Jen's Beef Enchilada Casserole

"It's been a long time since I tried making a new recipe. I am really into learning to make more authentic-tasting Mexican food, so I wanted to try my hand at a sauce from scratch. Canned enchilada sauce tastes cheap to me, so I made my own and it was so yummy. Looking forward to getting some reviews of this...enjoy!"


INGREDIENTS:

23 small corn tortillas
4 cups Mexican-Blend shredded cheese

Meat Mixture Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I use sirloin)
3 green onions finely chopped
1 Pablano Pepper diced
1 large tomato diced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin

Sauce Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups beef broth (I use no salt added)
6 oz. tomato paste
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine meat mixture ingredients together and saute in large pan until meat is browned. Run mixture through food processor. In medium saucepan over medium heat melt butter and add flour to make roux. Stir in broth and tomato paste continuing to stir until smooth. Add vinegar and spices and stir until smooth and sauce starts to simmer.

Layering (in 9x13 dish sprayed with cooking spray)

1/2 cup sauce
9 tortillas (place so they go up the sides of the dish)
1/2 of meat mixture
1/2 cup of cheese
1/2 cup sauce
8 tortillas
rest of meat mixture
1/2 cup cheese
1/2 cup sauce
6 tortillas
remaining sauce

Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, add remaining cheese and bake additional 10 minutes. Allow to sit and "set" for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8

Jen's Baked Buffalo Chicken Fingers

"My husband loves buffalo chicken, so I wanted to try to make my own. I used pieces instead of wings and baked them instead of frying to help with the fat and calories. You can also skip the butter in the sauce if you want to be extra healthy."

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves cut into fingers
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
cooking spray

Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup hot sauce (I like Franks buffalo sauce)
1 dash ground black pepper
1 dash garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic and salt. Coat chicken in mixture. Place wire cooling rack onto long cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray. Lay chicken pieces on rack. Spray top with more spray. Bake 45 minutes on 350 degrees. Turn oven to 400 spray chicken again and bake for additional 10 minutes.

In Large microwaveable bowl heat sauce ingredients until butter is melted. Add baked chicken to bowl and toss to coat.
Serve with blue cheese dressing if desired.

Serves 4-6

Jen's Fresh Fruit Burst

"I'm sure this isn't original, but I didn't have a recipe or photo to go by, so I'm claiming it as mine. The only problem if you choose to use pineapple is that you have to be careful because it splits when you stick it on the skewer."


Ingredients:

-At least five kinds of fresh fruit that won't brown

Ideas:

cantaloupe
honeydew
watermelon
kiwi
cherries
grapes
pineapple
oranges
strawberries

-Skewers (I made about 30-35 skewers for the half melon)

-a halved melon (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon)

Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches

"I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, and made changes which are included. I've also added my own recipe for sandwiches using the beef. Make sure to drain the beef before putting it on the buns, and you can freeze the broth to use for a later purpose."


INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon dried basil
2 teaspoon onion salt
2 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 bay leaves
2 (.7 ounce) packages dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 (2-3 pound) chuck roast


DIRECTIONS:

Combine beef broth and wine with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix in a saucepan. Stir well, and bring to a boil.
Place roast in slow cooker, and pour broth mixture over the meat.
Cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours, remove bay leaf, shred meat with a fork, place back in slow-cooker and cook an additional 2 hours.

Jen's Italian Beef Sandwiches:

INGREDIENTS:

6 sub buns
6 slices provolone cheese
1/2 lg onion cut in long thin slices
1 green pepper cut into long thin slices
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon honey
miracle whip
shredded beef from above recipe

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut sub buns in half lengthwise. On top halves of buns place one slice provolone cheese each. Put onto large baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes in oven. Meanwhile, melt butter in large frying pan. Saute onions and peppers until soft. Drizzle honey over the onions and peppers and continue to cook until they caramelize. Make sandwiches using the beef, peppers and onions, and a thin layer of miracle whip.

Makes 6 sandwiches

Jen's Insalata Caprese

"I have been wanting to make this for a long time. So many of the recipes I looked up were similar, but since I added so many of my own touches, I feel I can call it my own. Note: The photo shows only half of a recipe. This recipe would make twice as much. "



INGREDIENTS:
4 small vine ripened or Roma tomatoes cut into slices
24 (approx.) fresh basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry
8 oz. fresh (soft) mozzarella cheese cut into slices to match tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Arrange tomatoes, basil and cheese in dish, alternating slices. Sprinkle with garlic. Drizzle on oil and vinegar, season with pepper. Cover and allow to marinate for at least two hours in refrigerator.

Serves 6

Jen's Mac and Cheese

"This is my second macaroni and cheese recipe, but this is one I made up. I loved a mac and cheese my brother brought over once and I remembered he used eggs, so I wanted to try doing the same. I looked up recipes and got the basic ingredients, and then added my own touches to create this."

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 lb pasta, cooked according to package (I used wheat elbow)
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)
1 1/4 cups milk (I used 2%)
4 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon mustard

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9x13 in. baking dish with cooking spray.
Place drained noodles back in pot
Add one cup of the cheddar cheese and all of the parmesan cheese; toss until melted.
In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the sour cream.
Stir in the milk, butter, salt, pepper, nutmeg and mustard.
Stir the mixture into the macaroni and pour it into the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups cheddar cheese on top.
Spray foil with cooking spray and cover dish.
Bake for 35 minutes, with cover on and 10 additional minutes with cover off.
Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Jen's Ratatouille

"I've been wanting to make this, but I haven't found a recipe in which all the ingredients sounded good to me. I decided instead to add and subtract from a recipe I found and make it more Italian flavored."
INGREDIENTS:

1 zucchini sliced thin
1 yellow squash sliced thin
1 Chinese eggplant sliced thin (you can also use a regular eggplant and cut the slices in quarters or about the same size as the zucchini and squash)
3 plum/roma tomatoes sliced thin
1 medium onion sliced in rings
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
20 fresh basil leaves ground in food processor (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large pan until hot. Saute onions and eggplant until both are soft (about 10 minutes). In 13x9 baking dish coat bottom with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Make rows of veggie slices alternating eggplant, tomato, squash and zucchini. Top with sauted onions. Sprinkle with fresh or dried basil. In small bowl mix together cheese with minced garlic, salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese mixture on top of veggies. Cover with foil and bake for 55 minutes removing foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

Jen's Tropical Shark Steaks

"I bought shark for the first time at the store the other day. I actually didn't know they sold it. I'm very particular about which seafood I like, and it's not my favorite thing to eat. I rarely prepare seafood, but the hubby and I started a diet on Monday, so I know I'll be incorporating more fish into it. I looked up recipes online, but I didn't find any that the mix of ingredients sounded good to me, so I made a sauce up."



INGREDIENTS:

4 shark steaks
1 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 can diced pineapple (packed in juice), drained
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce (I used low-sodium)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In large baking dish, soak shark steaks in lemon juice for at least 1/2 hour to reduce strong taste (you can also soak in buttermilk overnight). Discard lemon juice, rinse steaks and return to dish. In blender put orange juice, pineapple, garlic and soy sauce. Blend well. Pour sauce over shark. Bake for 40 minutes.

Serves four

Jen's Hobo Stew

"I have a feeling that anyone who knows about this thinks of it with different ingredients. This is the way my mom always made it. She said on camping trips they would buy a new metal garbage can, put all of the ingredients in and cook it in the campfire to feed a large group of people. I suppose it could be modified to suit your taste. There is really a lot of cabbage compared to the rest of the ingredients, but it adds a lot of flavor."





INGREDIENTS:

1 head of cabbage, quartered
6 large carrots, cut into sticks
6 medium potatos
3 - 1 lb. packages pre-cooked smoked sausage or kilbasa, cut in quarters (hilshire farms or ekrich works nicely)
1 onion, chopped
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 cup water
3 ears of corn, cut in half

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place first five ingredients in large stock pot or roaster than can be placed in oven. Put pieces of butter over top. Pour in water Bake in oven for 3 1/2 hours, adding corn for last 45 minutes.

Serves 6

Jen's Reuben Casserole

"Growing up, our Christmas Eve tradition, for quite a few years, was to make reuben sandwiches. The thing that made them different than what you get at the restaurant was that we used Miracle Whip mixed with chili powder instead of 1000 Island salad dressing. My mom also used to make a reuben casserole, which I thought is much easier than assembling and baking the sandwiches. Here is my spin on what she used to make."




INGREDIENTS:

1 1/3 pounds deli corned beef, cut in small cubes or chipped
1 pound baby swiss cheese cut in small pieces
1 large jar (approx. 32 oz.) sour kraut, rinsed and drained well
1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip
2 teaspoons chili powder
12 oz. pumpernickel bread, chopped in large crouton sized chunks
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle meat and cheese pieces evenly into a greased 9x13 baking dish. In medium bowl mix sour kraut well with Miracle Whip and chili powder. Spread kraut mixture over meat and cheese in dish. Place bread chunks evenly over top of sour kraut mixture. Drizzle melted butter over bread chunks. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.

Serves 6-8

Notes:

-I get my corned beef from the deli at the store. I tell them I want it in one large piece and I cube it myself.

-12 oz. of pumpernickle is about 3/4 of a half loaf (I buy the sliced half loaf and use all but about four slices)

-I wring out my sour kraut with my hands. If you like the stronger flavor, you don't have to rinse it.

Jen's Hummus

"I've had hummus from a lot of restaurants and stores, and I love it. I've even had hummus at a Turkish restaurant with cumin in it. I've never tried my own until now. It's slighty chunky."

INGREDIENTS:

1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas), drained (reserve liquid)
1/3 cup tahini
3 tablespoons. lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 cloves garlic, minced (less if desired)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Topping:

a drizzle of olive oil
1 pinch paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley

DIRECTIONS:
Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt, olive oil and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add about 1/2 of reserved bean liquid to processor and blend (more if you want a thinner consistancy. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl.
Drizzle olive oil over the garbanzo bean mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.

Serves 6-8

Jen's Creamy Potato Casserole

"I wanted to take my mom's cheese potato recipe and put a spin on it. I didn't make as much quantity as that recipe, but it still feeds 4-6."

INGREDIENTS:

5 medium to large potatoes, diced (I left skins on)

1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons) softened or melted

4 oz cream cheese, softened or melted

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3/4 cup sour cream

6 oz. shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Spray 9x9 or larger baking dish with cooking spray and put in potato mixture. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes (I poke potatoes with fork to see it they're done). Will be browned and bubbly on top.

Jen's Teriyaki Pork Chops with Veggies

"I've been making this dish for a few years, but thought it was too simple to make into a recipe. I made it last night, so I thought I'd share."

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 boneless pork chops

2 cans pineapple chunks, drained

5 large carrots, sliced

1 green pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups teriyaki "baste and glaze" sauce (you can also use "KC Masterpiece honey teriyaki marinade")

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place chops in 9x13 baking dish. Surround pork with pineapple and veggies. Pour sauce over. Bake for 1 hour. Serve as is or over rice.

Jen's Taco Pizza

"I've never tried making a taco pizza until now. I knew I didn't want refried beans on it because I'm not a fan of canned refried beans, so I decided to make the base a tomato sauce."


INGREDIENTS:

2 pre-made pizza crusts

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup diced onion

1 packet taco seasoning (I prefer Ortega)

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

4 oz can sliced black olives

2 -8 oz packages shredded cheddar cheese

diced tomato, shredded lettuce, sour cream and taco sauce for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Saute ground beef with onion; drain if necessary. Add taco seasoning (don't add water the seaoning package calls for), and tomato sauce. Stir until thickens. Spoon meat mixture onto crusts. Top with black olives and cheese. Bake for 15 minutes (alternating pans on shelves half way through). Garnish with diced tomato, lettuce, sour cream and taco sauce.

Jen's Stuffed Shells

"I love stuffed shells. I don't have them as much as other italian food because my kids are not crazy about ricotta cheese or spinach. If you don't over-fill the shells, there is enough ricotta mixture for all of the shells. It doesn't, however, fit into a 13x9 dish. I would recommend either using two square 8x8's or 9x9's, or getting a large disposable pan. This picture is not so great."

INGREDIENTS:

1 12 oz box jumbo shell pasta, prepared as directed on box (I use barilla brand)

1 jar spaghetti/marinara sauce

8 oz. (2 cups) shredded mozerella

Filling:

1 30 oz. container ricotta cheese

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (grated is fine, but use 1/4 cup instead)

1/4 cup cream (optional)

2 eggs, beaten

16 oz. frozen spinach cooked and drained (see tip below)

1/4 cup italian flavored bread crumbs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix all of the "filling" ingredients in large bowl. Put 1/3 of jar of sauce into the bottom of your baking dish. Put mixture into shells* and place in dish. Add the remainder of sauce to top of shells and top with shredded mozerella. Spray large piece of foil with cooking spray, so cheese doesn't stick, and cover dish. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes. Remove for and bake for additional 10 minutes.

Serves 6-8

*tip #1 I like to buy a frozen bag of spinach instead of the box. I put the bag, unopened on a plate and microwave it for 4 minutes. I then cut a small hole in the corner of the bag, and squeeze the liquid out. I used to use paper towels to wring it out, but this is so much less wastefull.

tip #2 You can cut the corner off of a ziplock bag (don't zip the bag) and put filling inside to use like a pastry bag to fill (squirt into) shells...it saves mess. I prefer to use a quart size freezer bag

Jen's Stuffed Peppers

"I know this recipe is probably similar to a lot of others, but I didn't use a recipe, just got some advice from my mom, and added a couple of my own ingredients"

INGREDIENTS:

4 large green peppers, tops cut off and seeded

2 pounds of ground beef (or 1 lb beef and 1 lb ground sausage)

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup plus 1 cup ketchup (divided

1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 29 oz can tomato sauce

3/4 cup italian flavored breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put meat, egg, 1/4 cup ketchup, worchestershire sauce, pepper, garlic and breadcrumbs into mixing bowl and mix with hands. Pack into green peppers until heaping full. If you have leftover meat, form into meatballs. Spray roasting pan with cooking spray, place peppers (and extra meat if needed) in pan. In medium bowl mix together tomato sauce and 1 cup ketchup. Pour over peppers and into bottom of pan. Bake covered for two hours.

Serves 4

Jen's Four Cheese Spinach Souffle

"I have loved spinach for as long as I can remember. I have tried a few recipes for spinach souffle, but there is always an "iffy" ingredient that I'm just not sure about using, and that usually makes what I don't like about it. I decided just to make up my own recipe and it turned out really good."

INGREDIENTS:

2 - 10 oz packages of frozen spinach, thawed and drained

6 eggs, beaten

1 cup ricotta cheese

3 oz. crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

4 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup finely chopped onions

1/4 cup cream

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Pour into greased 13x9 baking dish. Bake uncovered for 65 minutes.

Serves 12

Jen's Taco Supreme Meatloaf

"This is the first attempt at a mexican meatloaf. Hope you guys like it. The idea of the sour cream and cheese inside and making it into a roll came from my friend Lainie. She made regular meatloaf like that when we were over for a meal."

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. ground beef (I use sirlion)

1/2 cup onions, diced

1 medium tomato, diced

1 packet taco seasoning (I prefer Ortega Brand)

pinch of pepper

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

8 oz. sour cream

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

small can of sliced black olives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix first seven ingredients together by hand in large bowl. Flatten out to about 1/2 inch thick on large piece of foil. Spread sour cream onto meat, and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up using foil as a guide. Place into 13x9 baking dish. Press black olive slices over visible part of loaf. Bake uncovered for 1 hour and 30 minutes in a 350 degrees F. oven. Slice and serve.

Jen's Guacamole

"I had never made guacamole before last summer. It was just an okay thing for me. It was just kind of plain, and I never really ate it unless it was given to me at a restaurant with my meal. I didn't realize that it didn't excite me because it was so plain. I decided to try it using my friend's advice of citrus juice, garlic and salt, and then I decided to add more and make it my own. I have never made it without a food processor, so I don't know what other options are available."

INGREDIENTS:

2 standard avocados, peeled

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup onions, diced

Put all ingredients together in food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips. Best if used same day

Jen's Meatloaf

"I never make meatloaf the same way twice. It was really hard to figure out this recipe. I am going to give you a lot of add-in ideas since I know people don't always like certain things. I make a couple other kinds of meatloaf, which I plan to put online eventually, but this is the more traditional kind."

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds ground beef (I use ground sirlion)

1/2 c. onion, diced (or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder)

1 egg, beaten

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoon worchestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon parsley

3/4 cup bread crumbs (I prefer to use crushed crackers, or I've even been desperate enough to use cereal)

Optional Add-ins

1/4 cup green and or red pepper, diced

1 tablespoon red wine

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all ingredients together in large bowl with your hands. Form into a ball and press into baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. I like to flatten mine to about an inch thick so it bakes faster. If you make it thicker, it may take longer. Bake for 1 hour, and cut in half to check if done.

Note: Great dipped in ketchup