Menu Monday

I haven't shared a menu in awhile.  I've been so busy with work I haven't been doing as much cooking and I haven't taken enough time to keep up this blog.  My apologies!

This week we're having:
~Pizza, fruit
~Nacho Cheese Tortilla Bake, corn, fruit
~Sloppy Joes, green beans, fruit
~BBQ Ribs, ranch roasted potatoes, biscuits
~Pasta Roll Ups (from freezer), cheese stuffed breadsticks (from freezer)
~Tuna Melts, broccoli w/ cheese, fruit
~Pigs in a Blanket, fruit
~Leftovers/Breakfast Night

Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chicken Bake

We were so excited to try this I forgot to get a photo!  It wasn't bad.  I'd make it again but next time I wouldn't put the Doritos on the bottom; I'd wait until the last few minutes and sprinkle them over the top.  And I think I need to find recipes with shorter names!

Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chicken Bake

8 cups nacho cheese tortilla chips, crushed (Doritos, or even the Cool Ranch kind would work)
2 cans (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
Additional shredded cheddar for topping

Arrange chips in a greased 13x9 baking dish.  In a bowl, comine the soup, chicken, salsa, cheese, and chilies.  Pour over chips.  Sprinkle with additional cheese.  Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Another recipe I made for the cookie exchange our playgroup does every year.  My Gram, who passes away this summer, used to make these every year and I figured if I was making cookies I'd better make at least one of her recipes.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for coating baked cookies
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting hands
1 cup pecans, chopped into very small pieces

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar at low speed until smooth.  Beat in vanilla.  At low speed gradually add flour.  Mix in pecans with spatula.  With floured hands, take out about 1 Tb of dough and shape into a crescent (or whatever shape you want really.)  Continue to dust hands with flour as you make more cookies.  Place onto prepared cookie sheets.  Bake for 40 minutes.  When cool enough to handle but still warm, roll in additional powdered sugar.  Cook on wire racks.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Cut Out Shortbread Cookies

We're in a playgroup and every year we do a cookie exchange around the holidays.  This was one of the recipes I tried for this year and I thought they were pretty good.



Cut Out Shortbread Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar

1 Tb vanilla extract

2 2/3 cup all purpose flour

granulated sugar for decorating

Beat butter, powdered sugar and vanilla.  Gradually beat in flour until well blended.  Divide dough in half; flatten each into 1 inch thick disk on 2 pieces of plastic wrap.  (Dough will be soft.)  Wrap and refrigerate several hours until firm.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll half the dough at a time to 1/4 inch thickness.  (I added quite a bit of extra flour in order to work with this dough.  It was way too moist and was sticking to everything.  The cookies still came out just fine.)  Cut with floured cookie cutters.  Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets and sprinkle tops lightly with granulated sugar.  Bake 9-10 minutes or until set and lightly browned on bottoms.  Gather scraps, roll into ball.  Refrigerate if needed, while you repeat rolling and cutting process with second disk.  Remove from oven and immediately prick cookies randomly around edges with fork.  Remove to a rack to cool.

Makes 6 dozen.

Linked to:
Mouthwatering Mondays at A Southern Fairytale

Slow Cooker Tamale Pie

This was my first time making this recipe so I didn't make any to freeze but it would work great as a freezer meal if you leave off the cheese and cornbread until later.  It was very yummy and I will definitely make it again.

Slow Cooker Tamale Pie

1 lb ground beef
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
1 can (11 oz) whole kernal corn, drained
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 pkg (8 1/2 oz) corn bread/muffin mix
2 eggs
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
sour cream and additional minced cilantro, optional

In large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Stir in cumin, salt, chili powder and pepper.  Transfer to a 4-qt slow cooker; stir in beans, tomatoes, corn, enchilada sauce, onions and cilantro.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until heated through.

In small bowl, combine muffin mix and eggs; spoon over meat mixture.  Cover and cook 1 hour longer or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand for 5 minutes.  Serve with sour cream and additional cilantro if desired.

8 Servings

Linked up to:
Meatless Mondays at My Sweet and Savory
Homemaker Monday at 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven
Tasty Traditions at Coupon Cookin'
Recipe Swap Thursday at Prairie Story
Tuesday Night Supper Club at Fudge Ripple
Tip Day Thursday at Around My Family Table
Tuesdays at the Table at All the Small Stuff

Mexican Black Beans

These were pretty tasty.  I ate some as a side but my husband put them on his fajita.  Great both ways!

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups black beans, fully cooked from dry beans)
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup beef or chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt, to taste
2 Tb minced cilantro

Combine black beans, corn and red pepper in skillet (or saucepan).  Add broth, cumin, garlic powder and salt to taste.  Bring liquid to boil and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes over medium heat.  Remove from heat, adjust salt if needed and stir in cilantro.