Cafe Rio Style Pork

3 lb. pork roast, cooked and shredded
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 c. BBQ sauce
3/4 c. ketchup
1/4 c. sugar

Cook roast in crockpot with 1 cup water on high till tender (about 3-4 hours); shred and season with 1 tsp. garlic salt, BBQ sauce, ketchup, and sugar. Let warm and serve!

Notes: I got this recipe from my sister, Jen. I'm not sure where she found it. B and I both liked it. It is really easy to make, but I don't think it is as tasty as real Cafe Rio pork. Apparently there are a lot of other Cafe Rio pork recipes online, so maybe we'll try another one in the future and make a comparison. We halved the recipe and had enough for at least 4 servings.

London Broil With Southwestern Marinade

1 London broil, about 2-4 lbs.
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/4 cup lime juice
1 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tsp. cumin

Place meat in a shallow dish (we used a crockpot). Make marinade by mixing dressing, lime juice, honey, and cumin. Pour over meat, turning to coat well. Cover and refrigerate, turning occasionally, at least 8-10 hours.

NOTES: Typically London broil is a good meat for broiling (hence the name), but we cooked it in the crockpot for about 4 hours on high. Slow cooking the meat makes it more tender. The recipe for this marinade was on the London Broil package along with a couple of others. There are plenty of other marinade recipes to be found online if southwestern doesn't sound good.

Easy Stroganoff

1 lb. ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
onion powder
salt
pepper
1/2 cup sour cream

Cook ground beef. Add cream of mushroom soup and a little water until soup sauce is at desired consistency. Add onion powder, salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to boil, then add approx. 1/2 cup sour cream just before serving. Serve over pasta, noodles, or rice. Makes about 4 servings.

Zippy Chicken Enchiladas

1 1/2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can green chilies, small can
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
6 Tortillas

Mix the soup, sour cream and green chilies in a bowl. Spoon filling onto edge of each tortilla then top with chicken and sprinkle with cheese. Fold into enchiladas and place in a coated 9x13 pan. Spoon any extra ingredients on top of enchiladas and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Make 6 enchiladas.

Notes: We found this recipe here, on a website called Simplify Supper. Looks like a pretty neat site. B cooked the enchiladas for 20 minutes uncovered, and then for 20 more minutes covered with aluminum foil. The bottom of the enchiladas were a little crispy, but B thinks that would be solved by putting some extra sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Honey Barbecue Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
seasoned salt
garlic salt
pepper
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 bottle BBQ sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup flour

Slice chicken into 1/2 inch strips (can use any size or type to suit your needs, works well with wings). Place the chicken in a in large bowl and coat with Worcestershire. Sprinkle with seasoned salt, garlic salt and pepper. Put oil into frying pan and heat to med/high to fry chicken. In a bowl, coat pieces of chicken with flour. Fry chicken in a skillet with oil on medium/high heat until golden brown. Mix BBQ sauce and honey in a small bowl. Place chicken on a cookie sheet or oven pan. Brush or drizzle BBQ mix over chicken and bake at 400F for 10 min. Remove chicken - baste again with BBQ mix and return to oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Makes about 4 servings.

NOTES: B found this recipe here. We forgot to coat our chicken with flour, so the picture doesn't match exactly what this recipe should look like. Even without the flour, this was tasty.

Savory Baked Chicken Breasts

1 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsp. sage
1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 cups fine bread crumbs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

At least 4 hours before baking, combine sour cream and lemon juice in a small bowl. Place chicken breasts in a shallow bowl and pour mixture over chicken. Cover and refrigerate.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Combine salt, seasoned salt, paprika, sage, garlic salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Mix in bread crumbs. Dip chicken breasts in crumb mixture to coat all sides. Arrange in baking pan. Drizzle melted butter over top. Cover with foil and bake for 2 hours. Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes to brown. Makes 8 servings.

NOTES: Recipe from the Lion House Christmas cook book. I didn't follow the instructions very closely when I made this last week. I didn't marinate the chicken for 4 hours, I used crushed saltine crackers instead of bread crumbs, I made a smaller amount of chicken and guessed on the proportions of ingredients, I didn't have sage, and I baked it for a shorter time at a higher temperature covered with a glass lid instead of foil. I still enjoyed the flavor, but I think following the directions would probably make it much more "savory."

Barbecue Spare Ribs

1 lb. pork spare ribs

Barbecue Sauce:
1 can tomato soup
3/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 medium onions, sliced
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. cloves

Mix ingredients together and pour over meat. For spare ribs, bake 2 hours at 350 degrees. Makes about 4 servings.

NOTES: We put ours in the crockpot in the morning and let it cook all day. The BBQ sauce recipe comes from a recipe book that B's mom put together.

Macaroni and Beef Casserole

1 small package macaroni, cooked and drained
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, browned and drained
salt and pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 can tomato paste (we used the 6 oz. size)
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sherry (we just used water)
1 can tomato soup
grated cheddar or Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon leaf oregano

Toss cooked noodles in oil. Place in greased crock pot. Add all remaining ingredients, except cheese. Stir thoroughly. Sprinkle cheese over top. Cover and cook on low 4-8 hours or on high 2-3 hours. Makes 6 servings.

NOTES: We were low on groceries and short on time when I made this, so I changed a few things in the recipe. We didn't have celery, we used onion powder instead of a real onion, we only had 1 lb. of ground beef, and we added water in place of the sherry. We also cooked everything in a skillet, as seen in the photo. Despite the changes, it still turned out tasty. I found this recipe online somewhere a couple of years ago, but I don't remember where.

Oven-Fried Chicken

1 beaten egg
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/4 finely crushed saltine or rich round crackers
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 to 3 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, or drumsticks)
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted

1. In a small bowl combine egg and milk. In a shallow dish combine crushed crackers, thyme, paprika, and pepper. Set aside. Skin chicken. Dip chicken pieces, 1 at a time, into egg mixture; coat with crumb mixture.

2. In a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan, arrange the chicken, bone side down, so the pieces aren't touching. Drizzle chicken with the melted butter.

3. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees for breasts; 180 degrees for thighs and drumsticks). Do not turn chicken pieces while baking.

NOTES: Makes 6 servings. B and I halved the recipe, and we used boneless skinless chicken breasts. Recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 12th edition.

Instant Potato Soup

4 cups water
1 1/3 cups instant non-fat dry milk
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups instant potato flakes
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat water to almost boiling, using high heat setting. Turn off heat. Add instant milk, stir. Add butter, stir to melt. Add instant potato flakes, stir. Add seasoned salt, onion powder, and salt, mix well. Optional: garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits, or parsley flakes. Makes 4 1/2 cups.

Variations: You can add cooked chopped broccoli or chopped ham.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg stuffing
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
1 can green beans

Prepare stuffing according to package directions; set aside. Place chicken in baking dish. Add a small amount of milk or sour cream if desired to cream soup, then mix with green beans. Pour soup and beans over chicken. Cover with stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is done. Serves 4-6.

Note: Years ago, Stove Top used to put a recipe like this on the back of the stuffing box. It was the first recipe that I remember making on my own, and is still one of my favorites. It is also tasty with broccoli instead of green beans, or just cream soup. One time I made it with cornbread-flavored stuffing and used chili in place of cream soup.  For a variation, use turkey instead of chicken. (Great with Thanksgiving leftovers.)

Cooker Chops

4 pork chops
10 3/4-oz can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. ketchup
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1. Put chops in slow cooker.
2. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over chops.
3. Cover. Cook on High 3-4 hours, or Low 8-10 hours.
Variation: Add one sliced onion to mixture.

Notes: Up until this entry, B and I had personally made all the recipes on this blog. This is my first exception. Jill and Brett had us over for dinner last Saturday and made this for us. Thanks, Jill and Brett! Jill mentioned that she liked this better when served over potatoes.

Chicken Roll Ups

Crescent roll dough (we used 2 of the large crescent roll packages)
chopped/shredded cooked chicken (we used 1 large can)
cream cheese
shredded cheese
sour cream
crushed rosemary
pepper
season salt
chopped fresh spinach (optional)

Start by mixing the cream cheese, sour cream, rosemary, pepper, and salt together. Add the chicken, shredded cheese, and chopped spinach. It should stick together in mounds and not run all over. Scoop the filling onto the fat end of the crescent rolls. Roll up and seal the edges. Sprinkle with rosemary if desired. Bake at the temperature indicated on the crescent roll package until golden on top.

Variation: use tuna fish instead of chicken.

Notes: Quick, easy, and very tasty. B got this recipe from her sister, and it didn't come with exact amounts. If I remember, I will ask B how much of everything she used. The ingredients we used made 12 roll ups.

Chicken Gumbo Sloppy Joes

Ingredients
1 lb. hamburger
1 can Campbell's Chicken Gumbo soup
ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar to taste

Directions
Cook hamburger; drain. Mix in soup and boil for a while until it is no longer runny. Add ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar to taste. Serve on hoagie or hamburger buns. Makes enough for 4-6 sandwiches.

Notes:  This is the way B's mom makes sloppy joes. I liked it enough to have seconds, even though we ran out of buns. Updated 10/16/11 with a new photo.

Fettuccine alla Carbonara

6 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 ounces dried fettuccine or linguine (we only had spaghetti, so that's what we used)
1 beaten egg
1 cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
Coarsely ground black pepper

1. Cook bacon until crisp. Drain.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, for sauce, in a saucepan combine egg, half-and-half, and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until egg mixture just coats a metal spoon (about 6 minutes); do not boil. Immediately pour sauce over pasta; stir gently to coat.
4. Add cooked bacon, Parmesan cheese, and parsley; stir gently to combine. Season with pepper. Serve immediately.

Note: Brittany and I thought this could have used a bit more flavor, but we didn't have as much Parmesan cheese as the recipe called for. Recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 12th edition. Makes 4 servings.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs (1)

Ingredients
1 to 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
3/4 C. rolled oats
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 C. finely chopped onion
1/4 C. milk
1 tsp. salt
Few grains of pepper
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Sauce
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. vinegar
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1/4 C. barbecue sauce

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients; mix well.
2. Form into about 12 balls, each about 2 inches in diameter. Place in
casserole dish. Cover with sauce (below).
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

Notes: This recipe can also be cooked in a crockpot for several hours on low. Very tasty!

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients:
2 C. flour
2 Tbs. packed brown sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice*
1 tsp. salt
1 3/4 C. milk
1/2 C. pumpkin
1 egg
2 Tbs. vegetable oil

*Substitution for 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice: 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4
tsp. ginger, 1/4 tsp. allspice, 1/8 tsp. nutmeg


Directions:
1. Sift together together dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, combine milk, pumpkin, egg, and vegetable oil
and mix well.
3. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients. Do not over-mix. Batter
should be slightly lumpy.
4. Cook like normal pancakes on a hot griddle. Top with pumpkin maple
syrup (recipe below) when ready to serve.

Pumpkin Maple Syrup
Combine together the following ingredients:
1 C. maple syrup
1 1/4 C. pumpkin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon (could also use pumpkin pie spice, or other spices to taste)

Baked Apple French Toast with Caramel Sauce

1 loaf French bread, sliced in 1 1/2 inch slices
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
6 medium apples, peeled and sliced (Fuji, Jonathan, or Granny Smith)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 recipe caramel sauce (see below)

The night before serving, coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer bread slices on the bottom of the pan. Combine milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat well and pour over bread slices. Place apple slices on top of bread. Sprinkle apples with cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake covered about 50 minutes; remove foil and bake 10 minutes more. Serve toast hot, topped with caramel sauce. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly.

NOTE: I am made this for breakfast for B on her birthday. It was yummy! We used the thinner sliced bread that we already had instead of French bread, and halved all the ingredients. We also only used 2 Granny Smith apples. I didn't notice the instruction to peel the apples, and I didn't know that's what you normally do when baking apples, so I left the peels on. I liked it that way, though. We had some leftover caramel sauce that B had made with a different recipe, so we used that instead. Recipe from the Lion House Christmas cookbook.

Variation: Replace the apples with peaches and top with syrup and powdered sugar after serving instead of caramel sauce.

Chicken and Biscuits

2 medium chicken breasts
1 to 1 1/2 cup mixed vegetables
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 can of water
corn starch to thicken gravy
1 recipe biscuits (see below)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook chicken and vegetables (we boiled the chicken). Cube chicken. Make gravy by mixing cream of chicken soup, water, and corn starch in a pot over medium heat. Mix chicken and vegetables into gravy, bring to a boil. Pour gravy mixture into baking dish. Place biscuits on top of mixture. Bake at 450 degrees until biscuits are golden brown (10 to 15 minutes or so).

Notes: This is something that B's mother used to make. Made enough for two hungry people with some left over. For variation, try turkey instead of chicken.

Biscuits
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cream of tarter
1/4 cup shortening

Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Cut in shortening until it is like course crumbs, then add milk. Stir quickly with fork just until dough follows fork around bowl. Turn onto lightly floured surface (dough should be soft). Knead gently 10 to 12 strokes. Roll or pat dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut into round shapes (I did this with a small cup).

Calico Beef and Bean Bake

1/2 to 1 lb. ground beef
3/4 lb. bacon, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped onion
2 20 oz. cans pork and beans
1 16 oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 16 oz. can butter beans
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste

Brown ground beef, bacon, and onion in a 12-inch skillet, drain off fat. Pour meat mixture into a baking dish or slow-cooker pot. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook in baking dish in 325-degree oven for 1 1/2 hours, or in an electric slow cooker set on low for 4 to 6 hours. Makes 8 servings.

NOTE: Recipe from the Lion House Christmas recipe book, which someone gave us as a wedding gift. Very tasty.

Sour Cream and Dill Chicken

8 chicken pieces, skinned 

Pepper, to taste 

1 can cream of mushroom soup 

1 env. onion soup mix 

1 c. sour cream 

1 tbsp. lemon juice 

1 tsp. dried dill weed (or 1 tbsp. fresh) 

1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained 

Paprika 

Place chicken in a single layer in a 13x9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with pepper. In bowl, combine soup, soup mix, sour cream, lemon juice, dill and mushrooms. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 1 hour or until chicken is tender. Serve over egg noodles or rice. Serves 6-8. NOTE: The first time we had this, the flavor of the onion soup mix was stronger than the flavor of the dill and sour cream. The second time, we used a different brand and it tasted better. We also used fresh mushrooms, which I liked better. Recipe from the Second Amendment Sisters cookbook.

Five Spice Chicken

2 1/2 to 3 lb. chicken
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 sm. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. each ground cinnamon and crushed anise seed
1/8 tsp. each nutmeg and ground cloves

Place chicken in shallow glass or baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over chicken and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Heat oven to 350. Bake, uncovered, for at least one hour. Baste once or twice during cooking. Serves 6-8.

NOTE: We didn't have any anise seed, but we decided to try this anyway, so I guess our version was Four Spice Chicken. I still really liked it. B liked it, too, but not as much as I did. I think the dominant flavor was the cloves. I am interested in trying this again with the anise seed (black licorice flavor). We got this recipe from the Second Amendment Sisters recipe book that someone gave us as a wedding gift.

Hearty Western Casserole

1 lb ground beef (browned)
1 can corn, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can tomato soup
1 cup cheese (Colby)
¼ cup milk
1 tsp minced dry onion flakes (or 1/2 cup chopped onion)
½ tsp chili powder

Combine ingredients, put in crockpot and cook for 1 hr on low. Serves about 4 (although there might not be enough for seconds).

Notes: I got this recipe from Jill over the phone, so it may not be exact. She also mentioned that you can bake dinner rolls separately and serve on top. For us, 1 hr. on low wasn't enough time to warm it up all the way, but we used frozen corn. B and I both liked it. In fact, B said she really, really liked it.

Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas

1 lb. boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
1 can Campbell’s Southwest Style Pepper Jack soup
¼ cup water
8 flour tortillas (8”), warmed
Salsa

Preheat oven to 425 F. Cook chicken in nonstick skillet until done and juices evaporate, stirring often. Add soup and water and heat through. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on half of each tortilla to within ½” of edge. Moisten edge with water. Fold over and seal. Place on 2 baking sheets. Bake 5 min. or until hot. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa. Makes 8 quesadillas.

Note: This recipe is on the can of Campbell's Southwest Style Pepper Jack soup.

Sweet-and-Sour Pork

Ingredients:
12 oz. lean boneless pork
2 tablespoons mirin or dry sherry (we used water)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil (we used vegetable oil)
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup rice vinegar (or a bit less of the regular, stronger-flavored vinegar)
4 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
Cooking oil or shortening for deep-fat frying
1 beaten egg
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, thinly bias sliced (1 ½ cup)
1 medium green sweet pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces (3/4 cup)
1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces (3/4 cup)
3 green onions, bias sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 8-oz can pineapple chunks (juice pack), drained
3 cups hot cooked rice

Directions:

1. Trim fat from pork. Cut pork into ¾-inch cubes; place in a bowl. For marinade, stir together mirin, the 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, and sesame oil. Pour over pork. Toss to coat. Cover; let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2. For sauce, stir together the 1 cup broth, sugar, vinegar, the 4 tsp. cornstarch, and the 1 Tbsp. soy sauce. Set aside. In a wok or large saucepan heat 1 ½ to 2 inches of cooking oil or shortening to 365 F. Meanwhile, for batter, in a bowl stir together egg, the ½ cup cornstarch, flour, and the ½ cup broth until smooth.

3. Drain the pork; pat dry. Dip pork into batter, swirling to coat. Fry a few pieces of pork at a time in hot oil for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden and no pink remains. Remove from oil. Drain on paper towels. Keep pork warm in a 300 F oven while frying remaining pork.

4. Pour the 1 Tbsp. oil into a large skillet. (Add more oil as needed during cooking.) Preheat over medium-high heat. Cook and stir garlic in hot oil 15 seconds. Add carrots, sweet peppers, and green onions; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from skillet. Stir sauce; add to skillet. Cook and stir until bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in pineapple and cooked vegetables. Cook and stir about 1 minute or until hot. Stir in pork. Serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Notes: This recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 12th edition. Thanks to Kimberly for suggesting it - I really liked it!

Country Style Chicken Kiev

2 whole chicken breasts, halved
1/2 c. fine, dry bread crumbs
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. apple juice
1/4 c. chopped green onion
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

Dip chicken breasts in melted butter; reserve remaining butter. Mix bread crumbs, cheese, and spices together. Roll breasts in crumb mixture. Place chicken breasts skin side up in 9 inch square baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Meanwhile, add reserved butter and remaining ingredients. When chicken is golden brown, pour last ingredients over chicken. Continue baking 3-5 more minutes until sauce is heated through. Serve with sauce spooned over. Serves 4.

Notes: B got this recipe from her brother, Brian. Yummy.

Croatian Stuffed Peppers

4 bell peppers, red or green
1 lb. ground beef
1 cup white rice, uncooked
1 egg
1/2 red onion, diced
1 tomato
2 cloves of garlic
16 oz. tomato sauce

Meat mixture: 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, dried parsley, cornstarch, flour, salt and pepper.

Cut open peppers on one side and hollow out insides. In a separate bowl, mix garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, cornstarch, flour, dried parsley, and one egg to thawed ground beef. Add the rice to this mixture. Stuff peppers with meat (but not too much because meat mixture expands).

In a large pot, sautee onion, tomato and garlic in olive oil. Add 16 ounces of tomato sauce and add a can-full of hot water to dilute to a sauce-like consistency. Lay peppers on sides in soup mix. Add water to cover peppers. Cover pot with lid on high heat. When soup starts to boil, reduce to medium heat. Cook for at least one hour - the slower and longer the peppers are cooked, the better the flavor.

Notes: This recipe was in the Daily Universe. I copied the instructions exactly how they were. However, I found that I had enough meat mixture to stuff 5 or 6 peppers. The cornstarch and flour thicken the meat mixture, so the peppers really don't need to be too stuffed. I found that the mixture wasn't as seasoned as I would like. Some paprika or chile powder might have been a nice touch, and I'm wondering if it wouldn't taste better without the cornstarch. I topped my pepper with some sour cream and salsa to get a bit more flavor.  Personally I liked Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers much more.

Tamale Pie

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. ground beef (browned)--I sauted green peppers and onions with the beef
Add 3 cans tomato sauce (8 oz size)
Add one can cream-style corn/regular corn/equivalent of frozen corn
Add 1 1/2 tsp. chile powder
You can also add chopped olives if you want.

Bring to a boil to make sure everything is warmed through. Make one recipe of cornbread (enough for a 9" square pan)*. Put sauce in 9" x 13" pan. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, then spread cornbread batter over top. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Serves 6-8.

*Corn bread:
Ingredients:
1 ¼ C. flour ¾ C. cornmeal
¼ C. sugar 2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt 1 C. milk
¼ C. oil 1 egg
Instructions:
1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Stir in milk, oil, and egg.
3. Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened.

Note: Thanks to Brittany for this recipe.