Steak Fajitas

2 Bell Peppers
1 Small onions cut length wise
Steak of your choice cut length wise
Fajita seasoning
Salt
Pepper
Canola oil

Marinate steak in small amount of oil and s&p

In a skillet (I use cast iron) saute onion and bell peppers until tender yet still crisp - season veggies with fajita seasoning
*cook veggies in a small amount of canola oil
Add steak and cook until desired doneness (add a little more fajita season to taste)

 Serve on heated flour tortillas

Garnish with what you like (lime, sour cream, guac)

~JENNY

Easy Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings.

2 cans cream of chicken soup
(With soup mixture I add savory seasonings like poultry seasoning, thyme, marjoram and salt and pepper)
3 chicken breasts
Chicken stock - enough to cover chicken and soup in the crock pot
1 onion, chopped
Carrots and celery, chopped (amount depends on you)
2 tablespoons butter
Cook on high about 4-5 hours.
Dumplings
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup of milk

Mix dry ingredients and cut in butter then mix in mix slowly
Make dumplings the size you desire and drop in crock pot and cook 20-25 minutes or until firm

~JENNY

Baked Potato Soup

I suggest that if you like Baked Potato Soup you try this recipe...much better than anything I've ever bought.

Ingredients
4 baking potatoes (about 2.5 pounds)
2/3 cup all purpose flour
6 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 cup reduced-fat shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp blck pepper
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Pierce potatoes with a fork; bake at 400 for 1 hour or until tender.
Cool. Peel potatoes, coarsely mash them. Discard skins.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a large dutch oven; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 min). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.

Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup onions. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated (do not boil). Sprinkle each serving wit cheese, onions, an bacon.

Yields: 8- 1.5 cup servings.

ENJOY!

~JENNY

Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

Oil - I made an olive oil and vegetable oil mixture - gave the chicken a really nice flavor. But you can use anything you want (olive oil, peanut oil, lard, vegetable oil)
2 C All purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt (the recipe calls for coarse salt - I didn't have it so I used less than a tablespoon of regular iodized salt)
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Recipe calls for 1 whole chicken - I used 3 large breasts cut into strips for two of us but if you are making this for 4-6+ people you'll definitely want to use more than that.

Instructions:

Heat about 1/2 inch of the oil or fat over medium heat in a deep fryer, deep skillet or broad saucepan that can later be covered. While it is heating mix together flour and seasonings in a plastic bag. Toss the chicken in the bag - depending on what you are using a few pieces at a time - close the bad and shake until chicken is well coated. Put them on a rack - if you have lots of pieces as you finish.

When the fat/oil reaches 350 degrees add chicken slowly - you can add all pieces but you will need to raise the heat to high - do not add all the pieces at one time or the temperature will decrease rapidly. Cover the chicken making sure that oxygen can still get inside - please avoid a fire. Chicken will need to cook for 5-7 minutes each side. Make sure to flip over.

Cook Chicken until golden brown.

Serve Hot or at room temperature - Please make sure that your chicken is cooked thoroughly!

Bombshell Brownies with Frosting

Brownies:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 C Flour
2 C sugar
4 eggs
5 T cocoa
1/2 t salt
1 C oil
1 C chopped pecans (optional)

Instructions:
Mix all of the above together and pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

When you take the brownies out, start the frosting.

Frosting:

In a pan melt 1/2 C butter, 6 T milk, and 4 T cocoa. Bring to a gentle boil while whisking constantly and let roll for 1-2 minutes. Then add 1 box (1 pound) powdered sugar, 1 T vanilla, and 1 C chopped pecans (optional). Stir together until well combined and spread over warm brownies. Cool and then Cut.

Easy Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 cup warm water, 110 degrees F
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Put warm water in a cup; sprinkle yeast over water and stir in sugar; let stand for about 10 minutes, or until it begins to bubble.

Combine 2 1/3 cups flour and salt in a a large bowl; pour in oil and yeast mixture and stir until a stiff dough is formed. Turn dough out onto a floured surface; knead about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Add extra flour as needed to keep from sticking to hands and board.

Place in a large bowl greased with shortening or butter; turn dough over to coat the dough well. Cover with towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. Dough should double in bulk. Punch down the dough and shape to fit a lightly greased pizza pan which has been sprinkled lightly with cornmeal. Keep dough slightly thick around the edges. Fill with favorite filling and toppings and bake for about 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees.

French Bread

Ingredients:
1 package quick acting yeast
2 C lukewarm water
4 C Flour (sifted)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
Dissolve yeast in 1 cup lukewarm water. Add flour, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl, then stir in the dissolved yeast. Add just enough of the second cup of water to hold the dough together (I used the whole cup). Mix until soft and rather sticky. Cover and set bowl in a warm spot. Let rise until double in size (30 minutes to 1 hour). (I usually sprinkle it with flour so that it doesn't stick to your hands and the bowl, I also spray the bowl with pam or crisco so it doesn't stick. Adding flour to the dough will make the bread more crispy though.)

When dough is high and spongy, punch down. Divide into 2 parts and put each in a greased loaf pan. Cover and let rise (about 30 minutes). Brush top with melted butter. Bake 45 minutes at 400 degrees.

Redneck Tacos

Ok so I must explain that my mom gave me a recipe book called "the Cowgirls Cookbook" and there is this recipe called "Tad's Special" but it really doesn't give the meal credit so I call this Redneck Tacos.

Ingredients:
1 pound hamburger
1 medium onion
1 cup cooked spinach, drained well and chopped fine (I use fresh spinach - wash it well about 1 handful- boil water and place spinach in the hot water for 5-10 mins- I chop it but you can do what you want)

Salt to taste

2 eggs, beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

Tortillas or tacos shells

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

In a large skillet, brown the beef and onion. Stir in the spinach and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the beaten eggs and stir fry with a fork until the eggs are set. Add the salt and pepper.

Place a large spoonful of mixture on or in a warm tortilla or taco shell. Top with a sprinkle of cheese and fold in half. You can also top with the following

sour cream

guacamole

chopped black olives

chopped chiles or peppers

Enchilada Lasagna

This will feed 6-8 people and seconds are included. We just had a dinner party last week and it fed 6 adults and we still had enough left overs for the week!

Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 pound shredded pepper jack cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 teaspoons vegetable oil
18 corn tortillas
4 cups cooked cubed or bite size chicken meat (2 pounds boneless skinless breasts)
2 teaspoons Emeril's Southwest Essence
6 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded
1 cup chopped green onions
3/4 pound (3 cups) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnishing, if desired
4 ounces Queso Anejo, shredded (substitute Parmesan if unavailable)
1 cup sour cream, for serving
Salsa or Pico de Gallo, for serving, optional

Directions
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, little by little, until thoroughly combined. Add the chicken stock and bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until thickened and flavorful, about 10 minutes. Add the pepper jack and stir until melted. Season with the salt and remove from the heat. Set aside, covered, while you assemble the remaining ingredients.

Heat a small skillet over high heat. When hot, add 1/2 teaspoon of the vegetable oil and 1 of the tortillas. Cook until soft, turning midway, about 1 minute per tortilla. Transfer to a plate and cover while you cook the remaining tortillas, adding additional 1/2 teaspoon of oil for each tortilla. Set aside on a plate and cover with plastic wrap or foil.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-by 13-inch casserole.

Spoon 1 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with 6 of the tortillas, spreading them evenly to form a complete layer. Top with half of the chicken, 1 teaspoon of the Southwest Essence, half of the poblanos, half of the green onions, 1 1/2 cups of the sauce, and 1/3 of the shredded Monterey Jack. Make another layer in exactly the same way: 6 tortillas, the remaining chicken, 1 teaspoon of the Southwest Essence, remaining poblanos, remaining green onions, 1 1/2 cups of the sauce, and 1/3 of the shredded Monterey Jack. Top with the remaining 6 tortillas, remaining sauce, tomatoes, cilantro, and remaining Monterey Jack, then sprinkle the Queso Anejo evenly over the top.

Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for about 15 minutes longer, or until the casserole is bubbly and light golden brown on top.

Serve immediately, garnished with a dollop of sour cream, more chopped cilantro, and a spoonful of salsa or pico de gallo, if desired.

Pineapple Pork

I had two pork chops and wanted to try something new with them, Trevor pulled a video up on the Food Network website and Paula Dean was cooking. So we made her recipe our own and LOVE IT!

Ingredients:
Enough pork chops to feed those in your home for dinner that evening
Make sure they are thickly cut (Usually bone in are thicker and also give a little more flavor)
2-4 Tbl sp. (per chop) Pepper (fresh grind is best but regular black pepper is fine too - the amount of pepper depends on the person too)
2 Tbl sp (per chop) Salt
1 large onion (we prefer yello but red will work as well) Sliced
1 can sliced Pineapple
2 pats Butter (per chop)
Teriyaki Sauce or Use * Trevors Recipe
Tin Foil

*Trevors Teriyaki Sauce
1 cup water
2 tbl sp soy sauce
3 tbl sp sugar (to taste)

Directions
Slice onion
Rub chops with slat and pepper
Place slices of onion and Pineapple on chop (the amount of both depends on the person
Place 2 pats of butter on top of pineapple
Wrap chop in Tin Foil - like a tent (wrap chops individually)

Cooking Options
Bbq - haven't tried this method yet.
Oven - 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes

Tastes great with baked potato :)

Pancake Chicken

Ingredients:
Thawed Chicken (enough for those you are cooking for)
Pancake Batter
Evaporated Milk
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
About 3 tbsp Butter

Directions:
Bread the chicken with the pancake batter (dry mix).
Brown the chicken in a sauce pan with the butter until brown on both sides.
Mix in a pot evaporated milk and cream of chicken soup.
Cover and cook until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Serve:
Serve with soup mix over chicken

Try it with mashed potatoes! This should become a family favorite!