Upside-Down Pizza Casserole

So this is one of my go-to recipes when I am asked to take meals to a new mother, funeral, etc. It's cheap to make, easy, filling, and kids love it because it tastes like pizza.

Bon Appetit!

Jill B

From BHG

Prep: 20 min

Bake: 15 min

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups lean ground beef

1 15-oz can Italian-style tomato sauce (or Pasta sauce like Prego)

1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz)

1 10-oz pkg refrigerator biscuits (10 biscuits or 8 Grand biscuits)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large skillet, cook beef until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce; heat through. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle mixture with cheese.
  
• Flatten each biscuit with your hands; arrange the biscuits on top of the cheese. Bake in the preheated oven about 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden.
  

Makes 5 servings.

Oven-Baked Chimichangas

from My Kitchen Cafe (www.melskitchencafe.com)

I think this is our family's favorite new recipe of the summer. I've made it twice and will probably make it again soon because it is filling, delicious, cheap, and you can use any variety of protein or beans. I made it this way with chicken and with pork and pinto beans too. You can use steak, crock pot beef, shrimp, even lobster. I even thought about doing a breakfast chimi with scrambled eggs and sausage or bacon too. I skimped a little on the filling in each chimi and stretched the recipe to make eight.
Jill B

*Note: this recipe makes use of already cooked rice and chicken so plan ahead!

*Makes 6 chimis

1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 (16-ounce) can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice
2-3 cups diced, cooked chicken
1-2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (use the lesser amount for less heat, greater amount for a bigger kick)
1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese (or a combination of both)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and Pepper
6 large burrito-size flour tortillas

Key Lime Cream Cake

Adapted from Betty Crocker website
Can I just say that this may be my most favorite cake ever? It’s a WOW cake, and it’s not too fussy or difficult to make. Imagine Key Lime Pie in cake form and voila…Wow!!!!!

Jill B

Ingredients:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (15 squares)
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, melted
2 Tbs key lime juice
1 package Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® butter recipe yellow cake mix
½ cup butter or margarine, melted
2 Tbs grated regular lime peel
3 eggs
Creamy Key Lime Filling:
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 tsps grated regular lime peel
½ cup key lime juice
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottoms only of two round pans (8 or 9-inch) with shortening. Line pans with waxed paper. Grease top of waxed paper and sides of pan; lightly flour. Mix cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in medium bowl. Spread 2/3 cup of mixture in each pan
Add enough water to lime juice to measure 1 1/3 cups. Beat cake mix, softened butter, lime juice mixture, lime peel and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.
Bake 8-inch rounds 42 to 52 minutes, 9-inch rounds 36 to 46 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run sharp knife around side of pans to loosen cakes. Cool in pans 15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire rack, placing cakes crumb mixture side up and removing waxed paper from top of cakes. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
Place 1 layer, crumb side up, on serving plate. Spread with 1 cup Creamy Key Lime Filling to within 1/4 inch of edge. Add second layer, crumb side up; frost side and top of cake with remaining filling. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.
Method for Cream Key Lime Filling: Stir together milk, lime peel and lime juice in small bowl; set aside. Beat whipping cream in chilled medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Fold milk mixture into whipped cream just until blended.

Frozen Chocolate Mousse Bars

From www.makelifedelicious.com
I love, love, love this recipe. I would make it every day if I knew I wouldn’t turn into a mousse bar. They are rich, creamy, cool, and decadent. Just like frozen chocolate mousse. So yumm.y! A great FHE treat.

Bon appétit!
Jill B

Frozen Chocolate Mousse Squares

Ingredients
15 Oreo Cookies,
Crushed 1/4 cup butter or margarine,
Melted 2 (8 oz. each) packages Cream Cheese
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk 4 squares Semi-Sweet Chocolate,
Melted 1 cup thawed cool whip

Directions:
Line a 9-inch square pan with foil, with ends extending over sides of pan. Mix cookie crumbs and butter in prepared pan; press onto bottom of pan. Beat cream cheese spread in large bowl with mixer until creamy. Gradually beat in milk. Blend in chocolate. Whisk in cool whip. Spoon over crust. Freeze 6 hours or over night. Remove from freezer 15 min. before serving. Use foil handles to lift dessert from pan. Let dessert stand at room temperature to soften slightly before cutting to serve.

*For easy cleanup when crushing Oreo Cookies, place cookies in resealable plastic bag. Seal bag, removing all air. Crush cookies with rolling pin or wooden spoon. No mess to clean up!

Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo

Adapted from Coastal Living

Bon Appetit!

Jill BJ

Ingredients:

2 pounds unpeeled, large fresh shrimp
2 (32-ounce) containers chicken broth
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
Olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 celery ribs, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 to 3 teaspoons hot sauce
1/2 cup chopped green onions
Hot cooked rice

Directions:

Peel shrimp, reserving shells, and devein, if desired. Set meat aside.

Combine shrimp shells and chicken broth in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding shells. Set broth aside, and keep warm.

Cook sausage in a Dutch oven over medium heat until browned. Remove sausage; set aside. Measure drippings, adding enough oil to measure 1/2 cup. Cook oil mixture and flour in Dutch oven over medium-low heat about 15 to 20 minutes, whisking constantly, until roux is chocolate colored.

Stir in onion and next 3 ingredients; cook 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring often. Gradually stir in warm broth; bring mixture to a boil. Stir in bay leaves and next 4 ingredients; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 50 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in shrimp, sausage, and green onions; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Discard bay leaves. Serve over hot rice.