Recipes

Quilters have to eat too. Some quilter's families actually to expect them to quit quilting and feed them. Occasionally a group of quilters will hold a potluck meal, and they all can't bring ice cream, chips and pickles. These recipes should get you out of the kitchen fast and back to stitching.

Spoon Taco
1 package corn chips (10 ounces)
1 pound ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 onion, chopped
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (15 ounces) chili with beans
1 small head lettuce, shredded
3 tomatoes, chopped
10 ounces cheddar cheese, grated.
Crush corn chips evenly in the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.
Brown ground meat and onions in skillet, drain well.
Add tomato sauce and chili and simmer for 2 minutes.
Pour mixture over crushed chips. Then add a layer of lettuce, a layer of tomatoes, and a layer of cheese.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Yield 6-8 servings.

Time saver: Hamburger, chili mix may be made ahead and frozen, flattened out in a gallon zip bag so it will thaw quick when your pressed for time. Just simmer a bit while you are crushing chips and shredding lettuce.

Easy Burrito Casserole
6 frozen burritos
1 can enchilada sauce
1 cup grated cheese of your choice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place burritos in a 7x11 inch baking pan and cover
tightly. Bake for 40 minutes. Pour enchilada sauce over the burritos and bake 10
minutes more, uncovered. Top with the cheese and bake until melted.
If desired, top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, green onions and olives and a
dollop of sour cream.

Tip: recipe can be easily doubled and these are good reheated for an after school snack. Spoon individual leftover servings into microwave safe containers and be ready for those starving students.

Hamburger Stroganoff
1 pound ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter or olive oil
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder or one clove fresh garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 can mushroom pieces (8 ounces)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (10 1/2 ounces)
1 cup sour cream
4 cups hot cooked noodles
snipped parsley for garnish
In a large skillet, sauté ground beef and onion in butter, stirring often, until onion is tender.
Stir in flour, seasonings, and mushrooms including liquid. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Stir in soup and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.
Stir in sour cream and remove from heat. Serve over hot noodles and garnish with parsley. Yield 4-6 servings

Tip: Hot cooked rice or macaroni may be substituted for the noodles. Buttered toast, chow mein noodles or hashed brown potatoes are other options.

Salad mix in a bag and a bottle of your favorite dressing will round out any meal.

Ice cream for dessert. Slice it rather than scooping it, and drizzle with ice cream topping of your choice.

“Punkins” Cheesecake Pie
9 inch prepared graham cracker crust
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp sour cream  
Preheat oven to 325 degrees In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Beat in vanilla and eggs. Place about 1 1/3 cups of mixture in graham cracker crust. Leave surface bumpy and uneven. Reserve about 1/2 cup mixture, scooping it into a plastic sandwich bag and set aside Add pumpkin and spice to remaining mixture and spoon over cream cheese mixture and smooth with a spatula. Depending on the size of your crust, this might not all fit, so plop the extra in a custard cup to bake on the side. Add sour cream to mixture in sandwich bag and mush up to mix well. Cut the corner from bag and pipe “Punkin” stripes on pie surface. Bake 35-40 minutes until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate 2-3 hours or overnight. Yield:10-12 servings.