Chicken Enchiladas

This is a good recipe to use leftover chicken in, or with Thanksgiving coming, maybe you have some leftover turkey to substitute!  It works well with either.

Chicken Enchiladas
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 ounce can of diced green chilies, with juice
3/4 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
2 cups shredded, cheddar cheese, divided
10 large flour tortillas
1/3 cup milk

Melt butter; add onion and garlic and saute.  Stir in green chilies, sour cream and soup.  Remove 3/4 cup of sauce and set aside.  Add chicken and 1/2 cup of cheese.  Fill tortillas with chicken mix and roll up.  Place in greased 9X13 pan, seam side down.
Add milk and 1/2 cup cheese to remaining sauce.  Pour over enchiladas.  Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of cheese over top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Serve with green onions, sour cream and salsa if desired.
*This is a long time family favorite.  Heather says it may be her favorite meal ever!

M & M squares

This recipe is an old favorite. Kids love it, but adults do too.

M & M Squares
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup oleo
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
1 cup quick oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups M & M's

Beat together peanut butter, oleo and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix flour, oatmeal, soda and salt.  Add to oleo mixture.  Mix in 1 cup M & M's.  Press into jelly roll pan.  Sprinkle remaining M & M's over dough.  Bake 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Enjoy!

Pizza Rolls

I tried out a new recipe that I got from my friend Betty, at A glimpse into midlife.  I changed it just a little, to fit our tastes and because she lives in Paraguay I switched the measurements from metric.  Anyway - they are good and in spite of using a yeast dough, they are surprisingly easy to make.  Hope you enjoy them too!
Pizza Rolls
1 tbsp. quick rising yeast
1 egg
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup Oil
1 tbsp. Salt
3 - 4 cups flour, or until it makes a soft dough

Knead the dough thoroughly then put in a warm place and let rise for about an hour. This is not a very big recipe, so it´s not much dough.

While the dough is rising you can prepare the filling:
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
8 ounces ham, chopped finely
1 garlic clove
1 Tomato
1 jalapeña pepper
Oregano and any other spices you enjoy. 
* You may change the meat to other types, or add you own favorit pizza filling.
Mix this all together in a bowl.

After dough is risen, take about half the it (beware it´s pretty soft and sticky, use lots of flour), and roll it out into an oblong shape. Then you sprinkle the filling mixture onto the rolled out dough.
Then you roll it up till it resembles a log.
Slice pieces off the log and lay them filling side down on a baking sheet.
Let them rise for about 15 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven, 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
*These rated a 9 on Bob's scale.

Mother Load Cookie Bars

I found the recipe for these cookie bars on a blog and tried them out this week. Imagine all your favorite cookies in one bar and that's what these are!
I took them to a church meeting and everyone loved them. So will you!

Mother Load Cookie Bars

Layer 1: Sugar Cookie

1 Roll of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Press sugar cookie dough into bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish that’s been lined foil and sprayed with cooking spray. (I found it helped to break the dough up and let it warm up just a little before trying to spread it in the pan)

Layer 2: Double Chocolate Chip Cookie

(the recipe below makes double what you’ll need for the bars, use extra for cookies)

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder)
2 tsps. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients then stir in chips. Layer 1/2 the recipe over sugar cookie layer, pressing gently.

Layer 3: Peanut Butter Cookie

1 Cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 Cup granulated sugar

1 egg

Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined. Press over chocolate cookie dough.

Layer 4: Chocolate Chip Cookie

(the recipe below makes double what you’ll need for the bars, use extra for cookies)

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 Cup granulated sugar

3/4 Cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla

2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 bag chocolate chips

Make sure oven is preheated to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer cream the butter and sugars until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix to combine. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips. Spoon 1/2 of the dough evenly over peanut butter cookie dough but don’t press, just leave uneven. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until center of dough is cooked mostly through. Edges will be brown. I covered pan with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.

Let cookies cool completely. Lift out of pan with edges of foil. I cut off 1/2 inch edges and just used softer centers, but do as you wish. Edges are crispier. Drizzle top with 1/2 Cup melted chocolate chips if desired.

This recipe was created by Jenny at The Picky Palate. We rate it a 1o.

Pasta Salad

This is a recipe I got from Bob's Mom before we got married, so it's an oldie! (but a goodie) The ingredients can be varied with what you like or have on hand, and it always tastes good.

Pasta Salad
1 cup shell macaroni (or twists or elbow...)
hard boiled eggs - I use 2, but you can add more or less to taste
1 small can tuna fish, or like amount of chopped ham, or diced chicken
1 can peas
1 tablespoon chopped pickles (optional)
1/2 cup salad dressing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In 2 cups boiling water, cook pasta until tender. Place in colander and drill with cold water. Allow to cool.
Toss together meat, peas and pickles. Cut eggs fine and add to meat mix. Stir in pasta and salad dressing. Stir in cheese.
Refrigerate overnight. You may need to add more salad dressing before serving, as pasta my absorb some.
*This is another family favorite and gets a 10!

Joanie's Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are a favorite in our house. I got the recipe from a friend at church . She is known for these cookies and they always get a good price when she makes them for the annual youth auction. The recipe is actually her Grandma's, so it has stood the test of time! These cookies turn out different that the standard Toll house cookies. They are lighter and crispier.

Joanie's Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 sticks margarine or butter
1 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups flour
2 - 12 ounce pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine sugars and butter and cream well. Add oil, egg, vanilla and milk. Mix together. Add salt, soda, and flour and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoons on cookie sheet or warm baking stone. Bake at 350 degrees for 17 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
*These rate a 10, especially for Andy. Joanie has made them for him several times when he has had leave and could come home. He is always thrilled!

Malted Milk Ball Dessert

This recipe has been one of Andy's favorites since he was little. He used to call basketballs "boop balls" when he was little and since this dessert had "balls" on the top, he called it Boop Ball Dessert. We still call it by that name! It's a nice refreshing dessert in the summer.

.Malted Milk Ball Dessert

Crust:
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick melted butter
Mix and press into a 9 x 13 pan.

Filling:
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened

12 ounces crushed malted milk balls
Stir together and spread over crust. Freeze.
Top with 8 ounces softened Cool Whip spread over frozen filling. Garnish each piece with a malted milk ball.

.*This is a long time favorite that rates a 10