Spicy Cheeseburger Nachos

 From: Pillsbury Annual Recipe Cookbook 2007

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 boxes (16 oz each) Mexican prepared cheese product with jalapeno peppers, cut into cubes
• 2 cans (10 oz each) diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• tortilla chips

Verdict:

Thumbs up! Super easy, very tasty!

What I did differently or what I would do next time:

I don't measure garlic, so let's just get that out of the way. I measure garlic with my heart.

I realized as I'm typing this up that I purchased the green onions and then I didn't use the green onions. Hah!

This was such a great recipe. I know versions of this have been floating around for years and years. This was really easy and it tasted delicious. I would definitely make it again.

Appetizer Cheese Bake

From: Southern Living cookbook 1992

Ingredients:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup mayonnaise
1/8 tsp pepper
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped onion

Combine first 3 ingredients; stir in cheese and onion. Spoon into a 1-quart souffle dish. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve immediately with crackers.

What I did differently:
I only used half of the onion.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! If you like things like a quiche, or souffle, you will like this dip. It doesn't have a "dip" texture. The egg pulls everything together like a quiche. I could see how you could actually make this into a really good breakfast bake - toss in some crumbled sausage, or peppers, ham, bacon, etc. Anyway, it was REALLY easy and I liked the flavor a lot, especially with the crackers. It's not my favorite I've had but it's one I'd make again.

Bob Evans Cheddar Baked Potato Soup

From: An old email recipe exchange

Ingredients:
1 can Campbell's cheddar cheese soup 
1 can chicken broth
1 lb grated cheddar cheese
4 cups milk plus 1 soup can
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 tsp of: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic salt
7 medium potatoes, diced to 1" and boiled

Add soup, 1/2 can broth, 1 can milk and stir. Add cheese and milk. Stir in cornstarch with the rest of the broth. Add broth to soup. Add spices and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add boiled potatoes and simmer 15 minutes more. Top with chives and bacon bits.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I love a good potato soup recipe, and you can't go wrong with this amount of cheese, right?? I would definitely make this soup again. It's easy and fairly fast, once you've boiled the potatoes. And very delicious!

Cheesy Ham and Mushroom Pasta

From: An old magazine cutout

Ingredients:
12 oz. rotini
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced white mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped ham
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup packed chopped fresh basil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking liquid.

Warm oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add onion, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and saute until translucent. Stir in mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they give up their liquid, about 5 minutes. Mix in ham and cook until warmed through, stirring once or twice, 1-2 minutes. Add ham mixture, cheddar cheese and basil to pot with pasta. Toss to combine, moistening with cooking liquid if necessary.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! This is such a simple recipe, but it's so good. You can't go wrong with these ingredients, in my opinion. Perfect for lunch or a quick dinner!

Ham and Egg Wrap

From: Kraft website

Ingredients:
1 whole egg
3 egg whites
6 slices of ham (I used Walmart brand smoked honey ham, 97% fat free)
2 tortillas (I used La Banderita brand, fat free)
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used Harris Teeter brand, sharp cheddar)

Beat whole egg, egg whites and ham until well blended. Heat nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add egg mixture; cook 3 min. or until set, stirring occasionally. 

Spoon egg mixture down centers of tortillas; top with cheese. Fold in opposite sides of each tortilla, then roll up burrito-style. 

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I know this is a really simple, common-sense recipe but it was just what I needed today. I'll definitely be making these more and freezing them when I get a chance.

Nutrition info: (1 serving; 2 wraps) *based on my ingredients*
502 calories
39g carbs
16g fat
42g protein

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

From: Campbell's magazine ad

Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
2 cups fresh or frozen vegetables (I used one can of Veg-all)
1/2 tsp onion powder
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used 7 tenderloins instead of breasts)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Stir soup, water, rice, vegetables and onion powder in 12x8 shallow baking dish.

Top with chicken. Season chicken as desired. Cover.

Bake at 375 F for 45 minutes or until done. Top with cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Oh my goodness, what a great combination of flavors. Loved this and I will definitely be making this again in the future.

Nutrition info: (1 serving)
206 calories
28g carbs
4g fat
14g protein

Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich

From: Macheesemo

Ingredients:
English muffins (I used Arnold sandwich thins that are made with flax and fiber)
Eggs
Cheese (I used store brand cheddar cheese)
I also used Jennie-O turkey bacon

Grab a muffin tin and crack an egg into each tin. The blog where I got the recipe from used a dozen (she was freezing them) but I only did four at a time. Make sure you spray with nonstick spray or spread with butter first!

Cook at 350 F for 10-15 minutes. Toast your bread if you like (I didn't).

After I cooked my eggs for about 10 minutes I added half a slice of cooked turkey bacon, crumbled, on top and cooked another 3 minutes. I sprinkled a quarter ounce of cheese on one bun, topped it with the egg and bacon, and then put the other side of the bun on top. I cooked it for another 5 minutes just to get it all toasty and melt the cheese.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Trying to get more protein in my breakfast so this was perfect. You'll notice I had two eggs on my sandwich - that's because I used the sandwich thins instead of an English muffin. I will definitely be making these again. Check out the original recipe website for ways to freeze these!

*Macros noted are for the ingredients I used but only one egg, not the two I ended up using*

Calories: 213
Carbs: 21
Fat: 9
Protein: 14

Cheesy Garlic Sticks

From: Jam Hands

Ingredients:

• 1 premade pizza dough from a pizzeria
• olive oil for brushing dough
• 1 ball of mozzarella (not the kind in water, the kind that is vacuum sealed), you will use about half of a ball, depending on the size of it
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, with flavored oil
• Italian spices

1. Prepare the crust: Transfer to a baking pizza pan. Brush dough lightly all over with olive oil.
2. Cut or pull apart the cheese with your fingers and spread all over the dough.
3. Drizzle the pizza with a little of the garlic flavored oil from the minced garlic, and sprinkle with minced garlic over the entire pizza. Add just a bit of Italian spices to the top, and bake. Bake according to what dough you have.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! The website I got this from actually got dough from Papa Murphy's, which sells their dough premade. I don't know of a place in town that does that around here. I used Pillsbury pizza crust dough. I would also recommend using Trader Joe's dough or making your own. Also, I didn't use a ball of mozzarella. I was making these on a whim. I sliced a chunk of mozzarella and it was perfect. I did slice it instead of shredding it, based on her directions. I am definitely going to make these again. They went fast! Much easier than I thought it was going to be, also.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup - Panera Style

From: Here

Ingredients:

• 2 T. Butter, melted
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 c. butter, melted
• 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 4 c. half and half
• 4 c. chicken broth
• 1 lb. fresh broccoli
• 2 cups, julienned carrots
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• 16 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Saute onion in butter.  Set aside.   Whisk butter and flour over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.  Stir constantly and slowly add half and half.  Add chicken stock, still whisking. Simmer 20 minutes.

Add broccoli, carrots and onion.  Cook over low heat until veggies are tender – about 20-25 minutes.  Add salt and pepper.  The soup will have thickened by now.

Carefully transfer soup mixture to blender and puree.  Return soup to pot (or crockpot) over low heat.  Add cheese.  Stir until well blended.  Add nutmeg right before serving.



Verdict:
Thumbs up! Oh man, what a delicious, delectable soup! I do love the soup at Panera and although I'm not sure this is the real recipe, it is DIVINE. Definitely will be making this again in the future!!

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

From: Here

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

 

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes.  Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender.  Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened.  Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through.  Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

Verdict:
This recipe has all the things I love about a good recipe - it's cheap to make, it's easy to make, and it tastes delicious!!  I love chowders and this one was definitely a keeper. I will certainly be making this again. Yummy!!

Eggplant Tomato Bake

From: Here

Ingredients:
1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 tomato, sliced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Arrange eggplant rounds on the cookie sheet and sprinkle Parmesan over the eggplant. Layer one slice of tomato on top of each eggplant round. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese again. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

What I did differently from this recipe:
Nothing.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Oh, yummy goodness. I had an eggplant that was about to go bad and I have enough in the freezer so I really wanted to try a new recipe. This was so good and simple! Only my 18-month old would eat them with me but I kind of assumed that would be the case with my picky eaters! :)  

Taco Pasta

From: Here

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
15 oz tomato sauce
8 oz shell macaroni, cooked and drained
4 oz chopped green chilies
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, brown ground beef over medium heat. Drain and add taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and chilies. Stir in cooked macaroni. Place in a 9x13 pan. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until heated through.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Basically just substituted what I already had at home: I used venison instead of beef, mushroom pasta sauce, whole wheat penne, and I chopped green peppers instead of using the chilies.


What I'll do differently next time:
I might use less of the taco seasoning in the future. It was a tad spicy for my kids.


Verdict:
Thumbs up! Even though it was a little spicy for my kids they still ate a bunch of this. I loved it and didn't think it was too spicy. I will definitely be making this again in the future!! What an easy recipe to throw together.

Cheese Garlic Bread Spread

From: http://recipestoliveby.blogspot.com

 Ingredients:
1/2-1 cup margarine
3 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Microwave margarine in medium bowl for about 40 seconds or until about halfway melted. Mix in all ingredients using a fork. Spread mixture over bread. Place on baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes at 450 degrees, until top is golden brown.

Penne Pasta Skillet

From: Here

Ingredients:

1 lb. (450 g) extra-lean ground beef

1 jar (700 mL) pasta sauce

2 cups water

3 cups penne pasta, uncooked

1 cup Kraft Part Skim Mozzarella Shredded Cheese

Brown meat in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add pasta sauce and water; mix well. Stir in pasta. Bring to boil; cover. Simmer on medium heat 16-18 minutes or until pasta is tender; stir. Top with mozzarella; cook, covered, 1 minute or until melted.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Nothing, other than substituting venison for the beef.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! What an easy, straight-forward recipe with ingredients that everyone in my family likes! Even my hubby who isn't a fan of tomato sauce liked this recipe and even ate leftovers. :) I highly recommend this to someone who needs a quick dinner or doesn't want to have to think about dinner!

Corn, Potato and Cheese Soup

From: The Best Ever One Pot Cookbook

Ingredients:
2 shallots, finely chopped
8 oz potatoes, diced
4 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp dry white wine
1 1/4 cups milk
11 oz canned corn kernels, drained
3/4 cup grated Swiss or Cheddar cheese
8-10 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
fresh sage sprigs, to garnish

Croutons:
2-3 slices of day-old white bread
2 Tbsp olive oil



To make the croutons, cut the crusts off the bread slices, then cut the remaining bread into 1/4-inch squares. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet and add the bread cubes. Cook, tossing and stirring constantly, until evenly colored. Drain the croutons thoroughly on paper towels and reserve.

Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened.

Add the potatoes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the white wine, then gradually stir in the milk.

Return the pan to the heat and bring to a boil stirring constantly, then reduce the heat and simmer. Stir in the corn kernels, cheese, chopped sage, and cream and heat through gently until the cheese has just melted.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, scatter over the croutons, garnish with fresh sage sprigs and serve.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used onions instead of shallots, and substituted water for the wine.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I love potato soups and corn soups, and cheese, so this was a tasty combination!! The croutons are definitely optional. I made just a few and they were good, but plain old crackers were delicious too. I would definitely make this again!

Tomato And Cheese Pasta

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked small tube pasta

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 can (14 ½ oz) Italian diced tomatoes

½ tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp sugar

¼ tsp pepper

¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a small saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Drain pasta; stir into saucepan.

Transfer to a greased 1-qt baking dish. Top with cheeses. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

What I did differently from the recipe:

Well, I used the pasta I had on hand, and I needed to use some of my fresh tomatoes so I made my own diced tomatoes instead of using canned. That's about it though!

What I'll do differently next time:

I'm not sure what I'd do differently. I'd try to tone down the juice from the tomatoes though. There was too much juice in the final product, I thought - probably my fault.

Verdict:

Neutral. It definitely wasn't bad, but there was nothing about it that stood out. I wouldn't make this again unless I figured out something to add to it. Maybe some sausage or tofu? That actually sounds good...

Tomato and Cheese Pasta

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked small tube pasta

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 can (14 ½ oz) Italian diced tomatoes

½ tsp dried basil

½ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp sugar

¼ tsp pepper

¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a small saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Drain pasta; stir into saucepan.

Transfer to a greased 1-qt baking dish. Top with cheeses. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Parmesan, Chicken & Broccoli Pasta

Ingredients:
4 oz spaghetti, uncooked
1/4 cup Italian dressing
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 tsp parmesan cheese

Cook spaghetti as directed on package. Meanwhile, heat dressing and garlic in a large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and broccoli; cook and stir 5-7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Stir in tomatoes and half of the mozzarella cheese; cook 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through; stirring occasionally. Drain spaghetti, place on serving plate. Top with chicken mixture, remaining mozzarella cheese and the parmesan cheese.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used more dressing and garlic than it called for, and I left out the tomatoes.

What I'll do differently next time:
If I had thought about it soon enough I would have chopped up some carrots to throw in there.

Verdict:
Thumbs UP!! This is a new favorite by far. Soooo good and it only took about 20 minutes for me to do it all - I had the chicken cooked already. Honestly, I wish I had doubled the recipe. It was that good.

Cheddar Baked Potato Slices

From: Southern Living

Ingredients:
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
4 baking potatoes, cut into 1/4" slices
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In small bowl, combine soup, paprika and pepper. In greased 2-qt baking dish, arrange potatoes in overlapping rows.

Sprinkle with cheese; spoon soup mixture over cheese. Cover with foil; bake at 400 degrees.

Uncover, bake 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I did two layers of potato slices, put half of the soup mixture and 1/2 cup of cheese over those slices, then I put the rest of the potatoes on top of that and layered it with the rest of the soup mixture and about another 1/2 - 3/4 cup of cheese. I was worried that otherwise the bottom layers of potatoes would be bland.

What I'll do differently next time:
The same thing I did this time.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! What a yummy dish! This is perfect for a potluck. I highly recommend layering this dish like I did. I'm not sure that it would be bad if you didn't do that but it was super delicious with that extra layer. I loved the slight crunch of the cheese from baking at the end! This was such a great and easy recipe. I can see myself making this for a side dish for a long time in the future. (P.S. I'm pretty sure Stephen would say bacon makes this dish longer. He says that about pretty much anything though.)

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
4 baking potatoes, cut into 1/4" slices
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In small bowl, combine soup, paprika and pepper. In greased 2-qt baking dish, arrange potatoes in overlapping rows. Sprinkle with cheese; spoon soup mixture over cheese. Cover with foil; bake at 400 degrees. Uncover, bake 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

From: ?? (on my computer as a document)

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
1 minced clove garlic
2 cups broccoli florets
1 potato, diced
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, potato, and chicken broth, raise the heat to high, and let come to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the saucepan, and let simmer until the broccoli and potato are softened, about 7 minutes. Let the broccoli mixture cool slightly, then transfer it to a blender. Puree it until smooth.

Return the soup to the saucepan, add 1/4 cup of cheese and buttermilk. Cook the soup over low heat until the cheese melts, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining cheese.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I added more potatoes, because I knew they'd be delicious!

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up. It was a bit sweet for some reason, maybe the cheese, but it was very good. Also very easy which is always a thumbs up!

Printable version:

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1/2 onion chopped
1 minced clove garlic
2 cups broccoli florets
1 potato, diced
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli, potato, and chicken broth, raise the heat to high, and let come to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the saucepan, and let simmer until the broccoli and potato are softened, about 7 minutes. Let the broccoli mixture cool slightly, then transfer it to a blender. Puree it until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan, add 1/4 cup of cheese and buttermilk. Cook the soup over low heat until the cheese melts, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining cheese.

Ham and Cheese Pie

From: my mom (technically my sister emailed me the recipe, but it's mom's recipe)

Warning: This is one of those recipes that doesn't really have "technical" measurements. I made it just fine the first time I did it and I'm sure yours will be delicious too!

Ingredients:
pie crust
ham -- however much you think looks good
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 egg salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup onion

In a bowl, mix all ingredients. pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 until done.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Nothing.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up!!! This is one of my favorite recipes of mom's and I'm so glad I finally made it! I used the Betty Crocker pie crust mix in a box because I had it in my pantry. Jenn uses frozen pie crust and makes two at a time. I don't know what mom uses but you could also make your own pie crust. As for the ham, I probably used between 1 1/2 - 2 cups of diced ham. Mine baked around 40 minutes before it was done.

Printable version:

Ingredients:
pie crust
ham -- however much you think looks good
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 egg salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup onion

In a bowl, mix all ingredients. pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 until done.