Ground Beef Stuffing

1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. stuffing mix
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4-5 slices provolone cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown and drain the ground beef.  Mix stuffing according to package mix.  Add ground beef and shredded cheese.  Pour evenly into a 8 x 8 (approx) baking dish.  Top with Provolone cheese.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until cheese has melted inside and out.

Comment:  This dish is so simple yet so delicious!  I've made this with chicken in the past but decided to try changing it by using the ground beef.  I cooked this without the mushroom soup so it isn't showing in the picture.  When I heated the leftovers up I added the soup.  That was even better but the soup is optional.

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
1 box spice cake mix
1 cup apples, peeled & shredded
brown sugar & cinnamon cream cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl add pumpkin puree.  Whip it to make it light and airy.  Fold in the shredded apples and then the cake mix.  Place paper liners in muffin tins and then fill each with batter.  Smooth the top of each muffin with a wet spoon.  The batter is thick.  Scoop out a place in the center of each muffin, and drop in one teaspoon of cream cheese per muffin.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until done.

Comments:  This recipe is based off on Rochelle's favorite muffin from Starbucks and sounded so simple and delicious, but of course I made a few changes.  First off, I didn't have a spice cake mix in my pantry but I did have a yellow cake mix.  To that I added 1 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice.  This didn't make it as spicy as the spice cake would be but I think I like it better.  It isn't overpowering.  The next change I made was to use plain cream cheese which I added about 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.  I probably put a bit more cream cheese than the 1 teaspoon called for but that turned out good too.

And the last change was to sprinkle the muffins with just a little cinnamon before baking.  My muffins came out perfect!!!  Not too strong in spice flavor, just perfect.  Next time I make these, and I will, I'm going to add some chopped walnuts.  This is a must make dish for the fall.  Oh yeah, I used 2 large granny smith apples to make a cup.

Spinach Quiche

1 3-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup half and half
3 eggs
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup grated cheddar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
4 to 6 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pie crust


Preheat oven to 425°. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in half and half and eggs. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is set, about 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Comments:  This is a recipe that I found online.  I love Spinach Quiche and out of all that I found listed this one looked perfect for me.  You can substitute milk for the half and half, gruyere for the cheddar and 1/2 cup finely diced red and white onions or shallots work well too.  This turned out delicious!

Strawberry Pineapple Cobbler

25-30 whole strawberries
1 can (20 oz.) chunk pineapple
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 x 2 baking dish with non-stick spray.  Slice strawberries in half and place on bottom of dish.  Evenly pour pineapple with juice over strawberries.  Top evenly with coconut and walnuts.   Sprinkle dry cake mix over everything.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and pour on melted butter.  Bake 45 minutes.

Pork Chop Potato Soup

4-5 boneless pork chops
2 Tbsp. oil
4 cups water
3-4 med. potatoes
4 more cups water
1 pkg. (4 oz.) instant potatoes with the works
salt & pepper to taste
cheese

Cut pork chops into 1/2" (approx.) pieces.  Put in a large pot with oil.  Saute on high until all has started to brown.  Add 4 cups water, cover and simmer until meat starts to fall apart (1-1 1/2 hrs. depending on meat).  Cut potatoes into cubes.  Add the other 4 cups of water and simmer until potatoes are done.  Add package of instant potatoes, salt & pepper.  Stir to mix.  Add more water if you want a thinner soup.  Sprinkle with cheese when serving.

Comment:  This soup came to me out of the blue.  I had a package of boneless pork chops that I had found on sale.  I spotted a package of instant potatoes with the works in the pantry and decided since it's cold outside soup would be good.  This worked perfectly!  I'll not change a thing when I make it again.  Well... I might add some chopped green onions.  Maybe a little bacon bits.

PP&J Cookies

This recipe is so simple that kids can even do it.  The ingredients are simple - peanut butter cookies and jelly, preserves or jam.  Yep that's it.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Simply make up your favorite recipe for peanut butter cookies (you can even use refrigerated rolls or store mix).  Form your cookie dough into 1" balls.  Spray the tins of a mini muffin pan.  Place the cookie dough balls into the bottom of the tins.  Press down to cover the bottom of the tins and a little up the side.  Press a dent in the center (this can be done with your finger if you don't have long nails but it needs to be round.  Just be careful and don't go all the way through.  Next, add about 1/2 tsp. of your favorite jam, preserves or jelly to each dent.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  Let cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes.  Using a large spoon, carefully run around around the edge of your cookie to loosen and lift out.  Place on a rack to cool completely.

These turned out so delicious!  You can actually do this with just about any cookie - chocolate (not with chips), sugar, etc.  You can use any flavor jelly/jam/preserves - whatever happens to be your favorite or your child's favorite or do some of both.  You can also do as I did and fill some of them with chocolate chips.  My food testers all loved these.  One said she simply couldn't quit eating them and ended up eating all 7 that I brought her.  This is a fun recipe to do with the kids, especially for the holidays.

Cheeseburger Pie

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup Bisquick mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a pie pan, 9 x 1 1/4", with cooking spray.  Cook beef, onion, peppers, salt and pepper in a skillet until beef is done.  Drain.  Spread in pie plate.  Sprinkle with cheese.  In a bowl mix Bisquick, milk and eggs using a fork or whisk until blended.  Pour over the meat.  Bake 25 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Comment:  Sometimes the best recipes are those that we've simply forgotten.  I remember making this dish years ago for my kids and we all loved it.  It's simple, quick, and delicious. You can top it with anything you like... pickles, mustard, etc. or do as I did and top it with sour cream.   I did, as usual, make a change.  I added the bell peppers.  I also used a cake pan instead of a pie plate but only because it has a device that runs around the bottom which separates the pie from the pan.  Give this one a try, again.  I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Ground Beef & Rice Casserole

(Original Recipe from  Cooks.com

1 lb. ground beef
1 cup rice (I used Wild & Brown Rice Blend)
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup (I used cream of mushroom)
1/4 cup celery
1/4 cup green peppers
1/4 cup onion (optional)
1/2 tsp. black pepper and salt (optional if using soup mix)
1/2 cup mild Cheddar cheese (I used 1 cup)
(I added 1/2 pkg. onion soup mix, 1 tsp. minced garlic & topped the dish with French fried onions)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown ground beef with salt & pepper.  Cook rice.  Saute celery, green pepper, onion (& garlic).  In a medium baking dish combine all ingredients and mix well.  Bake 30-35 minutes.

Comments:  I did this a little different.  I cooked my rice in a sauce pan.  When done I moved it to a large bowl.  I then brown my ground beef and added it to the bowl.  In the same pan I sauted my celery, peppers, onion, and garlic.  I added that along with the mushroom soup and onion soup mix to the bowl.  Blended well.  Poured into my baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray and baked for 30 minutes.  I then added the French Fried Onions and baked another 5 minutes to let them brown just slightly.  This is a super delicious dish no matter which way you make it. 

Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars

2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

(1/2 cup almond slivers & 1/2 cup coconut - my additions)

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Unroll 1 can of dough.  Place it in the bottom of an ungreased 13x9x2 glass baking dish.  Stretch it to cover the bottom and firmly press perforations together to seal.  In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and 1 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Beat in vanilla.  Spread over dough in baking dish.  Unroll second can of dough and carefully place it on top of the cream cheese layer.  Pinch seams together.  Pour melted butter evenly over top.  Mix remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the butter.  (I mixed the butter, sugar and cinnamon together allowing the sugar to melt in the hot butter and then poured it evenly over the dough.)  Bake 30 minutes or until center is set.  Cool slightly, about 20 minutes.  Refrigerate for easy cutting.  Cover and refrigerate any remaining bars.

Comments:  As you can see I did what I always do - add ingredients and in this case I changed one of the steps.  After I spread my cream cheese over the 1st layer of dough I sprinkled it with almond slivers and unsweetened coconut.  When it was time to add the 2nd roll of dough I unrolled it onto a chopping board, pressed my seams together and then loosely rolled it up.  That made it easy to unroll over the top of the almonds and coconut.  Mixing the butter, sugar and cinnamon together gave me a very even mix and with it being liquid I was able to use the back of a spoon to spread it better.  Now was this dish good?  It has gluten so I wasn't able to eat it but my food testers all begged for more.  I thought about doing this same recipe with a pie filling on top of the cream cheese.  That should be great!

Cherry Pie Cake

1 yellow cake mix
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 stick butter, melted
1 can (21 oz.) pie filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray.  To make the crust - In a medium bowl combine cake mix, eggs and butter.  Press into baking dish.  Spread pie filling over the crust.  Bake 40-45 minutes or until cake is done.  A toothpick will not come out clean in this so watch for a spring in the center when pressed down.

Comments:  I had a can of cherry pie filling, that had been forgotten, in my pantry.  The use by date was still about a year away but I didn't want to forget it again so I started thinking about ways to us it other than as a pie or cobbler.  I remembered some cookies that I make using a cake mix so decided to see how that would work out as a crust.  Boy did I hit it right!  I used the cookie recipe which uses the ingredients above but instead of making them into cookies I just pressed the mix into the baking dish to form a crust, adding the pie filling as a topping.  The flavor from the butter along with the cherry filling gives this dish such a rich flavor.  It's good hot, warm or cold and you can change the filling to your own favorite.  I can't wait to try this with strawberries or black berries or mixed berries or blue berries or, or, or----

Maifun and Shrimp

2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1  lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pkg. (6.75 oz.) Maifun Rice Sticks
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
sesame seeds

In a large bowl combine lemon juice, ginger, sesame oil, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Add shrimp and toss to coat.  Refrigerate 30 minutes tossing now and then to coat.  In another large bowl place Maifun Rice Sticks and cover with hot water.  Let soak 10 minutes.

Place shrimp in a single layer in a large frying pan.  Pour sauce over and cook shrimp until done.  Remove shrimp.  Drain Maifun and add to pan.  Add soy sauce and toss to coat.  Serve Maifun with shrimp on top.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Comments:  I had never used nor eaten Maifun Rice Sticks until I made this dish.  The original recipe called for bean thread but I picked up the Maifun by mistake so that's what I used.  Maifun has a chewy texture and it picks up the flavors of what it's cooked with very well.  I'm actually glad I made the mistake but you can also use the bean thread and even angel hair pasta if you want.  The recipe also called for the shrimp to be marinated in the sauce, with it being disposed of after removing the shrimp.  There was then another sauce made that had the same ingredients with the addition of the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.  I couldn't see wasting that delicious marinate so I decided to cook the shrimp in it and add just the soy sauce when I added the Maifun which was another step I changed.  Originally it would be just served on the dish with the shrimp on top and the 2nd batch drizzled over.  So, what it boils down to is that I shortened the time and ingredients of this dish and it still came out tasting absolutely delicious!

Shrimp Alfredo

1 lb. spaghetti or fettuccine
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 cups half-and-half
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 lb. shrimp, cooked, shelled and deveined
1/4 cup cheese for topping
Panko

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook spaghetti according to package.  Drain and add olive oil, tossing to coat.  Mix 1/4 cup of the half-and-half with the cornstarch.  Stir well and set aside.  In a medium saucepan add the remaining 1 3/4 cups of half-and-half and place over medium-high heat.  Stir in the garlic salt and nutmeg.  Bring to a simmer and then stir in the cornstarch mixture.  Cook for about a minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add cheese stirring until melted.  Add shrimp.  Pour over spaghetti and toss to coat.  Pour into 2 qt. baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.  Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese and Panko.  Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.  Serves 6

Comment:  I found a version of this recipe on recipe.com.  I made just a few changes.  For one, I had no fettuccine but plenty of spaghetti so I made that change.  The recipe called for Asiago cheese but I decided to use Cheddar which worked out perfect.  It called for 1 cup of frozen peas, thawed and since I'm not a fan of frozen peas I omitted that ingredient.  It called for jumbo shrimp which I have but I also had some pre-cooked frozen small shrimp.  I thawed these, pinched off the tails and they worked perfectly.  I also added the baking step, extra cheese and Panko.  This dish is really good and if you Think With Your Taste Buds you can come up with other variations such as using chicken instead of shrimp; using Imitation Crab which will really cut the cost;  using different flavors of cheese; and maybe even adding capers or olives for added flavor.

Buttery Sriracha Pot Roast

2 1/4 lb. beef chuck roast
1/2 pkg. Ranch Buttermilk dressing powder
3 oz. onion, sliced thin
2 tsp. Sriracha sauce
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place meat in a suitable pan.  Sprinkle Ranch powder over the top surface of the meat.  Next top with the sliced onions.  Drizzle Sriracha over onions.  Dot with small pieces of butter to evenly cover.  Top with a good sprinkle of black pepper.  Pop into oven without a cover and bake for about 2 hours.  Serves 4.

Comment:  This recipe came from Buttoni's Low Carb Recipes and when it was sent to me I had to give it a try.  I actually made a special trip to the grocery store to buy my roast.  I didn't know what Sriracha sauce was so I googled and found it's a chili sauce so that is what I used and I did add a little more than the 2 tsp.  I probably used about 3 Tbsp because I love the taste.  Other than that, I followed the directions completely.  This roast is simply delicious.  The onions, with the chili sauce are good by themselves but when combined with the meat, you have one fine dish.  I'm serving mine with potatoes that I'm boiling in the drippings that came from the roast and believe me, the way water is added to meat before we buy it, there is plenty of liquid for boiling.Check out this site for even more delicious recipes. 

Baked Potato Casserole

1 pkg. instant potatoes
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cottage cheese
2 cups shredded cheese (divided)
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (divided)
green onion tops, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a sauce pan heat evaporated milk and water.  Stir in instant potatoes, sour cream, cottage cheese, 1 1/2 cups cheese, 4 slices bacon.  Mix until well blended.  Pour into a 2 qt. casserole dish.  Bake 20 minutes or until cheese has melted and dish is bubbly.  Remove from oven and top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese, remaining 2 slices of bacon and green onion tops.  Turn oven off.  Return dish to oven and allow to sit 5-10 minutes.  Cheese will melt and the dish is ready to serve.

Comments:  The original recipe came from Carnation Evaporated Milk.  I used the package of instant potatoes instead of the 8 med. potatoes in the original version.  I added the 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and used an Italian cheese blend instead of the cheddar.  If you decide not to use the cottage cheese, no problem.  I added it for another taste.  This dish came out simply delicious.  The instant potatoes made it a lot quicker to make and it also give you a choice of adding other flavors by using different flavors of instant potatoes.  This dish is a winner for a quick after work, in a hurry dish!  Bet this would be good with a little broccoli added before baking.  If you decide to make this using real potatoes, eliminate the cup of water and mix your potatoes with the evaporated milk and sour cream using an electric mixer until creamy.

King Cabbage with Cheese Halo (vintage cookbook recipe)

5 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups cooked rice
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/3 cup milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup grated sharp cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook the cabbage in a small amount of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes.  Place the rice in a greased (I used non-stick spray) 1 1/2 quart oven dish.  Top with the cabbage (I drained mine).  Sprinkle with black pepper.  Mix together the milk and mushroom soup.  Pour over the cabbage.  Cover with the cheese.  Bake 40 minutes or until cheese begins to brown.

Comment:  This recipe came from an old cookbook I think may be dating in the 60s or earlier.  It's form a booklet titled Riceland Rice Cookbook.  When I made this dish I didn't use my shredder for the cabbage I actually shredded it with my knife, thinly.  I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this dish but it turns out that I did.  The cabbage taste is actually toned down a bit, I feel sure, by the blend of the rice and possibly the cheese.  The combination of all ingredients complement each other to a point that this dish is actually delicious.  This I will make again and may even play around with it a bit by adding another ingredient.  I really think a little corned beef added would be good.

Comment from Food Tester Carol:  I never could have imagined what this would taste like, using ingredients I'd never tasted together before.  somehow it all comes together and presents a dish that is tangy, just a bit crunchy and altogether pleasing.  No only does it look appealing in a casserole dish, but it easily serves as a main course for a meatless meal or a side dish that will complement a main meat entree.  This is not adventurer's food because it is not "far out."  It is something that has the feel of a comfort food of one's youth, hearty yet not heavy.  You must try this versatile recipe!

Taco Pie

Taco Pie

1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup chopped, mixed onions & bell peppers
6 oz. cream cheese, cut into chunks
1/2 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp. dry Taco seasoning mix
1 large can (8) and 1 small can (4) crescent rolls
1/4 cup (1 small can, drained) sliced black olives
1 cup cheddar cheese
Salsa

Sour Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a frying pan on med. high heat cook beef, onions and peppers until beef is done.  Drain.  Add cream cheese, sour cream and Taco seasoning.  Stir until smooth over med. heat.  Separate crescent rolls.  Place in deep dish pie pan, sprayed with non-stick spray, by laying them out like pie slices.  Press to seal seams.  Pour meat mixture into the pie shell. Bake 30-40 minutes or until crust is done.  Remove from oven and add black olives and cheese.  Return to oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.  Serves 6.

Comment:  This idea came from a recipe I found for Hamburger Pie in one of my older cookbooks.  I thought the concept would make a great Taco Pie.  The original recipe called for 1 can of crescent but that wasn't quite enough for my pan so I used 3 from the small can to make my full crust.  The Taco seasoning I used was the mild McCormick brand and I added until I had the flavor strength that I personally wanted.  You might want to add more or less, depending on your own taste.  The black olives were a last minute decision and they not only made the dish look good but also added a delicious taste.  And when I say mixed onions and bell peppers, I buy a frozen combination that is actually about 2/3 onion to 1/3 bell peppers.  This too is something you can adjust to your own taste buds.  I will say that the crust may not look as professional as a regular pie crust but the slight sweetness from the crescents are a great addition for the taste of this dish.

Comment from Food Tester Carol:  Imagine a flaky pie crust and a pie filling made up of the very filling you would make for tacos!  It's as simple as that and ten times more delicious than you can imagine.  This is the recipe that my family wants me to make every two weeks, a new family tradition!  Martha has simplified the recipe for us, starting with the crescent rolls used as the pie crust and the taco seasoning.  The taco flavors are all there form the ground beef and onions to the sour cream.  A truly delicious meal!

Tuna Mac and Cheese

8 oz. sea shell pasta
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup water
2 cups shredded cheese
2 cans (4.5 oz.) Tuna
French fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook shells according to package directions.  Drain and pour into a large mixing bowl.  Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and both cans of tuna.   Stir to mix.  In a sauce pan melt butter/margarine.  Add onions and cook until tender but not brown.  Stir in flour and pepper.  Add milk and water all at once.  Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened and bubbly.  Pour over shell mixture.  Stir.  Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish.  Top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese has melted.  Top with French fried onions.  Bake another 3-4 minutes.  Serves 6.

Comment:  I've made Chicken Mac and Cheese so why not Tuna.  I used my basic recipe for mac and cheese simply adding the tuna and sprinkling the top with the French fried onions.  This turned out delicious.  I would suggest using tuna firmly packed in water and not oil to give you the delicious tuna taste.  For changes you could add a 1/4 cup of chopped bell pepper to the onions, change the cheese to a sharper blend or maybe add a little Old Bay for an extra kick.  I used the evaporated milk for its richness but that can be changed to milk of your choice. 

Food Tester Carol:  I always feel that the briny taste of any seafood wakes me up , makes me more alert!  This dish puts sea shells on the map in triple force.  Here's why:  The briny taste of the tuna has a particular sharpness that just asks to be noticed.  What can match that but none other than broccoli which is there not because it's a vegetable but another sharp flavor.  Partner those two with the sharpness of Colby-Cheddar and you have a dish that is so perfectly balanced but tasting like triple energy!  Take care what you serve with it.  Choose something equally lively.

Lentil Soup

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 tsp. Creole seasoning
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes in sauce
1/2 pound lentils
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
6 cups water
4 beef bouillon cubes

In a 6 quart pot, heat olive oil.  Add onions, celery, and carrots.  Cook 5-6 minutes or until onions are translucent.  Add all other ingredients stirring well.  Cook 1 1/2 hrs. over med. heat or until lentils are tender.

Comments:  This was pulled from 2 recipes giving me the measurements of lentils and liquid.  I also used the ingredients of onion, celery and carrots but used my own measurements.  The cumin was also an ingredient in both recipes.  I did add the garlic, Creole seasoning, ground beef and beef bouillon.  I had no idea how this would turn out but I have to admit that it is delicious!  It doesn't taste like any lentil soup I've ever eaten since most include some form of pork and call for coriander.  Well my pork was frozen and I had no coriander.  No matter - this worked beautifully.  I didn't add salt due to the salt in the bouillon.  This does give you just a bit of heat form the Creole but not too much.  Think With Your Taste Buds and create your own recipes.

Food Tester Carol:  Lentil soup can sometimes be bland and the delicious earthen flavor of the lentils is lost, but not so with this soup.  The lentil base is enhanced by Cajun spices and cumin, just enough to give it some muscle, but not over-powering.  Ground beef and tomatoes in the soup act as if they are happily singing (or harmonizing) as part of this hearty, satisfying dish.  It's a meal in itself and just a few crackers will complete the meal.

Shrimp and Spaghetti

1 lb. shrimp
1 lb. dried spaghetti, broken
1/4 cup bell peppers, chopped
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups half and half, light cream or milk
1 1/2 cups American cheese shredded 

Cook spaghetti according to package.  

In large sauce pan melt butter.  Add shrimp and cook until pink.  Remove shrimp from pan and add bell peppers, onion and garlic.  Cook about 5 minutes or until tender.  Stir in flour, pepper and salt, to taste until well blended.  Add half-and-half all at once.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Add cheese, stirring until melted.  Stir in shrimp.  Add spaghetti, tossing gently to coat.  Serves 6.

Comments:  The inspiration for this recipe came from a recipe I found online for crawfish.  I substituted for shrimp, used spaghetti, added the onions and used half evaporated milk/half water.  I also eliminated the baking.  This dish is perfect without putting it into the oven, which I feel would dry it out.  There are many ways to make changes to this.  For one, you can use chicken instead of shrimp.  You can add veggies like broccoli.  You can add a little extra seasonings such as Old Bay.  Just Think With Your Taste Buds to make this dish your own.

Taco Beef & Rice Casserole

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 pkg (1.25) Taco seasoning
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes in sauce
1 can (14 oz.) corn, undrained
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 cups rice, cooked
2 cups shredded cheese
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In 3 qt. sauce pan, brown ground beef.  Drain and add back to pan.  Add Taco seasoning, tomatoes, corn, and cream cheese.  Mix well and heat over med. high heat until cream cheese has melted and mixture is smooth.  Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish with non-stick spray.  Mix rice and 1 cup of the cheese.  Spread evenly on the bottom of the baking dish.  Gently pour meat mixture over rice.  Cover with 1 cup of shredded cheese.  Bake 25 minutes or until heated through.  Sprinkle with crushed chips and bake another 5 minutes.  Serves 8.

Comments:  This recipe originally called for Philadelphia Santa Fe Blend Cooking Cream, which I couldn't find in my local grocery store so I made do by using the Taco seasoning and regular cream cheese.  It also used just part of the cream cheese in the meat sauce with the balance being added along with the shredded cheese.  I added all of my cream cheese and seasonings to the mixture.  I also increased the amount of cheese and tortilla chips.  The original called for 1 cup of each.  I eliminated the onions, only because I forgot them and changed from fire-roasted tomatoes to diced with sauce.  This recipe and my changes are the perfect example of Thinking With My Taste Buds.  And boy was this dish a hit with my food testers.