Beef and Bean Taco Casserole (Sondra)

I made this for dinner the other night. It was really good. It's kind of like a taco salad. I didn't really care for the chips on the bottom, they get soggy. I would rather have them on top or spoon the meat mixture over the chips on my plate. Also, instead of Refried beans I substituted 1 can of Kidney beans.

Beef and Bean Taco Casserole
1 Lb. lean ground beef

1 can (16 oz) refried beans

1 jar thick and chunky salsa

1 pkg. taco seasoning

2 1/2 c. coarsely broken, Doritos Nacho Cheese chips

1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped

4 medium green onions, sliced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese, grated

1/4 cup sliced olives

1 cup shredded lettuce

Heat oven to 350*F. In skillet brown the beef, drain. Stir in refried beans, salsa and taco seasoning mix. Reduce heat to medium. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. In ungreased 2-quart casserole , place 2 cups of broken chips on the bottom. Top evenly with beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese, bell pepper, green onions, 1 cup of tomatoes, and olives.Bake uncovered 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted. Top baked casserole with lettuce, remaining 1/2 cup tomato and remaining 1/2 cup chips.

Dutch Apple Salad (Jennifer)

I actually got this recipe from Rachelle, but I love it. It was a huge hit at Thanksgiving and at Jeramy's family parties. I forgot I had it until I was going through some of my recipes.

Dutch Apple Salad

2 large Red Apples
2 large Golden Apples
1 cup of red, seedless grapes
1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
1-2 cups of Vanilla Yogurt

Cut apples into bite size pieces (make sure you take out the seeds). Slice grapes in half. Place both apples and grapes in bowl. Drizzle and mix with the Vanilla Yogurt (can use fat free yogurt for a healthier salad). Sprinkle the top with the walnuts.

Very yummy, simple and healthy salad!

Cheesy Potato Soup (Jennifer)

Cheesy Potato Soup

3 Tbsp Butter (melted in a large pot)

Add the following ingredients and saute' approximately 3 minutes, or until onion is clear:

1 C diced Carrots
1 C diced Celery
1 med yellow onion

Add:
2 Tbsp Flour
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 1/2 tsp Ground Mustard

Cook with vegetables for about 1 minute, or until mixture is smooth.

Add:
5 - 6 medium potatoes, diced
1 C water
Fill the pot, until all vegetables are covered, with Milk

Cook about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat. Add 2 to 3 Cups of Colby Jack Cheese. (Depends on how cheesy you like it.)

**Suggestion: Dice and cut all vegetables, including potatoes, before cooking anything. Time goes really fast as you are cooking.

Teriyaki Steak Marinade

Teriyaki Steak Marinade

1/2 C Soy Sauce
1/2 C Sugar
1/4 C Oil
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic or 1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp grated Ginger Root or 1 tsp of Ginger Powder
3 chopped Green Onions

1. Mix all ingredients together. Place steak in marinade and toss until all is coated. Place in refrigerator over night (the longer the better).
2. Grill until meat is cooked through.

Honey Grilled Chicken Breasts (Jennifer)

Honey Grilled Chicken Breasts

1/4 C Orange Juice
3 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Peeled and minced fresh Ginger (I used 1/2 Tbsp of ginger powder)
1 Tbsp minced Garlic (I used 1/2 Tbsp of Garlic Powder)
Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to taste
6 Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, 4 to 6 oz each rinsed and patted dry

1. Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken breasts and toss well in the marinade to coat. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Bring to room temperature before grilling.
2. Grill the chicken breasts over hot coals, 3 inches from the heat source, 4 to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through.