Classic Cherry Cheese Pie

• 1 (9 inch) graham cracker crust
• 1 (20 ounces) can cherry pie filling
• 1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese, softened (I prefer Philadelphia brand)
• 1 (14 ounces) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/3 cup lemon juice (I use bottled lemon juice)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer until it is creamy. Add the milk, lemon juice, vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined. Pour mixture into the graham cracker crust. At this time, I also put my cherry pie filling the refrigerator also. After the filling has been chilled for a few hours, top pie with the cherry pie filling. 

Ground Beef Hash Brown Bake

 

• 1 pound (16 ounces) ground beef
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion (or 1/2 cup diced onion)
• 1 package (26 ounces) frozen shredded hash browns ( 4 cups fresh shredded potatoes?)
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt & black pepper, as desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a Dutch oven, brown ground beef and onion. Drain the ground beef and return to pot. In the same pot, combine hash browns , soup, milk, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of the cheese. Heat until ingredients are combined and mixture is warm. Turn mixture into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, sprinkling top with the reserved cup of cheese in the last 10 minutes.

Original post here.

Perfectly Seasoned Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

• 1 pound (16 ounces) bag of dried pinto beans
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 slices of thick cut bacon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to your preference)
• 4 teaspoons chicken broth concentrate
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon granulated white sugar

Pour the beans into a large bowl or slow cooker bowl and cover with at least 2 inches of water and allow to soak overnight. Alternately, you can boil the beans in a stovetop safe pan at a steady boil for about 10 minutes before you begin to cook them. Drain and rinse the beans after this step. Heat olive oil in a pan and saute onions and garlic until soft and fragrant. Transfer all of the ingredients to the slow cooker bowl and cover beans with at least 2 inches of water. Set slow cooker to high and cook for 4-6 hours, until beans are as soft as you desire.

Original recipe here. 

Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Chicken

 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3-4 chicken breasts, halved crosswise
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 10 ounces Cremini mushrooms, sliced

• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream or half & half
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 cup baby spinach, stems removed (I just used a big handful)

Place 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet. Melt butter over medium heat. Add chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Remove from pan. Melt an additional 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil together. Saute mushrooms until they are soft. Remove from pan.

Place 2 tablespoons of butter in skillet. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add flour and allow to cook for a minute or two to remove the raw flour taste. Slowly stir in chicken broth and garlic powder. Add the heavy cream. Stir until sauce is thickened. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted in the sauce. Season sauce with salt and pepper, as needed. Stir in baby spinach and allow to wilt. Add chicken and mushrooms back to the skillet and coat chicken with the sauce. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Original recipe here.

Country-Style Smothered Green Beans

• 2 strips (3 ounces, approximately) thick cut bacon, cut into pieces (use more if you wish!)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 pound frozen cut green beans (or, fresh from the Farmers' Market!)
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce

In a Dutch oven, fry bacon until the grease is released. Remove bacon from pot and set aside, leaving bacon grease in the pot. Saute onion in the grease for a couple of minutes, until fragrant. Add bacon, green beans and seasonings into the pot. Stir all to combine. Cover the pot and simmer on very low heat for 45 minutes, or until the green beans are soft.  You may need to add additional water as this simmers so that the green beans don't burn.

 

Mushroom & Bacon Rice

•  2 slices thick-sliced bacon, cut into pieces (may use 3-4 regular slices of bacon)
• ½ onion, minced
• 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms, cut into pieces
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 cup rice, uncooked (I used long-grain white rice)
• 3 cups chicken broth
• ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme leaves (I used dried sage)
• ⅔ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (I used just under 1/4 cup of the green can stuff)

Fry the bacon in a large skillet until browned and crisp. Spoon bacon onto a paper towel lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon grease in the skillet. Saute the onion in the grease until softened. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the mushrooms and saute until mushrooms start to release their juices. Add the rice, chicken broth, thyme and bacon to the skillet. Add black pepper, to taste. Stir until combined. Cover skillet tightly with a lid. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until rice is tender and broth is absorbed. Add cheese and stir until melted.

Inspired by this recipe.

Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice

• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 3 1/4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup diced potato
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 2 cubes Knorr Caldo de Pollo bouillon* 

In a large non-stick frying pan, saute onion in oil on medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add the rice and saute the rice until lightly toasted. Add water, bouillon, potato, and vegetables and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and put the lid on, leaving about a 1/4 inch gap for steam to escape. Cook for 25-27 minutes, until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. To make fluffier rice, remove lid after removing from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

*The Knorr Caldo de Pollo bouillon cubes are commonly found in the Hispanic food section.