Chicken Salad with Sweet Red Grapes

Two weeks ago, we had a pot luck dinner at church 

so I made this chicken salad to share. 

The recipe is simple, quick and as my husband says, Yummilicious!  

This recipe made 24 sandwiches.

4-6 cooked chicken breasts

3/4 cup of mayonnaise  

1/2 cup finely chopped green onions

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

2 cups quartered red seedless grapes

salt and pepper to taste

Shred the cooked chicken breasts.  Mix all the ingredients with the chicken. 

Serve on croissants. See, I told you it was easy...
Enjoy....

Aguacate con Crema Agria

Here is a simple yet flavorful avacado dip that will have 

you and your guests double dipping at your next party.

You will need:

3 large ripe avacados

1 small tub of sour cream

1/2 cup of finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup of Chile a la Mexicana (recipe here)

salt to taste

1 bag of tostada chips

Wash cilantro, chop and set aside.  Slice avacados and remove seed.  

Smash avacados. 

Add sour cream, cilantro and Chile a la Mexicana. Mix into a creamy blend. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Dip...

and dip again

If you have any dip left, just cover and refrigerate for later...but that's a big IF and I seriously doubt you'll have any left over.  It's that good.  

Finger Friendly Nachos

At least once a week, I prepare a meal that requires using only fingers to eat. How I came up with this "tradition" is still vague, but the kids think it's great to eat with their fingers.  I love the challenge of trying to come up with a different utensil-free meal every week. But sometimes I revert back to an all time favorite.  Here is a finger friendly yummy meal that can be prepared in 15 minutes or less.

You will need:

1 box of Velveeta Mexican Yellow Cheese

2 packages of cooked breakfast hot (spicy) sausage links

1/2 cup milk

1 can chopped tomatoes and green chile

1 can sliced jalapeños

1 bag of your favorite tortilla chips

Cut the cheese (ha! never thought I'd write this in a blog...) into four pieces and place in a glass bowl large enough to hold all your ingredients. Add milk and microwave until all cheese is melted.  I microwave the cheese and milk 3 minutes at a time and it usually takes about 6-7 minutes to get the cheese melted.  Make sure to blend the cheese and milk until you get a smooth mixture. Chop each breakfast link into 6 pieces.  Add links and drained can of chopped tomatoes and green chile to cheese and mix.  Microwave for 2 minutes more.  Serve over a pile of tortilla chips and top with jalapeños.

And that's it.  Dinner is served...

now go wash your hands, it's time to eat.

Chilaquiles Verdes Casserole

I love to prepare quick and easy meals. Here is a recipe for the Chilaquiles Verdes Casserole that I made last night. Dinner was served in less than 35 minutes; from start to the dinner table. 

 Here is the recipe:

~1 can Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (28 oz)

~1 can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles

~3 cups Shredded Blend of Mild Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese

~2 pounds Ground Beef

~1 Bag of  frozen White Shoepeg Corn (I used the steamable bag.)

~1/2 bag of Tostadas

~1 casserole dish 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave the White Shoepeg Corn according to directions on bag.  Set aside when done. Brown the ground beef with seasonings but NOT with salt.  Do not add salt to the meat because the Green Chile Enchilada Sauce comes with enough salt for the entire casserole.  Drain and set aside.  Take the tostadas and break in half. Set aside.  Open all cans; drain the liquid from the Diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles. Set aside.  You can mix the White Shoepeg Corn with the browned ground beef if  you want.  I didn't but it doesn't make a difference.  Now, layer all ingredients in this order (bottom to top layer) in the casserole dish: tostadas, enchilada sauce, ground beef and corn, cheese; repeat.  Make as many layers as you need to get to the top of your dish.  Top with the Diced Tomatoes and Chile and final layer of cheese. Here is what it looks like pre oven.

Place the casserole in the oven for 25 minutes.  Let cool a bit before serving.

This is a family favorite in my home...my kids and husband always ask for seconds.  I hope this recipe becomes one of  your family favorites as well.  

Cereal French Toast (Cap'n Crunch vs. Coco Crisp)

I love to watch Diners, Drive-ins' and Dives with Guy Fieri.  About a week ago, the Blue Moon Cafe in Baltimore was featured for their Cap'n Crunch French Toast.  Mmmm...those french toast did look yummy.  My sister, who happened to be visiting from Plano, read my mind, "Do you have Cap'n Crunch?"  She winged it; that's just how she rolls. But if you want the recipe, here it is.  Saturday morning we awoke to the smells of french toast with a crunch.  They were delicious.      

She topped the french toast with whipped cream, cinnamon and bananas. The whipped cream melted on the warm french toast before I could get a "pretty" picture...but don't let the wimpy whipped cream fool you, these were GOOD. 

Monday morning, I made Coco Crisp French Toast.  Same recipe; different cereal.  

Talk about a chocolate delight.  This time, I actually stuck the first two french toast in the freezer for a bit just to cool them down before topping with whipped cream.            Ha! Joke was on me...this is all I could get out of the pressured can. So much for a "pretty" picture. Again, don't let this fool you because these too were awesome!

Honestly, I would not be able to pick from the two.  They were both scrumptious.  

But ask my kids and they would say they loved the Coco Crisp French Toast best.  

I think it was the chocolate syrup that won them over.  

Easy Ice Cream Cake

Awhile back, a friend of mine gave me a cake recipe that changed my life.  Really, it did.  I will NEVER, EVER make cake from a box the same again.  The secret is in the ice cream.  No need for oil or water...just 1 pint of your favorite ice cream (thawed), a box of cake mix and 3 eggs.  That's it. Mix, follow baking instructions and you're done.  The hardest part in making this cake is trying to decide what kind of ice cream to buy. The cake is super moist and the flavor combinations are countless. 

MMMM....can't you just see how moist and delicious this is?  There should really be scratch-n-sniff or 4-D computer screens...just saying.

Here's a picture account of the ice cream cake the kids made for Father's Day.  

(Thanks Rach for helping the kids and for snapping all the photos.) 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Funfetti + 3 eggs + 1 pint of Blue Bell Moo-llennium Crunch

Mix in bowl

Enjoy whisk afterwards

Wait, wait and wait.

Decorate to your heart's content with what you got.  

Kid's didn't have enough mini marshmallows to spell out Happy Father's Day 

so they ended up with HFD 

Daddy giving the Price is Right models a run for their money

At the count of 3, we all take a bite...yeah right.  

Maya, our dog, is ready to take a bite if given the chance.

Happy as can be with frosting up his nose.

We all enjoyed a big slice of ice cream cake heaven

It was moooo-velous... 

Chile a la Mexicana

Growing up, chile (not chile like for chile beans), but chile, you know, a la Mexicana style was a staple at my house. No meal was complete without homemade chile.  It wasn't picante sauce, or pico de gallo or tabasco sauce or any wanna be hot sauce sold in jars.  This was freshly made on an as needed basis which was usually every other day.  Sometimes the recipes would be changed up just a little depending on what was on the menu.  A hotter, "fire in the hole" chile was served at cook-outs.  This is the kind of chile that made grown men cry, and sweat and turn red in the face. 

A milder and gentler, "clear up your sinus" chile was served with day to day meals like steak with fries or bean burritos.  As a kid, I remember taunting my younger siblings to eat spoonfuls of the stuff for a whole DOLLAR...and many times I had to pay up and it was so worth it too.  

Today, chile is a staple in my house. My kids love to eat chips and chile.  They too have started to dare and taunt each other over who can eat more chile with their meal.  My kids are dare devils...not once have they backed down from a chile war.  

It is this chile recipe that has been passed down that I will show you how to make today.  

You will need the following:

1 Habanero Chile

6 Serrano Chiles

2 Vine Ripe Large Tomatoes

1 cup Cilantro (just the leafy part)

1/2 White Onion

2 Tomatillos

Salt and Garlic to taste

2 cups water

You might also want to have the following:

1 bag of  your favorite tortilla chips

1 glass of  cold milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and chop (into bite size pieces) the Habanero, Serranos, Tomatoes, Cilantro, Tomatillos and Onion. Place in a foil lined shallow pan.  Place pan into the oven for 30 minutes.  When time is up, pull pan out and let everything cool down.  Once cooled, put all ingredients into your blender with the water.  Blend away!! I usually just use the highest setting and blend everything until it has a smooth consistency. Pour into a glass bowl.  Add salt and garlic powder to taste.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Any left over chile should be refrigerated as well.

Enjoy with tortilla chips, or with your next meal...mmmm, sabroso y delicioso!!

Don't forget the milk... seriously, it really helps with the burning in your mouth.