Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Melt in Your Mouth Enchiladas!!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for... enchiladas??  You will after you taste these! 

WHAT WILL I NEED?

1 lb of lean ground beef (you may us the ground meat of your choice - like 99% fat free chicken - but the beef really does make this dish more flavorful)
1 can of cheddar cheese soup
1 small can of mild enchilada sauce
1/2 cup of chopped onions
1 small can of mushrooms (you can use fresh mushrooms - but sautee them first)
1 packet of mild taco seasoning mix
8 flour tortillas (I used La Banderita Fat Free)
3/4 cup shredded 2% cheddar cheese

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
Spray a large baking dish with non-stick spray
Brown your meat.  Once meat is browned add the chopped onions and the canned mushrooms. 
Cook for a few minutes to allow the onions and mushrooms to cook.
Add the taco seasoning mix and stir well.
Add the cheddar cheese soup.
Allow the mixture to cook for a few minutes, or until the cheddar cheese soup is bubbling.
Time to fill your tortillas!
Fill your tortillas one by one, using even amounts of your meat mixture. 
Fold each filled tortilla burrito style and place them seam side down in your baking dish.
I can usually fit 6 filled tortillas side by side and then I place my last two at the top.  See photo.
Pour the entire can of enchilada sauce over the filled tortillas.
Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and enchildada sauce is bubbling.





Serve with mexican rice over a bed of lettuce.  My family loves tostitos - so we typically have some chips and salsa with this meal.  This is a staple meal in my house!

One reader asked if I would post calorie counts - and though I probably won't be able to calculate them every time - I did calculate the calories for this meal!  269 calories per enchilada (keep in mind that I used fat free tortillas, 2% shredded cheese and lean beef - if you use different items the calorie count will change)

What will YOU scratch out of the box today?

Comments, questions or suggestions?  Leave a comment below or find Scratched Right Out of the Box on Facebook!

Monday, August 29, 2011

Dip Me, Please!

Need a crowd pleasing appetizer?  Labor Day is coming right up and I'm sure cookouts will be on the agenda for many of you.  Here's an appetizer that will please adults and children alike (I know - I tried it out on my friends this weekend!).

WHAT WILL I NEED?

1 cup of ricotta cheese
2 cups of sour cream
1 packet of italian seasoning/dressing mix
3/4 cup of mozarella cheese
1 small package of sliced pepperoni

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

In a mixing bowl combine the ricotta cheese, sour cream, and italian dressing mix.  Stir well.  Transfer your mixture to a small baking dish and top with the mozarella cheese and top with enough pepperoni slices to cover the top of the dip.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the pepperoni is cooked and the cheese is bubbling.  Serve your dip with chips or garlic bread sticks. 




This dip was a hit with my friends and my daughter was disappointed that we didn't have any to bring home.  This recipe made quite a bit and both of my serving bowls were scraped clean.  ENJOY!
(This recipe adapted from www.allrecipes.com)

What will YOU scratch out of the box today?

Comments, questions or suggestions?  Let me know by commenting below or find Scratched Right Out of the Box of Facebook.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!!!

Need to stretch your spaghetti into several DIFFERENT meals instead of eating spaghetti for an entire week?  Here are some great options to choose from:

First night - spaghetti - obviously!  =)  Store your meat sauce and spaghetti noodles in separate containers.

Second night - Sloppy Joes with the spaghetti meat.  My daughter and I had these last night - YUMSKI, people!!!  Toast some buns, heat up your spaghetti sauce and load it onto the toasted buns (or regular bread if that is what you have), top with a slice of cheese.  If you want more of a sloppy joe flavor - just add a touch of ketchup.  =)  Serve with french fries, salad, chips, you name it!!

Third night - stirfry!  Sautee your leftover spaghetti noodles in some olive oil and soy sauce.  Toss in some sauteed veggies (whatever you have around - frozen, fresh - doesn't matter!), add some chicken, shrimp, pork or perhaps some steak tips and any oriental style sauce you have - teriyaki is best, but adding a little more soy sauce and some ground ginger will work.  Ta-da!!!  You have an AWESOME stirfry meal.

What will YOU scratch out of the box tonight?

Questions, comments or suggestions - let me know below - or find Scratched Right Out of the Box on Facebook!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Caketastic!

This tye dye cake is so fun it must be called Caketastic - yeah, I know it isn't a word, but it's fun!!  =)  I am posting this cake "how to" because I have been asked about it several times since I made it.

WHAT DO I NEED?

Any white cake mix (I use FUNfetti!)
Ingredients listed on back of cake box (eggs/vegetable oil)
Food coloring
6 bowls

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Prepare your cake mix and grease/flour your cake pan(s) as directed on the box. Separate the cake mix evenly into 6 bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl. Make the colors very vibrant. I make green, blue, purple, orange, yellow and red - but you could go with pastel colors or neon colors (you can find these in your grocery store or craft store). Now you can start adding the colors to your cake pan or pans. This cake can be made as a layer cake or a sheet cake - I have done both. The trick is to use a spoon and add the batter by the spoonful to the CENTER of the pan only. Do not pour the batter into the pan. Once you have completely added one color by the spoonfuls to the center of the pan, start with the next color adding that color by the spoonful to the center of your first color. If baking a sheet cake repeat with all colors. The batter will spread out to all colors of the pan by the time you are done. If baking a layer cake use three colors per pan. Bake as directed. Allow the cake or cakes to cool. Remove them from the pans and stack and/or ice them. Everyone will get a big surprise when they cut into this cake - lots of ooooos and ahhhhs!! =) This is a fun/easy cake to make that is VERY pleasing to the eye and a great conversation starter! 










Have comments, questions, suggestions, or a recipe you want me to try?  Let me know by commenting below.

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Monday, August 15, 2011

BERRY Delicious... The Easiest Pie I've EVER made!

I think I've mentioned before that my husband LOVES fruity desserts. This pie is FULL of fruit!!  I make this pie often for that very reason (and the fact that it is so easy).  If he could, my husband would sit down and eat an entire pie - yep, he loves it THAT much.  If you like berries - this recipe is for you - you'll love this pie!

WHAT WILL I NEED:

1 pre-made refrigerated pie crust
2 packages of frozen mixed berries
4 tbsp of cornstarch
1 cup of sugar

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.  Roll out your pre-made pie crust into a pie plate.  Tuck any extra dough at the edges under and press the edges of your pie shell with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow to cool completely. 

Mix the sugar and the cornstarch together in a small bowl.  Mix well and set aside. 

In a sauce pan heat one package of the frozen berries over medium-high heat.  As the berries start to thaw, "mush" (love that word) them with a fork so that you have mostly berry skins and juice (uh, yummy!).  When you have "mushed" all of the berries and they are bubbling add the sugar/cornstarch mixture.  Mix well.  Remove from heat and add the second package of frozen berries as they are.  Mix the berries well (no mushing this time).  Add your berry mixture to the baked (and cooled) pie shell.  Refrigerate for several hours to allow the berry mixture to thicken.  Serve with whipped cream.  Easy, cheap, delicious. 

**For my calorie counting friends, reduce the sugar in this recipe to 1/2 a cup (still tastes great and you've saved a lot of cals!)**  I do plan to have calorie counts up for my recipes soon... so stay tuned.  =)

Have comments, questions or suggestions?  Let me know by leaving a comment below!!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Two-for-Tuesday!!! Chicken Casserole and Cobbler

It's Two-For-Tuesday - two recipes in one blog post!  First up, Easy Peasy Chicken Casserole.

WHAT WILL I NEED:

2 cups (or more if desired) shredded rotissiere chicken
1 can stove top stuffing
1 cup chicken broth
1 tub philadelphia cooking cream - savory garlic
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 handfull of crackers (I used cracker minis)

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  While the oven is heating, combine the broth, cream cheese and cream of chicken in a large pan (I used my wok) and warm the mixture over medium-high heat.  When the mixture starts to bubble add the rotissiere chicken and stir until mixed well.  Remove the mixture from the stove and add the stove top stuffing.  The mixture should look very creamy.  Transfer your mixture to a small casserole dish and sprinkle with crushed crackers.  Bake your casserole in the over for 50-60 minutes or until the stuffing begins to brown.  This is a great casserole for leftovers.  I made this dish on Saturday night and served it Sunday afternoon with creamed corn and sauteed green beans.  Mmmm - hmmmm good!




Summer Strawberry Cobbler

Our grocery stores are still selling fresh strawberries like mad.  I couldn't pass up making a delicous strawberry cobbler, just like mom used to make.  Cobblers are one of THE easiest desserts to make.  You probably already have all of the ingredients - just go buy some fresh fruit and you're on your way to yummy town!

WHAT WILL I NEED?

1 cup of self rising flour
1 cup of milk
1 cup of sugar
1/2 stick of butter
2 cups of fresh sliced strawberries
2 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of lemon juice (or lemonade)

Cobblers are generally made in equal amounts (1 cup, 1 cup, 1 cup) but my husband LOVES fresh fruit desserts, so I double up on the fruit.

WHAT DO I DO NOW?

Slice your strawberries and mix in 2 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of lemon juice or lemonade (I used lemonade and it tastes delish).  Set this mixture aside.  Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl combine the flour and sugar and stir in the milk.  Set this aside as well.  The mixture will look quite runny.  That's okay. 

Spray a casserole dish with pam and melt the stick of butter in the microwave (many recipes recommend using your oven for this, but I've found that the microwave works just as well and I'm all about easy!)  Add your sugar, flour and milk mixture to the butter that has been melted in your casserole dish.  Finally, spoon (don't mix) the strawberries over the mixture that is now in the casserole dish.

 Bake for 60-90 minutes or until your cobbler is golden brown and bubbling. 



I recommend eating cobbler warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  This dessert is a hit.  I have a feeling it won't be around long and I'll have to make a mid-week dessert to get my husband through until my next round of baking (which is typically Sunday).

Enjoy your Two-for-Tuesday treats!!  Let me know if you try them and if you have any comments, questions or suggestions.

Happy baking!!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Oh My, Pumpkin Pie - A Taste of Fall in the Summer!

Let me preface my first post by saying I was/am the cooking "runt" of my family.  I have to try hard to learn from my cooking mistakes and follow directions to a "T".  So, if I sound a bit "cooking for dummies" sometimes - that's because I, personally, need step-by-step instructions and I enjoy seeing photos of what everything should look like (so I know I am doing things correctly) - so I've done the same for you!  With that being said... on to the post...

As everyone is dreaming of cooler weather, my husband and I have been craving a taste of the fall - pumpkin... specifically, a pumpkin/chocolate chip spice cake with cream cheese frosting that I typically make in the fall (I have to credit that idea to my sister-in-law).  Oh yeah, my friends, it's delish!!  However, for some reason, our grocery stores here are just now suffering from the pumpkin shortage of years past.  There is no pumpkin to be found - anywhere!  I have been on a pumpkin search for weeks!  FOILED AGAIN!  I did, however, find some pumpkin pie filling.  So I improvised with a pumpkin, cream cheese and chocolate chip pie.  Weeeeeeeee!

WHAT WILL I NEED?

1 can of pumpkin pie filling
1 5oz can of evaporated milk
2 eggs
4 oz of cream cheese (at room temperature)
3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 prepared pie shell




NOW WHAT DO I DO?

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Line a deep dish pie plate with the pie shell, folding any excess at the top underneath itself and "smooshing" the edges.  I use a fork.  This doesn't have to look perfect.  The filling will cover most of this.

Beat the eggs and the cream cheese together.  Add the pumpkin pie filling and the evaporated milk.  Mix well.  I say "mix" here because trying to beat the filling and milk into the cream cheese and eggs is quite messy - so just mix it well with a spatula or spoon.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Pour your mixture into the pie shell.

Bake at 425 for 15 mintues.  Lower the oven temperature to 350 and bake for another 80-90 minutes.

Let the pie cool completely.  Top with a scoop of ice cream or cool whip and get your eat on!  Super easy and very yummy.
The Finished Product
Go forth, humans, and make something yummy!!

Comments, questions, suggestions?  Want me to try a recipe that you love?  Let me know!