Tin Foil Dinner

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 small bag of baby carrots, chopped into medium sized pieces.
4-5 cups chopped potatoes
1 family size can of cream of mushroom soup
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread the ground beef evenly across the bottom of 9x13 pan. Top the ground beef with the chopped onion. Then layer the chopped carrots over the onions. Top with the chopped potatoes. Spread the can of cream of mushroom soup over the potatoes and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake at 375 degrees for 70-90 minutes (or until the potatoes are cooked through and tender).

*You can also prepare this into individual dinners. Simply add the ingredients in the same order onto a medium square of tin foil. Top with another piece of tin foil and cook until the ingredients are done.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes prep time plus cooking time
Recipe Origin: Mom

Chicken and Rice Dinner

Ingredients:
4-6 Chicken Breasts, skinless and boneless
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Cheddar Soup
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
1 tsp. garlic powder
6 cups cooked rice

Directions:
Wash the chicken and trim the fat from the breasts. In the slow cooker, combine the chicken, chicken soup, cheddar soup, salt and pepper, and garlic powder. Cook over low heat for 4-6 hours. Cook your rice according to the directions on the package. Once cooked, place the chicken mix over the rice and serve warm.

Tip: You can also cook vegetables to add to the chicken dish just before serving such as broccoli, carrots, or any other vegetable you want to try.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 6 hours
Recipe Origin: allrecipes.com

Dad's Salmon

Ingredients:

4-6 Salmon Fillets (medium sized)

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil (vegetable oil works too)

Dash of garlic powder

Dash of lemon pepper

Directions:

Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, and oil in a ziploc bag. Mix the ingredients around in the bag until the sugar feels more dissolved. Sprinkle the fish fillets with garlic powder, lemon pepper, and any other spices you may want. Add the fish to the marinade and place in the refrigerator for at least 1-3 hours (or longer). Heat your grill to medium high. Spray the grill with non-stick spray (don't spray the flame or you'll catch the oil on fire). Cook the fish 6-8 minutes each side until the fish is flaky and no longer raw looking. Tip: Sprinkle a little brown sugar on the fish when it is first put on the grill to get a yummy crust.

Time to Make: a few hours marinating plus 15 minutes on the grill.

Difficulty: Easy

Recipe Origin: Dad

Goolash

Ingredients:

2 cups macaroni, cooked and drained
1 lbs hamburger, browner and drained
1 can corn, drained
1 quart diced tomatoes, with the juice
1 medium green pepper, chopped
Ketchup
Chili powder

Directions:
In a large pot, cook the 2 cups of macaroni according to the directions on the package. While the macaroni is cooking, brown the hamburger in a large skillet. Drain the water from the macaroni and drain the grease off the hamburger. Add the green pepper to the hamburger and cook for a few minutes until the green pepper is tender. Add the macaroni, corn, and tomatoes. Stir until well mixed. Add enough ketchup to make the ingredients moist. Add chili powder to taste and serve hot.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

BBQ pulled pork sandwiches

Ingredients:

4 pounds pork roast (shoulder or butt works best)
2 medium onions
1 cup ginger ale
1 - 18 ounce bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Buns or rolls for sandwiches

Directions:
Dice or slice the onions. Put half the onions in a 4 quart crock pot and place the roast on top. Top with the remaining onions and the ginger ale. (add a little extra ginger ale if you need a bit more to cover the roast). Cook the meat on high for 4-7 hours (or until you can easily shred the pork). Shred the pork once it shreds easily and drain off and discard the liquid. Put the shredded pork in the crock pot and add the BBQ sauce (as much as you think it needs). Continue cooking for 2-3 hours. Serve as a sandwich inside your favorite rolls or buns.

Difficulty: easy
Time to make: at least 7 hours depending on your slow cooker.
Recipe origin: online somewhere

Chicken Taco Dish

Ingredients:
1 package Taco Seasoning
1 can black beans
1 can chili beans
4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours (stirring occasionally). After 4 hours, shred the chicken, stir and continue cooking on low for 2 more hours. Serve hot over rice or chips.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 6 hours
Recipe Origin: Annette Gardner

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. celery seed (optional)
1 + 3/4 cup chicken broth (save the water you boil the chicken and veggies in)
2 tsp. chicken bouillon powder
2/3 cup milk
2 - 9 inch unbaked pie crusts

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a large pot, combine the chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add enough hot water to cover the ingredients. Bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain (save the water) and set aside. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan and saute the onions until they are translucent. Add the flour to the onions and mix well, then slowly add the chicken broth (using only 1 + 3/4 cup of the broth) and milk and chicken bouillon. Add the salt, pepper, and celery seed and heat until thick. Once thickened, pour the chicken and veggies into a pie dish lined with one of the pie crusts. Pour the onion/chicken broth mixture onto the top and cover with the top crust. Cut slits into the top crust to let out the steam and bake the pot pie for 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before eating.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about an hour
Recipe Origin: allrecipes.com by Robbie Rice

Alice Springs Chicken

Ingredients:
3-4 chicken breasts
8 pieces of bacon
mushrooms
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup monterey jack cheese, grated
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Chicken Marinade:
1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup honey
1 + 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:
Whip all ingredients for 30 seconds with an electric mixer and continue with the recipe below.

Wash 3-4 chicken breast and trip off the fat. Marinade the chicken with 2/3 of the marinade for about 2 hours. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Heat a frying pan with a few tablespoons of oil until hot. Sear both sides of the chicken in the frying pan and then place the chicken in a baking dish. Saute some mushrooms in a pan with butter. Brush the chicken with some of the marinade (but save some for serving). Sprinkle the chicken with some salt, pepper, and paprika. Stack 2 pieces of cooked bacon on each chicken breast. Spoon mushrooms on chicken, spread 1/4 cup of monterey jack cheese and 1/4 cup cheddar cheese on each chicken breast. Bake chicken for 7-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked completely. Serve with the remaining marinade.

Difficulty: Medium
Time to Make: about 30 minutes prep time + 10 minutes cooking time
Recipe Origin: online somewhere

Farfalle with Zucchini

Ingredients:
4 whole (to 5) Regular-sized Zucchini
1 whole Medium Onion
Grape Or Cherry Tomatoes
3 cloves Garlic
Farfalle (bowtie) Pasta
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
⅔ cups White Wine (or Chicken Broth)
1 Tablespoon Arrowroot
½ cups (to 3/4 Cup) Cream
Parmesan Cheese
Fresh Herbs (lemon Thyme, Fresh Basil, Chives, Etc.)
Salt And Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Bring a pot of water to boil.
Dice 1 medium onion and the zucchini into small slices. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise. Next dice up the garlic.
Once the water is boiling, go ahead and cook the pasta according to directions on the package, on the al dente side so it has a nice “bite” to it.

While the pasta is boiling, heat a couple tablespoons olive oil over medium high to high heat in a saucepan. When the oil is hot, throw in half the zucchini and let it brown. Once brown, toss it onto a plate and repeat with the 2nd half of zucchini and repeat the process. Once the zucchini is cooked, throw in the onions and garlic. Next throw in the halved grape tomatoes on top and toss around a bit, keeping the heat at medium low to medium.

Pour in 1/3 cup white wine (or chicken broth) and with a whisk or spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan so all the flavorful bits will be released. Pour another 1/3 cup wine (or chicken broth) into a dish and sprinkle the Arrowroot in and stir. Pour this into the pan with the onions and tomatoes, and now add in ½ to ¾ cup cream. Next, turn the heat off and add in the zucchini and stir gently to combine. Grab a cup or two of the cooking liquid from the pasta and pour into the saucepan if the sauce needs to be thinned out a bit. Salt and pepper to taste. Or thicken with a little cornstarch if the sauce needs to be a little thicker.

To serve, pour the drained pasta into a large serving bowl or platter. Add your choice of fresh herbs, and pour the contents of the pan over the top. Add some Parmesan and a final sprinkling of fresh basil. Eat warm. Serves 8.

Difficutly: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes prep time plus 30 minutes cook time
Recipe Origin: http://thepioneerwoman.com/

Tuna Cheese Melt

Ingredients:
1 can tuna fish
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
cheddar cheese, sliced
1 medium tomato, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
whole wheat bread slices

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the tuna fish and the mayonnaise. Mix well. Spread some tuna on top of a slice of bread and place cheddar cheese slices across the bread. Top with the slices of tomato and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven at 400 degrees and bake until the cheese is melted and the tuna fish is hot.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Tamale Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 can chile
1 can tamales, sliced
hamburger buns
cheddar cheese, grated (for topping)
ketchup

Directions:
In a small pot, combine the chile and tamales. Heat over medium until hot all the way through. Split the hamburger bun halves and place them on a baking sheet. Place a few spoonfuls of the chile mixture on each bun and top with the cheddar cheese. Broil the sandwiches until the cheese is melted. Serve topped with ketchup.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Meatball Subs

Ingredients:
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
10 ritz crackers, crushed
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 + 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
mozzarella cheese, grated (for topping)
3-4 subway buns

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the beef, crackers, egg, and pepper and mix well. Shape into 12 meatballs and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes (until cooked through). Meanwhile, heat the spaghetti sauce in a small pot. When the meatballs are done, toss them in the sauce and place 3-4 meatballs on each toasted sandwich bun. Top with additional sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: kraftfoods.com

Home Ec Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb ground hamburger, browned and drained
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 pkg mixed vegetables
1 cup water
1 can tomato soup
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1 beef bouillon cube
1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Directions:
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet and add salt and pepper, to taste. Meanwhile, cook the vegetables in the water until they are heated. Add the vegetables to the ground beef and add the tomato soup, celery salt, beef bouillon, and garlic salt. Continue cooking until the bouillon cube is dissolved. Serve hot.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Gooey Buns

Ingredients:
1 lb cold hot dogs
3/4 lb cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. grated sweet or dill pickles
1/4 cup mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. onion, chopped (optional)
hot dog buns

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, grate the hot dogs, cheese, and pickles. Add the mustard, mayonnaise, and onion and stir till its blended. Spread some mixture across a hot dog bun and wrap the bun in tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes (until the mixture is heated through).

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 30 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Fiesta Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 medium tomato, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
apple cider vinegar (enough to moisten the vegetables)
Monterey Jack cheese, sliced
3 eggs
bread
1 can green chilies

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the tomato, onion, green pepper and vinegar. Stir till well blended and set aside. Heat a griddle with non-stick spray. In a small bowl, beat the eggs. Place the monterey jack cheese slices in between two slices of bread topped with some green chilies and dip both sides of the sandwich in egg batter (like french toast). Place sandwiches on the hot griddle and cook both sides like a grilled cheese sandwich. Cut the sandwich in half and top with the vegetable mix. Serve warm.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 20 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes, diced
2 large carrots, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 can corn (with the juice)
1/2 can evaporated milk
1 + 1/2 cups diced ham or 4-8 slices of bacon, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
melted butter, to taste

Directions:
In a large pot, combine the potatoes, carrots, and onion and cover with water. Boil till the vegetables are tender. Add the can of corn and evaporated milk and heat until just before boiling. Add the ham, salt and pepper, and melted butter. Heat and serve warm.

Tips: If the soup thick, add more milk or water.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 40 minutes
Recipe Origin: Annette Gardner

Clam Chowder

Ingredients:
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup onion, diced
2 cups potatoes, finely chopped
2 cans minced clams
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup flour
1 quart half and half
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 + 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. thyme

Directions:
In a large pot, combine the celery, onion, and potatoes. Drain the juice from the cans of clams over the veggies and add enough water to cover the veggies. Simmer the veggies over med heat until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, combine and blend the melted butter and flour in a medium bowl. Add the half and half to the flour mixture and whisk until it is smooth. Once the potatoes are tender, add the half and half mixture to it as well as the chopped minced clams, pepper, salt, sugar, and thyme. Stir till blended and continue cooking until it is heated well. Serve warm.

To Freeze:
Prepare as directed above and then chill until cooled. Divide into labeled freezer bags. If you double the recipe you will get 4-5 quart sized freezer bags full with 4 cups of soup in each. To reheat, thaw bags in the refrigerator overnight or under warm water. Then heat on a stove top over low-medium heat until hot.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 40 minutes
Recipe Origin: Annette Gardner

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
egg noodles
1 can canned chicken (the juice and the chicken)
1 chicken bouillon (can add another if it needs more flavor)
frozen peas
baby carrots
salt and pepper, to taste
celery salt, to taste

Directions:
Add the desired amount of egg noodles in a large pot and cook according to the directions on the bag. Once the noodles are cooked, add the carrots, chicken and the chicken bouillon. Stir until the chicken bouillon is dissolved. Then add the frozen peas, salt, pepper, and celery salt. Heat till the peas are done and serve warm.

Tip: You can cook the noodles in chicken broth, just dont add the chicken bouillon later.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 25 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Taco Dip Dinner

Ingredients:
1 lbs ground beef, cooked and drained
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 small onion, diced
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
3 cups shredded lettuce
3 tomatoes, diced
tortilla chips

Directions:
In a large skillet, prepare the ground beef according to the directions on the taco seasoning package. Add the onion to the ground beef and cook it till tender. Place the ground beef in the middle of a large serving platter and cover it with the grated cheese. For the next ring, spread around the shredded lettuce. For the next ring, spread around the diced tomato. Serve with tortilla ships and salsa.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 15 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cups tomatoes, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup green pepper, chopped
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 + 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup vinegar
10 ounces pineapple, chunked (save the juice)
1/4 cup sugar
1/6 cup corn starch
1/8 cup water
cooked rice

Directions:
In a large skillet, combine the tomatoes, onion, green pepper, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and chunked pineapple. In a medium bowl, mix together the juice from the pineapple, sugar, corn starch, and water. Mix till blended and add to the skillet. Stir all ingredients and cook on low heat for 20-30 minutes. Serve hot over rice.

Tips: Can add cooked chicken or pork to sauce while it is cooking.

For Canning: This sauce can be made according to the directions (omitting the rice and meat of course) and then put into pint jars for canning.  To seal the jars, place the jars in a water bath for 35 minutes. This amount will make about 3 pints.

Difficulty: Easy
Time to Make: about 45 minutes
Recipe Origin: Mom