Homemade Tortilla Chips

Making your own tortilla chips is so quick and easy! So worth it too! They are great on their own, but excellent with your favorite dip. Try it with our Easy Guacamole recipe. Thank you to a close family member for passing this recipe along!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Peanut Oil

12 Corn Tortillas, cut into quarters

Sea Salt

DIRECTIONS

*Heat the oil in a large pan up to 350 degrees

*Add about 8 of the tortilla quarters (2 tortillas) at a time to the hot oil

*Let cook until they start to get slightly golden and crispy

*Remove the tortillas from the oil with a metal strainer and place on a plate covered with a couple layers of paper towels. Immediately season them with salt and start your next batch of chips.

*After the chips are salted, they can be placed in a large bowl to serve.

Easy Guacamole

Fresh, homemade guacamole is an easy way to please your family and friends. This recipe always disappears quickly! The key is finding the perfect avocados. Buy them when you are ready to use them. They should be somewhat firm, but give to gentle pressure.

INGREDIENTS

3 Ripe Avocados

2 Tbsp Lime Juice

2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped

1 Can Diced Tomatoes w/ Green Chiles (used Rotel)

1 Small Onion (or ½ of a large onion), chopped

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

*Prepare the avocados by cutting them in half, setting the pits aside and scooping out the inside into a medium sized bowl. Mash the avocado with a fork until smooth (leave slightly chunky if desired).

*Add the lime juice and mix thoroughly. The lime juice helps to keep the avocado from turning brown.

*Stir in the remaining ingredients.

*Serve immediately. The avocado pits can be placed in the guacamole to help keep it green, but don’t eat them.

Chocolate Crusted Banana Cream Pie

Want to impress your family and friends with a decadent yet easy dessert? Check out this awesome recipe sure to win any Chocolate or Banana lover’s heart!

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups, approximately 16-18 Chocolate sandwich cookies, crumbled

1 stick of unsalted butter

½ cup of granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp lemon juice

7 ripe bananas

1 box (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding

1 box (3.4 oz) banana instant pudding

2 cups whole milk

(1) 8 oz carton of whipped cream (preferably vanilla flavored)

 DIRECTIONS

*Start by preparing the chocolate crust by melting ¾ stick of the unsalted butter.

*Add the melted butter along with 1 tbsp of granulated sugar to 1 cup of crumbled chocolate sandwich cookies in a 9 inch deep dish pie pan and mix well, forming the crust along the sides and bottom of the pie dish.

*Place pie crust in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for approximate 7-10 minutes. Remove pie crust from oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.

*Next prepare a custard by cutting up 3 ½ bananas. Place a sauté pan on medium high heat. Add remaining butter (1/4) stick to the pan.  Once butter is melted add sliced bananas. Top bananas with ¼ cup of granulated sugar and 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract.  Cook and stir bananas well until they are extremely tender (approximately 10-12 minutes).

*Place cooked bananas into a bowl and smash with fork creating a custard like consistency. Allow custard to cool for approximately 10-12 minutes.

*Slice the remaining 3 ½ bananas and place them in a bowl, sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside.

*Prepare the pie filling by pouring each 3.4 oz packet of instant pudding in a medium sized mixing bowl. Next add 2 cups of cold milk to the pudding. Mix well until pudding sets up to a more solid state. Divide pudding mixture in half.

*Add half of the whipped cream to one half of the pudding mixture in a bowl and set aside.  You are now ready to build your pie.

To build your Banana Cream Pie:

*Begin by spreading your custard mixture as your bottom layer into your pie crust.

*Next place your lemon sprinkled bananas on top of the custard mixture.

*Now add the regular pudding mixture as your third layer.

*The fourth layer will be the pudding and whipped cream mixture.

*The last layer of your pie will be the remaining half of the whipped cream.

*Top your pie with ½ cup of chocolate cookie crumbles.

Loaded Potato Casserole

Looking for an easy, tasty way to prepare potatoes? Love all the flavors of a loaded baked potato? Look no further! This Loaded Potato Casserole is just the thing. It is a true crowd pleaser that will surely become a family favorite. This recipe is about 8 servings. Any variety of potatoes can be substituted for the red ones used here.

INGREDIENTS

1 Small Red Onion, chopped

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

13 Medium sized Red Potatoes, washed and cut into small cubes

¾ stick of salted butter, melted

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

¾ lb Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Sour Cream and Fresh Chives (chopped) to Garnish

DIRECTIONS

*Start by caramelizing the red onion in a skillet with the olive oil, set aside

*Boil potatoes for approximately 15-18 minutes, or until just fork tender

*Place potatoes in large casserole dish and coat with melted butter

*Gently stir in the caramelized onion, salt, pepper, cheese and bacon

*Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 18-20 minutes

*Garnish individual servings with sour cream and chives

Chili Cheese Dip

Looking for the easiest, most delicious appetizer ever? Chili Cheese Dip is it! You have probably seen this before, or some variation of it, but it is so simple and so good. Our family loves it and has made it for parties and family gatherings for years (usually doubling the recipe). It always disappears! The best part is that there are only two ingredients, so not only is it easy, it is inexpensive.

INGREDIENTS

1 can of chili with no beans

1 package of cream cheese

DIRECTIONS

*use a small crock pot for easy preparation

*mix the chili and cream cheese in crock pot

*stir occasionally

*when cream cheese in completely melted and the mixture is heated through, it is ready to eat

*serve with tortilla chips or crackers

Enjoy!

Corn Chip Chili Pie

What is better on a cold fall day than a bowl of chili? Maybe a Corn chip chili pie! Although, a bowl of chili on its own is pretty hard to beat! This authentic chili recipe is incredibly flavorful and will leave you craving more! Don't be scared away by the amount of ingredients. This is an easy chili recipe. Most of the ingredients are things that many people keep on hand in their kitchens. Eat the chili by itself and garnish with fresh cilantro, or turn it into a chili pie for an extra special treat!

INGREDIENTS

1 table spoon vegetable oil

1 medium sized red onion diced
2 lbs Ground beef or chuck
1 table spoon garlic powder
2 table spoons chili powder
2 table spoons paprika (smoked preferred)
2 table spoons cumin
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt (regular salt is ok)
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (add more for desired heat)

(1) 28 oz can diced tomatoes
(1) 28 oz can tomato sauce
(1) 6 oz can tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
¾ cup beef stock
1 table spoon fresh basil chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped
2 bay leaves

(1) 16 oz bag corn chips

16 oz of cheddar cheese
(1) 16 oz container sour cream or crème fresh
1 bunch of cilantro

3 roma tomatoes diced
6 limes
DIRECTIONS
*Start by adding vegetable oil to a heavy bottomed large cooking pot over medium high heat. Add approximately 2/3 of the diced red onions to the hot oil, cook onions until translucent. Once onions are see-thru, add ground beef or chuck to the pot.
*Next, season the meat and onion mixture with garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, cumin, black pepper, sea salt and red pepper flakes. Stir in seasonings and brown the meat until medium rare.
*Once meat is semi browned, pour in cans of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock and red wine. Allow mixture to simmer for approximately fifteen minutes then add fresh basil and rosemary.
*Stir in fresh herbs, place bay leaves on top of chili, cover and let simmer on low heat for at least one hour, stirring occasionally so chili doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Uncover pot and allow chili to simmer on low heat for an extra thirty minutes.

To build your Corn Chip Chili Pie:
*Begin by placing a handful of corn chips in the bottom of a single serving bowl. Next, add approximately one cup of chili to the bowl.
*Afterwards, sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of chili, followed by one table spoon of sour cream or crème fresh.
*Garnish with a pinch of cilantro,diced roma tomatoes and diced red onions. To complete the Chili Corn Chip Pie, squeeze the juice of a fresh lime slice on top.

Banana Bread

Oh the wonderful aroma of banana bread baking in your kitchen! This wonderful smell fills up the whole house and it is easy to make! Most of the ingredients are things usually kept on hand. And what a great way to use up those old bananas! The recipe used here was adapted from Tyler Florence's Banana Bread with Pecans (walnuts were used with this adaptation, as well as a couple of other changes). For the original version, please follow this link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/banana-bread-with-pecans-recipe/index.html

INGREDIENTS

2 cups of all purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 bananas (overly ripened)

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup of melted, unsalted butter

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon of pure almond extract

1/2 cup of finally chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

*Prepare a 9”x5” loaf pan by lightly greasing

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees

*Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl

*Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, blend the bananas and sugar until smooth and creamy

*Combine the butter, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts with the banana mixture and continue to blend

*Slowly add in the flour mixture

*Once fully blended, use a wooden spoon or a spatula to gently mix in the walnuts

*Pour mixture into the prepared loaf pan

*Place pan in oven on top rack

*Bake for an hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

*Remove from oven and let stand a few minutes before removing bread from pan

*Let bread finish cooling on wire rack

*Slice and enjoy!

*Excellent alone or try spreading slices with cream cheese