"Kinda Sorta Homemade" Taco Hamburger Helper

INGREDIENTS

1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 pound of ground beef
1 can of Campbell's cheddar cheese soup
1 cup milk
1 package of taco mix
2 cups of elbow noodles, uncooked

DIRECTIONS

Sauté all vegetables with butter in a medium saucepan until wilted. Add ground beef, stirring frequently until browned. Drain, return to saucepan, and add taco mix, cheddar cheese soup, and milk while on medium heat. When the mixture begins to bubble, turn heat to simmer.

Cook elbow noodles in a separate saucepan. When the noodles are soft, drain and add to the beef mixture, stirring thoroughly.

Enjoy!

Jambalaya (Crockpot OR Stove Top)

INGREDIENTS

28 oz can diced tomatoes (don't drain)
1 can tomato paste (small)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (Tony Cacheres or Slap Ya Mama)
Hot sauce (Tabasco or any other brand) to taste
1 package of sausage
1 small package of shrimp
3-4 frozen boneless chicken breasts
2 cups rice, uncooked

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients except rice and set crock pot to cook for 6 hours (lower or higher settings are fine too). When finished, shred the chicken. Cook rice separately... You can either mix the cooked rice with the finished jambalaya or serve over the rice.


If you prefer cooking on the stove top, begin by baking the chicken breasts in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour (if frozen) or 30 minutes (if thawed). Make sure the juices run clear then shred the chicken breasts. Combine shredded chicken breasts, onion, celery stalk, shrimp, and sausage in a dutch oven or stockpot. Add a dash of cooking oil (I prefer olive oil) and saute until the vegetables are wilted. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the rice is cooked. You can either mix the cooked rice with the finished Jambalaya or serve over the rice.

Side Suggestions :: Jambalaya tastes really good with a side of corn muffins and fried okra!

Enjoy!

Easy Enchiladas

- 1 package of tortillas (I end up using about 8 tortillas total)
- 1 pound of lean ground hamburger meat
- 1 10 oz can of Rotel (your choice hot or mild)
- 1 10 oz can of Enchilada sauce (whatever type you prefer)
- 1 package fiesta blend shredded cheese.

Brown hamburger meat in a skillet and drain. Add can of Rotel and mix together. Spoon meat and Rotel mixture into tortillas, roll, and place in an 8x8 inch square pan. Follow these instructions until you have a row of filled tortillas. Drizzle Enchilada sauce on the tortillas until all tortillas are mostly covered. Sprinkle with the fiesta blend shredded cheese. Place in the oven at 350 degrees until cheese is melted, and the enchilada sauce is bubbling. Serve with a side of refried beans.

This meal is easy and DELICIOUS! One time I was so upset that my husband finished the leftovers, I had to have Enchiladas for supper again the very next evening!

Crock-Pot Chicken and Sherry

This was an impromptu recipe as I had a ton of chicken and items in the kitchen that were starting to go bad. So what do you? Mix it all together! Here is a great recipe for even the most formal of occasions!

4 or 5 boneless chicken breasts
2.5 cups of Sherry cooking wine
2 handfuls of crinkle-cut (or baby) carrots
1 yellow onion, sliced
6 red potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Thyme (to taste)

Combine Sherry cooking wine and flour in crock pot and stir until combined. Add chicken breasts, carrots, onion, and potatoes. Top with salt, pepper, and thyme to taste. There is a ton of flexibility with this recipe so add or subtract whatever you like! Set crock pot to 6 hours and serve over rice or noodles.

Crock Pot BBQ Pulled Pork = Heaven!

Over the past two weeks, I have really gotten into crock pot cooking. It's cheap if the meal involves minimal ingredients, quick, and it is oh-so-good! I stumbled across a recipe on an app called "Baby Buzz" for BBQ Pulled Pork. It involves three ingredients... Well, four if you include the hamburger buns.

1 (2 Pound) Pork Tenderloin
12 ounces of Root Beer
1 18 ounce bottle of BBQ sauce

Put pork tenderloin in the crock pot. Pour root beer over the pork tenderloin, and set the crock pot for 8 hours. At the seventh hour, shred the pork tenderloin, drain, and stir in the BBQ sauce. Serve on toasted hamburger buns.

I also HIGHLY recommend putting banana peppers on the pulled pork sandwich! It was delicious!