Spicey Lo mein

This dish tastes even better the next day! And it's not really spicy, the hoisin sauce and dash of cayenne pepper just give it a little kick.

Vegetable Lo Mein

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Ready In: 35 Minutes
Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces uncooked Udon noodles
1/2 cup sesame oil, divided
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 cup shredded carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1-2 cups chopped Bok choy
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon curry powder

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add udon noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Heat oil in large wok and fry cooked noodles to lightly brown. Set aside.
2. Heat remaining oil in a large wok or saute pan. Stir fry mushrooms, carrots, Bok choy, and garlic until tender. Stir in bean sprouts; cook one minute. Mix cornstarch and broth in a small bowl and add to stir fry. Stir in hoisin sauce, honey, soy sauce, cayenne pepper and curry powder. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
3. Add fried udon noodles and toss. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

• 2 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 can Hunts spaghetti sauce
• 1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes each side.
3. In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients (spaghetti sauce and cheeses). Sprinkle basil on top.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Tater tot casserole

Ingredients

1 lb. hamburger

2 cups cooked brown rice

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 small cans mushroom stems and pieces

1 T butter

2 cans green beans

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 bag of frozen tater tots

Directions

1. Ahead of time cook one cup raw brown rice in 2 to 2.5 cups water. (This takes almost an hour.)
2. Sauté in 1 T of butter finely chopped onion and mushrooms until onions are sweet. 
3. Brown hamburger.
4. In large bowl combine cooked brown rice, hamburger, onion and mushroom mix, and green beans. Mix in cream of mushroom soup until well combined.
5. Press into 3 qt. casserole dish and top with tater tots.
6. Bake at 350 degree F for 1 hour or until tater tots are crispy.

Broccoli Chicken Casserole

Ingredients
16 oz. bag frozen broccoli
1 cup cooked, cubed chicken (or one large can cooked chicken)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup miracle whip
3/4 tsp. lemon juice
Heaping 1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 cup shredded cheese
Bread crumbs (about 2 slices worth)

Cook broccoli.

In bottom of 8x8 casserole dish, layer cooked broccoli then chicken.

Mix together cream of mushroom soup, miracle whip, lemon juice, and curry powder. Layer onto broccoli and chicken.

Top with shredded cheese then buttered bread crumbs.

Bake at 350F for 25-30 mins.

Angel Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 T butter
1 (.7 oz) package Italian-style salad dressing mix
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed golden mushroom soup
8 oz. cream cheese with chives
1 or 2 (6.5 oz.) cans sliced mushrooms
1 pound angel hair pasta or cooked brown rice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in packet of dressing mix. Blend in broth and golden mushroom soup. Mix in cream cheese and stir until smooth. (I use a fork to beat it to blend in the last little cream cheese balls.) Add canned mushrooms (or if cooking slow cooker add directly with cubed, raw chicken). Heat through but do not boil. Arrange chicken breasts in single layer in 9x13 baking dish. Pour sauce over.
3. Bake for 60 minutes in preheated oven. Twenty minutes before the chicken is done, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta until al dente, about 5 minutes. Drain. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta. 

I also like to cube the chicken and cook in the slow cooker on high for about 4 hours. Then I freeze it in baggies for lunches and dinners later!

Uncle Larry's Meatloaf

(Yes, Kevin and I prefer totally different meatloaf recipes. I'm envisioning when we have older kids just mixing up half and half, putting them in muffin tins with color coordinated toothpicks and letting everyone pick their favorite version at the table.)

Ingredients:
Mix together:
1 ½ pounds lean hamburger
2 eggs
1 ½ cup crushed crackers (prefer Nabisco Vegetable Thins)
½ cup diced onion
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
½ cup milk
1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes, then add topping and bake another 15 minutes.

Topping:
1/2 cup catsup
2 Tbsp. mustard
2 tsp. honey

Fruity Curry Chicken Salad

Fruity Curry Chicken Salad

Ingredients

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cooked and diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 1 Golden Delicious apple - peeled, cored and diced
• 1/3 cup seedless red or black grapes, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 3/4 cup light mayonnaise

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine the chicken, celery, onion, apple, raisins, grapes, pecans, pepper, curry powder and mayonnaise. Mix all together. Serve! Tastes even better the day after it's made.

Burrito Pie (or Mexican Lasagna)

Burrito Pie

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 (2 ounce) can black olives, sliced (or 1 can large olives chopped in food processor)
• 3 (4 ounce) cans diced green chili peppers
• 2 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
• 1 (16 ounce) jar taco sauce
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
• 8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
• 16 ounces shredded Colby cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the ground beef until done. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for 5 more minutes. Drain any excess fat, if desired. Mix in the olives, green chili peppers, tomatoes with green chile peppers, cooked brown rice, and taco sauce. Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 4 quart casserole dish. Cover with a layer of tortillas. On second set of tortillas spread re-fried beans and place face down on first set of tortillas. This creates a double layer of tortillas with re-fried beans sandwiched in between. On top of tortilla layer, spread more meat mixture, then a layer of cheese. Repeat tortilla (and re-fried bean), meat, cheese pattern until all the tortillas are used, topping off with a layer of meat mixture and cheese. (In a 3 quart caserole dish I can only fit in two layers of double tortillas.)
4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.

This freezes really well!

Kevin's favorite meatloaf

Meatloaf with Fried Onions and Ranch Seasoning

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 3/4 cup herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix
• 1/2 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
• 1 (6 ounce) can French-fried onions

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine meat, eggs, ketchup, stuffing mix, ranch dressing mix and fried onions.
3. Shape into loaf and place on broiler pan (so grease can drain).
4. Bake, covered loosely with foil, at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes, or until meat is thoroughly cooked.

Sweet and Spicy Popcorn

Description:
This is great for parties or a holiday snack.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Ingredients:
Pop 1 cup popcorn in an air popper
to make approx. 2 quarts popped corn.
Use an extra large metal bowl.

In a saucepan melt:
1 cube butter or marg.

Stir in:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Salt.

Directions:
Stir constantly, scraping the bottom of the pan until mixture thickens and bubbles.

Remove from heat and, with a tablespoon, drizzle mixture to evenly cover popcorn. Continue mixing and drizzling until sugar mixture is gone and popcorn is fairly evenly covered.

Place metal bowl of popcorn into oven and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove from oven and stir until popcorn doesn’t stick together.

Funeral Potatoes

Ingredients:
24-32 oz. bag frozen hashbrowns
2 cups shredded cheese
1 can cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup
1 tsp salt
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cube melted butter
1 T minced onions
2 cups crushed corn flakes
2 T melted butter

Directions:
1. Puncture potato bag. Place on a paper towel and microwave for 15 minutes.

2. Mix everything but corn flakes and last 2 T butter. Add hash browns when they're done. Mix all together and pour into 9 x 13 pan.

3. Crush corn flakes in food processor and mix with 2 T melted butter. Sprinkle evenly on top of potato mixture.

4. Cook at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes.

Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Chicken

(recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com)

A very flavorful shredded chicken recipe. Makes a ton so I freeze the extras for other recipes that call for cooked chicken. I also put this together the night before, store it in the fridge, and then plug the slow cooker in the next morning before church.

Ingredients:
1 (16 oz) jar salsa
1 (1.25 oz) package dry taco seasoning mix
1 lime, juiced (or 2 T lime juice)
3 T chopped fresh cilantro
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Directions:
1. Place the salsa, taco seasoning, lime juice, and cilantro into a slow cooker and stir to combine. Add the chicken breast (cut them in half so they marinate and cook more evenly) and stir to coat with the salsa mixture. Cover the cooker, set to High, and cook until the chicken is very tender, about 4 hours. If desired, set cooker to Low and cook 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken with 2 forks to serve.

Make into tacos with flour tortillas, shredded cheese, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, sour cream and avocados.

Bisquick Oven Baked Chicken

Oven Baked Chicken

Heat oven to 425°

· 1 T butter

· 2/3 cup Bisquick baking mix

· 1½ tsp. paprika

· 1½ tsp. Lawry's seasoning salt

· ½ tsp. pepper

· 2 ½to 3 ½ lb. fryer chicken, cut up (I use about 3-4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half)

Melt margarine in a rectangle pan (13X9”) in oven. (This really makes the chicken beautifully brown and the perfect texture)

Mix baking mix, paprika, salt and pepper in 1 gallon Ziploc bag.

Coat chicken by shaking in bag a few pieces at a time.

Place in pan, flip once to coat both sides in melted butter and Bake 30 minutes. Turn and bake another 15 minutes.

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