Chili Cheese Dog Casserole with Spinach Salad

This is a deliciously easy recipe that your family will love.

1 package turkey franks
2 cans Hormel turkey chili with beans
1 medium onion minced
16 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Yellow mustard
3/4 red bell pepper minced

Any simple spinach salad with your favorite toppings and dressing. I used a store bought Caesar salad kit.

Chop the turkey franks and add them to a medium sauce pot with the red peppers over medium heat. Add the chili to the pot and stir well. Add a layer of the chili mixture to the bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish. Add a layer of onions and a squeeze of yellow mustard. Add a layer of cheese them repeat. Place this in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. For more on this recipe or any others please email me at alesia.leach@gmail.com

Potato Corn Chowder

There is not much that is more comforting to me than a hot bowl of potato soup!

6 potatoes peeled and cubed
6 carrots peeled and diced
6 ribs if celery diced
2 shallots sliced thin
3 cloves of garlic minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chili powder (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can chicken broth
4 cans water
1 bullion cube
2 bags frozen corn

3 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a heavy bottom pot over medium heat, drizzle with olive oil then add the carrots, celery, shallots, garlic, salt, pepper and oregano. Let this cook for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the chicken broth, water and bullion and chili powder. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes start to become fork tender. Add the corn and bring back to a boil. In the meantime add the butter and flour to a small sauce pot over medium heat. Add the salt and pepper whisk to combine. Once the butter has melted let this bubble for 1-2 minutes then whisk in the milk. Let this start to bubble. Once the sauce starts to thicken remove from the heat and whisk in the cheese. Stir this mixture into the soup. Let it come back to a boil then serve. This is delicious all by itself, but a grilled turkey ham and cheese sandwich would be a great compliment to this hearty soup! For more on this recipe or any others please email me at alesia.leach@gmail.com

Eid Al Adha

Yesterday was a holiday so there was no time to write, only the to cook. I would love to tell you all what I made. I did a retake with Seffa Medfouna, you can find this recipe in my August list. I also made beef shiskabobs with stop light bell peppers, onions and cherry tomatoes. I took a beef pot roast and cut it into 1 inch cubes, marinated it in a special Indian kabob spice blend that I bought at a specialty store and 1 teaspoon of white vinegar. I dry rubbed some small lamb chops and slow baked them on a baking sheet, I covered them in foil, in a 320 degree oven. I also made khboz. This is a Moroccan white bread that is so delicious. This recipe can be found in my July list. There is no holiday without dessert, a peanut butter cream pie with chocolate ganache with a crushed pretzel crust! Get all these recipes and more by reading all my posts or email me at alesia.leach@gmail.com

Shrimp with Vegetables and CousCous

This is an easy week night meal that is full of vegetables.

2 cups broccoli florets, fresh is best
1 zucchini seeded and cut into strips
1 green bell pepper seeded and sliced into strips
1/2 onion cut into strips
3 cloves garlic minced
1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon Kabsah seasoning, Moroccan 7 spice, all spice and black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and Moroccan saffron
2 boxes instant couscous
1 can chicken broth
1 can water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 can chick peas

Add the vegetables to a heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat drizzle with olive oil. Cook for about 5 minutes. Mix the shrimp with the spices in a medium bowl. Set this aside. Add the tomato paste to the pan and stir well. Let this cook for a minute or two. Add the shrimp to the pan. Add the chicken broth to the same bowl and mix the seasoning packets from the couscous to it. Mix well and pour this into the pan. Add in the couscous, bring to a simmer remove from heat, cover and let sit for at least 5 minutes. For more on this recipe or more email me at alesia.leach@gmail.com

Mexican Pot Roast Tacos with Guacamole and Chipotle Sour Cream

I love putting food in the slow cooker and coming home to dinner almost ready. This dish started last night before bed and ended in sweet success

1 2 1/2 pound beef pot roast
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano

3 tablespoons flour

1 can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 small onion roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic sliced

1/2 small onion minced
2 cloves garlic pasted with salt
2 avocados sliced
Juice from half a lemon
Black pepper to taste

1 chipotle pepper minced
3 tablespoons sour cream

1 container black bean and corn salsa or your favorite

Baby spinach leaves

Mix all of the spices together in a bowl. Rub the meat liberally with these spices on all sides. Seal inside a large freezer bag and refrigerate over night. The next morning place the meat in the slow cooker with the tomato sauce, vinegar, garlic and onion. Cook on slow for 8-10 hours. When almost ready to serve combine the avocado, onions, garlic and black pepper in a medium mixing bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Set this aside. In another small bowl combine the sour cream and the minced chipotle cover this and refrigerate until ready to serve. Remove the roast from the slow cooker and shred, by this time this should be very easy, strain the liquid from the slow cooker into a medium sauce pan. Place over medium high heat. Add in the flour and whisk to combine. Let this simmer for about 2 minutes or until it starts to thicken and the flour taste is gone. Add in the shredded beef and remove from heat, stir to combine. Serve this with whole wheat tortilla or on whole wheat buns as sandwiches. For more on this recipe or any others please email me at alesia.leach@gmail.com

Pumpkin Lasagna

It is that time of year when it's all things pumpkin. Our house no exception.

1 head of garlic singled but not peeled, simmered for 20 minutes then set aside to cool. Once cooled remove the jackets and mash with a fork into a paste

2 15 oz cans pumpkin purée
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

12 sage leaves
1/2 acorn squash (or butternut) cubed
1 can chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
Garlic paste
Salt and pepper to taste

1 box no boil lasagna noodles

2 cups shredded cheese of your choice

Add the butter and sage to a large heavy bottom skillet over medium heat. Add the squash cubes and the chicken broth. Let simmer until all the broth is gone and the squash gets a little brown. Whisk the pumpkin, 2 eggs, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl and set aside. In another bowl whisk together the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1 egg, salt and pepper to taste and set aside. Add the butter and flour to a medium sauce pot and whisk. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the garlic paste and the milk. Let this thicken until it coats a wooden spoon. Grease the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish. Spread about half of the cream sauce on the bottom of the dish. Layer some of the noodles on, layer half of the pumpkin, add another layer of noodles. Layer the ricotta mixture, cooked squash, spinach, half of the shredded cheese and another layer of noodles. Spread the rest of the pumpkin mixture, the rest of the cream sauce, and the rest of the shredded cheese. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, uncover and bake for another 15 minutes. Let stand for a few minutes then serve! This is a crowd pleaser that will last for many fall seasons to come. For more on this recipe or any others please email me at alesia.leach@gmail.com

This recipe was inspired by Rachel Ray's pumpkin lovers lasagna recipe!