Day 17… Sweet Potato Casserole with Streusel Topping

Every family has their own favorite version of sweet potatoes, but many times they have marshmallows on top.  I'm not a fan of the marshmallows and love this recipe because it has a streusel crumb topping instead.

It's really very good and can be easily prepped the day before baking or prepped and frozen for up to 3 months.  If you like sweet potatoes, I hope you’ll give it a try!

To make the mashed sweet potatoes, you can use drained canned or fresh sweet potatoes.  Peel, quarter and boil until tender, if using fresh sweet potatoes.

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

5 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Crumb topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans {we have nut issues and don’t add these}

In a mixing bowl, mash sweet potatoes and then add brown sugar, whole milk, butter, eggs, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.  Mix until smooth and pour into a greased 2-quart baking dish.

Combine brown sugar, flour and pecans (if using them) and cut in butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle over sweet potato mixture.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until bubbly and the crumbs just begin to brown.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS:  Pour the unbaked sweet potato mixture into a Ziploc bag or freezer safe container and seal.  Mix streusel crumbs and put them into a separate bag or container.  Label both and store together in freezer for up to 3 months.

TO BAKE:  Thaw sweet potatoes and crumb topping in refrigerator.  Pour thawed sweet potato mixture into a greased baking dish and sprinkle crumbs on top.  Bake as above, uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Favorite 4th of July Recipes

Here are some of our favorite Fourth of July recipes. We are having a very small celebration this year.  After having company last weekend, in addition to work schedules and Matthew’s ball games, a slightly less grand celebration will be lovely!

 

 

 

   Freezer hamburgers

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

   Creamy ranch corn salad

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

   Amazing potato salad

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Monterey Jack salsa

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

   Watermelon “cake”

 

 

 

 

 

Besides making me hungry, these recipes are all quick to prepare last minute! ;)

xo

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

The recipe calls this poppy seed “bread” but it’s really more “cake” than bread.  Sweet, but not too sweet.  You could probably put some icing on it, but we prefer it without.
It’s really easy and is one of the few recipes I use a mix for.  It makes enough for company or you can freeze one of the loaves for later!

LEMON POPPY SEED BREAD
1 yellow cake mix
1 package (3 oz) instant lemon pudding mix
3 tablespoons flour {high altitude use 4 tablespoons}
2 tablespoons poppy seeds 
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil 
Place dry ingredients into a mixer bowl.  Mix to combine.  Add wet ingredients and beat with a mixer for 2 minutes.  Bake @ 350 in 2 loaf pans or 1 Bundt pan 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out cleanly.
Variations: 
Chocolate Poppy Seed Cake: Substitute chocolate cake mix and chocolate instant pudding. 
Almond Vanilla Poppy Seed Cake: Substitute white cake mix, vanilla instant pudding and add 1 teaspoon almond extract. 
**This bread freezes very well.  We like to freeze it already sliced, but you can freeze it by the loaf too! Wrap in saran wrap and freeze in a freezer container or Ziploc bag.
 
Blessings to you!

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

As always, I started with a container of precooked ground beef from the freezer, thus eliminating step 1. 
I also added slightly more than 1/4 cup steak sauce, to help it hold together a little better. 
I usually use red sweet peppers instead of green. 
And I didn’t have any mushrooms this time.
But other than that, I followed the recipe exactly!  Ha!
So… they are probably not of the true Philly Cheesesteak tradition, but they tasted delicious :)
PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SLOPPY JOES
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/4-1/2  cup steak sauce
1 cup beef stock
1 green pepper, chopped or julienned
1 package sliced mushrooms
1/2-1 teaspoon salt - to taste
1/4/ teaspoon pepper
Provolone cheese slices 
Hamburger Buns

1.  Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  
2.  Add the onion, green pepper and mushrooms,  Cook and stir for another 3-4 minutes.  The vegetables will start to get tender.
3.  Stir in the steak sauce, beef stock, salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer and cook about 2 minutes more.  Add additional steak sauce if it seems too “soupy.”

4.  Scoop hot sloppy Joe mixture onto hamburger buns and top with a slice of provolone cheese.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a combination of 3-4 different tortilla soup recipes… All of them sounded super delicious, but had ingredients I didn’t have on hand.
Or something a person (or persons) in my house wouldn’t eat care for :)
The other thing is, I always have a few cooked and cubed chicken breasts in the freezer and these recipes all required cooking the chicken at the time of making the soup.  It cuts down on prep time SO much to have the chicken already prepared in their little containers or zipper bags!
This soup is mildly spicy… if you like more heat be sure to add in chopped jalapenos and/or hot sauce.
CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP
2 cups cooked and cubed chicken breast
3 cups chicken stock
1 can of corn (no need to drain)
1 can pinto or black beans (I use freezer beans)
1 jar/can of meatless spaghetti sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
16 ounces grated Colby-Jack cheese
Combine all ingredients except the cheese in a slow cooker. Cook on low 4-6 hours. Near the end of cooking time, add the grated cheese and stir until melted. 
***If you don’t have 4-6 hours before mealtime, it can also be made more quickly on the stovetop:  Combine ingredients in a Dutch oven.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer slowly for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Add cheese and stir until melted.
Serve in bowls with any (or all) of these toppings: Tortilla strips or chips, additional cheese, sour cream, salsa, avocado, green onion, cilantro, etc.
Enjoy!

Freezer cream-style corn…. and corn cutting tip

This is an old favorite of ours.  Not sure where the recipe originated, but we’ve been making it for at least 20 years.  It tastes absolutely heavenly on a cold, windy and/or snowy day… a little bit of summer. 
There are cutters made specifically to cut corn off the cob, but since it’s only a once a year task, this is what I do: 

Stand the corn on the center of an angel food pan and go at it with the electric knife.  Much faster than a regular knife, although it will do the job if you don’t have an electric one. 

Isn’t it pretty? 


Here it is, ready for the freezer containers…

FROZEN CREAM-STYLE CORN:

18 cups raw corn, cut off the cob
1/2 cup butter (butter only, no margarine :)
1 quart half and half
3/4 - 1 cup sugar

Mix ingredients in a large roaster and bake in a 300 degree oven for 1 hour.  Stir every 15 minutes.  Let cool and freeze in freezer containers or zipper bags. 
To serve:  Thaw and reheat in oven or microwave.
*The original recipe makes special note that salt should not be used, as it will make the corn tough. 

Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad

This yummy and refreshing salad features left over BBQ chicken.  You can make it with any cooked chicken, but BBQ chicken really complements the salad best.  It’s also a great recipe for using precooked beans from the freezer! It does takes some time to chop all the ingredients, but only about 15-20 minutes and the results are well worth the effort :)

I also should note that when we are in a hurry we make this with plain ol’ ranch dressing from the bottle and find it just as tasty as the recipe version…

~SOUTHWEST CHICKEN CHOPPED SALAD~ SALAD:
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 green pepper, diced
1-2 cups beans {canned & drained, fresh cooked or from freezer}
1 can corn, drained {or frozen and defrosted}
2 tomatoes, diced
4 green onions, sliced
1 large romaine, washed and chopped
Chopped cilantro {to taste, optional}
2 just under ripe avocados, diced

DRESSING: 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tablespoon ranch seasoning
1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning
salt & pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, stir all salad ingredients together except the avocado.  In a separate bowl, stir dressing ingredients together until smooth.  When ready to serve, toss salad with enough dressing to moisten, then gently stir in avocado.  Top with crushed tortilla chips {optional}.

Blessings!

Cooking (and freezing) dried beans at high altitude

We live at 6,222 feet elevation.
Almost 1,000 feet HIGHER than the famous “mile-high city” about 100 miles down the road.

On top of the the whole thin air/less oxygen thing, it is a pain learning to cook and/or bake “up” here.
Brief scientific explanation:  At high altitudes, the atmospheric pressure is decreased, making water boil at a lower temperature.  This lower boiling point means foods cooked in water will require more time to cook.  (Like dried beans).
And don’t even get me started on candy making.
Or baking.

OK.  Back to the beans:  Getting them soft enough for human consumption is a challenge.  I once soaked black beans for 12 hours, drained and simmered them in a crockpot for 24 HOURS. . . and they were still CRUNCHY after 36 hours of cooking!!
Tried some tips I found on the internet for cooking beans, including using fresh beans (old beans have a harder seed coat) and not adding ANY salt, seasonings, meats or vegetables to the cooking water until they are soft (they make the seed coat harder to penetrate). 
Aaand. . . yeah.  Still had crunchy beans.  Even though they are a healthy and cheap food that can be used in many dishes, I did, in fact, almost give up on cooking dried beans.  
Until I read these 2 revelations somewhere awhile ago: YOU DON'T HAVE TO SOAK dried beans and BAKING SODA WILL HELP SOFTEN THEM.
And it WORKED!  Seems plain old baking soda softens the seed coats and cooks them right up! 
It’s really easy!
High Altitude Dried Beans (with freezing directions)
1.  Put any amount of dried beans in a Dutch oven or stockpot (no soaking necessary).  Cover with double the water.  Add 1/2 – 1 teaspoon baking soda (depending on how many beans you are cooking).
2.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat to keep beans at a simmer for about 1 hour to an hour and 15 minutes.  Taste test to see if they are done to your liking, they should be soft enough to eat, but relatively firm - don't let them get too soft at this point.
3.  Pour them into a colander and give them a quick rinse.
4.  Now you can add the remaining ingredients from your recipe and continue cooking.
5.  OR:  To freeze for later use:  Measure and place 1.5 cups into into each freezer container or Ziploc freezer bag.  You definitely can freeze in smaller or larger amounts.  I prefer 1.5 bags/containers, as they are equal to one 15 ounce can from the grocery store  :)
4.  Add a little cold, fresh water.  Just enough to prevent drying.  There should still be 1 to 2 inches space to allow for expansion in the freezer.
5.  Label, date and freeze until ready to use. Easy as that!
One pound of dry beans will yield about 6 cups of cooked beans, equal to 4 cans from the supermarket.  (There are about 1.5 cups of beans per can when you drain the liquid).

Red beans and rice.

Even if you don’t live at high altitude, cooking and freezing beans at home is less than HALF the cost of canned beans.  Plus, you can freeze a much broader variety than what is available in cans. 

Nell’s Apple Pie

My great-grandmother Nellene (Nell) created this recipe.  I never got to meet Nellene, but her pie has been the stuff of legends ever since.  She was very careful who she shared the recipe with and kept it pretty much a secret recipe until it fell into my hands. 

(Apparently, I have no gifting in the keep recipes secret department).
Nell’s pie is so much easier to make than a traditional 2 crust apple pie.  And everyone who tries it, is an immediate convert.  But.  This pie is especially beloved by those of the male persuasion. 
Seriously.  Young.  Old.  In da middle.  Undying love is profusely pledged for this pie.  It’s quite a spectacle.
When my dad was diagnosed with diabetes, I began making his with Splenda instead of sugar.  Because, my dad?  He insists he CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT THIS PIE. 
So… are you convinced to try Nell’s recipe? 
Start with a piecrust.  I make mine ahead in large batches and keep them in the freezer.  But use whatever crust you like...  From scratch or the grocer’s freezer. 
Once the crust is in the pan and the edges crimped, dump 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup white sugar into the bottom of the crust.  Mix gently with a fork until blended.

Mound up the pie with peeled, cored and thinly sliced apples.  The original recipe calls for golden delicious apples.  I’ve tried a few other apples, but always come back to the golden delicious variety.  They seem to work the best and they’re easy to find at the store year round. 
If your apples are a little tart, sprinkle the top with up to 1/2 cup more sugar.  I almost always opt out of this step.  They’re usually sweet enough. 
Take a carton of whipping cream and start slowly pouring cream over the apples.  Try to get a bit of cream on all the top apple slices.
 
Dust lightly with ground nutmeg.  No, it’s not the usual apple pie spice, but trust me on this one.  It just works. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. 

Nell’s Cream Apple Pie
1 prepared pie crust
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
4-5 golden delicious apples
1/4 to 1/2 cup additional sugar for dusting (optional)
1 to 1-1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Place pie crust in a 9” pie plate and crimp edges.  Mix 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup sugar in bottom of the crust.  Peel, core and thinly slice apples and mound them on top of flour/sugar mixture.  Dust with additional sugar, to taste.  Sprinkle with nutmeg.  Pour whipping cream over the apples.  Try to get each apple covered with just a bit of cream.  Bake at 350 degrees 40-50 minutes. 

Freezing cookie dough

If you're looking ahead to Christmas and wondering how you're going to get all of your baking done, consider preparing and freezing your cookie dough now.  Before the busyness begins in earnest. 

Snickerdoodle dough balls

You can have a large assortment of cookie dough ready and waiting at your fingertips.  As Christmas inches closer there will be more time for family or last minute gifts instead of spending all your time in the kitchen.

Ziploc bag of chocolate chip dough balls

 

Molasses Crinkles

No real recipe for you today… just the steps to freezing your family favorites ahead of time  :) 

Freezing Cookie Dough

1.  Make the dough from any drop cookie recipe.  Just stay away from cookies that are made with an egg white dough (like meringue) or a more liquid batter (like macarons or brownies).  
2.  On a baking sheet, place heaping spoonfuls of your dough.  If the recipe requires the dough balls be rolled in a sugar mixture, do this before putting them on the sheet.  Continue plopping dough balls until the entire sheet is full. 
3.  Put baking sheet in the freezer for a couple of hours or overnight. 
4.  Remove from freezer and place in airtight containers or freezer bags.  Return to freezer. 
When Ready to Bake: 
Remove desired amount of cookie dough balls from the freezer.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake per your recipe instructions.  No need to thaw first, but you may need to add a minute or two to your baking time. 
Happy Freezing!

Bandito Hot Dogs

This is an updated post for my new followers who may have missed this easy crockpot favorite.  The original recipe uses canned chili.  Which is fine.  If you have canned chili it will be delicious.  But we like to use BIG BATCH CHILI from the freezer stash. 

BANDITO DOGS 1 (1 lb) package hot dogs
4-5 cups homemade chili OR 2 (15 ounce) cans of chili
8 ounces cubed Velveeta cheese
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained & optional

TO SERVE:
Hot dog buns
Chopped onion or green onion
Mustard
Ketchup
Crumbled Fritos
Shredded cheddar cheese
Jalapeno slices
Anything else your little heart desires
Combine the chili, Velveeta, and green chilies in a slow cooker. Gently mix in hot dogs. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Dig in. Serve hot dogs in buns, piled with chili and your toppings of choice.

Raisin bran muffins

We’ve been making raisin bran (or six week muffins) for ages.  The recipe came from an Amish cookbook and makes a huge bowl of batter that is kept in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.  This allows muffins to be baked as needed. 

We have found, though, that it works better for us to bake them up and then keep the muffins in the freezer for quick breakfasts.  It’s so convenient to have them on hand.  Also.  You need a rather large bowl or container to store the batter in the fridge and it takes up a lot of room in there! 

So the choice is yours.  Bake them all at once or enjoy having batter ready to bake fresh muffins whenever you need them…

RAISIN BRAN MUFFINS

1 box (10 ounce) raisin bran
1-2 cups raisins, optional
3 cups sugar
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1 quart buttermilk
4 eggs, beaten

In a large mixing bowl, combine raisin bran, sugar, flour, baking soda and salt.  Whisk together eggs, oil and buttermilk and add to the dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Keep in covered container in the refrigerator (up to 6 weeks).  Do not stir batter before filling muffin pans. 

To bake:  Use cupcake liners or grease a muffin tin.  Fill 3/4 full.  Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees.   
To freeze after baking:  Cool completely.  Store in Ziploc bags or covered containers up to 6 months in freezer. 

Notes: 
1.  We always add 2 cups raisins – they don’t put enough raisins in the bran anymore! :( 
2.  Don’t drive yourself nuts trying to find a 10 ounce box of raisin bran.  Not sure if they actually make a box that small, but I’ve never found it.  Just guesstimate 1/2 of a 20 ounce box and it’ll be fine.

Aztec quiche

Part II of freezing eggs! 

There are a few freezer recipes that are my go-to fast and easy menu items.  Recipes that are almost fully prepared, straight from the freezer.  Last minute stuff.  Sort of a last line of defense against the drive-thru, if you will :)

Quiche is a member of that arsenal.  This particular recipe is meatless.  But it will work for any ol’ quiche recipe you may have.  Even though I always have a stockpile of pie crust discs in my freezer, I use store bought pie crusts for quiche.  Mainly because they fit perfectly in a Ziploc bag once frozen.  My pie plates do not… but both store crust or homemade will work great!

Oh, and this recipe is for 1 quiche.  I make 4 at a time for the freezer.   

AZTEC QUICHE (per quiche)

1 (9 inch) prepared pie crust
1-1/4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup shredded Colby or mild cheddar
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies or jalapenos (if you want more spice)
1 cup half-and-half
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Note:  We substitute shredded Colby-Jack for the 2 cheeses in the original recipe.  Spread the Monterey Jack and 1/2 the Colby cheese in the bottom of the pie crust.  Sprinkle diced green chilies over the cheese:

Whisk together the half-and-half, eggs and seasonings.  (I use my Kitchenaid mixer when making more than one).  Pour into over the cheese/chilies.  Sprinkle with the remaining Colby cheese. 

Put the filled crusts on a cookie sheet (for stability until frozen) and place in the freezer.  When frozen completely, remove from the cookie pan and place in a Ziploc bag.  Return to freezer. 

When ready to cook, remove from Ziploc, thaw in refrigerator.  Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

I’ve successfully baked from frozen, in a pinch, but it does take a bit longer in the oven.  Maybe 10-15 minutes?  And you will need to check the edges of the crust.  Cover with foil if they are browning too fast. 

Let cool a few minutes before cutting and serve with salsa:   

Now that you know the process, the same technique will apply to any quiche recipe.   Broccoli and cheese… quiche Lorraine… ham and asparagus…   Just spread your cheese/meat/veggie layer in the crust.  Pour in the egg/half-and-half/seasonings mixture.  Flash freeze.  Wrap.  Return to freezer.  Thaw.  Bake.  Enjoy!

What’s your favorite quiche?  I’d love to add it to my arsenal :)

Freezing eggs

Last week, eggs were 10 dozen for $10 at King Soopers.  Since that’s even lower than they were at Easter, I bought 10 dozen.  That is a lot of eggs!!  But we won’t have to eat that many eggs right now… most of them are destined for the freezer.

You can freeze eggs to use later for baking or scrambled eggs and here is a good explanation. 

We really like to freeze eggs in breakfast casserole form.  This recipe is one of our favorites.  It’s very adaptable to what you have on hand and/or your family’s tastes.  You can use ham, bacon or sausage… or no meat at all.  It’s also yummy with broccoli, mushrooms, onions or peppers… or no veggies at all.  The type and amount of cheese can also be varied. 

This batch I had ham and onions to use up and multiplied the recipe times 4. 

BAKED OMELET

1 dozen eggs, lightly beaten 
8 slices bread
2 cups milk
1 to 1 1/2 cups meat, cooked and diced 
1 to 1-1/2 to 1 cup veggies
1-3 cups shredded cheese

Cube bread and mix gently with remaining ingredients.  The original recipe lists no seasonings and I do add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 
To bake now:  Pour into a 13 x 9 pan that has been sprayed or buttered.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. 

To freeze:  Pour into Ziploc bags and seal.  A good way to freeze food in zipper bags is to arrange them on a sheet pan and freeze them flat.  When frozen this way, the bags will stack nicely in your freezer.  Here they are, frozen, stacked and ready to return to the freezer. 

To cook from frozen:  Place frozen Ziploc bag onto a plate to catch any drips and thaw overnight in fridge, pour into prepared pan and bake as above. 

How to flash freeze

Do you know about flash freezing?  I use this method all the time when preparing foods for the freezer.  Flash freezing is perfect for many types of foods, but is especially convenient for small foods you wish to have access to in individual portion sizes (such as peas, berries, corn, etc.). This is also a great method for freezing sticky foods that would make a mess putting straight into a plastic bag (such as meatballs, cinnamon rolls, or JW Potatoes).  It keeps them from adhering together in one large lump :)

When you flash freeze something, you set it, unwrapped, into the freezer until the surface hardens enough that they won’t stick to each other or all over the freezer bag.  Here is a pan of blueberries that are ready to flash freeze: 

By freezing them in a single layer, they will remain separate once frozen.  This allows you to scoop out just a few berries or several cups at a time and leave the rest in the bag or container.

After they are frozen, take them out of the freezer, place them into a freezer bag, and return it to the freezer until needed at a later time. . . 

Try it sometime!

Iced tea concentrate

I do SO love visiting the south.  Truly, I do.  Seriously. Love. It.

Mostly, because it’s WARM there. Turtlenecks, jackets and heavy socks… NOT needed in June.  Like they are here in the lovely high plains tundra.  Awesome. 

Then there's the charm. The hospitality. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention. It. is. warm. there.

There's just one teensy, tiny, little problem.

And apparently it's a deal breaker.  I can't handle the sweet tea.  Not even a little bit.

I have tried. Really, really tried.  That stuff is just, well, really SWEET.

We recently started making iced tea concentrate.  The problem: the first time I made it as per instructions. Including 8 cups of sugar. 8 cups people.  Even my soda lovin' younguns wouldn't touch the stuff.  I’m beginning to think you have to actually live in the south before the tea likes you and you like it right back.

So I'm going to give you the original recipe for iced tea concentrate.  If you like sweet tea, THIS is the one for you.

ICED SWEET TEA CONCENTRATE

3/4 gallon of water
5 one gallon tea bags or 24 family size tea bags
8 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Boil the water. Remove from heat and add tea bags.  Cover for 30 minutes. Remove tea bags and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. (This helps preserve the tea, and does not affect the taste).  Add sugar while still warm and stir until it dissolves.  Pour in enough additional water to make 1 gallon of tea concentrate.

This concentrate keeps 4 weeks in the refrigerator and freezes very well.  I store it in clean, washed milk jugs. It is really so handy to have and lasts a long time.

Note:  **If you don't like your tea sweet, you can leave out the sugar entirely.  We like it slightly sweet and use 1.5 cups sugar.

TO MAKE TEA: 
For 1 gallon of tea:  Measure 3 cups of iced tea concentrate into a pitcher.  Add enough additional water to make 1 gallon of tea and stir. 
For 2 quarts of tea:  Measure 1 and 1/2 cups iced tea concentrate into a pitcher.  Add additional water to  make 2 quarts of tea and stir. 
For a 16 ounce glass of tea:  Put 2-3 tablespoons concentrate into a 16 ounce glass. Fill the glass with water and ice; stir. 

Keep unused portions of tea refrigerated.  If the tea is too weak or too strong for you add more or less iced tea concentrate to the water.

So are there any other not-so-sweet tea lovers out there?

Dump Ravioli

Here’s a quick and easy one for you. . .  just 4 simple ingredients! 

This is one of the few dishes I use store-bought spaghetti sauce for :)   You could certainly make your own or use some of your freezer stash (recipe here), but since we prefer this dish with a meatless sauce – store bought it is!

The best part is, the ravioli does not have to be boiled first.  Yay! 

DUMP RAVIOLI 1 bag frozen cheese ravioli (meat-filled, if you prefer)
1 jar (28-32 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup water
1-2 cups grated cheese

OK.  This is real complicated.  So pay close attention. . .

Dump the unthawed ravioli into a 9 x 13 dish.  Pour on the spaghetti sauce and water.  Mix gently.  Cover with foil.  Bake @350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Remove foil and top with grated cheese.  Return to oven and continue to bake until heated through and the cheese is melted, about 5-10 minutes more. 

That’s it! Enjoy!

Indian Tacos

This is more of a construction method than a recipe :)  It will feed just a few or a crowd. 

(You’ll just need more chili and bread dough for the crowd).

INDIAN TACOS:  You will need: Bread dough – frozen or homemade
Chili (canned or homemade – I grab a bag of BIG BATCH chili from the freezer).  Prepare and keep warm while making the bread.

Toppings of choice: sour cream, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, onion, avocado, olives, and/or whatever else sounds yummy.

Prepare and/or thaw bread dough.  Allow to rise once.  Divide each dough “loaf” into 7-8 portions.  Use your hands to gently pull and shape into a flat round.  Poke 2-3 small holes in the center.  This allows the bread to stay flat. 

Make only a few at a time and don’t let them rise again.  Deep fry at approximately 390 degrees. 

See the holes?

Turn when golden brown, to cook the other side -

Drain on paper towels. 

Slap one on a plate and layer it up with chili and your accoutrements of choice. 

 eNjOy!

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Delicious Dishes

Big batch chili

I like to make enough chili to have several meals worth in the freezer.  I’ll put our recipe at the end of this post, but go ahead and use your family’s favorite recipe and times it by 2 or more.  (I make X5 batches). 

To freeze your chili, cool completely and then ladle into zipper bags.  Freeze flat on cookie trays.  When they are solid, remove and stack in freezer. Voila!  

We pull it from the freezer to use for chili bowls, train wreck (pictured above), Indian tacos – and even just regular, plain ol’ chili. 

You can find train wreck instructions HERE and I’ll post Indian tacos later this week…

CHILI

1 pound ground beef
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 cups chopped onion 
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 cups soaked and cooked dry beans (or 2 – 16 oz cans)
28 ounces diced tomatoes
16 oz tomato sauce
1 tablespoon each ground cumin and chili powder
2 tablespoons oregano
1 teaspoon basil
Salt, to taste.  You will need more if using dried beans

Cook beef, peppers, onions and garlic until meat is browned.  Drain and rinse.  Return to pot and stir in remaining ingredients.  Adjust spices, if you prefer a hotter chili. Cover and simmer 2 or more hours (longer is better).  Can also simmer on low in a crock pot. 

Okay, now go forth and make chili :)

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