Beef Chili Mac & Cheese

 

Before I get too far into this post I have always though of Chili mac as first, bizarre, and second, something that would strictly be for kids or other individuals lacking taste-buds. However, when we were making our menu almost two weeks ago, Ethan got so excited when he saw this recipe in a magazine that I couldn't refuse. Well, I couldn't refuse, but I could make a very big salad for myself as a back-up. To my surprise, I loved this recipe. Since I think that one of the main reasons that I had originally discounted this recipe was because I couldn't imagine eating noodles and beans in the same bite, I was glad to see that this recipe was really a beanless chili. I also liked all the different seasonings and tomatos in this recipe because I think it gives a more "grown-up" taste. Another thing that I really liked about this recipe (which has nothing to do with taste), is that this is really a pantry recipe. Even though we usually don't keep canned Tomatoes with Green Chilis on hand, or Mac and Cheese, all the other ingredients were things that we normally have on hand. In that way, I think this could be a fun recipe to just have on hand int he pantry as food storage. Finally, this recipe cost less than $10 dollars to make and Ethan and I were able to have it for two meals, plus Ehtan had it for a lunch too. So for all the rest of you with kids, this might not last as long, but it still is a cheap meal! With all that said, we will definitely be trying this recipe again next month.


Ingredients:
1 Packages (7 1/4 oz each) Mac & Cheese. Store brand worked out just fine.
1 lb Ground Beef
1 med Onion, diced
1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1-10 oz can Tomato with Green Chilis
1- 8 oz can Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp. Chili Powder
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 cups (16oz) Sour Cream
1 1/2 Cups, Shredded Cheese

Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add mcaroni; cook 8-10 mins. Leave the noodles Al dente.

In a large sauce pan brown the ground beef and onionsover medium for 6-8 minutes. Drain fat. Stir in tomatoes, tomatoes and chilis, tomato sauce, and seasoning.Drain macaroni and add to the tomato mixture. Add in contents of the Mac and Cheese packets, sour cream and cheese.

Transfer to a 13-9 pan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly. (Ours took closer to 30 minutes.)

Serve and Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Carnitas

Ethan and I just tried this recipe last night and it was the best carnitas that I have ever made in the slow-cooker. No joke. We loved it! The only thing that we changed from the original recipe is that we added canned pinto beans and it turned out perfect so I'll just be sharing the recipe as we made it!


Ingredients:
3 lb. pork roast
4 oz can Chopped Green Chilis
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
2-10 oz. cans Diced Tomato & Green Chilis (Like Rotell)
3 cube Chicken Bouillion
2 cups Water
2-Cans Pinto Beans, rinsed

Toss the roast in the slow-cooker on Medium (or if your cooker is like mine, the 8 hour setting). Add in everything except the beans. Cover and Wait. Add the beans about 2 hours before you are ready to eat.At this time, you also want to shred the pork.

The original recipe called for this to be served over chips, but Ethan and I have always been fans of tacos so we ate it taco style. We also added lettuce, tomato, and cheese on corn tortillas.

Tropical Pancakes

Brent and I spent last week in Kauai. It was wonderful! And while there, we ate at a local restaurant and I had the best pancakes ever. I figured out how to make them at home and thought I would share! Kristi's family joined us for dinner because that girl is a pancake addict. She can vouch for these. They should be dessert--but since it has nuts and bananas and coconut, I'd like to consider them healthy.


Hawaiian Pancakes with Coconut, Banana, and Macademia Nuts

I used my pancake recipe from my friend Jenner:

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups milk
3 TBSP baking powder
1 mashed banana
1/2-1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Mix well together.


Cook on 375 preheated griddle.

While the pancakes are cooking on their first side, you can add pineapple tidbits to the gooey side so when you flip them they get all browned and yummy.


Coconut Syrup
allrecipes.com

1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1 cup flaked coconut
3/4 cup brown sugar

In a heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Serve immediately.

(It gets nice and thick, so you can add more coconut milk to thin it out a bit.)



Serve syrup over pancakes and add fresh toppings of banana, macadamia nuts, and coconut--and fresh, homemade whipping cream!!!!

Frank's Gyros

Yes, I have another Frank's Hot Sauce recipe to share, and this is why: Ethan. While we were making our menu for the next two weeks, he rattled off three different Frank's recipes that we have made. What I learned from that is that Ethan can never be left in charge of the menu, and that there are lots of different ways to use Frank's without making it too spicy. This is really a mixture of two different recipe, but I will put everything in this post. 

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
A drizzle of oil


Pound out the chicken so it is about 1/2 inch thin. Put the rub on the chicken and then saute in pan until cooked through.Thinly slice the chicken.

In the meantime slice up all your favorite salad veggies. We used:

Lettuce
Tomato
Cucumber
Carrot

Place a small portion of the chicken onto a thin wrap. We just used the wheat flavor. You want to put in in a thin layer that spreads across the width of the wrap. Then layer on your veggies. Finally spoon over a little bit of our favorite Blue cheese dressing. Finally start wrapping. Just remember that the tighter you make your wrap, the better everything will stay in.

Willena's Blue Cheese Dressing

1 Cup Best Foods Mayonaise

4 Oz. Blue Cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)

¼ Cup Dry White Wine, or White wine Vinegar

1 TBSP Onion, Graded

4-5 Drops Tabasco

Coconut Strawberry Cake

Summer Strawberry Coconut Cake

Every year for my birthday I make a carrot cake. They are just my absolute favorite, and I love anything smothered in Cream Cheese Frosting. For some reason, this year, I just wanted something different. So, naturally, I looked at my Pinterest Dessert Board and found this fun gem. I love strawberries, and I just think this is the perfect summer cake. I hope you all enjoy!!                                                            1 (18.5 ounce) box white cake mix
4 T. strawberry gelatin powder  (3oz package)
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
2 T. granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. pureed strawberries
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. coconut extract
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, finely diced
1 c. coconut, finely shredded in food processor
several strawberries to fill cake and garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine dry ingredients in mixer bowl and stir together. Beat in oil, eggs, water, strawberry puree, vanilla, and coconut extract. Mix well. Stir in diced strawberries and coconut. Pour into two 8- or 9-inch round pans, greased and floured. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out mostly clean and the cakes are pulling away from the sides of the pans. My knife never came out completely clean, but once the gelatin cooled, it was perfect.

Put pans on wire racks and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and leave on racks to cool completely. While cooling, make icing.

Spread some icing on first layer, then top with sliced strawberries. Place second layer on top and ice the rest of the cake. Cover entire cake in shredded coconut and garnish with fresh strawberries.

The original recipe calls for cream cheese frosting, and it was super rich and yummy. However, the next time we do this I think I will use either Whipped cream on top or a combination of cream cheese and whipped cream to make it a little lighter.

Oreo Layer Dessert

I just tried this recipe for the first time and I am already in love with it. First it was super fast to whip up. Second, it is a no bake dessert. Which I love! Third, a lot of the ingredients are stuff that you have around the house already. All I had to buy were the Oreos and Cool Whips. I hope you all enjoy this fun summer treat!!

1 pkg of regular Oreos

1/2 c. of butter

1 lg box of instant chocolate pudding

2-8 oz cool whips

8 oz. of cream cheese, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

Crush the whole package of cookies either with a food processor, or in a bag and a rolling pin.  Save a 1/2 c. to sprinkle on top of dessert when it's done.  Pour remaining crumbs in a 13x9 pan.  Melt butter and pour into crumb mix.  Stir it up good and press crumbs in bottom of pan to make a crust.  

Make chocolate pudding according to package directions and let it setup in the fridge. 

In a mixing bowl blend cream cheese until nice and smooth and then add powdered sugar, mix.  Then fold in 1-8 oz thing of cool whip.  

Top oreo layer with cream cheese mix, then pudding, then your last 8 oz thing of cool whip, and then sprinkle remaining Oreo's on top.  

Cover and refridgerate until ready to serve. 

Zucchini Brownies

I've done it! I'm almost done using up all my frozen, shredded zucchini before this next batch arrives. I have one bag left and I have four zucchinis from my garden. Since you are all probably going to be up to your eyeballs in zucchini as well--I thought I'd share another dessert recipe using this fabulous and multipurpose vegetable.

Zucchini Brownies
(from the Aspen Meadows 2nd Ward cookbook--by an anonymous ward member)

1/2 cup vegetable oil
 1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting:
6 TBSP cocoa powder
1/4 cup margarine or butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan (I did not flour and it was fine).

In a large bowl mix together oil, sugar, and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour. Stir in 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Fold in zucchini and walnuts (I omitted walnuts b/c of Mr. Brent). Spread evenly into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Frosting: Melt together cocoa and butter. Set aside to cool. In a separate bowl blend together the sugar, milk, and vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.