Cowboy Spaghetti

This is a take on Rachel Rays cowboy spaghetti. It is pretty wonderful. You can serve it like traditional spaghetti or layer it with cheese and make it a baked spaghetti (which is how I like to do it.)

Cowboy Spaghetti: Serves a ton of Sasquatches. You can easily half it.

2 lbs. spaghetti noodles
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 lb. apple wood smoked bacon (is there any other kind?)
2 med. onions chopped
2 lbs. good ground beef (you know I grind my own. )
1 head (yes a head) of garlic chopped (we love us some garlic)
salt and pepper
4-6 tsp. hot sauce (this is just a personal taste thing. I like lots. You can always add more to your plate of spaghetti to amp it up.)
2 Tbl. Worcestershire sauce
1 (12oz.) beer
2 (14 oz.) cans crushed or chopped fire roasted tomatoes (I think the fire roasted is important. It imparts a great flavor)
1 (14 oz.) can tomato sauce
16 oz. sharp cheddar cheese

(Use a cast iron skillet if you have one. I just believe there is nothing better than the flavor a cast iron skillet gives food, particularly meat.)
Heat skillet up and add the 2 Tbl. olive oil. Cut the 1 lb. of bacon up into bite size pieces and fry in hot pan with olive oil. When brown remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Drain off some of the bacon fat so that you have a nice standing coating of grease left in the pan. Place hamburger meat in pan and spread out and let it sear before stirring. Add onions and continue to stir around the meat and onions till the meat and onions are almost cooked. Add the garlic and stir this around for 2 minutes. Then season with salt and pepper to taste and add the hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Stir and pour in the beer and stir this good. Let this cook for 1 minute and then add the cans of tomatoes. Stir to combine. If it seems too soupy let it cook down a bit. It should resemble this pic when its about right. Add back in the bacon and stir. You can turn off heat at this point and get the spaghetti noodles cooked. If you aren't baking it then you will want the noodles to be close to done when the sauce is. If you are baking it then you can just turn off the burner and get your noodles cooked. Drain spaghetti and pour meat sauce and toss. If your baking it then layer half a  9x13 pan with the spaghetti/meat sauce and top with 8 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese and then another layer of spaghetti/meat sauce to fill the pan and top with another 8 ounces of sharp cheddar. Bake at 350 degrees till hot and bubbly and cheese is melted on top. Because everything is usually hot when I put it together it never has to bake more than about 15 minutes. If you are not baking it then just serve it up with cheese on top of the individual servings. You can garnish with green onions if you are so inclined. ENJOY!

Chicken Ranch Tacos

sorry borrowed pic. I will post one of mine next time I make these. This is how they look. Wonderful.

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe yet. It is as easy as any recipe I have ever done. It is so good that my Sasquatches go NUTS every time I make it. I have found numerous versions for them (this is from Do you smell that.) This is the simplest and I can't scream this enough "DELICIOUS"!!!!!
Here is how you make them.

Chicken Ranch Tacos:
 (I think I triple this recipe.)
3 Cups chicken tenders (cleaned if you want. I have to remove that membrane that is in a tender but you don't have to.) Cut into small bite size pieces.

1 pkg. dry taco seasoning mix

1/2 Cup  bottled ranch dressing

taco shells ( I buy the heat and serve. Like I said I keep this easy peasy.)

TOPPINGS
shredded lettuce
cut up tomatoes
shredded cheese
extra ranch dressing for serving

Heat skillet up and add a small amount of oil. Fry the chicken till almost done and then sprinkle with the taco mix and continue to cook till chicken done and well coated with taco seasoning. Add ranch dressing and continue to cook a couple more minutes till mixed and hot.  Serve.
 Heat taco shells in oven according to package.
Serve chicken in shells and serve with toppings.
Enjoy, cause I know you will.

Chocolate Lasagna

This is delicious. I don't know for sure where I stumbled across the recipe. I have had it for a while and had been meaning to try it. So for my sons birthday I gave it a shot. It was too wonderful.
 I don't know why they call it chocolate lasagna. There are no noodles (not even chocolate ones) in it. Maybe because its layered. I dunno. Here's how you do it.

9x13 dish
1 pkg. of regular (not double stuff) oreos
6 Tbl. melted butter
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, soft
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbl. milk
1 (16 oz.) cool whip
2 lg boxes (5.9 oz.) INSTANT chocolate pudding mix
3 1/2 Cups cold milk
package mini chocolate chip morsels

1. Crush oreos in food processor till crumbs (no large chunks), remove to a bowl

2. Add the 6 Tbl. melted butter to the oreos and mix with a fork till combined. Press into pan. and place in fridge while you get the next layer made.

3. Mix cream cheese in bowl with electric mixer till fluffy. Add 2 Tbl. milk and the sugar and mix to combine. Fold in 1 1/2 cups cool whip. Spread over oreo layer and return to the fridge while you make the next layer.

4. In a bowl combine both boxes of instant chocolate pudding and 3 1/2 cups of milk. Mix with mixer on low speed for 2 minutes or till thickened. Spread over cream cheese mixture. Place in fridge for about 5 minutes.

5. Top with enough of the left over cool whip to have a good layer and then sprinkle as many of the mini chocolate chips on top as you like.  Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours (we found over night was the best)

cut and serve. It was very good.

Abuelo's Papas con Chile recipe

Not my recipe but I couldn't resist posting. I actually found this on Abuelo's Facebook page.
Abuelo’s Papas con Chile™
3 lbs. red potatoes
3 oz cream cheese – cut into 2" squares
½ cup heavy cream
10 oz Velveeta – cut into 2 " squares
½ TBS salt
¾ tsp granulated garlic
¼ cup sour cream
½ cup diced red bell peppers
½ cup diced green bell peppers
2 cans chopped green chiles
½ cup chopped green onion tops
2 TBS of finely chopped jalapeño – seeds removed

1.Wash and scrub potatoes until clean
2.Place potatoes in a pot covered with water and boil until soft.
3.Drain potatoes
4.Add the rest of ingredients and mash. Be sure all ingredients are incorporated.