Crescent Cinnamon Apple Turnovers

As all of you know by now, I am all about easy recipes that taste like they took forever to make. This recipe accomplishes these two tasks easily. I made these last year for Thanksgiving and everyone could not stop talking about them! They are the perfect dessert for the holidays because of the apples and the cinnamon. Here are the few ingredients that you are going to need to make this holiday-filled dessert:

• two cans of crescent rolls
• two granny smith apples
• two sticks of butter
• one-fourth cup of sugar
• two tablespoons of cinnamon

After you have all of these ingredients together, here are the steps that you need to take to start this recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Peel and core the granny smith apples, then cut each apple into eight slices.
3. Then, in a saucepan, melt the butter then whisk in the sugar and the cinnamon.
4. Once the butter mixture is melted, roll the apple slices in the crescent rolls.
5. Then, spoon the butter mixture over each crescent roll.
6. Halfway through the baking process, open the oven and spoon the butter in the pan over the crescent rolls.
7. Bake until the crescent rolls are browned and the apples are tender.
8. Once they are done, pull them out of the oven and let them cool for about five minutes and then serve.

I love this recipe for any occasion and it is super easy and perfect for a big crowd! I hope you enjoy this recipe and be sure to try it for the holidays. 

Oreo Balls

Now that Halloween is over, the holidays have been fully activated to the point where everything is Christmas tree and turkey overload! With that being said, during the holidays, we all know that there are always thousands of Christmas parties, thanksgiving festivities, etc. happening from November 1st - December 25th. This week I am going to enlighten you on quick and easy finger food destined to be for parties of tons of people. Here are the ingredients that you will need:

• eight ounces of cream cheese
• one family pack of Oreo cookies
• one package of chocolate semi-sweet baking chocolate
• one package of white baking chocolate

Steps to take to make these delectable cookie balls:

1. Crush up forty-five of the Oreo cookies.
2. Then mix in the cream cheese until it is thoroughly mixed together.
3. Once that is done, roll the mixture into one-inch balls and place on a plate or cookie sheet.
4. In two separate pots, melt the chocolate in one and the white chocolate in the other pot. 
5. Once the chocolate is melted, roll the balls into either the milk chocolate or the white chocolate.
6. Then, if you rolled the balls in the milk chocolate, drizzle white chocolate over them and vice versa.
7. Once you have done this, place them in the refrigerator for about an hour to two hours until the chocolate has hardened.

Like I said earlier, these Oreo balls are perfect for any occasion! One thing that I like to do for Christmas is to take the white chocolate and divide it up and put red food coloring in half and green food coloring in the other half. This way, you incorporate the Christmas spirit within your sweet and easy dessert for your guests. It is never a bad choice to take these to an event. They are good for a dessert or to just pair with other finger foods. I promise your guests will be talking about these for years and years to come. So I hope you are ready for them to be begging you to make these year after year, because they are going to love them that much!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I know that since it has been getting gradually cooler outside, it is definitely getting time to start cooking up stews and soups. Once fall and the holidays start rolling around it seems like soups and stews are the easiest and warmest ways to make sure that we can overcome illnesses and stay warm during the cooler months. Today, I will be sharing with you a recipe that I just tried a few nights ago and I must say, it is definitely the BEST potato soup I have ever had!
Ingredients needed: 

• two pounds of potatoes, peeled and cubed
• two and half cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• four cups of milk
• six cups of chicken broth
• one package of bacon
• one cup of onion, peeled and diced
• two-thirds of a cup of butter
• three-quarters of a cup of all-purpose flour
• eight ounces of sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• diced ham and green onions (optional)

Steps:

1. In a skillet, brown your bacon until crispy.
2. Meanwhile, after the bacon is about done, in a dutch oven, begin to bring your chicken broth to a boil.
3. Once the bacon is done, drain on a plate with some napkins and set aside. 
4. Then in the bacon drippings, begin to cook your onions on medium heat until translucent.
5. Then, add your onions to the broth and also add your potatoes. 
6. Meanwhile, in the same skillet, melt your butter on medium-low heat. Then whisk in your flour and cook for about a minute. Then whisk in two cups of milk until thickened, then add to the broth.
7. Once you have added the flour mixture to the broth, add two more cups of milk and cook until the potatoes are tender.
8. Then slowly stir in the sour cream, cheese, crumbled bacon, salt, and pepper.
9. Cook until thoroughly warmed and serve with a favorite pairing.

Chicken Dorito Casserole

Tonight I tried this new recipe in hopes of finding another dish that both my boyfriend and I would fall in love with. But after making this recipe and trying it, that is an understatement. It is absolutely DELICIOUS! This recipe is gooey, cheesy, and very festive! Here are the ingredients that you will need to accomodate this dish:

• bag of Doritos Nacho Cheese
• half a cup of sour cream
• half a cup of milk
• a cup and a half of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• one can of Rotel 
• one can of cream of chicken soup
• two cups of shredded chicken, already cooked

Now that you have the ingredients, here are the steps to this delectable process: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a bowl, combine the sour cream, milk, cheese, Rotel, soup, and chicken.
3. Once all of the ingredients, besides the Doritos are in the bowl, mix it all together.
4. In a two-quart casserole dish, spoon half of the mixture over. 
5. Once you have done this, layer the Doritos, whole, over the mixture.
6. Then create another layer of the mixture on top of the Doritos.
7. Finally, crumble up Doritos in your hand and sprinkle on top of the casserole.
8. Once you have covered the top with Doritos and sprinkled some cheese on the top, bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.

This dish is absolutely wonderful! I promise you will not be let down. This dish was quick and easy to make and it was extremely tasty! Share it with your friends and let everyone experience the tastiness!

Baked Pork Chops with Noodles and Brown Gravy

This week we will be making a dish that is a little more complicated, but definitely not too complicated for you. It is definitely a healthy dish for those of you that like to eat healthy. Here are the ingredients that you are going to need to make this dish:

• Pork Chops, boneless or bone-in
• Two packs of brown gravy mix
• One package of whole wheat wide egg noodles
• Butt Rub seasoning
• Garlic Salt
• Pepper, to taste

Once you have acquired all of these ingredients, here are the steps that you need to take to complete this dish: 

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Season your pork chops with the pepper, garlic salt, and butt rub.

3. While pork chops are cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil and then add noodles. 

 4. After your noodles are done and you have drained them, it is time to start the gravy.
5. In order to do the gravy, mix 2 cups of water with the two packets of brown gravy and bring to a boil. Stir frequently while the gravy is cooking. Once it has been brought to a boil, then decrease the heat and stir until thickened. Remove from heat.

 6. By now, your pork chops should be done. Cut each one open in the middle and make sure that there is NO PINK. If this is the case, then remove from the oven.

Your dish is now finished! You just have to place the noodles on the plate, then lay the pork chop on top and drizzle with gravy to complete! I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do!

Eating Out Versus Eating At Home

     College students completely understand the want to go out to eat and have a good time with friends. Well, just because that is what we want, that does not necessarily mean that it is the best choice. According to the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, if people decide to eat food from a restaurant at home, it is slightly healthier than if they eat fast food if they are not at home.
   
     Many people my age, basically college students or young people with jobs, do not usually have a lot of time to cook, so they eat fast food a lot. Now, I know that most of you are probably thinking, "wouldn't it be cheaper to cook than to eat out?" Truth is, yes, it is cheaper, but it is also extremely inconvenient. I go to Troy University, which means that I am less than 5 minutes away from all of our fast food restaurants. Even though, fast food is absolutely terrible for us, it is extremely convenient for us.
   
     Like I said earlier, according to a study, it is healthier to eat a restaurant's food at home rather than eating fast food. But regardless, it is more expensive to eat out and it is also more unhealthy to eat out than to cook and at at home.

     When you constantly eat out, like all of us college students, you begin to quickly carry the "freshman 15" except it is more like the "college 40". Obesity begins to put a toll on your body and then you realize that it is time to start planning a wedding or get fit again for your new job.

     In conclusion, even though it is more convenient for people to eat out all of the time, it is destroying our bodies and helping America's obesity rate increase drastically. So instead of eating out like we all do, we need to begin to find time to cook more often. Even if it is a simple, quick and easy meal, we should stop eating out and start thinking about what it is going to do to our bodies in the long run.

Momma's Spaghetti

Everyone knows of a dish that their mom makes that is like no other. You can have that dish anywhere and it will not taste anything like how your momma makes it. The one dish that my momma makes that is like no other is her spaghetti. Spaghetti is a dish that anyone can make, but just about everyone's spaghetti tastes different. Everyone has their secret way of making spaghetti. My mom's spaghetti is a little sweeter than everyone else's. Here are the ingredients that you need to make my momma's wonderful spaghetti:

• Two cans of Four Cheese Hunt's Spaghetti Sauce
• One pound of ground turkey
• One package of angel hair noodles
• 1/4 cup of sugar

Now that you have the ingredients, here are the steps that you need to take to make a special and very different recipe of spaghetti.

1. Brown the ground turkey over medium heat in a skillet.
2. Meanwhile, put a pot of water on medium heat to boil.
3. Once the water begins to boil, break the pasta in half and add to the boiling water.
4. At the same time, keep an eye on the browning ground turkey meat and the cooking pasta.
5. Once the ground turkey is done, drain the oil off with a strainer and put back on the stove on medium heat.
6. Once you have completed this task, add the two cans of spaghetti sauce and continuously stir until it is completely heated.
7. Meanwhile, once the pasta is done, strain the water off and then add back to the boiler.
8. Once the sauce is heated, add the sugar and continuously stir for 5 minutes over medium heat.
9. Once all of this is done, serve and enjoy.

Spaghetti is such a an easy dish and it is extremely tasty! It is wonderful for any occasion, whether it be a small dinner or a great big get together! It is also wonderful with a side salad, some garlic bread, and maybe even some broccoli or green beans if you wanted to add something to the entree to dress it up. A great thing about spaghetti is that even the worst cook can easily pull this dish off!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

In my last post, I mentioned that Buffalo Chicken Dip was great for football games. It is definitely a crowd pleaser with it is slight kick and extreme taste. I know that even if you do not prefer to make it for the big game, it is also a great side dish or appetizer to make for Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday gathering. It makes a great combination with other side dishes and finger foods also. Here are the ingredients that you will need to make this tasty, creamy chicken dip:

• two packages of eight ounce cream cheese
• two cans of shredded chicken
• one package of ranch dressing mix
• half of a cup of either buffalo sauce or pepper sauce
• two cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Once you have these five simple ingredients, you can then start the process of making this football game snack. Here are the steps:

1. Let the cream cheese sit on the counter, so that it will begin to soften.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. While that is going on, open both cans of shredded chicken and drain.
4. In a saucepan, over medium heat, place the chicken and either the buffalo sauce or the pepper sauce together and begin to stir.
5. Once the chicken is heated, at the cream cheese to the pan.
6. After the cream cheese has met a consistency that allows you to stir it easily, add the ranch packet and stir together until fully mixed in.
7. Finally, add one cup of the sharp cheddar cheese and continue to stir until the cheese is melted.
8. Then spoon the mixture over into the casserole dish and spread evenly.
9. Finally sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the dip and bake in the oven until the cheese is bubbly.

When the dip is completed, it is wonderful to serve with tortilla chips, frito chips, or even crackers.With this dip, even if your team loses, you are still sure to have a great time. If you do not particularly like spicy foods, then you can reduce the amount of buffalo sauce or pepper sauce in the dip or just leave it out altogether. And if you like really spicy foods, you can add more sauce to the dip or even add some of the peppers in the pepper sauce. However you like it, I promise you will be going back for more.

Top Ten Finger Foods For Football Games

Usually when football fans gather together to watch the game, it almost always includes some type of  food. I know that usually at my football parties there is usually one big dish like chili or burgers and then a ton of finger foods. Well here are the top ten finger foods that I feel like are the most popular:
1. Sausage Balls
Sausage balls make for a wonderful finger food because they are super easy to make and super cheap! They are easy to make according to quantity.
2.Pigs in a Blanket
Pigs in a blanket are so warm and fluffy that you just have to have more! These are also very cheap and very easy to make for a lot of people. Your ingredients are literally just cocktail weenies and crescent rolls! So you can only imagine how addicting these are to not only eat, but also make.
3.Wings
Whether you like your wings hot or bbq, they are ALWAYS a crowd pleaser! Depending on how many people you are cooking for, they can get expensive, but you will never have to worry about an unhappy crowd.
4.Cookies
We have all made cookies at some point in our life whether it was with our mother during the holidays or with our college room mates or a late night snack.
5.Rotel Dip
If you are looking for something that will curb your appetite fast and has a kick to it, you need to definitely make rotel dip. This dip is a cheesy, spicy dip with bits of sausage in it.
6.Buffalo Chicken Dip
I do not think I have ever heard of anyone that did not like buffalo chicken dip. This tangy, creamy dip is not only like the rest and is easy to make, but also a dish you can eat on for days if it is left over.
7.Meatballs
Meatballs are one of the easiest finger foods. You just pop them in a crockpot with a jar of grape jelly and a jar of chili sauce and you are well on your way to making a delectable finger food.
8.Cocktail Weenies
Cocktail weenies are the same as the meatballs, just with weenies instead of meatballs. They are cheap and consume very little of your time.
9.Seven Layer Mexican Dip
This dip is a little more complicated to make, but it is also very popular! Throw some on a tortilla chip and be prepared to be content with the taste!
10.Apple Fritters
These apple fritters are another recipe that is for the more advanced cookers. But don't be discouraged, with some crescent rolls, apples, cinnamon, and butter it can be easy.

Next time you are wondering what you should make for your football party, make any of these finger foods and I promise you will get more compliments throughout the night than the team that you are rooting for scores touchdowns.

Fajita Chili and Grilled Cheese

With fall peeking around the corner, cooler weather is in insight.  We all know that with cooler weather, comes soups and stews.There are so many choices between chilis, stews, hearty soups, and more. One thing that is really tasty and different is Fajita Chili. Here are the ingredients that you will need to get this hearty chili together for a cool fall day.


Fajita Chili

• Once large can of baked beans
• Two cans of italian diced tomatoes 
• Fajita mix
• Large can of tomato sauce
• One pound of ground turkey or ground beef
• Garlic Salt

Once you get all of these ingredients, here are the steps that you will need to take in order to get this recipe under way.

1. In a large pot, brown the meat of your choice over medium heat. 
2. It is  always tasty to add a dash or two of garlic salt to the meat as you are browning it.
3. Then drain the meat with a strainer and place the meat back into the pot.
4. Then add the large can of tomato sauce and heat over medium high heat.
5. Then add the large can baked beans.
6. Once it is heated, add the two can of italian diced tomatoes.
7. Once all of that is heated, add the fajita mix until it is all well blended.
8. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, then serve.

Grilled Cheese

Everyone typically knows how to make a grilled cheese. But if you do not, here are some tips to help you out!

• Two slices of bread
• One teaspoon of butter
• Two pieces of sliced cheese

1. On one side of each piece of bread, spread the butter.
2. Then in a skillet, place each piece of bread on the side that the butter is on, so that the bread will brown wonderfully.
3. Then place each piece of sliced cheese on each piece of bread. 
4. Once the cheese starts to melt, and maybe bubble a little bit, piece together the bread.
5. What I mean by this, is put the bread together in the form of a sandwich with the two pieces of cheese together.
6. Take off of the heat and serve.

Remember, this recipe works extremely well for large gatherings, such as football parties, Halloween parties, etc. It is hearty and different from your average chili. It is definitely tasty and a great way to get people together for any occasion!

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

This week I will be featuring Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops! Pork chops are not ever really expensive, but it depends on how big you want them, if you want them to boneless or with a bone, etc. But, for this recipe, we will use boneless pork chops. These Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops are marvelous with broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes. But, you can put any sides that you wish with these tasty pork chops. To get started, here is a list of the items that you will need to make this dish:

• One package of boneless pork chops
• One box of Parmesan Crusted Shake and Bake
• One egg
• One cup of buttermilk
• One tablespoon of vegetable oil

Now that you have these few ingredients, here are the simple instructions to cook these pork chops:

1. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Then, pour the vegetable oil in a 13x9 casserole dish.
3. In a bowl, scramble the egg. Then, add in the buttermilk and mix together.
4. One the box with the Shake and Bake, there will be a plastic bag. In this plastic bag, you need to put the envelope of Shake and Bake. 
5. One at a time, drench each pork chop in the egg mixture, then place in the plastic bag with the Shake and Bake seasoning until completely covered with the seasoning.
6. Then place in the casserole dish with about half of an inch in between each pork chop.
7. Cook until the inside of the pork chop is completely white, with no pink and it is lightly browned on each side.
8. It will be necessary to flip the pork chops over after they get lightly browned on top. 
9. This should take about 15-20 minutes to cook, but depending on what kind of oven you are using, it could take more time or less time. 
10. After you have finished cooking them, serve with your choice of side dishes!

These pork chops are wonderful for a nice dinner with a friend or when you have to feed a lot of people, because it is so easy! The parmesan crust gives it such a wonderful flavor! 

Date Night Dinner for Two

As college students, we do not always have enough money to go on exquisite date nights with our significant other. One way to keep it cheap is to cook for that significant other and rent a movie. If you would like to make it a cheap night in here is a great, easy, cheap meal that should do the trick!

Grilled Steak

• Steak: can be ribeye, sirloin, or T-bone, depending on your budget     
• Butt Rub seasoning
• Garlic Salt
• Pepper
• Jim Bean Bourbon Seasoning
• Dale's Marinade

1. Season the steak on both sides with the butt rub, garlic salt, pepper, bourbon seasoning, and Dale's.
2. Let sit over night to marinade.
3. Then grill on an open fire grill, or if you do not have a grill or can't grill, you can just cook them in the oven on 350 degrees until cooked like you like them.
4. Once the steaks are grilled to your liking, you can remove them from the grill and serve.

Deviled Eggs

• Five Eggs
• One heaping tablespoon of mayo
• One teaspoon of mustard, unless you prefer more of a mustard taste, then add more
• one tablespoon of pickled relish
• Two tablespoons of bacon bits

1. First boil the eggs until they are done. * If you do not know if they are done or not, take one out of the boiling water with a spoon and place it on the counter and try to spin it. If it spins easily then it is done, if not, then continue to cook the eggs.
2. Once they are done, pour the hot water out and cover the eggs with cold water and wait a few minutes.
3. Once the eggs are cool enough to touch, begin peeling the shell off of them.
4. Once this is done, slice the eggs in half, long ways.
5. Then pull the cooked yolk out of the egg and place it in a bowl.
6. Once you have done this to all of the eggs, place the halved eggs on a plate and set aside.
7. In a bowl combine the egg yolk, mayo, mustard, relish, and bacon.
8. Mix the mixture up until completely mixed together.
9. Dollop a teaspoon of this mixture into each egg.
10. Cover and refrigerate.

Mac and Cheese

 For this recipe, it is very basic and most people already know how to make box mac and cheese. If you are one of these people, feel free to skip this step.

• Box of shells and cheese

1. In a pot, combine shells and enough water to cover the noodles.
2. Put over medium heat until the water begins to boil.
3. Once the water is boiling, cook the noodles until they are easy to cut into with a fork.
4. Then you need to strain the water off of the noodles and add in the package of cheese sauce.
5. Mix together and serve.

Cream corn is also a really good side dish that costs about one dollar at Wal-Mart. So here is a wonderful dinner already planned for you and your boyfriend/girlfriend. Here is to a night full of food!

Simple Vegetable Soup

If you are like I am, you are prone to get the runny nose, sinus pressure, and disgusting cough once the weather begins to change at the beginning of fall. When you are sick like this, you generally do not feel like cooking anything or really eating anything for that matter. But as we all know, you have to drink a lot of liquids and eat some healthy soup to help you get better. A lot of people generally go for chicken noodle soup, but unless it is Chik-fil-A's Chicken Noodle Soup, I usually do not care for it. So my go-to soup is Vegetable Soup. You can choose to put any kind of vegetable you want in it such as: green beans, sweet peas, carrots, onion, potatoes, celery, lima beans, etc. But here is what I put in my version of Vegetable Soup:

• One pound of round cut steak
• Two cups of water
• Six beef bouillon cubes
• One can of corn
• One can of sweet peas
• One can of sliced carrots
• One-quarter cup of diced onion
• Two teaspoons of vegetable oil

Once you have all of these ingredients or which ever canned vegetables you prefer, here are the steps that you need to follow in order to make this delectable soup:

1. On a cutting board, you will need to cut the steak into cubes.
2. In a saucepan, combine the vegetable oil and the steak over medium heat and cover.
3. After a few minutes, add the onion and uncover to complete the cooking process.
4. Allow steak to cook until there is no more pink and the onion is translucent. 
5. Then, in a big pot, combine the cans of corn, sweet peas, and carrots.
6. Over medium-high heat begin to bring the mixture to a boil along with the bouillon cubes.
7. Once the mixture has been brought to a boil, add the two cups of water and the cooked onion and steak.
8. Decrease the heat to medium heat and cover.
9. Allow it to cook for ten minutes until bouillon cubes have dissolved.
10. Let cool and then serve.

This soup makes more than enough to last you for several days of sickness. It is really good if you make some homemade cornbread with it. The cornbread makes it very filling. This soup is sure to help you feel better!

Chicken and Dumplings

Now that we are at the beginning of football season, many people are getting ready to start throwing football parties! College students will be making their decisions of which football games they will be attending, which games they will be tailgating at, and which games they will host football parties for. When I throw football parties, I usually have everyone bring a finger food to accomodate a main entree, of which I will provide. One main dish that is usually a crowd pleaser is chicken and dumplings. Chicken and dumplings are also extremely easy and cheap to make. They are also helpful when trying to feed many people or just a few people. In order to make this inexpensive, delectable dish, you will need the following:

• Two cans of white meat chicken breast, the big can
• Two cans of cream of chicken soup
• Two cans of chicken broth
• One package of white flour tortilla shells
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Once you have acquired all of these ingredients, you can now begin your journey to making of this savory dish! These are the steps that you will need to take:

1. In a large pot, over medium heat, combine both cans of chicken and both cans of chicken broth.
2. Once the mixture has been heated, then add the cream of chicken soup.
3. After you have added the soup, increase the heat of the stove to medium-high.
4. The goal is to bring the mixture to a boil.
5. Meanwhile, take out five tortilla shells and cut them vertically into one inch strips.
6. Once you have done this, then cut them down the middle, horizontally in half.
7. After the mixture has came to a boil, begin adding the strips just a little bit at a time until all of the strips have been added to the pot.
8. While you are adding the strips a little at a time, DO NOT STIR.
9. Instead of stirring the mixture, just move the pot back and forth, very carefully.
10. Add salt to taste and pepper to taste.
11. Let the dumplings cook for about eight to ten minutes.
12. Remove from heat.
13. Let cool for 4 minutes.
14. Serve and watch everyone be exceptionally pleased. 

Some great finger foods that most people like to eat with this dish includes pigs and a blanket and rolls. I personally like to make apple turnovers to go with it, kind of like a dessert. Regardless of what the occasion is, chicken and dumplings are always a delectable favorite!

Welcome Back!

Hello everyone! Now that the fall semester has started back, I will continue to post affordable, easy recipes. So be looking out for some delicious recipes this week!

Daddy's Corn Casserole

Everyone has that one favorite side dish that they absolutely love! My favorite side dish would be my daddy's corn casserole. I know some of you may not be into cheese products, but I certainly am in love with any type of cheese! Beware! This recipe includes tons of cheese! I hope you enjoy this wonderful side dish whether it be with Thanksgiving dinner or hamburger steak!

Ingredients:

• 4 cans of white shoepeg corn
• 1 package of crackers, crushed
• 4 cups of sharp shredded cheese
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup

Steps to making this wonderful dish:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Drain corn, then empty in a large bowl.
3. In a pan, melt butter over medium heat.
4. While butter is melting, pour crushed crackers into the large bowl with the corn.
5. Then, mix together the crackers and the corn.
6. Once butter is melted, pour the butter into the bowl with the corn mixture.
7. Stir.
8. Then add the cream of chicken soup to the mixture and stir.
9. Then add the sour cream to the mixture and stir.
10. Add 2 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese to the mixture and stir.
11. Place the mixture in a 9x12 casserole dish.
12. Put the remaining amount of the cheese on top of the casserole evenly
13. Cook the casserole for 45 minutes to one hour or until golden brown and bubbly on the top.

I hope that you enjoy this wonderful dish and I hope that it helps you bring your family together for an exciting dinner!

Seafood Gumbo is part of Louisiana cuisine and has been for many years. It has grew to be a favorite by many, especially people from the South. This dish has a spicy kick to eat while also having a smooth seafood taste. It has been used to draw crowds in through competition by doing Gumbo cook offs. Now I will share with you my way of making Seafood Gumbo.

Ingredients:

• one box of Zatarain's Gumbo Mix with Rice
• half of one onion, chopped
• salt  to taste
• pepper to taste
• one bag of medium frozen shrimp, uncooked
• one package of smoked sausage
• one package of crab meat, cooked

Directions:

1. Boil water as directed on the box
2. Then add the gumbo mix and cook until rice is half way done
3. Then add onion
4. Let cook for 10 minutes or until rice is finished cooking and is tender
5. Then add uncooked shrimp
6. Let cook until shrimp is no longer translucent
7. Then add smoked sausage
8. Let cook for about 5 minutes
9. Then add cooked crab meat
10. Let cook for an additional 5 minutes
11. Serve

Enchilada Casserole

My mom mentioned to me one time that she had came across a recipe that tasted like enchiladas, but did not require all of the hassle of trying to roll the ingredients into a tortilla shell like real enchiladas and was more filling, while feeding larger quantities of people. If you are having a bunch of friends over or are just celebrating Cinco de Mayo, this recipe is ideal for a Mexican occasion.

Ingredients:

• 14 ounce jar of Enchilada Sauce
• 3 cups of Monterey Jack Cheese
• 6 corn tortillas
• 1 can of refried beans
• 1 cup of brown rice
• 2 chicken breasts

1. Cook chicken until thoroughly cooked, then cook for 5 minutes covered in enchilada sauce on medium heat.

2. Meanwhile, bring boiling pot to boil and begin cooking rice. Preheat oven to 375 F.
3. Once chicken and rice has cooked, mix in 1 cup of the Monterrey Jack Cheese and refried beans with chicken and rice.

4. Grease casserole dish and begin layering the casserole.

5. First you want to place one tortilla shell in the bottom of the pan, then layer the chicken mixture on top of the tortilla shells, then cheese.

6. Continue to layer the mixture as follows: tortilla shell, chicken mixture, cheese, tortilla shell, chicken mixture, cheese, etc.
7. After it is all layered, place in oven for 35-45 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.

8. After it is done, take out of the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes then serve.

This dish goes exceptionally well with whole kernel corn and tortilla chips and salsa! I believe that this dish does well when you want to put a Mexican twist on dinners at home. I personally believe that many Americans love to change dishes up every now and then and allow other cultural foods to become part of their diet. It does not always have to be Mexican, it can also consist of Chinese, Thai, and German foods. According to http://apt11d.com/2014/02/why-americans-pay-so-much-for-housing/, about 13% of money is spent on food, so everyone might as well spend it on foods that they are going to thoroughly enjoy!