Cinco de Mayo dinner party

We're a bit late on this celebration. We chose to not have our party on a weeknight. Cinco de Mayo was a Monday. Friday was the next logical date.

On the menu:
Chips and Salsa
Cafe Rio Pork salads
Strawberry margaritas (non-alcoholic, of course)

The recipes used for the Cafe Rio Pork salads were found at Chef In Training. I have done a few tweeks to her recipes.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
adapted from Chef In Training (see link above)


1 packet of buttermilk ranch dressing
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup evaporated milk
1 bunch of cilantro
1 tomatillo, husked and diced or 1 small can of fire roasted green chilis
Garlic powder (just a few shakes)
juice from 1 lime

Blend mayo, sour cream, dressing mix, evaporated milk, and garlic in a blender until blended and smooth. Dice up tomatillo and cilantro then add to the dressing in the blender. Juice up the lime and add that as well. Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

CAFE RIO SWEET PORK 
adapted recipe from: “One Good Thing” By Jilliee
2 pounds pork roast
1 liter Coca Cola (don't use any imitation)
1 tsp. garlic powder rub (see below)
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, divided
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
2 c. salsa (any brand, we use homemade)

Put the pork in a reclosable bag to marinate, pour in 12 oz of Coke and 1/2 c. brown sugar. Marinate overnight if possible (can do 3-4 hours in the refrigerator as well).
Drain marinade and put pork, 6 oz of Coke, garlic powder rub in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours.
Remove pork from crock pot, drain off liquid, shred pork.
Mix together (in the blender) remaining 6 oz of Coke, can of chiles, salsa and brown sugar.
Put shredded pork back in the crock pot, cover with sauce, heat another 1-2 hours or until heated through.

Garlic Powder Rub: I mix equal parts of garlic powder and onion powder. Usually about 2 Tablespoons each. 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt

Cilantro Lime Rice
2 c rice
1 c water
1 c chicken broth
1 lime
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 tsp sugar

Cook rice according to directions except use 1 c water and 1 c broth. (Can be done in advance.) When ready to serve, add the rice to a 10" skillet. While heating up, finely chop the cilantro. In a small bowl, juice the lime and add sugar, mix until sugar is dissolved. Once hot, add cilantro and lime juice. Toss until combined. Serve hot.

Party Decor:
I bought everything at the dollar store. I cut out the streamers. It was harder than anticipated (thanks to folding the paper and then cutting through thick layers) but worth it in the end. The paper lanterns have a light in them. I can't wait for a summer barbeque to use them outside.

The food. In the tall green bowl, you'll see tortilla strips. We've had some corn tortillas hanging out for a bit and I decided it would be better to fry my own rather than buying them. The main ingredient was the sweet pork. As toppings there were:

• Black beans
• Cilantro lime rice
• Avocado
• Sour Cream 
• Salsa
• Lettuce
• Cheese
• Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
• Tortilla strips

 

Recipes for the Freezer Meals

I have come to realize that when I posted my freezer meals, no recipes for the meals were included! I'm so sorry! So please refer back to this for pictures.

Broccoli Cheddar Chicken

This meal became one of my favorites as an employee at Cracker Barrel. I decided that I needed to figure out the recipe to enjoy it at home.

2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
2 cups frozen broccoli pieces (I prefer the tops only)
1 can cheddar cheese soup
2 T shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c crushed butter crackers or bread crumbs
2 tsp parmesan cheese
2 T butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In an 8 in square dish, add chicken pieces, broccoli, cheddar cheese and soup. Stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, melt butter in microwave. Add crackers/crumbs and parmesan cheese. Toss until moistened.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Variation: Add leftover rice to chicken and broccoli mixture as shown in the picture.

Chicken Enchiladas

Growing up, we had two kinds of enchiladas. They were either chicken or beef. I preferred the beef with red sauce but was told they were too expensive. I grew to love creamy chicken enchiladas.

2 cooked chicken breasts, shredded
1 small can green chilis
1/2 c cooked rice, optional
1 cup plus 3 T shredded cheese of your choice, I prefer Monterrey Jack
7-10 flour tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of green chili enchilada sauce

In a small bowl, combine chicken soup and enchilada sauce. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together chicken, chilis, rice (if desired) and 1 cup cheese. Add 1-2 T of the soup mixture until the chicken mixture sticks together.

Add 1/4 c filling to each tortilla and roll. (I fold in each end first and then roll) Repeat until filling is gone. The amount of tortillas needed will vary based on the amount of the filling used per tortilla.

Pour 1/3 cup of the soup into the bottom of a greased 8 inch square pan. Add enchiladas. Top with remaining soup and sprinkle reserved cheese on top.

You can choose to freeze the meal at this point.

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly.

Freezer meals for 2

My husband and I both work full time and are busy at home as well. I got lazy and bought some freezer meals. We liked a few but the others were gross. I decided that I needed to dedicate a few hours and stock the freezer with dinners. I got 10 meals done. Since there are only 2 of us, there were 2 of the broccoli cheddar chicken, poppy seed chicken and lasagna. I also made some ham, corn chowder, enchiladas, and chili. I'm set on food for a while. It will be nice to not have to stress about dinners!

Tips to start:

• When making your meals, consider doubling the batch and freezing one.
• The dollar store has foil pans. Some even have lids. I chose 8 in square but there are larger sizes available.
• Be sure to label each lid.
• These meals cook best if they are taken out of the freezer in advance and are able to thaw before cooking.
• Cook times: 45 minutes if thawed, 1 hr to 1/12 hours if still frozen
• Cooking temp: 350 degrees

Here are a few of the meals:

 Broccoli Cheddar Chicken

This meal became one of my favorites as an employee at Cracker Barrel. I decided that I needed to figure out the recipe to enjoy it at home.

2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped
2 cups frozen broccoli pieces (I prefer the florets only)
1 can cheddar cheese soup
2 T shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c crushed butter crackers or bread crumbs
2 tsp parmesan cheese
2 T butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In an 8 in square dish, add chicken pieces, broccoli, cheddar cheese and soup. Stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, melt butter in microwave. Add crackers/crumbs and parmesan cheese. Toss until moistened.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Variation: Add leftover rice to chicken and broccoli mixture as shown in the picture. 

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked (leftovers from a Rotisserie chicken work great!)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can diced green chilis
1 can green enchilada sauce (optional)
8 oz shredded pepper jack cheese (regular Monterey jack can be used as well)
10 tortillas

Combine chicken soup and green enchilada sauce and set aside. If you choose to omit the enchilada sauce, you will want to thin the soup with either chicken broth or milk.
In a medium bowl, shred chicken breasts. Add green chilis and cheese. Mix well. Add 2-3 T of sauce mixture so that filling ingredients bind together.
Microwave tortillas for 15-20 seconds. (I find they are easier to work with and less likely to tear when warm).
Evenly distribute filling between all 10 tortillas. To roll, I tuck in the ends before rolling up.
Add sauce to coat bottom of pan, place all enchiladas. If there is any filling mixture left, I add it to the remaining sauce to pour over the top. 

Faux Lasagna

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

1 lb ground beef, crumbled and cooked

1 bag of pasta (I chose penne but the options are endless)

8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

2 T. Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Cook pasta for 2-3 minutes less than indicated on the package. In a bowl, combine sauce and meat. In a separate bowl, combine cheeses and Italian seasoning.

In a pan, cover bottom with thin layer of sauce. Add pasta and then top with 1/3 cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sauce and cheese

 

Poppy Seed Chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c sour cream
4 chicken breasts
1 roll Ritz crackers
3/4 cube butter
1 1/3 T poppy seeds

Boil chicken breasts for about 25 minutes. In a bowl, mix together soup and sour cream. Spread 1/3 in bottom of 9 x13 pan. Arrange chicken in pan. Spread remaining sauce on top.

Melt butter. Crush crackers. Mix butter, crackers, and poppy seeds. Sprinkle on top of chicken and sauce

Serve with rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes

Corn Chowder

3 cans whole kernal corn, drained or 1 bag frozen corn
3 cans creamed corn
2 cans diced potatoes, drained
1 lb bacon, cooked to crisp
2 can evaporated milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Option 1 - Stove top
Combine all ingredients in large pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer about 20 minutes

Option 2 - Crock pot
Put all ingredients into crock pot. Cook on high for 1 hr and low for 2 hrs.


Option 3 - Combine all ingredients in a gallon ziploc bag and freeze immediately.

The longer you cook this the better it gets!! Enjoy!

Variations:
You can substitute smoked sausage or ham for the bacon.
Fresh potatoes can be used. I suggest cutting into pieces and boiling them for 10-15 minutes before adding to chowder.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole for 2

*adapted from recipe found on Pinterest

Chicken Cordon Bleu has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. It was always a special treat for dinners. In recent years, the pre-packaged chicken cordon bleu with the ham and cheese inside doesn't taste that great. I found this recipe on Pinterest and then made it my own

2 chicken breasts, fully cooked
2 pkgs “Budding” Very Thinly Sliced Deli-style Honey Ham, Rough Chopped
4 slices Thin Sliced Baby Swiss Cheese

SAUCE:
2 T Butter
2 T Flour
1-¼ c Milk (I Used Whole Milk)
2 T Sour Cream
1 T Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 T Dijon Honey Mustard
¼ teaspoons White Pepper

TOPPING:
6 T Butter
½ cup Bread Crumbs
2 T Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9- x 9-inch baking dish. Set aside.

Put cooked shredded or diced chicken on the bottom of the greased baking dish. Scatter the ham over the top of the chicken. Lay the Swiss cheese on top of the ham.

For the sauce:

Melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When butter is melted, quickly stir in the flour to form a smooth roux. Do not brown! Once the roux is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the cold milk while stirring briskly to make a smooth sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the lemon juice, mustard, sour cream and white pepper. Bring sauce just back to a low boil and turn off heat. Pour sauce evenly over the casserole, being certain to get some of the sauce around the edges of the pan.

For the topping:

Rinse out sauce pot. Melt the butter in the pot. When butter is fully melted, stir in the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Bake casserole uncovered for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly throughout and topping has turned a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

*adapted from recipe found on Pinterest


Please click here for the original recipe.

Supreme Beef Casserole

This recipe is a family favorite from my Aunt Nita. It is a quick alternative to lasagna and can be on the table in 45 minutes. You do have the option of substituting a home-made marinara sauce.

8 oz cream cheese
1 tub sour cream
1 bag egg noodles, cooked
1 lb ground beef
1 bottle of your favorite spaghetti sauce
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.

Brown ground beef, can add onion and italian seasoning if desired. Add spaghetti sauce and heat through.

Combine hot egg noodles with cream cheese. Mix well until cream cheese is melted. Stir in sour cream.

Spoon enough sauce to cover bottom of baking dish. Add layer of noodles. Sprinkle with cheese. Repeat layers until out of ingredients.

Top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with french bread or rolls.

White sauce

White sauce is the base for biscuits and gravy. It can also be adapted for use in many recipes such as lasagna and as an alfredo sauce. The possibilities are endless.

2 Tbls butter
2 Tbls flour
1 c milk

Melt butter over medium heat. Add flour to make a rue.  Stir butter flour mixture until well combined and bubbly. Add milk and stir until desired thickness is achieved.

Supreme Chicken

From Tia's Kitchen

3-4 chicken breasts

1 pkg. dry Italian dressing

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

Dried onion and chives

Prepared rice



Lay the defrosted chicken in the pan; sprinkle with dry Italian seasoning.  Mix softened cream cheese with onion and chives.  Add soup.  Spread evenly over chicken.  Back at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Serve over rice.

Taco Casserole

From Tia's Kitchen 

1 small onion, chopped

1 lb. ground beef

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Corn chips

½ c. chicken broth

½ c. tomato sauce, plain

1 10oz. can enchilada sauce

1 ½ c. finely shredded cheese

2 cans beans (white, kidney, black, etc), drained

1 can whole kernel corn

1 can green chilies

1 small can chopped black olives



In large skillet, brown ground beef with onion and garlic over med/high heat until cooked thoroughly.  Stir in Taco seasoning, salt and pepper.

Brush inside of slow cooker with oil, place corn chips in the bottom.  Top with beef mixture, broth, tomato sauce and enchilada sauce.  Sprinkle ½ c. of cheese.  Layer more corn chips.  Top with beans, corn, green chilies, ½ olives and ½ c. cheese. Layer more corn chips.  Top with remaining olives and cheese.  Cook on high setting for 2 ½ -3 hours or on low setting 6-7 hours.  Uncover slow cooker for the last 30 minutes.  Top with sour cream.

Chicken-Filled Dumplings

From Tia's Kitchen 

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can golden mushroom soup

1 c. water

3 Tbsp. chopped onion

1 ½ c. cooked chicken, cubed

¼ c. celery, minced

2 Tbsp. onion, minced

¼ tsp. pepper

1 can refrigerated country-style biscuits



In large saucepan, combine cream of chicken soup, golden mushroom soup, water, and 3 Tbsp. chopped onion; heat to boiling, reduce heat, and simmer.  In small bowl, combine chicken, celery, onion, pepper; stir to blend.  Separate biscuits and roll each one out until thin. Spoon chicken mixture into the center of each; wrap dough around chicken mixture and pinch to seal.  Place dumplings on top of summering soup; spoon soup over dumplings.  Simmer 15-20 minutes, or until dough in dumplings is cooked.  Serve immediately.  Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated by simmering 15 minutes or until heated.

Chicken Enchiladas

2 c. cooked chicken, cubed

½ bell pepper, chopped

1 8oz package cream cheese

½ c. salsa

Flour tortillas

1 can Cheddar Cheese Soup

Sour cream



Stir chicken, bell pepper, salsa, and cream cheese in saucepan on low until cream cheese is melted.  Spoon 1/3 c. mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up.  Place, seam side down, in lightly greased baking dish.  Spread Cheddar Cheese soup on top. Cover with foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through.  Top with sour cream.

7-Layer Casserole

Corn chips

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

½ box elbow macaroni

½ tsp. EVOO

1 lb. ground beef

½ medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, grated, divided

1 Tbsp. chili powder

½ Tbsp. coriander

½ Tbsp. cumin

1 ½ Tbsp. Tomato sauce

1 can chicken broth

1 ½ Tbsp. butter

1 ½ Tbsp. flour

1 ¼ c. milk

½ can tomatoes with chilies, drained

1.5 c. shredded yellow cheese, divided

1 can refried beans

3-4 plum tomatoes

½ small onion, finely chopped

1/8 c. cilantro, chopped

1 lime, zest and juice

1 avacado

½ c. sour cream

Lemon juice

Hot sauce to taste

¼ head iceberg lettuce, shredded

¼ c. chopped olives

½ bunch scallions



Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Salt the water and add the noodles and cook to package instructions.

Place a large skillet over medium heat with 1 tbps. EVOO.  Brown the meat, add onion,2 cloves garlic, ½ jalapeno and cook until tender.  Season with chili powder, coriander, cumin and tomato paste.  Let the meat mixture cook for a minute or two then add chicken broth and cook 5 minutes.

While meat is cooking, make cheese sauce.  In a saucepot over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the flour and stir.  Cook for a minute and whisk in the milk.  Cook until thickened.

                Drain tomatoes and add to milk mixture.  Fold in cheese, reserving ¼ cup and cooked noodles.  Season with salt and pepper.

                Heat refried beans with a little bit of water.

To build casserole, spread beef mixture out in the bottom of casserole dish.  Top with refried beans and then mac and cheese and remaining cheese.  Put in oven and bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

                To make salsa, mix tomatoes, jalapeno, red onion, and cilantro in small bowl.  Season with salt, lime zest and juice.

                For guacamole, scoop flesh of avocado in bowl, add sour cream, lemon juice, remaining clove of garlic and hot sauce.  Process until creamy.

                Once the casserole is out of the oven, top with corn chips and shredded iceberg lettuce.  Top with salsa, guacamole, and chopped olives and scallions.

Egg Noodles

My mom spoiled me. She prepared homemade egg noodles every time she made chicken or turkey noodle soup. I know these noodles would be a great side dish as well.

2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
Flour

Add enough flour to make a ball. Mix all together and roll out flat. Cut in strips with pizza cutter. Let dry or drop immediately into boiling soup. Cook about 10 minutes.

Poppy Seed Chicken

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c sour cream
4 chicken breasts
1 roll Ritz crackers
3/4 cube butter
1 1/3 T poppy seeds

Boil chicken breasts for about 25 minutes.

Mix together soup and sour cream. Spread 1/3 in bottom of 9 x13 pan. Arrange chicken in pan. Spread remaining sauce on top.

Melt butter. Crush crackers. Mix butter, crackers, and poppy seeds. Sprinkle on top of chicken and sauce

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve with rice or egg noodles

Taco Soup, from Kathy O

2 lbs ground beef
1 lg onion
2 cans Mexican stewed tomatoes
1 can kidney beans
1 can Great Northern beans
1 can whole corn
1 pkg taco mix
1 pkg dry Ranch salad dressing mix
1 can water
5 drops Tobasco sauce
Shredded cheddar cheese for top

Brown hamburger and onion together. Add remaining ingredients. Heat. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, and chips.

Crock pot: you can cook the meat and onion and then throw everything in the crock pot and cook it on low.

Easy Homemade Chili

3/4 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped green pepper
1 1/2 lb ground beef
Fry above ingredients together and put in crock pot. Then add:
1 qt stewed tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1 T chili powder
1 lg can chili beans
1 lg can kidney beans
1 pkg chili seasoning
Simmer at least an hour - it gets better the longer you cook it!

Serves 6

Corn Chowder

3 cans whole kernal corn, drained or 1 bag frozen corn
3 cans creamed corn
2 cans diced potatoes, drained
1 lb bacon, cooked to crisp
2 can evaporated milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Option 1 - Stove top
Combine all ingredients except evaporated milk in large pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer about 20 minutes. Add milk and heat through before serving.

Option 2 - Crock pot
Put all ingredients into crock pot. Cook on low for 4 hrs. I suggest waiting to add the milk until about 30 minutes to prevent curdling.

The longer you cook this the better it gets!! Enjoy!

Variations:
You can substitute smoked sausage for the bacon. Turkey bacon also works well.
Fresh potatoes can be used. I suggest cutting into pieces and boiling them for 20 minutes before adding to chowder.

Easy Crock Pot Lasagna

28 oz spaghetti sauce
8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 lb ground beef
1/3 c water
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 c mozzarella cheese
1 tsp italian seasoning

Break noodles in half. Place half of noodles in bottom of greased slow cooker
Brown ground beef in saucepan. Drain. Stir in Italian seasoning. Spread half over noodles
Layer half of sauce and water, half of ricotta and mozzarella cheeses
Repeat layers
Cover and cook on low for 5 hrs

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Fall is a wonderful time for crock pot soups. I love chicken tortilla soup. My favorite location to eat this soup was actually at an officer's club at Osan AB, South Korea. I had a few favorite recipes for this soup. I combined them to create my own.

Chicken (I usually use chicken breast or tenders)
Note: You can put it in raw and it will cook throughout the day and you can chop it before serving. Another option is to use leftovers from a grocery store roaster chicken.

1 qt stewed tomatoes with all the juice
1/2 c. salsa
1 can black beans
1 can corn, drained
1 c. chicken broth
2 tsp - 1 T. Taco Seasoning
1 c. instant rice

Put full chicken breasts to crock pot. Add tomatoes, salsa, taco seasoning and chicken broth. Cook on low for at least 3 hours. Remove chicken and cut or shred. Put back in crock pot along with the black beans and corn. Cook on low for an additional 1-2 hours. Add the rice about an hour before serving and turn crock pot to high. Please remember that the rice absorbs the liquid. If you think the soup is too runny, you can add more rice.

Serve soup with corn chips, cheese, and sour cream!