Tag: simple cooking

Corn Bread Taco Bake

Budgets have been tight with the pandemic clearing and extra money vanishing. So our food budget has gotten tight. . . We have gotten creative.




Corn bread Taco Bake



I cook this in crock pot or slow cooker, but you can cook this in an oven.


Start making corn bread. . . let go for about an hour,
Then layer salsa (I use mild, but if you can handle the heat, you can get hotter.)


cook pound of beef on the stove (add taco seasoning or make up your own with paprika, black pepper, red chilli flakes, chilli powder, etc season to your liking)


I also make a rice mix (spanish, beef or other flavored)
Layer the rice and beef over the corn bread, then add cheese.


Within several hours, dinner is ready.


You can add corn, black olives, onions, peppers, tomatoes. I also put sour cream on my own bowl.

Food Suggestions


I always have crackers at home,especially when my stomach is upset. You can put anything on crackers from cheese, to orange marmalade to peanut butter.





Instead of a grilled cheese with bread, I have made quesadillas with flour tortillas with dipping in tomato soup.





I also added salsa, sour cream, and black olives in my tomato soup.





You can make your own fancy ramen. . . chicken tenders, veggies, even hard boiled eggs.




Use left over chili and put it on your mac N cheese. I’ve even seen people put chili on spaghetti.




I’ve also made bakes with pasta and rices. It makes food go further.




Easy mousse. . . puddling packs folded into cool whip.



Want to spurge your kids or your inner-kid on a Sunday morning have a French toast or pancake bar, where you have fruits, chocolate chips, hot fudge, caramel, fruit syrups, and whipped cream even have sausage and bacon. . . they can layer their own plate.

Simple yet fun meals

Chicken prices have been crazy. Like 5 plus for wings or leg quarters for $5.90 for ten pounds and they are gone before they get off the truck.

I went to frozen items and got chicken patties and made my own light version of chicken parmesan over pasta.

I made a lighter sauce with spiced stewed tomatoes.

.

I also used leftover chilli and made corn dog chilli bake.

Corn bread mix, hot dogs cut up, chilli, cheese and more corn bread mix and let cook in crock pot for three hours. You can also do this in an oven.

Both meals were fun and tasty.

Happy food

I’ve have made some really good meals this past week.

Sunday Chicken Marsala (drunken chicken)..it was over baked potatoes and they were good. Cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and sauted breaded chicken in olive oil. Then cooked down in Marsala wine.

Ricotta cheese stuffed burger with sauted green peppers.

Homemade beef stew

I miss not having an oven as baking really makes me happy, but that is another blog.

Comfort food: grilled cheese and tomato soup

I made grilled cheese and tomato soup the other day. It was always a comfort food and something I remember as a kid.

I love the many combinations with grilled cheese.

There are so many combination s

  • Munster
  • Honey mustard
  • Grilled chicken
  • Grilled onions

Or

  • Swiss or Mozzarella
  • Roast beef
  • Mushrooms

The combo we had

  • American cheese
  • Bread n butter pickles
  • Bacon

I added rice and bacon and golden fish crackers to my tomato soup.

Its just yummy comfort I had from my childhood.

One of my favorites: Tacos

For my brother’s birthday (turtle), I made him homemade tacos.I love a good taco bar.

  • Soft tortillas
  • Crunch corn tortillas
  • Season ground beef
  • Salsa
  • Chopped tomatoes
  • Chopped black olives
  • Shredded cheese
  • Lettuce
  • Turtle had his sliced pickle jalapeños

Sometimes I add rice, sometimes beans.

This was turtle’s taco.

Its fun to make you’re own.

I sometimes cut the tortillas and make mini tacos.

It was a really good taco. I think everyone enjoyed it.

Rice and what works

I love a good rice dish. . .

It can be in a pudding or in a bake.

You can make rice in an oven, stove, or microwave. There is long grain, short grain, and even in a bag, instant rice.

It is versatile: there are so many different things you can do with rice.

You can make in minutes and just add herbs and butter.

I love sushi: fish and sticky rice. . . yum.

You can add gravy or sauce to it.

Yesterday when I slow cooked the BBQ ribs that fell off the bone. I took the render fat and extra BBQ sauce and use it as part of the liquid to make the rice so it had the BBQ rib flavor. (It was so good.)

Turtle even add a ginger hot sauce to it.

You can even add rice into stews and soups.

You can add fruit and nuts with it.

The suggestions are limitless: go bold, or comfortable.

Note: I was use a fork to light stir the rice as I feel it makes it fluffier.

Chicken A La King

I am making Chicken a la King
It’s one of my mom’s favorite dishes.

 

My recipe is very easy. . .  (recipe made for 3 to 4 people)

Chicken a La King

Pound of chicken (cubed or shredded as long as it’s cooked)

Two small cans of cream of mushroom soup

2 cans of milk (after emptying the soup)

Can of peas

Extra mushrooms or grilled onions (optional)

I usually put this over rice. However I using egg noodles instead of rice. (You can also put this over potatoes.)

 

 

Today I am getting creative.
I have an extra biscuit roll, so I taking the chicken broth making extra chive dumplings for a side dish.

Take biscuits cut them into small pieces

Cook them in boiling broth until they cooked through and tender (stirring every few minutes.) You can put the sauce from Chicken A La King or just add butter.

 

It’s a simple dinner and it’s easy way to get your family member (kids and adults) to eat their peas.

Note: the original recipe has peas, but I have replaced peas with corn or green beans in the past.