Tag Archives: cheese

Nachos con carne

by tariny

Number of people: 5
Time from start to finish: 30 minutes

Menu:
Nachos

2 pounds ground hamburger meat
2 packets taco seasoning (we use mild)
Shredded lettuce
Diced fresh tomatoes (I use Romas)
Shredded cheese (we use colby jack)
1 can re-fried beans
1 16 ounce tub sour cream
Green onions (2 – 3 stalks), cut into about ¼ inch pieces, green and white parts
Tortillas chips

Brown the hamburger meat, then drain. Return to the skillet and add the taco seasoning plus the water required in the directions (the brand we used required ¾ cup each, so we used 1 ½ cups of water). You can heat up the re-fried beans in a bowl in the microwave, or in a pan on the stove.

While the meat is cooking, use the time to dice the tomatoes and cut the green onions (I use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the onions).

Once the meat is cooked, the beans are heated, and the veggies diced, just put a hand-full (or two) of chips on your plate and add the toppings. My husband came up with the idea of adding the meat first, then the cheese and microwaving it for 1 minutes. Surprisingly, the chips stayed crisp and the cheese melted nicely.

KFC Bowls

by tariny

Number of people: 5

Time from start to finish: about 1 hour

Menu:

Tyson Chicken Breast Tenders
Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
Pioneer Biscuit Gravy
Canned Whole Corn
Mashed Potatoes

First I peeled and diced the potatoes, about 8 of them. I used 3 different types (red, gold, and russet) because I needed to use them before they went bad. I suggest using 2 types of potatoes, one that’s starchy (like a russet) and one that has less starch (like a red or gold) because it gives you a creamier taste and texture. Also, while dicing the potatoes, I try to make sure I have a few pieces of russet that are a little larger than the others, this will give you those yummy lumps.

I boiled the potatoes in salted water that was about ½ an inch above the potatoes until they were fork tender. I then set the potatoes aside, still in the water, while I put the chicken tenders in the oven.

Next I started the gravy. Since I was using 2 packets, I used 3 cups of water on the stove, and 1 ½ cups of water to mix the gravy powder with. The directions only call for ½ a cup of water to mix the gravy powder with per packet, but I’ve found that it comes out a little to thick, so I use ¾ a cup per packet instead. While waiting for the water to boil for the gravy, I opened 2 cans of corn and emptied them into a plastic bowl for the microwave. Once the water was boiling, I poured in the gravy/water mixture and stirred with a whisk until the gravy came to a boil. I then set the gravy aside.

Since the chicken was close to being ready, I drained the potatoes, returned them to the pot, added ½ a stick (¼ cup) butter and about ¼ to ½ a cup of milk. I used a hand mixer on low until the milk and butter were incorporated into the potatoes, but not so much so that I didn’t have lumps. If you prefer a smoother mashed potato, just add a little more milk and continue to mix until they are smooth. Just be careful not to over beat your potatoes, otherwise they become gummy.

Now it was time to remove the chicken from the oven and get out the shredded cheese. The kids and I like to start with the potatoes, then add the corn, chicken, gravy and shredded cheese on top (sort of like KFC bowls).

Velveeta Cheesy Skillets Nacho Supreme

by tariny

Number of people: 5

Time from start to finish: 37 minutes

Menu:

Velveeta Cheesy Skillets Nacho Supreme

I used 1 lbs of hamburger meat and 1 lbs of ground turkey and 2 boxes of the Cheesy Skillets.

I prepared according to package directions, only I used ½ cup additional water.

Served with sour cream and shredded cheddar jack cheese.

I didn’t really plan out this evenings meal very well when I went shopping last week, normally I would serve this with a lettuce and tomato salad.

Tips:

When browning the meats, add a bit of water (½  to 1 cup) to help with breaking the meat up. The water also makes it easier to drain the meat.