Baked Crunchy Taco Casserole Recipe

Baked Crunchy Taco Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 packet taco seasoning
1 C cheese, divided
1/4 C salsa verde
15 crunchy taco shells
Shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, lime juice to top

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Brown and drain meat.
Stir tomatoes, seasoning, 1/2 C cheese, and salsa into meat.
Arrange taco shells standing up in a 9×13″ pan. Fill each shell with the meat mixture, dividing equally until all the meat is used.
Sprinkle remaining 1/2 C of cheese over the tops of the filled tacos and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cheese will be melted and the meat hot.
Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, sour cream, guacamole and lime juice.

Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta Recipe

Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil 
• 1 small onion 
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes 
• ½ tsp dried oregano 
• ½ tsp dried basil 
• pinch red pepper flakes (optional) 
• freshly cracked pepper to taste 
• ½ tsp salt 
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste 
• 2 oz. cream cheese 
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan 
• ½ lb. penne pasta 
• ½ (9 oz.) bag fresh spinach 

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender (7-10) minutes. Drain the pasta in a colander.
2. While waiting for the pasta to cook, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook both in a large skillet with the olive oil over medium-low heat until softened and transparent (about 5 minutes).
3. Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and a ½ cup of water to the skillet and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved into the sauce.
4. Turn the heat down to low. Cut the cream cheese into a few pieces and then add them to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Use a whisk to stir the sauce until the cream cheese has fully melted in and the sauce is creamy. Add half of the Parmesan to the skillet and whisk until it is melted in. Add the remainder of the parmesan and whisk until melted in again.
5. Add the fresh spinach and gently stir it into the sauce until it has wilted (3-5 minutes). Add the pasta and stir until it is well coated in the creamy tomato sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm.

Guacamole Salad Recipe

Guacamole Salad Recipe

2 ripe avocados, in thick slices

1 red onion, sliced in half moons
A generous handful of coriander
Cherry tomatoes, sliecd in half
Salt and pepper to season

Dressing:
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and set aside.

Assemble the ingredients for the salad on a serving platter, start with the slices of avocado then top with the red onion slices and then the cherry tomatoes.  Pick off little leaves of coriander and sprinkle all over the top of the salad.

Drizzle over the dressing and then season with sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper.
Serve straight away.

BLT Chicken

BLT Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. bar-b-que sauce ( I use Bull's Eye)
1/4 c. real bacon bits
1 c. colby and jack cheese, shredded
1 14 oz. can Rotel tomatoes, drained (canned with green chilies added)
sliced green onions
pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound out chicken breasts to flatten. Season with pepper. Grill chicken until no long pink (we used our George Foreman grill) and place on baking sheet covered with foil. Top each chicken breast with one tablespoon bar-b-que sauce, 1/4 c. cheese, 1/4 c. tomatoes, green onions and one tablespoon of bacon bits. Place in oven and bake until cheese is melted (about 5 minutes).

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Real Taco Pie

Real Taco Pie

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
⅔ cup milk
1 pkg.taco seasoning mix (1¼ oz.)
2½ cups mashed potato flakes
1 lb. ground beef
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded (4oz.)
sour cream, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium sauce pan, melt butter.

Add milk and 2 Tbsps. of taco seasoning mix. Remove from heat and stir in potato flakes until incorporated. Press mixture over bottom of 10″ pan.

2. In a medium skillet, cook beef and onions until beef is browned and onions are tender. Drain off fat and stir in remaining taco mix and barbecue sauce. Cook while stirring until bubbly, then pour into prepared potato crust.

3. Bake uncovered in oven for 30-35 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, and then top with cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes. Cut into squares and serve with sour cream.

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Mozzarella, Tomato and Avocado Salad

Mozzarella, Tomato and Avocado Salad

       1 container cherry tomatoes, cut in half
       1 carton fresh mozzarella cheese pearls, drained
       1 avocado, peeled and diced
       1/3 cup basil, julienned
       2 tablespoons fresh parsley
       1/4 cup lemon juice
       1/4 cup olive oil
       salt and pepper
       baguette-optional

        1) In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and parsley, Set aside.
        2) In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper. Pour over tomato
        mixture. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
        3) Just before serving the salad, stir in the chopped avocados. Serve salad with
        slotted spoon and toasty bread.

Bacon, Tomato and Cheddar Breakfast Bake with Eggs

Bacon, Tomato and Cheddar Breakfast Bake with Eggs

1 pound white artisan bread cut into 1" cubes (16 cups)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sliced applewood smoked bacon or other good quality smoked bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
One 28 ounce can whole Italian tomatoes-drained, chopped and patted dry
1/2 pound extra-sharp cheddar, shredded (8 ounces)
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (8 ounces)
2 Tablespoons snipped chives
1-3/4 cups chicken broth
6 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350^o F.  Lightly oil a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.  In a large bowl, toss the bread with the olive oil and spread on a large rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for about 20 minutes, tossing once or twice, until the bread is golden and lightly crispy.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes.  Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain: reserve 2 Tablespoons of the fat in the skillet.

Add the onion to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and cook until liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes.

Return the toasted bread cubes to the bowl.  Add the contents of the skillet, along with the bacon, shredded cheeses, chives and broth.  Stir until the bread is evenly moistened.  Spread the mixture in the baking dish and cover with lightly oiled foil.

Bake the bread mixture in the center of the oven for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake until the top is crispy, about 15 minutes longer.  Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and using a ladle, press 6 indentations into the bread mixture (you can do 8 if you want to).  Crack an egg into each indentation.  Return the dish to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until the egg whites are set but the yolks are still runny.  Cook longer if you do not want runny yolks.  

Serve right away while it's warm.

Fried Cheeseballs

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Fried Bocconcini with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Servings: approximately 20  (I halved this recipe, but I am listing the full one here-it would be enough for a large group)

Ingredients

For the sauce:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes, juice reserved

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the fried mozzarella:

3-4 cups peanut oil, depending on type of pan you will be frying the cheese in

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

2 lb. mozzarella bocconcini (about 50 pieces)

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 cups panko

Special equipment:  Deep-frying thermometer

Instructions

1. For the sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the 1/2 cup olive oil.

2. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is soft but not browned, about 1 minute.

3. Add the tomatoes and their juices and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Set aside.

4. Preheat an oven to 200°F.

5. For the fried mozzarella: Drain the cheese from its liquid. Place the cheese on a paper towel-lined baking sheet and pat dry.

6. If your cheese balls seem pretty big, halve or quarter them into bite-size pieces.  Once they get the panko breading on them, they will be a lot bigger.

7.In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk.

8. Put the egg mixture and bread crumbs in separate wide, shallow bowls.  Combine the panko with the teaspoon of salt and Parmesan in another wide, shallow bowl.  (*If you only have one shallow bowl, use it for the panko.  It will help you immensely with the breading process.)

9. Roll the cheese in the flour, dip into the egg mixture and coat with the bread crumbs, shaking off the excess after each step.

10.  Repeat the breading process one more time for each cheese piece.

11. In a large, deep sauté pan over medium-high heat, pour the oil to a depth of 3 inches and heat to 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer.

12. Working in batches, fry the cheese until golden, about 45 seconds (or until golden brown-watch them carefully as oven temperatures may vary). If you notice that your thermometer’s reading decreases, wait for a little while until the oil gets back up to the proper temperature.

13. Transfer the fried cheese to a paper towel-lined plate and season with salt and black pepper. Place the cheese on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while frying the remaining cheese.

14.  Serve with the warm tomato sauce.

Grilled Eggplant with Tomato and Feta Cheese

Grilled Eggplant with Tomato and Feta Cheese

4 Servings

1 large eggplant
3 large tomatoes, to match the diameter of the eggplant
0.4 lbs Bulgarian feta, crumbled
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
juice of half lemon
2 garlic cloves
½ extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cut of the eggplant crosswise into ½” thick rounds. Lightly season them with salt and leave them for 30 minutes on a side to let water to come out of the eggplant.

Once ready drizzle some olive oil on top of each slice and grill them on a lightly oiled grill rack for 2 -3 minutes each side.

Blend the basil leaves with 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon salt in an immersion blender until smooth.

Cut the tomatoes crosswise to 1/4” thick rounds.

Lightly oil the baking pan. Arrange 4 eggplant rounds side by side. Spread 1/2 tablespoon of the basil-garlic mixture on top of each one, then generously sprinkle feta crumbs. Top each with tomato rings. Add another layer of eggplant, basil spread, feta and tomato rounds and top with the rest of the crumbled feta.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Drizzle some olive oil on top of each stack and bake for 15 minutes.

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BLT Pasta

BLT PASTA SALAD

Ingredients

• 12 ounce corkscrew shaped pasta
• 1/2 cup milk
• 12 ounces lean bacon
• 3 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup mayo (i used 1/4 cup mayo and 1/4 cup greek yogurt)
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 4 tablespoons chopped chives
• 5 heads Bibb lettuce, quartered, or 5 cups chopped romaine hearts

Directions

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water as the label directs. Drain and toss with the milk in a large bowl; set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from the pan. Add the tomatoes, thyme and garlic to the pan and toss until warmed through; season with salt and pepper.  Crumble the bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside 1/4 cup for garnish. Toss the remaining bacon and the tomato mixture with the pasta.

Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and 3 tablespoons chives with the pasta until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce; toss again to coat. Garnish with the reserved bacon and the remaining 1 tablespoon chives. Serve at room temperature.  

Chickpea and Tomato Salad with Fresh Basil

Chickpea and Tomato Salad with Fresh Basil

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• About 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
• 25 large basil leaves, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp honey (10g)
• pinch of salt

Toss all ingredients together and chill for at least 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to merge.

BLT Bites

BLT Bites

Ingredients

• 16 to 20 cherry tomatoes
• 1 pound sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

Directions

• Cut a thin slice off of each tomato top. Scoop out and discard pulp. Invert the tomatoes on a paper towel to drain.
• In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon into tomatoes. Refrigerate for several hours. Yield: 16-20 appetizer servings.

Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Penne Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups (8 oz.) dry penne pasta
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk
• 2 cups (8-oz. pkg.) shredded Italian-style four-cheese blend
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

PREPARE pasta according to package directions, adding sun-dried tomatoes to boiling pasta water for last two minutes of cooking time; drain.

MEANWHILE, COMBINE evaporated milk, cheese, basil, garlic powder and pepper in medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

ADD pasta and sun-dried tomatoes to cheese sauce; stir until combined.