Easy Nachos

I love easy meals, especially for lunch. We have some variation of this at least once a week. The sour cream sauce is what really makes it special. You can even double it if you're wanting a restaurant-yummy meal.

Spread these ingredients on a large pan or cookie sheet in this order:

• tortilla chips (about 1 bag, 12 ounces?)
  
• 2 cups of refried beans
• 1 to 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Bake at 375F for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the beans are hot. Meanwhile, mix:

• 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce (I use 1/2 of the small cans)
• 1/2 cup of sour cream

Drizzle the sour cream mixture over the hot beans & chips. Top with your favorite toppings, like olives, tomatoes and lettuce.

Very tasty and very easy!

Pinto Beans & Sausage

Beans & Rice are my comfort food. That and Lucky Charms.

This recipe makes a TON. We had it for days & I finally ended up freezing the rest. The beans taste best served over rice and topped with sharp cheddar.

The base is the refried bean recipe I use.

Ingredients:

2 onions, diced

6 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed

2 jalapenos, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
18 cups water
2 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs brown sugar

1 lb polish sausage, diced

Combine everything except the sausage in a large crockpot. Cook on high for 6 hours, add the sausage & more water if needed to keep the beans covered. Cook for 2 more hours on high. Taste (don't burn your tongue!) & add more salt, if needed. Ladle over steaming bowls of rice. Serves 99,342. Leftovers can be frozen & reheated in the microwave.

Brown Sugar Apple Lentils

I knew I'd have to doctor up lentils to get my kids to eat them, so I came up with this recipe today. It was really good!

Ingredients:
1 lb lentils
5 cups water
2 tsp salt

1 apple, diced
2 Tbs minced onion
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbs molasses
2 Tbs worcestershire sauce
1 cup water
2 slices bacon, diced

Simmer 1st three ingredients, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and bake at 350F for 1 hour. Serves 6-8.

Mexican Casserole

This is one of my high-mileage recipes. It is a great way to use leftover chicken or Thanksgiving turkey, or any kind of meat really. It's also a great way to use those refried beans I mentioned below. You can even make it without the meat - it's a very flexible dish.

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked chicken or turkey, shredded or chopped

2 Tbs taco seasoning (or a packet)

2 cups salsa

1 1/2 cups sour cream

4 cups refried beans
2 cups cheddar cheese


In a 9x13 dish, layer the ingredients in the order in which they are given. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until heated through. Top with whatever taco fixin's you normally like (olives, salsa, lettuce, etc...) and serve with tortilla chips. Serves 8.

Refried Beans

If you like the refried beans at mexican restaurants, you have GOT to try these. They are so easy and so good. I usually make them at least once a week. The first night that I make them, we have them as soup. The next day, they have thickened and we'll eat them as a side dish. The rest will go in the freezer or in burritos and then into the freezer. The recipe came from allrecipes.com and whenever I make them, I make a double batch. (It fits perfectly in my 7 quart crockpot.)

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced

3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed

1/2 jalapeno, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
9 cups water


Combine everything in the crockpot. Cook on high for 8 hours. Mash the beans (see note below) with a potato masher, or better yet, a stick blender. Serves a lot.

Note:
The beans will be runny, but will thicken with refrigeration. If you want them less runny, scoop out a cup or two of the water before mashing. Then, you can add the water back after mashing if you want them thinner.