the tongan

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Derek served a mission in the Phoenix, Arizona, area (for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) back in the early 2000s. On said mission, one of his fellow Elders taught him how to make this age-old recipe that had been passed on amongst Elders for years: the Tongan. Derek has since made it for me, for our kids, for some friends, and even for our local missionaries when they come for dinner. It sounds gross, but I promise it’s good. (It is also super caloric, perfect for growing young men on bikes - and budgets, ha.) Give it a try, and report back! 

Recipe: The Tongan

Ingredients:

White bread

Mayo

Ramen

Eggs

Ham

Cheddar

Directions: 

Spread Mayo on the bread.

Boil ramen just long enough for it to unfold. 

Place (drained) ramen plank in a frying pan. Whip an egg in a bowl/mug and mix the seasoning packet into it. Pour egg mixture over the ramen plank. Cook through, turning half way.

Add a slice of cheese and a slice of ham to one side of the ramen/egg plank. 

When cheese is melted, fold over the ramen plank. Put this whole thing between the two pieces of Mayo-ed bread. 

Cut in half if you want. Enjoy! 

nachos

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My lovely friend Diane Bernal made these delicious nachos for a party once, and I was dying over its deliciousness. A few days later, I couldn’t get it off my mind, so we made it for dinner. When I called her to ask for her recipe, these were the notes I jotted down on my phone. I’ve made it this way several times since, so I figure it’s good enough to publish.

Nacho Sauce

Sautéed onions/garlic w butter (med heat)

Salsa, blitzed up 

Milk/evaporated milk (start low)

Then add chunks of velveeta 

Add reg cheese at end - milk

Can season with: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika 

Do on cooktop then put in pre-warmed crockpot.

** Edited to add: Serve over/with your favorite tortilla chips (obvs) and add some fun toppings — ie. salsa / sliced black olives / jalapeño slices / ground beef (I brown with diced onion) / sour cream / tomatoes / green onions /whatev!

funeral potatoes

These are a perfect dish to make in large quantities for a community gathering, such as a funeral. Hence the name. Or perhaps they were dubbed Funeral Potatoes because they make one think of Heaven (they're that good). Whichever the reason, Funeral Potatoes is how they are known to us. And they're amazing. In fact, they are my husband's favorite food. Comfort food at its finest. And this is the best recipe I've found for them -- from my sis-in-law Mindy, who got it from her Aunt Connie. Now I give it to you. You can thank me later.

RECIPE: Funeral Potatoes

Ingredients: 

1 can cream of celery soup

4 1/2 c. frozen hashbrowns (cooked, shredded potatoes)

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. chopped green onions

2 c. sour cream

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

2-3 c. crushed corn flakes

2 Tbsp. melted butter

Directions:

Melt 1/4 c. butter. Add soup, green onions, sour cream and cheese. Stir until blended well. Put potatoes in casserole dish and layer with sauce. 

Mix corn flakes and 2 Tbsp. butter. Spread on top of potatoes. 

Bake until heated through, 30 min at 350F. 

Note: This is best if made the night before or earlier in the day and then heated.

red enchiladas

New Mexico, sometimes I miss you like crazy. Eating these enchiladas with a side of frijoles was one of those times. Mmm. ¡Viva Nuevo México!

RECIPE: Red Enchiladas

Yield: Two 8x8 pans*

*One will feed a family of 4-5 easily. Freeze or share the second pan! Two in one; hooray! 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, diced

1 lg can red enchilada sauce

2 c shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese (opt)

10-12 corn tortillas

Directions:

Brown beef with onion. Drain. Add a bit of the enchilada sauce to the meat.

In a 9x13 pan (or two 8x8s), put down a little sauce. Then fill tortillas and roll, placing the rolls in the pan(s) next. Once the rolled enchiladas are packed in, pour on the remaining sauce. Top with shredded cheese(s). 

Bake at 400F for 15 min or until cheese is melted. Serve warm, and enjoy!

Note: Serve with pinto beans (Rinse and drain, then add s&p and garlic powder, a bit of water, and nuke for 2 minutes... easy!) and top with sour cream. Yum!

cheesy garlic biscuits

I made jambalaya the other day and wanted something yummy to go with it.  I already planned to serve it with green beans (somehow that is a logical side dish to me, not sure why), but I wanted something more.  I saw a picture of jambalaya served with what looked like a cheesy biscuit and knew that's what I wanted to make.  I googled a recipe for cheesy biscuits and ended up combining several that looked promising to create my own.  Here's what I came up with.



RECIPE: Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

Yield: 12 large biscuits
Calories: 227

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp salt
5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder*
3/4 c butter
1 c milk
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
(opt) dash of dill

Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients (flour down to garlic powder) in a medium bowl.  Cut in butter.  Add milk, adjusting if necessary (if it's too wet, add more flour- just a tbsp or so at a time).  Stir in the cheddar cheese (and dill, if you want it).  Drop onto a baking stone/sheet in 12 large mounds.  Bake at 400F for 18-20 minutes.

*Would also be good with actual minced garlic in it.  Mmm.

stroganoff sandwiches

Our beloved Kurt and Bonnie shared this recipe with us years ago. It is fairly easy to make, is beautiful to observe, and is delicious to eat. Mmm! Derek love, love, loves stroganoff (his mother's favorite ingredient to cook with when he was a kid was cream of mushroom soup; I think the two are related). As a result, he especially loves this recipe. So much, in fact, that he's made it for me twice this month! I know; I'm a lucky gal. So check this recipe out. Maybe YOU, too, will get lucky... ;)



RECIPE: Stroganoff Sandwiches

Serves: 8
Calories: 515

Ingredients:
1 unsliced loaf French bread
margarine/butter
1 lb ground beef
1/4 c chopped green onion
1 c sour cream
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp garlic powder
2 sliced tomatoes
1 (or 2) green bell pepper, cut into rings
2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. Slice bread down the middle, making two long pieces. Butter the tops of each and toast the bread a bit in the oven, keeping an eye on it (you're just wanting it a little crisp on top, not browned).

Meanwhile, cook beef and onion in a med-large skillet over medium-high heat, until meat is browned. Stir in sour cream, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder.

Get out your bread again. Spread half of meat mixture on each loaf half. Arrange tomato slices on top, followed by bell pepper slices. Sprinkle with cheese (and green onion if you have extra).

Bake again at 375F for about 10 minutes. Serve warm. Enjoy!

chicken and broccoli soup

Derek and I kind of just threw this together today based on things we had available and some leftover rice we wanted to use up. We also wanted to put something in the crock pot so that we would have something warm and ready when we got home from church. Luckily, this tossed-together concoction turned out super yummy! I love it when that happens! Let's see if I can remember how we made it...

RECIPE: Chicken and Broccoli Soup

Serves: 6
Calories: 394

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken breast
1/2 large onion, diced
1 tsp garlic powder
salt + pepper
1 bag broccoli spears
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated
2 tsp chicken bullion
2 c cooked rice
3 Tbsp cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:
Defrost chicken breast if frozen. Place in crock pot, along with onions, and pour a bit of water (1/3 c -ish) over it all. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook in the crock pot (covered, obviously) over low heat for 2 hrs. Add broccoli spears, cream of mushroom soup, and parm cheese. Add a bit more water mixed with the bullion. Set the heat to high, cover and cook for 2 more hours. Then add the rice, cheddar cheese and more water (1-2 c, hot water). Stir it all, breaking up the broccoli and shredding the chicken. Season more to taste (it won't likely need it, but check). Then serve and enjoy!

navajo tacos

First of all, this recipe is dedicated to some framily of ours (family with whom we are also friends):  Thank you, Bart and Katie, for the FryDaddy that made this post possible.  :)


This recipe came about because we had a huge pot of beans (recipe here) that needed eaten and wanted to get creative with them.  We'd been to the Gardener's Market recently and saw some Navajo Tacos.  This led us to think that maybe Navajo Tacos would be delish.  We had initially thought we would use the "pizza/scone dough" we normally use for sopapillas, but we apparently didn't have any- so we used Rhodes Rolls dough instead.... just defrosted them, rolled them out, and fried them up!  It turned out great.  The meal was pretty easy and super yummy.  Give it a try; you'll be glad you did!



RECIPE:  Navajo Tacos


Ingredients:
Rhodes Rolls dough balls, defrosted/risen
pinto beans
onion, diced
tomato, diced
cheddar cheese, grated
lettuce, cut into teeny strips
salsa
(opt) sour cream

Directions:
Roll out the dough into pretty thin, roundish circles.  Fry in hot oil (in FryDaddy if you've got one) until golden.  Remove and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Top fried bread with beans, onion, tomato, cheese, lettuce, salsa, and sour cream (if you have any; we didn't).

And eat.  It's that simple. :)

egg, ham and cheese bagel-wich

Last week should be dubbed The Week of the Bagel-wich. My kids and I dined one night at my friend Li's, and she served... bagel-wich. The following day, my next-door-neighbor and friend Aubrey brought us dinner... bagel-wich. The coincidences were undeniable. The stars aligned. We NEVER made these at our house, but how could we deny fate? :) We've now made them ourselves- a couple of times {since last week - lol}. The idea is certainly not my own, but here is our rendition.

RECIPE: Egg, Ham and Cheese Bagel-wich

Ingredients:

plain bagels {Sara Lee's are scrumptious}

ham, thickly sliced

sharp cheddar cheese, sliced

eggs

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

On a hot griddle, sear the ham slices. Place the ham on your bagel bottom. Place a layer of cheddar on top of these. Nuke the stack for about a minute, or until the cheese melts. Meanwhile, fry up the egg like you like it- also on a hot griddle, seasoning with salt/pepper. Place the egg on top of the bagel-ham-cheese stack, then top with the corresponding bagel piece. Serve warm. Devour. And Mmm... love it!

steak and cheese quesadillas

This recipe is based on one from For the Love of Cooking- a foodie blog I occasionally "stalk." The author does a fantastic job and posts lots of recipes that an average cook might actually cook for dinner that night {unlike many too-fancy-though-fun blogs}. I mostly followed her recipe but changed a few things to accommodate the ingredients I had on hand, as well as the let's-eat-now time frame we had that night. It's pretty tasty. The meat would be awesome in a carne asada burrito... but we were fresh out of avocados atm.

RECIPE: Steak and Cheese Quesadillas

Ingredients:
1 lb. steak, thinly sliced {about 1/4"}
1/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp cumin
1-2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder {or a few onion rings if you're out}
1 1/2 tsp oregano
2 Tbs. lime juice {or lemon, if it's what's on hand}
6 cloves garlic minced



1/2 onion, diced
1 Tbs. olive oil
cheddar cheese {We love sharp.}, shredded
flour tortillas
butter

Directions:
Put all above ingredients (the FIRST grouping) in a pan and simmer/boil until meat is thoroughly cooked. Remove meat. {Note: The original recipe uses these ingredients in a marinade... which is a fabulous idea, but we were in a hurry. This worked pretty well, though.}

Caramelize onions in a pan with the olive oil... probably over medium heat. {Be careful not to burn the onions, as they smell like hell and taste icky, too.} Remove from heat.

Butter one side of each flour tortilla. On one {out of the two necessary for a quesadilla} non-buttered side of the tortilla, layer shredded cheese, steak slices and caramelized onion. Add another small layer of cheese, to insure sticking. Top with another tortilla (buttered side out).

In a skillet over medium/medium-low heat, grill the quesadilla until browned -- flip and do the same to the other side. Cut into triangles and serve warm! {Sour cream, salsa and guacamole are all great toppers... so is Cholula hot sauce... yum!}

broccoli cheese risotto

I'm not sure if this qualifies as a risotto, but it's what I'm going to call it- for lack of a better name. It would also make a good casserole... just sprinkle some cheese on top and pop the whole thing in the oven for a bit, until the cheese is browned and bubbly. It's a great meal (or side dish) to make when you don't have much time and want to use up your leftover cooked rice from a previous dish. It's also great if you have a scrawny kid that you need to fatten up. ;)

RECIPE: Broccoli Cheese Risotto

Ingredients:

2 c. broccoli

1/2 med. onion

3/4 c. water

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 c. rice, cooked

1 can cream of chicken/mushroom soup

1-2 c. chicken stock/broth

1/2-1/3 lb. sharp cheddar cheese

salt/pepper to taste

Directions:

Dice broccoli and onion, toss into a saucepan with water and a bit of oil, over high heat*. Bring to a boil and reduce heat slightly. Cover and boil until soft. Add more water (or chicken stock) if needed. *{You could also roast the veggies, but I was short on time.}

Once veggies are soft, add in cooked rice, cream of chicken/mushroom soup, chicken stock and cheese. Stir frequently, mixing and melting over medium heat. Add salt/pepper to taste {I like lots of pepper... freshly ground, of course}. Serve warm and enjoy!

grilled-cheese sammies with mixed veggies

It's a rainy day. Derek's home {no flying... rainy day}. Our happy little family is together and cozy. I threw this together, wanting mostly a super-quick meal... and it was a hit! James couldn't get over the "beddies" {veggies} and kept wanting "meeew" {more}, which made me rediculously proud. And because I used NO butter or seasonings on the veggies {try it; you'll be surprised} and used whole wheat bread, we were able to eat a delicious AND nutritious meal. It's super simple but really yum. Try it. You'll like it.



RECIPE: Grilled-Cheese Sammies with Mixed Veggies

Ingredients:
whole wheat bread
sharp cheddar cheese
butter/margarine {We love Canola Oil Harvest.}
frozen mixed veggies

Directions:
Put veggies and water into a saucepan and cook according to package directions. {Seriously, don't add anything. I know you'll want to, but refrain. Taste them first... You'll be surprised how flavorful they are with nothing added.}

Meanwhile, spread butter on one side of each piece of bread. Slice cheese thinly and stack in between pieces of bread (touching the non-buttered sides). Heat a pan over med heat. Fry/grill {not sure which word is applicable here} each side until beautifully brown and the cheese is melted inside.

Cut the sandwich into four if serving little people, serve up and enjoy! {PS. The veggies are perfectly sized for tiny toddler fingers... and require no cutting to minimize the choking hazard! I know! Amazing.}

homemade mac-n-cheese

I was blog-stalking this morning and came across a blog called The Black Apple and a post wherein she mentions that she love, love, loves mac-n-cheese but with one staple ingredient: nutmeg! I thought that was the most interesting {aka: weird} combo, but it also called to me. So when searching my cupboards and freezer for anything edible to eat for lunch, I thought I would try making my own mac-n-cheese. I'd never made a cheese sauce from scratch, but I figured it couldn't be that hard. Luckily, my "wingin' it" worked out to my advantage... because it was really good! Give this recipe a try. You'll be glad you did.



RECIPE: Homemade Mac-N-Cheese

Yield: 10 servings
Calories: 395 per

Ingredients:
16 oz. tube-ish pasta {I used 1 box ziti.}
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese (grated)
salt/pepper, to taste
nutmeg {about 4 shakes it to taste}
10 oz. ham (apx 4 thick slices, cubed)

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over high heat, melt butter. Once butter is melted and starting to boil, add flour, a little at a time. Whisk quickly to combine. Let the roux boil for about a minute, to cook out the "floury" taste. Add milk. Whisk to combine. Then add cheese and nutmeg, and again whisk to combine. Reduce heat and continue whisking until the sauce reaches desired consistency.

Drain pasta. Add sauce (a little at a time; you may not want all of it). Then add ham. Toss gently, and serve warm. Top with salt, pepper and/or nutmeg to taste.