Dottie's Savory Green Beans

 This is how my Hoosier mother made green beans. They are very tender and savory.

Ingredients
1 can Green Giant French Cut Blue Lake Green Beans (or any other canned or frozen green beans)
1 Knorr Bullion cube cut in half because it is a double sized cube. (or any other beef bullion)


Directions
Open can and drain liquid only into a sauce pan. Add bullion cube and bring to a boil. Stir in beans and simmer about 5 minutes. Serve and Enjoy!

Easy Baked Beans

Ingredients:
2 lb. cans pork and beans
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Teaspoon prepared mustard
4 slices bacon cooked till crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup sauted diced onion

Directions:

Cook bacon until crisp, cool, and crumble. Reserve a few tablespoons of bacon drippings. Saute diced onion in bacon drippings until translucent, drain. Combine all ingredients in a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and mix well. Bake in 325 degree oven for 90 minutes.

Leftover idea: Spoon beans on 1/2 hamburger bun, top with a slice of American or Cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese melts and bubbles. Serve with a tossed salad on the side.

Sherrie Goff's Salsa Bean Dip

This was the yummy bean dip that Sherrie served at Jennifer's bridal shower.

2 Cans Black Beans
2 Cans Kidney Beans
2 Cans Corn
3-4 Tomatoes
3 Avocados
1 Small Bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing, or a bottle of Zesty Italian made from the packet (I make mine with Raspberry Vinegar), or my variation of this recipe, I use Kraft's Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette.

Drain cans, cube tomatoes and avocados, combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve with chips, on a salad, or in a tortilla wrap.

Donna's Notes:

When using the Zesty Italian in recipies on this blog, I usually do not buy the bottled Zesty Italian. I but the dry Zesty Italian packets and mix it up using raspberry vinegar or red wine vinegar. For those concerned about "wine" in red wine vinegar, you need to understand that all vinegars are a result of the next stage in the fermentation process of wines, cider, beers, fermented fruit, etc. and are no longer alcoholic.

K. K. B. S.

My husband was making this, the little children came in and said, "OOOOOOOOOOOO that looks gross, what is it?" My husband smiled and replied, "Its King Kong Booger Snot, now go away." They did, but not for long. They came back when he was eating and asked for some. I do not like using the name so we call it KKBS. This way grandma and guests would not get grossed out by the name.

Ingredients:

Chili
Tortilla Chips
Monterey Jack Cheese

Directions:

Heat chili in a sauce pan and pour over a plate of tortilla chips. Top with shredded Monterey Jack Cheese. Microwave until cheese melts, about 30 - 45 seconds. Time depends on how much cheese you use. Serve on plate that you used to cook the concoction on. Serve with extra chips and small plates for people to put their portion on.

Chili Burritos

This is a quick meal, I used to call it Relief Society Night Supper. It can be made with canned chili, or with leftover Donna's Chili. Reheats well.

Ingredients:
Leftover homemade chili or 1 can chunky chili and 1 can hot chili
Flour tortillas
Grated cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 360 degrees. Heat chili in a sauce pan on the stove. Scoop with a large serving spoon about 1/4 cup chili onto a tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, roll, and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Continue until all chili is used. Top with cheese and bake 15 minutes. Serve with grated cheddar cheese.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a ziploc bag and can be eaten either cold or reheated. these can also be frozen.

Donna's Chili

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef
1/2 onion, diced

! lb can chili with beans and gravy
1 lb can stewed tomatoes
1 8oz. can tomato sauce

Grated Cheddar Cheese

Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

Brown beef and onion together. Drain. Add Beans, Tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer 30 minutes. Salt and paper to taste. Serve with grated cheese.

Donna's Italian Chicken Pasta Salad

Serves 6 one cup servings

Ingredients:
1 cup Chicken Chunks (fresh or canned)
1 cup Cheddar or Swiss Cheese chunks
4 cups of Italian Four Bean Salad

Directions

Mix all in a large bowl. Place in fridge to chill. 

Italian Four Bean Salad

This makes a huge salad for company. The salad, minus the dressing, can be frozen. Then serving sized portions can be thawed under hot tap water, in a colander, then tossed with Italian dressing.
Ingredients:
1 lb. rotini pasta (cooked, rinsed in cold water, and drained)

1 cup broccoli flowerets (frozen and thawed under hot water, or freshly steamed to bright green and still crunchy).

1 cup steamed diagonally sliced carrots, cooled (steamed carrots should be very firm and bright when done)
1 can of red kidney beans, drained (or boil 1/3 cup dry beans to yield one cup cooked)
1 can small white beans (or boil 1/3 cup dry beans to yield one cup cooked)
1 can garbonzo beans
1 cup Italian green beans (or snap beans)
1 red pepper diced

Zesty Italian Salad Dressing (I mix the Zesty Italian packets with Star Raspberry Vinegar)

Directions

Mix all precooked ingredients (not including salad dressing) in a large bowl. Rinse and drain well. Place in fridge to chill. Rinse chilled salad in cool water, drain and add salad dressing. Serve and enjoy!

Salad to freeze for future quick lunches--Freeze salad on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Store in large ziploc bags. To serve: Rinse frozen salad under hot water, then cool, before adding salad dressing. Serve and enjoy

Taco Soup

Makes 10-15 servings
Recipe from Pam Jones; Columbine, Colorado. This was served at Adam and Ki’s wedding lunch.

Ingredients:

Soup–
2 pounds ground beef

Seasoning Salt (McCormick's)
2 (1 lb each) cans kidney beans
1 onion, diced
1 - 2 cans Italian stewed tomatoes
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 package taco seasoning (or 1/4 cup McCormick's taco seasoning)
3 cups water

Toppings– Grated cheddar cheese, Frito Corn Chips

Directions:

Brown beef with onion, drain. Add all soup ingredients together. Simmer 30 minutes. If soup is too runny, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of dried potato flakes.  They will thicken it without adding to the flavor. Serve with cheese and Fritos.