Full Meal Mexican Dish

Full Meal

Mexican Dish

1  Cup  Rice, uncooked

1  Tablespoon  Tomato Bouillon (about 2 cubes)

1-1/2  teaspoons  Chili Powder

2  Cups  Boiling Water

2  15-oz.  Refried Beans

1  Cup  Salsa

Hot Sauce to taste

2  8-oz.  Cream Cheese, softened

1/2  Cup  Sour Cream

1/4  Cup  finely minced Onion

1/4  teaspoon  Garlic Powder

 2  Cups  grated Cheddar Cheese, divided

Chopped Lettuce, Tomatoes, sliced Black Olives, Avocado, etc., for topping

Tortilla Chips

Preheat oven to 350*.  In a medium bowl, combine the Rice, Tomato Bouillon, and Chili Powder.  Pour in Boiling Water, stirring well to dissolve the Bouillon.  Transfer to a 9x13 pan, cover tightly with foil, and bake at 350* for 30 minutes.

While the Rice is baking, mix together the Refried Beans, Salsa, and Hot Sauce; set aside.  In another bowl mix together Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, Onion, and Garlic Powder.

When the Rice is done, layer it with the Refried Bean mixture, 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, the Cream Cheese mixture, and the remaining 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese.  At this point you can refrigerate for serving later or continue on: Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes, or until hot through.  Top with Lettuce, Tomatoes, Black Olives, and Avocados.  Serve with Tortilla Chips.  Serves 8-10 as a Main Dish.

"Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength,

and He will make my feet like hinds' feet,

and He will make me walk upon mine high places."

Habakkuk 3:18 & 19

I like to make this for our Communion Weekend.  I never know if the children will be having friends over or not, and if they do whether they'll be hungry or not.  This keeps well in the fridge and if only a few people want something to eat, individual portions can be heated in the microwave.  It's nice, too, because it doesn't need silverware--just eat it with the chips.  Whatever is left after the weekend is over usually gets sent in school lunches for a nice change.  The Rice, Beans, and Cheese form a complete protein but if you wanted to, you could also add 1/2-pound browned Ground Beef (seasoned with Taco Seasoning) between the Refried Bean and Cream Cheese layers.

Adapted from Serving One Another, page 342

Four Days Ahead {Sour Cream Fudge Torte}

Four Days Ahead

Sour Cream Fudge Torte

Cake:

1  box  your favorite 2-layer Chocolate Cake Mix, the richer and fudgier the better

3  Eggs

1  Cup  Milk

1/3  Cup  Butter, melted

1  4-oz.  Instant Chocolate Pudding

3/4  Cup  Mini Chocolate Chips, if not included in your cake mix

Sour Cream Coconut Filling:

2  Cups  Sour Cream

1  Cup  Sugar

3  Cups  Coconut

1  12-oz  Whipped Topping

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans, set aside.  In a large bowl, mix together Chocolate Cake Mix, Eggs, Milk, Butter, and Chocolate Pudding just until moistened.  Beat on high for two minutes.  Fold in Chocolate Chips, if using.  Evenly divide between the cake pans.  Bake at 350* for 30-40 minutes.  Cool in pans 10 minutes; invert onto cooling racks and cool to room temperature.

For the Filling:

Stir together the Sour Cream and Sugar; mix in Coconut.  Fold in Whipped Topping.  Refrigerate until ready to assemble Torte.

To Assemble:

Split the Cake layers, making 4 thin layers.  Evenly divide the Filling between the layers, stacking to form the Torte.  Cover and refrigerate for 4 days (yes, really!) before serving.  Serves 16.

"And now,

just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord,

you must continue to follow Him.

Let your roots grow down into Him,

and let your lives be built on Him.

Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught,

and you will overflow with thankfulness."

Colossians 2: 6&7

New Living Translation

This is an excellent dessert for those busy times when you need a make-ahead dessert that is not an ice cream dessert.  Letting it sit and mellow in the fridge for four days really makes it extra fudgy and yummy!  Very simple, too--I love desserts that start with a mix.

Adapted from Seasoned With Love, page 281.

Hot Loaf Sandwiches

Summer Lunch Program

a semi-sporadic series

with

fun lunchtime recipes

Just In Time For Summer Vacation

  

Summer is on it's way!  Hurray, Hurray!

Are you as burned-out on packing lunches as I am?  With only 5 weeks of school left, I am so over and done with this whole lunch-box thing.

Five lunches, almost each and every day.

I'm ready to move on to something different.  Not that it'll be much better with everyone home for the summer--they think they need to eat three times a day!  Imagine that!  But at least then the kids can help with the fixing of lunches.

But maybe that's a whole 'nother mess...

Anyway, I've put together 5 different variations of the Hot Loaf Sandwich that I think you'll enjoy.  This recipe is only limited by your imagination.

Or by what you might have in the fridge.

And because school isn't quite out yet, I cut these into individual slices and packaged for the freezer.  Now the kids just pull out their favorite flavor when it's time to pack lunches.

 

For each recipe you'll need 1 recipe of dough, or you can use 1 pound of pre-made pizza dough (this gets easier all the time!).

For the Dough:
2  Tablespoons  Yeast (1 package)
1  Cup  Warm Water
1  Tablespoon  Sugar
1  Tablespoon  Butter
1/2  teaspoon  Salt
3  Cups  Flour

Melted Butter, for brushing

Dissolve Yeast in Warm Water.  Add Sugar, Butter, Salt, and Flour, mixing well, until smooth.  Let rise 20 minutes.  Knead 10-20 strokes; roll out onto a large baking sheet.  Spread toppings down the middle 1/3 of dough.  Cut slices every inch along both sides, fold over toppings to form a braid.  Butter top and sprinkle with Seeds, as desired.  Let rise 20 minutes.  Bake at 350* for 20 minutes.  Serves 8-10.

"Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples,

'Let the children come to me.

Don't stop them!

For the Kingdom of God belongs to those

who are like these children.

I tell you the truth,

anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God

like a child will never enter.'"

Luke 18:16-17, New Living Translation

Toppings:
Ham & Cheese
Thousand Island Dressing
Ham Slices
Cheddar Cheese
Poppy Seeds for top

Cheeseburger
1  pound  Ground Beef, browned with Dried Minced Onion and
8-12  ounces Velveeta Cheese, melted into the browned Ground Beef
Thousand Island Dressing (best way to get the tomato and pickle flavors)
BBQ Sauce
Sesame Seeds for top
top baked Sandwich Loaf with your favorite Cheeseburger toppings:  Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado... 

Taco
Taco Sauce
1  pound Ground Beef, browned with 2-3 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning  
Mexican Cheese Blend
Olives
top baked Sandwich Loaf with your favorite Taco Seasonings:  Shredded Lettuce, Salsa, Avocado, Cilantro...

Buffalo Chicken
Bleu Cheese Dressing
Crispy Chicken Tenders, baked according to package directions and tossed with
Buffalo Sauce

Celery Seeds for top
serve with Celery Sticks 

Pizza
Pizza Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
your favorite Pizza Toppings
Crushed Red Pepper -or- Grated Parmesan Cheese for top

Adapted and Expanded from Seasoned With Love, page 20.