Main Dish-Beef Enchilada Casserole

This is another recipe from my make and take meal classes. I also think it would be great for a party because it serves 10. It is also nice to have on hand in the freezer to cook after a hard day at work.

BEEF ENCHILADA CASSEROLE

2 lbs. extra lean ground beef, browned and drained

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can fiesta nacho cheese soup

1 (8 oz) jar taco sauce

1 (10oz) can enchilada sauce

1 pkg (12 ct) corn tortillas (torn in fourths)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Combine first 5 ingredients. Layer 1/2 tortillas, 1/2 meat mixture in 13x9 dish. Repeat layers. Top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 10

I have also divided this, put in sprayed tins, and placed each tin in a freezer ziplock bag with most of the air removed. I cooled it in the refrigerator before putting them in the freezer.

Main Dish-Chicken Spectacular

I have been to make and take meals where I put together 10 meals at one time. I am sure many of you have done that too. When I came home from work it was great to pull one of these already prepared meals from the freezer and cook. This is one of the recipes. I halved this and had two meals. Hope you enjoy.

CHICKEN SPECTACULAR

1 lb. chicken breast, cooked, diced

1 cup rice, cooked

1/2 can cream of celery soup

1 can French-style green beans, drained

2 Tbsp. Pimiento

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup almonds

Mix together and put in casserole dish.(I divided and put in two separate tins from the grocery store that I sprayed with Pam and then I put each tin in a freezer bag, got most of the air out, and placed it in the freezer for a later meal.)(I first cooled it in the refrigerator before putting it in the freezer.) Cook at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes.(This may be different time if frozen.) Serves 4

Dessert -Almond Joy Cake

Uh, oh, I am on a roll with chocolate. Here's another one.

ALMOND JOY CAKE

STEP 1- 1 chocolate cake mix with pudding in it (bake as directed)

STEP 2-Filling: 1 c. sugar

1 c. Pet milk

24 large marshmallows

Directions: Put this in sauce pan and cook stirring until marshmallows melt.

Add: 14 oz. pkg coconut. Pour over hot cake

STEP 3- Icing: 1 & 1/2 c. sugar

3/4 stick oleo

1/2 c. Pet milk

Mix in sauce pan and cook to a boil.

Remove from heat and add:

1 & 1/2 c. choc. chips. STIRRING until melted.

Add: 1 c. slivered almonds ( 1 3/4 oz. pkg)

POUR over top of cake and let cool.

Dessert -Earthquake Cake

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, I found another chocolate recipe this afternoon and wanted to share it with everyone.

EARTHQUAKE CAKE

1 chocolate cake mix

1 cup coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

1 (8 oz) cream cheese

1 lb. powdered sugar

Mix cake according to directions. Grease and flour a 9 x 12 pan and put 1 cup pecans and coconut in bottom. Pour in cake and top with cream cheese and powdered sugar which has been mixed together. Bake at 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

This is a good cake

Dessert -German Chocolate Pound Cake

Do you like chocolate? This cake would serve many and was shared by a friend.

GERMAN CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

2 cups sugar

1 cup shortening

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. butter flavoring

1 cup buttermilk

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. soda

1 tsp. salt

1 pkg German sweet chocolate

Cream sugar and shortening and add eggs, flavorings, and buttermilk. Sift together flour, soda and salt and add. Mix well. Then add German Chocolate that has been softened in warm oven or in double boiler. Blend together well. Cook in 9"stem pan, that has been well greased and dusted with flour about 1-1/2 hours at 300 degrees. Place cake under a tight fitting cake cover, while still hot and leave covered until cold.

Main Dish-Apricot Chicken

Quick and easy is what this main dish chicken recipe is. I got this at a cooking class that I went to. You can half the recipe or make the whole amount and freeze it for a future meal. It is a favorite from the class I took. Actually, I get 4 meals from this because I put 2 pieces of chicken in the little tins from the grocery store, divide the mixture and pour on top, put each tin in a ziplock freezer bag, remove as much air from the bag as possible, and then freeze. When I want to use it for a meal, I thaw it in the fridge and then cook as directed. Love to serve with rice and steamed veggies.

APRICOT CHICKEN

1 (8 oz) bottle Catalina salad dressing

1 env. dry onion soup mix

1 (18 oz) jar apricot jam

8 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

Place chicken in 13x9 pan. Combine first 3 ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Makes 8 servings

Dessert -Heath Bar Coffee Cake

Coffee cake with a cup of coffee may be something to serve your friends for a morning get together.

HEATH BAR COFFEE CAKE

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups flour

1 stick butter(some use oleo)

Mix sugar and flour. Cut or rub in the butter to make crumbs. Remove and reserve 1 cup of this mixture.

1 tsp. soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Dissolve soda in buttermilk. Mix in egg and vanilla. Mix with the crumbs left in the bowl. Pour into a greased 13x9x2 inch pan. Mix reserved crumbs, nuts and crushed candy and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 min.

1/2 cup minced pecans

6 Heath bars, crushed ( Some use a 6 oz. bag of Heath's Butter Brickle bits from Albertsons instead)

Martha Stewart-Holiday Wreaths

I noticed this section on holiday wreaths on Martha Stewart's site. These photos are great wreath ideas. I would like to have some talent when it comes to putting things together like wreaths.

Dessert -Martha Washington Candy

Could not resist putting this recipe on this site too. It was also in the newspaper as a winning candy for this month. This Christmas candy sounds like it would be a hit.

MARTHA WASHINGTON CANDY

1 stick soft margarine

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 pounds powdered sugar

1 cup coconut

1 & 1/4 cups pecans

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 block paraffin wax

Stir together margarine and milk until smooth. Add sugar and mix well. Then add coconut and pecans. Chill dough at least 4 hours or overnight in refrigerator. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. In a double boiler melt chocolate and wax. Use a toothpick and dip chilled balls in chocolate. Cool on wax paper. Makes 5 to 6 dozen. Keep refrigerated.

Dessert -Chocolate Pecan Turtles

I feel the urgent need to post as many Christmas recipes that I can now so that they could be enjoyed during this festive time. This one was also in the newpaper as one of the best recipes judged this month.

CHOCOLATE PECAN TURTLES

1 can sweetened condensed milk (1 &1/3 cups)

3/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Pecans, about 2 to 2 & 1/2 cups, to desired thickness

1 (1 - pound) package of chocolate confectionery coating, semi-sweet or milk chocolate

Combine milk, sugars and corn syrup in a 3-quart sauce pan. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until all sugar crystals are dissolved. Stir frequently as caramel cooks. Cook to 236 degrees or until it forms a soft ball in cold water. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cool. Chop pecans coarsely. Add enough pecans to cooked caramel to make caramel firm enough to dip in chocolate. (Stuff caramel full of pecans) Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Melt chocolate confectionery coating in top of double boiler over hot water. Make small flat patties from caramel nut mixture. Drop into melted chocolate. Remove with dipping fork. Cool on wax paper.