Mexican Lasagna

This is a recipe I tried from a cookbook I got at the Keckler reunion a couple of weeks ago.

Yummmmm!

1 jar pasta sauce

1 lb. browned hamburger (drained)   

1 can whole corn drained

4 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

6 flour tortillas

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Layer in 13X9 pan and bake 350 for 30 minutes.

I added 1 can refried beans to mine.  Substituted chili powder with taco seasoning.

--  Submitted by Pam (Keckler) Deckman

Cheeseburger Soup

Submitted by Pam Keckler Deckman 

1 lb. hamburger
3/4 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. carrots chopped
3/4 c. celery diced
1 Tbsp. dry parsley flakes
4 Tbsp. butter divided
3 c. chicken or beef broth
4 c. potatoes, diced
1/4 c. flour
8 oz. velveeta cheese
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. sour cream
 salt & pepper to taste 

Brown beef and drain, set aside. In same pan saute the onions, celery, carrots and parsley in 1 Tbsp. butter 10 minutes till tender.Add broth, potatoes and beef. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10-20 minutes till potatoes are tender.
 Meanwhile in a small skillet, melt rest of butter, add flour, cook and stir for 3-5 minutes till bubbly.Add to soup, bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.Now add cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir till cheese melts.Remove from heat blend in sour cream.  Enjoy!

Like most soups it is even better left-over! Makes 2 1/4 qts. of soup.

Spice Cake

While visiting Ohio over the summer, we made a spice cake with a top brand pancake mix.  The recipe was on the box and it looked so yummy!  Since Dad's favoite cake is spice cake, we had to give it a try!

Unfortunately, the cake was SO BAD that I won't even publish the recipe.  Not sure what the issue was, but I promise to find a good recipe SOON.

The Real Scoop
By Andrew

This picture was taken BEFORE we tried the cake.  If the picture had been taken after we took the 1st bite, you may or may not have seen spitting.

Peanut Butter, Chocolate & Bacon

While staying at Mom's, we tried this recipe that sounded like it had the fixins of something wonderful...

We found it on the Betty Crocker website.

Chocolate-Topped Peanut Butter-Bacon Bars

1 pouch Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons maple-flavored syrup
1 egg
10 slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 9- or 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.
• 2 In large bowl, stir together cookie mix, oil, syrup and egg until soft dough forms. Reserve 1/4 cup bacon for garnish. Stir remaining bacon and peanuts into dough. Press evenly in pan.
• 3 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; sprinkle with chocolate chips. Return to oven; bake 1 minute. Immediately spread chocolate over bars. Sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup bacon over chocolate. Cool completely, about 1 hour or until chocolate is set.
• 4 For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. 

I'm sorry to say that this one gets a bad review.  Perhaps it was the high Ohio humidity, but the cookie was extremely soft - to the point it tasted stale.  Unfortunately, there wasn't much bacon taste, even though I actually used more than the recipe required.  This one had so much potential!

The Real Scoop
By Andrew
I jumped up and down when I saw all three of my favorite foods in one recipe, but YUCK. 

I'm done with recipes for a while.  I need to go do something more manly.

Chicken Pot Pie

I got this recipe from Trisha Yearwood's new cooking show. 

This recipe was YUMMY.  Very filling comfort food.  It would have been better on a cold winter day, and unfortunately, it was 612 degrees here in Ft. Worth, Texas tonight. 

Now for the recipe:

Combine and boil till potatoes are done:
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup frozen peas

While veggies are cooking, mix together:
1 1/2 cups of diced chicken
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 minced onion
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1 3/4 chicken stock (or chicken broth)

Drain veggies and add to gravy mixture.  When thick and bubbly, add 1 1/4 cup of milk.

After it bubbles again, pour mixture into an unbaked pie crust.  Top with another pie crust, and cut a few holes in the top.

Brush top crust with egg wash to prevent it from burning.

Bake at 425 degrees till crust is done, about 30 minutes.

Serve with cucumbers, biscuits or whatever!

If I were to do this again, I would make it with no chicken.  I know it's chicken pot pie, but I didn't like it.  The original recipe was meatless, and I think I'll stick with that plan, much to the horror of the boys in the house.  Ok...ok...I will most likely make two small ones.  We all win that way.

The Real Scoop
by Andrew Galvin
This had waaaaaay too many peas.  Keep the meat.  Lose the peas.