Black Beans and Chicken

1-2lbs of chicken cooked and shredded (however much meat you want)
4 cloves of garlic pressed
1-2T olive oil
4 T brown sugar
3 T soy sauce
1 ½ c salsa
2 cans black beans, undrained

Saute pressed garlic in oil. Add rest of the ingredients. Simmer at least one hour to blend flavors. Serve over cooked rice.

Easy Shepherd’s Pie

½ pound ground beef
½ chopped onion
1 can tomato soup, then refilled with water
1 can green beans, drained (can use frozen)
Prepared mashed potatoes (4-6 servings)
Cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef and onion in frying pan. Then add tomato soup and green beans. Heat. Then nput soup mixture in bottom of casserole pan. On top of that, spread your mashed potatoes. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake at 350 till it bubbles.

Cream Cheese Chicken

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Chicken Breast (or 2 chicken breasts cooked)
1 – 8 oz brick of cream cheese
3 Tablespoons Ranch Dressing Powder (equivalent to 1 oz package powder or Italian dressing powder)

Melt cream cheese in microwave. In separate pan add cream of chicken soup, chicken with broth, and Ranch dressing mix. Stir cream cheese until creamy. Add water until it is the consistency you want for a creamy sauce.
Serve over pasta or rice.

Strawberry and banana fruit salad

One container of strawberries
3 to 4 bananas
tub of cool whip
1 package of banana cream pie pudding
½ of the milk that they call for on the pudding package

Make the pudding with only half of the milk that they ask for on the box. Once the pudding is set up mix it with the cool whip. Stir in the strawberries and bananas.

Oriental Salad

1 large head of lettuce, cut up
4 stalks of diced celery
1 (2 oz.) bag of slivered almonds
2 T sesame seeds
4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
4 green onions, chopped
chow mein noodles - optional

Dressing:
2 T sugar
2 tsp accent
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup oil
6 T vinegar

Mix

Rolls

2 cups water
1 cube butter
3 eggs (room temp)
3/4 c. sugar
1T salt
1 c. milk
6 c. flour
2 T yeast

Proof yeast (Disolve yeast into 1 cup warm water and add pinch of sugar). Add remaining 1 cup of water to the above ingredients and mix for 5 mins.

Add 5 c. flour (add more or less to make the dough elastic after the second mixing - see below)

Mix for 5 mins. Raise one time. Punch down after double. Shape into rolls (a little larger than golf ball sized). Let rise until double (about 1 hour).

Bake 355 for 15 mins (or until slightly brown on top).

Makes about 4 dozen sfotball sized rolls.

Country Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

8 potatoes, sliced thin
1 onion
1 pound ham, cubed
1 package country gravy mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups water
2 cups shredded cheese

Combine and cook all ingredient (excluding cheese) for 7-9 hours on low in crock pot. Top with cheese the last 30 minutes.

Frosting

1 cube butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in other ingredients and spread on cake while hot.

Oatmeal Cake

Pour 1 1/2 Cups boiling water over 1 cup oatmeal (regular, not quick) and let it stand for 20 minutes.

Cream:
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs

Mix together and add in:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Mix in oatmeal mixture. Stir well and put into greased cake pan or cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes (or less if using cookie sheet)

Soft Ginger Snaps

3/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1/8 tsp talt
4 Tbsp molasses
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsps baking soda
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour

Mix everything together and refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Roll in balls the size of large marbles. Don't mash down. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. They will look uncooked but should. Let cool on cookie sheet a few minutes. These are very soft and chewy cookies. Yummy!!!

Soft Caramel Corn

2 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter (or margarine if you like that sort of thing)

Melt butter & brown sugar over medium heat in large sauce pan until smooth. Stir in marshmallows until melted. Poor over bowl of popcorn and stir to coat. Enjoy!

Hoisin Chicken Rice Bowls

Serves 4

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large red pepper, diced small
1 10-ounce package baby portebello mushrooms, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 average-sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced small
1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained, diced small
2 teaspoons teriyaki sauce (you can find this by the soy sauce)
4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
3 cups of hot cooked rice
romaine lettuce leaves
sesame seeds
scallions, thinly sliced

Heat oil over medium high heat in a large saute pan. Add red pepper and mushrooms and saute for 5 – 6 minutes until tender. Add garlic and saute an additional minute. Add chicken to pan and cook for 6 – 8 minutes or until cooked through. Stir chicken and red pepper mixture occasionally while it cooks. Add water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce and hoisin sauce and stir to coat the chicken and vegetables. Continue cooking until heated through.

To serve, line a single serving size bowl with romaine leaves. Top with a large scoop of rice, some of the hoisin chicken, and a sprinkle of the sesame seeds and scallions.

Alternately, you can serve the hoisin chicken mixture wrapped in lettuce leaves or omit the lettuce leaves completely and serve the chicken over rice.

Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Stacks

2 cups frozen corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 large frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
1 1/2 cups salsa

Lightly grease the bottom and sides of the slow cooker. Pour frozen corn into the bottom of the slow cooker and place the frozen chicken breasts on top. Cover with beans and salsa. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with forks. Return to the slow cooker and stir until the chicken, corn, beans and salsa are combined.

Serve on a bed of tortilla chips and top with additional garnishes: lettuce, tomato, avocado, sour cream, cheese, etc.

White Bean Chicken (or Turkey) Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Great Northern Beans, undrained
2 cups cooked, diced chicken (or turkey)
2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup salsa (I use Pace Chunky Medium)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remainder of the ingredients, except the mozzarella cheese. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the soup comes to a simmer. Add the mozzarella cheese one handful at a time, stirring to let each addition melt before adding the next. Stir to combine and make sure all the cheese has melted and serve.

Tortilla Sandwhich Wraps

brick of cream cheese, softened
couple of spoonfuls of your favorite jam or to taste
sliced green onions, 1-2 to taste
mix all that together

spread on large tortilla of choice

make a row down center of:
thin sliced turkey
shredded cheddar
flat lettuce
thin sliced tomatoes
whatever else you want to add

start rolling from one side (parallel to row down middle) and roll tightly to other side
slice about 3/4" to 1" wide slices
serve with ranch dressing for dip if desired