Semi-Homemade Burrito Casserole

8 Frozen Burritos, I used beef & bean
(completely thawed)
1 - 14.5 oz  Re-fried Beans
1 - 15 oz   Chili with no beans
1 - 10.5 oz  red enchilada sauce
2 - cups grated Monterrey jack cheese blend

Spread the re-fried beans on the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Lay completely thawed burritos on top of re-fried beans. In a separate bowl mix enchilada red sauce and chili together. Pour the enchilada sauce mixture on top of the burritos. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and burritos are cooked through.

X2 Lasagna Casserole

2 - lbs ground beef
1 - 48 oz jar spaghetti sauce
2 – tablespoons sugar
1 (16 oz) - pkg medium egg noodles
1/2 - cup  butter
½ - teaspoon onion powder
½ - teaspoon  garlic powder
½ - cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 - 12 oz pkg shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 - cup each sauteed green pepper, onion & mushrooms, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Brown meat and drain fat. Add spaghetti sauce and sugar to meat; simmer 20 minutes. 

Cook noodles as directed then drain and toss with butter, powders and Parmesan cheese. Spray two 9x13 pans with non-stick spray. 

In each pan layer half the sauce, half the noodles, rest of sauce; top each with mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil; bake 45 minutes.

(make one and freeze the other for later)

Pumpkin White Hot Chocolate

2 cups whole milk
1 cup half and half
1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
pinch salt

Directions
Heat the milk, pumpkin puree, and spices in a sauce pan until it just starts to simmer and remove form heat.
Add the chocolate and stir until it has melted.
Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and garnish with cinnamon.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray or use parchment paper.
Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, milk, vanilla and egg. Mix until combined. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda.
Add both mixtures together and mix until fully combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
Drop spoon size amount onto the prepared cookie sheet, about an inch apart. Bake for about 8 to 12 minutes, until cookies are browned!

Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
1-2/3 cups sugar
1 cup oil

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

ICING:
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

In a bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until well blended. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour into an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until set. Cool completely.

For icing, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, butter and vanilla in a small bowl. Add enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Spread over bars. Store in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

Adjust the oven racks to the upper-and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 400 degrees . Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
In a large bowl cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the egg and beat at medium speed until combined. Add the pumpkin puree and beat at medium speed until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon for rolling in a shallow bowl. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a ball, roll the ball in the sugar mixture, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart
Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and just beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets about 5 minutes; transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool.

Pumpkin Bread

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix all dry ingredients together.

3 1/3 cup flour
2 cups sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Add wet ingredients and mix.
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 small can pumpkin

Pour into three greased 9x5 loaf pans for 50 minutes
or 24 muffins for 30 minutes

Pumpkin Gingersnaps

½ cup of butter, soft
1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling the cookies
½ cup of pure pumpkin 

¼ cup of molasses
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

In the bowl beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and smooth. Add the pumpkin, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, mix until well combined.
In another bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour. The dough can be chilled for 2-3 days.
When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place some sugar in a small bowl. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough in sugar until well coated and place on prepared baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until cookies look cracked and set at the edges. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely.

Pumpkin Buckle

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

FILLING:
3 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup evaporated milk
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 t pumpkin pie spice

TOPPING:
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons sugar

Pour butter into a 9x13 baking dish; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.
In a large bowl, beat the pumpkin, milk and eggs. Add the remaining filling ingredients. Stir. Pour over crust mixture (do not stir). Dot with butter and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

Caramel Pound Cake

3 Sticks Butter, soft
3 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Light Brown Sugar, packed
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
6 Eggs, at room temp.
1 1/2 Cups Whole Milk, at room temp.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter until fluffy, add brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until light and smooth, stopping to scrape down often. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Alternate the flour and milk, beginning and ending with flour, mix until smooth. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan and then put batter into the prepared pan and bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes then remove and let cool completely.

Frosting:
1 Stick Butter
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 Cup Whole Milk
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 Cups powdered sugar

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbling. Remove from heat and stir in milk. Let mixture cool completely. Stir in the vanilla, then slowly add the powdered sugar and stir until well blended and smooth. Frost the cake! YUM!

Easy Tortilla Soup

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2 cans of diced tomatoes (don’t drain)
2 cans of chicken broth

1 cup of salsa
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. dried cilantro
1 Tbsp. ground cumin

Cook and shred your boneless chicken breasts. In a pot add the chicken and add 2 cans of diced tomatoes (don’t drain). Then add both cans of chicken broth.
Add the butter, garlic, salsa, cilantro, and cumin. Stir.
Let simmer for 30 minutes.
Crisp up some tortilla strips in hot oil or in the oven, garnish top of soup with strips.

(I boil my chicken in water, salt and pepper for about an 1hr. Remove the chicken and shred. I use this broth in place of the canned stuff. I think it tastes better, but you can do what you like.)

Taco Soup

1 1/2 lb hamburger (or ground turkey or chicken)
1 can corn, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can rotel
1 small can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg dry ranch dressing
5 cups broth (depends on the meat you use, either chicken or beef)

Shredded cheese
Fritos

Brown meat in large pot. Add everything else once meat is browned. Let simmer a couple hours to blend flavors. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese and fritos. This tastes better the next day, so if you can....make it ahead of time. Also, this soup freezes very well. (If you like your soup...soupier, than add more broth or water, but we like ours thicker)

Ham, Cheese and Broccoli Strata

5 eggs
1 c milk
1/2 c sour cream

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen, chopped broccoli, thawed
1 (6 oz.) pkg Stove Top Stuffing mix,
(chicken flavor) do not prepare
9 oz. Ham, chopped
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded, divided

Preheat oven to 375.
Spray a 2-qt baking dish with non-stick spray.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, and sour cream until well combined. Stir in the dry stuffing mix (entire box), ham, broccoli, and 1/2 c. of the shredded cheese. Pour into the prepared baking dish, cover loosely with foil, and bake for 1 hour.
Then uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake an additional 5-7 minutes until cheese has melted.

Chicken Posole

3-4 boneless chicken breasts, depending on size 
2 cans hominy, rinsed and drained
3 cups chicken broth

2 cans diced tomatoes, one rotel and one regular
3 carrots, sliced thin
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste

Put the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot. Add the other ingredients on top, stirring to combine. Cook on high 5-6 hours or low 7-8 hours. Remove the chicken and shred with a fork. Return to the pot.
Serve with fried tortilla strips and grated cheddar cheese.

Allergen Friendly Truffles

1/4c coconut milk
2c enjoy life chocolate chips
1/4c + 2T coconut oil

1/3c cocoa powder

Heat the coconut milk in a double boiler, then stir in the chocolate chips and coconut oil until everything is completely combined.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl and refrigerate until it’s cooled completely.

Use a spoon and scoop out about a tsp amount, roll into a ball, and roll each one in cocoa powder then put into an airtight container. Your truffles will keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Soda Crackers

4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup butter

Sift dry ingredients together. Cut in milk and butter (I used my food processor), mixing well into a stiff dough. Dough will be stiff. Roll very thin on lightly floured counter/board, cut into squares (I used my pizza cutter). Place onto cookie sheet then prick with fork, sprinkle with coarse sea salt and bake at 400 for about 6 minutes or until edges start to brown.

Avocado Chocolate Pudding

1 huge, ripe avocado (you will need two if they are small)
1/2c cup coconut milk
6-7 tablespoons real maple syrup 

3-4 tablespoons cocoa powder
Pinch of fine sea salt
1-2 tablespoons almond butter
dash Real vanilla extract

Blend all in a blender until smooth. Store in a GLASS container with lid. Keeps for about 4 days in the fridge. (I use glass pint jars...don't use plastic!)