Taco Pasta

TACO PASTA

12 oz dry medium shell pasta

1 lbs hamburger

1 cup water

3/4 package taco seasoning

1/2 package chi chi's restaurant seasoning package

1 can petite diced tomatoes with green chillies

1/2 cup sour cream

4 oz cream cheese

1 -2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro

Boil the noodles as the directions on the package, drain.

Fry the hamburger, drain the grease.

Add the water, undrained tomatoes, and season packages (if you don't have the chi chi's just use one of the taco seasoning, I didn't have a full package of taco seasoning so I modified.)

Add the noodles, sour cream and cream cheese until mixed. 

add in cilantro and enjoy.

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Bacon Cheeseburger Loaf on the Grill

The pink that you see inside this loaf is from the smoke, it is not raw hamburger at all. It was so good!!

 Bacon Cheeseburger Loaf on the Grill

2 pounds ground chuck or 80/20 hamburger

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup Cheddar cheese

BBQ sauce

salt and pepper

Bacon, thicker cut but not too thick

mix hamburger up with salt and pepper and I added a little bit of BBQ sauce about 1-2 TBS.

Add whatever seasonings you would like to your hamburger.

spread it out on a flat pan like the picture below about 1 inch thick.

sprinkle onions, BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese on top.

Wrap it up at long end first and make into a log.  

wrap the log in bacon. I used the basket weave method to hold in the juices better.

I used a charcoal grill. I grilled it 2 hours at 220-250 degrees.

after an hour I checked on it and brushed BBQ sauce on the top for the last hour. 

I cooked it until it was 165 degree temperature in the thickest part of the meat.

Hour time will vary depending on your temperature and how many times you open your lid to check on it.  Just cook it until 165 degrees

Now you take it off the grill and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. 

cut it in slices and you can make it into slider burgers with smaller buns and add your favorite toppings.

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I cut it in slices and made a little slider burger with it and it was delicious!

This was the first one i grilled and the bacon was too thick. The second time I used thick bacon but not as thick as the first one. 

The Best Bran Muffin

The Best Bran Muffin

1/2 c butter, softened

1   1/4 c sugar

2 eggs

1 pint buttermilk

1 cup wheat germ original toasted

2 cups all bran kelloggs

1 c boiling water

2  1/2 c flour

2  1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Mix the 2 cups All Bran Kellogg's and boiling water and let stand (add to muffin mixture last of all). 

Mix the butter, sugar, eggs, and buttermilk in a large bowl.    

Mix flour, baking soda, salt and wheat germ to a small bowl.  

Mix the All Bran Kellogg's into the liquid bowl (butter, sugar, eggs and buttermilk) mix well.

Add the flour mixture to the wet. Mix well

 Put in lined Muffin tins 3/4 full, bake for 20 mins at 400 degrees

This batter keeps for 2 months in the refrigerator.  

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Lemon Brownies

LEMON BROWNIES

1 box Betty crocker super moist lemon cake mix

(do not use the ingredients on the box to make this)

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

FROSTING

1/2 cup of powdered sugar

1-2 tbls fresh lemon juice or milk (you can use lemon extract if you don't have lemons)

DIRECTIONS FOR THE CAKE

Mix the 2 eggs and oil in a large bowl.  When mixed, add the DRY cake mix from the box.

Mix together well.  It will be really thick.

Spread in a 9x13 pan sprayed with cooking spray.

spread the lemon mix in the pan.  It will take some time to pat it flat in the pan because it is thick.

Make sure it is all level.

bake 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. don't over cook this.

take it out of the oven and let cool for 10-15 mins

DIRECTIONS FOR THE FROSTING

mix together powdered sugar and lemon juice or (milk and extract) until creamy consistency

spread over warm lemon brownies. 

let brownies completely cool before eating. otherwise they will be really mushy.  they are better when they set up with the frosting set up too.

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Old Town Cranberry Bread

This bread is a recipe from the Colorado Bed & Breakfast Cookbook.  I love this bread, it is so good.  I bake it every year.  I had to post the recipe on my blog so I never lose this recipe.

OLD TOWN CRANBERRY BREAD

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
2 strips (about 3x1 inch each) lemon zest
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
6 Tbls plain yogurt
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries (or use dried cranberries**- see note below)

DIRECTIONS:

preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda.

In food processor, place sugar and lemon zest strips.  Process until zest is finely grated.  Add butter; process until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time; mix well.  Add vanilla and yogurt; process until combined.  Transfer butter/yogurt mixture to a large bowl.

Put cranberries in food processor; pulse 3-4 times until coarsely chopped.  Add cranberries to dry ingredients; toss to combine.  Add dry ingredients and cranberries to butter/yogurt mixture; stir just until moistened.

Spoon batter into loaf pan.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool on a rack for 30 minutes.  Remove bread from pan to finish cooling.  Wrap well; refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.


**use 6 oz package of dried cranberries, soaked in very hot water for 10 minutes and drained well.  the cranberries worked great.

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Bacon Double Cheeseburger Dip

BACON DOUBLE CHEESEBURGER DIP

1 lbs ground beef

1 lbs bacon, cut into i inch pieces

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 cup mozzarella, shredded

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

2 tbls worcestershire sauce

4 tbls ketchup

Brown ground beef, onions and garlic. Drain fat off meat set aside.

Brown bacon bits, drain and set aside.

Mix together, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, mozzarella, cheddar, worcestershire sauce and matchup. Mix in beef and bacon. 

Bake 350 degrees for 20-30 mins until bubbly.

serve with bread slices or tortilla chips

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Bread Pudding Bake

Bread Pudding Bake

10 oz bag dried stuffing bread or 8 cups cubed day old bread

9 eggs

2 1/4 cups whole milk

1 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup melted butter

3 tsp vanilla extract

3 tsp ground cinnamon

cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top

get a large baking pan (I used a 4 qt 15 x 10 Oblong Pyrex Baking Dish) spray with cooking spray.  Put bread in baking pan.  

In a large bowl, mix together, eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, sugar, extract and cinnamon. Mix until combined.  Drizzle butter over bread. Pour egg/milk mixture over the bread.  

let the bread soak up the egg/ milk mixture. Sprinkle as much cinnamon/sugar over the top of the bread.

bake 350 for 40-45 minutes, until set and a knife comes out clean.

serve warm with syrup over the top. optional, whipping cream

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