Texas Caviar - Biggest Loser

I just borrowed Kristin's Biggest Loser cookbook and this is the first recipe I tried. Super yummy! I am serving it with tortilla chips as a snack and I may try it over grilled chicken and rice for dinner.

1 - 15 oz can of low sodium black beans
1 - 15 oz can of low sodium corn
3/4 c fresh pico de gallo
2 tbl chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tbl red wine vinegar
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

1. Drain the corn and black beans and rinse with cool water.
2. Add all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix.
3. Allow to chill at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I found this on the side of a can of Hormel Chicken. It was super easy, consisted of stuff I already had in my house and was YUMMY!!!

4 - 6 inch flour or wheat tortilla
3 - cups water
2 - chicken bullion cubes
1 - package of taco seasoning
1 - 16 oz jar of medium salsa
2 - 10 oz cans of chicken
1 - 15 oz can of black beans
1 - 11 oz can of corn with green and red peppers

Place tortilla strips onto baking pan. Lightly spray strips with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 400°F until crisp, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in large saucepan, combine water, bouillon, taco seasoning mix and salsa. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add chicken, black beans and corn. Heat until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Ladle into warm bowls and top with tortilla crisps and sour cream.

Pioneer Woman's Mexican Lasagna

Here is what I am making for dinner tonight......it looks really yummy!!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/08/cooking-with-pastor-ryan-delicious-mexican-lasagna/

Jesi's Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients
1 pound frozen chicken breasts
1 large jar of Marinara *your favorite, we use TS Everything Italian marinara*
2 onions cut into slices
2 green bell peppers sliced
and sliced fresh mushrooms if your husband allows it (mine doesn't)

Throw it all in your crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours. Then shred the chicken. I made noodles and rice to serve it over but you can also make mashed potatoes.

This came from my friend and fellow Tastefully Simple Consultant Jesi!

Thanks!

Mexican Stuffed Shells

I got this recipe from Katie on Mom's Corner...she started an idea where all the different moms made new recipes and then put reviews on the website instead of one mom having to make 20+ new dishes without knowing if they would be good or not. This one came from RecipeZarr and I would rate it a B+. It was a little time consuming to make (about equal to stuffed peppers) and it was very tasty. Personally I would make cheese stuffed shells next time as they are much cheaper and more traditional but this was a nice change.

50 min | 15 min prep

12 -18 shells

• 12-18 large pasta shells, cooked
• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning, I use recipe # 4292
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups salsa, divided
• 1 cup grated cheese, divided (jalapeno Monterey Jack is especially good, but cheddar will work well too.)
• 750 ml tomato sauce
• chili powder, to taste
• green onion, for garnish

1. Brown ground beef and drain.
2. Add seasoning, water, onion, and 1/2 cup of salsa and 1/4 cup cheese.
3. Mix together remaining salsa, tomato sauce,and chili powder.
4. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking pan.
5. Fill each shell with the ground beef mixture and place in pan.
6. Pour remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese on top and garnish with green onion. Cover and freeze at this point.
7. Defrost overnight and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. (Cook from frozen for 2 hours at 300°F).
8. If desired sprinkle additional cheese on top after baking and return to oven for 5 minutes longer or until cheese melts.

© 2008 Recipezaar. All Rights Reserved. http://www.recipezaar.com

Spaghetti Meat Sauce

I found this original post on Allrecipies.com but after I browned the meat I moved it to the strainer and then I sautéed one green pepper and 2 cloves of fresh garlic for about 5 minutes before I added the rest of the ingredients back to the pot. Also, I didn't have stewed tomatoes so I added a can of whole tomatoes, liquid and all. Very easy, quick and way better then the jar!!

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed
tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms,
drained

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook ground beef with onion until brown; drain. Stir tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, garlic powder, oregano and mushrooms into beef mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer one hour. Serve over hot pasta.

Stuffed Peppers

Great Meal!!! This came from Betty himself (I read somewhere that "Betty" was actually two men). I made mine with half a jar of Prego (I had it leftover in my fridge) and I skipped the cheese and it was great!! I will try the sauce it calls for next time but I did not have it available today!!

6 large green peppers
1 pound ground beef
2 tbs chopped onion
1 cup cooked rice
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (3 ounces)

1. Cut thin slice from stem end of each bell pepper. Remove seeds and membranes; rinse peppers.

2. Cook ground beef and onion in skillet, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in cooked rice, salt, garlic salt and 1 cup of tomato sauce; heat until hot.Heat oven to 350 degrees. Stuff peppers with beef mixture. Stand upright in square 8-inch by 8-inch pan. Pour remaining sauce over peppers.

3. Cover and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer. Sprinkle with cheese. (Can be frozen, just don't add the cheese until baking).

Hot Dish

Susan gave me this recipe to make for a friend when she was sick and needed something that I could make ahead of time and she would have no preparation needed to feed her family. I have not made this for my family yet..but it is on my list to try!! Mark loves it!!

• Creamette Brand spaghetti elbow macaroni noodles (I like these because they are a little smaller than regular elbow macaroni and don’t get so squishy. Use about a half of a 1# box.
• Can of corn (drained well)
• Ground beef (about 2#, browned in salt, pepper, and chopped onions)
• 1 can of tomato soup
• 1 28oz.can of crushed or whole tomatoes(if you use whole, just squish them yourself in a bowl ahead of mixing with other ingredients)

Boil noodles, and then set aside.

Brown ground beef with salt, pepper, onion. Drain very well. Set aside.

Put in pan tomato soup (not mixed) just the soup. Add tomatoes. Then add drained corn. Then next the meat. Finally, add the noodles. You may have to add more tomatoes (even tomato sauce works). You may need more noodles too. It is all hit and miss. However, this recipe is quite accurate, I am sure. If the hot dish needs more seasoning, you may add more and pepper to it when it is all mixed.