Mexican Lasagna for Mother's Day

2# ground beef
16 oz. refried beans
4 oz. chopped green chiles
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 T hot salsa
4 c shredded colby-monterey jack cheese
12 oz uncooked lasagna noodles
16 oz. mild salsa
2 c water
2 c sour cream
1 small can sliced olives, drained (optional)
green onion and tomato, chopped (optional)

Brown beef and drain. Stir in beans, chiles, taco seasoning and hot salsa. In greased 13x9 dish, layer noodles and meat sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheese. Repeat.

Combine mild salsa and water; pour over top. Cover and bake @ 350F for 1 hour. Top with sour cream, olives, tomatoes, onions and remaining cheese. Bake uncovered 15 minutes. Wait 15 minutes before serving.

**This was EXCELLENT. Makes 12 servings. I prepared it 2 days in advance for mother's day and finished it off with the sour cream layer just before eating. No need to cook the noodles - love it!

Chicken Taco Soup by Jennifer Carter

1 can chili beans
1 can black beans
1 can corn, drained
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans Rotel
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. ranch dressing ix
3 chicken breasts
Optional: shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips

Combine first 7 ingredients in crockpot. Place chicken breasts in mixture and press down until completely covered. Cook on high for 5 hours. Remove chicken and shred with a fork. Return chicken to soup and cook for another hour. Chicken broth may be added to taste, if desired. Serve over crushed tortilla chips and top with sour cream and cheese.

**This recipe is from a friend at church. It doesn't get any easier than this!

Zucchini Casserole by Tara Thompson

6 c zucchini, sliced thin (about 3 zucchini)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small container sour cream
1 cup carrots, shredded
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 pkg. Stove Top

Boil zucchini 5 minutes in salted water. Drain. Combine soup and sour cream and stir into zucchini. Mix in carrots and onion. In separate bowl, combine butter and dressing. Place half of dressing into greased baking dish. Pour zucchini mix on top and then add remaining dressing. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

**I got this recipe from the Lawrence County Record cookbook. Excellent side dish! I didn't layer it - just put all the dressing on top.

Delaware Chicken Divan by Debbie Bussman

2 pkg. frozen broccoli cuts (lightly steamed)
1 1/2 c. cooked chicken cut in pieces

Sauce:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. margarine
2 T lemon juice
2 T chicken broth
1/4 c. parmesan cheese

Arrange broccoli on bottom of buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle chicken over broccoli. Combine sauce ingredients and spoon over top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.

**I was given this recipe at a wedding shower....just now trying it 18 years later! It is very yummy. You could also stir the whole thing together and bake it instead of layering.

Baked stew by Chris Newkirk

2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg. smoked kielbasa, chopped
5 potatoes, diced
4 carrots, diced
3 onions, diced
1 cup green beans
3/4 lb. mushrooms, halved (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a 13x9 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. Stir and bake another 30 minutes uncovered or until veggies are tender.

**I had this at a women's ministry event and it was incredible! Very hearty and delicious. Joy isn't much of a "soup" man but he really liked this one. It is thick and full of meat and veggies.

Colorful chicken casserole

1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup chicken broth
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
1 tsp. salt, optional
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 pkg (7 oz) spaghetti or elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1 jar sliced mushrooms
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Saute celery, green pepper and onion in butter. Add broth, soup, corn, peas, salt and pepper; heat through. Stir in chicken and noodles. Divide between two baking dishes and top with mushrooms and cheese. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the second casserole at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer. To use frozen casserole, remove from freezer 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer.

**I love make-ahead recipes and this one was very good. I left out the onion and green pepper as usual. I didn't have enough chicken so I added some leftover turkey. The original recipe seemed a little dry so I added the cream of chicken soup. Cook the noodles a little underdone so they won't be mushy after freezing.

New recips I tried for Christmas

I cooked and cooked and cooked over Christmas! My family came to visit for about a week so I prepared as much as I cook ahead of time. There were too many recipes to put in one post so scroll down to find them all. Hope you try some for yourself!