Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta

This also is a favorite. I had some family asking about my recipe for this as well, and told them I'd share. I've seen many variations online, but I use cream cheese in mine. This Alfredo sauce is one I use in several recipes. 

6 slices thick cut bacon (diced)
3 boneless chicken breasts (diced)
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
12 oz rotini rainbow pasta
4 oz shredded mozzarella
2 oz cheddar cheese

Alfredo:
4 TBS butter (sliced)
1 1/2 cups milk
8 oz cream cheese 
1 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In large stockpot, cook pasta as directed to al dente. Drain (don't rinse). Return to stockpot. 

In large saucepan, heat butter, milk, and cream cheese over low until cream cheese is melted. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted. Keep on a low heat setting. Too much heat might cause the cheese to separate. 

Cook bacon in large skillet until crispy. Transfer bacon to paper towel. Reserve 2 TBS of bacon grease. Add chicken to skillet. Toss to coat with bacon grease. Sprinkle ranch dressing mix over chicken, stir to coat. Cook chicken until no longer pink.

Add Alfredo sauce and chicken to stockpot with pasta. Stir to coat well.

Grease 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Add pasta mix to baking dish. Sprinkle cheeses evenly on top. Top with diced bacon.

Bake 15-20 minutes. Remove from ove, allow to stand 10-15 minutes before serving. Otherwise, it's really hot! 

Mississippi Mud Cake

I've had several family members ask me for this recipe. My Mama used to make this all the time. And every time I see a post with a recipe, it's nothing like Mama's. Especially the one I saw with pre-made cake mix and mini-marshmallows. For shame! ;)

Cake:
1 stick margarine (softened)
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup pecans

Icing:
1/2 stick margarine (softened)
2 1/2 TBS cocoa
2 1/2 TBS milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar

Topping:
6-8 oz marshmallow creme (I've seen these jars of "fluff" in several different sizes, so I made some room. Just don't use the whole jar if you got the extra large jar of fluff!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix cake ingredients. 

Coat an 8x8 baking pan with butter. Pour batter into pan. Bake 30 minutes.

While cake is baking, prepare icing by mixing all icing ingredients in a medium bowl.

When cake is done baking, and while still warm, spread the marshmallow creme over cake. Then pour the icing over the cake and marshmallow creme. Use a butter knife to create a swirl pattern on top.

Taco Casserole

You've had your weeknight fiesta!! Now you have TONS of leftovers. I know families that have told me, "We don't eat leftovers." Maybe you're the same way. It's okay! I enjoy making extras just so I have some left for an quick meal the following week!

This meal is great for 'cleaning out the fridge' after taco night. Any leftover meat, beans, rice, toppings...throw them all in! I've made this dozens of times and it never disappoints. Plus, it's different almost every time (depending on what kind of beans you made with tacos (black beans, refried beans, ranchero beans, etc...) or what kind of rice you make. There's no wrong way to make this dish!

I list the generic versions of the ingredients (because I'm super frugal and rarely buy name-brand, but I will list the name-brand items for reference. :)

Leftover taco meat
[If you aren't using leftovers, brown 1 lb ground turkey or beef, 1 small onion (diced) and taco seasoning]
Leftover rice
*I've made this with and without rice. If you don't have any, it's not a loss. Just move on without it.
Leftover beans
*If you're low on beans, you can use a can of chili style beans (Ranch Style Beans) as supplement
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Ro-Tel) (undrained)
Cream of chicken soup (see recipe)
*Or use one store-bought can
8-10 oz corn tortilla chips (crushed, divided in half)
*These don't have to be name-brand. You're just smashing them up and using them as a layer.
*I have also used soft corn tortillas in place of chips - they're okay, but I found it makes it a little mushy. But if you have some you're wanting to use up because they're on their way out, they work just fine.
1-2 cups shredded cheese (any leftover cheese from taco night can go on here too)


In large saucepan, combine meat, rice, beans, tomatoes and soup. Simmer over medium-low heat until well combined and heated through. Turn off heat.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread half the chips evenly along the bottom of the pan. Spread half the meat mixture across chips, then sprinkle half the cheese. Repeat the chip and meat layer. Don't add the other half of cheese just yet.

Cover the dish with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove the foil and top with remaining cheese and let stand 5-10 minutes for cheese to melt. Cut into 8-10 pieces for serving.

You can top with shredded lettuce, salsa and sour cream, or any other toppings you had left from taco night.

Cream of Something

I sometimes get strange reactions when I tell people I make my own cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup. Heck, I even make my own French onion soup.

Each can be used in place of one 10.75 oz can of soup.



Cream of Chicken:

12 oz can evaporated milk (fat-free for lower fat content)
2 TBS corn starch
1 TBS vegetable or canola oil
2 tsp chicken base (or chicken bouillon)
1 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp white pepper
1-2 TBS finely chopped cooked chicken (optional)
* I only add the cooked chicken if I have some readily available. So don't go out of your way to cook chicken for this recipe

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Turn on medium heat, cook until thickened. Stir often to prevent sticking and clumping.


Cream of Mushroom:


12 oz can evaporated milk (fat-free for lower fat content)
2 TBS corn starch
1 TBS vegetable or canola oil
2 tsp chicken base (or chicken bouillon)
1 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/8 tsp sugar
2-3 small mushrooms (finely chopped)
OR 1-2 TBS dried mushrooms (chopped)

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Turn on medium heat, cook until thickened. Stir often to prevent sticking and clumping.


Cream of Celery:


12oz can evaporated milk (fat-free for lower fat content)
2 TBS corn starch
1 TBS vegetable or canola oil
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt (or celery salt)
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/8 tsp sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped celery

Whisk all ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Turn on medium heat, cooking until thickened. Stir often to prevent sticking and clumping.


French Onion (condensed):

1/2 cup onion (finely diced)
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS molasses
3/4 cup beef stock (or broth)
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
2 TBS corn starch
1/4 cup cold water

Heat oil and molasses in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and sautee until soft and sticky, stirring occasionally. Whisk in beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and salt. Bring to a boil.

In small bowl, dissolve the corn starch in the water. Whisk into boiling mixture. Whisk until thickened. Remove from heat. Soup will continue to thicken as it stands.

Chicken Base (Bouillon)

I reference this in many of my recipes, so I figured I'd share it. I try to buy foods that are free of MSG (monosodium glutamate). Try... I don't always succeed, such as beef bouillon. Trying to make your own beef bouillon powder is a task-and-a-half. To be honest, I've never tried, nor want to. So my once a month usage of beef bouillon in my taco seasoning is a splurge. But I haven't used store-bought chicken bouillon in years.

1 1/3 cup yeast flakes
* I use Bragg, because I can find it in most grocery stores, but any brand will do.
3 TBS onion powder
2 1/2 TBS sea salt
1 TBS rice protein powder (plain)
*I couldn't find rice protein powder, so I use hemp protein powder.
1 TBS sugar
2 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage leaves
1 tsp paprika
* I would not suggest using smoked paprika. It would change the flavor way too much.
1/2 tsp turmeric

Blend all ingredients in food processor until powdery. Store in a sealed container.

1 tsp base +  1 cup water = 1 cup chicken broth

Taco Night

October 4 is National Taco Day! I love Tex-Mex! This recipe does make a lot of food, but a secondary dish (which I will share later) is made using up all the leftovers!

Taco Meat:

3 lb ground turkey (or beef)
2 TBS dried onion flakes
2 tsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp powdered beef bouillon (or 1 pkt Goya powdered beef bouillon)
2 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup water (a little more depending on cooking time)

Brown meat until no longer pink. Drain (if necessary).

In a small mixing bowl, combine the dried onion, flour, bouillon, garlic salt, cumin, paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and sugar. Sprinkle onto browned meat. Add water. Simmer on low 20-30 minutes (while beans and rice cook). Add water a little at a time while cooking, if necessary.


Frijoles Negros (Black Beans):
2 cans black beans (drained & rinsed)
2 TBS bacon grease
1 cup water
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1 tsp sazon cilantro y achiote
1/8 of an onion (finely sliced or minced)
1/2 cup chicken broth (or water)

Heat bacon grease in a medium saucepan until sizzling. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and allow to simmer until ready to serve. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Add more broth or water if necessary.
(If you prefer refried beans, smash beans gradually each time you stir until desired consistency)


Arroz Amarillo (Yellow Rice):

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion (diced)
1/4 green bell pepper (diced)
1 Roma tomato (diced)
1 tsp chicken bouillon (I make my own chicken base that I use, I can share that recipe later on).
1 tsp sazon cualantro y achiote (Goya makes a version of this you can get from the grocery store, but I have a recipe for this as well)
1 cup long-grain or Basmati rice
2 cups water

Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Sauté onion and bell pepper until soft. Stir in tomato, bouillon and sazon. Cook for one minute. Stir in water. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Check the rice for doneness at this point. If rice is still a bit crunchy, replace the lid and turn off the flame. Leave pan on the same burner, and allow to set for another 5-10 minutes. Fluff before serving.



Toppings & Extras:

Soft taco shells, hard taco shells or tortilla chips (my husband sometimes likes to make a huge pile of stacked nachos)
Shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterrey jack, Colby jack, queso fresco, whatever you like)
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes
Diced onions
Cilantro
Salsa
Pico de gallo
Sour cream
Nacho cheese sauce
(Really whatever you like!)

*If you want to cut some carbs, make a taco bowl with meat, beans & rice with some toppings thrown in there.