Michelle's No Bake Cookies

( Gosh I sure miss my bunco buddies!  I did 2 cookbooks in my 20 something years of Bunco with all our recipes.  Good memories!  Covid hit, and we never got back to it.  Life happens and I think we are all busy living it, but we sure made some good memories! 

This recipe is from Michelle one of our 

favorite bunco friends- I like this one because it doesn't call for peanut butter and it's more chocolatey,  my favorite!)

3 c. Oatmeal

1 c. coconut ( I have left this out as some of my family does not like coconut

12 oz. pkg. milk chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla -

**Mix these together

On stove, add :

2 c. sugar

1 c. butter

1/2 c. milk

**Heat and dissolve, then pour over the chocolate mixture and stir until chocolate chips melt, then drop by teaspoonful on wax paper. 

**Michelle puts hers them in the freezer, I usually don't

**Eat and Enjoy!!

 

Hostess Ribbon Cake

 

(This cake came from a mail order recipe card.  I love this recipe!  I make it a day ahead and keep in the refrigerator, it get more moist when in the fridge longer and was one of my most requested recipes)

*Grease and lightly flour a 9x13" pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

** Cream Cheese Layer:

2 Tbsp. butter (softened)

1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 Tbsp. milk or 1/2 and 1/2

(the original recipe called for 3 Tbsp.  But they have changed the texture of the cream cheese over the years, so I cut it back to 1 Tbsp.)

**Combine all ingredient in a small mixing bowl.

**Beat at high speed until smooth and creamy, set aside

**Chocolate Cake Layer:

1 3/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1 1/3 c. milk

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

dash of salt

4 squares (4oz) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

(can also use instead, 4 Tbsp. oil and 12 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa)

**In large bowl of mixer, combine all ingredients, beat at high speed for 4 min.

**Spread 1/2 of chocolate batter in prepared pan, spread with cream cheese mixture, then with remaining chocolate batter.

**Bake 350 F. for 50 to 60 min.  **It ha also baked for me at 40 min. so watch closely don't overbake!  It will be dry.  Test for doneness.  I use the toothpick method

**Cool completely.

**Frosting:

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. softened butter

2 squares melted unsweetened chocolate (2 oz.)

(or 2 Tbsp. oil and 6 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. powder sugar

**combine until smooth and fluffy

**Frost cake, I like to garnish with chocolate sprinkles for a pretty finish . 

**Keep in refrigerator

Pico De Gallo

 

(this is from a magazine and I have had it for a while, and finally decided to try it because I do love my pico!  It turned out sooo good! It's a keeper!)

3 to 4 fresh tomatoes, preferably Romas

1/4 large white onion

1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro leaves (and some tender stems)

1/2 jalapeno, seeds removed, finely chopped

1/4 tsp. sea salt

juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp)

Coarsely chop tomatoes and onion.  Place both in a medium bowl.  Add cilantro, jalapeno, salt and lime juice; toss to combine.

Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for tacos, burritos or other salsa worthy dishes.  

Makes 4 appetite servings or toppings

Mexican Dinner Casserole

(This recipe came from a newspaper, back in the day.  My young family liked this so much, I made it often )

1 lb. hamburger

1/2 med. onion (chopped)

1 can refried beans (16oz)

(I made my own from  home canned pinto beans, fried in oil with shredded colby/jack cheese and I add garlic salt to taste)

1/2 c. mild picante sauce (or salsa)

1 c. grated cheddar cheese

4 oz. Corn chips

Toppings :

1/3 head lettuce, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

guacamole (my homemade:  1 avocado, mayonnaise,  sprinkle lime juice over the top, garlic powder, and garlic salt to taste - I just eye it 

**Brown hamburger and onion, drain

spread in bottom of an 8 x 8 inch pan.  Mix refried beans with salsa and spread over ground beef, top with cheddar cheese and corn chips .  Bake in 350 F. oven until heated through about 20 minutes.  Top with tomatoes and lettuce and more corn chips.  I made homemade pico de gallo and used that as a topping too.

 

Erica's Wonderful Chicken

(This has been a family favorite since I got the recipe from my long time friend, Erica.  We have enjoyed many memories together which I will always cherish- we still get together for lunch every week and it's the highlight of our week)

*boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

- I filet them and cut them proportion size or you can pound them down so about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick

*Italian dressing 

- I use a cheap bottle one, but I do like the flavor of the zesty Italian one best.  

**Marinate the chicken breasts in Italian dressing for about 3 days  in the refrigerator- it penetrates the chicken and makes it tender and flavorful 

** Add flour to a plate

 When ready to use the chicken breasts, discard the dressing then coat  the breasts in the flour

** next you are going to make an egg wash:

- beat 2 eggs, add 1/4 to 1/2 c. sour cream and mix together - I have just added a little bit of water instead of the sour cream

**  1 to 1 1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs ( I use Panko bread crumbs and add 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning)    

** 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese (from the can) 

**Add the bread crumbs to the Parmesan cheese and put on plate

**dredge the chicken into this mixture

**heat up Olive oil and fry the chicken until it's done 

** Enjoy!  These are tender and delicious!

***You can also put them in the oven instead of frying them 

 

Navajo Tacos

(This is a good recipe I found in a small church cookbook - I liked this because I could use it as a Sunday meal, and leave the cooked meat in the crockpot on low - below I have my sister, Joann's recipe for the bread, but I originally used Rhodes frozen bread dough)

 **frozen bread dough

**Cooked Pinto beans, I used refried beans

**Sauteed Onion and garlic

**Grated cheddar cheese

**Diced tomato

** oil for frying

**Cooked ground beef

** Picante sauce, or salsa

**Shredded lettuce

** chopped  green onion

1. Thaw bread dough. Pinch off 2" balls of dough; then let rest for 1/2 hour.

2.  Melt shortening in heavy skillet and heat until very hot, almost to smoking point.  Do not let it get any hotter or bread will scorch.

3.  Fry one taco at a time.  Before frying, stretch each ball of dough as thin as you can by hand, preferably just 1/8 to 1/16th of an inch thick ( I didn't quite get mine thin enough).  You will end up with a thin circle 6 inches or larger in diameter.  If you have trouble stretching the dough this thin by hand you can roll it out, but the dough will not be nearly as light and puffy.

4.  Fry dough in oil for about 30 seconds, until puffy and golden, drain on paper towel.

5.  To make chili bean topping, combine cooked pinto beans, cooked ground beef, sauteed onions with picante sauce or salsa in proportions desired.  Simmer ingredients together for a short while.  Then ladle mixture over taco.  It aces as a kind of edible bowl.  Top with grated cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and green onion.  Serve with salsa.

Joann's Navajo Taco Bread recipe:

Mix following ingredients into a soft ball:

* 2 Tbsp baking powder

* 4 c. flour

* 1 tsp salt

* 1 Tbsp. Melted butter

* 1 c. milk

* 1 c. water.  

(Add more flour is it's too sticky)

--shape into small 8" thick x 4 " diameter circles.  Punch holes with fork and fry in oil.

Taco Cupcakes

 

(my daughter and her husband made these for my husband and he thought they were pretty good, so I searched the internet and found these, and I would say they turned out amazing!)

Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 375 F. 

* Wonton wrappers

* 1 lb. ground beef or meat of your choice, cooked and crumbled-there will be extra left over

* shredded cheese, I used Colby jack

** Line muffin tin with 1 Wonton wrapper, 

add beef, and cheese

**Add another wonton wrapper  and layer with

beef and cheese again.

**Bake in 375 F. oven for 17 min. or until wonton is crisp and browned

**Toppings: 

*chopped diced onion

*chopped diced tomatoes

*sour cream

*guacamole

*chopped lettuce

*salsa - whatever your imagination is!  

Makes 12 taco cupcakes! 

Enjoy!  Such a fun treat to eat!