Taco Tuesday casserole

My recipe!

1 lb, ground beef

1/2 tsp. Onion powder

I pkg. dry taco seasoning mix 

2/3 cup water 

1/2 can diced tomatoes with chiles(drain juice)

1can red enchilada sauce

4 large soft tacos

1 package taco cheese with jalapeños

Cook on medium heat ground beef until browned. Drain.

Add onion powder , seasoning mix and water. Add 1/2 drained diced tomatoes and 1/2 red enchilada sauce. Cook for a few more minutes. It should thicken slightly.  Mix the other half of the enchilada sauced with diced tomatoes and mix. This will be for topping.

In a 9 x 9 baking dish place half of red sauce. 

Place large tablespoons of beef mixture in center of soft taco, add cheese. Roll and place taco filled side down. Cover with sauce and any leftover cooked beef mixture and cheese.

Bake 350° for 20 or 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

Tuscan bean soup, my version!

My version of a recipe I’ve been wanting to make for a very long time.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1tablespoon butter

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup chopped celery 

1/4 cup chopped carrot

1/4 cup minced or chopped onion 

1/4 cup chopped spinach

1-15 oz can chicken broth 

1- can butter beans drained

1- 4 oz. Tomato sauce

1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half

Sauté onion carrots , onions, celery and garlic in vegetable oil and butter.  When tender add tomato sauce, chicken broth beans and spinach.  Slowly Add heavy cream and Cook slowly until

Slightly thickened.  It’s delicious!

Note: next time I’d add another can of beans to make the consistency to my liking.

It is delicious !

Easy Macaroni Soup!

Todays macaroni soup I added a little extra elbows so it’s pretty thick. ****  If necessary when it’s reheated I may add a little extra chicken or beef broth. Updated photo. 4/1/2024

Any day is a good day for this soup! Kiddo's will love this back to school recipe and it's so easy!

I've caught a "cold" and a bit under the weather so this Macaroni Soup will hit the spot for me.  I'm re-posting my blog post from last winter if you haven't checked it out.  A great dish for anytime but it hits the spot when you have a cold.  I add a little red pepper to it to open up those sinuses. Enjoy!

 I'm back in the kitchen and I totally surprised myself.  I thought I wouldn't touch a pot or pan for a week..  Guess I overlooked the fact that there weren't any leftovers so today I heard the weather guy say rain changing to snow in our forecast so soup's on..Macaroni soup that is!!!!

This recipe is one I have made and it's very easy...It's a basic recipe which takes no time to put together to warm you up on a chilly day.  You can add extra black pepper to spice it up..

Happy Cooking!

  

 1 lb. beef ground (I use 85 % ) so It'll give your soup good flavor..If you are worried about fat content use 90 %+.
1/4 +tsp. onion powder
1/4 +tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. parsley

1/2 tsp. Basil
1- 15 oz. can Hunts Sauce
1- large 32 oz. Beef Broth

1- large 32 oz. Chicken broth 
****1/2 lb. + elbow macaroni cooked rinsed and drained 
****salt and pepper to taste
grated Italian cheese


In a medium to large pot place about 3 tablespoon canola oil , add  ground beef, onion powder, garlic powder,  parsley, basil ,salt and pepper.  Saute until slightly browned....After browning, add sauce and beef and chicken broth. Cook over medium heat for approximately 30 minutes..Add cooked elbow macaroni and grated cheese....(for a thicker soup add extra pasta)  Note:  Do not overcook elbow pasta.

Note:  cook pasta separately (drain, rinse and cover in a bowl)if you like a more broth like soup and add the desired amount to broth. 

From my kitchen to yours,

9/16/12

1/19/16
8/21/16

10/4/2017

Cheese tortellini with chicken and broccoli in a red and white sauce

Our Sunday meal today!

Playing with food I had in my freezer.

I’m love using what I have in my freezer to make an easy casserole type meal.

1 quart red sauce

1- 16 to 20oz. Refrigerated cheese tortellini 

1/2 package frozen broccoli florets cooked 

11/2 to 2 cups rotisserie chicken shredded or sliced 

1 cup ***Béchamel sauce

Shredded mozzarella or Italian grated for garnish 

Recipe link below for

Bechamel sauce

https://iliketobakeandcook.blogspot.com/2023/11/homemade-bechamel-sauce.html

Bring tortellini to a boil in slightly salted water. Drain saving some water and boil broccoli in same water for a few minutes. Drain.

In a 13” x 9” baking dish place a few spoons of red sauce (about 1/4 cup) or more depending on how much sauce you enjoy.

Place drained tortellini in casserole evenly. Layer chicken and broccoli and top with more sauce and drizzle with Bechamel and some grated cheese or some shredded mozzarella.

Bake 350° uncovered for approximately 30minutes or until cheese has melted.

Serve with a basic salad with Italian dressing 

Delicious !

Cannoli ricotta cake

I decided to be a bit adventurous and topped it with freshly whipped cream.  

****Note:  for the 9” x 13” pan recipe for a thicker layer of ricotta filling DOUBLE the amount of ricotta FILLING.

Home made butter cake topped with fresh ricotta that  I added vanilla, powdered sugar and mini semi sweet morsels.

Note:  I had this last week at a restaurant and we both really enjoyed it so I used my moms butter cake recipe and my cannoli filling recipe to put on top.  I taste tested yumm!

Recipe link below:

Moms Butter cake

I had been to a local restaurant where they served a cake similar to this so I decided to use my moms recipe for butter cake and my ricotta filling to top it.

Note:  you can top with finely chopped colored nuts for the holidays.

I’ll link the recipes below.

Ricotta filling

https://iliketobakeandcook.blogspot.com/2018/12/cannoli-ricotta-or-custard-filled-you.html

 

New recipe Chili w vegetables recipe

Today was a day to play with food.

I added my touch to a recipe I had never used before.

My mother in law when she made chili she would add a can of mixed vegetables to hers.  I never cared for it so when I made chili I would make my version of a recipe I used from the first time I made chili and it involved beef, onion salt and pepper, chili powder and tomato juice.  My original recipe:

https://iliketobakeandcook.blogspot.com/2019/02/basic-chili-con-carne.html

New recipe:
I lb. Ground beef

1 medium onion chopped 

2 carrots chopped or sliced

I tsp. Cumin

1tsp. Chili powder

1tsp. Better than bullion beef seasoning****

1/2 cup water***disolve bouillon in hot water 

I stalk celery chopped 

1tsp. Salt

1large can crushed tomatoes 

1 small red or green or yellow pepper ****

1 can dark kidney beans rinsed and drained 

NOTE;  you can replace fresh vegetables with frozen vegetables or canned veggies.

In a Dutch oven pot place a small amount of vegetable oil.

Place carrot,celery,onion and beef, yellow pepper ,salt and sauté until onion is translucent and beef is browned.

Add tomatoes, Better than bouillon, cumin , chili powder, drained beans and chopped pepper.

Cook on low to medium until it starts to boil.  Cook on low slightly covered for approximately 1hour or more.

Because of the vegetables this recipe will need to be cooked on low until vegetables are tender.

Some fresh bread or crackers to sop up the juice.

Tbis chili is meant to be soupy!

Usually chili is topped with shredded cheese but today I put a dollop of sour cream on mine.  Delicious!!

Enjoy!

Meat sauce with Polenta

Fresh sauce with fine ground beef, pork and veal meat.

6/24/24

10/22/23

This is the Polenta I used.

Our family knows polenta as a traditional Italian meal. It's been around for generations..

Today I'm making it and although it's hot outside we don't care because I (we)are craving it.
 It's going to be awesome! 

I know I've said this many times and I am aware that family budgets are tight but check for sales and try hard to buy the best quality of meat that you can afford.  I truly believe quality meat for this sauce makes a remarkable difference it the taste.

Here is today's recipe:

1 lb. ground beef (85%)
1 lb. ground pork (90%)
2 cubes of basil, garlic and olive oil pesto or several cloves minced garlic and about 1 tsp.dried basil

Note:  I make my own blend with my garlic, basil and olive oil and freeze it by tablespoons in ice cube trays but feel free to either buy a good pesto blend(I do not have any nuts in mine) and use a little of it when you cook your meat.

Salt and pepper according to your taste
1 large can Hunts crushed tomatoes
1 large can Hunts tomato sauce
1 small can organic tomato paste
1 small can water
1 15 oz. can organic tomato sauce
1 carrot cleaned and cut into 3 pieces



In a Dutch place a little olive oil on medium heat.  Add ground meats and cook while breaking meat apart into small to medium pieces.  Once meat has started to brown slightly and there is no longer any pink add garlic/basil pesto , salt and pepper.  Keep stirring until incorporated.  Add small can tomato paste and small can water.  Cook and stir until all starts to bubble slightly.  Add mixture to crockpot that is set on high that you have placed crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and carrot. Stir well, cover and cook two hours on high and then lower heat to low and cook for an additional two hours. Delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Instant Polenta..........It's really good and cooks in 3 minutes.  Polenta is an acquired taste...Most Italians love it. All it is is thickened corn meal.

You can find a box of Polenta at most grocery stores.  The brand I used was was DeLallo
The box has instructions on it and it serves 3  similar to the portion below comfortably.

FYI:  Just a little note from me.  This was the first year I had so much fresh basil so I decided to try using my food processor(you can use a blender too) and using the basil, fresh garlic and olive oil and after blending it all I froze individual tablespoons in ice cube containers.  I had done this before but varied using pine nuts and cheese.  This year with basil so abundant I am good thru next summer.

You may want to next year grow your own basil.  Containers do well and make your own pesto that have so many uses.  You can add more olive oil when making pasta along with a few of these pesto cubes and top with a little grated cheese and you have an easy meal.

From my kitchen to yours,

Original April 2016