Pasta Pie

This is a fast an easy recipe. If you cook everything at the same time you can finish in the microwave in just a few minutes or if you make beforehand stick in the over for probably 45-60 min (I've always done the microwave.)

For 2-4 people, use a glass 8x8 pan

Ingredients

• I box (8 oz) Cream cheese 
• Pasta (I use macaroni, but my friends use spaghetti, it will be fine with whatever noodle you have)
• 1 lb ground beef
• Spaghetti sauce 
• Mozerella Cheese (enough to cover the top)

Directions

1. Cook pasta
2. While the pasta is cooking, brown the beef. You can season it if you want. I never have and it's always tasted great. If you do want to season, I recommend oregeno or something that compliments your spaghetti sauce.
3. Soften the cream cheese and spread evenly on the bottom of the pan.
4. Drain the pasta, put the noodles on top of the cream cheese, the hamburger on top of that, pour spaghetti sauce enough to cover, then sprinkle the mozerella on top. (can refrigerate at his point and heat up later)
5. Put in microwave or oven until cheese is melted. 

Yields: 4 servings

Creamy Chicken Taquitos

These are amazing! So full of flavor, and they are baked! You can serve them with guacamole, chile con queso, or salsa. Right before you get to the baking part you can even freeze them to have on hand for a quick meal.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup softened cream cheese
• 1/4 cup green salsa (Salsa Verde)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
• 20 small (6 inch) flour tortillas

Directions

1. Mix seasonings, salsa, and cream cheese, add chicken and cheese.
2. Heat oven to 425 and soften tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds.
3. Place two tablespoons of mixture on the bottom third of the tortilla and roll up very tight. Place seam side down on baking sheet, and continue until all your mixture is gone.
4. At this point you can place the pan in the freezer, and after they are hardened place them in a freezer bag--if you would like to save the taquitos for later. If you are using them tonight spray them with cooking spray and sprinkle them with salt and bake for 15 to 20 minutes!

Yields: 5 to 6 servings

Best Flan EVER

[I got this recipe from the internet and it is FABULOUS!]

Flan Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs
• 2 - 12oz cans of Evaporated Skim Milk
• 1 1/2 cups of Sugar
• 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Caramel Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Sugar

Making the Caramel

1. Put the 2 cups of sugar into a pan (frying pan or pot). 
2. Cook over med-high heat until the sugar melts and becomes a nice golden brown. (You need to watch this carefully and adjust the heat as needed. The sugar will boil as it melts, this is normal. don't let it scorch or it will have a bitter taste)
3. Put the caramel in a 9x9 cake pan. Allow it to cool slightly while you make the flan.

**WARNING: Most plastic utensils will melt before the sugar does. It is best to use a wooden spoon or some sort of metal utensil.

Making the Flan

1. Crack 6 eggs into a large bowl. Mix the eggs together using a fork or a whisk.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth. You (Jou) can use a mixer, but all you really need is a fork or whisk.
3. Pour this over the caramel in the cake pan.

Cooking the Flan

1. This flan must be cooked in a water bath. Find a pan that will fit your flan pan. Make sure there is space around all sides of the flan pan. I usually use a roaster pan or lasagna pan for this.
2. Put the flan pan with the flan ingredients into the outer pan. Put water into the outer pan high enough to come about 3/4 of the way up on the flan pan.
3. Place the pans in a pre-heated 350 degree F oven and cook for 1 hour. Check the flan with a toothpick in the middle to ensure it is done. The flan may not look exactly firm, but if the toothpick is clean it is done.

Eat the Flan
Let the flan sit until mostly cool. Put a plate over the top of the flan pan. Make sure the plate is big enough for the flan and the caramel.

Turn the flan pan and plate over quickly, holding the plate over the top of the flan pan. Let the flan cool, the caramel will not harden. Jou now have a wonderful, delicious treat to serve! ( I refrigerated mine.)

Home Made Pizza Sauce (Updated)

We didn't have any pizza sauce, and we had some leftover tomato sauce in the fridge, but no tomato paste.  We enjoyed a recipe from Frank Sweterlitsch on AllRecipes.com, and were able to adapt the recipe to be a lot simpler and still very tasty.

Ingredients

• 1 - 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil (optional, since the Italian Seasoning already has some)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed (optional, since the Italian Seasoning already has some)

Directions

Mix together all ingredients and let stand several hours to let flavors blend (20 minutes worked well enough for us). No cooking necessary, just spread on dough.

Frozen Fruit Smoothie

A modified version of what Dad and Mom made for us.  Thanks for the inspiration, we now have one every day too!

Ingredients

• 2 c. frozen fruit (the blends and Sam's and Costco are perfect)
• 2 c. fruit juice (we prefer prepared orange juice from concentrate, apple is good, or you can use the juice from some opened canned fruit)
• 1 banana (essential to get a smooth consistency and flavor)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Yields: Enough for two adults and two very small kids.

Chocolate Chip Cookies/M&M Cookies

1 1/3 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 brown sugar
1 tbl. vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups chocolate chips
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Cream sugars and butter. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Sift flour, soda and salt and add half of dry mix to creamed mixture. Blend in remaining dry mix. Add chocolate chips and nuts and distribute well.
Bake at 350 for 11 to 13 minutes.

**This recipe makes the best m&m cookies I have ever made!Use two bags of m&ms in place of chocolate chips.

Almond Bars

These are a very rich, flavorful treat. A little bit goes a long way, but they are so good and just melt in the mouth

Crust:
1 cup butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix well.
Pat into even layer in a 9 x 13 pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp almond extract

Beat together well and pour over crust while it is still hot.
Bake for another 15 to 20 minutes.
Cool.

Frosting:
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 tablespoon milk
1 tsp almond extract

Whisk together
Spread evenly on cooled cookies.
Cut into bars.

I lightly sprinkled sliced almonds over the top and put a whole almond on each bar