Monday, April 5, 2010

Spicy Cheese Sauce over Noodles

My sister shared this recipe with me awhile ago and it has become a regular for us!

3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 tsp chicken bullion granules (or 1 cube, crushed)
1 can Italian stewed tomatoes (blend it if you don't like chunks like us)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 tsp oregano
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb browned ground beef or shredded chicken (optional)
1 lb cooked noodles (bowtie, shell, penne, whatever you like- we use bowtie)

Melt butter in a large pot and stir in flour. Add milk, water, and chicken bullion. Cook and stir until thickened. Add tomatoes, seasonings, and meat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for a few minutes. Then add cheese and stir until melted. Serve over noodles. Yum!

Vegetable Bake

Vegetable Bake
1 16oz bag of broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mixed frozen vegetables
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of milk
1 bag of frozen onion rings

Cook vegetables according to your liking. Place in a baking dish. In saucepan over medium heat combine cream of mushroom soup, cheese, and milk. Stirring constantly until heated through and cheese is melted. Pour this mixture over your vegetables in the baking dish. Place onion rings on top. Place in the oven at 375 and bake until onion rings areto your liking.

Sweet Pork (Cafe Rio)

I also use this on homemade Cafe Rio Salads. It's SO EASY, and we LOVE it! It makes a lot, so I usually freeze the leftovers in a couple ziplocks and it makes it that much faster and easier next time!

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

Pork roast
1 Cup Salsa
1 Cup Brown Sugar

Cook in crockpot all day, and shred meat when it gets tender. Leave in for a little while longer so all the pork gets saturated with the sauce. This also makes good burritos.

Marinated Chicken

PERFECT for summertime! We use this on our homemade Cafe Rio salads too. YUM!

Combine in large bowl (this is A LOT, I usually half it):
2 cans lemon-lime soda
1 1/2 c. soy sauce
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Pour marinade over raw chicken. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours at room temperature or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator. Cook on grill.

*Make LOTS, it's excellent left over!

Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

To go along with the Cafe Rio rice and beans, this is THE BEST dressing ever!

4 tomatillos, husked
1 pkg. dry ranch dressing (3 Tbs, but I do less)
Juice from half a lime (I do more)
Handful of fresh cilantro
1 tsp. salt
1 jalapeno pepper with seeds (I usually only do a few seeds)
1 c. mayo

Boil tomatillos for 5 minutes to soften. Peel. Add all ingredients in blender and blend. Enjoy!

*The only bad thing is that this dressing doesn't save very well. The cilantro starts to overpower within about a day or so. But maybe I just add too much...

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Cilantro Lime Rice


Absolutely delicious rice, best served with Cafe Rio Style Black Beans.

    • Prep Time 5 Minutes
    • Cook Time 10 Minutes
    • Difficulty Easy

    Ingredients

    • 3 cups Water
    • 3 cups Rice
    • 2 Tablespoons Chicken Boullion
    • ¼ cups Fresh Lime Juice
    • ¼ cups Onion, finely chopped
    • 2 cloves Garlic
    • ½ bunches Cilantro
    • 1 can Green Chilies

    Preparation Instructions

    Mix all ingredients in rice cooker and cook.

    Friday, April 2, 2010

    BBQ Pork Ribs

    BBQ Pork Ribs or Roast
    This recipe is so yummy my father in law practically licked his plate clean when I fixed them for him!

    1 cup chopped onion
    1/3 cup of crisco/butter
    1 (8oz) can of tomatoe sauce
    1/2 cup water
    1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
    1/4 cup of lemon juice
    3tbsp. worchestishire sauce
    2 tbsp. prepared mustard
    2 tsp. salt
    1/4 tsp pepper

    Cook onions until tender, not brown though, in crisco/butter. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer 15 minutes. Pour over pork in a baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 until meat is done.