Top: After 1 layer of meat mixture - Middle: The top layer of tortillas dipped in sauce - Bottom: Final product before baking

This recipe is great to feed a large group and always tastes good as leftovers (again, good for a long weekend trip/getaway because it can be microwaved and still tastes great).

• 2 lbs hamburger
• 1 can chopped olives
• 16 ounce jar Thick & Chunky Salsa
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 chopped onion (little less if onions aren’t your favorite, I usually do 1/2  or 1 very small onion)
• 1 can red enchilada sauce
• 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• 16 ounce shredded Colby/Jack cheese
• at least 18 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown beef with onion, drain.  Add olives, sauces, salsa, and soup.  Simmer over medium heat 45 minutes to thicken.

Lightly grease 13X9 baking dish and line with corn tortillas (don’t be stingy here, make sure the entire bottom is covered with tortillas.  I usually even cut some in 1/2 or in fourths to cover all the cracks and the sides of the dish).  Pour 1/3 meat mixture over tortillas and sprinkle with 1/3 cheese.  Repeat 2 times.

Top with 4 to 6 tortillas dipped in the leftover sauce (sometimes I dip them before I put the 3rd layer of cheese because there usually isn’t enough sauce left in my pan to coat the tortillas).  Sprinkle with additional cheese.

Bake 30-40 minutes until bubbly.  Serve with sour cream.

The title says it all and the pictures back it up!

• 2 pounds asparagus (about 2 bunches), trimmed
• 1 pint tiny cherry or pear tomatoes, red or mixed colors
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place asparagus in a large bowl.  Add tomatoes and oil and toss to coat.  Spread in a heave roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet, spooning the tomatoes between and on top of the asparagus.  Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and add a generous grinding of pepper.  Roast until the asparagus is crisp-tender and teh tomatoes are warmed and slightly crinkled, about 15 minutes.  Set aside until ready to serve.

Whisk lemon juice, orange juice, honey, mustard and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until blended.  Drizzle dressing over asparagus before serving.  Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Before & After cooking

*The dressing for this side dish is very subtle, so if you like a stronger flavor (like I do), then double the dressing recipe.

Now that I don’t cook our main meals from a box anymore (I’m sure Dustin will give a hallelujah to that!), I’ve been trying to make more ‘homemade’ desserts as well (although slice & bake cookies are the easiest and one of the tastiest desserts I know of!).  I found this recipe in my ‘Cooking for 2′ magazine and was really surprised at how well it turned out (who knew making a cake without a box could actually be easy??!!). Aside from the yumminess, I am also fond of the ‘mininess’ of this dessert, allowing me to have personalized servings (great for when you have company or when you want to take a freshly baked goodie to a new neighbor…and not worry about getting your dishes back).

• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (I use Jiffy Natural Peanut Butter)
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup 2% milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (does 1/8 teaspoon of anything really make a difference??  I add it just in case, but i don’t think it does anything!)
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, cream peanut butter and brown sugar until crumbly; stir in flour.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs.  Set aside 1/3 cup for topping.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg, milk and vanilla.  Add baking powder and baking soda to the remaining peanut butter mixture; stir in milk mixture just until moistened.

Transfer to 4 6-0unce ramekins coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with reserved topping and chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from ramekins to a wire rack to cool completely.  I usually just serve mine in the ramekins if I’m not taking the cakes somewhere.

READ AFTER EATING!

Here’s the kicker – Nutritional information (sorry, had to do it…but you can still have a treat every now and again…you just wouldn’t want to make these every night!!): 1 serving/1 cake equals 522 calories, 25g fat (11g saturated fat), 77mg cholesterol, 293mg sodium, 68g carbohydrates (what??!!), 3g fiber, 11g protein.

The title of this post may be a little deceiving.  I added the word ‘creamy’ to the beginning of this recipe title because when Dustin and I ate these green beans, they were just that, creamy….in such a good way.  The weird thing is, is that there isn’t a ‘creamy’ ingredient in the recipe.  Not sure if it was the bacon fat (don’t say eeewww, you know you like it!) or the way the salad dressing caramelizes on the beans when baking, but whatever it is, we loved the creaminess and I’m sure you will too!

• 2 cans uncut whole green beans
• 1 small bottle of Catalina salad dressing
• 1 lb bacon
• Seasoned salt

Cut raw bacon strips in half.  Roll 4 or 5 whole green beans in 1 half slice of bacon.  Continue to roll beans until casserole dish is full (recipe should fill a 9X13 dish).  Drizzle Catalina over bacon-wrapped beans (I didn’t use a whole small bottle).  Sprinkle beans with seasoned salt.  Bake for 30 minutes in 350 degree oven.  DELICIOUS!

Top 2 pictures are uncooked and the bottom 2 are cooked. Be sure to spray your pan with cooking spray to help when cleaning (the dressing carmelizes and is pretty tough to clean).