Easy Tomato Chili

• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 med onion (chopped)
• 2 ribs celery (chopped)
• 1 pepper ribs and seeds removed (optional)
• 1 _8 ounce package mushrooms (sliced)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced) or 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Chili Powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Ancho chili powder (optional)
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
•  1 - 2 cans diced tomatoes in their juice
• 2 cans beans of choice (drained and rinsed well)
• 1_22.8 ounce can Tomato Soup
• 1/2 to 3/4 can water.

Brown meat, drain. Add onion, celery, pepper, mushrooms and saute about 5 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and saute a minute more. In the mean time drain and rinse beans until foam is gone. Add spices to meat mixture and stir in. Add diced tomatoes, rinsed beans, soup and water. Stir and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer for at least 30 minutes, but up to a couple hours, stirring occasionally, before serving.  Top your bowl with your choice of crackers, shredded cheddar, sour cream, green onions, etc. You choose. Will easily make 3 meals worth. Freeze what you don't use within a couple days. Use within 6 months.

To make from frozen: Preferably thaw frozen chili. Place in sauce pan and heat on low for about 20 - 30 min. Stirring occasionally.

Sloppy Joes

• 1 lb. Ground Chuck
• 1/2 small sweet pepper (diced) 

• 1/2 med onion (diced)
• 2 cloves garlic(minced) or 1 teaspoon pre-minced refrigerated garlic
• 3/4 cup ketchup 
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt & Pepper to taste

In a 1 cup measure add 1 teaspoon garlic, ketchup, brown sugar, chilli powder, dry mustard, Worcestershire and water. Whisk to combine.Set aside. Add ground chuck to skillet over medium high heat and cook until brown. Drain off fat. Add onions and/or diced pepper a pinch of salt and a bit of pepper, cook until they begin to soften.Turn heat to simmer and add sauce mixture. Stir it in to combine well. Cook 15 minutes more.

1/2 red or green pepper, diced and diced onion are optional.

Broccoli Casserole

• approximately 2 -4 cups fresh broccoli florets (steamed)
• 1 can cream of broccoli or broccoli cheese soup
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (omit cheese if using cheese soup)
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 ½ cups crushed cheese flavored crackers

In large covered sauce pan filled with about ¼ inch worth of water, steam broccoli florets until bright green and hot (approximately 3 to 5 minutes once water comes to a boil). Drain broccoli well.  Place into a sprayed 2 quart casserole.  In the mean time mix soup with mayonnaise, cheese and lemon juice.  Layer in casserole atop the broccoli florets.  Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes.  Top with crushed cheese crackers and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Meat Loaf

• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 cup dry filler (oatmeal, rice crispy cereal, bread crumbs, panko crumbs, corn flakes crushed, crushed crackers are a few options)
• 1/4 cup milk
• Seasoning -(a packet of onion soup mix, 1 teaspoon beef bullion or 2 cubes crushed, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, steak seasoning mix, are a few options)
•  1/2 cup Moisture ingredients divided (1/4 cup salsa, ketchup, barbecue sauce, beef gravy) 
• 1 egg
•  1/2 cup optional Fillers (such as 1/2 cup shredded cheese, diced onion, 1/2 cup diced mushrooms)

Combine all ingredients including 1/4 cup of the moisture ingredient reserving the other 1/4 cup for the top of formed loaf. Form into a loaf and place in sprayed pan. Top with reserved 1/4 cup Moisture ingredient. Place in 375ºF oven, uncovered, for 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

• 4 medium potatoes Pealed halved and sliced thin
• 1  small ham steak chopped 
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Corn Starch 
• 1 cup Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Peel halve or quarter potatoes and slice them very thin. Toss into a 8x8 sprayed cake dish. Chop ham steak into small pieces. Sprinkle over potatoes and toss.  On Medium High heat in a small sauce pan, melt butter, add corn starch mix until pasty for about 1 minute. Slowly drizzle in milk while whisking to avoid lumps. allow to just thicken so that the white sauce is sticking to the pan sides slightly. Whisk in Salt and Pepper.  Bake covered for 1 hour at 350ºF . Remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Easy Pizza Buns

• 1 pound ground meat
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 1  package hamburger buns split
• 1 jar cheese whiz or 8 cheese slices (halved)
• 1 lg. can pizza sauce
• Grated Parmesan Cheese

  Brown onion and ground chuck as usual. In the mean time separate tops from bottoms of dinner rolls. Place on cookie sheet cut side up. Spread each bun half with Cheese Whiz or top with 1/4 slice piece of cheese. Top each half bun with a 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon of sauce (more or less) spooned in the center of each half, until all sauce is used. top with heaping teaspoon spoon full of meat mixture in the center of each half bun on top of the sauce. Add optional toppings. Sprinkle each half bun with grated Parmesan cheese. Preheat oven to 350°F bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until buns are golden and crunchy.

Be creative, these can be topped with any type pizza toppings.(hand full of chopped mushrooms, black olives, 1/4 green pepper chopped small [saute this with ground chuck if using) use discretion. 

Leftovers keep for a day or two and heat nicely in oven for about 10 minutes if you want to keep them crunchy. You can microwave 2 of them for about 1 minute but they'll be a bit mushy.

Parmesan Roasted Green Beans

1 lb fresh green beans washed,dried and trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Roast at 425ºF for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Baked Cauliflower

• 1 Head cauliflower (broken into florets and steamed)
  
• 1 small container (8oz) French Onion Dip or sour cream
• 1 teaspoon (1 clove) minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• ½ stick margarine (melted)
• 2 cups Italian seasoned Bread crumbs, Panko crumbs or Herbed shredded stuffing crumbs

Mix steamed cauliflower with dip, garlic, salt and Pepper to taste. Dump mixture into a sprayed glass 9" pie plate. Melt margarine. Mix with bread crumbs until crumbs are moistened. Sprinkle over cauliflower mixture. Bake at 325°F for an1 hour or until top is golden brown and bubbly.

Crock Pot Chicken Paprikash

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 4 ounces sour cream (1/2 cup)
• 1 tablespoon corn starch or flour

Add onions to crock pot. Add chicken, sprinkling with seasonings. Pour chicken broth over top of everything.  Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours.
1 - 2 hours before serving, stir together sour cream & corn starch. Remove Chicken from crock pot to plate. Whisk sour cream mixture into crock pot. Add chicken back to pot. Add dumplings (see below) cover and continue cooking for another 1 to 1 1/2 hour. Serve with steamed green vegetable.





Bisquick Dumplings: 1/2 cup Bisquick mixed with 1/3 cup milk. Drop by 1/2 teaspoon pieces into broth or gravy mixture.

Baked Sesame Chicken / Rice

Chicken:

• 2 - 3 chicken breasts (cut into bite sized pieces)
• salt & pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup corn starch
• 1 eggs
• 2 Tablespoons cooking oil

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar 
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/2 t sesame oil
• 1/2 t minced garlic (or 1 minced cloves)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• Sesame seeds for garnish

Method:
Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and season with salt and pepper. Break egg into a bowl and beat until lemon yellow in color. Place corn starch in a gallon sized freezer bag with chicken pieces and shake until well coated.  Dip each piece in egg and set aside on a plate.  Turn flame to medium high, heat oil in large skillet. Cook chicken until browned. Place in 8X8 greased baking dish.

In separate bowl combine honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced garlic and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Pour over chicken and bake at 325ºF for  45 minutes. Stir chicken every 15-20 minutes to coat them all in the sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds

Serve over Rice:  1/2 cup brown rice cooked with 1 cup chicken broth (or water) according to package directions.  (Bring water to boil over medium high heat, once boiling reduce to simmer, add rice, cover and simmer without opening cover for 35 - 45 minutes. Uncover and fluff.  Leftover rice can be put into a Tupperware and frozen for 2 months.

Split Pea & Ham Soup

• 1 pound bag of dry green peas
• 1 good sized ham bone (OR 1 or 2 ham steaks diced)
• 6 - 8 cups chicken stock (2 boxes)
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 stalks celery (chopped)
• 4 medium carrots (chopped)
• 2 fresh bay leaves

Rinse peas in cold water. Scrub, prepare & saute vegetables in a tablespoon olive oil on medium heat until translucent Add peas, ham bone (if using), ham, bay leafs and about 6 or 8 cups stock (enough to just cover ham bone) in a dutch oven mix together. Heat until boiling. Cover and turn down heat to low simmer for about 2 hours, mixing every 20 minutes until split peas are soft. Remove ham bone to plate and set aside until cool. Remove bay leaves. Once cool remove any meat from the bone and add it to soup. Discard bone.  If soup gets too thick add a bit more stock. Serve with croutons or chunky bread.

Tuna Braid

1 tube unperforated sheet crescent rolls ** 2 cans tuna in water (drained) I prefer Albacore White Tuna 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots (Optional add in to tuna mix or serve on the side) 1/4 cup diced onion 1/4 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip 4 slices American cheese

Heat oven to 375ºF
Combine tuna, veggies, mayonnaise & onion.
Flatten dough into 1 long rectangle on baking sheet (approximately 9" x 13").
Spoon tuna mixture lengthwise down center of dough. Top with cheese slices.
Cut slits 1" apart on each side of rectangle from filling to edge.
To give braided appearance, fold strips of dough across filling, alternating from side to side.
Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.


**If using perforated dough place on ungreased baking sheet with long sides overlapping 1/2 inch; press center seam and pinch perforations together to form one large rectangle.

Roasted Veggies

Choose any fresh sturdy veggies of choice so long as they are cut about the same size.
Great combos would be. Squash and Brussels Sprouts. Cauliflower & Broccoli, Carrots and Potatoes or any combination of the above.  As I said, wash, drain and cut them to about the same size. Place in bowl and drizzle about 2 Tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper over the top. Mix until vegetables are well coated.  Place on sprayed foil lined cookie sheet (for easy clean up) or just sprayed cookie sheet works fine too. Preheat oven to 375ºF or 400ºF (the temp of the oven is usually determined by what kind of main dish you are roasting along with the veggies) for 35 -45 minutes tossing them 1/2 through cooking. You want them caramelized but not burnt.