Baked Tacos

Baked Tacos

1 pound lean ground beef
1 can refried beans
1 package taco seasoning mix
4 ounces tomato sauce
1 package of Old El Paso Stand and Stuff soft taco shells
1 package Mexican blend shredded cheese

Brown your ground beef and drain completely - then add refried beans, taco seasoning and tomato sauce. Mix together and scoop into taco shells, (stand them up in a casserole dish). Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Garlic Fries

Garlic Fries 



Ingredients:

8 garlic cloves, minced or grated
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 russet potatoes (about 8oz each), each cut into 12 wedges
3 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour
1 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper


Preheat oven to 225°C/440° F.
Combine the garlic and oil in a large bowl, warming it until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
Transfer 5 tablespoons of the oil (leaving the garlic in the bowl) to the baking sheet, coating it well.
Add the potatoes to the bowl with the garlic mixture and toss to coat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and microwave on high power until the potatoes are translucent around the edges, 3 to 6 minutes, shaking the bowl to redistribute the potatoes halfway through cooking.
Combine the cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the hot potatoes and toss well to coat.
Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes.
Serve with ketchup, mayo or sour cream.

NO BAKE Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

NO BAKE Reese's Peanut Butter Bars Recipe!

Ingredients

1 cup salted butter (melted)
2 cups keebler graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 (11 oz) bag milk chocolate chips
Instructions


Combine all ingredients, except chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl. Stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Pour peanut butter mixture into a 9x13 pan.
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave (at 50% power) for 1-2 minutes. Stir chocolate and pour over the peanut butter mixture. Spread chocolate with a spatula. To even out chocolate, tap pan on the counter.
Refrigerate bars for one hour. Cut while bars are still cool. Enjoy!

Taco Pie

Incredible Taco Pie Recipe!

2 c. chicken cooked and shredded
1 c. shredded lettuce
1-4oz. can diced green chili's drained
2 Tbs. cilantro
8-10 inch flour tortillas
1-6 oz. avocado dip
1-16 oz. can refried beans
1 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
2 Tbs. sliced pitted ripe olives
2 Tbs. cilantro
Salsa


In a bowl combine chicken, lettuce, chili's, and cilantro. Set aside.

Place one of the tortillas on a large platter. Spread with half of the avocado dip. Then top with a second tortilla. Spread with half of the refried beans. Cover with a third tortilla. Sprinkle with half of the chicken-lettuce mixture. Add a forth tortilla. Spread with half of the sour cream sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat layers, ending with sour cream and cheese. Garnish with tomatoes, olives, and cilantro. To serve, cut into wedges. If desired, serve with salsa.

Makes 8 servings

APPLE BRAID

APPLE BRAID 

3 medium-size Granny Smith apples
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon juice

For the Bread

2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon instant yeast (I prefer SAF Instant Yeast)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons vegetable oil

For the Glaze:
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
5 teaspoons whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make the Apple Filling: Peel, core, and slice the apples into thin slices, then cut the slices in half. Toss the apple pieces with the sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Bake the apple filling in an 8-inch square baking pan (or 9-inch pie tin) for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. (Note: Do not turn the oven off at this point. You will be using it to bake the finished braid.)

Make the Bread: While the apple filling is baking, begin preparing the bread dough. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and oil and mix the dough for 6 minutes using an electric mixer on medium-high speed.

Spray a smooth clean surface with cooking spray and turn the dough out onto the surface. Knead the dough briefly to give it a smooth surface (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish). Spray a rolling pin with cooking spray and roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 12-inches by 16-inches in size. Lift onto a greased baking sheet.

Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut each side into strips about 1-inch wide down each side, leaving the center third of the dough uncut. Spread the apple filling down the middle third of the dough. Fold strips of dough into the center, crisscrossing the filling by alternating strips from each side. Lightly press ends to seal, and straighten out the braid with your hands, if necessary, to straighten.

Bake the braid in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the braid cool for several minutes.

Make the Glaze: Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until blended and smooth.

Brush the glaze in a thick coat over the entire surface of the apple braid while it is still cooling. Carefully transfer the braid to a cooling rack set on a baking sheet (to catch drips) to finish cooling and prevent the bottom of the braid from becoming soggy from sitting in any pooling glaze. Slice and serve.

No Bake Energy Bites

So healthy!! And SO easy! And SO yummy!

1 cup (dry) oatmeal

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl. Roll into bite size balls. Refrigerate to set. Enjoy!!

Jalapeno Popper Wontons

Jalapeno Popper Wontons

( Just look for the lowest carb wontons wrappers)
1 package refrigerated square wonton wrappers

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened (or light cream cheese)

3 jalapenos, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Vegetable oil for frying

Coarse salt

1. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, jalapenos, and cheddar cheese. Arrange wontons in a single layer on a baking sheet.

2. Add 1 teaspoon of the filling to the center of each wonton (don't overfill them). Dip your fingers in a bowl of water and run your wet fingers around all edges of each wonton. Fold the wontons over the filling, pinching the edges to seal to make a triangle and removing any air bubbles.

3. Fry wontons in batches in hot oil until browned and cripsy. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with coarse salt. Serve warm.