Taco Ring

Okay, this recipe sounds more confusing than it is. And I took pictures of the steps. Then I forgot to take a picture of the finale-my kids were going berserk wanting to eat. But you'll get the idea. These were a HUGE hit, I will be making them again for sure.

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded cheddar
4 Tbs water
4-6 tbs taco seasoning
1 lb ground beef
2 tubes refrigerated cresent rolls

Optional Toppings:

Shredded lettuce
diced tomatoe
sliced green onions
sliced olives
jalepeno peppers
sour cream
salsa

In a large bowl combine water, taco seasoning and 1 cup cheese. Crumble beef over mixture and shape into 12-16 balls. Place meatballs on greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake uncovered at 400 for 12 minutes.

Reduce oven to 375. Arrange cresent rolls on a greased 15" pizza pan, forming a ring with the pointed ends facing the outer edge and the wide ends overlapping (**see photo). Place a meatball on each roll; fold point over meatball and tuck under wide end of roll, leaving meatball visible. Repeat. Bake for 15-18 min until rolls are golden brown.

The recipe says to transfer ring to a serving platter and fill the center of the ring with all the toppings. I didn't do that. I put each persons rolls on their plate and topped them with the things they liked.

And forgot to take a picture.

Sorry.

Here are the ones I took. Note to self, use parchment paper under the meatball rack next time, less cheesey mess!

Halibut, my favorite fish in the sea

I never used to be very big on fish. Tuna sandwiches maybe, but that was about it. My grandmother brought back some fresh Halibut from Alaska a few years ago and I've been hooked ever since! It's very expensive out my way, so when it goes on sale I buy extra and freeze it. This isn't really a recipe, since I do as little as possible to it so I don't take away from the flavor, but I thought I'd post it anyhow!

Ingredients:

Halibut filet
salt and pepper
flour
olive oil
butter

Combine equal amount olive oil and butter in saute pan and heat on medium high heat. Season fish on both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly through flour. Saute in pan about 6 minutes per side. Serve with steamed veggies.

**Yes, that is boxed Julienne potatoes you see there. Don't hate, we love them!

Back in the kitchen!

Well I have taken a little siesta from working - I will be off for the next month, in between jobs. So I get to cook more creative again! A little less pre-cooking, which is fun for me. I have a yummy week planned! Last night we had Spaghetti Pie, and coming up - Halibut, Open Faced Chicken Burgers, Monte Cristos, Taco Ring, and a night out at Applebees since kid's eat FREE on Tuesdays, and they have the two for $20 deal going on! I'll be posting more often again, since I'm home!

Nacho Casserole

I have made this twice, my husband LOVES it. It seems kind of weird, but it comes out excellent!

Ingredients:

2 tbs olive oil
1/2 lb pre-sliced sweet red peppers (I used jarred)
1 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp garlic salt
2 tubes refrigerated pizza dough
1 16oz jar salsa (you decide heat level, we use mild for kids sake)
3 cups shredded taco cheese blend
1 can sliced black olives, drained (I used these the first time and was told not to
put them in again, hubby hates olives)
3 large scallions sliced

Heat oven to 375, coat 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
In large skillet, heat oil then add peppers, beef and garlic salt. Drain fat. Remove pizza dough. Cut into 1/2" wide strips then cut each strip into quarters. In a large bowl, toss together dough and salsa (I found it easier to coat each piece individually with the salsa and then lay it in the salsa, so they don't stick). Add meat mixture, 2 cups of the cheese and the olives. Pour into baking dish and top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle scallions on top and bake 5 more minutes.

Chicken Straws

I watched Robin Miller make these on Food Network and they looked yummy. And I figured the kids would have fun dunking them! I was right - these were excellent. We all loved them.

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups cooked thigh meat chopped (*I cooked mine a day ahead in the crockpot)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 - 4oz can diced green chiles
2 tbs fresh cilantro chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 pkg egg roll wrappers
1 cup honey
3 tbs chopped jarred jalepenos (I omitted this for the kids dip)
1 tbs cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Top cookie sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, sour cream, chiles, cilantro and cumin. Mix well.

Arrange egg roll wrappers on a flat surface. place a small amount of filling along lower third of wrapper. Fold over once, then fold in sides and continue rolling. Dip your finger in water to seal edges and place on cookie sheet. Spray straws with cooking spray then cook for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Combine honey and vinegar for dip, add jalepenos for adults. Enjoy!