Kare's Mango Salsa Soup

In a big soup pot combine:

1 jar Mango Salsa from Costco
1/2 jar regular salsa 24 oz (Costco - Jack's Medium Salsa)
1 1/4 tsp cumin
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock (1 Swanson 48 oz + 1 32 oz)
4 chicken breasts, chopped and cooked
1 package frozen corn

Simmer for 10 minutes then serve.

You HAVE TO serve with fresh chopped avocado and chopped cilantro. It makes it the BEST!! Also serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese. This soup freezes well too! Enjoy.

Aunt Boonie's Minestrone Soup

Night before: Place 1 1/2 pounds of ground pork sausage into 1 quart of boiling water. Mash into pieces and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and refrigerate overnight. Break fat off from top of meat the next morning. Place sausage and water in a 6 to 8 quart stock pot. Add the following:

2 medium onions, cut coarsely
2 large carrots, diced
2 large stalks celery, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 small cans tomato sauce
2 cans beef stock bullion liquid
1 large can of WHOLE tomatoes run through blender first (just pulse it in the blender so as to NOT turn into mush)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp sweet basil
3/4 tsp oregano
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste

Simmer all day or cook on low in a crockpot for 8 hours. One hour before serving add:

1 can French cut green beans, with juice
1 (4oz) can sliced mushrooms, with juice
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
2 handfuls of elbow macaroni

Enjoy! Serves 12.

Beef Stroganoff

1 pkg egg noodles
1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup (or use 2 if you like lots of sauce, like me!)
1 cup sour cream (2 cups if you use 2 cans of soup)
3/4 soup can of water (use 1 whole soup can of water if you use 2 cans of soup)
1/2 onion, chopped (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

Boil noodles according to package directions. In a fry pan, cook ground beef with garlic and onion. (You may also use garlic powder or onion powder in place of the real thing if you want) Season with salt and pepper. After meat is cooked, add soup and sour cream and water. Add cooked noodles after draining the water off of them. Stir together and serve.

green beans with browned butter and almonds

green beans with browned butter and almonds

http://jessiecooks.blogspot.com

*2 quarts green beans, drained
*1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
*1/4-1/2 cup sliced almonds
*salt and pepper to taste

in a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. when the butter is melted, add the almonds. continue to watch the butter closely, as you want it to brown. it will start to foam. stir the almonds well at this point and reduce the heat. you could burn the butter if you don't pay attention... and then you'd have to start over. after the butter foams, add the green beans and stir to coat. reduce the heat to low, cover and heat through.

ready in 10 minutes or less and super tasty. :)

Jenny's Posse Stew

I got this recipe from my good friend, Jenny. It is EXCELLENT!!

1 lb ground beef, cooked and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, do NOT drain
1 can diced green chilies, do NOT drain
1 can Ranch Style Beans (see pic below)
2-3 beef bullion cubes
Put all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. It will look like there isn't enough liquid but after it is done cooking, there will be plenty of liquid. Make sure when you buy the Ranch Style Beans, it doesn't have a jalapeno pepper picture up in the corner, otherwise it will make a very spicy stew.

Top with cheese, if desired.

Creamy Potato and Ham Casserole

K who loves funeral potatoes? Better yet, who DOESN'T love funeral potatoes?! And how can you eat funeral potatoes without ham and a hot roll or biscuit? It's like the three were meant to be married in life. Seriously. I put a spin on this and my spin turned out to be a masterpiece so enjoy it!!

1 32 oz. bag shredded hash browns
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/2 onion, chopped
1 package sandwich ham, cut into squares (I use the sandwich ham slices from Costco)
4 large chicken breasts (optional)

In a skillet, cook your chopped chicken breasts with your chopped onion. Season with salt and pepper. I also seasoned mine with garlic powder and a dash of italian seasoning. (we love italian seasoning in our house)

While your chicken and onion are cooking get a large bowl and combine chicken soup, sour cream, and ham. Stir together. Stir in cheese and your cooked chicken/onion combo. After all those ingredients are mixed together real good, then stir in your hash browns. Spread into a 9x13 casserole dish. (if you have a larger casserole dish, you might need to use that instead cause this makes a lot and we don't want it overflowing in your oven now do we?!)

Bake at 350 UNCOVERED for 35-40 minutes or until the center is good and heated.

Serve with fresh hot biscuits or rolls. Broccoli goes excellent with this dish as well, on the side.

Spanish Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups of medium or long-grain white rice
2 14 oz cans chicken broth (or vegetable stock if vegetarian)
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
Pinch of oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
OPTIONAL: small can tomato sauce and 1/2 can drained corn kernels.

Pour all ingredients into your rice cooker and press start.

OR:

1 In a large skillet brown rice in olive oil, medium/high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook onion rice mixture, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes, or until onions are softened.

2 In a separate sauce pan bring stock to a simmer. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper and chili powder. Add rice to broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Lower heat and cook 15-25 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

Slow Cooked Sweet Pork Burritos

This recipe is OH SO easy...so easy in fact that you'll be left to wonder, "Is it really that good?" YES! It's really THAT good! For those of you who live close the the store called The Store, you're in luck. This recipe uses their Smoked Pulled Pork. It's slow cooked in a sweet honey BBQ sauce that makes it mouth watering and will leave you wanting more. If you don't live by The Store then visit your local grocery store and visit the meat dept and see if they sell any BBQ pulled pork. Or you can google the recipe for Cafe Rio's sweet pork and make that yourself to make these burritos.

1 pkg. Smoked Pulled Pork from The Store (boneless)
3 cans Cream of Mushroom soup OR 3 cans Cream of Chicken Soup (I've had it both ways. I like the one with Cream of Chicken Soup best!)
Shredded Mozzarella and Cheddar Cheese
6 Whole Wheat or White Tortillas

Line a 9x13 casserole dish with tin foil. Spray with Pam. Spread 1 1/2 cans of soup on the bottom and sprinkle with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. Fill each tortilla with pork and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and place in casserole dish. Spread the remaining 1 1/2 cans of soup over tortillas and sprinkle with cheeses. Cover with tin foil and cook for 1 1/2 - 2 hours at 325 degrees. Serve with Spanish Rice and ENJOY!! ...because you'll eat it so fast you'll wonder where it all went. :)

Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

I got this recipe from my good friend, Teri!

2 c Bisquick
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding mix
1/8 - 1/4 c poppy seeds (or as many as you like)
1/4 tsp grated lemon zest
2 eggs
1 c milk
1/4 c oil (or substitute 1/4 c applesauce)
1/2 c sugar (optional)

Glaze:
3/4 c powdered sugar
1 Tbls lemon juice

In a mixing bowl, combine Bisquick, pudding mix, poppy seeds and lemon zest. In another bowl combine eggs, milk and oil. Stir into dry ingredients until moistened. Pour mix into muffin pan (12 muffin cups) filling cups 2/3 full.

While muffins are baking mix together powdered sugar and lemon juice to make glaze.

Bake muffins at 375 for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and then glaze.