Best Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb. noodles, cooked al dente & drained (I used cavatoppi)

2 cans cheddar cheese soup

3 c. shredded cheese, your choice, I used cheddar and mozzarella

4 T. butter

Preheat oven to 325. Spray a 9x13 dish. Set aside. Pour cans of soup over drained noodles in pot. Stir to evenly coat. Layer the noodles in sprayed dish, alternating noodles and cheese. End with shredded cheese on top. Slice butter and place pats on top of cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes until melted and bubbly. Serve and enjoy!

1st picture: before baking; 2nd picture: ready to eat!

Cherry Cheesecake Fluff Salad

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 box cheesecake instant pudding mix, I could only find sugar free

1 t. vanilla

1/4 c. milk

8 oz. cool whip, thawed

21 oz. can cherry pie filling*

10 oz. mini marshmallows

Beat together the cream cheese, dry pudding mix, vanilla, milk and cool whip. Stir in pie filling and marshmallows. Refrigerate several hours before serving. Yummy! I served it with BBQ chicken and "Macaroni Mushroom Casserole".

*may substitute other flavors if desired

 1st picture: bowl full of salad; 2nd picture: on plate, ready to eat!

Crockpot Make Ahead Ground Beef

4 lbs. ground beef or chuck

1 1/2 c. chopped onion*

4 cloves garlic, minced*

salt and pepper to taste*

14 oz. can beef broth

Place beef in lined crockpot and top with remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 2 hours if using fresh meat, 2 hours on high if using frozen. Chop to crumble meat. Cook for additional 2 hours until meat is fully cooked. Drain. Cool completely & divide into ziploc bags before placing in freezer. (I recently cooked ground beef in the crockpot for chili and didn't drain it after it was done cooking. Several people commented that it wasn't as good as it usually was, tasted greasier than usual, so next time I'll be sure to drain it first before adding all the other ingredients to it.)

*these items are optional. I just placed the fresh meat and broth in the crockpot and cooked on low for a total of 4 hours. The meat will be soft like restaurants. Works great! I did not put mine in the freezer as I was going to be using it to make lasagna later.

1st picture: in the crockpot; 2nd picture: broth added; 3rd picture: it's done!

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 pkt. taco seasoning

16 oz. jar salsa

Taco toppings: shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, guacamole, etc...

Place chicken in lined crockpot. Sprinkle taco seasoning on top. Pour salsa on top. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chicken with two forks. Stir to mix with all other ingredients. Serve on warm tortilla or taco shells with toppings. I also served them with "Mexican Rice".

1st picture: cooking in the crockpot; 2nd picture: shredding the chicken; 3rd picture: ready to eat in soft tortilla!

Catalina Taco Salad

 This recipe makes a large amount (12) of servings. You can cut it in half if you don't need it. Best eaten on the day it is prepared. I remember eating this salad back in the '70's. Great for potlucks.

1-2 lbs. ground chuck, optional (I always use it for a main entree, but you don't have to)

1/2-1 pkt Taco seasoning (depends on how much you like the taste) 

2/3 c. water (if using 1 pkt of seasoning, adjust amount if using less)

16 oz. can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 c. sliced black olives, drained

8 c. romaine lettuce, chopped

1 c. tomatoes, diced (I use cherry or grape tomatoes)

4 green onions, sliced, optional

2 c. cheese, shredded (I use Mexican or plain cheddar)

1 bag Fritos, regular size bag, not the huge back from Sam's

16 oz. Catalina dressing

16 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained, optional

16 oz. can corn, drained, optional

1 avocado, cubed, optional

jalapenos, sliced, optional

sour cream, optional

Brown meat with taco seasoning. Add water. Combine all other ingredients except fritos and dressing. Mix well. Just before serving, add fritos & meat, or place fritos in the bottom of each individual bowl. Add dressing to mixture and toss to coat. Serve immediately.  

Oven Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed

3 T. olive oil

1 1/2 T. Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

1 clove garlic, minced

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1 T. lemon juice, optional

Preheat oven to 425. Place asparagus in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with oil. Toss to coat the spears. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Arrange the asparagus on a lined baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until just tender, 12-15 minutes at the most. Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving. I served this with Crockpot ranch pork chops and mashed potatoes. I've also served with meatloaf.

*To remove woody ends, grab stalk of asparagus at either end and bend until it snaps. It will naturally snap where it starts to get tough.

First picture: trimmed spears with olive oil, garlic and seasonings. 2nd picture: with cheese added, ready for the oven. 3rd picture: after baking. 4th picture: Served with crockpot ranch pork chops and mashed potatoes.

Kathy's Roasted Asparagus

 1 lb. thick asparagus spears, trimmed

1-2 T. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

salt

pepper

lemon juice or apple cider vinegarette

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place asparagus on sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, pepper, & garlic. Rub all over spears to evenly coat. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes until asparagus is lightly browned & tender when pierced. Drizzle with lemon juice or vinegarette to serve. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Walking Taco Casserole

2 1/2 c. chopped chicken, turkey, or ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 whole can Ro-tel, undrained

1 pkt taco seasoning

1 12-14 oz. bag fritos

1 can seasoned black beans, rinsed & drained

1 can whole corn, drained, Mexican corn works too

10 oz. can enchilada sauce

2 oz. cream cheese

2 c. shredded mexican cheese

sour cream, optional

Brown meat & onion. Add rotel & taco seasoning. Simmer until liquid is gone. Add black beans & cream cheese. Heat until cream cheese is melted & combined. Stir in enchilada sauce. Spray 9x13 dish. Dump 1/2 bag of fritos on bottom. Add 1/2 of meat mixture. Add 1/2 of cheese. Repeat. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream if desired. The fritos may be a little soggy when you heat it up as leftovers, I just served with some fresh ones.

*Additional toppings may be added if desired: lettuce, chopped tomatoes, salsa, chopped avacado, chopped green onions, sliced black olives, pickled jalapenos, guacamole, etc...

First picture is after baking. Second picture is served on plate

Crockpot Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes

2 lb. pork tenderloin or roast

3 1/2 T. pork dry rub (I used McCormick molasses bacon grillmates)

3 T. butter

1 can beef broth

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 medium onion, diced

6 medium gold potatoes, diced into 2"chunks, or Dutch potatoes, optional

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. cornstarch

For the mashed potatoes (optional)

3 T. butter

1/4 c. greek yogurt/sour cream

1/2 c. milk

1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

Prepare pork by patting it dry with a paper towel and then season on all sides with dry rub. Heat 3 T. butter in skillet over medium high heat, if desired. I did not sear & brown the pork. Remove from heat and set aside. Add 1/4 c. beef broth to skillet. Add garlic and onion and saute over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes. Set aside. Place potatoes, if using, in bottom of lined crockpot. Pour the garlic, onion, and broth over the potatoes. Place the pork on top of the potatoes. (I didn't use the potatoes so I just put the pork on the bottom of the crockpot itself.) Pour the remaining broth and Worcestershire sauce on top of the pork. Cover crockpot and set on low. Check after 4 hours. If the internal temperature at the thickest part of the pork is 145 degrees, it is done. The potatoes should be tender to the touch. Remove pork and set aside. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl and the broth to a saucepan. Mash potatoes, adding butter, greek yogurt or sour cream, milk, salt, & pepper. Make gravy by heating the broth mixture in the saucepan  on medium high. Bring the gravy to a simmer and remove about 1/3 c. of liquid. Create a cornstarch slurry by whisking it with 1 T. cornstarch. Pour the slurry back in the saucepan and continue to simmer for a few more minutes until thickened. Once thickened, remove from heat. Slice pork and serve on top of mashed potatoes with gravy on top. *This recipe may be halved for a smaller pork roast or tenderloin. **I served the pork with crockpot mashed potatoes. The pork tenderloin was very flavorful and tender. (I forgot to take a picture before it was all gone.)

Self Rising Cinnamon Rolls

1 1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. melted butter

1 egg

4 1/2 c. SR flour

1 c. brown sugar, or less to your liking

2 T. cinnamon, or less to your taste

1/2 c. butter, softened to room temperature

Cream Cheese Glaze

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 - 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar, (I used 1 c.)

1/4 c. milk

1 t. vanilla

Whisk together the milk, sugar, melted butter, and egg until combined. Stir in the flour until dough forms. It will be sticky. Add additional flour if needed to roll out. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper or spray bottom and sides with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough out on floured surface until it makes an 18x24 rectangle. It should be 1/4" thick. Spread the softened butter on the dough and sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over top. Starting on the long side, roll tightly so that the seam is on the bottom. Cut into 12 slices, rerolling tighter if needed before placing in pan. Place in sprayed pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until no longer doughy and lightly brown. Remove from oven and frost while warm. 

Cream Cheese Glaze Instructions

Use a mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add all other ingredients until well combined. Place in a ziploc bag if desired. Snip one corner off of bag and drizzle the glaze over the hot rolls. Add a little milk if it's too thick, and a little powdered sugar if too runny. Mine was just right as it was. Serve immediately. (I just used a spoon to put the glaze on the rolls.) Keep leftovers refrigerated.

*You can make these ahead to bake the next morning if desired. Just cover the rolls and refrigerate until ready to bake.

1st picture: Dough rolled out and butter spread on top; 2nd picture: brown sugar cinnamon on top of butter; 3rd picture: cut rolls in pan, before baking; 4th picture: baked rolls before icing; 5th picture: ready to eat! YUM! 6th picture: pan of frosted rolls.