Tater Tot Taco Casserole

This is yummy and really quick. Everyone really liked it.

TATER TOT TACO BAKE 1 lb ground beef
*1 small onion (diced)
*1 garlic clove (minced)
*1 small can black olives (sliced)
*1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix (or make your own!!)
*1 (16 ounce) bag frozen corn
*1 (4 ounce) can green chilies (diced and drained)
*1 (12 ounce) can black beans (drained and rinsed)
*1 (16 ounce) bag shredded Mexican cheese blend 
*1 (16 ounce) package frozen tater tots
*1 (10.5 ounce fluid ounce) can enchilada sauce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add ground beef, garlic, and onion and cook while breaking the meat apart with a spoon or spatula until the ground beef is completely browned. Drain off any excess fat. Add taco seasoning mix, green chilies, frozen corn, and black beans to the ground beef. Cook until heated through.

In a large bowl combine ground beef mixture, ¾ of the Mexican cheese blend, and all of the tater tots. Stir well to combine.
Pour about 1/3 of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add the tater tot mixture to the baking dish and lightly pat the mixture down into a solid, even layer. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tater tots.

Place into the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. During the last few minutes of baking, top the casserole with the remaining Mexican cheese blend and the sliced black olives. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly. :)

Easter Goodies

Here a couple of yummies I made for Easter plus the cupcakes. Which by the way got very mixed reviews. Anywhere from "tastes like gingerbread" to "tastes like dog food smells..." So, yeah?! I thought they were good, but I will tweak a few things next time I make them.....





This is The. Best. Cheesecake. I. Have. Ever. Had.......

No joke. It is just a plain cheesecake dyed orange instead of the orange flavored cake it called for (Yuck!). It didn't turn out as pretty as I hoped it would. I cut into it before it was completely set because I was in a hurry. Side note....Don't make cheesecake unless you allot yourself plenty of cooling/setting time. That is edible Easter grass. I had never seen it before, but it sure is cute. :)

These are my Rice Krispie Nests. My son saw these in a magazine and begged me to make them. They were easy and quick so I did. Happy Boy.

My Goodness, My Guiness (Drunken Cupcakes)

Beer and dessert? Yes please. Desserts are one of my most favorite things to make. I like to try new ones. Last year I made Irish Whiskey Brownies for St. Patrick's day. They were good, just a little strong.

This year, I ended up not cooking for St. Pat's day, but I was asked to bring dessert for Easter.  I found the recipe for these babies and decided that I had to make them. They are really good, although they don't have much of a beer flavor. They actually taste a lot like gingerbread. Enjoy


Drunken Cupcakes

* 1 box devil's food cake mix
* 1 T. ground cinnamon
* 1 t. ground nutmeg
* 2 c. confectioner's sugar
* 1 can Guinness

Prepare cake per directions on box, only swap the water for beer. Add cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake according to box.

For icing. Boil 1 c. Guinness until it is 1/2. Add 2 T. at a time to confection's sugar until you get a thick icing. Spread on cupcakes and enjoy!

Update to Chicken Taquito post

I posted the recipe for the Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos March 14, right after we ate them. I made them about a week later again, and Hubby just asked me last night for them again...... This is impressive since he gets burnt out on food very quickly. He will eat left overs for lunch the following day, but usually not more than that. These he ate for at least 2 days after we had them and then was bummed when they were gone. These really are a winner!

Cheeseburger Casserole

I got this yummy dinner from my good friend Alisa. I was impressed that my two light eaters asked for seconds.  Those two hardly ever do. I was also that my one son ate it since it is full of tomatoes. He ate it and wanted more. This is easy and has few ingredients that are usually on hand.  Next time I think I will add some veggies to it but it is fine the way it is.

Cheeseburger casserole  

 * 1lb ground beef  

 * 1 medium onion, chopped  

 * 1 28oz can diced tomatoes 

 * 1Tbsp Worcestershire sauce  

 * 1 tsp dried oregano   

 * 1/2 tsp garlic powder  

 * salt & pepper to taste  

 * 12 oz med-wide egg noodles  

 * 2 cups shredded cheese 

 

 Brown hamburger with onions. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.

 

Cook Noodles according to package. Combine and stir in cheese. You could even add a little cheese to the top and toss it in the oven until it gets melty. 

 

I know this may sound weird, but I added just a bit of pickle juice to my serving. Tasted just like a cheeseburger. :)

Winner Winner Chicken......Taquito....

This will be added to my easy and often list for sure! Hubby even said it tastes like something you would get at a restaurant. Wooot! It is so incredibly simple that it just shouldn't taste that good!



Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos.

* 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
* 12 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
* 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken
* 1/2 packet dry Ranch Dressing mix
* 2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
* 20 (6-inch) flour tortillas
Salt
Non-stick cooking spray
 
* Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
* Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
* Mix together cream cheese, chicken, bacon,cheese and ranch mix. Mix well.
* Spoon the chicken mixture into a flour tortilla and roll it up.
* Place taquito seam-side down on the baking sheet.
* Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes (or until edges and tops are golden). Let cool for a couple of minutes.

I served these with Salsa Ranch. Equal parts salsa and ranch dressing. Sounds gross, but so good!

Pineapple Upside Down Martini

I had one of these last weekend. I was pleasantly suprised how good it was. It tastes exactly like a piece of pineapple upside down cake. The bartender said the secret is Marshmallow vodka instead of vanilla, which is what most people use. I agree. :)

Pineapple Upside Down Martini

* 2 oz. pineapple juice
* 1 oz. marshmallow vodka
* small splash Grenadine

Put ingredients in a shaker with 2 ice cubes. Shake and enjoy.