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Kid-friendly Nacho Chicken Casserole from Betty Crocker

I love my stepdaughter Kess who is eleven years old, but the kid drives me crazy when it comes to dinner. She constantly says, "Yeah, I don't like ______." After several frustrating evenings, I figured out that she loves casseroles (almost as much as cookies!). I had cooked chicken in the fridge so I made this very easy dish while holding a 31lb toddler in one arm.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups diced cooked chicken 
• 1/2 cup uncooked instant white rice 
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained 
• 1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup 
• 1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, undrained 
• 1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles, undrained 
• 1 teaspoon Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix (from 1-oz package) 
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (6 oz) 1 cup broken tortilla chips 

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. In casserole, stir chicken, rice, tomatoes, soup, corn, chiles, taco seasoning mix and 1 cup of the cheese until well mixed.
2. Cover; bake about 1 hour or until rice is tender and mixture is heated through. Top with tortilla chips; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake about 10 minutes longer or until filling is bubbly and cheese is melted.

Maple-Pecan Cake from Betty Crocker

It was "appreciate the staff" day at daycare recently so I needed a really quick recipe and went with this one. I didn't have time to make the frosting so I warmed up Betty Crocker's cream cheese frosting and used that instead.

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1 box yellow cake mix 
• 2/3 cup water 
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened 
• 3 eggs 
• 1/2 cup maple-flavored syrup 
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted 

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar 
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened 
• 1 1/2 oz cream cheese (half of 3-oz package), softened 
• 3 to 4 tablespoons maple-flavored syrup 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Generously grease and lightly flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan, or spray with baking spray with flour. 
2. In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan. 
3. Bake 47 to 53 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. 
4. Cool completely, about 2 hours. 
5.  In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, the cream cheese and 3 tablespoons of the syrup with electric mixer on low speed. 
6. Beat in enough of the remaining syrup to make a smooth, soft frosting that will flow down side of cake. Spread frosting over cake. Store loosely covered in refrigerator. 

Just out of the oven and it stuck to the pan in spite of greasing and flouring it.

Easy Chocolate Muffins from Betty Crocker

I love those chocolate muffins from Costco but I no longer have a membership because it's one of those places where I spend way too much. Making them is a good solution, right?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp of lemon juice standing for 5 minutes)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line muffin pan with muffin (or cupcake holders). 
3. In medium bowl, mix buttermilk, butter, and egg until blended. 
4. Add flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda, vanilla and salt until moistened. (Don't overbeat because it makes for dry muffins!)
5. Stir in chocolate chips. 
6. Divide batter equally among muffin holders. 
7. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 
8. Cool 5 minutes, remove from pan. 

Slow Cooker Teriyaki and Orange Chicken from Better Homes and Gardens

This sauce was kind of thin so maybe added a teaspoon of corn starch if yours is the same.

Ingredients:

• 1 16 ounce package frozen loose-pack broccoli, carrots, and water chestnuts
• 2 tablespoons quick cooking tapioca
• 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons bottled teriyaki sauce
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 cups hot cooked rice

Preparations:

1. In a 4 quart slow cooker, combine frozen vegetables and tapioca. Add chicken.
2. In a small bowl, combine chicken broth, orange marmalade, teriyaki sauce, dry mustard, and ginger. Pour over mixture in cooker.
3. Cook and cover on low-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Serve with hot cooked rice.  

Cinco de Mayo Recipes - Enchiladas

Cinco de Mayo is almost upon us and in honor of celebrating Mexican heritage and pride, I offer you a variety of my best enchilada recipes.

• Chicken Enchiladas with Green Sauce
• Slow Cooker Beef Enchiladas 
• Better Recipe's Easy Chicken Enchiladas
• Easy Beef Enchiladas
• Spicy Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Easy Chocolate Chip Scones from Bisquick

Before I moved to Utah, this was the only kind of scone I had ever had and I still prefer it. "Scone" in Utah seems to mean fried dough that looks more like a flat donut. I doubled this recipe and I thought the scones were pretty good.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Original Bisquick® mix 
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips 
• 1/3 cup whipping (heavy) cream 
• 3 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 egg 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• Additional whipping (heavy) cream 
• Additional sugar 

Preparations:

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray or grease with shortening. 
2. Stir Bisquick mix, chocolate chips, 1/3 cup whipping cream, 3 tablespoons sugar, the egg and vanilla in medium bowl until soft dough forms. 
3. Pat into 8-inch circle on cookie sheet (if dough is sticky, dip fingers in Bisquick mix). Brush circle with additional whipping cream; sprinkle with additional sugar. 
4. Cut into 8 wedges, but do not separate. 
5. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown; carefully separate. Serve warm.