Tortilla Lasagna

This recipe is from Taste of Home, the Simple and Delicious imprint, Feb. 2008 issue. As usual, I made some changes.

1 lb ground beef - You could make it with turkey to make this lighter.
1 cup water
1 envelope taco seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
12 oz sour cream - We used light.
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese - We used reduced-fat
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp cornmeal
10 flour tortillas (6 in.) - We used multi-grain
1 jar salsa - We used 16 oz. jar - Original recipe calls for 8 oz. but we felt like we needed more.
1 small onion

Cook beef until no longer pink. Add water, taco seasoning, and garlic powder. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sour cream and chili powder. In a large bowl, combine cheeses. Sprinkle cornmeal into 9 x 13 baking dish. Layer tortillas in the bottom; cover with 1/2 of the salsa. Cover with sour cream mixture and meat mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 40 minutes--let stand before serving. Tasty!

Stuffed Crescent Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

2 pkg Pillsbury crescent dinner rolls
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 tbs butter
2 cooked, chunked chicken breasts
2 slices ham, diced
2 green onions chopped
2 tbs italian bread crumbs
1 tbs butter, melted
salt, pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend cream cheese, butter, and green onion. Mix in cooked chicken and ham. Grease a large cookie sheet. Unfold crescent rolls and press edges of two rolls together to make a large rectangle (4 per package). Scoop 1/2 cup of mixture in the middle of the rectangle. Gather up the edges towards the top and twist, pinching any openings together. Brush a little melted butter on the tops. Then, sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Delicious!!!

Nutty Asian Chicken

This was originally a Robin Miller recipe. I changed it a little (mostly with the addition of vegetables). It turned out really well--very easy and tasty. Serves 4, or 2 with leftovers.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, defrosted and sliced
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 can chicken broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
Several dashes dried sesame
1 pkg egg noodles (or rice if desired)
3 arms celery, chopped
3 med. green onions, chopped
1 pkg cashews or mixed nuts

Mix peanut butter, chicken broth, soy sauce and sesame and bring to a soft boil. Add chicken and turn down heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until fully cooked. Add nuts and vegetables and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Prepare rice or noodles according to package directions and serve with chicken mixture.

Springy Cheesy Chicken

My husband came up with the name of this recipe - we got it out of an American Heart Association healthy cooking book. It was two dishes named differently, but of course, we changed it to our liking, so it's ours under this name now! The "if desired" ingredients were included in the recipe, but we did not use them.

For pasta:
1 box rotini or penne - We used whole wheat
1 bell pepper (green or yellow)
2 arms celery
1 bunch broccoli, chopped - if desired
Grape tomatoes - if desired
1 medium green onion
3 tbsp fat free sour cream
2 tbsp Parmesan
2 tbsp light mayo
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

For chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, defrosted
1 80z container cream cheese - we used Garden Vegetable - low fat if desired
Grape tomatoes - if desired
2 medium green onions - if desired

Boil pasta noodles according to package directions. Chop all vegetables and set aside. Mix the remainder of the ingredients for the pasta (sour cream, parmesan, mayo, mustard) in a separate bowl. Meanwhile, cut a small pocket in each chicken breast by running sharp knife up the side. Chop grape tomatoes and onions and mix with cream cheese. Stuff this mixture into each chicken pocket and fasten with toothpicks. Cook in grill pan on stove top, 4 mins uncovered, turning chicken as necessary. Cover and cook another 5 minutes or until fully cooked. Remove toothpicks. When pasta is done, toss with vegetables and parmesan dressing. Serve together.

I loved this and will definitely make it again!

Baked Taco Ring

(Cari submitted this recipe earlier, but I made a small adjustment and added pictures)
Ingredients:

2 pkg crescent rolls
1lb ground beef
1 pkt taco seasoning
2 c shredded cheddar cheese (plus a little extra)
1 sm can green chilies
1/4 water

Garnishes and toppings:
Lettuce
Salsa
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown ground beef, drain. Put back in skillet, add 1/4 c water, taco seasoning, chilies, and cheese.

Arrange crescent rolls on a pizza sheet or stone in a ring, with large parts together.













Scoop filling onto large part of crescent ring.













Fold ends of crescent rolls over mixture, creating a ring with spaces in between. Put a little shredded cheddar on top.













Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. I put salsa in a little round dish and placed in the center, and put some shredded lettuce around for a garnish. YUM!

Shepard's Pie (with special Mashed Potato Recipe)

Ingredients

Mashed Potatoes -
6 medium sized potatoes
1/2 stick butter
2/3 c milk (or thereabouts)
3/4 c sour cream
Dash of salt and pepper

Other ingredients

1 lb hamburger, cooked and drained
1 pkg frozen mixed veggies
3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 pk brown gravy mix

To make mashed potatoes: Peel potatoes and cut into 1-inch chunks and boil until tender to a fork. Add all ingredients and blend well, until fluffy. (I play with ingredients until I get the right consistency). Season to taste.

To make Shepard's Pie - Make gravy as per directions. Place hamburger in the bottom of a large casserole dish, top with gravy, then mixed veggies. Spoon mashed potatoes on top and coat well. Cover in cheddar cheese. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!