Mexicali Hashbrown Taco Casserole***

We all enjoyed this one.  I didn't measure anything, so my amounts were probably off.  I did use about 4 oz of cream cheese, just because it was easier to use a half of the 8-oz container.  I also probably used a full cup of corn.  Overall, it was really pretty good.  Nothing overly special, but a nice change from the usual.

MEXICALI HASHBROWN TACO CASSEROLE

(TheMidnightBaker ~ via Pinterest)

1 lb very lean ground beef (90%)

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper, divided

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper, divided

1/2 cup corn

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 can (10.5 oz) tomato soup

1 pkg (3 oz) low-fat cream cheese*

1/2 cup chopped onion, divided

2 cups Mexican-style shredded cheese, divided

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 bag (30 oz bag) frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease or spray a 2 or 2 1/2 oblong casserole dish.

Brown ground beef and onion in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Drain fat from pan, reduce heat.

Add the undiluted tomato soup, corn and the cream cheese. Stir until well combined and no chunks of cream cheese are visible.  Stir in taco seasoning and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.  Turn mixture into prepared pan, spreading mixture evenly across the bottom.

In a separate bowl, combine the defrosted hash browns, the peppers, salt, pepper and remaining 1 cup shredded cheese.

Top ground beef with potato mixture, pressing it down slightly.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until topping is browned and crispy on top.

Serves 6

*In some locations, cream cheese is still sold in 3 oz packages.

Meatball Lasagna **

This was okay.  The bottom layer of noodles didn't soften much at all, though.  Next time, I would probably just boil the noodles and make it like a regular pasta.  In all actuality, I think it would be really good to do it stovetop with egg noodles, but I'd have to mess around with that one a bit.

Photo from BettyCrocker.com

MEATBALL LASAGNA

(BettyCrocker.com)

1 jar (26 oz) tomato pasta sauce (any variety)

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained

1 box (12 oz) frozen Italian-style meatballs, thawed, each cut in half

1-1/2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion stir-fry (from 1-lb bag), thawed, drained

1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

8 uncooked lasagna noodles

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (12 oz)

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (1 oz)

Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix pasta sauce and tomatoes. Reserve 1/2 cup tomato mixture. Stir meatballs and stir-fry vegetables into remaining tomato mixture.

In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg and basil.

Spoon reserved 1/2 cup tomato mixture over bottom of baking dish. Top with 4 noodles. Top with about half of the ricotta mixture and half of the meatball mixture. Layer with remaining 4 noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and remaining meatball mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish with foil. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350°F. Bake covered lasagna 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until bubbly, edges are golden brown and cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Manwich Cheesy Chicken Pasta ***

I was really surprised by how tasty this was.  I'm not a fan of sloppy joes in general, but this was pretty good.  The cheese and chicken help to soften the sweetness of the sloppy joe mix, which helps a lot.  I had shredded chicken in the freezer, so I just pulled that out to use.  Between that and not having to precook the noodles, this recipe is beyond easy.  I had it on the table in less than 30 minutes.  Woo hoo!  I'm definitely putting this one in the "keeper" file!

MANWICH CHEESY CHICKEN PASTA

(Yellow Bliss Road via Pinterest)

2 cups shredded or diced chicken

2 Tbsp minced onion

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 can Manwich Bold  + 1 can water

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 pound of small dry pasta (I used penne)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat a small amount of oil in a large pot. Add onion and garlic and saute for one minute, then add cooked chicken* and saute for a couple of minutes.

(*Tip: I happened to have cooked, shredded chicken on hand so I used that, but I think I would start with raw chicken next time and cook the diced chicken and in the pot).

2. Add chicken broth, Manwich Bold Sloppy Joe Sauce, water and pasta to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for about 25-25 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in shredded cheddar until well incorporated, reserving a handful to sprinkle on the top. Cover for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt, and stir.

4. Serve

Crockpot Meatloaf and Potatoes **

This was good, but it wasn't what I wanted it to be.  The flavor of the meatloaf was great.  That wasn't a problem at all.  I cooked it for 9 hours, and while the meatloaf was slightly dry and overcooked, the potatoes were still pretty hard.  Some of them turned out perfectly, but at least 2 of them were way undercooked.  I think that next time, I would increase the meatloaf amount and use smaller potatoes.  That would probably help.  It would be great if you could mix up the meatloaf ahead of time and freeze it.  Then, by the time it had thawed and cooked, the potatoes should be pretty perfect.  I need to think on it some more, because I really do love the idea of it.

CROCKPOT MEATLOAF AND POTATOES

(Gleams of Sunshine via Pinterest)

2.5 pounds of ground turkey (or beef, if you prefer)

1 egg

3/4  cup smashed cornflakes (or bread crumbs, but I prefer corn flakes)

1 envelope of Lipton onion soup mix

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

salt, pepper, paprika, garlic salt, Italian seasoning to taste

5-6 baking potatoes

Mix the ingredients well and form a “loaf” in the bottom of your crock pot.

Then, wash 5-6 potatoes, prick them with a knife or fork, and wrap them in foil.  Place them around the meatloaf.  Cook for 8-10 hours on low.

Mexican Cornbread Casserole ***

Another winner for us.  I was afraid that it would be too spicy between the Rotel and the sauce, but the cornbread tamped that down a bit.  I couldn't find the Rotel Green Chili Sauce, so I just used green enchilada sauce.  We all liked it.  The kids and the hubs really liked it.  Definitely a keeper. :-)

MEXICAN CORNBREAD CASSEROLE

(Recipe.com via Pinterest)

2 (8.5-oz) packages corn muffin mix

1/2 cup Egg Beaters Original (or two fresh eggs)

2/3 cup reduced fat (2%) milk

1-1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn, divided

1 pound ground chuck beef (80% lean)

2 (10-oz) cans Ro*Tel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, drained

2 (8-oz) cans Ro*Tel Original Tomato and Green Chili Sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 9x13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. Stir together cornbread mix, Egg Beaters, milk, and half of corn in bowl. Pour into prepared dish.

Meanwhile, cook beef in medium skillet over medium-high heat 3 to 5 minutes or until crumbled and no longer pink, stirring occasionally; drain. Stir in drained tomatoes, tomato sauce, remaining corn, and cumin. Pour mixture over top of cornbread batter. Top with cheese.

Bake 25 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cornbread is done.

Best Pot Roast Ever ***

I'm torn between two stars and three stars on this one.  It's good, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it the "best" pot roast I've ever had.  I used a Boston Butt, since I'm not a huge fan of beef roast.  The roast itself was divine.  However, the gravy/sauce was just too peppery for the kids and me.  Hubby loved it.  I doubled the recipe when I made it, so that we'd have lunch leftovers.  I'll do that next time as well, but I'll stick closer to a 4-lb roast and only use one envelope of Italian dressing.  I think that's what put it over the edge.  I used a 5-lb roast, and it was just a bit too big when I put it on top of the potatoes.  4 or 4.5 even would be much better.  I'll definitely make it again, though.  It doesn't get much easier than this.  I cut my potatoes in quarters so that they would lay better in the pot.

THE BEST POT ROAST EVER
(Marie's Cooking Adventures ~ via Pinterest - recipe has been doubled)

4-4.5 lb roast. (any kind)
2 envelopes ranch dressing (dried)
2 envelopes Italian dressing
2 envelopes brown gravy mix
14 baby red potatoes
1 lb carrots
2-3 cups water

Put any carrots and potatoes in the bottom of your CrockPot. I usually quarter my potatoes and use baby carrots.
Put Roast on top of vegetables.
Sprinkle all 3 spice envelopes on top.
Add the water.
Cook on LOW for 6-10 hours until tender and veggies cooked through.It is better to cook the roast longer. This will be sooooo tender and yummy!!

Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies ***

Oh wow.  I found this one on Pinterest earlier this week, and I just knew I had to make it.  I love brownies and pumpkin, so I was dying to see how well they combined.  They were delicious.  The texture is very strange.  It's kind of like a dense, moist pudding.  The slices separate and hold together easily, though.  I tried the OP's suggestion of lining the pan with foil, and it worked really well for me.  I didn't bother with the frosting, since I wanted to get the full effect of the brownies themselves.  You can't really taste the pumpkin, but you get a whiff of it every now and then.  I did use a 9x13 pan, since I prefer more brownies over thicker brownies.  It makes them last just a teeny bit longer.  :-)  Overall, this was definitely a winner for us, simply because of how easy and yummy it was.

TWO-INGREDIENT PUMPKIN BROWNIES
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Cookies and Cups)

1 "Family Size" box (19.5 oz) brownie mix
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
Frosting - optional:
     1/2 cup butter
     2 cups powdered sugar
     1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Brownies:
Preheat oven to 350°
Line a 9x9 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
In a bowl mix together brownie mix and pumpkin until smooth.
Spread batter into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until set.
Let cool completely. Frost if desired.

Frosting:
Cream butter and pumpkin pie spice until smooth.
Turn mixer to low and add in powdered sugar
Turn mixer up to medium and beat until fluffy.
Spread on brownies, if desired.