Menu Monday

Monday already? Gah! Where does the time go?!?

Did everyone have a fantastic Easter? I did...very much enjoyed time with my kiddos and I absolutely loved seeing their excitement over the goodies in their baskets! Luc started baseball (practice) this weekend too, so we are really starting to look forward to Spring sports!

I got our menu all planned out for the next two weeks and shopped on Saturday. (However, even though I plan for two weeks at a time, I'm only going to share one week at a time here.)

So here we go!

Sunday 4/24
Baked Ham
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Broccoli Ritz "Casserole"
Dinner Rolls (TOTALLY spaced it and forgot to make the dinner rolls last night!)
Strawberry Shortcake for dessert!

Monday 4/25
Honey Mustard Chicken (Slow-Cooker!)
Rice
Steamed Veggies
(We were supposed to have this last week and plans got changed.)

Tuesday 4/26
"Beefy Nachos"
(Basically a "nacho bar" set up with chips, taco meat, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, guacomole, and nacho cheese! Build your own nachos! Luc's requested meal of the week!)

Wednesday 4/27
Ham & Corn Chowder
Dinner Rolls
I will be using THIS recipe, as a base (using up leftover ham...woot!) but have some changes to make. If it turns out as deliciously as I'm expecting, I will create a separate post with the recipe!

Thursday 4/28
LEFTOVERS!! (Exclamation points make everything more exciting...right??)

Friday 4/29
Homemade Pizza...one buffalo chicken and one taco pizza (using leftover taco meat from our nacho bar day!). YUMMY! Can't wait! (This was Mikey's requested meal of the week!)
Salads

Saturday 4/30
Steak Sandwiches (Another new recipe I'll be trying...I will post if it's delish!)
Oven fries

Homemade Donuts - SUPER easy recipe!

Not much makes my kids happier than DONUTS for breakfast. But seriously...who feels like getting up and running to the store bright and early? Not this girl!

Thus, you can understand my excitement when I came across this SUPER easy recipe for homemade donuts! My kids were STOKED (as was momma...not gonna lie!)

We paired ours with a Danimals Crush Cup yogurt and breakfast was complete!

1. Open a can of southern style biscuits. (Do NOT use the "flaky" kind with the layers!) I just used a generic brand.

2. Using a cap from a 2 liter bottle (or any other small round something you may have) cut a hole out of the middle of each donut. Don't throw that extra dough away!! Fry it up for donut holes! YUMMY!



3. Heat oil in a skillet until "hot enough" (LOL...how helpful am I right now? Sorry!) Cook donuts on one side for about a minute.



4. Flip and cook on the other side about a minute. (I slightly undercooked mine on accident so they were doughy in the middle...icky.)



5. Remove from oil and place on paper towel. Blot to remove oil.

6. While still warm, dredge in a plate of sugar. (Next time we're going to try homemade icing and sprinkles!!)



7. FEAST!


(Edited to add: For the record, my wall isn't filthy! That's spots on the camera lens. I forgot to touch them up in this photo! LOL!)

Try it out! You won't be sorry...TRUST me!!

Linking up...blog hopping!!




Here, too!!







And HERE!






Got stuff to do?? Check out 10 in 10!

Getting into the swing of things...and a recipe!

Slowly, but surely, we are getting back into the swing of things. The boys are enjoying school, and I am happy with their new teachers, so that's awesome. We're doing our annual "fall cleaning' (opposite our spring cleaning) and spent the last two days going through every item of clothing in the house and sorting things to throw away, put away and give away. It was a big undertaking but I'm glad it's done.

I'm back to work full time and although I will say I SO wish I could be home with my buddy, I am relieved to have my paycheck coming in again.

My photography season is winding down...a few more sessions I'm looking forward to and then I expect things will be pretty slow until Spring...so it goes. :)

My boys Luc and Mike go to their dads every other week. It's something new we started recently and it's going ok. There have been snags but I'm trying to give it time...we'll see what happens, I guess. This weekend was my weekend with them, and I have been trying to make them fun breakfasts on their weekends here...just because. :)

Yesterday we had delicious, gooey cinnamon rolls, and this morning I made easy-peasy "Half-Homemade Chocolate Croissants" !! I saw this idea HERE last week...check out her blog. It's awesome!

This was super easy and super delicious!!

All you need is a can of Pillsbury crescent rolls (I used the jumbo "Big and Flaky" version) and a jar of Nutella (mmm!!!)



Unroll the crescent rolls and spread a dollop of Nutella on each...



Roll 'em up loosely and place on your baking sheet. Bake per package directions.



Yummmmmmmy!!!!!!!!!!!



See? Mikey approves!! (Luc wasn't as impressed...)



Dirty Face=Job Well done on Mom's part!!


I have an actual croissant recipe I want to try eventually but until then, this is quick, easy and delicious! Works for me!!

xoxo

Mexican Chicken & Cheese Pasta

I was feeling SO sick when I made this, that I didn't think to snap a picture. :( Sorry folks. But I had to share the recipe anyway.

I found a recipe online for a Mexican Chicken & Cheese Pasta, but we tweaked it to suit our families likes/dislikes, and I couldn't be happier with the results! Even the kids scarfed it down!! LOVE when that happens!

This is quick and delicious...hope you enjoy!

Mexican Chicken & Cheese Pasta

2 chicken breasts, cubed
1 box penne pasta (or any other fave...next time I am going to try rotini!)
1 jar Tostitos brand Salsa Con Queso
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large tomato-diced
Tostitos (or other corn chips)

1. Cook Pasta according to box directions. Drain and return to pan.
2. In a separate pan, cook chicken. (Season to taste)
3. Add chicken to pasta. Mix in beans and Cheese Sauce.
4. Serve immediately. Garnish with diced tomato and crushed tortilla chips.

Like I said, I wasn't feeling well the night I made it but I had it as leftovers the next day and it was delish! We will be adding it to our menu again in the future, I'm sure! Yummy!

Make Ahead Breakfast Burritos

With school starting for my boys very soon, I've been looking for ideas to save us time and sanity!

I saw an idea on TV to make "Make Ahead Breakfast Burritos" so that we did, and I am TOTALLY stoked with the results and now on the hunt for more great "Make Ahead" meals!!

We combined several ingredients (recipe below), rolled up and individually wrapped the breakfast burritos. Now if my kiddos want a quick, hot breakfast, it's as easy as taking one out of the freezer and popping it in the microwave for a couple of minutes! What a great way to provide a hot breakfast for my kids when they get sick of cereal and toast!

Another great thing is that this is TOTALLY customizable to your families likes/dislikes! If Adam would eat onions I would've used "Potatoes O'Brien" instead of regular hash browns...but they were still full of flavor as I made them!

Does anyone have a great "Make Ahead" meals resource? Or a great recipe you're willing to share?

I'd love to hear what others are cooking up!

Make Ahead Breakfast Burritos

16 (2 packages) 8-9" Tortilla Shells
1 dozen eggs
1/2 c. milk
3 T. butter
2 c. shredded cheddar
1 lb. pork sausage
1 pkg. frozen hash browns (or potatoes o'brien)

1. Cook and crumble sausage and drain off any fat. Set aside.

2. In another pan melt butter and then scramble eggs with milk and salt and pepper to taste. Be sure to only do a "soft scramble"...you want the eggs to still be a little wet because you will be reheating the burrito and the eggs will cook the rest of the way at that time.

3. Let sausage and eggs cool for a few minutes. Then mix together in a BIG bowl with your hashbrowns and shredded cheese.



4. Spoon a generous helping of filling onto the center of a tortilla. (I warmed the tortillas first in the microwave to make them easier to roll.)



5. Fold ends in and then roll up. Wrap individually in foil.



6. To reheat, place (in foil) in the oven (350 degrees) until heated through, or remove from foil and microwave for two minutes.

7. Serve with sour cream or salsa...ENJOY!

16 homemade breakfast burritos for less than $10 worth of ingredients with no preservatives or other junk?? I'll take it!

I'm linking up over at "Look What I Made" day at Creations by Kara...make sure you stop by her blog and check out all the homemade goodness going on over there today!!





xoxo

Lemon Poppy-Seed & Strawberry Cake - Half Homemade

I just spent the better part of a gorgeous morning hanging out in the driveway with my familia! It was wonderful! Due to the fact that both little boys, as well as I have been super sick over the past couple of weeks, we thought we'd host Mikey's 5th Birthday party OUTSIDE in the fresh air (with easily accessible bottles of hand sanitizer at the ready!)

And honestly, sickness or no sickness, that was the best decision EVER! It was SO very gorgeous out this morning...and being outdoors gave Mikey ample time to ride his new BIKE!! :)

Anyway...back to the point! Mikey was sitting next to me one day while I was leafing through a magazine and he saw a Lemon Poppy-Seed and Strawberry layer cake. He wanted THAT cake for his birthday. I looked up the recipe online and found some not great reviews, which is scary. AND it would've been a very pricey cake...cake and frosting from scratch. I do not keep cake flour in the house. I don't want to deal with whipping heavy cream. I'm all for the yum-factor, but between the kids and the pregnancy (plus now I'm sick) I just don't have the patience, time or energy!

SO...I figured, "Well...I can pretty much copy that idea and do it myself!" And folks...that is just what I did. Results from ALL who tried it?!?!?! BIG THUMBS UP!!

I wish I had a picture...my mom probably does. (If so, I'll share later) But here it is...

Half-Homemade Lemon Poppy-Seed & Strawberry Cake

1 Lemon Cake Box Mix (and ingredients required per box directions)
3 Tbsp. (give or take) Poppy Seeds
2 Cans White "Whipped" frosting
1 lb. Strawberries (fresh)
1 cup (Approx.) Strawberry Preserves

1. Mix cake mix according to box directions, adding poppy seeds prior to baking. Follow directions for two 8-inch round pans, which you have greased with shortening and floured. Bake per box directions, invert shortly after removing from oven, and cool on a cooling rack.
2. Cut each cake round in half, horizontally, using a serrated knife...giving you four separate layers.
3. Two assemble cake, place one layer on a plate, cut side up. Spread 1/3 of strawberry preserves over cake, followed by approximately 1/3th of a can of frosting. Top this with a layer of cut strawberries.
4. Repeat with remaining layers. When you reach the fourth cake layer, be sure to place it cut side down. Do not add preserves or berries to the top of this layer.
5. Frost the cake with desired amount of frosting on top and sides. Garnish with extra berries.
6. Refrigerate until ready to serve!

This cake was truly delicious and looks (and tastes) impressive for how simple it really is!

Like I said... I will share a photo later if my mom has one available!! (Can you believe I did not take a single picture today?? I've been so sick and so tired, I spent most of the party just RESTING!

Hope everyone has a fabulous Memorial Day Weekend!!

xoxo

Half-Homemade Chicken Enchilada Pie

I should've made this when my oldest son was here...he would've LOVED it!

I found a recipe online and tweaked and changed it up to suit our family and the things we like! I love doing that!!

What I DIDN'T do was take a picture! I've been TERRIBLE about including pictures lately, and even worse about remembering to take pictures of our food before we eat it all up!

I'll get better at that...I'll work on it. Promise.

Chicken Enchilada Pie

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 eight inch tortilla shells
Tostitos Zesty Bean & Cheese dip
Salsa (I only use Pace Thick & Chunky - Medium)
2 cups Shredded Cheddar

1. Cook and shred chicken breasts. (Season to taste while cooking.)
2. Spray the inside of an 8" spring-form pan with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Place one tortilla shell in the bottom of the pan. Layer bean dip, chicken, salsa and cheese on top of the shell. Top with another shell.
4. Repeat with the remainder of the shells.
5. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.
6. Remove the sides of the spring-form pan and cut the pie into wedges. Serve with sour cream and corn chips! YUMMY!!

This was SUPER quick and so easy. The kids LOVED it (which is always awesome for me)!! It will definitely be a keeper in our arsenal of family recipes!!

Enjoy!

Half Homemade Carrot Cake! Mmmm!

Dear Carrot Cake,

I love you so. You are spicy and sweet and delightful. I love you so much that instead of waiting for you to cool, I frosted you a little bit warm. I think I love you even more when you're warm.

xoxo,
Jenn

PS...I love you so much I want to share you with the masses. I shall do that now. :)

Half Homemade Carrot Cake

1 box carrot cake mix
1 cup crushed canned pineapple - undrained
1 cup sweetened flake coconut
1 cup raisins
1 individual serving size cup cinnamon applesauce (Know what I mean? Like the snack-pack of applesauce??)
1/2 cup water
3 eggs
Cinnamon to taste

1. Mix all ingredients with an electric mixer on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes.
2. Pour into pan or muffin cups and bake per package directions.
3. If you can wait for it to cool, do so, and then frost (I recommend cream cheese icing. Normally I'd make it myself, but I wasn't in the mood, so I just bought a can...delish!)

Notes:

• I used applesauce in place of one cup of oil. If you so choose, you could use oil. I'll stick with the applesauce. (I do this in almost ALL cakes I make.)
• If you think you have raisins and you don't, don't be afraid to dump out an entire box of raisin bran and pick the raisins out. Don't ask me why I had to figure that one out.
  
• If you don't have crushed pineapple, toss some pineapple chunks in the food processor and pulse for a few seconds. Easy peasy.
  

Gah!

Soooo...I realized today that I have already POSTED my half-homemade chicken enchiladas!! LOL! Give a girl a break...it's been awhile since I blogged. I'll get back into the swing of things...no worries!

If you're interested in the recipe, go here

I will have a new recipe to post ASAP though...promise!

xoxo

Loving Life & a 21 Week Update

Quick pregnancy update...things are going well. I'm measuring right on target. Not gaining ANY weight, which is fine by me as long as our baby BOY is healthy! Yep...I am soon to be the mom of FOUR boys! Love it! I'm feeling better (minus a punishing UTI I'm dealing with right now) and baby is rocking out, kicking up a storm in my ever-expanding belly!

PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!! We have SO much on the horizon!!

I've found a project I am including the kiddos on that I cannot WAIT to try! We are going to make onesies for our baby BOY, due August 10th! Now that I am finally feeling better after what seemed like NEVER-ENDING "morning" sickness. I can cook again...and clean...and CRAFT! Yay!

So I will be much more present, now! Spring is in the air...which always invigorates my heart! I've got photography work going on which makes me happy. The baby is seeming more real to the kids now that I'm getting a big belly and since we found out it's a boy! I just feel so much more like myself! Ahhh...bliss!

Now that I'm back COOKING up a storm, you can be expecting more new recipe posts! (And this is a long way off, but I am very much looking forward to trying something new...making our own baby food!)

We've got LOTS of home renovations going on too...we're doing some bedroom swapping, and all the kids (and the man and I) will be shifted around and in new and improved rooms! Lots of fun...and lots to post about!

Ahhh...I am feeling GOOD about life today! Love days like that! Back tomorrow with my son William's favorite dish to post about...SUPER EASY "Half-Homemade" Chicken Enchiladas!! Yummy!!

xoxo

Diet Soda Cake - Yum!

Super fast, Super easy, SUPER Delicious!

I've heard of people doing this before, but never tried it myself. Basically, you take your good ol' cake mix, and instead of using eggs + oil + water, you replace those three with one can of Diet Soda. If there's one thing I love, it's Diet Soda. Sign me up!

Last night after our lasagna, I decided we needed a dessert. (Of course, a short time later, the kids starting acting up and went to bed with no bedtime snack. I know...mean, mean momma...but that's neither here nor there.)

ANYWAY...I went with carrot cake, since it's spicy and yummy for fall. Mixed the box mix with a can of Diet Mtn. Dew (it was that or Diet Dr. Pepper...ha!) and baked as directed.

Let me tell ya...SUPER moist, and oh so delish!!!! I frosted it with cream cheese frosting and enjoyed the heck out of it! (And I sent some with grandma today so the kids could have a snack at her house...see??? I'm not THAT mean!)

I can't wait to try this trick again. I want to do a vanilla cake with an orange soda! I think (hope!) it will be citrus-y and wonderful! YUMMY!

Chicken Enchiladas - Half Homemade

My oldest son, Will, has been requesting my enchiladas for awhile now, so it's time I give in and hook the boy up! :)

These are fast and yummy and our family (especially my Will) LOVES them! I double the following recipe, but I've got a family full of growing boys so they can eat!

Chicken Enchiladas
1 tub of Chi-Chi's Chicken for Tacos*
1 can of fat-free refried beans
1 pkg. of 8-inch tortilla shells
1 can enchilada sauce
3 cups shredded cheddar
Sour Cream

*You could easily make the chicken yourself by cooking two chicken breasts, shredding it and mixing with taco seasoning and a little water. I buy it in tubs because it's faster and easier for me!

1. Lay out your tortillas.
2. Spread each with a heaping tablespoon of refried beans.
3. Split chicken evenly among tortillas and spread along the center line.
4. Divide one cup of shredded cheddar evenly among the tortillas and sprinkle over chicken.
5. Pour about 1/4 of your can of enchilada sauce into a 9x13 pan.
6. Roll tortillas tightly and place seam side down in the baking dish.
7. Pour the remainder of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas. I spread this out with the back of a spoon to make sure they are all evenly coated.
8. Sprinkle the remaining two cups of cheese over the enchiladas.
9. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for about half an hour. They are done with the cheese is melted and bubbly.
10. Serve with sour cream! YUM!

HOPE YOU ENJOY!!

Crock Pot People - Buffalo Chicken Dip

We are "Crock Pot People"...especially with fall coming up and the kids starting school. It's SO much easier for me to prepare dinner in the morning while the kids are eating breakfast or even the night before after I do dinner dishes. Then I can plug it in and turn it on before I go to work and by the time I get home, we're ready to rock!

This fall I plan to start a weekly Linky Party called CROCK POT PEOPLE to share your favorite delish Crock Pot/Slow Cooker recipes! So be watching for that!

In the meantime, I want to share our FAVORITE crock pot appetizer! Spicy and delicious and I get asked to bring it everytime we go to a party or gathering! It is PERFECT for football games and we make it about once a week in the fall/winter...no lie! :)

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 large can chicken - drained and shredded
1 cup hot sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot...do NOT use Tobasco!)
1 cup Ranch dressing
1 8-oz. cream cheese, softened
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.

1. Mix the hot sauce, ranch dressing and cream cheese in a bowl.
2. Add the chicken. Mix well and then pour into a crock pot.
3. Sprinkle the top with cheese, lock your lid on and cook on high for half an hour.
4. Once the shredded cheese is melted, stir to mix it into the dip...turn the crockpot down to low and you should be ready to rock!

We use Frito's Scoops with this dip and it is the most magnificent "Hot Wing on a Chip" taste your mouth is ever going to experience!!

Mmmm...just thinking about it makes me crave football and chips & dip!!

Looking forward to Sundays...

German Chocolate Cookies - Half Homemade

You all know I LOVE to cook, but baking is not my forte. Cookies here and there, sure, but I don't enjoy doing it and I don't ever feel like I'm that good at it.

That said, I found a super yummy recipe for German Chocolate cookies...tweaked it (I can't help myself...it needed fixing) and am very pleased with the results! If you are a german chocolate cake fan, you MUST try these! SO good!

German Chocolate Cookies
1 German Chocolate Cake Mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1/2 cup sweetened flake coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 and a half cups caramel chips

1. Pour the cake mix into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add all dry ingredients first, and then the wet ingredients.
3. Stir by hand until the batter is moistened all the way through...this might take a few good minutes of stirring.
4. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.
5. Cool for one minute on the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Enjoy this sweet and delicious treat! :)

Mac-N-Cheese, the "Half Homemade" way!

You've heard me talk about "Half Homemade" before...a recipe made at home, but not quite "from scratch". I love to take a recipe and make it easier on me and my family by using just a few prepared ingredients.

That said, I LOVE good, homemade baked mac-n-cheese (my grandma's is PHENOMENAL!), and have tried countless recipes trying to get it just right. To be honest, I have yet to find a total success.

Then, a couple weeks ago, I came across a recipe for an altered version of box macaroni. I decided to try to come up with my own recipe to fit it to my liking, and to my delight, I and the family LOVED it! So pleased...I just had to share!

This is SO quick and easy, and it tastes like the real deal! *(And it's an easy recipe to double if you need more or cut in half if you don't need to feed as many people.)

Half Homemade Mac-N-Cheese

2 boxes Kraft Macaroni & Cheese (not the deluxe kind or anything...just plain jane mac-n-cheese)
1-8 oz. container sour cream
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar
1 c. shredded parmesan
1/2 sleeve of Ritz crackers
2 Tbsp. butter -- melted
Yellow Mustard
Worchestshire Sauce
Black Pepper and Paprika

1. Prepare the macaroni according to the package directions.
2. Mix in sour cream and shredded cheddar.
3. Add a splash of worchestshire sauce and a "squirt" of yellow mustard. (About 1-1 and a half Tablespoons).
4. Add black pepper and parika to taste.
5. Spread into a baking dish and sprinkle with shredded parmesan.
6. Top with finely crushed Ritz crackers. Pour melted butter over crackers.
7. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes until gooey and bubbly.

Make a big pan and serve it as a meal, or make less and serve it as a side dish. Either way, SO yummy!

ENJOY!

Last Minute Chicken - Half Homemade

I threw this together on a whim the other day and the family loved it! We'll be adding it to our arsenal of recipes we have on hand and hope you can get some use out of it too!

LAST MINUTE CHICKEN

1 pkg. boneless/skinless chicken breasts
½ cup Miracle Whip
¾ cup Dijon Mustard
Breading: Ritz Crackers (or Cheerios…or Corn Flakes…or Wheat Thins...or Cheez-Its…or Bread Crumbs…or whatever!)
Seasoned Salt, Celery Salt, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper or Chili Powder
Grated Parmesan
Cooking Spray

**Notes: I call this “Last Minute Chicken” because it’s something I can make as a stand-by when I don’t have any dinner plans and have a house full of hungry kids. It’s quick and easy…I’ve ALWAYS got a bag of frozen chicken breasts in the freezer, and being that you can bread it with just about anything, I can almost always whip it up at the “last minute”.

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry.
2. Mix Miracle Whip and Mustard in a small bowl.
3. Crush Ritz Crackers (or anything else you have to use for breading. Experiment with different dry cereals or crackers. Just about anything should work…) in a pie plate. Add seasonings to taste. Be careful not to over-salt, though! Add grated parmesan to breading mixture also.
4. Brush a piece of chicken on all sides with mustard mixture, and then coat evenly with breading. Place on foil lined cookie sheet.
5. When all pieces are breaded, spray them with cooking spray (just a short blast…don’t soak them).
6. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and breading is lightly browned and crispy!

xoxo

Easy Shepherd's Pie - Half Homemade

My friend (and step-mother to my oldest son Will), Brittany, blogged about her Shepherd's Pie recipe the other day. It sounded SO delicious, I had to create a recipe of my own.

As I've mentioned before, I like to keep things EASY-PEASY when I'm making weeknight dinners...the kids are so busy with riding and other sports, that I need to save time where I can...while still making my family a delicious, homecooked meal.

Shepherd's Pie is a great meal, because it can utilize leftovers, and a lot of ingredients most people generally have on hand...plus it's customizable for pickier eaters who only like certain veggies. It's definitely a "comfort food" for me, so not the healthiest thing ever, but it is OH so delicious!

Shepherd's Pie
1.5 lbs ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
Veggies
Approx. 3 cups Mashed Potatoes
2 c. shredded cheddar

***Notes: the ground beef could easily be substituted with leftover chicken, turkey or steak. The veggies are totally up to you. Last night I used corn, peas and green beans because that's what I had on hand, but try other veggies...onions, celery, carrots, cauliflower...the possibilities are really limitless here. And for the mashed potatoes, I used my leftover garlic mashed, but you could make them the day of or used instant mashed if you don't have any leftovers.

1. (Assuming you're using ground beef and not leftover meat) Brown the ground beef...seasoning to taste. If you are using onion or celery, add it to the meat and cook until semi-translucent.
2. If you are using fresh veggies. cook with the meat until they begin to soften. If you are using canned or frozen veggies, skip this step.
3. Mix meat, veggies and canned soups well and pour into a 9x13 pan.
4. Heat mashed potatoes slightly (they're easier to spread if they're warm) and layer on top of meat/veggie mixture. (As I said, I used my garlic mashed that I make with red potatoes, garlic and parmesan cheese...SO delicious!)
5. Top with shredded cheese.
6. Bake at 350° approximately 45 minutes, or until heated through. Cheese should be melted and bubbly. (I put my 9x13 pan on a cookie sheet in case it bubbles over a little bit)
7. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before digging in!

ENJOY!

Even my boys LOVE this. I know I've hit the jackpot when I get a "Momma, this is YUMMY!" LOL! :)

Pizzas - Half Homemade!

We are pizza loving people, for sure! The kiddos love helping me make pizzas at home and we do it fairly often. We used to stick with the always safe "Pepperoni, Sausage and Mushroom" (Little tip...fry the mushrooms in butter first...you can thank me later *wink*).

We have been branching out though...ham & pineapple, taco pizza...or our most recent fave, JENN'S FAMOUS BUFFALO CHICKEN PIZZA!! YUMMY!

I wanted to share my Taco Pizza recipe (which is a FANTASTIC use for leftover taco meat) and my Buffalo Chicken Pizza recipe today...and as with most of my recipes, they're what I call "Half Homemade"...not quite whipped up from scratch, but so much better than something that would go straight from the freezer to the microwave. Good, homecooked food for my family in half the time! Love it!

Taco Pizza
1 lb. Ground Beef - browned and drained
Taco Seasoning
1-2 cups Salsa
1 premade pizza crust
1 can Refried Beans (I used fat free!)
2 cups Shredded Cheddar (I use sharp cheddar, but use whatever you prefer)
2 cups Shredded Lettuce
Taco Sauce (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)

***Couple of things: You can substitute the first two ingredients for leftover taco meat. If not, 1 lb. of meat should easily make enough for two pizzas (if not more). Regarding the salsa, I am usually pretty picky about salsa, but for this recipe I use whatever is on sale. For the pizza crust, I use pre-made "Mama Maria" crusts...kind of like a Boboli but I like them better. I'm sure you could use the Pilsbury dough type crusts, BUT, in the spirit of "Half Homemade" I don't want to have to bake my crust first (plus I don't love how those taste!)

Ok...

1. Preheat your oven to 400°.
2. Prepare taco meat using seasoning and ground beef, according to pkg. directions. Set aside. If you're using leftovers, omit this step.
3. Spread refried beans in a thin layer over your crust.
4. Spread about 1 cup of salsa over the refried beans...if you like more "sauce" use more salsa. I usually just eyeball this step.
5. Sprinkle 1 and 1/2 cups of cheese over the sauce.
6. Sprinkle taco meat over cheese, and top with remaining half cup of cheese. You may also splash with taco sauce at this point, but I do not.
7. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly...about 12 minutes.
8. Remove from oven, cool for a few minutes, and cut into triangles.
9. Sprinkle shredded lettuce on top of cooling pizza after it's been cut. Serve with sour cream as a garnish. We also have chips and salsa on ths side!

YUM!

And now...Jenn's FAMOUS Buffalo Chicken Pizza!

1 premade pizza crust
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil (extra-virgin)
1-2 cups pizza sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar (I use Sharp)
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
Garlic powder to taste
1 (large or 2 small) chicken breasts
Hot Sauce (Frank's Red Hot or equivalent)
Ranch Dressing

1. Season your chicken breast to taste. Grill or pan fry until cooked through. Dice or shred into small pieces and toss in hot sauce and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400° and brush crust with EVOO (Olive Oil).
3. Spread desired amount of pizza sauce on crust. I like to spread the sauce and let it sit and soak in a bit for a couple of minutes, and then spread a little more on top.
4. Sprinkle garlic powder over sauce.
5. Spread mozzarella, parmesan and half of cheddar cheese over sauce.
6. Add chicken to pizza. Splash pizza with more hot sauce if desired. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.
7. Bake until cheese is bubbly...about 12 minutes.
8. We serve with ranch dressing for dipping. DELICIOUS!



Now that my mouth is watering, I'm off to make dinner for the family...pizza and salad for everyone! YUMMY!

ENJOY!