Allison's Recipe Book

Taco Pasta

Ingredients for Taco Pasta

1 pound ground beef
8-12 ounces medium pasta shells (I used whole wheat—yum!)
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained (I used Ro-tel mild)
1 packet (4 tablespoons) taco seasoning
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Salt and pepper

Directions for Taco Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground meat and onions over medium-high heat. Add in the diced tomatoes, garlic and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.

TIP: I used the entire taco seasoning packet, and I don’t know that I will next time. It was a bit overpowering, especially with using Ro-Tel. Consider cutting back on the seasoning packet.

Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and remaining pasta water. Continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Simmer for a few minutes over medium heat to reduce the sauce, if needed.

Toss in the cilantro right before serving for some fresh color and flavor, if desired.

Ingredients needed for Cheesy Mac n Cheese

1 pound elbow macaroni
1 cup whole milk
2 12-ounce cans evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup butter, cut into small pieces
½ pound Colby cheese, grated
½ pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
½ pound sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
1 pound Velveeta cheese, cut into small chunks
½ cup sour cream
Salt, to taste
1 TB white pepper
1 TB sugar
1 cup grated mild Cheddar cheese for the topping

Instructions for making Cheesy Mac n Cheese

Heat oven to 350° F. Prepare a deep sided 9×13 pan by coating with cooking spray. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, and cook elbow macaroni according to package directions until tender. Drain and transfer the macaroni noodles to the baking pan.
While the macaroni is cooking, combine the milks and eggs in a large bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Add the butter, cheeses, sour cream, salt, pepper, and sugar and stir to combine. Pour over the macaroni and stir to combine. Top with the grated mild Cheddar cheese.
Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown

Serves 12-24

Salmon in a Bag

Ingredients for making Salmon in a Bag

Salmon Fillets

Half of a lemon per salmon fillet

Stick Butter

Pepper and/or other seasonings (optional)

Directions for making Salmon in a Bag

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Slice lemon’s and place underneath the salmon fillets. Place butter and seasoning to taste. Wrap up the fillets in foil as tightly as possible  and bake for 25 minutes.

Ingredients:

3-4 Large whole wheat tortillas, or enough to cut out 12 small circles (I prefer LaTortilla brand)
1 cup Lean ground turkey, cooked (or lean ground beef or 1 cup Morning Star Meatless Crumbles™)
1/2 cup Salsa of choice (I used one with corn)
2 tsp Dry taco seasoning
1/2 cup Low fat refried beans
1/2 cup Low fat shredded mexican blend or 2% cheddar cheese
Optional Toppings: sliced black olives, shredded lettuce, low fat sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 12 count muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Start by laying each tortilla out individually on a flat surface, and use an empty can, glass cup, or cookie cutter to cut 3-4 medium circles out of each wrap. Press each wrap circle into muffin tin using your fingers. (Note: it doesn’t have to cover the entire side of the tin, it should just fit snuggly. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ground meat, salsa, taco seasoning, and refried beans. Stir until well combined.Scoop 1/8th cup of meat mixture into each wrap. Top with shredded cheese, (dividing evenly between each pizza), and olives if desired.Bake in pre-heated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Wait for mini Mexican pizzas to cool, and remove from muffin tin using a fork or knife. Pizza’s should pop out with ease! Serve with a side of salsa, low fat sour cream, chopped tomatoes, and/or shredded lettuce if desired!

Ingredients:

1 head broccoli, chopped
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound bacon, fried and crumbled
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill until ready to serve

Ingredients:
2lbs ground beef
4 teaspoons dried minced onion
3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
2 cups shredded Colby-jack cheese
18-20 hard taco shells
Optional Condiments-
lettuce (shredded)
tomato (diced)
Salsa
Guacamole

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a small bowl combine dried minced onion, chili powder, cornstarch, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Mix well and set aside. In a large skillet brown ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain off any excess liquid. Add refried beans, tomato sauce, and prepared taco seasoning. Mix well. Spoon the taco meat mixture into the taco shells and place into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, standing up. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the taco meat in each shell. Place into the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tacos are heated through. Remove from the oven and top with any optional condiments for serving.
(Makes 8-10 Servings)

Ingredients
1 lb. of Ground Beef
1 can of Spaghetti Sauce
8 oz of Cream Cheese
1/4 cup of Sour Cream
1/2 lb. of Cottage Cheese
Whole Stick of Butter
8 oz. of Noodles
Bag of Sharp Chedder Cheese

Go ahead and put your over on 350. Boil those noodles. While they are boiling go ahead and mix up the cream cheese, sour cream and cottage cheese. Make sure that it is mixed up very well. Then go ahead and cook that meat. Make sure its good and brown and drain it. Then pour your spaghetti sauce over it. Take a few slices of your butter and put them in the bottom of your casserole dish, then layer half of the noodles in the bottom of the dish. Pour that nicely mixed up creamy mixture on top of the noodles and spread it all over. Then add the rest of your noodles and put a few slices of butter on top of those noodles. Now pour the red sauce and meat on top. and once again spread. Now place that awesome casserole in your oven for 30 minutes. After those 30 minutes take the dish out and pour some chedder cheese on the top and put it back in the oven for 15 minutes.

Ingredients
•1 head cauliflower (or a 16 oz bag of frozen cauliflower)
•2 large eggs
•½-3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I love cheese, so use closer to ¾ cup)
•¼ cup diced green onions
•½-1 cup bread crumbs (I usually need closer to 1 cup)
•½ tsp cayenne pepper (more of less to taste)
•salt
•olive oil
•light sour cream (optional)

Instructions
1.Cut cauliflower into florets and cook in boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes
2.Drain and mash the cauliflower while it is still warm
3.Stir cheese, eggs, green onions, bread crumbs, cayenne & salt to taste
4.Coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat
5.Form the cauliflower mixture into patties about 3 inches across
6.Cook until golden brown & set, about 3 minutes per side
7.Enjoy with some light sour cream!

Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
2 cans (10 ounces each) enchilada sauce
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 package (8.8 ounces) ready-to-serve Spanish rice
12 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
1 can (15 ounces) refried beans
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
Optional toppings: salsa, sliced avocado, shredded lettuce, taco sauce and/or Sour Cream

Directions
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in enchilada sauce, taco seasoning and cumin; heat through.
Heat rice according to package directions. Spread each tortilla with about 2 tablespoonfuls beans. Spread 1 cup meat mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Layer with 4 tortillas and a third of the rice, a third of the remaining meat mixture and a third of the cheese. Repeat layers. Top with the remaining tortillas, rice and meat mixture (dish will be full).
Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with toppings of your choice. Yield: 12 servings.

Ingredients

1/2 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon taco seasoning or 1/2 store bought packet
1/4 cup water
1 pizza dough
1 cup salsa ranchera or your favourite salsa
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
2 cups lettuce, shredded
1 large ripe tomato, diced
1 handful cilantro
sour cream to taste
Directions

Brown the meat in a pan and drain the grease.
Add the taco seasoning and water and simmer until the liquid has evaporated.
Spread the pizza dough out on the baking sheet and top with the salsa ranchera, seasoned ground beef and cheese.
Bake in a preheated 500F oven until the cheese is bubbling and the edges are golden brown, about 5-10 minutes.
Let cool a bit and top with the lettuce, tomato, cilantro and sour cream.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground chicken
6 pineapple rings (or equivalent slices, cut about 1/2″ – 3/4″ thick)
6 slices pepper jack cheese
6 whole wheat hamburger buns
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp seasoning salt (I use Lawry’s)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, minced

Combine the ground chicken, soy sauce, 1/2 the paprika, 1/2 the chili powder, seasoning salt, cumin, and garlic. Lightly mix with your hands and divide into 6 even balls. Form patties, making them slightly thinner in the middle and sprinkle with remaining paprika and chili powder. Refrigerate about 30 minutes.

Preheat the grill to medium heat. Coat grates lightly with oil. Grill burgers over medium heat about 6 minutes per side. The burgers should flip easily when they are ready to turn, if they want to stick, give them another minute. Top with cheese for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking time to melt. Remove to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to rest. Grill buns if desired.

For the pineapple, if you are using rings, grill directly on the grates over medium heat. Carefully turn after 1-2 minutes. If you are using pineapple slices or chunks, thread onto skewers and grill skewers in the same fashion. Assemble burgers and enjoy.

Philly Cheese Burger

Ingredients for Philly Cheese Burger

ground beef ( your choice of grade and amount)
salt and pepper to taste
big hamburger buns
onion, sliced and grilled
bell pepper, sliced and grilled
chives, chopped
1 beer cheese sauce recipe (below)

Directions for making Philly Cheese Burger

Make patties the thickness your family prefers. Salt and pepper to taste. Grill the onion and bell pepper. Set aside. Grill the burgers. While the burgers are grilling make the beer cheese sauce. Drizzle sauce over built burgers and sprinkle with chopped chives.

Cheesy Biscuits

Ingredients for Cheesy Biscuits

Instructions for making Cheesy Biscuits

3 cups idaho potatoes, peeled, boiled and cut into cubes when cool, approx. 1 lb
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb Velveeta cheese, diced
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lb skinless smoked sausage (Eckrich is my favorite brand)
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Cut skinless smoked sausage in half, lengthwise, and then chop into 1/2 inch “half moon” cuts. Cook in a frying pan for about 15 minutes, turning frequently to SLIGHTLY brown. Meanwhile, put cooked & diced potatoes in 2 quart casserole. Add cooked meat and give it a gentle toss. Mix all remaining ingredients (except for shredded cheddar cheese & the paprika) in a saucepan over medium heat until warm, melted and smooth. (Use a whisk and stir constantly.) Pour white/cheese sauce over potatoes and meat. Sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top, and then sprinkle paprika evenly over the top. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 35-45 minutes (watch, until golden brown on top).

NOTE: You can substitute: 1/2 lb. hot dogs, sliced into 1/2-inch slices OR 1/2 lb. ham diced into 1/2-inch dices OR 12 oz. can of Spam diced into 1/2-inch dices, instead of the smoked sausage.

Ingredients needed for Mashed Cauliflower

Raw cauliflower – a medium head makes about a pound of florets
Any combination of butter, milk, cream, or whatever you use when you make mashed potatoes – about 1/4 cup
Salt and pepper
If you have low carb “instant mashed potatoes”, add up to 1/4 cup for texture*
Options: minced garlic (a clove or two); garlic powder (1/2 to 1 teaspoon); cheese

Preparation for Mashed Cauliflower

*I like to use instant “potatoes” made for low carb diets, such as Dixie Carb Counters Instant Mashers. Other people use a small amount of real potato or instant potatoes to improve the texture. But you don’t need any of these things.

Break the cauliflower up into florets, or just chop. I like to cook it in the microwave in a container that I prepare and serve it in, but you can steam it. Cook it until it’s tender — a fork should easily pierce it.

The easiest thing to do is to add the rest of the ingredients to the container the cauliflower is cooked in, and then use a stick (hand) blender to put it all together. Or you can put it all in a regular blender or food processor.