Chili with Fritos

I love this chili.

It was passed down to my mom from a lady at church and then to me. We have enjoyed it for several years now.

It is a nice switch from the traditional chili with spaghetti - you know, the kind that necessitates the dipping of peanut butter sandwiches. I can't eat regular chili without a . . . who am I kidding . . . without several peanut butter sandwiches!

Although no peanut butter sandwiches are required with this chili, it is a favorite of mine.

2 large can of stewed tomatoes
*I like to use whole tomatoes and break them up with my hands - leaving fairly large pieces of tomatoes
1 pkg. chili mix (McCormick's)
1 can chili beans (optional)
1 lb. hamburger, browned and seasoned
Fritos
shredded cheese
sour cream

In large skillet, brown ground beef - seasoning with salt and pepper. Drain and set aside.

In stock pot add tomatoes, chili mix, browned ground beef, and beans (if using). Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve chili with shredded cheese, Fritos, and sour cream.

This recipe is easily doubled - and as with any chili, it is even better the next day.

Programming Note: I will highlight turkey breast with cranberry sauce another week and not this week.

Love Me

Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa

I can in no way, shape, or form take any credit for this recipe. It is from a website I faithfully visit every day - The Pioneer Woman (see my link on the right side bar).

She posted this a couple days ago. I made it today. We may never buy store bought salsa again.

I dumped all the ingredients in my new blender, pulsed a few times and viola! Salsa.

1 can (28 ounce) whole tomatoes with juice
2 cans (10 once) RoTel tomatoes (one Original and one Mild)
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 cup cilantro
Juice from 1/2 lime

Combine and pulse in food processor or blender until desired consistency.

Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Love Me

Chicken Corn Soup with Rivels

Life has kept me from the grocery store this week and so I am totally off menu.

But that is fine. I actually have found it fun and challenging to make suppers all week from already on hand ingredients.

You know that Farmer's Daughter frugality. Surprising what a little ingenuity can do.

We had this soup along with turkey sandwiches last night after church.

Make this old Amish soup and you will want to dig out your prairie skirt and call your man Pa. I did and he liked it.

Rivels or rivlets: an easily prepared short "noodle" that acts as a dumpling-like broth-stretcher

2 or 3 chicken breasts
32 oz. chicken broth
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 tsp. parsley
dash of pepper
1 can yellow/white sweet corn, drained

Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours - until chicken falls apart and vegetables are tender.

3/4 cup flour
1 egg

Dump flour on cutting board, making a well in the center. Crack egg into well. Using fork, incorporate flour into egg - making rivels. Spread these apart on cutting board and allow to dry while soup cooks.

With soup at a boil, add rivels and allow to cook for 15 or 20 minutes. Rivels will plump into tiny dumplings.

Love Ma (a/k/a Me)

Ham/Hash Brown/Broccoli Casserole

I have to admit I did not make this casserole last night.

In fact, I have never made this casserole.

I planned to make it.

But after watching Joel play his heart out in his basketball game last night, I didn't have the heart to serve this for supper and watch him pick through it trying to avoid eating something green.

So we had biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs for supper last night.

Let me tell you - there was no picking at his plate.

Just in case anyone is interested, however, here is the recipe for the ham/hash brown/broccoli casserole.

1 pkg. frozen hash browns
1 can cream of celery or mushroom soup
8 oz. sour cream
1 stick butter
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (10 oz.) frozen broccoli, thawed
1 1/2 cup cubed ham

Combine all ingredients. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (uncovered) at 350 degrees.


Love Me

1/25/10 Menu

Tuesday - ham/hash brown/broccoli casserole, fruit ambrosia
Wednesday - sloppy joe's, cottage cheese, chips
Thursday - turkey breast with cranberry sauce, stuffing, green beans
Friday - chili with Fritos/cheese/sour cream
Saturday - blueberry muffins and spinach quiche (breakfast), pulled pork sandwiches (supper)
Sunday - swiss steak (using Joel's venison), mashed potatoes, corn
Monday - Left over pulled pork sandwiches, chips, fruit

Recipes I will highlight this week: ham/hash brown/broccoli casserole, turkey breast with cranberry sauce, and Friday's chili.

Love Me

Stuffed Shells

Pasta is pretty tricky for diabetics - which stinks because I like pasta. What's not to like?

It is cheap, quick, filling, and tasty.

But it is super high in carbohydrates and notorious for causing blood sugar spikes. I have not experimented with the whole wheat pasta but have read several mixed reviews.

Pasta is merely a vehicle for sauces and cheeses, so it makes sense that other things could be used as this vehicle. Spaghetti squash and zucchini are frequently substituted for pasta. A quick internet search yields several recipes and tips for cooking with spaghetti squash and zucchini.

I plan on trying one of these alternatives in February. It may take me until then to figure out a way to sneak this past Joel.

Although I ended up not making this on Sunday, I decided I would go ahead and post the recipe. It is, like most pasta dishes, simple, quick, and filling - but not necessarily that cheap because of all the cheeses involved.

Stuffed Shells in Marinara

1 1/2 jars of spaghetti sauce
1 pkg. jumbo pasta shells
2 small or 1 large tub of ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese
Pepper to taste

Cook shells al dente according to package directions - being sure to add salt to the water. Drain.

In large bowl combine ricotta, Parmesan, 1/2 of the mozzarella, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper.

Pour ample amount of sauce into bottom of 13 x 9 pan. Stuff cooked and drained shells with cheese mixture. Arrange stuffed shells on top of sauce.

Pour remaining sauce over shells. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over the top. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Stuffed Shells Florentine -

Add 1 pkg. of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained to cheese mixture. Yummy!

Stuffed Shells with meat sauce -

Just add 1 lb. browned and seasoned ground beef to spaghetti sauce.

Love Me

Frank-Bacon Bats

This is another recipe from the cookbook my mom made. With a big football weekend coming up, this recipe might come in handy.

Football, hot dogs, bacon, a full case of Pepsi Throwback . . . sounds like a game plan.

16 frankfurters (or hot dogs if you're a Hoosier)
1 1/2 c. pickle relish
1 Tbsp. mustard
16 slices of bacon
16 hot dog buns

Make lengthwise slits in hot dogs. Mix relish and mustard. Spoon into slits in hot dogs. Wrap each with bacon slice and fasten with toothpick. Place on baking sheet.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Comment from Mother: We used to make these hot dogs when we lived at the little house on St. Rd. 44. Diane and Elaine were in grade school when we fixed these.

I have made these a couple times and they are TASTY!

Love Me