Smashed Tacos in the Air Fryer

 A fast summertime meal that won't heat up your kitchen.  

Smashed Tacos in the Air Fryer

1 lb. ground turkey, or chicken or beef

1 T. taco seasoning

1 t. SPOG (equal parts salt, pepper, onion & garlic)

8 to 10 corn tortillas

Mix together the meat and seasonings.  Take about 1/4 c. of mixture and smash it on the tortilla completely covering the tortilla.  Preheat air fryer to 400.  Cook them for 5 to 7 minutes, until meat is cooked and tortilla is brown around the edges.  Top with grated cheese, sour cream, lettuce and salsa or taco sauce.  Yummy!! 

Lazy Lasagna

Lazy Lasagna

1 pound hamburger

1/2 c. diced onion

1 t. granulated garlic or 2 cloves

1 t. oregano

24 oz. spaghetti sauce

3 cups water

4 c. egg noodles

1 c. cottage cheese

2 c. shredded mozzarella

In a large skillet cook hamburger until browned. Add onion, garlic, oregano, pasta sauce, water, and egg noodles.  Cover and cook about 10 minutes, until noodles have absorbed the liquid and are mostly cooked. Stir in the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes until cheese has melted.

If using less noodles use less water.  

Salted Caramel No Bake Cookies

My newest favorite.  These are the ticket for fast and delicious!!

Salted Caramel No Bake Cookies

2 c. sugar

3/4 c. butter

2/3 c. evaporated milk

1/4 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

4 c. quick oats

3.4 oz. instant butterscotch pudding

1/2 c. toffee chips

course Kosher salt (for sprinkling)

Place in saucepan:  sugar, butter, evaporated milk and salt.  Cook over medium heat stirring frequently.  Bring to a full boil and boil for 45 seconds. Stir in the vanilla.   

Remove from heat and stir in the pudding mix until dissolved.  Add the oats and stir well.  Cool for about 3-5 minutes.

Stir in the toffee chips.  Scoop into cookie balls and drop on to waxed paper.  Sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt.  Cool until set up.  

If you want you could also sprinkle with semi sweet chips before you sprinkle the salt.  I think they are best without!!  

Jane says, add coconut.  I need to try that!!!

Peanut Butter Pie

 A fast and easy dessert for my Reese's lovers!!!

Peanut Butter Pie
1 graham cracker or oreo pie crust (9 or 10 inch)
1/4 c. chocolate topping
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. milk
8 oz. whipped topping
3-4 Reese's peanut butter cups, chopped 

Spread chocolate topping over the bottom of the pie crust and refrigerate.

In mixer bowl, beat together; cream cheese and powdered sugar.  

Add, peanut butter and milk and beat well.

Fold in the whipped topping.

Pour into crust and spread evenly.  Top with chopped Reese's.  Chill for at least 1 hour.  

Blender Muffins....Banana Oatmeal

Super easy......no flour, no oil, no butter

Blender Muffins..... Banana Oatmeal
2 c. oatmeal (quick cooking or old fashioned)
2 large overripe bananas
2 large eggs
1 c. vanilla or plain yogurt
2 to 3 T. honey
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t.  vanilla
1/8 t. salt
Up to 1/2 cup mix-ins: chocolate chips (mini or regular), chopped dark chocolate, nuts, dried cranberries or raisins, or blueberries or raspberries (fresh or frozen)

Place the all ingredients except the mix-ins in a blender. Blend until the batter is smooth and the oats have broken down almost completely, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the mix-ins.
Divide the batter among the sprayed muffin cups, filling each no more than three-quarters of the way to the top. Sprinkle with additional chocolate chips or nuts as desired. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove from muffins from the pan.

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

Easy Cinnamon Rolls
2 T. yeast
1 1/8 cup warm water
1/3 c. oil
¼ c. sugar
1 egg
1 t. salt
3-3½ c. flour
1/4 c. Butter, melted
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Dissolve yeast in water. Add oil and sugar. Let stand 5 minutes. Add egg, salt, and flour to make soft dough. Knead 3-5 minutes. Do not let rise. Roll out dough with rolling pin, cover with melted butter (4 T.), sprinkle generously with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up dough, then slice into 16 cinnamon rolls. Place in a greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes (while oven is heating). Bake at 425 degrees for 17 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Enjoy!!

Restaurant Style Salsa

Restaurant Style Salsa
28 oz. Whole Tomatoes (drained)
20 oz. Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies) Original or Mild
1/2  c. onion
1/2 to 3/4 c. Cilantro, finely chopped (more or less to taste)
1 1/2 T. fresh lime juice
1 t. minced garlic
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. sugar (optional)
If you like your salsa a little spicy throw in:
1/2 to 1 Jalapeño, chopped fine
Dash of ground cumin

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse a few times until you get a nice consistency. Taste, and add more spice as needed. Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour before serving to help marinate the flavors.

Delicious Cheesecake

Delicious Cheesecake

16 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
½ cup of butter
1/2 c. butter
16 ounces of marshmallows
2  graham cracker pie crusts
1 can of cherry pie filling

Cream together the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium large bowl until smooth.

Melt the butter on stovetop and stir in the marshmallows gradually until smooth and well combined.

Pour the marshmallow mixture over the creamy mixture and stir well.  Pour this mixture into the pie crusts and cover with plastic lid that came with the pie crust and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Top with cherry pie filling at serving time.

Crock pot Macaroni & Cheese

Crcok pot Macaroni & Cheese
Place in Crockpot:
16 oz. macaroni, uncooked
3 c. grated cheese
8 oz. cream cheese
2 1/2 c. milk
12 oz. evaporated milk
salt & pepper to taste
other seasonings as desired (I add dry mustard & garlic powder)
Stir and turn on low for 2 hours.  Stir and cook 30 more minutes.  Add more milk if needed.

Another version.....

16 oz. elbow macaroni
2 cups whole milk
12 oz.evaporated milk
1 t. salt or more to taste

1/4 t. pepper

1/2 t. dry mustard

1/2 t. garlic powder
2 T. butter
3 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Add evaporated milk, milk, macaroni, salt, butter and cheese into a large slow cooker. Mix
well. Cook on the lowest setting for about 1 ½ to ­2 hours.
Cook until the pasta is al dente. Stir after 30 minutes and check the macaroni after 1 ¼ hours.



Tips:

Slow cookers vary so the time it takes for your crockpot to cook the macaroni might be different. The first time we made this, we were using an older crockpot that only had a knob to turn to either high or low. Even on low, the crockpot got way too hot and the milk curdled and the macaroni became mushy. When we switched to a new crockpot with multiple settings and cooked it on the lowest, stirring after 30 minutes and checking on it periodically, we avoided both pitfalls and ended up with creamy, cheesy macaroni!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies........3 ingredients
-1 cup sugar
-1 egg
-1 cup of peanut butter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then lightly grease a baking sheet.
Mix all of your ingredients together in a bowl until fully combined.
Roll dough into small balls and place on prepared baking sheet.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Remove cookies from oven, then use a fork to press cookies down in a cross pattern. Remove to a wire rack to allow to cool. Then serve (and try not to devour all at once)!
Makes 1 dozen cookies.

Karla's Bread Machine Bread

This is the recipe that came with my first bread machine......After the fire I lost it for awhile....thank goodness Kara had a copy of it!!

Karla's Bread Machine Bread
1 1/8 c. water
2 T. powdered milk powder
1 1/2 T. butter
3 c. bread flour
1 1/2 t. yeast
2 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt

Place in bread machine in the listed order....

No Bake Cheesecake

No Bake Cheesecake
14 oz. Sweetened condensed milk
1/3 c. lemon or lime juice
8 oz. cool whip
8 oz. cream cheese (Must be at room temperature)
Beat 2 minutes.  Pour into a graham cracker crust.  Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

From Scratch Casserole

Maybe Steve would like this version of Tuna Casserole???  Especially if I leave out the word Tuna!!

From Scratch Casserole
1/2 cup butter, divided
1 (8 ounce) package uncooked medium egg noodles
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained and flaked or cooked & shredded chicken
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter a medium baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion, celery, and garlic, and cook 5 minutes, until tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan, and whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk, and continue cooking 5 minutes, until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tuna, peas, vegetable mixture, and cooked noodles. Transfer to the baking dish. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl, mix with bread crumbs, and sprinkle over the casserole. Top with cheese.
5. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Homemade Cheesy Hamburger Helper

Dinnertime since the fire is kinda haphazard......the other night Steve said, " I think you need to buy some hamburger helper." Maybe that is a clue as to just how bad dinnertime has really been. Since I didn't want to go buy a box of hamburger helper.....I came up with this......

Steve did love this and said, "You need to make this again, it is way better than the stuff in a box".

Homemade Cheesy Hamburger Helper
1 lb lean hamburger meat
1 pkg taco seasoning (2 T.)
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilies or petite diced tomatoes (I used 10 oz. salsa)
2 cups beef broth or water (I used 1 1/2 c.water & 1 T. Kitchen Bouquet)
1 cup elbow macaroni (I used 1 1/2 c.)
Brown and drain hamburger meat. Stir in taco seasoning, Rotel, beef broth, and macaroni. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cover pan. Simmer 12-14 mins until macaroni is tender.

Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce….

2 Tablespoons butter
2 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk (or cream)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking for 5 minutes until fragrant and light brown in color. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Whisk until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted. Add the salt and pepper to the cheese sauce. Pour the cheese sauce over the hamburger mixture. Stir gently to combine.

No Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/no-bake-pumpkin-oatmeal-cookies.html

No Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. butter
2/3 c. milk
1 (3.4 oz) box instant pumpkin spice pudding mix (or sub vanilla pudding & 1 T. pumpkin pie spice)
3 1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. vanilla extract
In a saucepan, combine sugars, butter and milk. Bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the pudding mix, stirring to combine completely. Add in pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and oats. Stir to combine and let stand for 5 minutes. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper, and allow to cool completely. Store in airtight container.
Freezing Directions:
Follow directions above. When completely cool, transfer to gallon sized freezer storage bag.
Servings: 36 cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Candy Bars

These are HEALTHY!?!  and good!!!
Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Candy Bars
1 c. peanut butter
2/3 c. honey
1/2 c. coconut oil (no substitutes, this is what gives its creamy texture and flavor)
2 c. oats (not instant)
1 1/4 c. mini chocolate chips
3/4 c. dried cranberries
In a medium sized saucepan, melt together peanut butter, honey and coconut oil.
Remove from heat and add oats, chocolate chips and dried cranberries. Stir until combined and chocolate chips are melted.
Spread into a 9x13 pan. Refrigerate until hardened, about an hour.  Store in refrigerator...

Easy Crock Pot Potato Soup

Karen Davis from Ola sent me this today....soup weather is about here.

EASY CROCK POT POTATO SOUP

1 (30 oz.) bag frozen hash-brown potatoes
2 (14 oz.) cans chicken broth...
1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/3 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (8oz) package cream cheese (softened)
Garnish: minced green onion
In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, broth, soup, onion, and pepper.
Cover, and cook on low for 5 hours.
Stir in cream cheese, cook 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until combined.
Garnish with green onion.

Chocolate Suicide

Chocolate Suicide
Cookie dough on bottom of 9x13 
Oreo arranged in the middle
brownie batter poured over the top.
Bake at 350 until brownies are done....top with ice cream and chocolate syrup to go on over the top!!!!!!!!!!

Mexican Pizza

MEXICAN PIZZA     by: Fit to be Skinny and Fabulous

This only makes 1 tortilla size pizza so if you are making for several, be sure to double or triple your recipe!

Approx 1/2 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 T. taco seasoning
1/4-1/2 c. re fried beans
1/4-1/2 c. salsa ( jarred or homemade)
1/4-1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (or your desired flavor)
2 - flour tortillas
your choice of toppings, ex: tomatoes, green onions, olives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef in skillet. Add in taco seasoning. Drain if needed. Spray baking sheet with non stick cooking spray. Lay one tortilla on sheet. Spread with beans, then, with meat. Cover with second tortilla. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Spread top tortilla with salsa, then, top with cheese and desired toppings. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted completely. Cool slightly before cutting.

Andes Mint Cookies

Super easy, only 4 ingredients
Andes Mint Cookies
1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 package of Andes Mints

Mix cake mix, oil, and eggs together. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-9 minutes.
Take sheet out of oven and while the cookies are still very hot, place an Andes Mint on top of each cookie. In about 5 minutes, the mint will be melted. Take a spoon and smooth out each mint like frosting.

 http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/04/andes-mint-cookies-recipe.html?showComment=1323739192245