Taco Salad

You Will Need:

• 1 lb. ground beef cooked and drained 
• 3/4 cup picante sauce 
• bag shredded lettuce 
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can black beans (partially drain, and add water to cover beans in a small pot, heat until boiling, reduce heat and keep warm) 
• 1 can whole corn (bring to a boil, reduce heat and keep warm) 
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 small tomato
• guacamole (optional)

Season cooked meat with 3/4 cup picante sauce, bring to a boil and keep on low until ready to put the salad together. Layer lettuce, cheese, warm beans, warm corn, onion, tomato and optional guacamole, on individual plates, top with beef, drizzle with dressing and optional guacamole. 

For the Dressing You Will Need: 

• 1/2 cup picante sauce
• 4 Tablespoons Sour Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice

Makes 4 Servings

Enjoy! 

Tuscan Bean Soup w/ Bacon

You Will Need:

• 8 slices of bacon chopped and cooked
• 3 celery stalks chopped
• 4 carrots chopped
• 2 shallots chopped
• 4 tsp. minced garlic
• 4 cups chicken broth (32 oz. carton)
• 4 cans cannellini  beans (white kidney beans) (drain 2, leave 2 undrained) 
• 1/2 cup half/half or heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (not the powdered kind) 
• sprinkle salt and pepper
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• sprinkle dried parsley

Chop vegetables and set aside, chop bacon and cook in a dutch oven large pot until browned, remove bacon with slotted spoon, cook shallots and minced garlic a few minutes, in a couple of Tbsp.of bacon grease. Add 1/2 of bacon (reserving some to top soup when serving), add veggies, beans, broth, rosemary, bay leaf salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and cook until vegetables are tender about an hour or two, (the longer it cooks the better the flavor). Remove bay leaf, and rosemary sprig from pot. Add half/ half, parsesan cheese and dried parsley sprinkled stir and cook until cheese is melted. Place in bowls and top with reserved bacon and top with more parmesan cheese.  

Serve with jiffy sweet cornbread

NOTE: This can also be cooked in the crock pot slow cooker, cook bacon as instructed above, then follow recipe by placing ingredients in crock pot, cook 4-6 hours on low. Add half/ half and parmesan cheese and sprinkling of parsley during last 15 minutes of cooking. Top with bacon and parmesan cheese. 

Enjoy!

Beef and Mushroom Potato Bowl

You Will Need:

• 1 lb. ground beef 
• 1 small can mushrooms (drained)
• 1/2 yellow onion chopped
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• sprinkle garlic powder, salt and black pepper
• 1 pkg. brown gravy mix
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tabs. dried parsley 
• cooked mashed potatoes 
• cooked broccoli florets (or other vegetables you like)

In a skillet, brown ground beef with onion, minced garlic, garlic powder, salt and pepper, mix gravy pack with 1 1/2 cups cold water, pour over meat, add drained mushrooms, parsley, and worcestershire. sauce, stir. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer, for about 20 minutes or so, or until ready to serve. You can add a little more warm water if needed, if it thickens too much, before ready to serve. Top meat mixture over mashed potatoes and broccoli or vegetables of choice. Serve with crescent rolls.

Enjoy! 

Slow Cooker Chicken Nachos

You Will Need:

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast strips
• 2 cans black bean (rinsed and drained)
• 16 oz. bottle salsa verde
• 1 16 oz. can corn (undrained)
• 1 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• sprinkle salt and pepper
• bag of tortilla chips
• toppings you will need to make nachos: 1 can queso white cheese warmed in a saucepan on the stove top with 1 tsp. of jarred sliced jalapeno, some chopped tomatoes, chopped red onion, sour cream, guacamole 

Place chicken strips in slow cooker, stir in other ingredients (besides the tortilla chips, queso white cheese and the other nacho toppings).  Cook on high 4-5 hours. Remove chicken, place on a  plate and shred with two forks. Place back into slow cooker and stir, cook on low for about 20 min. more. Heat queso cheese and jalapenos on the stove top in a saucepan until warm (you will need to thin out the cheese a little bit with some milk or water. Once, the cheese is warm, you're ready to make the chicken nachos. Place tortilla chips on large place, top with chicken mixture from slow cooker, then top with tomatoes, red onion, and queso cheese, place a spoonful of sour cream and guacamole on the side. 

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken Subs

You Will Need:

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breast strips
• pk. onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• sub rolls 
• lettuce
• mayo

Place chicken strips in slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix onion soup mix and chicken broth. Pour over chicken strips, stir. Cook on low 4-5 hours. Shred meat with two forks inside crock pot. 

Make into sub sandwiches with meat, mayo and lettuce. Serve with chips and french onion dip. 

Note: This chicken can also be used to top a salad. 

Enjoy!