The best mac and cheese of your life!

This is from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and it's the best mac and cheese I've ever made. My kids are obsessed, and it's super easy. After making it several times I've adjusted the water to what finally worked for me (the first time the noodles weren't cooked all the way because there wasn't enough liquid). Seriously, this stuff is divine. 

4 c. water

1 can evaporated milk

12 oz. (3 c) pasta (this is not a whole box)

*I've made this with macaroni noodles but we all prefer shells!

1 t. cornstarch

1/2 t. dry mustard

1 1/2 c. shredded monterey jack cheese

1 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 T. butter

In a skillet, combine water, 1 c. of the evaporated milk, and noodles. Bring to a boil and keep boiling, stirring often, for 9-12 minutes (until pasta is done and most of the liquid has thickened). While it's cooking, pour the rest of the evaporated milk in a bowl and add dry mustard and cornstarch. Stir it all together until combined (use a fork or small whisk). Once noodles are done, pour into skillet. Stir/boil for another minute until all combined and thickened. Turn off heat and add cheese and butter. Season with salt and pepper. 

Baked Potato Bar

I know, a baked potato with toppings is a pretty simple, no duh meal.  But it's one that my whole family loves, and is so easy to do!  Here is my favorite way to make this simple dish.  (picture credit: the yummy life. My camera is missing today, so I googled a yummy looking image!)

Wash and dry as many potatoes as your family needs.  Russet are the best for this.

Rub the outside of the potatoes in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and lay them on a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with sides) lined with foil.  Poke them with a fork.  (Do not wrap the potatoes in foil, they taste better this way!)

Crack fresh salt and pepper on the outside of the potatoes, and then bake at 350 degrees for about an hour, more depending on the quantity and size of your potatoes.

While baking, prep the following toppings:

Shredded cheese
Bacon, cooked and crumbled
Chili
Green onions

Broccoli & Cheese Sauce: (quick and easy!)
I buy the Ragu cheddar cheese sauce in a jar (in my store, it's by the spaghetti sauces)
Steam or cook your broccoli until almost soft.  Add the cheese sauce, and heat through.

Sour cream, butter, salt, and pepper.

Once potatoes are soft, remove from oven, cut open and top as desired!

Red & White Pasta

This is like the best of both worlds right here- a pasta baked with marinara AND alfredo! It's my favorite casserole and is practically the definition of comfort food. Seriously, I always have seconds and still end up picking at the pan. There's no meat in it, but you could easily add ground beef or diced chicken. Casseroles are really hard to photograph so here's a before picture.

Bottom layer:
16 oz box penne, cooked and then mixed with one jar of spaghetti/marinara sauce
(I'm in love with Kroger's parmesan & romano pasta sauce- it's so, so good)
Spread the pasta/red sauce into a 9x13 dish

Top with white sauce:
4 T butter, melted in a pan
1 c. Evaporated milk (I've used milk tons and it's fine)
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c to 1 c. Parmesan cheese (I use a Parmesan/Romano blend that I grate with my microplane)

Let white sauce simmer until it thickens a little, then pour evenly on top of noodle/red sauce mixture.

Top with 2 c mozzarella cheese, and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until bubbly and a little crispy. 

Alfredo Sauce

Most of the recipes I try come from Mel's Kitchen Cafe or Our Best Bites. You really can't go wrong with either! This one's from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, and I've made it three times. My kids love it, and it's super easy.

2 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press (I used garlic powder)

4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into 6 pieces
1 cup milk
3 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste, if needed

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium pot or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, taking care not to let the garlic burn. Add the cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. It will look curdled at first, but with constant whisking for 2-3 minutes, it should come together to form a smooth, creamy paste. Add the milk gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking quickly and constantly until each addition is incorporated fully into the sauce. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt. Stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the desired consistency. Cook for 2-3 minutes for a thicker sauce or remove right after the cheese is melted for a thinner sauce. Serve immediately over hot, cooked noodles.

Pizza on the Grill!!

SOO yummy and it's so much fun to grill your pizza! Great way to spice up the BBQ menu.
1 (.25 ounce) pkg active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 pinch white sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon chopped basil (fresh is best)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
Pizza sauce/tomato sauce
Shredded pizza cheese
Pizza toppings
(pepperoni, olives, tomatoes, mushrooms, pineapple, ham, jalapenos, peppers, onions,
etc)

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, and mix in sugar. Proof for ten minutes, or until frothy. Mix in the salt, olive oil, and flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, and cover with a damp cloth. Set aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down, and knead in garlic and basil. Set aside to rise for 1 more hour, or until doubled again. 

Preheat grill for high heat. Heat olive oil with garlic for 30 seconds in the microwave. Set aside. Punch down dough, and divide in half. Form each half into an oblong shape 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick. 

Brush grill grate with garlic flavored olive oil. Carefully place one piece of dough on hot grill. The dough will begin to puff almost immediately. When the bottom crust has lightly browned, turn the dough over using two spatulas and move to nearby table/workspace. Working quickly, brush oil over crust, and then brush with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce. Arrange toppings as desired. Sprinkle with cheese. Close the lid, and cook until the cheese melts. Remove from grill, and set aside to cool for a few minutes while you prepare the second pizza.
Note:  I doubled this recipe and made about 10 personal size pizzas that were gobbled up! :)

Stuffed Pizza Rolls

We got this recipe from "Our Best Bites."

They were delicious!

Olive Oil

1 roll Pillsbury Pizza Dough (Or any other pizza dough)

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Pizza Toppings

Parmesan Cheese

Garlic Powder

Marinara or Pizza Sauce

Open the pizza dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface

Cut the dough into 2" by 2" squares or bigger

Place about 1 tablespoon of cheese in the center of the square

Place your toppings on top of the cheese

Pull the corners up on top and pinch close the roll

Place the rolls into a baking dish that has been greased by olive oil

After placing all of the rolls into the baking dish, brush with olive oil

Top with parmesan cheese and garlic (we put a lot of each on top)

Bake according to the dough's package or recipe

After they are done baking, dip them in the warmed marinara or pizza sauce and enjoy!

Creamy Tortellini Spinach Bake

There's not much to say other than we LOVED this! I found this recipe at Our Best Bites here, called Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce. I followed it exactly. Loved it extremely.

I've copied the recipe below. My only note is to keep in mind that this bakes in a 8x8 dish, so double it if you have a large family.

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce
Recipe by Our Best Bites

12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortelini (find them in the dry pasta aisle)
4 oz bacon or pancetta, (about 4 strips bacon)*
3 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced
2 Tbs flour
2 C milk
¾ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy)
1 medium lemon
2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.

Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain. Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest. Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute. Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth. Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.

While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon. Then cut lemon in half and remove juice. Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce. Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture. Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce and gently stir to combine. Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

* For a vegetarian meal, omit bacon.

Serves 4-6

Grilled Cheese with Pesto

I saw this recipe here at eat your veggies, peas. It looked so similar to my favorite sandwich ever- Cafe Zupas' Grilled Cheese- that I knew I had to try it. My picture just doesn't do it justice:

The girl who posted this recipe said she's had it for lunch every day for a week. I think I might have the same problem, because I'm pretty sure it's gonna be made again today. It's soooo good!

sourdough bread

mozzarella cheese

pesto

Brianna's blush wine vinaigrette

Butter the bread on the outsides. Brush 1-2 tsp vinaigrette on the inside of one piece of bread. On the other, spread pesto and top with shredded mozzarella. Press together and cook on panini press or George Foreman (that worked great for us).

Lemon Cream Pasta

This is my go-to recipe for dinner. I've made this a bunch of times lately, and it's safe to say it's my kids' favorite dinner. Besides the broccoli, but one of these days they'll eat it.

I played around with a couple recipes and came up with this. You can add chicken to this if you're on top of things- but I'm not usually and thus it's meat-free a lot.

12 oz. penne

4 1/4 cups water
2 1/2 cups chicken broth (I use granules+water)
1-2 cups broccoli florets (depending on how much broccoli you want)
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (from the can- I tried grating it fresh once and it actually ruined this dish)
Juice of one lemon (or more to taste)

In a large pot, add the pasta, 3 cups of the water, and the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is very thick and syrupy and almost completely absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If using frozen broccoli, add it at this step.)

Add the broccoli and the remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and is almost tender, 2-3 minutes.

Uncover and return the heat to medium-high. Stir in the cream, parmesan, (and the chicken if you added it) and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and everything is cooked and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grated parmesan.

San Francisco Chops (Crockpot)

Another hit from Mel's Kitchen Cafe! Super easy, super yummy. Because it cooks all day in the crockpot, the meat is so tender and flavorful, which was refreshing for pork chops. We loved it!

I followed the recipe exactly, but would change a few things slightly next time. She says you absolutely cannot omit the red pepper flakes, so I didn't. However, next time I would put about half that amount in. I was fine, but my kids said it was too hot. I might also reduce the soy sauce and add more water to make up for it. It was just too kicky for my kids.

This serves 4 barely! You might want to double for a bigger family.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick
Salt and pepper for seasoning
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

Hot Cooked Rice, for serving

In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden. Transfer the chops to the slow cooker. Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and golden (but not burned or it will turn bitter!). Stir in the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the meat is tender. If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker. Remove the chops from the slow cooker to a shallow pan or plate – they will most likely be falling apart in tenderness at this point. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the chops to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker heat to high and cook for 30 minutes to an hour longer, until the sauce is slightly thickened. If you want a super duper thick sauce, once you remove the chops from the slow cooker, pour the sauce into a pan and place it over medium heat on the stove. Add the cornstarch slurry and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thick. Add the pork and heat through.

Serve the tender chops over rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.

Vegetarian Southwestern Taco Salad

I totally forgot to take a picture, but I will make this again and then add one later! But in the meantime, here is just a generic taco salad picture, cause everything looks better with a picture!
I had everything for taco salad, and decided to add a few extras as well. It turned out so yummy!

Rice:
2 cups rice + normal amount of water (can adjust amounts for your family)
1-2 T taco seasoning
1-2 tsp onion powder (or use real minced onions)
1/2 can Rotel diced tomatoes
Put all together in rice cooker or pot on stove and cook as normal. Stir when complete.

While rice is cooking, get a pot ready on the stove to cook together until heated through:
2 cans rinsed pinto or black beans, or 1 of each!
1-2 cups frozen corn

Additional ingredients:
Tortilla chips or regular tortillas
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheese
Diced tomatoes
Diced green onions
Diced avocados/guacamole
Sliced olives
Salsa
Sour cream

Prepare salad with crushed tortilla chips, rice, beans & corn, and top with all additional toppings. So yummy!!!!!!!!

One more note: We eat very little meat around here. If you like meat, you can add ground hamburger to this, seasoned with some taco seasoning.

Fun Pizza Cups (Great for kids!)

Stacie here- I made these the other night. It's been a while since I've made them, and I had forgotten how much I love them. They are so yummy and SO easy!

1 tube refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits)

1 jar pizza sauce
Grated mozzarella cheese
Assorted pizza toppings (pepperoni, ham, cooked sausage, olives, mushrooms, pineapple, green peppers, zucchini, etc)

Roll out each biscuit and place in a muffin tin covering bottom and sides. Place 1 T of sauce in each biscuit, add toppings and top with grated cheese. Bake at 400° for 12 minutes. Makes 10 pizza cups.

Ham, Broccoli, and Cheese Rolls

I saw this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe last week and knew I was going to like it. On the day I decided to try it out, Carrie and I were talking while I made dinner. Pretty soon we figured out we were both making this recipe! I never did find out what she thought, but we LOVED it at our house! (This is Carrie, and we loved it. I used shredded Costco rotisserie chicken instead of ham and I think will always make it that way instead. It was very good!)

You can follow the link above for more detailed instructions and pictures. For just the recipe, read below:

*Makes 12-16 rolls

1 recipe roll dough (that yields about 12 rolls), I used this recipe
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
2 cups chopped ham (leftover ham or deli ham works great here) (Or shredded chicken instead of ham)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped broccoli
2 cups shredded cheese (I used mozzarella and cheddar)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup finely chopped green onions

Follow the recipe for your roll dough until the dough has risen. Punch down the dough and roll the dough out into a large rectangle about 1/2-inch thick (about 13 inches by 17 inches). In a small bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Spread the rolled out dough with the butter/cream cheese mixture. Top with the ham, broccoli, cheese, Parmesan cheese, and green onions. Roll the dough up, pinching the seam to seal. Slice the roll into about 1-inch segments. Place the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise until nearly doubled and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned and bubbly.

My note: I used frozen chopped broccoli, thinking it would thaw while the rolls were rising. Result: the broccoli didn't cook through. The rolls were still delicious, but if you use frozen broccoli, thaw it completely or even cook it a little.

Pioneer Woman's Pizza Crust

I have made LOTS of pizza, and this dough just became my favorite. It was light and yummy. Not too heavy or bready or thick. Soooo perfect!

1 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

Pour 1 1/2 c. warm water into bowl; sprinkle yeast over and let sit. In your bosch, combine flour and salt. With mixer on low speed, drizzle in the olive oil until just incorporated. Gently stir the yeast into the water and then drizzle it into the flour mixture. Mix until the dough forms a ball. Cover and let sit for 1 to 2 hours. You can also wrap in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Divide dough in half. Lightly drizzle olive oil on pizza pan. Using your hands, stretch dough into desired shape (do not roll). Add sauce and toppings. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until crust is golden brown.

*When I made this, I made one pizza and put the other half of the dough in the fridge. 3 days later, I took the other 1/2 out around 3:00 p.m. By 6:00, it was ready to bake! So easy!

Corn, Rice & Bean Burritos

1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh corn
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 Tbsp EVOO oil
Garlic & Herb seasoning
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
8 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese
salsa
plain yogurt

In a large skillet, saute the corn and pepper in oil and seasoning until soft. Add beans and rice and cook through. Spoon filling onto tortilla, top with cheese, yogurt and salsa.

This meal is very fast and easy. I made it, start to finish, in about 30 min including the time to cook the tortillas and the rice. I started my rice, then made everything in the skillet, and then added the rice when it finished. Enjoy!

Skillet Pasta with Broccoli and Cheese

I found this recipe on My Kitchen Cafe. Altered a few items, and fell in love with this dish. So easy, so yummy, and so pretty-looking too! I served with the Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread, which is super easy and delicious, too!
1 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped finely
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 ounces ziti (penne makes a great substitution)
4 1/4 cups water
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4-5 cups broccoli florets (depending on how much broccoli you want)
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped coarse
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (asiago cheese can be used, as well)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

NOTE: If you want to add chicken, follow instructions below:
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 1 minute without stirring. Stir the chicken and continue to cook until chicken is cooked and lightly browned around the edges. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl and set aside.

Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Turn the skillet to medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until the onion is softened, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the pasta, 3 cups of the water, and the broth. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid is very thick and syrupy and almost completely absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the broccoli, sun-dried tomatoes, and the remaining 1 1/4 cups water. Cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the broccoli turns bright green and is almost tender, 2-3 minutes.

Uncover and return the heat to medium-high. Stir in the cream, parmesan, (and the chicken if you added it) and continue to simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened and everything is cooked and heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing more grated parmesan at the table, if desired.

Baked Ham Sandwiches

These are the baked ham rolls from Jessie's baby shower. Yummy!

24 Pepperidge Farm Rolls (King Hawaiian Rolls)
1 lb baked deli ham sliced thin
12 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Dijon or Dijonaiise mustard

Sauce:
3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 stick of butter
1-2 teaspoons dried minced onion
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Cut rolls in half and spread bottom half with mustard. (This is much easier if you do not separate the rolls but cut the entire slab of rolls. It's okay if they are not perfectly even.) Place bottom section of rolls on a greased cookie sheet. Add layer of ham and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Replace top of rolls. Melt sauce ingredients in a sauce pan. Pour over rolls. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately.

These are very pretty and are great for showers or as appetizers.

Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese

(sorry about the bad pic - I'll try and take a better one next time)

Okay, here's the thing, I don't know any exact measurements.....

Cook your macaroni (or any fun noodle shape you like)

Butter
Flour
Milk
Grated cheddar cheese
Cottage cheese

In a separate pot make a roux by first melting about 1-2 tablespoons of butter. Then add about 1-2 tablespoons of flour and whisk until it's all combined. Let it cook for a second. Then pour in milk, gosh, maybe like ¾ a cup to a cup. I never measure it. Bring to a soft boil, then add grated up cheese (to your taste - about 1 1/2 cups or more!) sharp cheddar is awesome, so is Monterey-Jack. Once all cheese is incorporated gently fold in about 3/4 cup of cottage cheese (or more!)
Then drain noodles and put them back into the pot they boiled in for a sec. It's still hot and helps the water evaporate quickly. Then add your sauce over top, mix well and serve! This is VERY tasty with sliced, RIPE tomatoes on top as well.
For a fun twist put cheese fish crackers on top. The kids will love it!
Enjoy!!

Chili Verde Burritos

Dennis made this wonderfully delicious Chile Verde. It tasted fabulous and our house smelled divine while it was cooking! We did everything before church, brought it to a boil and then turned it down low and let it simmer while we were at church. Yum! We doubled this recipe and it made ALOT!

Also, you can serve this over fried potatoes or rice if you don't want to do burritos. Enjoy!

3 lb pork loin
1-1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 green pepper
1 small Anaheim pepper, seeds removed
1/2-1 jalapeno, seeds removed
3-4 small tomatillos, husked and washed
16 oz chicken broth
2 cans (4 oz) green chiles
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 Tbsp. Canola oil
1/4 C flour mixed with 1 Tbsp. ground cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne powder, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper

Trim as much fat off the pork as possible and cut into 1-2 inch chuncks.

Put the green pepper, anaheim pepper, jalapeno pepper, and the tomatillos in a blender and puree. Set aside.

Heat a large frying pan with the canola oil in it over Med.Hi heat.
Coat the pork with flour and spices and brown in the oil in frying pan. Do a few pieces at a time and when brown, put in pan (lg. stock pot) you will be cooking Verde in.Once the meat is done:

Fill the stock pot with chicken broth and add:
salt
pureed peppers and tomatillas
canned chiles
Cook on low heat.

In another frying pan, add the olive oil and onion and saute until the onion is golden brown, about 20 to 30 minutes.Add the minced garlic and cook for a couple more minutes. Add this mixture to the stock pot.
Partially cover and simmer on low for 3 hours. Stir occasionally.

Smothered Pinto Bean, Cheese, & Rice Burritos

This is one of those "go to" meals at my house. If I can't find anything else to eat, or I just don't feel like cooking much I can usually make this meal. It is yummy and easy and fast! Gotta love those kind of nights!

1 can pinto beans (or black or both!)
1 can enchilada sauce (I like Old El Paso-medium)
2 cups white rice, cooked (approx)
Shredded cheese
6 tortillas

In a small saucepan, heat the enchilada sauce. In another saucepan, heat your beans, including the liquid (don't drain!). Shred up cheese. Cook your rice. Warm your tortillas in oven, wrapped in foil. Place rice, beans, cheese, and small amount of sauce into tortilla. Wrap up, cover top with more cheese and smother with enchilada sauce. Enjoy your easy meal!