Enchilada Casserole

I'm back!! We went on vacation and then Christmas rolled around and somethings got neglected. This being one of them. I made a TON of goodies and forgot to take pictures of them, so I won't get to post all the yummies I made.

This has got to be one of my favorite casserole recipes. It is quite easy and very delicious. It is easy to adjust the heat on it by the enchilada sauce you use. I have a daughter that is more sensitive to spice, so I always use mild. The whole family loves it. A comforting plate of hot, cheesy, yummy goodness.



1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 (28 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 (6 ounce) cans olives, sliced
18 corn tortillas
1 pound Monterey jack cheese, grated
1 pound Cheddar cheese, grated

Sauté onion with ground beef. Add olives and large can of enchilada sauce. Pour small can of enchilada sauce in the bottom of an 11x15 inch casserole dish (if you use a 9x13 inch casserole dish, place on a cookie sheet lined with foil). Place 6 tortillas on top of sauce. Add 1/3 of the meat mixture and 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat 2 more times ending with the cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with chopped tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream and guacamole.

Cranberry Orange Dream

This is another salad that could be used as a salad or desert. I use it as a salad and keep eating it through desert. My kids all love it and the pan never last long enough for leftovers.

I sometimes leave out the oranges (I did this time), and sometimes substitute raspberry Jello for cranberry. It is awesome either way.



1 ½ cups boiling water
1 (6 oz) package cranberry gelatin
2 cups cold water
1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges
1 can cranberry sauce

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in cranberry sauce until melted. Add cold water. Refrigerate about 1 hour until slightly thickened. Gently stir in mandarin oranges

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup melted butter

Press into 9 x 13 pan, refrigerate until ready to use.

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
¼ cup sugar
1 (8 oz) container whipped topping

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in whipped topping. Pour over graham cracker crust, then, top with gelatin mixture. Refrigerate until set.

Baked Beans

This has got to be the BEST baked bean recipe ever! I absolutely LOVE it!! I made these baked beans for our family Thanksgiving dinner and they were a hit! My brother in law couldn't stop eating them. I will usually use a green bell pepper in them, but had a red one when I made them for Thanksgiving.



2 (15 ounce) cans pork and beans, drained
½ bell pepper, diced
½ onion, diced
2 squirts mustard (about 2 tablespoons)
2 squirts ketchup (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup brown sugar
8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

Mix all ingredients together. Let sit 30 minutes then bake at 375 for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Roasted Potatoes

I love potatoes, especially these potatoes. They are simple, yet elegant enough for company. This time I decided to use half red potatoes and half sweet potatoes. They were delicious. I prefer my sweet potatoes savory instead of sweetened and they were perfect. Yum!!



2 pounds red potatoes, cut into quarters
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

Preheat oven to 450. Place potatoes in a large roasting pan and toss with oil, salt, pepper and rosemary until evenly coated. Spread out potatoes in a single layer. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sunday Pot Roast

This is one of my favorite roast recipes, if not my favorite. It is so easy and tasty. I love that it makes its own gravy. Cooking it in a crock pot is a nice added bonus. I love being able to make dinner in the morning and have it ready at dinner time. Most nights by the time dinner time rolls around, I am tired and not in the mood to cook. My crock pot is a life saver!



1 (3 to 5 lb) pot roast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet dry onion soup mix

Place roast in crock pot. Spoon soup over the top and sprinkle with onion soup mix. Cook on high 4 to 5 hours, or on low 6 to 8 hours. I like to shred the roast when it is cooked and serve it over potatoes or noodles. It is also great sliced with the gravy.

Baked Tilapia

Personally, I am not much of a fish fan. Never have been, and most likely never will be, but, for some reason, the kids LOVE fish. Fish is supposed to be very good for you, so for the sake of health, I keep trying it. My friend Tasha loves fish and couldn't believe that there was a person alive that didn't. She offered to cook some for me so I could try it. I can actually eat this fish without gagging! I just make sure to add lots of seasoning my my fish. The kids complain if I put a lot on their fish, they claim they can't taste the fish. In my opinion, that's what makes it good.



6 tilapia fillets
garlic salt
lemon pepper
dill weed

Sprinkle fillets on both sides with seasoning. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes (from frozen) or until it flakes easily with a fork.

Peppermint Meltaways

These things are incredible!! And highly addictive. They are another reason I stock up on candy canes at the after Christmas clearance sales and endure strange looks from the kids friends when they are spotted on my shelf in the middle of the summer. My darling little 9 year old said "Mom, in my world these would grow on trees". They are that yummy!

I got this recipe from my friend Jenny when I was pregnant with my first. She took them to a get together and I could not stop eating them (baby wanted them REAL bad). Maybe that's why I blew up like a balloon with him. He sure is a tender, sweet little (big) guy though. These must be the secret. On the other hand, it could have been a conspiracy. We were both pregnant and due at the same time. Maybe she was just trying to ensure that I would get fatter than her.... :)

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup corn starch

In a large bowl cream butter, sugar and extract. Add flour and cornstarch and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. Shape into small balls and place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes. Do not brown. Cool.

Frosting:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 to 3 drops red food coloring
crushed peppermint candy

Cream butter, powdered sugar, peppermint extract and food coloring. Add milk one tablespoon at a time. Drizzle over cookies then sprinkle with crushed candy.