To die for Nachos!!!

Are you hanging out at your house for New Year’s Eve and want to make a delicious snack or are having people over to play cards and want something to munch on?  Make nachos!  You’ve probably had nachos many different ways over the years…. but not mine! I make sure I have cheese throughout all of the nachos so when you get to the bottom it isn’t just chips!!!  Everyone who has tasted these nachos love them!  We even had a friend show up this week with the ingredients so I would make them for him!! 

What you need:  1 lb. ground beef, garlic, cumin, bag of  tortilla chips, Mexican style Velveeta cheese, Rotel  Mexican diced Tomatoes, Mexican Style shredded cheese (or whatever cheese you like!), and jalapenos

 First, brown a pound of ground beef and season with garlic and cumin (You can make it ahead of time so you can throw it together when people are there).  Use a cake pan and spray the bottom with Pam (or whatever you use).  Pour about half of a bag of tortilla chips and spread across the pan.  Use half of the Velveeta cheese.  Cut it into cubes and putt it randomly all over the chips.  Next put about half of the cooked ground beef all over the chips.  Drain the juice from the Rotel diced tomatoes and put about half of the can all over chips.  Then, pour the rest of the bag of chips on top.  Put the rest of the ground beef, tomatoes, and Velveeta cheese on top of the chips.  Put as many jalapenos as you would like on top.  Finally, sprinkle the shredded cheese all over it.  Put it in the oven and bake until the cheese is crispy on top!    

Happy cooking!!

Simple Chicken

The chicken is the absolute easiest chicken I have every made and leaves the house with a nice aroma.  All I do is take chicken breasts (bone in or out doesn't matter- whatever you prefer) and rub olive oil on the outside.  Next, I season with a little basil, garlic, and Italian seasoning on both sides. I toss a dash of Parmesan cheese on the top and bake at 400 for about 45 minutes (or until it is done).  The olive oil gives it a nice flavor and adds to a crispness on the outside! 

Vegetable soup

Sometimes I like to have a nice soup at home that doesn't taste as if it has been mass produced!  Well, I came up with two- made in very similar ways.  I make a vegetable soup and sometimes I turn it into a chicken vegetable soup when I want meat too!  What is great about making your own soup is you can add the vegetables that you want and the amount of seasonings you like to flavor the way your prefer!  First, I will tell you how I make the vegetable soup, then I will tell you how to tweak it to make it easy with chicken.
Vegetable Soup:
2 boxes of chicken stock
Garlic powder  and Lemon pepper - a couple dashes of both
one packet of Lipton chicken noodle soup
2 cans diced tomatoes (I usually use one with garlic and onion added)
2 chicken bullion cubes
A small bag of baby carrots diced up
Cucumber cut into chunks
Celery cut into bite size pieces
Portobello mushroom diced up
Basically you can add any vegetables that you want.  There are times I add leftover green beans or corn to it, because it is there.  I've added small chunks of potatoes before.  The more vegetable you add, the thicker and heartier it will be. Throw everything in the pot and cook until the carrots are soft.  You can always pressure cook the soup to make it go faster!  Obviously, with the chicken stock, it is not a true vegetarian dish, but you can always just use vegetable stock too!
To make it a chicken vegetable soup, don't use the chicken stock.  Take a couple chicken breasts and cook them in about four cups of water and add the seasonings too.  Once the chicken is done, you can cube or shred the chicken and add it back in the broth.  Then, add the vegetables and cook until the carrots (or hardest vegetable is soft). 
Happy Cooking!

Super easy- chicken packets!

It's been awhile since I have been on here- I have been sick.  So I have an easy recipe for you .  Chicken Packets are so simple, it is incredible!!!  Do you like spicy food and someone else who is eating there doesn't? Do you like mushrooms and your husband hates them?  I have the solution for you: chicken packets. I make two different types of chicken packets.  The first type of chicken packet I make is I take a boneless chicken breast put a little garlic on both sides and put it in an aluminum foil wrap.  I add a couple tablespoons of salsa (make sure it is covered).  Next, you can add whatever you want- literally!!  Sometimes I will add black beans, corn, jalapenos, and crushed red peppers.  Other times, I add green peppers and mushrooms. Add whatever you like.  This can be fun with children because they can pick and help make the supper.  Wrap the chicken up with the foil and make sure you add another wrap around the outside in case it leaks.  Bake in a pan  for about 45 minutes to one hour at 350 F.  When it is done, poke a hole in the bottom of the wrap and let the juice run out.  Be careful, it is hot!  The chicken turns out very moist and it is a meal in itself! 
The second type of chicken packet I make is I take a boneless chicken breast and wrap it the same way as the other.  I add garlic to both sides of chicken.  I add sliced mushrooms and sliced potatoes.  Next, I pour Italian dressing into the wrap over all of it.  Then, I add more garlic powder, Italian seasoning (of course it comes from Graziano's in Des Moines), and a little dried Basil. You can really add anything to the packets.  Use your imagination!! Close the wrap  and bake it for about 45 minutes to an hour in a pan.  Don't forget to put a small hole and drain the juice.  Once again, it is a meal without having to make anything else!
What is great about the packets is the fact you can make both in the same pan if someone doesn't like salsa! 
Happy cooking!!