My Mom's Taco Salad

My mom used to make this for me and my sisters.  It's so yummy and easy to make.  You don't have to remember any measurements either!

1 pd ground beef (I use lean so I don't have to drain it)
1 can of Ranch Style Beans, drained (I sometimes use the ones with jalepenos)
1 head of iceberg lettuce
1 package of taco seasoning
1 tomato, chopped
cheddar cheese, grated
Fritos corn chips
1 small bottle Catalina salad dressing
green onions,  for garnish

Brown the hamburger meat in a large skillet. Add the taco seasoning and cook according to the directions on the taco seasoning packet. When the meat is done add the Ranch Style Beans and cook until the beans are heated through. In a seperate bowl, chop the lettuce and add enough Catalina dressing to coat evenly.  You can add more or less according to your taste. I usually use the whole bottle for a large head of lettuce. Mix in the tomato and cheddar cheese. Top with Fritos and green onions.  That's it!! So, so good!

Suzie's Layered Dip

I don't know who Suzie is but she changed my life with the invention of this dip.  It has made me popular to many and skinny to none.  I have made this many, many time and it is a sure crowd pleaser.

In a large dish layer the following in the order given:

2 10 1/2 oz cans bean dip

3 Avocados chopped and sprinkled with 2 tbsp lemon juice

1 cup sour cream mixed with 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1 pkg dry taco seasoning

1 bunch green onions, chopped

3 tomatoes, chopped

2 3 1/2 oz cans chopped ripe olives 

2 cups grated monterey jack cheese

Seal with plastic wrap and refigerate until ready to serve. Serve with Doritos or corn chips.

This is her exact recipe.  When it says a whole bunch of green onions it depends on your size of onions. I do about 5 or 6 onions.  I also add cheddar for the color. I also don't like corn chips with it.  I serve it with Tostitos Scoops.

Chicken and Dumplings

Step by step directions on my version of chicken and dumplings. So easy, so good.

Chop up about 4 carrots, 1 medium onion and 2 stalks of celery.

If you don't have a food mover, get one.

Add about a tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil to a large pot. Add the veggies and saute until the onions start ot turn translucent.

Dump in a family size can of cream of chicken soup.

Add a box of low sodium chicken broth and stir.

 

Dump in the meat from a whole rotisserre chicken.

Add a teaspoon or two of pepper and a pinch of salt. Not too much though. The soup and broth are plenty salty.

 

Bring to a boil to cook the carrots and celery until they are soft.

Pull 1 can of regular biscuits out of the fridge. They are easier to work with if kept cold. Press them flat and cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Sometimes I sprinkle on a little parsley for the color.

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Put all the biscuit pieces in the pot and dunk them in the soup mixture for a couple of minutes until they puff up.

 

Like this! Puffy delicous little pillows.

And then you get this yumminess!!

Three-Layer Carrot Cake

This cake is amazing. So few ingredients.  I have made it almost 10 times and it gets rave reviews everytime. I can't tell the people at work that I made it because they will be upset I didn't bring any to work.

 

You have to make this cake. You want the recipe? This is it. The only thing I didn't do is put the pecans in the frosting. Sometimes I put them around the sides if I'm feeling frisky but I wnated to make the outside all pretty and stuff.

Wayne's Beef Macaroni and Cheese

Made this little ditty tonight. Here is the Paula Deen recipe.

Wayne's Beef Macaroni and Cheese

Pan Roasted Brussell Sprouts.

I once had brussel sprouts when I was in kindergarten.  I hated them.  I haven't had them since and vowed to never eat them again.  Now 25 years later I have become fascinated with them.  Pictures on Pinterest have made me drool. So I gave it a go.  I just kind of went with it after seeing this recipe.

Don't they look amazing? It's because they were!

Ingredients:
1 pound brussel sprouts
6 slices of bacon
3 tablespoons of butter
1 small onion, diced
salt and pepper

1. I removed the outside leaves, rinsed them and cut some of the stem off. They were a little long for my liking.
2. I cooked the 6 slices of bacon until crispy and removed them and let them drain on paper towels.
3. I added the butter to the bacon drippings.
4. I added the onion and sauted them until translucent.
5. I then put in the brussel sprouts and sauted until browned and tender, about 8 minutes.
6. I finished off with pepper and a little salt. I went easy on the salt due to the saltiness of the bacon.

These were so good and I will make them again.

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops with Chili Lime Butter

Heavenly, yummy, delish, perfect, scrumptious...ok I'm out of words to describe how good these were!  Never mind the blue dot. It's from blue toothpics. It's all I had Okay! The Pioneer woman is my hero! Here is her recipe. I didn't use thick cut bacon. I thought it would be too thick and after making them, yes it would have been too thick.

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops with Chili Lime Butter