Taco Soup

A family favorite and easy to make. The kids always love it.
Serves 8-12

2 lbs hamburger
1 medium onion
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can black beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 can chili beans
1 can corn
1 can mexicorn
3 cans diced tomatoes
1 can of diced green chiles
Tortilla chips (optional)
sour cream (optional)
shredded cheese (optional)

Fry the ground beef. Then when browned, drain off the fat. Then add the diced onion. After the onion is browned add to large pot. Then add packet of taco seasoning.
Stir, and then begin to add beans, tomatoes, and corn. DO NOT drain. Pour all contents of can in. Set to low, continuously stirring. Finally when warm enough, pour into separate bowls and add cheese and sour cream and eat with a spoon or tortilla chips

**To make gluten/ casein free make the taco seasoning recipe linked above and skip on the tortilla chips, sour cream & cheese**

For freezer meal simply defrost and reheat in pan or microwave.

Aunt Moe's Sloppy Joes

Sorry I don't have exact measurements, but these are my all time favorite sloppy joes.

Serves about 8 (I think. LOL!)

l lb hamburger
1 standard can of Campbell's Chicken Gumbo Soup
ketchup
8 hamburger buns

Brown hamburger in a frying pan and drain off fat. Then add can of chicken gumbo soup. Add ketchup covering about half the pan. Mix together [breaking up bits in the soup] and warm about 3-5 minutes. Serve on standard hamburger buns. Enjoy!

Peanut butter & fudge swirl pie

(recipe from Kraft)

1 pkg (8 0z) cream cheese, softened
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c creamy peanut butter
2 c cool whip
1 oreo pie crust
1/4 c hot fudge ice cream topping

Beat cream cheese, sugar, and peanut butter in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gently stir in cool whip until blended

Spoon into crust; drizzle with fudge topping. Swirl gently with a knife.

Refridgerate 4 hrs or until firm, refrigerate leftovers.

Aunt Moe's Strawberry Pretzel Squares

My Aunt Maurine makes this for nearly every family gathering. It's always a big hit with everyone. I especially like it in the summer.

2 c finely crushed pretzels
1/2 c sugar
2/3 c butter
1 1/2 pkgs (8 oz) cream cheese (softened)
2 T milk
1 c cool whip
2 c boiling water
1 pkg (6 oz) strawberry Jello
1 1/2 c cold water
1 qt (4 c) fresh strawberries, sliced

Heat oven to 350. Mix pretzel crumbs, 1/4 c sugar and butter press into bottom of 13x9 pan. Bake for 10 mins and cool.

Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar, and milk til well blended. Stir in cool whip. Spread over crust. Refridgerate.

Add boiling water into jello mix in large bowl; stir 2 min until dissolved. Stir in cold water. Refrigerate 1 1/2 hrs or until thickened. Stir in strawberries; spoon over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 3 hrs or til firm.

Kitchen Sink Goulash

(Recipe From Recipezaar)
serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2-1 cup chopped onion
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup shredded cabbage (optional)
• 5-10 ounces frozen chopped spinach (optional)
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic (to taste)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 (26 1/2 ounce) can tomatoes
• 1 (10 ounce) can tomato soup
• 1 (10 ounce) can mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 ounces uncooked macaroni

Directions

1. Brown ground beef, set aside.
2. Cook all the vegetables in the same pan as the ground beef until onions are transparent, about 10 minutes.
3. Put in can of tomatoes, mash with potato masher, just until broken up.
4. Add ground beef back into pot, then cans of tomato and mushroom soup.
5. Season and add milk, bring everything to a gentle boil.
6. Add uncooked macaroni, cook for approximately 15 minutes.

Norwegian Lefse

My grandma used to make this for our family when we were growing up. Traditionally, this is a very long and labor intensive process, but I found an easier way... YAY! For those of you who don't know what Lefse is- it's like a potato based tortilla. Yum!

serves 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups of plain mashed potatoes
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon butter
• flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• vegetable oil

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl mix potatoes, milk, butter, salt and 3/4 cup of flour.
2. Kneed briefly on lightly floured board, adding flour to make the dough non-sticky.
3. Divide dough into 12 equal balls; roll each on lightly floured board into a circle paper thin.
4. Lightly oil a heavy skillet or crepe pan; set over medium heat.
5. Cook one at a time, until lightly browned, about one minute on each side.
6. Stack on a plate with a paper towel in between each one.
7. Freeze leftovers, and thaw throughout the year and enjoy a favorite anytime.

Hooray for Fruit Salad!

I'm already onto my summer cravings. I love fruit salad in the summer- this is a variant that I found online (at recipezaar) that's a lot like what I grew up on. Enjoy!

Serves 8

• 1 can fruit cocktail, drained
• 1 can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits
• 1 cup green grape, halved
• 2 bananas, halved and sliced
• 1 apple, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup maraschino cherries, halved
• 1 (16 ounce) bag mini marshmallows (I like the colorful kind)
• 1 container Cool Whip, softened (the regular size)
  
• 2 tablespoons coconut flakes (optional)

Directions

1. Drain all canned fruit into a collander.
2. Mix everything together and chill before serving