Mexican Casserole

1 bag Cool Ranch Doritos crushed

1 lb. hamburger browned

1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chillies)

1 can corn

1 packet taco seasoning (variations: add 1/2 chicken taco seasoning in place of original)

1 can cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups grated cheese

Brown hamburger (add diced onion if desired). Add Rotel, corn, chicken soup,and taco seasoning; heat through. Stir in sour cream. Layer 1/2 bag of crushed Doritos in a 9x13 pan. Add hamburger mixture. Top with grated cheese. Add remaining Doritos to the top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serve with lettuce and sour cream.

Vodka Cream Pasta

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 cup vodka
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
• Coarse salt and pepper
• 16 ounces pasta such as penne rigate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn
• Crusty bread, for passing

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it). While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Pass pasta with crusty bread.

~Rachel Ray

Perfect Banana Bread

1-1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large bananas, mashed, or 3 small bananas

1 cup shortening

3 cups flour

1 cup milk

1 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup nuts (optional)

Cream shortening and sugar, add bananas and eggs then mix. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Spoon into 2 greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees or 50 to 60 minutes.

Cranberry Salsa

• 1 (12 ounce) bag cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, cut into 3 inch lengths
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 limes, juiced
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 pinch salt

Combine cranberries, cilantro, green onions, jalapeno pepper, lime juice, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a medium blade. Chop to medium consistency. Refrigerate if not using immediately. Serve at room temperature.

Pumpkin Fudge

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 (12-ounce) package white chocolate morsels
1 (7-ounce) jar marshmallow crème
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


What you do:

Stir together first 6 ingredients in a 3 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 234° (soft-ball stage) or for about 12 minutes.

Remove pan from heat; stir in remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour into a greased aluminum foil-lined 9-inch square pan. Let stand 2 hours or until completely cool; cut fudge into squares.

By Southern Living

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

3 cans chicken broth
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
3/4 cup onion chopped
3 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup of milk
1 1/2 cup of sour cream
3 cups cooked and cubed chicken
1 pkg. wide egg noodles

Cook the veggies in the broth until tender (about 20 min.) Add cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, then add chicken and egg noodles cooked and drained. Heat until warm, don't boil

From the kitchen of Jen H.

Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing

Recipe by Ourbestbites.com

1 pack (1oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix (regular or buttermilk, and ignore directions on the packet)
1C mayo
1/2 C milk (or buttermilk depending on which packet you buy)
1 lime
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa*
hot sauce

Place milk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender. Juice the lime in there too, you should get about 2T juice. Toss in the garlic, cilantro and green salsa. Blend 'er up. Sample it and add hot sauce to taste. Make it several hours ahead of time to allow it to thicken.

*A note about green salsa:
There are several brands of green salsa available in most supermarkets and they have various degrees of heat. One of the most commonly seen brands is Hernandez. Hernandez brand is a lot spicier than any of the others I've tried. Even their medium green salsa is way too spicy for my liking. I like to buy La Costena because their medium is actually really mild. That way I get all of the flavor of the tomatillos but I control the level of heat with the hot sauce. If you're not used to buying green salsa, make sure to sample it first before you put it in the dressing so you know what you're getting into!