Taco Soup

Here is my version of taco soup.

1 lb ground beef
1 onion diced
1 cup salsa
1 can diced tomatoes & green chilies
1 clove minced garlic
1 pk taco seasoning (or mix your own and add)
1 pk ranch dressing mix
2 cans black beans, drained
2 cups frozen corn (or drained canned corn)
1 TBS beef bouillon
Water – as preferred
Pepper to taste
Grated cheddar cheese (garnish)
Tortilla chips (garnish)
Optionals: (you can sub another bean if you prefer)
Celery chopped (cook with onion & beef) green onion (topping)

Brown ground beef with onion, add garlic when beef is almost fully browned. Drain. In large pot, add beef mixture, and all ingredients. Add water to preference (I add less water, as we prefer less broth). Bring to boil and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve with chips and grated cheese.

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 lbs chicken (whole fryers, leg qtrs)
1 onion
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cans black beans
2 cups corn
Chicken bouillon
2 cups salsa
Salt to taste
½ tsp pepper
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
Tortilla chips
Shredded cheddar cheese

Boil and debone chicken, reserve broth. Skim fat from broth. Add bouillon and salsa. You may need to add more water. Drain beans and add all to pot except chips and cheese. Bring to boil, simmer 20 minutes.
Serve over broken tortilla chips – top with more broken chips and cheese.

My easy meat loaf

Easy Meatloaf

2 lbs ground beef
1 family size can cream mushroom (or other flavor)
1 box instant stuffing mix
2 eggs
OVEN: 425
Mix beef, stuffing, eggs, and ½ soup well. Shape loaf and place into foil lined meat loaf pan. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with remaining soup and bake another 25-30 minutes.

You can substitute 2 cups salsa – 1 in mix 1 for “gravy” for a different flavor.

Baked Chicken Spaghetti

This recipe made dinner for 6, with leftovers for another complete meal! (woo-hoo - a night off!!)

Spaghetti pasta (I measure by full handful - use 1 handfull)
1/2 lb bacon
small onion diced(I prefer yellow)
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup salsa (can use rotel if you prefer spicy)
Family size can Cream Mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 lb velveeta cut in cubes
3-4 lbs cooked chicken, deboned and pieced
Parmesan cheese (fresh grated, not canned)

Break spaghetti noodles and cook. Drain. In large saucepan, cook bacon and onion until onion translucent and bacon is done to your preference. Add flour mix well. Add salsa, soup and milk. When thick and creamy, add cheese cubes and stir until cheese melted. Add chicken and spaghetti. Mix well.
Pour into casserole dish, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
I may add green onions next time I make this.

A man's dinner (or how to bribe your husband)

This dinner is a husband pleaser. It does not contain items from the government food pyramid, rather from the real man's triangle.

Thick pork chops - NOT boneless. (real men pick them up and eat them!)
Potatoes
Ranch style beans
Ice cream
Double stuff oreos
Chocolate syrup
Air freshener (lysol or stronger)

How you cook the pork chops depends on him... to just make him smile, you can broil them. To make him do backflips, fry them!

Mash up potatoes - the way HE likes them. That means a little salty...

Ranch style beans

Serve with his favorite beverage. For extra brownie points, serve on a TV tray with his favorite movie or sport on! And if you really want him to smile, let him wipe his hands on his shirt or the sofa...

When he's so stuffed he can't move, fill a big bowl with ice cream and top with oreos. Liberally drizzle chocolate sauce. Remove his dinner plate and place ice cream on his tv tray.

Do not expect him to do dishes this night - he's as stuffed as a tick and can't move.

Once you join him in the living room, expect "manly noises" to begin. Have your lysol ready, or invest in a timed automatic sprayer. Set for most frequent sprays on man dinner night.

King Ranch Chicken

Supposedly, this is the "original" recipe from the Chicken Ranch. But, there are as many variations of the recipe as there were clients of the ranch...

1 chicken cooked and deboned
1 cup broth (optional)
1 can rotel tomatoes & green chilies
1 can Cream of mushroom
1 can Cream of Chicken
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 bag tortilla chips OR 10-12 tortillas torn into bite size pieces

Spray 9 x 13 pan or use light layer of oil. Spread half of the chips into bottom of pan - if they are large, feel free to crush them some. If using tortillas, cover bottom of pan. In bowl, combine chicken, broth (if using), soups, tomatoes/chillies. Spread half mixture over chips and sprinkle with half the cheese. Repeat layer of chips, chicken mixture, cheese. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.