Keeping with the recent theme of “quick meals”, last night we had to go to the grocery store – so dinner ended up getting made an hour or so later than usual. This means an extra quick meal needed to be made. We had some onion buns and ground chuck fresh from the store – so cheeseburgers it was! I turned on the oven to bake some fries while I made the burgers.

You might wonder why I would write a recipe about burgers – but I’m going to tell you how to create a better burger. Also – this being the winter time, for us (living in Michigan) the burgers had to be cooked on the stove and not the grill.

Burger Basics

• For best results use ground chuck. Ground sirloin has too little fat, and standard hamburger or ground round has too much fat (for my taste)
• Make thick patties about 1/2″ thick and 4″ around for moist juicy burgers
• Mix in the right seasonings depending on what you have on hand
• Add a few select veggies to the burgers to cook in extra flavor
• Cook on Med-High heat the entire time (grill or stove)
• Always cook burgers covered
• Cook time 15-20 minutes (or your heat is too hot

Necessary Ingredients:

• 1/3 – 1/2 lb fresh ground chuck per person you are feeding
• 1 packet hidden valley ranch or lipton onion soup mix
• seasonings you like – salt, pepper, galic or onion powder, cumin, etc
• diced veggies you like, onion (red, green, or yellow), green pepper, tomato, shredded carrot, etc.
• 1 slice cheese per burger (american, swiss, muenster, provolone, etc)
• Burger sized buns – Kaiser or Onion buns

First, take the total amount of ground chuck you are going to need and place it in a large mixing bowl. We’re going to mix some things in before we make the patties. I always keep a wide variety of spices and spice packets in the cupboard and grab what I need for times like this. Typically I use either a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch (dressing or dip) when making this kind of burger, or the old school lipton onion soup mix packet. Both are great and lend great flavor to the burgers. Dump one you like in the bowl. Next add in some seasonings you like. I add a few dashes of salt and pepper, then usually some garlic powder and a little bit of cumin. For these garlic garden burgers I typically add in a tablespoon of minced garlic as well – but that’s my taste. I always keep a big jar of minced garlic in the fridge. Last dump in the bowl whatever diced, chopped, or minced veggies you like. I prefer some sweet onion and green pepper – and sometimes just a big of shredded carrot is nice too. Now – get to mixin’! Dig your hands in there and mix it all up good, and then form your patties.

As I said earlier, for best results I make about 4″ around patties 1/2″ thick. I like to make the big thick burgers like you would get at Red Robin, Applebee’s, etc. Place them in a large skillet (on the stove) or on the grill on Med-High heat and immediantly cover. The key to good burgers is not to have the heat to high or low, and to only turn them as many times as necessary (3-4 times). Do not press down or flatten them with your spatula. You want to turn them over about once every 4-5 minutes. This is the key to keeping the burgers juicy AND done. I can never get over the fact that people (I know) think a burger has to look dark, dry, blackened, or burnt to actually be done. You don’t have to cut into a burger or burn it to know that it’s done. I’ll cook the burgers like I just described and the entire time they will be “leaking” out of the top – usually blood. On the last turn (at the 20 minute mark) they are almost always leaking clear fluid (which means they’re done). I will actually use my spatula to flatten them after that last turn to squeeze any excess fluid out (they will still be juicy – but you don’t want a mouthful of hot grease), and again you are checking the fluid to drains out to make sure it’s clear and not bloody (which means they aren’t done). If they aren’t done after 20 minutes on med-high heat on your stove either your burners are bad or you made the patties way bigger than I said to.

Last – after that last turn and flattening you are going to “cheese” the burgers. Place one slice on each – and cover (with the heat off) for about 2 minutes, then remove cover and place on your bun and serve! Gotta comment to make the better garden burger even better? Comment now!

Today I’m going to show you how to make Chicken in a whole new way!� Well, ok – I’m sure you’ve made shake and bake before, but this is even better – and you don’t even have to buy a seasoning packet.� Sometimes the best recipes are invented by accident because you have either limited time or limited ingredients.� We watch a lot of shows on the Food Network, but sometimes I wish they’d have just one show that helps real people cook better with the ingredients they have.� Yeah, I know – they had that doorknockers one a few years back where the guy shows up and makes dinner out of what’s in the fridge, but he’s still making semi-gourmet stuff.� I want to know what I can make out of what I have when I get home from work at 5:30, and I’d like to be eating it by 6:15 if possible.� I was making a quickie dinner tonight as I often do – and as luck would have it I saw a recipe on a box that was actually new, different – and that I’ll try this week.

I like chicken, and we always seem to keep many 4 lb bags of boneless “chicken tenders” in the freezer for all kinds of purposes.� This recipe is the perfect quick meal because all you have to do is put some frozen boneless skinless chicken in your microwave and defrost it about half way – and then pre-heat your oven to 375.

These are the ingredients you’re going to need:

• 1 cup instant mashed potatoes
• boneless skinless chicken
• seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic and/or onion powder)
• butter or margarine

While you’ve gotten this stuff around your chicken should be thawing out in the microwave. When I say you want it about half way (or more) thawed out – I mean it should be pliable, but you should be thawing it out not cooking it.� You shouldn’t have the ends turning white and cooking – they’ll get hard or rubbery in the oven.� I freeze nearly all my meat and thaw out only what I need when I need it.

Get a 9 x 13 baking dish and� grease it up with some oil – we like olive oil.� You’re going to take either a very large mixing bowl or a big ziploc baggie and put the instant mashed potatoes in it.� Add your salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you want to taste in the bag or bowl.� You’re going to place one chicken breast piece in at a time and shake it up coating with the instant mashed potatoes mixture.� Then place each in the greased baking dish.� How many chicken pieces you use depends on how many people you’re serving.� If you are using the “chicken tenders” like us – then usually 2-3 pieces per person is fine.� If you’re using an entire “chicken breast” I would use one per person.

Once you get them all coated and in the pan – add a little pat or 1/2 tsp of butter or margarine on top of each one to melt in as they bake.� Bake 35-40 minutes on 375, how long depends on how many pieces of chicken you use.� You want to take the chicken out when nice and tender – not “crispy” (unless you like it that way).

Twist the recipe:
If you’ve read my other recipes than you know I love to “twist” or have multiple variations of the same thing.� This is because you can’t have everything on hand all the time.� So – instead of instant mashed potatoes you could use saltines, or ritz crackers, or even club crackers.� Also you could add some veggies like carrots or potatoes to the pan and bake an entire meal at once ready to serve!� If I did this I would add a cup of either water or chicken broth to the bottom of the pan and cover with foil to steam the veggies nice and moistly as the chicken bakes.� Do you have a comment or variation?� Comment now!

The twice baked potato – everyone seems to want this every holiday.� Christmas or Thanksgiving, or for any type of get-together the twice baked potato is perfect.� We’re taking it this Saturday as a “dish to pass” – and I guarantee that we won’t come home with any.

I can remember over the years only a few people that have not had a twice baked potato (at our dinner), and every single one simply demanded the recipe.� Honestly, once you make them you will never need a recipe again – they are that simple.� They are slightly time consuming, but well worth it for feeding many people or when taking food as a side dish, dish to pass, for a holiday office party, or even to Mom’s or Grandma’s house!

What you will need:

• A Bag of Potatoes – large Russet variety work best
• Some butter
• Some Milk
• Salt and Pepper
• Some Cheese
• Spices to taste

Ok – you’ll note that I was pretty vague about the ingredients.� That’s because this recipe can be made 100 different ways.� You will develop your best way over time.� First – you want big potatoes, as big as your hand if you can get them.� A 20 lb bag of Idaho Russet’s is usually what we get.� We usually make about 2 large baking trays of twice baked potatoes, which is about 15-20 potatoes I think.� This is what you do – take your first baking tray and as you wash your potatoes place them on the tray one by one until it’s full.� When it is – you have enough, because you will cut each in half – so you’ll have enough for 2 trays.� Once your tray is full stick each potato with a fork once or twice and place the entire tray in the oven on 475 until done – about 70-90 minutes is normal depending on size and how many you cook.� You want the potatoes to be soft enough that you can smush them a but while wearing an oven mitt.� If they start to wrinkle or become very, very soft you have cooked them way to long.� You could accelerate the cooking time by wrapping the potatoes in tin foil – but this is tedious and the skins don’t get as crispy at times.� When the potatoes are done – take them out and let them cool for 10 minutes or so while you get out your other ingredients.

About the other ingredients – what you use it up to you.� For instance, we use margarine and fat free milk.� You and I both know that whole milk and real butter would taste best – but you’re going to pay the price fat and calorie wise.� Use the milk and butter that suits you best.� Same with the cheese – I have made twice baked potatoes in many different versions from Southwest, to Italian, and even veggie.� But I’ll give you the “authentic” version first.

Get out your other baking sheet, but each potato in half (use an oven mitt in one hand, the potatoes will still be very hot), and place the new half on the new baking sheet.� Cut all the potatoes until both sheets are full.� Now take a large metal tablespoon and begin to scoop out the insides of the potatoes into a large mixing bowl.� Scoop out all but about the last 1/8″ on each potato.� If you begin to break the skin of the potatoes or rip them – you are digging out too much.

Once you get all the potatoes hollowed out, it’s very simple – we’re going to make mashed potatoes here.� Add some butter (what you like, we usually do about a cup to cup and a half for two trays), and then your milk (start with a cup).� Everyone seems to make mashed potatoes differently, but we like to use a mixer on high and really whip them up.� Once you get the butter and milk mixed in salt and pepper, and mix a little more.� If they are dry, of course add a little more butter and milk until you get the fluffy consistency you like.� DO NOT add so much butter and milk that your potatoes become a soup!� Also – one twist on this that I’ve seen a lot of people do is to add one container of cream cheese to this mixture (like an 8oz package), and that is actually very good, but we don’t do it all the time.� Also – you can add any seasonings that you like.� This is the point where you would add some minced garlic, garlic powder, Italian seasonings, etc.� It’s also where you could take it from traditional twice baked potatoes to Southwest (taco seasonings), or Italian (add garlic and parmesan cheese), or even veggie (add some finely chopped cooked broccoli).� The traditional version is just whipped mashed potatoes.

Now, carefully spoon the potatoes back into the shells.� While you do this, turn your oven down to 375.� Don’t add much over the top of each potato skin or you won’t have enough to fill all the shells.� It’s better to under do it than have to go back and scrape some off of every shell at the end.� When they are all full it’s time to top them with shredded cheese.� Again the type of cheese is up to you, but the traditional way to do it (for us) is about a pound of Colby Cheese shredded for the two trays.� Co-jack or Cheddar cheeses can be just as good.� And again the variations for Italian or Mexican should be obvious.� When you add the shredded cheese to the potatoes, try not to get too much on the baking sheet or it will burn on it.

Side both baking trays back into the oven and bake about 15 minutes or until the cheese is very bubbly and starting to brown.� There you have it – perfect twice baked potatoes!� This recipe should easily feed 10-12 people, and that’s if you count on each person eating 2-3 each!� Do you have a variation on twice baked potatoes you’d like to share?� Comment now!!

So the other day I was trying to think of something quick and easy to make and one person in the house wanted spaghetti and the other wanted chicken patties.� In addition – one was a vegetarian.� What can you do?� Make two meals with the same ingredients, and one vegetarian and one not.

This is what you need:

• 1 box or 1lb spaghetti noodles
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce of your choice
• 2-4 frozen chicken patties (1 per meat-eating person you’re serving)
• 1 cup or so shredded Italian cheeses (blended or mozzerella)

This is a quick and easy meal, and something you can easily be eating in 20-25 minutes.� Put your oven on 425 to pre-heat, turn on your hot water and let run.� Grab a large 4 quart saucepan and fill with the hot water, put on the stove with a dash of salt and 2 tsp of olive oil.� Leave it go until it boils.� While you are waiting on that get your chicken patties and put on an ungreased baking sheet and stick in the oven for about 20 minutes.� If you have a vegetarian person in the house, they do make fake breaded chicken patties (by Boca?) you can put in the oven with these as well.� Get a 2 quart saucepan and add the jar of spaghetti sauce, cover and leave on medium heat.� Add a tbsp of minced garlic to the sauce if you like (we do!).
Once the water boils, add the spaghetti (I usually break them in half), stir after 30 seconds, and then about every 2-3 minutes on high boiling (but not over).� Once the sauce starts to bubble turn on med-low.� Put a colander in the sink and when the noodles start to rise to the top of the water they are usually done (10-12 minutes) – taste one to be sure, don’t over cook.� When you put the noodles in the colander rinse with hot water first, then dash about 1/8 cup olive oil on top and fold into the noodles.� Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper (or Italian seasonings if you prefer) and fold in again.� I find the seasonings or salt and pepper make for a much better tasting end results, and the oil is to keep them from sticking while you get everything plated.� Take out the chicken patties when done, when they come out of the oven immediantly turn them over and sprinkle a handful of shredded Italian cheese on each one.� The vegetarian person of course either gets noodles and sauce, or the fake veggie chix patty.

At this point I usually turn off the sauce, grab some plates and forks, put noodles on each plate, then go back to the patties (and the cheese is usually melted by now) – and then I cut each patty into 4-5 slices and put one chicken patty on each plate of noodles.� Put one ladle (like 1 cup) of sauce over each patty on plated noodles (more if you like), and then a little bit more cheese on top.� By the time you serve the plates that cheese should be melted too.

The nice thing about this recipe is if you like garlic bread, you can stick some in the oven when the chicken patties are about half done, and when they come out put some shredded Italian cheese on that as well!� But a lot of the time the breaded chicken patty is just enough to make this a nice full meal!

Do you have a variation of this recipe that would make it even better?� Comment now!

It seems like everytime there is going to be a get together or people coming over it’s inevitable that pasta salad is made.� Pasta salad is also one of those dishes that you can make a big batch of and then put in the fridge for a� few days and each as a snack or with lunch.� My version of pasta salad definitely has an Italian slant on it, but like most of my recipes you can customize this any way that you like.� Learning to cook on the fly and use the ingredients you have on hand is something you learn over time – and my pasta salad recipe is no exception.� I’m going to give you the recipe for a single batch which is usually adequate for 6-8 people. Just double it if you are going to need to feed 8-12 or more.

What you need:

• A 1lb box of pasta.� It could be elbow macaroni, rotini, small shells, etc.
• About 1 cup of slice black olives (if you like them)
• Veggies (again – choose as many as you like or have on hand)
  • 1 cup dice roma tomatoes
  • 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
  • 1 cup grated carrots
  • 1/2 bunch chopped green onion or 1/2 medium diced red onion
  • 1 cucumber cut lengthwise like pickles and then sliced shortwise (making little wedges)
• Meat (same here, but choose one)
  • 1 Cup Pepperoni sliced or diced
  • 1 Cup Ham diced
  • 1 Cup Tuna drained
  • 1 Cup Turkey chopped
  • 1 Cup Summer Sausage Chopped
• 1 cup light Mayo or Miracle Whip
• 2 tsp mustard
• 1/4 cup Ranch dressing
• 1/4 Italian dressing
• 1 tbsp minced garlic (jar) or 2 cloves fresh garlic chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped� oregano or parsley� (if you have it on hand)
• Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder to taste
• 2 cups cubed cheese (10-12 oz, co-jack, marble or Mozzerella)
• handful if parmesan cheese grated (if you have it)

Ok, now I’m just going off the top of my head for the ingredients for how I usually make this.� Here’s how it goes down.� Turn on the hot water and let it run while you get all the ingredients out on the counter.� By the time you have them all out the water is as hot as it will get and fill a 4 quart sauce pan and fill 3/4 with hot water and put on high on the stove.� Add a few tbsp of olive or cooking oil and a dash of salt and leave until it boils.� While it gets hot start chopping up the veggies you like and add to a large bowl.� Once you get the veggies in there add the Italian dressing in there and mix it up and let it set.� Add a little more dressing if it doesn’t coat all the veggies, but don’t use more than 1/3 – 1/2 cup.� If your water is boiling add the pasta, and stir after 30 seconds and turn down to med-high heat.� Cut your meat, and stir the pasta every 2-3 minutes while you do.� If you have time cut the cheese in to cubes too.

When your pasta is done, drain it in a colander in your sink, rinse with hot water, then I like to squirt a tsp or two of extra virgin olive oil on it, sprinkle some salt (like a tsp) and some pepper, fresh ground if you have it.� then mix it up good (in the colander).� Now – add the pasta in the large bowl with the veggie mix and stir up real good.� Add the mayo and mix up, then the mustard and ranch, stir and mix well again.� Last add your meat and your cheese cubes with your garlic, and mix up one last time.� � Taste it and see how you did.� If you still need some salt and pepper and garlic powder, add a little to taste.� Then I usually put it in my serving bowl and top with a handful of fresh grated parmesan cheese.� Now you’re done!

You can see the different variations of this you can make, from Tuna to Turkey to Ham!� I prefer pepperoni or summer sausage myself.� Either way it goes over well every time we serve it!� A lot of people ask me why I use the Italian and Ranch dressing.� The Italian dressing softens the veggies a bit while you work with everything else.� The Ranch dressing keeps it from getting to dry and makes it not taste completely like Mayo – it gives it that little “buttermilk” taste.� The mustard takes the edge off both and makes a good mix that’s not too Ranchy either.� I have made variations on this that were all Italian dressing, Vinegar and Oil as well.� Again – experiment and use this as a great base to most any pasta salad!� Have a special way you like it that I missed?� Comment now!

A lot of the meals I make have to do with the ingredients I have on hand at the time. Sometimes it depends on leftovers I have to get rid of or throw out. So, I’m going to teach you how to make Turkey Hash (or any hash for that matter). I made this 2 days after Thanksgiving, as I usually do every year – but you can make hash anytime, and using various kinds of meat.

What is hash? Hash is basically bread, potatoes, and meat fried in a skillet, adding or removing items you might want for taste. It makes a great breakfast or lunch entree, and works equally as well for dinner. Just remember that there’s no vegetable in this dish – you may want a side of some kind if you’re cooking it for dinner.

What you’ll need:

• 6-8 medium to large potatoes diced (peeled or not depending on preference)
• one large onion diced (if you like)
• one diced green pepper (if you like)
• 6-8 slices toasted bread cut into 1″ squares
• 1 1/2 – 3 cups diced meat (turkey, ham, pork, beef, etc)
• spices to taste (salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin – what you like!)

Ok – first of all hash usually consists of some meat you need to get rid of. Meaning you need to use up a left over. This (for me) is usually left over turkey from a holiday – but it could also be steak, pork chops, ham – etc. So the assumption is that you already have some type of cooked meat to use. If not – cook some!

Put a large skillet on the stove on just below high heat, add 3-4 tbsp. of cooking oil and then your diced potatoes. Turn your potatoes over a few times in the oil to get them coated, and I usually salt and pepper them at this point. Tightly cover, and then cook just below high for 5-6 minutes. I usually try to work as I go, so once I get to this point I normally chop up my onion and green pepper (if I’m going to use it). That takes 5-6 minutes, so once I get them chopped I turn over my potatoes, throw the onion and green pepper on top, and put the lid back on. This accomplishes two things. First, the potatoes have started to cook on one side. I flip them and add the veggies on top and put the lid back on to kind of “steam” them for 5-6 minutes before they get flipped with the potatoes the next time and come in contact with the heat of the pan. This way they’ll be cooked, but not completely seared and burnt.

So after the veggies are added, I begin to toast my bread. By the time I’ve toasted and chopped 6-8 slices, another 5-6 minutes have gone by and it’s time to flip the potatoes again. At this point I usually flip the potatoes and mix everything in the skillet up real good, and the fold in the toast. Once everything is mixed good, let it cook a few minutes and this time leave the cover off. You don’t want the toast to become all soggy – which is one of the main reasons you wait until the end to add it. Just after you add the toast you can add any additional seasonings if you want. I usually salt and pepper one last time, maybe some garlic powder, and even some cumin if I want I’m feeling a bit southwest.

There you have it – hash! I think the kind of hash most people are familiar with is the “corned beef hash” you see in the can, which to many just plain looks like dog good. If you had a corned beef for dinner and had some left over, this recipe would be perfect to make a corned been hash out of – and I guarantee 100 times better than the can! Make memorable leftover entrees – Hash it up!

Oh, and once again I’ll mention that if your potatoes or hash end up sticking to your skillet – you really need to get a new one! At high temperatures your skillet should nicely sear, brown, and crisp potatoes when covered 5-6 minutes, and you should easily be able to flip them over with very little effort (and minimal amounts of oil). If this is not the case – replace your skillet now!

Anolon Advanced 14-Inch Open French Skillet

Kitchen Essentials® from Calphalon® 10-pc. Styleware Set – Black

Today I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner and I wanted something new.� Something different.� I had the ingredients to make all kinds of things, but nothing sounded quite right.� For some reason I wanted some fried potatoes.� But what would I make with it?� I looked on the web for potato recipes and came up with some ideas – combining them all this was my recipe (that turned out great by the way!).

We’re going to make a fried potato casserole, and this is what we need to have:

• About a dozen medium sized potatoes
• Frozen chopped broccoli, about 1/2 bag
• 1 bag shredded Italian Cheese
• 1/2 pack crumbled� Feta Cheese (3-4oz)
• 1 container softened cream cheese (6oz or so I think)
• 3 Cups Milk
• 4 tbsp. flour
• Garlic Powder
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Minced Garlic

Alright – now let’s get started.� Peel your potatoes (or not if you like them that way).� Dice them up into cubes and put in a big skillet that you drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.� I said drizzle – not soak!� Salt and pepper them in the pan and turn the heat up to just under high.� Be sure to to cover them with the tightest fitting lid you can find for that pan.� You are going to fry these potatoes for about 20 minutes, and you’re only going to turn them 4 times (every 5 minutes).� If they stick to your pan so badly that you can hardly scrape them off with your spatula – you pan sucks and should be replaced.� I say this because the same thing happenned to us until we got a new pan.� Now we make golden brown fried potatoes every single time.

While the potatoes are cooking put the 1/2 bag frozen broccoli in a medium sized bowl with about a cup of water in the bottom and microwave on high heat for about 2 1/2 minutes.� Put a� saucepan on the stove and add the 3 cups milk, turn on medium heat.� Salt and Pepper the milk to taste and toss in the feta cheese.� Also add a tsp or so of garlic powder (more if you like).� Stir ever minute or so as it gets warm.� Keep watching your potatoes and turn as previously described while you are cooking this milk/cheese mixture.� Once the milk starts steaming stir constantly and add in 3/4 of the pkg shredded italian cheeses.� While it’s melting keep stirring and add the container of cream cheese.� Once everything is melted and just bubbling a bit turn off the heat and set on another burner.

About the time the milk mixture is done the potatoes should be about done.� You’re going to take an extra large bowl and dump in the fried potatoes from the skillet.� Then toss in the milky cheese mixture (all but just about 1 cup, reserve that much in the saucepan until the very end), and if you like add a heaping tablespoon of minced garlic on top (we love it!).� Fold it all together with a big spoon.� Take your broccoli out of the microwave and drain off the water.� Add to the bowl and fold into the potatoes and cheese mixture.

Turn your oven on 375 degrees.� Get yourself a big 9×13 pan, like the one you use for lasagna.� Grease it up with extra-virgin olive oil.� Toss the entire mixture in and spread evenly in the baking pan.� Drizzle the remaining milk cheese mixture on top, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 bag of shredded italian cheese.� You can top it with either Italian seasoning or Italian bread crumbs.� Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until bubbling hot.

We made our Fried Potato Casserole without any meat because we have one vegetarian in the house.� You can however make this the exact same way with seasoned hamburger, chicken breast chunks, or even sliced polish or smoked sausage!� This is also a great dish for pot-luck and bring a dish to pass dinners, or holidays when you are entertaining a lot of people!� It does equally well as the main – or the side dish.

Got your own variation you’d like to share?� Comment now!

If you’re a fan of Rachel Ray, then you like to make meals that are 30 minutes or less!� Here’s a quick recipe that the whole family will love that you can usually prepare in 15-20 minutes or less.� Chicken Tacos are very easy for anyone to make and you only need very basic ingredients:

• � 8 individual raw chicken “tenders” or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 pkg shredded taco cheese
• � 1 bag shredded lettuce
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 container lo-fat sour cream
• Lite Ranch dressing
• 2 pkgs fat-free tortilla shells

Alright – this is pretty easy and you can change the items to make it to your taste if you want.� I like to use chicken “tenders” because when they cook in the pan you can chop them up with the spatula when they are about 3/4 cooked.� Just put a skillet on the stove on med-high and add a few capfuls of cooking oil and your chicken.� Cook 5-6 minutes on one side and then turn them over and season with taco seasoning.� If you don’t have taco seasoning, just use some Cumin, garlic powder, and Chili powder.� When they are about 3/4 cooked on the back side then begin to chop them up with the spatula. Chop for 3-4 minutes until they’re completely cooked.

Dice your tomatoes and place in a bowl.� Heat your flour tortilla shells in the microwave for 60 seconds.� Then what I do is place 3-4 tortillas per plate, spread one spoonful of sour cream on the bottom of each, add a tablespoon of shredded cheese on each, then about 2 tbsp cooked chicken, and last the lettuce and then the tomato.� Just before serving I add a few teaspoons of ranch dressing on top of each one, which tastes really good, but also keeps them from being too dry.� If you don’t like ranch, you can substitute salsa instead!� Do you have any good Taco recipes??� Comment now!

• 2� granny smith apples
• 1� cups brown sugar
• 1� teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon butter

Peel each apple and use an apple corer to cut it into sections. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon and coat each piece of apple in the sugar mixture. Place a sauce pan over medium high heat and melt the butter in the pan, making sure to move the pan so the bottom is coated. After the butter is melted, add the apples coated in sugar mixture and cook for about 5 minutes moving them around with a spatula so they don’t stick. The apples are done when a brown bubbly syrup forms and the apples are tender. Remove from sauce pan and put into a bowl and let cool enough to eat. Once the apples have cooled a bit you get a nice sweet syrup for your tender cooked apples.

These yummy potatoes accompained my sloppy joes last night for dinner. They make an easy excellent side dish to any meal.

The main ingredient of course is potatoes. I like to use russet potatoes or red potatoes, because they boil the best. Simply peel the potatoes (submerge in cold water to keep them from browning when peeling the rest), cut them into chunks (chunks that are similar in size is best), and put into a pot and cover with water. Cook on medium high heat until potatoes are tender, then drain.

I love my potatoes nice and creamy, this can be achieved with butter and sour cream or milk. My favorite thing to use is sour cream so if i add too much the potatoes won’t get too thin, like they would if I used too much milk.

Now that your potatoes are creamy its time to give them some taste. Some of the things that can be added to give your potatoes taste are butter, cheese, and garlic. If you only want simple buttery mashed potatoes� add butter, salt, and pepper to taste. If you still want simple, but with a little something you can add chopped green onions. If you want a nice garlic taste you can add 2-3 cloves garlic to your potatoes. I like mine nice and cheesy, so I add an entire package of shredded cheese when the potatoes are hot so it melts.

So everything is added to your potatoes, its time to mash them. I think it is easiest to use a hand mixer to make the potatoes smooth and creamy. If you like yours a little lumpy an� old fashioned hand masher will work wonderfully. I mash mine first and then use a hand mixer to make them a little smoother, so I have creamy potatoes that are a bit lumpy.

Ok, now everything has been explained, time for the recipe that I used.

• 10 russet potatoes
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 container sour cream
• 1 8 oz. package shredded colby cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes and cut into similar size chunks. Toss into a pot, cover with water, and turn on medium high heat. Cook potatoes for 25-30 minutes or until all potatoes are tender. Drain potatoes and place into a large bowl. Mash potatoes with hand masher and add all other ingredients. Use a hand mixer and mix on medium until everything is blended and potatoes are creamy and mostly smooth.