Mexican Lasagna

I've heard this called lots of things but I call it Mexican Lasagna. This is a super-easy recipe I got from my sis-in-law. It is so hearty that you can only eat one piece.

image from here

You'll need:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (I brown it with a little diced onion)
1 packet taco seasoning
Let this simmer for a few minutes.

10 flour tortillas
1 c. sour cream
2 c. salsa
2 cans corn, drained
2 c. shredded mozzarella
2 c. shredded cheddar

You will use half of everything to make two layers (just like lasagna, hence the name!). Start with 5 tortillas. I cut them in half and stack them up, then cut them in 1 inch strips. Pam a 9x13 and cover the bottom with the tortillas. I just sort of throw them in randomly. I'm wild like that. Spread 1/2 of the sour cream and salsa over the tortillas. Spread one can of corn and half the ground beef. Cover with 1 c. cheddar and 1 c. mozzarella. Now repeat it all again. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove the tinfoil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let it sit for 5 minutes before you cut it into pieces.

You can use medium or hot salsa if you like it a little spicy, but I am super boring and I use mild for my fam. I hope you will try it for dinner and let us know what you think!! Enjoy!

P.S. I was being a lame-o and forgot the last half of the meat and that's why my pic looks so strange. Please excuse that!

Giveaway *WINNERS*

The *WINNER* of the "Home Baked Family Favorites" recipe book is:

dlpower who said...

New follower! Heard about your site from a friend. Love it. I would love cookbook #1. I love using Rhodes Rolls on Sundays for family dinners. Delicious

The *WINNER* of "Kids' Ideas with Frozen Dough" is:

Tauna who said...

I became a follower even though I have been following for awhile, I want the kid's ideas

CONGRATULATIONS!

Please contact us at howetocook@gmail.com with your mailing address!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Cheesy Potatoes

I know there are a million versions/recipes out there for cheesy potatoes, but when Aunt Di passed this one on my mom we all thought we were in heaven! Now, they are FOR SURE a family favorite. Mmmmm......

(image found here)

2 pks grated hashbrowns (we prefer Simply Shreds!)
1 cube of butter
1 bunch of green onions
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
16 oz. Sour Cream
Lots of grated cheddar cheese (I would guess 2-3 cups!)

**Chop onions VERY fine and sautee in butter until onions look clear
**Mix soup and sour cream together, add cooked onions and butter
**Pour over hash browns (either frozen or thawed) and stir together.
**Sprinkle in cheese and salt and pepper until it looks plenty cheesy!
**Bake at 350 for 1 hour (plan an extra half hour if they are frozen!) Stir occasionally as they cook!

Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!

PS, Don't forget to enter our giveaway here!

Giveaway Reminder. Woo!

Don't forget about our giveaway! It ends tomorrow night, so go enter!

Check it out here!

Meal Tip Monday--Cooking for Two

When cooking for two, simply cook less food. It sounds simple, but so often I hear young couples my age talk about not wanting to cook because of the mass amount of leftovers. We usually eat the meal and have enough leftovers for one or both of us to have for lunch the next day, simply because I half almost every recipe I make. Very seldom do I throw out leftover food. So if your recipe calls for a 9X13 pan, make it in an 8X8. If it call so for 2 cans of something, only use one. Like I said, it sounds simple and maybe seems silly or even down right dumb to even mention, but I think it's one of those things we don't always think about. So don't live on frozen pizza just because you don't like leftovers; just cook less!

P.S., Don't forget to enter our giveaway here!

Giveaway!

Is there anything more fun that winning free stuff?

I submit that there is not!

Today's giveaway is brought to us by Rhode's Bake-N-Serve! Because we've posted a few recipes in which we use Rhodes dough, Rhodes sent us some free cook books and coupons. How nice is that?! We figure we shouldn't hog them, so we're giving them away to you instead! We have two different cook books to give away, so we'll choose 2 winners. That just doubled your chances of winning!

Cookbook #1--Home Baked Family Favorites

Cookbook #2--Kids' Ideas

The Family Favorites has some yummy looking recipes, and the Kids' Ideas has some really fun recipes! And, bonus, both books include coupons for .50, $1, and $2 off Rhodes dough! That alone makes it worth it, right? :) Both are great and will be fun to have. So let's get to it and enter already!

There are 3 ways to enter; you can enter 3 times!

(Please leave a separate comment for each entry.)

#1--Become a follower and leave a comment letting us know. If you are already a follower, you can still enter! Just leave us a comment letting us know!

(If you don't know how to become a follower, check out our sidebar

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See where it says "Follow" and then below it there are small pictures of our followers? Just click that gray "Follow" button, it will ask you to enter your email address, and click done. You are now a follower of Howe to Cook!)

#2--Tell us your favorite way to use Rhodes frozen dough.

#3--Blog, Facebook, or Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment letting us know.

Make sure that in each comment you let us know which cook book you are hoping to win. Giveaway ends Wednesday night at midnight.

Good luck!

Mexican Crock-Pot

This recipe comes from our fabulous sister-in-law, Tif. I am all about an easy throw-it-all-in-the-crocker-and-go kinda meal, so I was happy to be introduced to this one. I have heard of a few names and variations of it, but here's how I do it. I put this in yesterday around 11:00, and by noon my house already smelled delicious! The other thing I like about it is that it's versatile; you can eat it in a tortilla with cheese, avocado, and sour cream (that's what we do), you can eat it like you would eat taco soup--crunch up some Frito's or tortilla chips on top, or you can eat it over rice. Either way, it is delicious! And the best part is, it makes quite a bit and the leftovers are yummy. I really don't think you can go wrong with this one!

image found here

Ingredients

2 cans corn, drained

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1/2 jar salsa (1-2 cups)

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

I layer it in the order of the ingredients, but I really don't know that the order matters. Cook on low all day. Mine cooked for about 7 hours. My chicken was frozen, and it turned out perfect. If your chicken wasn't frozen, it would probably take 4-5 hours. Stir everything together, shred your chicken using a fork, and eat it up.

You won't be disappointed. Trust me.

Monterey Chicken

I got this recipe from our new Ward Cookbook. This particular recipe comes from one of the *sweetest* people in my ward!

(Thanks, Heather!)

(image from here)

Here's what you need:
4 chicken breasts
8 pieces of cooked bacon
BBQ sauce (We LOVE Sweet Baby Ray's!)
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

**Pound chicken breasts out until they're pretty flat
**Spray a frying pan (or grill pan) with Pam and cook the chicken seasoning it with salt and pepper.
**Place cooked chicken on a baking sheet. Top with BBQ sauce, 2 strips of bacon, and both kinds of cheese.
**Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly.

**Top with chopped tomatoes and chives or green onions!

Meal Tip Monday: Speedy Rolls

If you haven't noticed by now, we Howe girls use frozen roll dough for everything. O.K, let me rephrase, not for everything...but alot. And more times than not when planning to use it, I am running late, behind schedule, and forgot to pull out my dough in enough time to thaw and raise. So, I have had to get creative. I will let you in on my amazing little secret that we sisters all now LOVE!

Pull your rolls out and put them on a plate. Microwave the rolls for 1 minute. Check to make sure they're not completely thawed or they will start to bake. Turn over and zap for 30 - 60 sec. By this point they should be soft enough to stretch for scones or pull into breadsticks. If making rolls and you want them to rise quickly, here is what I do. I turn my oven on and let it heat up. Then I open the door and set the pan on the door. They raise really quickly from the heat but don't bake. If you have little ones and can't leave the over door hanging open, follow the instructions on the bag which tell you to heat up your oven, then turn it off and put the rolls inside to rise. Happy Baking!

Easy Peasy Chili

This is a super quick and easy chili that I love to make (and it also happens to be very yummy). I am sure there are even better recipes out there, but every one I have ever looked at is super complex and would take way too much time!

You will need:

1 lb. hamburger
1 sm. onion, chopped
2 cans chili beans in sauce
2 cans diced, stewed, or whole tomatoes
1 scant T. chili powder

In an large pot brown hamburger and onion until done. Add beans, tomatoes, and chili powder. Simmer 15-20 minutes. Serve with diced onion, cheese, and sour cream. I always make corn bread with this too, but that's just me. Enjoy!

Symphony Brownies

What would we do without the internet/blogs on which to find new recipes to indulge our cravings and expand our waistlines? I saw these on a blog and the next thing I knew they were in my oven baking for the Superbowl party we went to. They are super rich, but oh-so-divine!

Here's what you need:
1 box of brownie mix
3 King Size Symphony bars
(You can use the ones with or without the nuts and toffee.)

Here's what you'll do:
**Mix brownie mix as per the instructions on the box.
**Pour half of the brownie mix into the bottom of a Pammed 9x13 baking dish.
**Lay the symphony bars on the batter.

**Spread the remaining batter over the candy bars.
**Bake as directed on the box.

Oh. My. Goodness!!!