Chili

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can black beans, undrained
1 can pinto beans, undrained
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1/8 - 1/4 c taco seasoning
1 c black olives, chopped (optional)

Brown the meat with the onion and seasoning. When cooked, add the remaining ingredients and heat through.

*Taco seasoning substitution:
1 tbl. cumin
1 tbl. paprika
1-2 tsp. chili powder

Sometimes, taco seasoning can be a little overwhelming. At least to me. ☺ Cumin has a nice smoky flavor and the paprika and chili powder give it just enough heat to have it still be palatable and not too hot for most kids.

Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce

1/3 c half & half
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbl. butter
about 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
cracked black pepper to taste

Allow the half & half to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the half & half and cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Add the nutmeg and cracked black pepper. Pour over fettuccine noodles and toss to evenly coat. You can serve with chicken or shrimp.

*I always double and sometimes even triple this recipe. I do that to make enough sauce to cover the amount of pasta I need to feed 6. This recipe works for about 4 ounces of pasta.

Potato Chowder

1-1 1/2 c crumbled bacon bits (NOT the freeze dried, crunchy kind)
6-8 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 c onion, chopped
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 c sour cream
1 can whole-kernel corn, drained
1/4 tsp. thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil the peeled and chopped potatoes until tender. Drain water. In a large pot, heat about 1 tbl. of olive oil. Saute onions until translucent. Add the bacon and garlic. Stir and saute for 1-2 minutes longer. Add the potatoes to the pan, stir. Add the remaining ingredients. (You might want to add a little extra milk if it's extremely thick.) Heat through.

Hot Fudge Topping

1 c chocolate chips
1 c cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate chips and the cream. Cook and stir over medium heat until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

*You can make this with any kind of chips. Like, semi-sweet. It will make kind of a "dark" chocolate sauce. I'm more of a "milk" chocolate person and like milk chocolate chips.

Apricot Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 c apricot jam
1/3 c lemon juice
1 tsp. nutmeg
salt and pepper

Place the chicken breasts in a 9x13 casserole dish that has been sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray. Mix together the apricot jam, lemon juice and nutmeg. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Spread the apricot sauce over the chicken. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until cooked through. *Note: chicken is thoroughly cooked with the juices no longer run pink. Serve with rice.

Chili Relleno Casserole

2 c half & half (you can substitute with milk)
5 large eggs
1 can green chilies
2/3 c flour
1 lb. shredded cheese (you can use 1/2 lb. cheddar and 1/2 lb. jack)
salsa

Mix together the eggs, half & half and flour. In a 9x13 baking dish that has been sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray, layer the chilies, half of the cheese and half of the egg mixture. Repeat again and top with salsa. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes-1 hour, or until brown and bubbly.

*At times, I like to add browned ground beef on top of the first egg, cheese and chilies layer. I would say about a half a pound. I then top with the egg, cheese, chilies and salsa. It just makes it a little more hearty and more of a main course. Also, I sometimes like to top with chopped black olives.