Chicken Pot Pie

1 pkg ready-to-bake pie crusts (2 included)
5 small potatoes
2 TBSP butter or margarine
2-3 TBSP flour
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken broth
frozen peas
frozen carrots
chicken

Allow pie crust dough to defrost to room temperature. Put one crust in bottom of glass dish.

Cut chicken into small pieces and saute in a little bit of canola oil or cooking spray. Place on top of crust.

Dice potatoes (into 1/2" pieces) and pour over crust in dish. Add frozen peas and carrots to crust also, as desired. (Veggies are uncooked during assembly!)

In medium sauce pan, heat 2 TBSP butter or margarine over medium high heat. Once melted, add 2-3 TBSP flour to butter. Stir constantly, while adding 1 cup milk. Heat (and continue stirring) for 2 minutes. Mixture will thicken into a gravy.

After that 2 minutes is up, add 1 cup chicken broth and stir well until mixed (should only take a couple seconds of good stirring to be done). Remove from heat.

Pour gravy mixture over potatoes and vegetables in pan. Set aside.

Take your 2nd pie crust (that has not yet been used). Trim about 3/4" of crust off the edges. Place newly trimmed crust on top of the other to create a lid. Fold edges of bottom crust up and over.

Poke holes in top crust with a fork.

Bake at 375° for a hour or so. If top becomes too brown, cover in foil for remaining cook time.

Comments from the cook: I made this the other night, and only cooked it at 350 for about 55 min. The potatoes were still a little crispy, so we microwaved the whole thing for 3 minutes and they were perfect!

A CookieSheets&CakePans original! (Tutored by Cathy Green)

The real question...

Have you tried anything you've seen on here?

If so, what was it? Did it turn out ok? Will you make it again?

Please reply. Would love the feedback! :)

Fresh Tacos

homemade pico de gallo
1/3 lb ground beef
taco seasoning
sour cream
shredded cheese
shredded lettuce
corn tortillas
cooking spray

Brown ground beef. Season with taco seasoning, as desired.

Warm griddle to 350°. Spray both sides of corn tortillas with cooking spray. Cook on both sides until golden brown.

Assemble all ingredients.

Comments from the cook: This recipe is HARDLY an original, but it has become one of our top 3 dinner favorites. Fresh pico is at the heart of it, so how can you lose!?

Though they are ok (just ok) warmed in the microwave, we wanted to find a new way to enjoy corn tortillas. Obviously, they are best when fried in oil, but we wanted to find a way to cut calories significantly. Cooking spray is a great way to add a bit of flavor (we use the olive oil kind). They're an excellent alternative!

A CookieSheets&CakePans original!

Tacos in a Pan

1/3 lb. ground beef, browned
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 can Fiesta Nacho Cheese Campbell's Soup
milk (about 2/3 soup can worth)
tortilla chips
taco seasoning, to taste
lettuce
sour cream

Pour 1/2 bag of tortilla chips in baking dish (8x8 or gelly roll pan). Press down on them with your palm a couple of times to make pieces more bite-sized.

Mix cheese soup and milk together in a separate bowl. Pour over chips.

Brown ground beef, season with taco seasoning, and pour over chips (and soup mixture).

Sprinkle shredded cheese over top.

Cook in oven for 15-20 minutes at 375°.

Serve over lettuce and topped with sour cream.

Serves 4+.

Comments from the cook: Might call this the cousin to "Chili/Frito Pie". Probably not the best to eat this after recovering from a heart attack, or if you're at risk for one...but really tasty! :)

I used a house brand of tortilla chips this time that were not quite as thick as those we usually use. In the future, I won't deviate from the Santitas brand! They are a bit thicker and make for a crispier chip after baking.

One of Brian's favorite meals... Would be excellent garnished with fresh tomatoes, a little guacamole, or onions (if you like that sort of thing...).

Another hard one to photograph! But trust me, it's a winner.

Originally shared by Debby Mathias, my mother-in-law.

Baked Potato Soup

(Pic before the final stir!)

1/3 c margarine or butter
1/3 c flour
3 1/2 c milk
2 potatoes (peeled, cubed, boiled to done-ness, and rinsed with cool water)
2 green onions, chopped
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
5/8 c shredded cheese
1/2 c sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter over medium (to medium high) heat and whisk in flour. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thick. (Take care to not allow milk to burn in bottom of pan).

Stir in potatoes and green onions. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in all other ingredients.

Serves 4+.

Comments from the cook: Emily's original recipe is twice this size, so double it if you'd like!

When I made this soup recently, I tripled the potatoes (6 instead of 2) in order to make it go a little further. When reheating, add milk to thin it down. (It will be extremely thick after refrigeration, as you would assume).

Though difficult to photograph (!), this is an excellent recipe that we LOVE. Thanks for sharing, Emily! :)

Originally shared by Emily, my cousin's wife (cousin-in-law?!)

Sweet Wheat Muffins

1 c whole wheat flour
1 c white flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c brown sugar
1 c milk
2 eggs
1/3 c canola oil

Beat eggs. Add milk and canola oil. Stir.

Add brown sugar. Stir.

Stir in flours, salt, and baking powder.

Add 1/2 c walnuts (optional).

Cook for 15 minutes at 425°.

Makes about a dozen.

Comments from the cook: These muffins are great with a little bit of honey-butter. While we eat them for breakfast, they are quite dense and would be a great companion to soup or stew.

In the future, I am going to try to substitute applesauce for part of the oil...not because they don't taste really good (they do!), but why not cut down the fat if possible, right? I also may try to go all whole-wheat flour, as the name suggests. We'll see what happens...

p.s. Sorry for the brief hiatus! When I'm not happy with the photographs, I don't post the recipes. This one was a struggle. You want new stuff, and I want these little guys to appear in a better picture. You win!

Originally shared by Alane Sleight (Mom!).

Homemade Pico de Gallo

10-14 Roma tomatoes
1 white onion
2 jalapeno peppers
3/4 bunch cilantro
fresh garlic
vinegar
olive oil
salt and pepper

Dice and combine tomatoes, white onion, and jalapenos (seeds removed!).

Chop cilantro into small pieces. Add to tomatoes, etc.

Add about 1 tsp minced garlic. (We buy the kind in a jar, but you can use what you have. Amounts will vary based on whether you use fresh or powdered.)

Add 3-4 TBSP vinegar, 3-4 TBSP olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Makes 4-5 cups.

Comments from the cook: This is our ALL-TIME favorite fresh food. We make it for our annual Cinco de Mayo celebration and it is always a hit. Lately, we've been enjoying it over tacos and can't get enough of it.

Generally, I try to find some firm tomatoes, and a few that are more ripe. This recipe is best served the next day, as the flavors really come alive when chilled overnight. Unfortunately, it does not "keep" very well...and only lasts a couple of days in the fridge. That is, if you have any leftovers! :)

For a true onion-hater like me (it's a miracle I eat this, mind you), I like to keep the ratio of tomatoes to onions equal. Choose the size of onion based on your preference. Enjoy!
Adapted from a recipe found online, long ago

Peanut Butter Heath Cookies

1/2 c shortening
3/4 c creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 c packed light brown sugar
3 TBSP milk
1 TBSP vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 c flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) HEATH Bits 'O Brickle Toffee Bits, divided

Beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add egg; beat just until blended.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

Stir in 1 cup bits of Heath; reserve remainder for topping.

Drop by heaping teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. (I have tried these rolled into balls, and just heaped. The heaping spoonfuls seemed to have a better texture to me...)

Bake at 375° for 7 to 8 minutes or until set. Do not overbake.

As cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle each with remaining Heath bits.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Comments from the cook: These are INCREDIBLE and becoming a fast-favorite around here. Someone brought them to a choir rehearsal, and I died at first bite! I tinkered with it just slightly...as I prefer to sprinkle extra Heath bits on after cooking. Too many on the outside of the cookie, when cooked, will turn really tacky and hard to chew. We have enjoyed these with a smidge of ice cream between them too!)

Originally shared by Kathy Fredrickson. Found on the back of the Heath bits package!

Mom's Tuna Casserole

4 servings elbow noodles
8 oz Velveeta (they have a new lower fat one!)
1/2 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c milk
1 can tuna, drained
crackers/chips, crumbled for topping

Boil elbow noodles to doneness. Place in Pyrex dish.

In a separate pan, heat Velveeta, cream of chicken soup, and milk. Stir until smooth. Add tuna to mixture and stir together.

Pour cheese mixture over noodles. Stir together to make sure all noodles are coated.

Crumble crackers or potato chips on top just to add a bit of saltiness and crunch.*

Bake for 30 min at 350°, uncovered.

Serves 4+.

* I like to think this step is what makes this a Mormon Mom recipe :)

Comments from the cook: Special thanks to Brian, who LOATHES all things fish, for letting me make this tonight. His fish-hating wife gets a hankering about once a year for a little bit of tuna, and this hits the spot. Brian ate a good-sized portion, and didn't even gag ONCE. He did need a few pieces of bread to get the tuna taste out of his mouth afterward, but I'd say that's pretty good progress!

Originally shared by you guessed it..Mom!

Fluffy White Frosting

1/2 c water
1 1/2 c sugar
2 egg whites
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

Add egg whites, vanilla, salt, and baking powder to mixing bowl. Beat on high speed (I used my KitchenAid) until stiff.

Measure water and sugar into saucepan. Heat. Boil for 30 seconds after it clears.

Add syrup (now very hot) to egg mixture, beating constantly. Continue beating on high 4-5 minutes.

Frosting will be very thick, but soft and easy to spread. It will begin to set up shortly after, so have your cake ready to go beforehand. Makes 6 to 8 cups (or more?)... plenty to cover a 2-layer cake. I just did the one layer (above) and had some left over.

Comments from the cook: Tasty when served warm, but AMAZING when served chilled!

Originally shared by Mary Sleight, my grandmother.

Hamburger Soup

1 large can tomato sauce
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can green beans
1/2 lb. ground beef
celery salt, to taste
season-all, to taste
water

In a large stock pot, brown hamburger. Stir in celery salt (I use about a TBSP).

Add tomato sauce and about 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Add season-all to taste.

Bring potatoes to a boil in a separate pot and cook until done.

Bring carrots to a boil in a separate pot and cook until done.

Combine all ingredients in stock pot and simmer for a few minutes.

Serves 4-6.

Comments from the cook: In the past, I have boiled the carrots and potatoes in the tomato sauce/hamburger mixture - covered. It takes longer, and can be really messy to keep opening it to test done-ness. The last couple of times, I have boiled each ingredient separately and have been very pleased with the minimal cleanup. More dirty pots, but less time scrubbing the stove-top!

Originally shared by Alane Sleight, my MOM!

Brown Sugar Muffins

1/2 c margarine or shortening, softened
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 c milk
2 c flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Mix ingredients together and pour into greased muffin tins.

Bake 15-20 min at 375°.

Makes about 16 muffins.

Comments from the cook: These are my new favorite! They are nice and chewy, and are the perfect companion to homemade stew. Brian's mom even made them for breakfast sometimes. Their sweetness is just right, and they're likely to become a staple around here.

I accidentally used butter instead of margarine, and it browned the edges perfectly. Next time, I will probably try them with wheat flour, just to change things up...

Originally shared by Debby Mathias, my mother-in-law