla chips

Chicken and Rice Casserole

(Again, this is one of Anne's recipes....)

Chicken and Rice Casserole

1 1/2 c. uncooked rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 c. milk

Combine and heat in micro for 2-ish minutes.
Spread in pammed 9x13 and cover with 6-8 chicken breasts.
Sprinkle with a package of Lipton Onion soup.
Bake, covered at 350. Remove foil and bake for 20 more minutes.

Beans and Rice

This is Anne's fabulous recipe for Beans and Rice. She used to make this in college and I would try to keep myself from eating the whole pan before she got any!

(She's unable to post for some reason, so i'm posting for her. Also, she was scheduled to have her baby yesterday....)

Sofrito:
2 onions, chopped
3 green peppers,chopped
bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Make sofrito, then freeze 1/4 cup portions in Ziplock baggies.

In large frying pan, saute 1/4 c. sofrito in 2 T. hot oil
Add: 1/2 can tomato sauce
       1 can black beans (don't drain)
       3 c. cooked rice
       salt
       1 Sazon seasoning (available in Mexican foods sections of most grocery stores)

Can serve plain, or in burritos with salsa, lettuce, cheese, sour cream

Tomato and Basil Pasta with Shrimp

This is one of my favorite easy summertime meals especially if you grow tomatoes or basil in your garden. Yet another Everyday Food recipe, slightly modified.
You will need:

1-1 ½ pounds medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails removed)

salt and pepper

6 teaspoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

½ pound linguine or angel hair

1 ½ cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces, plus extra leaves for garnish

Season shrimp with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 4 teaspoons oil over high. Add shrimp; cook until pink throughout, turning occasionally, 3 minutes. You don't want to over cook these or they will be rubbery and chewy.Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

To make sauce:
To the same skillet, add remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garlic; cook over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add canned tomatoes and their juice, along with 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have softened and are saucy, about 15 minutes. Remove sauce from heat; stir in cherry tomatoes, shrimp, and basil. (leave some to garnish with.)
Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain; return pasta to pot. Add tomato sauce mixture, season with salt and pepper, and toss. Serve immediately, garnished with basil leaves.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Sorry I've been neglecting you guys lately. We are finally settled in our house and I'm cooking more again. I've had some recipes lately that look really good, but the taste doesn't live up to the look. Here is one that does though, and again, sorry no picture, but we had friends over to eat it with us and I completely forgot.

1 pizza crust (homemade or Boboli) --I have a really easy and good recipe, let me know if you want that

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 1/3 c barbecue sauce, divided

6 oz Provolone cheese, grated

6 oz Gouda cheese, grated

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro--I actually forgot to put this on when we first ate it and it was still delicious, then I put it on the leftover piece the next day and it was really good, too.

In large Ziploc bag, combine chicken and 2/3 cup of the BBQ sauce. Marinate in fridge for 4 hours or overnight.

To cook, place chicken and marinade in small baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Let chicken cool, the slice into thin pieces.

Sprinkle half of the grated cheeses over the crust. Spoon 2/3 c BBQ sauce over cheese; cover with chicken and onion. Sprinkle on remaining cheese. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 450 degrees. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve. Makes 1, 12" pizza.

My Favorite Macaroni and Cheese

I love this recipe for Mac n' cheese. It is very tasty and makes a great comfort food for those long winter months. Plus, the amount of butter and cheese called for is only mildly offensive.

1 lb pasta (elbow, spiral, bowtie) coked and drained
4 T butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/4 cups (5oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded white cheddar or swiss cheese
8 oz diced ham
2 slices white bread
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Cook pasta, and drain. In a 5-quart heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in flour to coat onion. In a slow steady stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps.
2. Cook, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cayenne, if using, and 1 cup each yellow and white cheddar cheese. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
3. Toss pasta with cheese mixture; fold in ham. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
4. In a food processor, pulse bread until large crumbs form. Toss together with remaining ¼ cup each white and yellow cheddar, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Top pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.

Cranberry Pork

This is super easy and really good. Sorry it isn't very specific, but it has always turned out well, no matter how much of anything I put in.

1 to 3 pork roasts
1 to 2 cans cranberry sauce (whole berry)
1/2 to 1 bottle BBQ sauce

Put meat in crockpot. Add cranberry sauce and BBQ sauce. Cook on low all day or on high 4-5 hours. Serve over rice, potatoes, or in buns or tortillas.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

1 can (7.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp ground cumin
1 cup chunky salsa, divided
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 oz cream cheese

Combine beans, corn, garlic, cumin and half of salsa in slow cooker. Arrange chicken breasts on top; pour remaining salsa over chicken. Cover and cook on high 2-3 hours or 4-6 hours on low, until chicken is tender and cooked through.
Remove chicken and shred. Add back to slow cooker. Add cream cheese to slow cooker. Cook on high until cream cheese melts and blends into the mixture.
Serve with tortillas, lettuce, shredded cheese and tomatoes.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dressing

4 chicken breasts
4 slices swiss cheese
1 box of stuffing mix (3 cups)
Salt and Pepper
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C. Butter melted

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper. Top each breast with a slice of Swiss cheese. Pour broth over chicken and cheese. Pour cream soups over chicken, cheese and broth. Sprinkle stuffing mix over soups; pour melted butter over everything. (sometimes i don't use butter if i'm feeling especially guilty that day) Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.

Mexican Meat-zza

I saw this once on Rachel Ray. Max doesn't rave over it, but I really like it. I like the sweetness of the cornbread.

2 boxes corn muffin mix, 8 1/2 ounces each (recommended: Jiffy)
2 eggs
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup frozen corn kernels
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Topping:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin or vegetable oil, 2 turns of pan
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne sauce
Salt
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or jack cheese
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small can, (2 1/4 oz) sliced chilies or jalapenos, drained (I use the chilies so it's not too hot for my kids)
2 scallions, chopped
2 small vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons drained sliced green olives (salad olives)
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, optional garnish
mild to medium taco sauce to pass at table

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Mix together 2 packages muffin mix with 2 eggs, 4 tablespoons melted butter, 1 1/2 cups milk and frozen corn kernels. Wipe a nonstick skillet with a little extra-virgin or vegetable oil and pour in the muffin mix. Use a large skillet, 10-12 inch. Choose a pan with oven safe handle or double-wrap handle with foil to protect it in the oven. Place pan in oven and bake 15-17 minutes in center of oven until light golden in color.

Brown the meat over medium high heat in a second skillet in extra or vegetable oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add onions and spices and cook meat 5 minutes more.

Remove cornbread from oven and top with meat, cheese, and veggies. Add pan back to oven and cook 5 minutes more to melt cheese. Garnish with cilantro. Cut into 8 wedges and serve the deep dish pan pizza from the skillet. Pass taco sauce at table to sprinkle on top.

Sagebrush Chicken Cobbler

Filling:
2 T Olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (sometimes I don't put this in if I don't have it, or if I'm making it for people who don't like spicy food. also, sometimes I use canned jalapeno because I hate chopping them.)
1 Large clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup flour
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
zest of one lime
juice of one lime
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 cups cooked chicken breast, cubed
1/2 cup corn kernels (cooked)
1/2 cup black beans
2 T chopped cilantro

Heat oil in a 10 inch skillet over med-low heat. Add onion, peppers, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes more. Add broth, lime juice, lime zest, and cumin. Cook, stirring over med heat until thick and smooth, approximately 8 minutes. Stir in chicken, corn, black beans, and cilantro.

Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 T sliced black olives
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup milk

Combine all topping ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Put filling in an baking dish and drop batter by tablespoons over filling. I use a baking dish that is somewhere in between a 13X9 and an 8X8. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Garnish with cilantro of course.