Taco Casserole in the Crockpot

I happen to be a Mexican food lover. When I was a kid, my mom used to make taco casserole in the oven. Being a crockpot lover, I wanted to create this childhood recipe for the crockpot.

All of the recipes I found called for ground beef. I really prefer ground turkey so that's what I use. Start with one to one and a half pounds of ground meat. You can also try a combination of ground meats. The smaller the crockpot, the less meat you'll need. Grab a skillet large enough for the meat and some onions, pepper and garlic.

Brown the ground beef or turkey with one medium onion, chopped, one clove of garlic minced and a half cup of chopped green pepper. If you want to add a bit of red or yellow peppers for coloring, chop up a little bit of those too. Once the vegetables become transparent and the meat is cooked, drain the grease from the meat.

You can turn the heat off, but use your skillet as a mixing bowl. Add in one fifteen ounce can of tomato sauce, one teaspoon of chili powder and about 3 drops of Tabasco sauce. Depending on your taste, you can add more or less Tabasco sauce. I prefer my food a bit milder, so I use just enough for some flavor. Mix this all together.

Now it's time to begin putting it together in the crockpot. You'll be creating layers. Depending on the size of your crockpot, you'll have four to six layers. Start with a layer of meat mixture on the bottom. Next spread some frozen corn on top of the meat. If you only have canned corn, you can use that though I prefer the frozen variety. You'll use about one quarter cup of corn per layer. Your next layer will be canned chili with beans. You'll use a total of about two cans. But remember, you're using only a little bit on each layer. My daughter is not fond of beans, so we mix one can of chili with beans and one can of chili without beans. This makes the overall bean count less per serving. On top of this layer, you'll put nacho cheese tortilla strips. Finally, on top of that sprinkle grated cheese. I like both Mexican blend cheese and also grated cheddar. Place cover on crockpot and cook on low between six and eight hours. The larger crockpots will use more time than the smaller crockpots.

Once you serve this up, consider placing sliced olives, chives or slices of avocado on top.

Audrey's mom always entertained when she was growing up. Audrey learned to prepare for large groups and has often entertained 15-30 people in her home at a time. You can find more great recipes at http://www.recipe-barn.com

Related : circulon 2 10-piece cookware set

A Simple Jewish Meal

Now that it is fall cooking is more of a production. Meals need to be hot to warm your family up after a long day in the cold. However, because you spend you day working and taking care of your family you may not always be in the mood to cook a large hot meal. Fortunately, a simple Jewish meal prepared with love can be just as satisfying as a gourmet meal that took hours to prepare.

The Main Course

When planning a simple meal you will want to start with the main course. Since you want to simplify the cooking process you will want to create a single dish that has all the food groups in its ingredients. Stews and casseroles are two dishes that help you to create well rounded meals in a single pot or dish.

Jewish cuisine is filled with traditional Jewish recipes for great casseroles, especially noodle casseroles. Noodle casseroles are easy to prepare, as they are what I like to call a dump and cook recipe. All you do is dump the ingredients into a casserole and pop it in the oven to cook. A basic noodle casserole, that is intended to be served as a main dish, will contain noodles, vegetables, a dairy base and some form of meat. For example, if you want to make a tuna noodle casserole you will need noodles, a can of tuna, cheese, milk, a bag of mixed vegetables and a basic rue made from butter and flour.

Another easy to make one pot meal is a stew. Stews work well for working Jewish parents as they can be started in a crock pot in the morning and left to cook safely in the crockpot through the day, and by the time that you get home form work/school, the stew is ready. To prepare a stew you will need brother (chicken, vegetable or beef), meat and vegetables. You will want to skin and cube your vegetables in large enough pieces so that they survive the long cooking time. If you have young children, you can cut down the vegetables when they are served to make them easier for them to eat.

Dessert

For an easy dessert there are several options that you can go with. You can prepare a cake mix and top it with berries or warmed fruit preserves, or you can simply serve a baked apple. Baked apples are a great and inexpensive dessert to make. All you have to do is to core your favorite type of apple, place it in a cake pan filled with about a half inch of water, sprinkle the apples with a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees until soft. When you serve the apply sprinkle with a little more sugar and cinnamon.

Enjoy new Jewish recipes this week!

Tags : simply calphalon nonstick 14 piece set anolon ultra clad 12 covered deep skillet

Mashed Potato Casserole - French Style Comfort Food

In France, this mashed potato casserole gets the fancy name of Hachis Parmentier. It's a quick and easy dinner to prepare, yet still very typically French. And since it's French, it comes with a wonderful story that you can entertain your family with at the dinner table.

Introducing Monsieur Parmentier

Antoine Parmentier was a Frenchman that lived during the 18th and early 19th century. A pharmacist by training, he spent many years serving in the Seven Year War, and was imprisoned in Germany. It was during this incarceration that he discovered the nutritional virtues of the potato. (The tuber had previously been brought to Europe from South America, but had spent several hundred years languishing in the vegetable garden, disdained by the people and even prohibited by the government.) When he returned from the war, it was to a nation that was starving.

It was Parmentier who saw in the humble potato the solution to France's hunger problems. Through a long and genius marketing campaign, Parmentier single handedly changed the French peoples' ideas about the potato, turning it into a significant food source for the starving population. Parmentier courted the French king, Louis XVI, in his efforts and even got the wife of the king, Marie Antoinette, to wear potato flowers in her hair. Parmentier was a brilliant scientist who spent his life working to improve the food quality of his nation and it is most appropriate that his name is synonymous with potatoes in French cooking.

Onto the Mashed Potato Casserole Recipe

For this recipe I recommend you use instant mashed potatoes, because that's what makes mashed potato casserole so quick and easy to prepare. Do use a high quality instant mashed potato however -- all it should have in it is potatoes. Read your labels.

The recipe here is for a fairly typical French version of Hachis Parmentier, but feel free to change the vegetables, seasoning, and even the meat in this recipe. Hachis Parmentier is extremely versatile.

Mashed Potato Casserole

2 onions, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 tomatoes, chopped 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence or other herbs salt and pepper (to your taste) 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese 4 - 5 cups mashed potatoes (instant is fine) 3/4 cup grated cheese (gruyère, emmental, or swiss)

In a large frying pan, cook the onions and garlic in the butter and olive oil on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, ground beef, herbs, salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is browned thoroughly. Turn off heat and add egg yolk and Parmesan cheese, stirring to mix completely.

Spread the meat in the bottom of an lightly oiled oven proof dish (a 13 X 9 inch Pyrex dish would be perfect for the amount given in this recipe). Spread the potatoes on top of this and finish by sprinkling grated cheese on top.

Brown in 400° F oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Do you love French food and culture? Subscribe to La Marmite and receive monthly recipes, cultural tidbits, and tips for entertaining in a French style. La Marmite is written by Kim Steele, creator of Easy French Food, dedicated to helping you add a French touch to your table and home. Learn more here: http://www.easy-french-food.com/la-marmite.html

See Also : cuisinart multiclad 12 piece cookware set

How to Cook Port Roast

One of the special and tasty wine sauces that are offered with roasted dishes, port is commonly a red wine with a sweet taste. This sauce is commonly produced from South Africa, Canada, Australia and Argentina. To prepare a satisfying and mouthwatering dish and to know how to cook port roast, below are the easy-to-prepare recipes that you can serve in any occasion for your relatives and friends.

Pot Roast with Port and Mushrooms

The main ingredients in this simple but delicious recipe are two pounds pot roast, a cup of port and ½ pound mushrooms. Other ingredients that can be used to enhance the taste of the viand are two tablespoons olive oil, a cup of beef stock, three garlic cloves, two tablespoons melted butter, ¼ teaspoon salt, two tablespoons flour as well as ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Wash the meat and season with pepper and salt. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and roast the meat for one and a half hour to two hours. While the meat is inside the oven, place a casserole over medium heat. Pour the olive oil in the casserole and heat for a minute. Add the beef stock as well as the wine and wait for the mixture to boil. Get a small bowl. Put the flour and melted butter in the bowl. Stir the wine mixture and add the melted butter and flour. Cover the casserole and cook for 30 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook over low fire for 15 minutes to 20 minutes. Transfer the roasted meat in a clean plate and slice. Pour the sauce over the meat and serve with steamed asparagus or buttered corn and carrots.

Port Glazed Pork Roast

This tasty dish contains five pounds shoulder pork roast bone, ½ cup port sauce as well as ½ cup brown sugar. In addition to these ingredients, the recipe needs ½ teaspoon pepper and ½ teaspoon salt. Slice the meat and arrange in a baking pan. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the baking pan inside the oven and cook for two hours for well done. While baking the meat, place a saucepan on a stove. Pour the sauce in the saucepan and add the sugar. Heat the mixture and stir constantly. When the meat is done, arrange in the plate and pour the sauce over the roasted pork. Serve with a cup of rice or any side dish such as mashed potato. Serves three to four individuals.

Please click these links if you want to know more about how to cook port roast or how to cook port roast in general.

Visit : le creuset 9-piece cookware set cuisinart chef's classic 14-piece cookware set

An Easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole The Kids Will Love

Chicken and cheese are two great ingredients to use in casseroles as they combine together perfectly to create a variety of tasty flavors that everyone in the family will love. Perhaps one of the very best things about casseroles in general is that there are so many different recipes to try that you could make one every single night and still never have the same thing twice for dinner.

Whether it is a family dinner, a special occasion, potluck dinner, party, or, holiday, you cannot go wrong with a casserole. Casseroles are incredibly versatile and you can experiment with a variety of ingredients to suit your tastes. In addition, they are also the perfect solution for making use of leftovers making them inexpensive choices for dinner.

Chicken is one of the most commonly used ingredients in casseroles and it can be paired with all types of cheeses, vegetables, pasta, potatoes, and rice. Some fillers that are ideal for chicken casseroles include mashed potatoes or potatoes sliced or cut into cubes, white or brown rice, either boiled or fried, cooked pasta, and all kinds of vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, corn, peas, and carrots, just to name a few. Also, use spices such as salt, pepper, garlic powder or salt, oregano, rosemary, and thyme.

Other than canned chicken, the easiest type to use in casseroles is boiled chicken that is deboned and cut into pieces or boneless chicken breasts also cut into bite sized pieces. You may want to cut down the cooking time of your casserole if you have boiled or fried the chicken first to avoid overcooking.

You can also omit the vegetables and include potatoes or rice along with your favorite cheeses. Also, add soups such as cream of celery, chicken, or mushroom or chicken stock, broth, or bullion. Without any vegetables for the kids to balk at they are sure to enjoy a cheesy chicken casserole served alone or along with a salad.

Easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole Recipe

What You Need

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked

Salt and pepper to taste

1-1/2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup

1-1/2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup

16 ounce container sour cream

16 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed or shredded

1 cup butter

2 cups corn flakes or buttery round crackers, crushed

How to Make It

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Boil or bake the chicken breasts and then cut the meat into small pieces. Place the chicken in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the soups and the sour cream together then pour over the pieces of chicken. Add the cubes or shredded cheddar cheese and distribute the cup of butter around the casserole evenly. Sprinkle the crushed corn flakes or crackers on top of the casserole and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted.

Serves 4 to 6.

Choose a baked chicken rice recipe anytime you want to enjoy the delicious combination of these two favorite food staples. Chicken and rice can be made with so many different types of cheeses and spices and served alone or with salad. Chicken cordon bleu is yet another incredibly tasty combination of ingredients that creates a gourmet tasting meal everyone is sure to ask for over and over again.

BonelessChickenRecipe.com - Chicken so delightfully moist, you can almost smell it through your monitor.

Tags : le creuset enameled cast iron 9 quart round french le creuset enameled cast iron 9 skillet all clad master chef 2 6 quart saute pan