Lean Dean Cooking Machine

Game Day Eats

2011-09-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

Date night included BYU football and these yummy treats last Friday. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip, and Honey Glazed Hot Wings. What girl wouldn't want to cuddle with their hubby and watch sweaty guys pummel each other while these treats were nearby??? There was pizza too, but you've already got my pizza dough recipe... The dip would also make a perfect girls night snack, don't you think? The wings were still spicy, but there was just enough sweetness to keep me going back for more. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip

Recipe from here

1/2 c butter

1/3 c brown sugar

1-8oz block of cream cheese, softened

1/2 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips, roughly chopped

Melt butter in a medium saucepan, add brown sugar and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil and let bubble for a minute or two. Let mixture cool, or it will melt your chocolate chips.

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with a mixer for 1 minute until smooth. If your cream cheese is too warm, you will have lumps. Add in vanilla. Then, on low speed, add in the butter and brown sugar mixture until combined. Add in most of chocolate and let the mixer break them up. Pour into a bowl and top with more chocolate. Dip with pretzels, green apples, animal crackers, bananas, sugar cookies, a spoon, your finger...

Now for the wings. Jacob usually handles the wings, but this was my first time and I must say, not bad for a girl...

Honey Glazed Hot Wings
Recipe inspired by allrecipes

2lbs chicken wings
salt and pepper to taste
1 c honey
1/2 c butter, melted
1/2 c hot sauce

Preheat outdoor grill to medium heat, lightly brush oil on grates with a paper towel and tongs.

Rinse the wings and dry with a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Spread out on grill and cook for about 20 minutes, until juices run clear. Periodically brush 1/2 cup of honey on wings while they cook.

Meanwhile melt butter in a large bowl and mix with hot sauce and remaining 1/2 cup of honey.

When wings are done dump in the sauce and serve with delicious blue cheese. I don't ususally like store bought blue cheese dressing since I always grew up with home made but, I was super impressed with Marzetti's Simply Dressed All Natural Blue Cheese dressing. You can find it with the refrigerated dressings by the produce. Delicious. Go on make your hubby's night.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2011-08-03T17:34:00.000-07:00

Anyone else have lots of Zucchini?? Well here's a twist on the Chocolate Blueberry Muffins...

Double Chocolate Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

3 whole Eggs

1 cup Vegetable Oil (or 1 Cup Applesauce)

1 cup Granulated Sugar

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

2 cups Shredded Zucchini (I used one large Zucc)

2-½ cups White Wheat Flour

½ cups Baking Cocoa

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

¼ teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

Handful Chocolate Chips

1 Cup Blueberries

Coarse Turbinado Sugar for sprinkling (optional)

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla. Stir in zucchini. Combine all the dry ingredients and add it to the zucchini mixture. Mix until combined. Stir in blueberries and chocolate chips. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans, or make muffins by filling the pans 2/3 full with batter. Sprinkle with coarse sugar for yummy crunchy crust.

Bake loaf pans at 350F for 1 hour or until bread tests done. Bake muffins at 350F for 15 minutes or until they test done.

Got to love my helpers :)

Grilled Southwest Pizza

2011-07-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

OK I hate to ramble about how great I think something is like a movie or restaurant or food, etc. because then when someone else tries it, he/she may be disappointed only because his/her expectations were so high. Well, this pizza is the best. Anything mexican must be smothered in sour cream for me otherwise I will barely touch it. I didn't even want to put sour cream on this because it was soooo good without it. It has in only one bite become my new favorite food of all time. Jared loved it too. The kids, of course, wouldn't touch it because it had vegetables on it and as a rule they gag when they even hear the word vegetable. Good news about pizza is that for a family our size we have to make at least 2 pizzas anyway so one is cheese for them and one is extra yummy good with steak and veggies for us!! Enjoy!

One pre-made pizza crust (Boboli is good)

Beef strips (I used whole slices and then cut into strips after grilling it)

1 red, green, & yellow bell pepper cut in strips

1/2 lime

1 garlic clove

1/2 C. salsa

4 cheese Mexican shredded cheese

Taco seasoning

Sprinkle beef and peppers with taco seasoning and olive oil. Grill beef and cut in strips. Cook peppers with crushed garlic and the juice of 1/2 lime on grill or in pan with olive oil. Put 1/2 c. salsa on pre-made pizza crust and squeeze just a touch of lime juice mixed in with the salsa. Place beef strips and peppers on pizza crust and sprinkle with cheese. Place crust on grill and heat until the cheese is melted. It makes for a heavy pizza so assembling it on the grill is recommended and then placing it on a cookie or pizza sheet once it's done. You can serve with sour cream if you like.

It's Derby Time!!!

2011-05-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

Derby Pie

You can only buy this pie in Louisville, KY around Derby time--(unless you have your own recipe, of course!) This is one of the only foods ALL my kids love and fight over for seconds.

1 unbaked pie shell

½ cup chocolate chips up to half the bag

½ cup melted butter

½ cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 slightly beaten eggs

1 cup crushed pecans (or walnuts)

Cover pie crust with layer of chocolate chips. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean or it’s good to leave the center a little gooey too!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Blueberry Muffins

2011-04-16T16:30:00.000-07:00

(picture)

These are seriously fabulous. And I felt totally awesome eating them and feeding them to my babies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I think they might have to be a new freezer staple. Next time I am going to try them with 1/2 applesauce 1/2 butter. I'm sure they would be just as fabulous.

Dark Chocolate Blueberry Muffins

makes 12-15 muffins

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used whole white wheat, do not use regular wheat)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup milk

1 cup blueberries

1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate (I used semi-sweet choc. chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners.

In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, brown sugar, cinnamon and mix until combined. Using a whisk, stir in the egg, vanilla, melted butter and milk. If the dough still appears too dry, add another tablespoon or 2 of milk. Fold in blueberries and chocolate.

Using an ice cream scoop, spoon muffins into liners. Bake for 13-16 minutes, or until muffins are cooked through.

Recipe Source: howsweeteats.com

Banapple Cake and Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-03-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

This is the cake I have made for all my kids birthday's so far. I like it because it so moist, and not too sweet. It's also somewhat healthy before you add the frosting.

Banapple Cake

2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour (I use white whole wheat)
3/4- 1 cup sugar (for mamma Dean I did 1/2 c and it was yummy!)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas, about 3
3/4 c buttermilk (I use half milk, half plain yogurt)
1/2 c applesauce
1 tsp vanilla

Grease and lightly flour two 8 1/2 inch pans, or one 9X13 pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add bananas, buttermilk, applesauce, and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until combined. Add eggs; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into the pans.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes for round pans, and 30 min for 9x13. Bake until centers of cake are firm and toothpick comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes. Then put on wire racks if using round pans and let cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
(half this recipe if using 9x13 pan)

1 8oz. package of cream cheese
1/2 c butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
5 3/4 to 6 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp milk

Mix cream cheese and butter on high in mixer until smooth. Add vanilla and gradually add powdered sugar 2 cups at a time. Start slowly!. Add milk, and beat until desired consistency.

Quick 30 Minute Chewy Bread

2011-01-09T16:20:00.000-08:00

This is my quick go-to bread when I need something tasty but I don't have much time for things to rise.The original recipe advertises it as 30 minute Pizza Bread. I can't quite have it ready that fast, but I bet some of you could pull it off...(Wendy). We love this bread. Everyone loves it. We bake a whole sheet of it and then freeze the rest in small portions so we can heat it up in the oven and have it with any meal.

30 Minute Breadsticks OR No-Fail Deep Dish Pizza Crust

(If it is too thick for your family, you can either half the recipe or put one full recipe onto two cookie sheets)

2 1/2 C. Medium Hot Water
5 tsp. SAF Instant Yeast*
2 Tbsp. Sugar
3 Tbsp. Oil
1 tsp. Salt
6 C. Flour (you can do half all-purpose and half white wheat or 100% whole wheat)
1 to 2 Cubes of Butter (I use one)

***Sprinkle coarse salt, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese before baking***

Directions:
1. Pour medium hot water in mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top and allow to dissolve.
2. Add sugar, salt, and oil. Gradually add approximately 6 cups of flour.
3. Melt 1-2 cubes butter on cookie sheet in oven as it is heating to 400 degrees and melt in oven. 4. Place dough on cookie sheet and press to fill pan, make sure butter gets on top of the dough.
5. Allow to double in size (About 10-15 minutes)
6. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until desired browning is accomplished.
7. Cut into strips or top with favorite pizza toppings.

* When using regular yeast change amount to 2 Tbsp.

Tammy's Cinnamon Rolls

2010-12-31T09:54:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe from my friend Tammy Dunlap, and everybody enjoyed it on Christmas day and the day after and the day after that.

It makes about 3 dozen large rolls.

For rolls:

12 c. flour

4 T. yeast

2 T. salt

1.4-1/2 c. sugar

5 c. hot water

1 c. oil

For filling:

cinnamon--1-2 T. per 1/3 dough

brown sugar--about 3/4 c. per 1/3 dough

butter--about 1 stick melted per 1/3 of the dough

nuts optional

For frosting:

2 cubes cream cheese

lb. powdered sugar

3-4 T. orange juice

1 t. vanilla

For rolls:

Combine 6 c. flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add water and oil. Slowly add up to about 6 more cups of flour until smooth.

Let rise, kneading every 10 minutes for 1 hour.

Take 1/3 of the dough and roll out to the size of a cookie sheet. Spread cinnamon mixture on it and roll it up stretching the dough as you roll. Cut into about 1-2 inch rolls using dental floss and place on greased cookie sheet with sides so that the mixture does not drip off the edge. I also scrape the mixture that has oozed out of it and pour it on top of the rolls once placed in the pan. (Here you can put them in the fridge overnight and let rise 60 minutes instead of 30 the next morning.) Let rise 30 minutes and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Make frosting once the rolls are in the oven and pour over warm rolls.

Enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken

2010-12-01T06:50:00.000-08:00

This recipe is simple and delicious and comes straight from Mel's kitchen cafe. We warm up some corn tortillas and add beans, sour cream, cilantro, and lettuce to make taco's and taco salad. It's got just the right heat for kids so add a little more if you like it hot. In this weather I'll take anything hot I can get!

Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken

*Note: leaving the tomatoes undrained makes for a fairly juicy chicken mixture. If you don't want the finished shredded chicken mixture to be quite as liquidy, slightly drain the tomatoes before using them. Also, I nearly always double or triple this recipe because it freezes so well.

*Serves 4

1 pound (about 2) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14-ounce) can petite or regular diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (add more if you like extra heat - with this amount it is mild enough for my kids to eat it up but spicy enough to help offset the sweetness)

Place the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, brown sugar and red pepper flakes. Pour over the chicken. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-9 hours. Remove the chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Return to the slow cooker and mix the chicken with the juices from the tomato/brown sugar sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in flour tortillas with toppings of choice: lettuce, sour cream, cheese, avocados, etc.

*Freezable Meal: I freeze the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving the next day. I reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

Recipe Source: melskitchencafe.com

Lenora's Famous Rolls

2010-11-20T08:13:00.000-08:00

I already had these recipes typed up... and what can I say, I like to blog so don't feel like you have to, just enjoy :) These rolls are like gold at my family get togethers, they are perfect for leftover turkey sandwiches, and absolutely heavenly when they're warm with raspberry jam...

Grandmother’s Rolls

(Fairy Rolls)

½ c butter

½ c. shortening ( I use all butter)

1 ½ cups hot water

¾ c sugar

2 eggs

6 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. instant yeast

Pour hot water over soft butter and shortening in mixing bowl. Let cool a bit. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and instant yeast. (Otherwise dissolve regular yeast in the warm, not hot, water). Add sugar and eggs to wet mixture and mix with paddle. (Add dissolved yeast). Add 1 cup dry ingredients and mix with paddle. Then switch to dough hook and the rest of the dry ingredients. Knead until smooth soft dough forms. Turn up the speed for the last couple of minutes. Cover and put in fridge over night or let rise on counter for 1.5 hours until doubled. Punch down if dough has not been refrigerated and let rise one more time (about an hour, also: this rise is not completely necessary if you’re in a hurry). Roll out to ¼” thick on lightly floured surface. Brush butter on edge of dough and fold over. Cut half circles with a drinking glass. (simply put, shape them like parker house rolls) Place on greased cookie sheet. Brush tops with butter and let rise for 1 hour, probably 2 if dough is cold, above hot oven. Bake at 400˚/425˚ for 12-20 minutes. Brush with more butter if desired!!

2010-11-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

I don't have time to post the recipe right now, but I'm going to bring Pumpkin Trifle and I was thinking Banana Cream Pie (unless someone else likes to make that).

Twice Baked Sweet Potato Souffle

2010-11-18T11:46:00.000-08:00

Twice Baked Sweet Potato Souffle

Ingredients:

6 small-medium sweet potatoes

3 oz. Cream Cheese, cubed

4 Tbsp. milk

1/4 cup brown sugar or honey

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

3/c cup nuts (walnuts or pecans), chopped

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp butter

Instructions:

Heat oven to 425˚.

Cut potatoes lengthwise in half; place, cut-sides down, in foil-lined pan. Bake 30-35 minutes or until tender.

Scoop out centers of potatoes into bowl. Add cream cheese, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to potatoes; until blended.

Spoon potato mixture into a 9x9 lightly greased dish, top with nuts, sprinkle remaining brown sugar, and dot butter around the top. Bake at 375˚ for 15-20 min. or until potatoes are heated through, top is crispy, and nuts are toasted.

**photo found here

Hey All

2010-11-16T18:29:00.000-08:00

We are getting excited for Thanksgiving next week! We will miss you Germany Deans! I was wondering if we could all post what we are bringing so there won't be any overlap--especially with the desserts b/c Jacob said that almost everyone is bringing a dessert. You can post the recipe if you want or not. I know I want everyone's recipes, and then we won't have to ask and then forget to send them :) Also, Rebekah mentioned that it would be fun for us to do some kind of Crafting day while we are together... any ideas on that? I have an activity that would be fun to do with some of the older kids. Pilgrim Hat and Turkey place favors. They are super easy and cheap to make.

Butternut Squash

2010-11-01T06:33:00.000-07:00

We had dinner at MCL the other week (any flashbacks to Grandma and Grandpa?), and I had the most delicious butternut squash, which I was successfully able to reproduce at home (Ouch! I just pulled a muscle patting myself on the back:).

Here it goes. I sliced the squash in half and seeded it. Place face down in a microwavable dish, then add 1/2 to 1 cup water. Cook on high for 12-15 minutes. Let it sit until it is cool enough to handle. Peel and cube, then saute in olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper. It is delicious!

Pumpkin Blondies

2010-10-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

I love baking in the fall! My absolute favorite spice is nutmeg. I actually named my dog Nutmeg when I was a kid. Poor Nutmeg, she was a bad, bad dog. My brothers wanted a dog so bad and they were determined to take care of her, crazies and all. She would drag them up and down the streets Literally, Cody and Dylan were riding on their tummies as she ran. She never stopped barking, and she clamored every single visitor that came into the backyard to the ground. She got sent to live in Idaho on my Aunt and Uncles' farm. Anyway, I still love nutmeg (the spice). Normally I make a huge batch of pumpkin chocolate chips at the first sign of fall. This year I decided to try something different. Pumpkin Blondies. They will definitely be reappearing next year. They will not, not, not be made again this year however, since I could not keep my hands off of them. So mix it up a little. Make these for a change, they're good. I promise. :)

PUMPKIN BLONDIES

Slightly adapted from Sugarcrafter

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 ¼ tsp cinnamon

¾ tsp nutmeg

¾ tsp cloves

1 ½ sticks of butter

1 ½ cups brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups pumpkin

1 cup white chocolate chips

½ cup coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 9″ baking pan. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla, and then mix in the pumpkin.

Gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing until well-combined. Stir in the chips and coconut using a spoon.

Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out (mostly) clean.

Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let cool completely before cutting. (Makes flavors more robust)

*photo from sugarcrafter. I didn't get any pics before the missionaries dug in.

Corn Chowder

2010-10-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

It's fall, and I'm craving warm soups. Jared and I liked this corn chowder I made.

3/4 C. water, divided

1 small onion

1/2 C. Chopped red bell pepper

1 can cream-style corn

16 oz. frozen corn

1 C. chopped, boiled potato (could use hash browns)

1 C. chopped, boiled carrots

1 can (12 oz.) Evaporated milk

3 Chicken bouillon cubes

1 T. fresh basil

3-5 strips fried bacon, chopped

*can use 8 oz. frozen peeled, cooked shrimp

Bring 1/4 C. water to boil in large saucepan. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook until tender. Add remaining water, corn, evaporated milk, bouillon, potatoes, carrots, and bacon. Bring to a boil. Reduce to low. Cook 15 minutes, stirring frequently. If you want shrimp, add now and cook for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with basil.

Peanut Sauce

2010-09-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

I received a gift last week. Another gadget for my little kitchen. A pretty brown package showed up on my doorstep and this is what was inside. For little ole me. Well Luci thought it was for her. Thanks Jacob!
So, I couldn't wait to try it out. This is what we made that night. If you've ever had peanut sauce at a thai restaurant you probably fell in love. Well, I did. The sauce in this dish mixed with the veggies and noodles was awesome. Do you remember the scene in Ratatouille where they mix the cheese and the strawberry and fireworks go off in the background?? That's what it was like while we ate this dish.

Thai Peanut Noodles

What You’ll Need:

3 cloves garlic

½ c peanut butter

1/2 c soy sauce

2 Tbsp rice vinegar (or whatever you have)

3 Tbsp brown sugar

¼ tsp red pepper flakes

¼ c olive oil

½ Tbsp sesame seed oil (optional)

¾-1 lb. angel hair pasta (or whatever you have)

½ green onions chopped

a bunch of cilantro

½ bell pepper julienned (a fancy word for thinly sliced)

a bunch of green beans

The Process:

Boil a medium sized pot of water. Boil green beans until al dente. Take green beans out, slice, and set aside. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente. In the meantime, throw garlic, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, olive oil, and sesame seed oil in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.

Toss with pasta, peppers, onions, and green beans. Garnish with lots of cilantro!

Better than U No What Apple Dumplings ;)

2010-08-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, you gotta try these! Jacob and I made them for Dad's birthday. They are what I call, totally a cheater dessert, but that makes them even better! Seriously I couldn't stop thinking about them for days. And the smell while they're in the oven is almost better than eating them. Dad said they were as good as he remembers his Mom making them :) I meant to get a picture of the 9x13 that we completely finished in less than 12 hours. Yeah. Do you believe me yet? Are you writing down the ingredients on your shopping list?...

Apple Dumplings
Recipe and photo from pioneerwoman.com
For in detail instructions click on the link.

Ingredients

2 whole Granny Smith Apples
2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
2 sticks Butter
1-½ cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Cinnamon, To Taste
1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda

Preparation Instructions

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.

Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

WARNING: Prepare this dish at your own risk. It is beyond imaginable.

Monster Cookies

2010-08-22T06:11:00.000-07:00

12 eggs

1 lb oleo

2 lbs brown sugar

3 lbs peanut butter

3 T vanilla

18 c oatmeal

3 tsp light karo

8 tsp soda

4 c white sugar

1 lb m & m's

1 lb choc. chips

Mix in a large bowl with hands. Make cookies about the size of a hamburger patty. Place only about 3 on a cookie sheet at a time. They don't call them Monster cookies for nothing! Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

***I only make half of the recipe at a time because it is just too much to deal with otherwise. Half the recipe makes about 2 dozen large cookies. These are hugely popular at bake sales we've had for scouts--probably due to their large size more than anything!!

Jared was also sorely disappointed I hadn't introduced him to these cookies much sooner than 13 years into our marriage!

Cajun Shrimp Alfredo

2010-06-15T08:01:00.000-07:00

This Alfredo sauce is a cinch! It's delicious and light too. You could really put anything on top of the pasta...blackened grilled chicken, sauteed onions and tomatoes, serve the pasta as a side dish...etc.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce and Cajun Shrimp
Slightly adapted from ourbestbites.com

Ingredients:

2 C low-fat milk
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese
pinch of nutmeg

frozen cooked shrimp
cajun seasoning
1 tbsp. canola oil

For Sauce:

Toss milk, cream cheese, flour, salt, and nutmeg in a blender. Blend until smooth. Warm the butter in the pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and sautee for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the milk mixture and stir constantly for about 3-4 minutes until it comes to a simmer. Now stir for a few minutes more. It will thicken as it cooks. Take the sauce off the heat and add the parmesan cheese. The sauce will thicken even more as it sits off the heat. So, don't cook it for too long.

For Shrimp:

Thaw the shrimp under running cold water. Coat in cajun seasoning, and sautee in warm oil. Place on top of the pasta and sprinkle parsley if desired.

Oh yeah, don't forget to make the pasta too :)

Karlie...

2010-06-11T09:40:00.001-07:00

Hey I was wondering if you could post that broccoli salad recipe of yours...Mmm. Please?

Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Shake

2010-06-02T09:34:00.000-07:00

Who knew there could be so many ways to eat oatmeal. I love oatmeal, but it's been hard for me to get it down on these hot muggy mornings. I got this idea (and the pretty picture) from allrecipes and used what I had to make a deliciously cold, smooth, and sweet treat. I promise you're kids will never know that there are oats in there. And there you have it, the perfect breakfast food hidden in a shake in seconds! Try it!

Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Shake
Makes about 2 servings

Blend these ingredients in the order listed:

1/2 c plain or vanilla yogurt
2/3 c milk or water
1 banana
1/2 c. + raw oats
10-14 frozen strawberries
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp honey (if desired)

Shepherd's Pie

2010-05-13T10:09:00.001-07:00

I had never even heard of Shepherd's Pie before I married into the Dean family. I will be honest, it wasn't something I wanted to make very often. I'm not really a big fan of ground hamburger as the main component of any meal. That's just me. I know lot's of people like it, especially my husband. Since Jacob happens to love Shepherd's pie I attempted to turn an old favorite into a new favorite for the whole family, with a few additions of my own. It was a hit! So, I've been making it this way since that day in 2007. Not that much different...but really, really good.

Shepherd's Pie Re-vamped
Feeds 6

4-5 medium sized potatoes
1 tbsp butter
about 1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
1lb ground turkey
1 small yellow or white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp canola oil
1 can stewed tomatoes, cut into smaller pieces
1/4 cup ketchup
2 beef bullion cubes
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 c water
1/4-1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2-1 tsp black pepper
a few shakes of seasoned salt or to taste (we use Johnny's)
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
frozen vegetables of your choice, I prefer green beans, carrots, and sometimes peas
1/2 cup cheese, I use whatever I have

Pressure cook, boil, or bake your potatoes until they are soft enough to mash. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and cook over medium heat until soft, add garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add ground turkey and brown. Sprinkle flour over the browned meat. Add bouillon cubes and water, tomatoes, and ketchup, white and black pepper, oregano, seasoned salt, and worcestershire sauce. Bring it all to a simmer. Add more water or spices until desired sauciness and flavor are reached. Mash or whip the potatoes with a mixer (we like them whipped) with the butter, milk, pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Add more milk and butter to taste. Pour turkey mixture into a square or round pan. Spread frozen veggies over turkey. Smooth potatoes over veggies, and sprinkle cheese. Bake in oven at 350 degrees until bubbly and cheese is melted. This will only take about 15-30 minutes if your pie is still warm from the stove. You can also refrigerate the pie unbaked for up to 2 days and then bake with foil on top for about an hour. Take foil off for the last 10 minutes.

Danielle's devilishly good brownies

2010-04-05T03:51:00.000-07:00

Enoch as well as the rest of the gang thought these brownies were sooooo good! Maybe they were just excited that they weren't filled with too much salt because of my April Fool's prank!

Deep Dark Chocolate Brownies

2010-03-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

These are the best homemade brownies I have yet to make. This could possibly have something to do with my intense craving for, well food, since I've been nursing Elijah.

Luci loves anything with chocolate. She was helping me and I turned away for a minute to look at the recipe, and there she was slathered in chocolate goo.

Deep, Dark Chocolate Brownies

Recipe adapted from melskitchencafe.blogspot.com

2 sticks (8 oz) butter
10 oz good-quality semisweet chocolate
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 large eggs
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips *optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9 inch metal pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray. Alternatively, you may use parchment. These are pretty sticky at first!

Melt butter and chocolate in a 3-qt heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Add 1 cup of the sugar to the hot chocolate mixture. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.

Whisk in remaining 1 cup sugar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time until mixture is glossy and smooth. Whisk in salt and cocoa powder, then add flour and stir until it disappears (do not overbeat). Stir in chocoate chips.

Spread in pan and bake until a pick inserted in center comes out with crumbs, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature then chill for an hour or more. Lift from pan, place on a cutting board, cut into squares.

Makes 1 13×9 inch pan (yield depends on how big you cut your brownies, but they are rich, so small is fine.

Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup

2010-02-12T07:20:00.000-08:00

I'm not a huge soup fan, but this was really good! I found it in Reader's Digest.

7 med. tomatoes, quartered

1 lg. onion, large pieces

3 garlic cloves

2 T. olive oil

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

5 c. chicken broth

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 t. cumin

1 t. chili powder

1/4 t. hot pepper sauce (I substituted 3-4 slices of jalapenos and a dash of cayenne pepper)

1/4 c. sour cream

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

Toss tomatoes, onion, garlic, oil, 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper. Place on baking sheet and roast until garlic has softened, onion edges are brown, and tomatoes collapsed (about 35-40 minutes) stirring once after 20 minutes. Transfer to 4 qt. pan. Add broth, beans, cumin, chili powder, and remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Then blend until smooth with a blender. (I have a hand blender that I could just stick in the pan or else you have to transfer it to a regular blender.) Stir in hot sauce. Garnish with cilantro and sour cream. Guten Appetit!

Professional Pizza by Daniella

2010-01-24T16:54:00.000-08:00

Friday night is pizza night, and this weekend I decided to try a new recipe for pizza crust. I love my quick and easy one, but this one was amazing! And still, not very hard, especially if you have a bread maker. Jacob couldn't stop talking about how good this pizza turned out. He wants me to enter it into some kind of recipe contest, specifically the pear and Gorgonzola pizza. :) Cute husband of mine. Luci wasn't a big fan this time...but she's had strep throat, and she's on some pretty strong anti-biotics. I really can't wait for spring time so that she will hopefully stop getting sick! She is getting tubes on February 10th, which we are hopeful will make a difference. Anyway, here is the recipe...

Crust
Makes one medium pizza (I doubled it)

3/4 c water
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. dry milk powder
2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp active dry yeast (I always use SAF)
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Add ingredients to bread machine (usually wet first, yeast last) and put on dough cycle.
**If you don't have a bread maker either dissolve the yeast in a 1/4 cup of the water (hot from the tap) or just throw the SAF yeast in with your dry ingredients. Then mix in the rest of your water, oil, and lemon juice into your dry ingredients and knead or beat in mixer until dough is smooth and elastic. Dough should be slightly sticky but not enough to stick onto your fingers. Add more or less to ensure correct consistency. Make sure your water is hot from the tap if you aren't using a bread maker.
After dough has risen to double in size roll out on a floured surface to be about 1/2 inch thick. Transfer to a greased pan with cornmeal on the bottom. Let rise for 30 more minutes for a chewier crust. Then top with your favorite traditional toppings, or try these... (Bake in a 500 degree oven, on a pizza stone if you have one, for 12-15 minutes depending on how thick your crust is.)

Garlic Crazy Bread Style
Spread olive oil over the dough, sprinkle fresh Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and sea salt. Dip in warm marinara sauce.

Pear and Gorgonzola Style
Sounds fancy, but so delicious and easy!
Caramelize 1 small onion. (saute in oil over medium high heat until browned and still slightly crunchy) Spread olive oil over dough, sprinkle mozzarella, and parmesan cheese, sliced pears, caramelized onions, Gorgonzola, or Blue cheese, ground pepper, sea salt, and drizzle some honey on top. Amazing.

And here's a cute picture of dad being a professional Pa Paw! Thanks Mom and Dad for all you do! It was fun to hang out with the cousins last weekend:)

Crustless Quiche

2010-01-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

My oven is back in commission. Did I mention that? Jacob fixed it for me when all of his finals were done! I have been a baking machine since then. Baked oatmeal, coffee cake, German chocolate cake cupcakes, pizza, cornbread, mexican cornbread, etc... Thank you Jacob for figuring it out, so that I didn't have to take Jody's advice and go pioneer style with a dutch oven out in the snow :) I made this for a friends birthday brunch this morning. It was delish, and everyone wanted the recipe. So, here it is :)

Crustless Roasted Potato, Onion, and Garlic Quiche

Do Ahead:
The night before, or morning of if you're having this for dinner, roast your potatoes, onion, and garlic. You can use the potato wedges for dinner too! We couldn't stop eating them last night. They will make your whole house smell good...

2 cups potatoes (I used plain Russet, but red or gold would be yummy)
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
olive oil
season salt
pepper

5 Eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (heaping)
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Fresh veggies you have on hand: I used spinach, and red peppers
Dry parsley, and basil

Coat potato wedges, onion wedges, and whole garlic in olive oil. Pour onto a tin foil lined sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in 400 degree oven for 30-45 min. Or until soft in the middle and crisp on the outside.

Lightly coat a 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray or butter. Layer potatoes, cheese, spinach, peppers. Beat eggs and yogurt and pour on top. Make sure you move the eggs around to cover everything else. Sprinkle with a little more cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

Volare's Heath toffee cheesecake

2010-01-09T05:45:00.000-08:00

Made for Jared's birthday cake!!

Crust:

3 1/2 cups ground Oreos

1 stick butter, melted

Filling:

3 lbs. cream cheese, softened

1 stick butter, softened

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 t. vanilla

1 t. lemon juice

1 1/2 cups sour cream

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 1/2 cups crushed Heath toffee pieces

Crust:

Combine butter and crushed Oreos. Press into bottom and up 2/3 the side of 10 x 3 inch springform pan.

Filling:

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, sour cream and heavy cream. Fold in about 1 1/2 cups of toffee pieces. Pour onto crust all the way to the top and top with 1 cup toffee pieces. (You can pour excess filling into a graham cracker crust and bake until just set.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Double wrap springform pan in foil and place in a water bath filled halfway up the side. Bake in the water bath for 30 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 30 more minutes. Then reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees and bake for the final 25 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake set in the oven for 30 minutes.

(It will look wobbly like jell-o and it's actually done! I tend to overcook cheesecake until it doesn't look like this--but don't!!)

While the cake is warm take your finger and pull the edge of the cheesecake away from the pan. Remove it from the water bath and refrigerate overnight.

Use knife to separate cheesecake from the side of the pan. Remove springform. Serves 12-15 and that's no joke!! (A 1 inch piece will fill you up--it sits heavy in the stomach but is soooo good!)

ENJOY!!!!!

Best Cornbread Ever

2009-12-30T18:31:00.000-08:00

This cornbread is always a hit. It's so good that you don't need to put anything on it, even better with honey butter though. Try try try it! Homemade cornbread is so much better than Jiffy ;) I made it tonight with sweet potato fries, while Jacob made some delicious chili. I love having him home so that he can cook for me. Last night we were at Mom and Dad's and he made us Eggs Benedict for our Anniversary. My favorite! Anyway...the recipe...

½ cup cornmeal
1 ½ cup flour ( I use 1 c. wheat flour, and 1/2 c. white)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup milk

Add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center. Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny - don't be alarmed!). Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. This doubles perfectly for a 9X13-inch pan.

Recipe Source: mykitchencafe.blogspot.com

Sad Days

2009-12-14T10:41:00.001-08:00

It's a sad day around my house when I can't use my oven. It's been broken for over a month now. It's especially sad since it's Christmas time, and what better time is there to bake than now? So, I've been adding to my no-bake dinners and desserts recipes. We have had a lot of soup! Which we love. I also made this yummy cheesecake the other day. And here's a fun recipe for homemade Almond Joys. My friend has a great tradition of getting friends together and dipping chocolates together. Each person brings a few different centers to dip and then you walk away with tons of chocolate to share...or eat :) I guess some of you might remember my huge tray of chocolates from last year??

grandma's lemon cheesecake
(just_cook_already.blogspot.com)

ingredients

2 packages of Graham crackers
1 stick butter, melted (reserve a little bit for the end)
2 small lemon jello packages
2 cups boiling water
1 can chilled carnation milk
12 oz. cream cheese
2 tbsp. sugar
1 crushed pineapple (undrained)

directions

mix 2 packages of graham crackers with 1 stick of melted butter. line a 9 x 13 dish, reserving some of the mixture to sprinkle on top later. mix 2 small lemon jello packages in 2 cups boiling hot water. put in refrigerator until soft set. beat 1 can chilled carnation milk. add 12 oz cream cheese (you might have to buy 1 large brick and 1 small one), 2 tbsp. of sugar. add jello and 1 can crushed pineapple (undrained). pour mixture over crust and sprinkle some leftover crust mixture over the top. chill, and serve.

Almond Joys

6 T. butter; melted

1/3 c. light corn syrup

2 t. vanilla extract

1/2 t. salt

2- 3 cups of powdered sugar (add enough to make dough easy to work with, but not stiff)

3 1/4 c. sweetened coconut

Almonds; if desired

 In large bowl, stir together butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt.

Gradually add powdered sugar and coconut, beating until blended.  

Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon additional powdered sugar on flat surface.

Spoon coconut mixture onto prepared surface; knead about 5 minutes.

Using 1-1/2 teaspoons mixture for each candy, shape into egg shape.

Place on foil or wax paper-covered tray.  

Place 1 almond on each ball if desired.

Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before dipping.  

Yields 40

DQ Family Home Evening Treat

2009-11-16T13:19:00.000-08:00

Obviously, we didn't make the treat, but I think the pics are cute!

EASY Pizza Rolls

2009-11-16T13:14:00.000-08:00

We made this after church in minutes. What you need: Tortillas Sauce Cheese Whatever Pizza Toppings you like All you do is put on some sauce, toppings and then cheese and then roll it up. Cook at 350-375 until golden brown and insides bubbling out.

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

2009-11-04T09:13:00.000-08:00

Oh boy. These are good. These are really good. Not too fluffy, not dense, with little chewy morsels in them. These are probably one of the best pancakes I've ever tasted, I would put them up next to Magleby's pancakes. The mix stores indefinitely in the fridge or freezer and whips up in a snap on a busy morning.
I made the mix for Jacob so that he could have something to eat in the morning besides cereal. Well the mix sat in the fridge for a few days and today Luci and I broke it out for lunch. I won't lie, I ate 5. We all love pancakes, so to have a ready mix in the fridge makes them taste even better! This recipe is slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour The Bakers Companion. I found it on mykitchencafe.blogspot.com after which I made a few changes. They didn't look amazing while cooking, but after my first bite I actually said, "wow" out loud. I was pleasantly surprised... They are definitely worth a little make ahead prep if you ask me.

Oatmeal Pancake Mix

*Makes 10 cups of dry mix

3 1/2 cups rolled (quick) oats
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups ground oats (they grind nicely in any blender)
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup canola oil

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixer with a paddle (or by hand). With mixer on slow speed (or gently by hand), drizzle the vegetable oil into the bowl slowly while the mixer is running. When all the oil has been added, stop the mixer and squeeze a clump of mix in your hand. If it stays together, it is just right. If it is still crumbly, add another tablespoon of oil at a time until the consistency is correct (you probably won't need more oil). Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or indefinitely in the refrigerator or freezer.

To make the pancakes: whisk together 1 cup of mix, 1 cup buttermilk (I used half whole milk and half plain yogurt), and 1 egg. The mixture may seem thin at first but the oats will soak up the milk as it stands while the griddle preheats. Heat a griddle and drop the batter onto it. When the edges look dry and bubbles come to the surface and don't break, turn the pancake over to finish cooking on the second side.

*1 cup of mix will make about 6-7 4-inch pancakes.

Herb Vinaigrette

2009-11-02T01:39:00.000-08:00

1 T. Basil

1 T. Parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

4 t. Red wine vinegar

salt

freshly ground pepper

shredded parmesan

This is great to use for dipping fresh bread into. I've also used it by spreading it on my bread with some slices of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese or feta cheese for a sandwich. I also cut up potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, carrots, zucchini, and red peppers and tossed them with the vinaigrette and baked it for about 45 minutes (until the potatoes and carrots were slightly soft). I added feta cheese and served. Jared and I liked it; but, of course, the kids wouldn't touch it.

Festive popcorn

2009-10-23T06:21:00.000-07:00

I call this "festive" popcorn because you can make it any color you want to fit any holiday. I made it orange today for Ella's class snack and added candy corn since Halloween is next week. I also like it because it's not sticky! Apparently the kids liked it because the container came home empty. Her teacher also loved it and asked for the recipe. She was surprised to learn there is jell-o in it. So here's the link or just take a look at the copied recipe below:

http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2009/04/10/green-pea-hummus-and-pink-popcorn/

Pink Popcorn

You can use any red Jell-O powder for this; I tried cherry and raspberry and liked raspberry better, although cherry was a paler pink.

Lots of popped popcorn – a big bowl (around 15 cups or so)
2 cups sugar
1/2 small box red Jell-O gelatin powder
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Put the popped popcorn in a large bowl, carefully picking out any unpopped kernels. (I do this by popping into one bowl, then lightly scooping out the popcorn with my hands into another, leaving the unpopped kernels in the bottom.) Preheat the oven to 250F. Line one or two rimmed baking sheets with foil.

In a medium saucepan (with room for the mixture to at least double in size), bring the sugar, Jell-O, water and butter to a boil. Once fully boiling cook for 4 minutes without stirring, swirling the bowl occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and soda. Pour over the popcorn and toss with tongs to coat completely. Spread out onto the baking sheets and bake, stirring once or twice, for an hour. Set aside to cool.

Have Fun with it!

Jody

Girls Night

2009-10-12T18:33:00.000-07:00

Saturday Danielle was up from Cincinnati. While the boys were at the OSU game, us girls (Me, mom, Danielle & Karlie) made dinner for us and the kids. When the boys got back from the game, we got to got to go out for dessert. We went to Red Robin and got the Mountain High Ice Cream Pie and Apple Crisp. The only thing that was missing was the rest of our sisters! I should have taken a pic of the ice cream pie, but, hey, at least I posted!

Chinese Day

2009-10-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

So I decided to have a theme for each day of the week to help me with ideas of what to cook throughout the week. Wednesday is ethnic night. So last night we had Chinese Cabbage Salad, rice, and Egg Drop soup. Yum it was good. Especially the salad. The dressing is phenomenal! I usually put chicken in it too, but I'm also trying to see if we can eat meat just a few times a week. Anyway, the whole family loved it. Luci especially loved digging for the Ramen noodles and grapes. Another plus...the cabbage came from our garden! Jacob didn't even notice that there was no meat, a key food group that makes a meal filling for a man I guess. Here's the recipe for the salad...

Chinese Cabbage Salad

Slightly adapted from Ellie Krieger, Food Network
Yields: 5 Servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided (optional but very very yummy)
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed or sliced (optional)
3/4 head napa cabbage, thinly shredded (about 6 cups)
1 large carrot, shredded (about 2 cups)
3 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, greens included (about 1/2 cup)

3/4 package of uncooked Ramen noodles (optional)
2/3 cup sliced grapes
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup unsalted peanuts

Directions

Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and spread onto chicken breasts. Grill in oil on medium-high heat until done, about 5-7 minutes I think. Don't over cook! Remove from oven, cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine green cabbage, carrot, scallions, grapes, peanuts and
sliced chicken. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oil, 1
1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, and brown sugar. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

**Tip: Almost everything in this recipe is optional. Just use what you have! I've even substituted Romaine lettuce for the cabbage before.You can add things too, like mandarin oranges, water chestnuts, etc...

Always hits the spot

2009-09-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

Okay this is an easy one, and one of my childhood favorites. It always hits the spot no matter what mood I'm in. Kids love it too. Luci kept begging for more plain yogurt to dip hers in. "Ougut, wite hewe" (yogurt, right here) she kept saying while pointing to a specific spot on her plate. We use yogurt instead of sour cream...less fat :) Jacob didn't think we'd be able to eat the whole pan. Oh but we did. Here we come second trimester little dean baby number two. Food is tasting so much better these days. Yes!

Quick Broiler Nachos
Brought to You by My Dad
Yields 1 baking sheet
A whole sheet used to feed my 5 sibling and me

1 can refried beans
1 can black beans, rinsed
about half a bag of chips
1/2 cup to 1 cup shredded cheese of choice

1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1/4 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 avacodo, cubed
salsa
plain yogurt
cilantro (optional)

Warm beans separately with whatever medium you choose.
Spread chips over sheet pan.
Drop beans over chips, sprinkle cheese.
Broil until cheese is melted.
Spread tomatoes, peppers, onions, and avocado.
Top with salsa, yogurt, and cilantro.

Shh! We're eating Chicken Enchiladas

2009-07-25T17:06:00.002-07:00

Rain

Enchiladas

Peace and Quiet

My Favorite thing about this recipe is that we made enough for almost 40 people in one hour. And, the kids were finally quiet for a moment on a long rainy day spent indoors.

Here's what you need for one 9x13 pan:

about 3 chicken breasts (more or less if you like)

1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can diced tomatoes with green chili's

1 chopped small onion

12 smaller-ish flour tortillas

2 8oz cans green enchilada sauce (we used mild)

about 8 oz. shredded mexican blend cheese (Jacob would add much more)

the juice of one lime

Seasoned salt

chili powder

cumin

paprika

garlic powder

Cook chicken and shred. (We cooked it mamma dean style in the pressure cooker. It's also really good cooked in the slow cooker with the tomatoes for 4-6 hours.)
Place shredded chicken in saucepan with beans, onions, lime juice and tomatoes. Begin adding spices to taste. About 2 Tbsp Chili powder, 2 tsp cumin, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp paprika, a couple pinches salt.
Pour about 1/4 cup of sauce in the bottom of the pan.
Fill tortillas with chicken mixture and a few pinches of cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in the sauce.
Cover with sauce and sprinkle cheese (liberally if you're a true Dean)
Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy!