Taco CHOUP

I call this a CHOUP because it's a little thicker then a soup but not as thick as a chili. This can be made with beef or with chicken. It is relatively low in fat; especially the chicken version.

Ingredients
 2 poblano peppers or 1 small can diced green chilies
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 lb of ground beef or 1lb diced chicken breast, uncooked
1 package spicy taco seasoning
1 package spicy ranch dip mix
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can black beans, drained
1 140z can pinto beans, drained
1 140z can corn, drained
1 carton beef stock or chicken stock
1 cup uncooked minute rice


If your using the poblanos, broil them in the oven or put on the grill and char them on all sides. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and set aside for about 5 minutes. This will allow them to steam so that the skin comes right off. After 5 minutes, peel peppers by taking a paper towel and wiping the skin off. Chop peppers. Saute onions, bell pepper and poblano (or canned chilies) for about 3 minutes. Add meat and sprinkle with half the package of taco seasoning. Allow meat to brown. Add tomatoes, all beans and corn. Add the rest of the taco seasoning and the ranch dip mix. Mix and add stock. If your using beef, then add beef stock vice  versa for the chicken. From here, you decide how thick or thin you would like your choup. Add water to thin out. Bring choup to a boil and then drop down heat to medium. Simmer for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes add rice and simmer until rice is cooked. I like to put my BEST guacamole on top when serving.

Crockpot Macaroni

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

4 tablespoons (1/2 stuck) butter, cut into pieces

2 1/2 cups (about 10 ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup sour cream

1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Boil the macaroni until tender. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.


******You can make the "fast" version of this by mixing all the ingredients and baking in the oven at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

White Lasagna

I was looking to make dinner one afternoon and had a bunch of mix-matched items that really didn't go together in the traditional sense. I started to think about what would make the most sense and would make the most food so I put together this "white" lasagna.

Ingredients
I package oven ready lasagna noodles
1 8 oz container softened cream cheese
1 regular can cream of mushroom soup
1 5 0z container of fresh spinach or 1 small package of frozen spinach thawed and drained.
1 can (12.5 oz) chicken breast chunks chopped into small pieces
1 small carton of sliced mushrooms
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
*1/8 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
*small pinch of crushed red pepper flake

*Oregano is a very strong flavor. If you don't like it, just omit it. It won't make this dish any less tasty!!!
* I like a tiny hint of heat in everything I eat. If you don't, omit it.

Pre-heat oven to 425. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, soup, spinach (fresh will wilt in the oven), chicken, mushrooms and one cup of the cheese. Mix together and add spices. Take a small amount of the mixture, about 1/4 cup and spread on the bottom of a casserole dish. Make one layer of noodles being sure to cover to edge. Spread enough mixture on top of these noodles so that they are covered but not "caked" with mixture. Repeat ending with mixture. Layer amount will depend on size of dish. Cover with remaining cup of cheese and cover with foil. Bake at 425 for about 60 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes, remove foil so the cheese can bubble and brown.

Casseroles

Garlic and Chive Butter

CHIVE AND GARLIC BUTTER

This is really easy to make and good on steak, bread and vegetables.

Ingredients
1 stick softened butter
1/2 chives chopped, small
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 tablespoon pepper

Mix ingredients in a small bowl. Placeon plastic wrap and roll into a log. Chill and serve with whatever you like!

ONION BUTTER

Ingredients
1/2 stick butter softened
4 tablespoons grated onion
4 tablespoons minced parsley
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp ground pepper

Prepare as CHIVE AND GARLIC BUTTER

Steak Marinade

This marinade is good with any type of steak. I also use it on stew meat when I'm making shish kabobs.

Ingredients

1/2 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon each: salt, pepper and garlic powder
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup hoisin sauce*
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes*

I put all of my ingredients in the large freezer bag that I will be marinating my meat in. It's easier to mix and less to clean up! Combine all ingredients in the bag and mix well. Add meat. Squeeze the air out of the bag, seal and work the meat around in the bag. Place bag in a baking dish and put in the refrigerator. I do this just in case the bag has hole, it won't leak all over the frig. The longer you let it marinate, the more flavorful and tender the meat will be. If you don't have time, allow at least an hour to marinate. Try serving this with my chive or onion butter melted on top!

* Hoisin can be found at any grocery store in the international food aisle.
* Crush parsley flakes in your hand before adding to release flavor. If you using fresh parsley, double the amount.

Vaquitas

Vaquita in Spanish means little or small cow. I named these little guys vaquitas because they are just that; small cows. I made these for some of my friends and co-workers and they were a hit. This is a little bit of a tedious process but it is worth it.

Ingredients
2 packages of lil' beef smoky
2 packages of puff pastry
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 small can of diced green chilies
1/4 cup bacon bits
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon red pepper powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 egg

Allow puff pastry to thaw out on the counter before beginning this process. Pre-heat oven to 450. Take each lil' smokey and cut a deep slit from front to back lengthwise. Make sure not to cut all the way through. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, chilies, bacon bits, cheese, red pepper and garlic pepper. If you want them more heat add more red pepper of even try diced jalapenos. 
Now comes the tedious part. You will need to roll out the pastry slightly. You just want to thin it out a little; about a 14-by-11-inch rectangle. Then, cut the pastry into strips. To do this, I measured how wide each strip should be using one of the smokies. I then cut the strips into about four even pieces each.
Now that you have everything ready, its time to assemble. In order to get the cream cheese mixture in the smokey, I put the mix in a sandwich bag and cut the tip off. You can use a pastry bag if you would like but I only use them if I'm actually using a decorative tip. Fill each smokey with the mix. It should come just slightly above the top of the smokey. Place the smokey cream cheese side down at the edge of one strip. Roll and secure pastry by pinching the ends together. In a small bowl, mix egg with about 1 tablespoon of water and a dash of red pepper powder. This will be used to brush the vaquitas and make them golden brown.Brush with egg wash. Bake for about 20 minutes are until golden brown. These are best when served right out of the oven.