When my husband and I were newlyweds, we traveled to Oklahoma to visit his family.  We had our daughter at the time, she was just about a year old and at my husband and his family's request, we had her baptized in their local family church.

As we arrived at the church, there were a stack of cookbooks, you know the church cookbooks that used to be so common?  My mother in law asked me if I would like one, she knew I loved cooking, and wanted to gift me one because there were recipes from her, her mother and her niece featured in the book.

I was thrilled.

Over the years I've tried many of the recipes and maybe because they're simple homecooked dishes, they tend to be some of the best family meals around.

One of the recipes featured in the cookbook is from my husband's cousin Cindy.  I just made it again a few weeks ago and realized I hadn't shared it on the blog, so here it is.

A simple Mexican flavor inspired casserole that I'm sure your family will enjoy :)




1 pound chicken, cooked and cut into bite size pieces (you can use leftover roast chicken as well)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles

1 cup chicken broth
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).  Put the chicken into a mixing bowl. Add the chicken soup, mushroom soup, green chiles and broth. Mix well.

In a 9x13 inch baking dish place a layer of corn tortillas to cover the bottom, then a layer of the chicken mixture, then a layer of cheese. Continue to layer, like you would lasagna, until all of the chicken mixture is gone.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and brown. Let cool and serve.

I love the holidays and all the food that goes with it, but when Christmas is done, after a few days I'm a bit tired of all the leftovers in the fridge.

There's only so much heating up of ham and potatoes a person can stand before getting sick of it.  One thing I like doing with leftovers, is to make it into a casserole, add a few spices here and there and make a new dish that won't have everyone turning their noses up at.....not to mention, it's a great way to use up the leftovers and not throw anything away.

Just use whatever you have on hand.  I've done similar one for Thanksgiving leftovers too.


Leftover baked ham
Leftover mashed potatoes
Leftover veggies (this time I had a green bean casserole)
Shredded cheese
Heavy cream 

In a baking dish, layer half of the potatoes, top with diced baked ham, and the green bean casserole.  I seasoned it to my liking with some more salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Next I sprinkled on some shredded cheese and poured about a cup of heavy cream over.

Top with the remaining potatoes, smooth out and pop in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.

I don't know what it is, but lately I've been on a Mexican flavor kick.  From Homemade Crunchwraps to Tacos, Quesadillas and everything in between.

In keeping with that theme, tonight I made a Layered Nacho dish.  The beauty about this is that it's so versatile and you can add or remove anything you don't like.  It is also one of those that everyone in the family can enjoy however they wish.....you want it in a hard taco shell, go for it.  Want it in a soft flour tortilla, by all means....or maybe you just want to scoop this delicious stuff all over tortilla chips for some amazing nachos....yep, you can do that too.

It's quick to put together, it tastes amazing and your whole family will thank you for it.



1 pound ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
Queso Dip (I'm talking the ever famous queso dip involving Velveeta cheese and Rotel tomatoes and chilies)
Diced onion
Diced tomato
Shredded Lettuce
Sour Cream, optional

Prepare the Queso dip according to the directions on the back of the Rotel can.  It is nothing more than emptying the can into a microwavable bowl, adding a 16 oz. block of Velveeta cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes.  Cover and microwave for 5 minutes until melted, stir well and there you go.

Brown the ground beef, drain and add in a packet of taco seasoning, mix well to combine.  Add a can of refried beans, stir and cook for a minute or two until warm.

In a casserole dish, pour in the meat and beans mixture.  Next goes in the queso dip, followed by diced onions, shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes.  That is IT!!!!

Serve along with tortilla chips or soft and hard taco shells.  Enjoy!!!


Optional:  You can add a layer of sour cream right after the meat and before the queso dip.  You can also add black olives to the toppings, or sliced avocado, dollops of sour cream etc.  It really is up to you.

If there is one thing I enjoy, are casseroles or one dish meals.  I can throw it all in one pan, cook it, serve it and only have to worry about very minimal cleanup.

Not to mention, casseroles have always been synonymous with comforting and filling food, which when you're cooking for 7 people at a time, can mean inexpensive and I'm all about that.

This was pretty good, the whole family enjoyed it.  I served it with a salad and some steamed broccoli and it got thumbs up from everyone, so I hope you enjoy it too.



2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 pound ground beef, 80/20
½ teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup long grain white rice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce



In a skillet that has a tight fitting cover, heat olive oil over medium high.
Add onion, peppers, garlic, ground beef, dry mustard, chili powder, salt and pepper. Sauté until ground beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef as you cook.

Add rice and cook for two minutes letting rice absorb liquid.  Add tomato paste and cook for one minute.  Add canned tomatoes with juice, water and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, cover and simmer for 20 minutes covered.

After 20 minutes, remove lid and fluff the mixture then serve. If the mixture is to wet, cook for another few minutes with lid off.

Here is a really yummy casserole for those who enjoy Teriyaki Chicken.  It was a bit time consuming but only because I made the Fried Rice too, if you already have leftover fried rice I think it would work pretty well in this dish.

It got a big thumbs up from the recipe and I even enjoyed it the following day for lunch.





3 cups fried rice
1 breast of chicken
1 small package (found in produce department) stir fry vegetables including broccoli, sprouts, carrots and snow peas
teriyaki sauce
3/4 cup LOW SODIUM soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 small garlic clove, minced fine
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons cold water


Make the fried rice per the link above.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Teriyaki sauce
in a medium saucepan, stir together the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, honey, ground ginger, sesame oil, and garlic. bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
in a small bowl, stir together the water and cornstarch. add 1 teaspoon of the hot soy mixture to the cornstarch mixture and then slowly pour everything into the boiling soy mixture, whisking until it begins to thicken. set aside.
Place the chicken in a baking dish and pour 1 cup of the teriyaki sauce over the chicken. Bake for 30 minutes, remove from the oven and shred.
Steam the veggies and then add the veggies, rice and chicken to an 8x9" baking dish. Add 3 tablespoons of the leftover teriyaki sauce and stir to combine. Place the dish back in the oven for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and drizzle with a little more sauce. Serve immediately.

Notes
Using low sodium soy sauce is a must! It's less salty!

Chicken and Rice.  Something so simple but kicked up with Spanish inspired flavors.

This recipe comes from one of my favorite, favorite food blogs.  Marie at The English Kitchen.  I love her, she is the sweetest lady and she can cook some of the best meals ever.  I think something else that I really enjoy about her recipes, is that they are nothing fancy, just good home cooked comforting meals, and that is what I'm all about.

My husband is not a huge fan of Chicken and Rice, and this has to do with the fact that when he was deployed over in Bahrain, many many years ago, that is basically all he ate for months on end.

I've slowly gotten him used to it over the years, and now he loves my Portuguese Oven Baked Chicken.  He also really enjoyed this meal.



2 TBS olive oil
210g of long grain rice (I used 1 and 1/2 cups)
500g chicken breast pieces (a generous pound) cut into cubes
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 small green pepper, trimmed, seeded and chopped
250g of chestnut mushrooms, sliced (I used a small can)
1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of oregano
1 400g tin of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice (14 oz tin) undrained
1 tin of water
1 TBS chicken stock powder
grated cheddar cheese to serve

Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large skillet. Add the rice and stir so that the rice is lightly coated with the oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the rice begins to brown. Scoop out and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Add the mushrooms. Cook, without stirring, until they begin to brown. Stir and add the onions and peppers. Cook for several minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the chicken pieces and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is almost cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add the paprika and oregano. Stir in the tin of tomatoes, the water, stock powder and the rice. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Serve hot, with or without cheese sprinkled on top.