Easy Cheesy Potato Soup

-7-8 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
-1 lb baby carrots, sliced
-1/2 lb mushroom, sliced
-4 C. celery, sliced
Boil in water for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Take half of the veggies and 2 1/2 C of the water and blend until smooth.
In a large sauce pan combine:
-6 T butter
-1 sm. Onion, chopped
-3 cloves of garlic
-1 Packet Chicken Bullion
-Salt and Pepper
-1 T fresh parsley
Cook until onions are tender. Then add
-4T Flour Mix until bubbly. Slowly add
-3 C Milk and stir until slightly thickened.
Pour pureed vegetable into white sauce, then add left over drained vegetables.
Stir to heat through. Serve with
-Shredded Cheddar Cheese and more Salt

Cashew Pasta Bake

2 1/2 cups dried penne or other pasta
dash of olive oil, plus 2 TB
2 TB butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 heaping TB tomato paste
3/4 cup roasted cashews
1/2 of a small zucchini or yellow squash sliced
salt and pepper
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Boil  pasta and dash of oil for 10 minutes. Drain. Return to pan and stir in butter. Keep Warm.
While pasta is cooking, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat remaining oil in large frying pan and saute' onion, garlic and oregano for 3 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and zucchini or squash and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cashews and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to greased shallow oven proof dish. Spoon the buttered pasta on top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Cheese will turn crisp and golden.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Mom's Sloppy Joe's

2 lbs ground beef
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1 T dry mustard
4 T brown sugar
1 T worchestershire sauce
1 C ketchup
2 T vinegar

Brown beef, drain off fat and add about a tablespoon of flour to absorb any left over fat. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for an hour.
Serve on Buns
Can be made ahead of time and put in the crock pot on warm/low until you’re ready to eat.
Can also freeze!

LAURA C's CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 c Crisco
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 c flour
pinch of salt
1 pkg milk chocolate chips (she always used the BIG ones)

cream together Crisco, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and blend till well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.
Bake @ 350 for 11-12 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

*I altered this a little bit. The original recipe called for 1 tsp baking soda. I didn't have any so I substituted 2 tsp baking powder. Also, the original recipe bakes for 8-10 minutes. These bake for right about 12 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Waffles

• 4 eggs
• 4 cups whole wheat flour
  
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 8 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (I chopped mine smaller. Or use the mini ones)
  

Directions

1. Preheat waffle iron. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy. Beat in flour, milk, applesauce oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.Stir in chocolate chips.
   
2. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot. Makes 20 belgian waffles.

Suggested toppings: vanilla yogurt and fresh berries, butter and powdered sugar, peanut butter and jelly, or flavored syrup.

BAKED CHICKEN CHIMICHANGA

1/4 C butter
1/4 C flour
1 C chicken broth
8oz sour cream
8oz can green chilies
3 C chopped cooked chicken
1-2 tsp Mexican seasoning (more or less depending on your taste)
4 green onions chopped
8 flour tortillas

Melt butter, stir in flour, add broth, heat and stir until thick and bubbly. With a whisk, add sour cream and chilies; remove from heat.
In a bowl toss chicken, Mexican seasoning and onion together and add 1 C sauce mixture.
Butter one side of tortillas and fill unbuttered side with mixture.
Fold up and place seam side down in baking dish.
Bake @ 475 for 12-14 minutes or until crisp and light golden brown. Serve with remaining sauce.

SCHEZWAN CHICKEN

6-7 chicken breast, cut into strips
3 eggs, beaten
Oil, for frying
mix the following...
3/4C corn starch
3/4C flour
1tsp garlic salt
in a sauce pan combine the following and bring to a boil stirring often..
1/2C chicken broth
1C vinegar
1 1/2 C sugar
2T soy sauce
8T ketchup
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Dip chicken in Egg
Then dip in starch mixture
Fry in oil till crisp
Place chicken in baking dish
Pour sauce over chicken
Bake @ 350 for 45 minutes
Toss chicken in sauce and bake 5 more minutes

I serve this with seasoned rice and broccoli
Serves a family of six with some left over for lunch!

Black Bean Burgers

I found a better black bean burger than this. 
Go to this link.  It takes longer because it calls for brown rice, but it's worth it.
I made up a recipe for black bean burgers today. Pretty tasty!
1 can black beans rinsed, drained
1/4 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (mine were Italian)
1 egg

Pour rinsed, drained beans in a bowl and chop them with your Pampered Chef chopper or mash with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients. Form into 4 patties. Grill in greased foil pouches. I did mine 6 minutes on each side.
I've also made them in the oven, still using greased foil packets. 350 degrees, 10 minutes on each side.

Chicken Caesar Pizza

Ingredients:
Caesar salad dressing
shredded cooked chicken, I used about 1 large chicken breast
1/2 onion
2 tomatoes
mozarella cheese
romaine lettuce

Start with your favorite whole wheat crust recipe.
Spread Caesar dressing on rolled out crust dough. Layer on thinly sliced onion, tomatoes, shredded chicken and chopped fresh spinach. Sprinkle on mozarella cheese.
Bake at whatever your crust recipe suggest.
Mine was 17 minutes at 425 degrees.
Top with romaine lettuce. I took pictures before the lettuce so you could actually see what was on the pizza.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 2 pounds tilapia fillets

Directions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Not low fat, but very tasty. Next time I might try it with lite mayo. This dish will be on the menu often. Everyone liked and and would have eaten more.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 203 | Total Fat: 11.4g | Cholesterol: 59mg