Taco Salad

I'm not even sure this would be considered a recipe, but from years of having days where we're hungry and don't have time to fix a big meal, we throw this together on a regular basis and it fills us full. 

Here's what we do... 

Prepare your ground beef as directed on the back of whatever taco seasoning packet you choose. Layer Dorito's (you can use any tortilla chips you like, we love the Dorito's though) in the bottom of your bowl (we just do our own individual bowls). Add however much taco seasoned beef you want, add shredded cheese and whatever else you love... sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, refried beans, taco sauce, just whatever. Stir it up good and eat away. 

Cheesy Zucchini Sticks

My sweet mama found this recipe online and of course she brought me the zucchini to make them. I don't have exact measurements, but they're super easy and quick. Yum, yum, yum!!

What you need...

- Pam or any type of oil to coat pan 

-zucchini

-Season All

-Parmesan cheese

-shredded cheddar cheese

What you do...

-Wash your zucchini well and pat dry. I cut the ends off of mine. Cut them into whatever strips you like. I sliced mine similar to pickle spears. 

-Spray the bottom of your pan with Pam or LIGHTLY coat with olive oil or choice of oil. Lay the zucchini in your pan and generously sprinkle with Season All. Sprinkle VERY GENEROUSLY with Parmesan cheese (the kind in the plastic container). 

-Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 20 minutes or so. Take out and sprinkle shredded Cheddar cheese on top and bake 10 or so more minutes. Baking times may vary depending on how tender you want your zucchini.

These are delicious!! Enjoy!!

Deep Fried Oreos

My sister-in-law wanted to try these while we were on vacation. She had seen someone at her work do them. I was shocked at how easy they were. We didn't have any powdered sugar to dust on top (next time I will), but OH MY GOODNESS!!! They are so, so good. Especially while they are warm. I can't wait to fix these again. 

What you need:

-Oreos

-pancake batter (we used the Hungry Jack Complete, just had to add water)

-oil for frying (in a dip pot or deep fryer)

-powdered sugar

What you do:

Use metal tongs or something similar to dip the Oreos into the pancake batter, then place them in really hot oil to fry. Flip them to brown both sides. After they are browned, place them on a paper towel to remove some grease and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Best while still warm. YUMM!!

Jerry's Chicken Salad

I love chicken salad and this is some good chicken salad. This recipe came from a sweet friend of the family. I do believe she told me it is her husband's recipe.

What you need...
-5 c. cubed, cooked chicken
-3/4 c. slivered toasted almonds
-1 c. sliced celery
-2 c. seedless grapes green, red or mixed.. sliced in 1/2
-1 c. mayonnaise
-1 c. sour cream
-2 tsp. lemon juice (optional, we never use it)
-1/4 tsp garlic salt (Lawry's is the best)
-1/2 tsp Salt & pepper to taste (opt)

What you do...
Combine cooked cooled cubed chicken,to celery and grapes.
Mix together:
Mayonnaise, sour cream,garlic salt, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add dressing to chicken mixture and toss gently.
Toast almonds and put in a dish to the side. Let those that like almonds add them if they want. Adding them before serving make them soggy.

Always play with it. If it's to dry add a little more sour cream.

This makes a lot, so you may want to cut down the size, maybe 1/2.

KFC Coleslaw

Ingredients:
-8 cups finely diced cabbage (about 1 head)
-1/4 cup diced carrot
-2 tablespoons minced onions
-1/3 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/8 teaspoon pepper
-1/4 cup milk
-1/2 cup mayonnaise
-1/4 cup buttermilk
-1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
-2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:
-Cabbage and carrots must be finely diced. (They used a fine shredder disc on food processor) .
-Pour cabbage and carrot mixture into large bowl and stir in minced onions.
-Using regular blade on food processor process remaining ingredients until smooth. (I didn't do this)
-Pour over vegetable mixture and mix thoroughly.
-Cover bowl and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.

(I didn't use a food processor at all and was in hurry, so I bought bagged coleslaw mix (used 1/2 bag cabbage only, 1 whole bag with carrots) and chopped finer using a Salad Shooter. Food processor will do fine or just a good ol' knife.)

Baked Tacos

We had these for supper last night. I had pinned them on Pinterest. I had pinned them on Pinterest a few times unintentionally to be exact. We loved them, they were easy and made a lot. We had leftovers!

Ingredients
-2 lbs. ground beef
-1 can refried beans
-15-oz. can tomato sauce
-1 pkg. taco seasoning
-1 to 2c. shredded cheese, don't worry about measuring
-18-20 hard taco shells (I used the stand up shells and filled them pretty full, 10-12 should do with this size.)
-Toppings of your choice.

Directions
-Brown ground beef and drain off any fat. Add refried beans, tomato sauce and seasoning.
-Spoon mixture into taco shells.
-Place filled shells into a 9×13 pan, standing up.
-Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until heated through. ( I put mine in 2 small glass dishes and baked in our toaster oven on same degrees until the shells and cheese were browned.)