Crockpot Southwestern Chicken

1 small bag frozen corn
1 can black beans
2 large frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts (it’s safest to thaw them first before placing in the slow cooker, although I usually add them frozen)
1 16-oz jar medium salsa, such as Pace medium picante sauce
shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips
sour cream
chopped cilantro
diced avocado

Pour bag of frozen corn in bottom of crockpot. Place chicken breasts on top of corn and cover with rinsed and drained black beans and jar of medium salsa. Cook on high for 1 hour, and then on low for 4 hours. Shred chicken with forks. Serve with tortilla chips and add toppings to individual servings.
**It is very important that you use MEDIUM salsa in this. Mild simply isn’t flavorful enough. Be sure to serve with tortilla chips, and not tortillas. The salty crunchy chips make this so good!

Pea Soup

2 quarts water
2 cups (1 lb.) green split peas
1 stalk celery coarsely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp. thyme
Few drops of Tabasco sauce
1 small bay leaf

1.Combine all ingredients and boil for 20 minutes, partly covered.
2. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until peas are tender. 3. Discard bay leaf and strain soup through a sieve into another pot, or a microwavable casserole dish. Adjust seasoning to taste and reheat. (you need a lot of salt for this recipe. I use about 1 tbl. other wise it is bland).
-- You can put in the refrigerator then warm up for dinner. Serving it with garlic bread, or melted cheese on bread and a salad makes it a good hearty meal. (great for Halloween night).

Crock Pot Chili

Serves 2-4

1 large (about 16 oz.) can of chili without beans
1 (8oz.) can of refried beans

1. Put in crock pot. Turn crock pot on low. It takes about 2 hours for the chili to warm up, but you can leave it in the pot several hours. Just check it now and then and make sure it isn’t burning. You may need to add a small amount of tomato sauce if it is getting too thick.

--You can also experiment (which your Grandmother has done) and add onions, or peppers, or kidney beans, or tomato sauce or cherrios, oh wait, she never added cherrios.

--Serve with grated cheese on top, and some bread and you both will be happy campers.
--You can also freeze what you don’t eat. It warms up very nicely.

Fruit Pizza

Sugar Cookie Crust
3 oz Margarine
2 ½ oz Shortening
6 oz Sugar
1 egg
1 tsp Vanilla
7 oz Flour
¾ tsp Cream of Tartar
½ tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Salt

Filling
6 oz Cream Cheese
6 oz Whipped Topping
12 oz Sugar
1 ½ oz Instant Vanilla Pudding Powder
Fruit slices

Glaze
¼ C peach preserves mixed with 1 T. water

1. Measure out dry ingredients and set aside. Cream together margarine, shortening & sugar til combined well, mix in eggs & vanilla, add dry ingredients & mix well. Spread dough evenly onto greased sheet pan, bake at 350*F for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
2. Cream together cream cheese & sugar, fold in whipped cream and beat mixture until it resembles thin frosting, scrape sides of bowl, add pudding powder & mix thoroughly. Spread evenly onto cooled crust (about ¼ inch thick). Cut BEFORE PUTTING FRUIT ON TOP.
3. Put your favorite fruit on top decorating each piece individually. Glaze top to maintain freshness if longer holding time is desired.

Strawberry Pretzel Dessert

Crust
2 ¼ C Coarsely Crushed pretzels
¼ C Sugar
¾ C Melted Margarine

Cream Cheese Layer
2 C Riches Whip (whipped)
8 oz Cream Cheese
¼ C Sugar

Jello Layer
6 oz Strawberry Jell-O
2 C Boiling Water
20 oz Frozen Strawberries (partially thawed)

1. For crust, preheat oven to 350°F. Mix pretzels, sugar, and melted margarine. Press into pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool, set aside.
2. For Cream Cheese layer, beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. In a separate bowl whip the Riches Whip, and then fold the two together. Spread over pretzel crust. Cool until firm in refrigerator.
3. For Jello layer, dissolve gelatin in boiling water, add partially frozen strawberries with juice. Pour on top of cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into squares. Crust tastes like nuts.
To make a low sugar version eliminate sugar in pretzel crust, use frozen strawberries without sugar in the juice and sugar free gelatin. Other fruits and flavors may be used, if desired.

Strawberry Freeze

16 servings Takes several hours

12 cookies
1 pkg Cream Cheese
1/2 c sugar
1 can frozen juice concentrate
1 c crushed strawberries
1 c strawberries halved (opt)
1 16 oz tub Cool Whip

1. Place cookies on bottom of 9 in spring form pan. Soften cream cheese and thaw frozen juice.
2. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer on medium until well blended. Gradually add juice, beating well after each addition. Stir in strawberries. Add cool whip with wire whisk until well blended.
3. Pour over cookies in pan. Freeze for several hours (6) or until firm. Remove from freezer and let stand in fridge for 15 minutes
4. Serve with halved strawberries if desired.
***Variations include using your favorite frozen juice mix.***

Pork Chop Oven Bake

4-6 servings


4-6 pork chops
1 carrot peeled and sliced
1 celery stalk sliced
1 sm. Onion sliced
1 tsp Mrs. Dash all seasoning
2 russet potatoes, peeled, sliced into cubes
1 c chicken broth

1. Coat pork chops with flour. Cook chops in a frying pan with a little bit of oil until done, about 10 minutes on each side.
2. While chops are cooking, prepare the carrot, celery, onion, and potatoes. Place in a 9x13 baking dish.
3. When chops are done place on top of the potato mix.
4. In the pan where you cooked the chops, add the chicken broth and seasoning. Stir then pour over chops.
5. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

French Market Soup

1 bag beans
2 qts water or broth
Chopped onion
Hammock
Lemon juice
Tomato/ chili powder
Garlic powder

1. Soak beans overnight. Dump off soaking water.
2. Cook for couple of hours until beans tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken and Celery Pot Pie

6-8 servings

4 1/2 tbls butter or chicken fat
4 1/2 tbls flour
1 c milk
1 c chicken broth
2 1/2 c cubed cooked chicken
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 1/2 c sliced celery
1 c sliced carrots
1/4 c chopped onions
2 ready-made pie crusts

1. Melt butter, stir in flour; add milk and broth. Cook and stir till thick. Add chicken, salt, paprika, and pepper. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Sauté celery, carrots, onions, till tender-crisp. Add veggies to chicken mix. Mix well; pour into crust. Cover with other crust. Seal edges and cut slits in top. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Lasagna

1 ½ lb gr beef
18 oz tomato paste
1-2 cans stewed tomatoes
Onion
Garlic
12 noodles (4 layers)
12-16 oz cottage cheese
3 eggs
1-1 ½ lb cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Cook beef, tomato paste, tomatoes, onion and garlic with little bit of salt and more pepper. If using fresh onion and garlic, cook with beef and simmer. If with powder, use some tomato sauce when cooking. Keep warm while doing other steps.
3. Grate cheese and cook noodles.
4. Spray a casserole pan and layer the ingredients in following order: noodles, meat sauce, cottage cheese, and cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
5. Cook for 20 min at 375.

Split Pea Soup

16 one cup servings

4 c dried split peas
18 c meat or veggie broth
1 c carrots
1 c onions
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced

1. Cook peas and broth for 2 ½ hours.
2. Slice carrots thin, and chop onions.
3. Add remaining ingredients and cook for 1 hour.

Italian Pasta Salad

3 c tri-colored rotini pasta
2 c broccoli flowerets
1 8 oz bottle Italian salad dressing
1 c Parmesan cheese
1/2 c chopped red pepper
1/2 c pitted ripe olives
1/2 c sliced red onion

1. Cook and drain pasta.
2. Toss all ingredients together. Refrigerate.

Spinach Dip

1 c mayo
1 ½ cup sour cream
1 10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach thawed and drained.
1 1.4 oz pkg Khorr vegetable soup/recipe mix
1 can water chestnuts drained and chopped
3 green onions chopped

1. Combine all ingredients. Stir well to mix.
2. Cover and chill. Makes 3 cups.

Overnight French Toast

Ingredients:
5 eggs, beaten
3/4 c. milk
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 loaf French bread, cubed
1 pkg. fresh or frozen berries (I used a mix of frozen strawberries/fresh blueberries, but you can use anything)
3/4 c. sugar
cinnamon sugar mix

Mix eggs, milk, vanilla, and baking powder. Pour over bread, and stir to coat well. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Mix berries and sugar in 9x13 pan. Top with soaked bread, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake in preheated oven at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. No need for syrup... the berries on the bottom will sweet the entire dish!