Tuna with chips

Mom's Tuna Casserole

Made: January 26, 2013

Ingredients
- 2 cans (12oz each) tuna, drained & flaked
- 3 cups diced celery
- 3 cups crushed potato chips (divided)
- 6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
- 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
- 1 can condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
- Combine tuna, celery, 2 1/2 cups potato chips, eggs, soups, mayonnaise, tarragon and pepper in slow cooker
- Mix together well
- Cover and cook on low 5-8 hours
- Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup potato chips before serving

I did just a couple differences, I used 2 cans of cream of celery soup and only used 4 eggs since it was beginning to be more egg than tuna. Overall, it had a good taste and was different (but good) with the egg added in

(Recipe used: Crock-Pot: 365 Year-Round Recipes)

Winner winner ...

Slow Cooker Chicken Dinner

Made: January 21, 2012

Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 package stuffing mix
- 1 2/3 cups water

Directions
- Place chicken in slow cooker
- Combine soup and milk in small bowl, mix well
- Pour soup mixture over chicken
- Combine stuffing mix and water
- Spoon stuffing over chicken
- Cover, cook on Low for 6-8 hours

The only difference I made was using dark meat (I had legs and thighs and took the meat off the bones) instead of using white meat. I also paired this meal with boiled carrots.

(Recipe used: Crock-Pot: 365 Year-Round Recipes)

Pizza Puffs

Cheese-Crusted Pizza Pot Pies

Made: January 19, 2013

Ingredients
- 1 package (12oz) pork sausage or 3/4 pound ground beef
- 2/3 cup chopped onion
- 2/3 cup finely chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chipped fren bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups marinara sauce
- 2/3 cup sliced pepperoni
- 1/3 cup chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives
- 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
- 1 cup Pillsbury refrigerated thin pizza crust
- 8 slices Mozzarella cheese

Directions
- Heat oven to 450 F
- In a skillet, cook sausage, onion, carrots, bell pepper, and garlic over medium heat, until meat is no longer pink, drain
- Stir in marinara sauce, pepperoni and olives
- Simmer for 3-5 minutes or until thickened
- Remove from heat
- Stir in cheese blend
- Spray bottoms, sides and rims of 4 individual baking dishes (10oz ramekins) with cooking spray
- Spoon meat mixture into dishes
- Place on baking pan
- Unroll dough on large cutting board
- Cut in half lengthwise, then cut in half crosswise
- Place 1 dough piece over meat mixture in each dish, overlapping rims
- Top ech pot pie wiht 2 slices cheese, overlapping slightly
- Bake 16-20 minutes or until crust is brown

I did things a little differently. I opted against the carrots and chose for black olives instead. I also used shredded Mozzarella cheese to top the dough and used a Mexican blend. I also mixed meat; we had some leftover celery sausage so I used that and ground beef making enough meat for 6 servings and even some for a mini-flatbread pizza.

(Recipe used: Pillsbury Annual Recipes 2013)

Mushroomy beef

Easy Beef Stroganoff

Made: January 18, 2013

Ingredients
- 3 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 package dry onion soup mix
- 2 pounds beef strew meat, cut into 1in pieces

Directions
- Combine soup, sour cream, water and soup mix in slow cooker
- Add beef
- Stir until well combined/covered
- Cover
- Cook on low 6 for hours or high 3 for hours

I didn't add extra mushrooms to this; I think it's what really turns me off from eating this dish personally. But even with 3 hours on low, it cooked quicky and had a nice taste to it. I did cut down the recipe a smidge, I didn't need 6-8 servings. So I used 2 cans of soup (1 mushroom, 1 celery), 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup water with only 1 pound of meat.

(Recipe used: Crock-pot: 365 year-round recipes)

Quesadilla Mishap

Chicken Veggie Quesadillas

Made: January 16, 2013

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 1 package frozen corn, thawed and drained
- 6 green onions, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 8 flour tortillas (8in)
- 1/4 cup salsa
- 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions
- Heat the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat
- Saute the bell pepper in the hot oil, stirring continually until tender, about 3 minutes
- Combine the bell pepper, tomato, chicken, corn and green onion in a large bowl
- Add in the salt & pepper and mix well
- Mix the Jack cheese and the Cheddar cheese in a small bowl
- Wipe out the skillet you used for the bell pepper with a paper towel, then heat
- Place a tortilla in the pan and spread on a quarter of the chicken mixture
- Sprinkle with a quarter of the cheese mixture
- Top with another tortilla
- Cook for 2 minutes
- Turn over and cook for 2 more minutes or until browned
- Set aside and repeat with the rest of the tortillas
- Cut each one into 4 wedges
- Serve with the salsa and sour cream

I had quite a bit of an issue with trying to turn the quesadilla over in the skillet.

So after this fiasco, I put them in the oven. I set the oven to 375 F and prepared them like normal. I let them bake (without flipping) for 15 minutes. Much better!

(Recipe used: Cooking my way)

Tomato Stir Fry

Beef Broccoli Stir-Fry

Made: January 14, 2013

Ingredients
- Vegetable cooking spray
- 3  cups broccoli florets
- 1 boneless beef sirloin steak
- 1  can Campbell's Condensed Tomato Soup
- 1/4 cup water
- 2  packages oriental flavor ramen noodle soup

Directions
- Spray a 10-inch skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute
- Add the broccoli and stir-fry until tender-crisp
- Remove the broccoli from the skillet
- Remove the skillet from the heat
- Spray the skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute
- Add the beef and stir-fry until well browned
- Stir in the soup, water and 1 ramen seasoning packet (reserve the remaining seasoning packet for another use) and heat to a boil
- Return the broccoli to the skillet and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling
- Cook the noodle soup according to the package directions without the seasoning packet
- Drain the noodles well in a colander
- Serve the beef mixture over the noodles

I cut the serving down since I only needed two servings instead of 4. I used a small top sirloin and whatever leftover frozen broccoli I had left as well as only 1 package of ramen noodles. Overall, it was a different take on a stir-fry and a quick dinner.

(Recipe used: recipe.com)

Twist on Tacos

Crispy Beef and Bean Tacos (Beef & Beans mixture)

Made: January 12, 2013

For Crispy shells
Ingredients
- 8 6in corn tortillas
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
- Position the oven rack in the center of the oven
- Preheat the oven to 375 F
- Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels
- Microwave on high about 40 seconds until warm and softened
- Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil, sprinkle with salt
- Slide oven rack out slightly
- Carefully drape each tortilla over two bard of oven rack, forming shells with flat bottoms
- Bake about 7 minutes until crispy
- Using tongs, transfer warm shells to a plate (or allow to cool completely on oven rack)
(These can be made a day in advance)

Ingredients
Beef & Bean filling
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup water

Toppings (examples given from the book)
- 1 medium tomato, diced and seeded
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1'2 cup shredded romaine lettuce
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Ingredients
- In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon until no longer pink
- Add beans and garlic
- Cook and stir for 2 minutes
- Add chili powder, oregano, salt, cayenne pepper and the water
- Cook and stir for 2 minutes until heated through
- To serve, divide the filling among the shells
- Serve toppings in separate bowls to top the meat

Cripsy Beef and Bean Tacos (finished tacos)

I'm a soft shell person, so I had soft shells for mine. I topped mine with sour cream, shredded lettuce, shredded Cheddar/American cheese mix and cherry tomatoes diced. Overall, this is a lighter version of a taco seasoning that you would get from the packets. It wasn't as powerful or overwhelming with the seasoning you'd be used to, but I did like the change in taste,

(Recipe used: Better Homes and Gardens - Annual Recipes 2012)

Slow cooking chicken

Chicken and Corn Pot

Made: January 11, 2013

Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon corn oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 8 chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/4 cups boiling chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 3 cups frozen fava beans, thawed
- Salt to taste
- Crusty bread

Directions
- If needed, preheat slow cooker
- Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet
- Add the onion and green bell pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until the onion is softened
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mixture to the slow cooker
- Add the chicken  to the skillet and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes, until golden all over
- Season with cayenne pepper and salt
- Stir the Worcestershire sauce in the boiling stock
- Pout over the chicken in the slow cooker
- Cover and cook for 6 1/2 hours on low
- Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water
- Stir into the strew
- Add the corn and the beans
- Re-cover and cook for 30-40 minutes on high
- Serve with crusty bread

I used whatever I had in the pantry ... so for this batch, I used chicken breast tenderloins, a can of strewed tomatoes (Italian blend), canned corn and frozen green beans that were already opened. I also served this with some mashed potatoes underneath.

(Recipe used: Tasty slow cooker dishes)

Creamy Veggies

Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Pasta

Made: January 10, 2013

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup uncooked penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 9 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 6 tablespoon cream cheese
- 7oz frozen spinach
- Salt & Pepper

Directions
- Cook the pasta in a large pan of slightly salted boiling water, according to the instructions on the package
- Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water for later
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy-bottom skillet over medium high heat
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 8 minutes, stirring constantly until the mushrooms are almost crisp
- Stir in the stock, lemon juice and oregano
- Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the stock has reduced by half
- Stir in the cream cheese and spinach
- Cook over medium low heat for 3-5 minutes
- Add the reserved cooking liquid and the cooked pasta
- Stir well, season with salt & pepper
- Heat throughout gently before serving

I used a small can of pre-sliced mushrooms and a can of spinach. Rotini pasta was the preferred pasta of choice instead of penne, and I used our leftover onion and chive cream cheese from last night's dinner.

(Recipe used: Easy Vegetarian Dishes)

Soupy Noodles

Tomato-Tortellini Soup

Made: January 9, 2013

Ingredients
- 2 14oz cans reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 9oz package refrigerated tortellini
- 1/2 8oz tub cream cheese spread with chive and onion
- 1 can condensed tomato or tomato bisque soup
- Snipped fresh chives (optional)

Directions
- In a medium saucepan, bring broth to boiling
- Add tortellini; reduce heat
- Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes
- In a bowl, whisk 1/3 cup of the hot broth into the cream cheese spread until smooth
- Return all to saucepan along with tomato soup; heat through
- Sprinkle with chives before serving (optional)

I only used 1 14oz can (or rather, 14oz) of reduced sodium chicken broth for this since I only needed two servings. I kept the rest the same though, minus the fresh chives. I needed a quick and simple recipe for the refrigerated tortellini we had leftover.

(Recipe used: Better Homes & Gardens)

Tuna & Rice

Tuna Rice Casserole

Made: January 6, 2013

Ingredients
- 1 can Campbell's condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- Dash ground red pepper
- 2 cans (6oz each) tuna, drained
- 4 oz sliced American cheese, cut up (1 cup)
- 3/4 cup uncooked white rice
- 2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions
- Stir the soup, milk, paprika, red pepper, tuna, cheese and rice in a 9in square baking dish
- Cover the dish with foil
- Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes
- Uncover the dish and stir
- Mix the bread crumbs with the butter in a small bowl and sprinkle over the tuna mixture
- Bake for 20 more minutes or until hot and bubbly and the rice is tender

My cans of tuna were only 5oz each, so I added a 3rd can to my mixture. I also pre-mixed it all in a bowl before transferring it to my baking dish (which was also rectangular and not square). For the bread crumbs, I live full coverage, so I melted 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/4 cup of bread crumbs. Sprinkled all over the top and baked for 10 more minutes. I also used Velveeta cheese cut up into small cubes/squares & cream of celery soup.

(Recipe used: Campbell's)

Oven Taco

Beef Taco Casserole

Made: January 5, 2013

Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 can Cambell's Condensed tomato soup
- 1 cup Pace Chunky Salsa or Picante sauce
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup uncooked instant white rice
- 1/2 cup slightly crushed tortilla chips
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
- Cook beef in skillet over medium-high heat until beef is well browned, stirring to break up meat
- Drain off fat/grease
- Stir soup, salsa, milk and rice into skillet with beef
- Spoon beef mixture in 1 1/2qt casserole dish
- Cover
- Bake at 400 F for 25 minutes or until hot
- Stir
- Arrange chips around edge of casserole
- Sprinke with cheese

I used Tostitos chips and salsa (mild) for our recipe. I also plated each serving before sprinkling with cheese and chips.

(Recipe used: Campbell's)

Chocolate + cream

Black Bottom Cupcakes (full size)

Originally made date; unknown - Recently made: January 5, 2013

Ingredients
Chocolate batter
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream cheese filling
- 1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Line two 12 cup muffin pans with paper liners
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt
- Set aside
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup sugar, oil and water until blended
- Stir in the vinegar and vanilla
- Beat in the flour mixture until incorporated
- Set aside
- In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup sugar and salt
- Stir in the chocolate chips
- Fill muffin cups 1/3 full with chocolate batter, then top with a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture
- Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes

These are requested quite often :) I didn't realize I never posted the recipe before today ...

(Recipe used: Allrecipes.com)

Soup & Veggies

Minestrone Soup

Made: January 3, 2013

Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1/3 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 28-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 15-ounce can low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup elbow pasta
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat
Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes
Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds
Add the celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes
Stir in the green beans, dried oregano and basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook 3 more minutes
Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil
Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes
Stir in the kidney beans and pasta and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes
Ladle into bowls and top with the Parmesan

I used black beans instead of kidney beans. The noodles sucked up a lot of the broth, so I might have to add more later on. But overall, I really enjoyed this!

(Recipe used: Food Network)

Fishy Salad

German Herring Salad

Made: January 1, 2013

Ingredients
- 1 jar (16oz) herring in wine sauce, drained
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 or 4 dill pickles, sliced (optional)

Directions
- Cut herring into bite-sized pieces
- Stir in sour cream (add more if needed)
- Add in the dill pickle slices
- Mix ingredients together until well coated
- Server immediate or refrigerate until needed

Being German, I love the tradition of eating a piece of herring at midnight. However, I had some Herring Salad in Epcot-Germany at Disney World and have been craving a good recipe since. This is just perfect! I used about 10oz of herring (we had a 12oz jar and had a couple of pieces at midnight) and only 1 pickle (the size was the size of a single serve pickle from the deli) cut up into pieces. I also used only about 1/3 cup of Sour cream since I didn't use 16 oz.

(Recipe used: German dishes made easy)

Luck from the South

South Georgia Caviar

Made: December 31, 2012

Ingredients
- 2 cans (15oz) black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15 oz) corn kernels, drained
- 1 can (14.5oz) spicy diced tomatoes
- 2 cups chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped jalapeno pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 bottle (8oz) Italian dressing
- 1 jar (4oz) chopped pimientos, drained
- Tortilla chips or crackers for dipping

Directions
- In a large serving bowl, mix together the black-eyed peas, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, onion, Italian dressing and pimientos
- Cover and refridgerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to let the flavors come out
- Serve with tortilla chips or crackers for dipping

I didn't quite make this to the recipe; but I used it as inspiration to make my own little salad suited for my likes and to try something new for the New Year; since it's heard that black-eyed peas bring luck for the new year.

Ingreidents
- 1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
- 1 can corn kernels, drained
- 1 can stewed tomatoes - Italian recipe
- Salt & Pepper

Directions
- In a large skillet, mix together the black-eyed peas, corn and stewed tomatoes
- Season with salt & pepper
- Heat throughout over medium-high heat until the stewed tomatoes have softened
- Chill for 4 hours
- Serve with chips or crackers

 I think it came out quite nice and flavorful. I used stewed tomatoes because it's said to bring wealth for the new year if eaten with black-eyed peas and the corn represents gold for wealth. I hope it brings you lots of health and wealth for the new year as well!

(Recipe used: Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible)