Sour Cream Beef Enchiladas

If you don't like 

'super spicy' enchiladas,  you

might like these.

This recipe could easily be cut in half, 

but ... I like to make it this size and 

 save half for another meal.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 pkg. taco seasoning mix (I used packets of 'reduced sodium' and 'mild flavor')

1 cup water
1 of 16. oz. can of refried beans (optional)
13 of 8-inch flour tortillas

1 of 12 fl. oz. can of evaporated milk (not condensed)

1 and 1/2 cups of sour cream (I used Daisy brand).  

2 cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

2-3 cups grated cheese (your choice of cheddar, Colby, or even Mozarella)

DIRECTIONS:

• Brown ground beef and drain off fat.
• Mix in taco seasoning packets.
• Add 1 cup water to seasoned meat and simmer for about 15 minutes.
• Add the refried beans to the seasoned meat, mix in.  Set aside for a little while. 
• In medium-large saucepan, whisk together the canned milk, sour cream and soup.  Cook over low heat until it reaches a low boil, stirring constantly.
• Spread 1 cup of this soup mixture in bottom of a large 'non-stick sprayed' 10x15x2" pan/glass dish.
• Put a generous 1/3 cup of meat mixture on each tortilla and roll up. Place each roll in dish.  (I ended up with 13 tortilla rolls.)

•  Pour remaining soup/sauce over enchilada rolls like this...

• Cover with foil and place in 350-degree oven for about 40-50 minutes.
• Remove from oven, and sprinkle grated cheese on top of all like this...

RETURN to oven only UNTIL cheese is melted.

SERVE...

  

          Recipe adapted from coolest Mommy's website.

"Cookie Dough" Bars

If you like a peanut butter 

and chocolate combination, 

you will probably like these.

(I consider the rolled oats a bonus!)

 The "Cookie Dough" flavor-- it's gotten to be so popular these days.  That flavor is now in ice cream, frozen 'drinky' things, custards, cheesecakes, truffles, dips, cocoa, pies, etc.  I think these bars ended up having that flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 cup butter, softened
2. 1 cup brown sugar, well packed
3. 1 cup white sugar
4. 1 tablespoon vanilla (you could use 1 tablespoon maple syrup and 2 teaspoons maple extract)
5. 2 large eggs
6. 1 and 1/4 cups peanut butter (creamy, or crunchy)
7. 2 cups all-purpose flour
8. 1 teaspoon baking soda
9. 2 cups rolled oats (quick, or old-fashioned, or a combination of the two)
10. 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used 1 cup mini semi-sweet chips and 1 cup milk chocolate chips)

DIRECTIONS:

• Set oven to 350 degrees
• Set oven rack to second-lowest position (I used the middle position)
• Grease a 13x9-inch baking dish
• In a large bowl and using an electric mixer at medium speed cream the butter with both sugars and vanilla until no sugar granules remain (about 4 minutes).
• Add in the peanut butter and beat until combined.
• Add in eggs and beat until combined.
• In a bowl combine the flour with baking soda and oats; add to the creamed mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
• Mix in chocolate chips.
• Transfer and spread into prepared baking dish.
• Bake for 22-25 minutes or until JUST set (do not overbake).  With my oven, this took 25 minutes.
• Cool first, then cut into squares.

Below:  When I took them from the oven, they looked like this...

Below:  After cooling, the edges were a bit higher than the center like this...

Below:  After cooling, they cut very easily...

For me, this recipe is a keeper AND a repeater.

This basic recipe came from Kittencal's Kitchen-- she loves cooking/baking and many people benefit from her talent. Her name for these bars is Delicious Chewy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bars.

"Banana Bread" Cake

Some call this Banana Cake, but I think it has more the texture

of banana bread in 'cake shape'-- now, it's my Banana Bread Cake.

I say this frosting is TOO thick, so I've listed 1/2 recipe for the frosting.

INGREDIENTS:

1 and 1/2 cup mashed banana (ripe, but not black)
2 teaspoon lemon juice


3 cups flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt


3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
2 and 1/8 cup white granulated sugar


3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla


1 and 1/2 c. buttermilk


1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)



DIRECTIONS:

• Grease and flour (or spray) 9x13" baking pan (I used glass).  Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 275-degrees (that's 'low', huh!).
• Mash banana, mix in lemon juice and set aside.
• Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.
• Cream together softened butter and sugar.  Add 1 egg at a time, and the vanilla.
• Alternating between the flour mix and the buttermilk, add to the butter/sugar/vanilla mixture and combine until all is incorporated and 'smooth'.
• Fold in chopped nuts, if desired.
• Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake at 275-degrees for about 1 hour and 10 minutes (OR until center tests 'done' when checked with toothpick).   The cake rose to being level with top of the cake dish.
• Immediately, cover cake with foil and put into refrigerator for a while (I left it in overnight).   It will end up being SO moist (but it is also 'dense', too).
• When it is totally cool (cold), frost it with the cream cheese frosting, if desired.
• I like to freeze 6" squares of this cake in snack-sized 'square containers' for another time--  I  LOVE THIS COLD!!!!!!

Cream Cheese Frosting*:

Beat together 4 oz. softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened butter, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 and 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar.  Spread on cake.   This freezes SO well!    

*IF you don't want to use just 1/2 of an 8 oz. package of cream cheese, double the recipe and freeze half for another time.  That works, too!