Taco Soup

Taco soup is something I've wanted to try for a long time (and chicken tortilla soup, but that's for a different day). I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen, a group website created by the much popular Pioneer Woman. It was delicious, comforting, and made a ton! Next time around, I plan on sticking a bowl in the freezer for one of my lazy nights!

Taco Soup Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained

1 can, 28 oz. crushed tomatoes

1 package taco seasoning

1 package ranch dressing mix

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can chili beans, with sauce

2 cups frozen corn kernels

3 cups chicken broth

Step 1. Dump all in a pot and simmer 30ish minutes.

The end.

I love easy meals.

Topping ideas:

Fritos, shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, cilantro

This recipe made me fall in love with Fritos again, I had forgotten about their salty goodness.

Load it up and...yum!

Chocolate Pecan Gooey Pie

This pie is the easiest pie to ever make...and the most delicious! I would describe it as cookie dough in a pie crust. The best of both cookie and pie worlds! My step-mother-in-law, wonderful cook and baker, shared this recipe after I made my love of it obviously known. It makes two pies, freezes beautifully, and takes about 10 minutes to throw together. One of mine is going to a pot-luck at work tomorrow and one will spend three or so days in the freezer before making an appearance for Thanksgiving dessert.

Chocolate Pecan Gooey Pie

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 sticks butter-softened

1 cup flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups chocolate chips

2 cups chopped pecans

2 deep dish frozen pie crusts

Slightly beat eggs. Beat in butter, flour, and sugar.

Blend in vanilla, chocolate chips, and pecans.



Pour in the two deep dish pie shells. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes.

I would show you a picture of the inside, but I don't think a half eaten pie would look very good on a buffet table!

Date Night Fondue

The day my husband asked me to marry him, our engagement night, he topped off his extravagant plans with a trip to the Melting Pot and our first experience with fondue. Um...we were hooked! He couldn't get enough of the cheese fondue and I wanted to pack the chocolate fondue into my purse to take home with me...not that there was any left! Needless to say, I knew I had to make a drastically cheaper version at home.

I first tried this recipe I adapted from Rachael Ray's Cheese Fondue to make a yummy birthday surprise for my hubby. Since then it has been our go-to date night for the last two years. It is delicious, filling, romantic, and a fun experience! This particular recipe (and the only one I've tried due to not wanting to mess with a good thing) calls for Gruyere cheese. It's a little on the expensive side (13 bucks for a hunk of it), but still not too bad when compared to a night out. Pair it with an assortment of dippers...and you are set!

Date Night Fondue

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove

1 cup dry white wine

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

3 cups shredded Gruyere cheese

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 Tablespoon Kirsch

Ground Pepper

Nutmeg

We don't have Kirsch, so I rely on Blaneys, which is an Irish cream, white wine, and whiskey liquor...or so the bottle tells me.

Beautiful, expensive shredded cheese. We have to make sure the cheese isn't processed like Velveeta, but natural, like Parmigiano Reggiano.

Crush the garlic clove, peel, and rub all around fondue pot. Add white wine and lemon juice.

Heat over low heat until just simmering.

Gradually add cheese and stir in a figure-8 until melted smoothly.

Mix the Kirsh and cornstarch and add to cheese mixture.

Season with freshly ground pepper and nutmeg, cook for at least 3 more minutes.

Some of the frequent dippers!

Yummy...makes me think of my stretchy pants just looking at it!

Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Desserts are a fave, baked apples are a fave, icing fave, reading blogs are a fave...win, win, win, win with this recipe. Monica over at Lick The Bowl Good posted this on her blog and I knew it was a must-try. I'll admit, hopes were not high as I slid it into the oven. This was the thickest batter I have ever seen. I spent the entire bake time rereading the recipe trying to figure out where I had went wrong. It was such a relief to pull out this pretty cake and enjoy a home smelling of cooked apples. I think the glaze is what makes this cake though!

Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 eggs

1/2 cup canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups finely chopped apples

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Glaze:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

3 Tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbsp. heavy cream (I think you could just use milk!)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-9 inch pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combing the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until light in color and foamy.

Add the oil and vanilla and beat well.

Stir in the flour mixture with a spoon until just combined.

Add the apples and nuts and stir to mix in.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake 40-45 minutes until toothpick insterted into center comes out clean.

While warm prepare the glaze.

Combine all glaze ingredients in saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until mixture comes to a gentle boil.

Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Pour glaze over warm cake.

Delish!

Cheeseburger Pie

Biquick names it "Impossible Easy Cheeseburger Pie" and, while I don't know if I would take it that far, it is simple to make and satisfies a comfort food craving!

I like to save this recipe for when I come home from work and am dumbfounded at what to make for dinner. I have this wonderful husband who likes to skip lunch for some reason that is at a complete loss to me. Who would willingly skip a meal? I'm not one of those, that's for sure! When I walk in the door, I am faced with hopeful eyes that I can save the day and feed his hungry stomach! But am I complaining? Absolutely not! I actually had to teach him to depend on me for dinner and I wouldn't trade it for anything! :) Nathan willingly cleared the pan and informed me that I could make this weekly...thanks for the permission hun!

Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie

From Bisquick

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Bisquick mix

1 cup milk

2 eggs

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray pie plate with non-stick cooking spray. In skillet brown beef with chopped onion, drain. Stir in salt.

Spread in pie plate and top with shredded cheese.

Stir Bisquick mix, milk, and eggs in medium bowl until blended.

Pour on top of beef and cheese.

(Looks appetizing, huh??)

Bake about 25-30 minutes until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Yummy finished product! Love me some Bisquick (so much we buy it in bulk)!

White Chicken Chili

Happy Monday my friends!! This recipe is solely my dad's creation, or re-creation. Everyone knows the famous saying that you would rather do a few things well than many things not well...or however it goes. Well, the same goes for him and cooking. One of his few delicious recipes happens to be this chicken chili. Super easy, and because it takes a Williams seasoning packet, a lot of the work is done for you!

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded/chopped

2 cans Great Northern Beans

1 can chicken broth (or enough to fill an empty bean can)

1 teaspoon salt

1 package Williams Chicken Chili Seasoning

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream

1. In a large pan, combine chicken, beans, broth, salt, and seasoning packet.

2. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat.

3. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and whipping cream.

Serve immediately. Not that you could resist the smell!

Thanks Dad!