Baked Taco Pie

Baked Taco Pie
 with Fat Free Sour Cream on Top

Scrolling through my Twitter feed a couple of weeks ago I spied an interesting recipe from Kraft Foods.  The foodie photo looked so good!  Scanning the ingredients I discovered we like each one!  It looked easy to prepare.  Even the name had the word easy in it!  Easy is good!  It didn't take long to decide this entree would be in our oven later in the week.  It was a Baked Taco Pie!

Tortillas & the filling mixture are layered before baking.  The best casserole baking dish I have to use here was my smaller square rose colored Pyrex baking dish.  That worked great!      

These days I'm substituting Ground Turkey for Ground Beef whenever possible in recipes.  Ohhh, cholesterol has a background with my family.  Genes play a role & choices also play a role! 

So, I've changed the original recipe a bit & we totally liked it!  Yes, servings remained after dinner & they seasoned very well for 2 days when we enjoyed this entree again for dinner.  Tortillas are layered here, so it is filling.  Try it, you'll like it!

Baked Taco Pie
          inspired by Kraft  Foods

Oven Temperature:  375°F        Time:  25- 30 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb. Ground Turkey
1 Tablespoon Chopped Onion (dehydrated)
1 teaspoon Chili Powder (more if desired)
Sprinkle of Dried Basil & Sprinkle of Dried Oregano
1 can (14.5 ounces) Diced Tomatoes, drained
1 pkg. (10 ounce) Frozen Mixed Vegetables (Corn, Carrots, Peas, Green Beans), thawed & defrosted
(5) 6 inch Tortillas
1 Cup Low Fat Shredded Cheese
Low Fat Sour Cream

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Brown Ground Turkey in skillet, drain any fat.
3. Add Chopped Onions, Chili Powder, Dried Basil & Oregano to skillet, stir.
4. Add drained Diced Tomatoes & Corn Mixed Veggies, stir.
5. Cook for 5 Minutes.
6.  Spray casserole baking dish with PAM.
7. Place 1 Tortilla on bottom. 
8. Place 1/3 of filling mixture on top, spreading evenly.
9. Then, place 2 Tortillas on filling mixture.
10. Layer another 1/3 mixture on, topping with 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheese.
11. Place 2 Tortillas on top, then filling & sprinkle on Shredded Cheese.
12. Bake 25- 30 Minutes in 375°F oven.
13. Cut & serve with Low Fat Sour Cream.

Tomorrow we will be enjoying a Chicken dish in my Slow Cooker!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

           

Bowties n Cheese

Bowties n Cheese

Someone just might think that I haven't been cooking/ baking lately!  Well, not so.  Lots of good stuff going on here!  Our temps are warmer, so a daily walk is on the agenda.  Daily walks also include chatting it up with neighbors that we haven't seen all winter.  That sounds like a long time. Maybe it's not that long, but extended conversations have not taken place, either.  Spring is here!

This past year I've been working on my family's Genealogy.  It's both fascinating & answering questions that I've always been curious about.  I've learned that it also comes in very handy to be able to read/ write cursive writing.  Some penmanship on records is very legible.  Other times- not so much.  You know how I like History, so I'm determined to learn more!  It's a good time to share one of my family's comfort foods from my childhood.  Now, when I prep it, I use Bowtie (Farfelle) Noodles.   

Any time of year Bowties n Cheese are always enjoyed at dinner.  If a starch such as potatoes or corn are not found in my kitchen/ freezer to prep as part of dinner, this is a very tasty side dish!  The Farfelle Noodles are cooked according to directions on the package.  After draining them, return to the pot.  Add 1 Tablespoon Butter/ Margarine & 8 oz. Cottage Cheese.  Stir.  Warm over a Low Heat for about 2 minutes.  The Cottage Cheese melts a bit & blends with the cooked noodles.    

Bowties n Cheese

Ingredients:
Farfelle (Bowtie) Noodles
1 Tablespoon Butter/ Margarine
8 oz. Cottage Cheese- I use Low Fat with Chives.
Dash of Pepper

Method:

1. Cook desired amount of Farfelle Noodles according to package directions.
2. Drain & return hot noodles to pot.
3. Add 1 Tablespoon Butter/ Margarine & stir.
4. Then, add 8 ounces of Cottage Cheese to pot, stirring.
5. Sprinkle on a Dash of Pepper, stir.
6. Cover.
7. Before serving, heat over a Low Heat for about 1- 2 Minutes, stirring constantly.
8. Stir, serve & enjoy!

This is such a tasty side dish!  Any extra portions can be covered & placed in the fridge.  Add a little more Cottage Cheese & reheat before serving again.

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Bake an Irish Soda Bread!

Irish Soda Bread
(File Photo)

After the month of February that was filled with achoo, cough, cough, cough, achoo suddenly March is here!  This is the month when "everyone is Irish"! It's either by heritage, by marriage or by wishing.  Every year I bake an Irish Soda Bread (also called Spotted Dog) to enjoy on St. Patrick's Day morn.  I remember the year when I had about 2 cups of Fat Free Buttermilk in my fridge & suddenly I decided to make a bread for St. Patrick's Day.  A delicious easy recipe search brought me to my friend Carol's blog, Charli and Me.  Carol no longer blogs, but I know that she is getting ready to bake her yummy Irish raisin bread for her family, too!  It's become a tradition for me to post it for others to enjoy, also!

Here's a little background info:   The original recipe is from the Will O'Glenn Irish Bed and Breakfast in Michigan with Mrs. Biddy Gahan sharing it.  Carol had posted it on her blog and I discovered it after "googling".  Many other good cooks made it possible for me to bake & for my fam to enjoy, so now I post it for others, too.  It is so good!  

Have your Buttermilk, Raisins & Butter ready!  Low Salt Butter works just fine.  Melting the Butter & then cooling it down works easier than using softened Butter.  The Raisins soak in hot water before adding them to the very sticky batter.

This is one tasty bread!  Follow the directions, exactly!

A few handy tips:

• To work with sticky dough more easily, put a small dab of Butter on the palm of one hand, then rub palms together to coat with Butter.  Solves the problem.  :)

• Use a cake tester or toothpick to determine if bread is done after removing from hot oven.

• After the bread cools & is cut into slices, I also freeze a few slices.  They are first placed in sandwich bags and then freezer bags and sealed. 

Ready to be placed in preheated oven!
(File Photo)

Irish Soda Bread

Oven:  400°F, then lowered to 375°F     
Total baking time:  45 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 Cups Raisins
1 Cup boiling Water
*  *  *
1 stick Butter - I use unsalted.
2 and 1/2 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
5 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Cup Buttermilk, can be low fat/fat free

 Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Spray a 8" or 9 " Pyrex Pie Plate with PAM.
3. In a small bowl combine Raisins and boiling Water.  Let sit while preparing dough.
4.  Melt Butter.  Cool.
5.  In larger bowl, combine Flour, Baking Soda, Baking Powder & Sugar.
6.  Add cooled melted Butter to dry ingredients, stir in. 
7.  Add Buttermilk, stir.
8. Add drained Raisins, stir.
9.  Shape into a ball after placing dough into pie plate.  Dough will be sticky.
10.  Bake 15 Minutes at 400°F.
11.  Lower oven to 375°F.  Bake 30 Minutes longer.
12.  Remove the bread from pie plate and cool on rack.
13.  After cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
14.  Wait at least 5 hours before cutting into slices and eating. 

This is one tasty bread!  Follow the directions, exactly!  I cut the bread into slices and then place in two sealed Ziploc Bags.  A half slice of Irish Soda Bread is a very tasty treat.  The other half slice is located quickly!  Extra slices do freeze well, also.  They are a special treat later in the month!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Enjoy!
Yummy!