Quick Fix Friday: Taco-tot Casserole

I realize it's been awhile since I put up a new post, but between moving, my hubby's new job and work schedule, keeping up with our son, and navigating my first two trimesters of pregnancy life has been a little hectic.  Life is starting to settle in a little and so I'm jumping back in this week with a new Quick Fix Friday post for you.

The recipe I'm sharing today is a variation on good old tater-tot casserole.  I copied this out of one of my Mom's cookbook not long after my husband and I got married and it has become a good recipe to shake things up a little when we're in a rut.  Our whole family enjoys both the original and this version. Enjoy:

Taco-tot Casserole

1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 can corn
1 can nacho cheese soup
1/2 soup can of milk
1 bag tater-tots

To start out, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a skillet brown the hamburger over medium-high heat.  Once the hamburger is browned remove from heat and add the taco seasoning, corn, soup, and milk.  Combine and then transfer from the skillet into a 9x13 baking dish.  Cover the top with the tater-tots.  Bake for 1 hour or until bubbling and tater-tots have reached desired doneness.

For His Glory,

Courtney

Quick Fix Friday: Slow cooker pulled pork

As I was deciding what recipe to share with you this week, I realized that I keep giving you slow cooker recipes!  After this week, I'll try to shake things up a little and give you some fast, family friendly meals that don't involve a slow cooker.

This week, I'm sharing with you a very simple slow cooker recipe for pulled pork that my dear friend Christie shared with me.  As I write this, this recipe is simmering away in my kitchen, filling the house with the scent of cooking pork.  This recipe is so easy and sooooooooooooo tasty :-)  Enjoy!

Slow cooker pulled pork

Ingredients:

2 lbs pork loin/roast(thawed)
1 12 oz can of root beer
1 16 oz bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce
1 package of 8 hamburger buns

First, take your thawed pork and place it in the slow cooker.  Then pour the root beer over the pork and place the lid on your slow cooker.  Allow this to cook on low for 6-7 hours.  Once the meat is cooked through, drain off any remaining root beer.  Shred the pork using two forks.  Then add the bottle of barbecue sauce and mix thoroughly.  Serve on hamburger buns :-)



For His Glory,

Courtney

Quick Fix Friday: Slow cooker chicken

This edition of Quick Fix Friday is going to be in a word, quick.  I love, love, love this recipe.  This is my very favorite recipe for chicken so far.  In fact, I may never cook a chicken on the oven ever again!  This chicken was moist, juicy, and literally falling off the bone.  I had zero trouble taking this chicken off of the bone, which is a pretty big deal considering it usually looks like I was trying to beat the chicken into submission while hacking it to bits (really, ask my husband) while failing miserably to separate meat from bone.  This recipe is like my chicken cooking BFF.  So, here it is:

Slow cooker chicken

1 whole 2-3lb chicken, thawed
Salt
Pepper
1Tbsp Garlic powder
2 Tbsp dried Parsley
Aluminum foil

First take aluminum foil and roll into 3 3-4 inch balls and place them in the bottom of your slow cooker.  Then take the thawed chicken and rinse it with cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Place the now dry chicken inside the slow cooker on top of the aluminum foil balls.  Now season the chicken(to taste) inside and out with salt and pepper.  Finally sprinkle the garlic powder and dried parsley over the chicken and place the lid on your slow cooker.  Put the slow cooker on high for about one hour, then turn it down to low and let the chicken cook for 7-9 more hours until juices run clear.  Let cool a few minutes and enjoy :-)

For His Glory,

Courtney

Quick Fix Fridays: Mom's 4 Ingredient Chili

There are so many different schools of thought on what good chili is and isn't.  It varies from region to region and (as my husband and I have realized) from family to family.  While I enjoy my husband's favorite recipe, when I start to get hungry for chili this is what I'm hungry for.  I grew up with this recipe and I haven't tasted chili yet that can beat it.

You'll need:

1 Large can tomato puree
2 cans light red kidney beans
1 packet of your favorite chili seasoning
1 lb ground beef
1-5 quart soup pot

For this recipe I start by browning the ground beef (seasoning to taste)in the bottom of the pan.  If it is especially greasy or watery, drain the meat.  Next  I add the kidney beans, tomato puree, and chili seasoning and stir together.  I allow this to simmer on medium heat until it is heated through and the beans are tender.  I usually serve this with saltines and cheddar cheese, but it's also great with tortilla chips or for making chili dogs.

I love making this recipe! It's so fast and easy, plus it makes me feel a little less homesick when we haven't seen family in awhile.  If you want something a little more sophisticated this is also a great place to start.  You can add some onions while browning the hamburger, you can substitute ground turkey for ground beef, you can add about 1/2 a cup of your favorite salsa, etc.  The possibilities are endless.

For His Glory,

Courtney

Quick Fix Friday: Slow Cooker Beef Roast

If you're like me, you're looking for quick, easy recipes.  Starting this week I'm going to start sharing some of our go-to fast favorites.  For those of you who read my post earlier this week on Meal Planning  this is the same recipe I used this week to make the roast and carrots that was on our meal plan.  I love this recipe because I can put it in the slow cooker and forget about it and my husband loves the leftovers(since he is picky about leftovers this is a pretty big deal).

For this recipe you will need the following ingredients:

1-2 to 3 lb beef roast
2-envelopes of your favorite brown gravy mix
1-white onion, chopped
1-1 lb package of baby carrots
2-cloves of minced garlic
1-cup of water
salt
pepper

To make this recipe, I usually start the day before by getting the roast out of the freezer to thaw.  The next day I start by chopping up the onion.  I pour in the chopped onion and baby carrots in the bottom of the slow cooker and spread them out in an even layer.  Next I add the gravy mix, garlic, and water.  (The consistency and amount of gravy depends on how much water you use.  1 cup water=less, thicker gravy, 2 cups=more, broth-like gravy)  Then I place the roast on top of all this and season it with salt and pepper.  At this point it's time to put on the lid and start the cooking.  I turn my slow cooker on low and let it cook for 5 to 6 hours.

This meal is great on its own or with an extra side.  This week we ate ours with mashed potatoes. It is also tasty with some easy baking powder biscuits.  This hearty meal is a favorite in the wintertime, but I love it in the summer as well.  By using the slow cooker I don't have to heat up the house by using the oven. (This was extremely helpful since the temperature this week has ranged from 97 to 105 degrees) Hope you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as we do :-)

For His Glory,

Courtney