Burrito Casserole by Modeste Musings

While I'm spending time with the little guy, my bloggy friends have generously agreed to write guest posts for me! Hope you enjoy!

Why hello there, dear readers of Yes, Teacher!  My name is Rach, and I blog over at  Modeste Musings.  

 I am super stoked to be blogsitting for Sarah today as she cares for her sweet little one.  Sarah is one of the most supportive people I've met since I started blogging.  (She's also a special ed teacher like me...us crazies gotta stick together!)  She's been a huge encouragement to me, but that's not news to any of you who stop by here on a regular basis.  
Now on to the good stuff. 
I am currently blissfully entrenched in my summer vacation, and for me, that means a couple of things...1. having friends over spontaneously (I'm really working on that one) and 2. frantically stocking the freezer and pantry for busy months ahead (and for feeding said houseguests).
Today I'm going to share with you one of my favorite go-to meals...you can make it in serious bulk for the freezer or for a friend in need, or just to fill many many mouths without too much fuss.  And just to sweeten the deal, it involves ingredients you probably already have in your cabinets somewhere.  That right there is a win-win-win.
We call this Burrito Casserole, although I secretly call it a messy scoop of Mexican heaven.
Ok, start by grabbing this stuff out of the pantry.

A can of refried beans, a can of green chiles if you like them, about 30 oz of tomato sauce, and a jar of salsa.

You'll also need a bunch of small soft tortillas...15 to 20?  I used what I had left in the fridge.

Start by browning 1.5-2 pounds of ground beef.  And toss in a healthy pinch of the following...salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, Italian seasoning.

When your meat is browned, drain off most of the grease and mix in about half of your jar of tomato sauce (15 oz or so).  We're not measuring stuff here, folks.  That's just not how I roll in the summer.  Let 'er simmer while you work on the next step.

Open your can of refried beans and start smearing a spoonful down the center of each tortilla.  I start lining them up in my baking dish as I go.  *pssst...I'm using a stoneware 9x13, so I didn't grease it...this may not have been the wisest choice.  If you're using a foil pan (no dishes--holla!) or a glass pan, go ahead and grease that puppy up).

Soon you'll have this.  Just squeeze them in...and tuck a few on the sides if there's room.

Oh, and if you're into that sorta thing, toss a can of green chiles in with the meat.  If you like it hot, go ahead and add fancy things like jalapenos or hot sauce.  Now is also a good time to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Ok, now it's time to smear a spoonful of meat down the center of each tortilla, right on top of the refried beans.  

Roll them up one by one and lay them in the baking dish.

Just squish them all together until you've filled all your tortillas and used up your meat mixture.
And now we layer like a big messy lasagna...

First up, sour cream.  I used what I had, which happened to be about 2 cups, but let's face it, more is always better when it comes to sour cream.

Next, the rest of your jar of tomato sauce (about 15 oz, but again, more would be fine!)

And the jar of salsa...

And now the cheese....again, use what you have, but use at least 16 oz total.  I use half mozz and half cheddar.

Put a loose layer of foil over your dish and pop it in the oven for an hour.  You can take the foil off for the last 10 minutes or so to get it brown and crispy on top if you like.
And wa-lah!

No, I don't have any fancy plated pictures of this for 2 reasons...First of all, this goopiness is best eaten in all its glory in a bowl.  And secondly, this is family cooking, people...there's no time for plating!  Dig in!
Now if you really want to crazy it up, you can buy the really deep foil baking dishes and you can double-layer everything.  If you try that, you won't be able to fill your tortillas as much so you have room to stack it all.  And if you're feeling superduper intelligent, buy enough ingredients to make 3 or 4 dishes for the freezer and get your hubby to do an assembly line with you to put them all together.  Then you can chuckle to yourself with glee on 4 separate occasions as dinner practically makes itself.  I love it when that happens.
Thanks so much, Sarah, for letting me hijack your blog today! 

Chicken Enchiladas by Life on LeRoy

While I'm in "baby mode," some lovely bloggers will be stepping in to guest post for me! (Be sure to leave them some love!) I'll be popping in here and there to share sporadic baby updates with you :). In the meantime, enjoy!!

I'm honored to be here today helping out Sarah while she's taking care of her new bambino! Being a new mom is such an amazing adventure and I'm glad she's soaking up every moment she can.  

I'm Alli and I blog over at Life on LeRoy.  I live in Wisconsin with my sweet and sassy 2 year-old, Day and my handsome devil of a husband, Tony.  I'm a full-time working mom and truly love my job.  When I'm not in the office, I'm usually enjoying the great outdoors, cooking, having tickle fights, taking naps or of course blogging.  Stop by and say hello, I would love to meet you! 

Now onto the good stuff! I've got a nummy, easy and perfect for summer recipe for you today:  CHICKEN ENCHILADAS! 

16 oz. can of enchilada sauce

6 tortillas

1 jar of salsa

2 cans of refried beans

1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup shredded sharp Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted

1 jalapeno, chopped and seeded

Chicken

Heat oven to 400 degrees

Pour the can of enchilada sauce into a pie dish.  Dip tortillas in the sauce to soften them.

On a cutting board, gently spread refried beans on one side of each tortilla.  Add enough diced roasted chicken to cover the beans.  Sprinkle with cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses.  Add olives, chopped jalapeno and salsa.

Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side down in a 9x13 baking dish.

Blend the sour cream into the remaining enchilada sauce in the pie dish.  Pour over enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover and bake for 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Enjoy!

Quick and Healthy Dinner

I've been meaning to do a recipe post for the longest time! A while ago, I made some Spinach-Lentil Soup that was to die for. Except I forgot to take pictures. Oh, and it's not my original recipe... I stole it from here.

But I'm still going to share it with you because it was THAT good!

via

The only thing I changed was to swap a can of diced tomatoes with chilies for the salsa, and to add 1 tsp each of cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. I also substituted 3 cups of the water for 3 cups chicken stock.

When Max came home late that evening (because why else would I be cooking?) he gave me a funny look when I told him that we were having Spinach-Lentil Soup for dinner. But all it took was ONE TASTE and he was won over! It's just delicious!

Bonus? We made the leftovers stretch for an extra night when we put the soup over white rice. YUM!

Have you had any kitchen victories lately?

Valentine's Day Rice Krispie Treats

I'm happy to share with you a fun and EASY recipe you can whip up for Valentine's Day. The kids can even help out!

Here's what you'll need:

10 oz. marshmallows

3 Tbsps butter or margarine

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

16 oz almond bark (or melt-able chocolate)

Heart shaped sprinkles (or in my case, left over red and white sprinkles from Christmas. But do it right people - spring for the cutesie sprinkles!!)

wax paper

Directions:

1. Melt butter over low-medium heat.

2. Dump in marshmallows and stir until it looks like yummy ooey-gooey soup.

3. Pour in 6 cups of Rice Krispies, then stir.

4. Press into a GREASED 9x13 pan. Let cool (or put it in the freezer for five minutes).

5. When cooled, lift the entire contents of the pan with a spatula and place on wax paper. I promise you this is easier than it sounds!

6. Start pressing those cookie cutters and making hearts. Trim away the excess and try not to shove it directly into your mouth. Instead, shove the excess into a cookie cutter, molding   into a heart by hand if necessary. (The excess ones will be less pretty but still delicious!)

7. Melt your pound of chocolate, then dip in half a heart, one at a time. Sprinkle with fun sprinkles right away before the chocolate hardens.

8. Display on a platter and admire your handiwork before your family starts grabbing them!

From the Crockpot

I love using the crockpot, but I don't use it as much as I should. Here's some inspiration for those busy (and cold!) work nights:

1. Mac and Cheese

2. Enchiladas

3. Lasagna

4. Taco Chicken Bowls

5.. Baked Potato Soup

6. French Onion Soup

Do you have a favorite crockpot recipe? Do share!!

Easy Peasy Black Bean Soup

You know those nights when you just don't feel like cooking? Or those days when you swear there's nothing in your pantry? Or that last day right before payday when you feel totally broke?

Meet my favorite recipe: Black Bean and Salsa Soup

via

This recipe is originally from Allrecipes, but I've made some delicious modifications!

Here's what you'll need to do for this easy peasy (and cheap!) meal:

Ingredients:

• 3 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
• 1 cup chunky salsa (or 1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 
  
• Optional:
• 
  
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
• Crushed tortilla chips
• Shredded cheese
• 
  
• Directions:
• 
  
• In an electric food processor or blender, combine 2 cans of beans, broth, salsa, garlic, and cumin. Blend until fairly smooth.
• 
  
• Add the third can of black beans into a saucepan. Add the blended bean mixture and cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated.
• 
  
• Ladle soup into 4 individual bowls, and top each bowl with the optional toppings
• 
  
• I promise this meal does NOT taste like it came out of a can!! And it's so filling and yummy for these cold winter nights!

Leftover Halloween Candy Recipes

Do you have a lot of Halloween candy leftover from all of your weekend festivities?

(PS: When we were still living in California, before France, my parents would tell me to pick five pieces of candy from all the loot I had just gathered. Then, the "Pumpkin Fairy" would come and trade all that candy for a TOY!

And since I was only five years old at the time, I totally fell for it.

What a sneaky way for mom and dad to keep all of that candy to themselves. BRILLIANT!)


I found some great ways to turn that leftover candy into grown-up deliciousness!  Check it out:

1. Dulce de Leche and Snickers Terrine 

2. Peanut Butter Cookie Pizza

3. Candy Coated Caramel Apples

4. Twix Cheesecake Pie

5. Frozen Reeses Banana Pops

6. SweeTarts Milkshake

7. York Miniatures Peppermint Patties Brownies

8. Skittles Meringues

I don't know about all of you, but these look delicious to me! Those brownies especially!


PS: I have some winners to announce!


The winner of the Bee necklace from The Junquerie is Aik
The winner of the $15 gift certificate to Cotton Lane is Stacey
The winner of the $10 gift certificate to Seek First is Kathryn

Make Ahead Quinoa Goodness

So I have this aversion to homemade sandwiches (with the exception of grilled cheese). I don't want to bring them to school for my lunch. I would bring leftovers, but I'd rather save those for dinner!

That's why Gussy's prompt this week is so timely: RECIPES. It's the perfect opportunity for me to share the healthy lunch I make ahead of time - it takes about two hours to prepare on a Saturday and it gives me three weeks worth of lunches!!

(Do you know how awesome it is to grab my lunch out of the freezer every morning with nary a thought or worry about it? Done, and done!)

So here it is:

Quinoa Goodness 

(if you've never tried Quinoa before, it's kinda like rice - this is a good recipe to start out with!)

Disclaimer: recipe is adapted from here and quadrupled to make a lot of lunches!

4 cups quinoa (cook according to directions-easy!)

4 cans (15.5 oz) chickpeas (aka: garbanzo beans)

2 cans diced tomatoes, drained

1 can of corn

4 chopped/halved zucchini (or yellow squash)

1 red onion, diced

2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 cup lime juice

1 cup olive oil

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp. dried parsley

Salt to taste

Directions:

Cook quinoa as directed. Chop zucchini and red onion and cook in some olive oil. Drain tomatoes. Throw quinoa, zucchini, red onion, and tomatoes in the biggest bowl you own. Dump in the seasonings.

Recommendations:

If you're feeding an army, let it chill for an hour or two (this tastes best cold or at room temperature). 

If you're making 3 weeks of lunches, scoop out 1.5 cups of quinoa goodness and freeze in a ziploc bag. Then all you need to do is grab a piece of fruit and a cookie in the morning and you're all set to go! (I keep a bowl and a spoon at work.)

Enjoy :)

<a href="http://www.gussysews.com/inspiration-workshop/" target="_blank"><img alt="Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop!" height="125" width="125" title="Gussy Sews" border="0" src="http://www.gussysews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/IW_button1251.png" alt="Gussy" /></a>

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Fall Baking Roundup

FINALLY here in Texas we're down in the double digits as our highs. After MONTHS of walking the dog in 88 degrees at 6 in the morning - our lows are getting down to the mid-60's. This must be what heaven feels like.


I asked my students what the weather was like today (when we all walked outside to the portable where my classroom is, it was sunny and 80 degrees). All of my kindergartners said COLD!




Since the weather is down to the 80's and 90's, I'm finally ready to jump on board the Fall bandwagon. Yes! I'm proclaiming it's here!!


And in honor of this glorious season, here are a few Fall recipes I'd love to try:

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Apple Butter

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Scalloped Everything

Tomato Basil Soup

What about you? Have you done any seasonal cooking yet?

Knock-your-socks-off Chickpea Tacos

I was digging through one of my mother-in-law's cookbooks this summer when I came across this Chickpea Taco recipe. I'm a sucker for anything involving avocado, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was NOT disappointed! (Hubby loved it too!)

This recipe is easy and fast! As a bonus, it's vegan! I'm not a vegan and don't pretend to be (I can't live without cheese.... oh how I love me some cheese!) but it's nice to eat a meatless meal once in a while. It makes me think I'm healthier!

Knock-your-socks-off Chickpea Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado, peeled/pitted/diced
• 1 15 oz can of chickpeas (aka: garbanzo beans)
• 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• 4 tsp lime juice
• 1 clove garlic minced

• 8 corn taco shells
• 2 cups baby salad greens
• 1 cup prepared salsa
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

• Mash avocado with a fork
• Stir in chickpeas, cilantro, lime juice and garlic
• Season to taste with salt and pepper
• Fill each shell with 1/4 cup chickpea-avocado mixture, some salad greens, salsa, sour cream
• Enjoy at room temperature or cold!

Lemonade Pie

Friends, I made this a while back for our Fourth of July festivities, and it was a hit! And I realized later that this recipe can easily become Lime Pie! Or Pina Colada Pie! You just have to substitute the lemonade concentrate and the lemon pudding for whichever flavor floats your boat!

Here's the recipe (originally found in an old copy of Southern Living):

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
2 (3.4 oz) pkgs lemon instant pudding mix
1 Tbsp lemon zest (optional, really)
2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (12 oz can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 (9 inch) ready made graham cracker pie crust
optional: whipped topping

Directions:

1. Whisk together evaporated milk and next 2 ingredients in a bowl 2 minutes or until thickened.
2. Beat cream cheese and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.
3. Add lemonade concentrate, beating until smooth; add milk mixture and beat until blended.
4. Pour into crust. Cover and chill 8 hours or until firm.
5. Enjoy (and try not to devour all in one sitting!)

Pasta Bake

I have a really fun recipe for you today, and it's great because you can add to it or subtract from it based on what you have on hand! And, you can make it vegetarian!! I'm linking up to Casey's recipe exchange today:

 

Ready for the deliciousness to begin? Here we go:

Ingredients:

1 lb asparagus (or broccoli, or something green)

1 lb mushrooms (omit in the case of picky eaters! Substitute chicken pieces?)

1 red onion

Tomatoes (we used calampari, but I would recommend cherry tomatoes)

8 oz penne pasta

1 cup mozzarella

Marinade:

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup vegetable stock (or chicken stock)

1 Tbsp dried basil

1 tsp dried thyme

a pinch of garlic powder

Instructions:

Chop the asparagus and the mushrooms into thirds. Chop onion into one inch pieces. Combine with the tomatoes in a 9x13 dish and pour marinade over top. Let it sit for an hour.

Cook pasta according to directions. Add cooked pasta to the marinated veggies and mix carefully in the 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with the mozarella.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes OR until the asparagus is done enough to your taste.

Enjoy*

*Note: The enjoying part is the only part I did besides taking pictures. My husband is the chef around here and this is his yummy recipe!!

Yummilicious Quesadillas

I have a recipe to share with you today! My husband whipped this up for us recently, and I couldn't resist snapping some pictures before we scarfed it all down!

Here's what you'll need (for 2 people):

• 4 tortillas
• 1/2 a red onion, chopped
• 1 cup frozen corn (or from a can - whatever)
• 1 cup cheddar cheese (or monterey or whatever tickles your fancy)
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• Optional spices, to taste: oregano, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, pinch of salt, squeeze of lime
• Optional garnish: guacamole and sour cream

Step one: Fry up the onions and corn in some olive oil. Spread over the tortilla. Sprinkle on the cilantro.

Step two: Sprinkle with cheese!

Step three: Sprinkle with optional spices - I would definitely recommend at least the salt, pepper, and cumin.

Step four: Fry in some butter, or if you're in a rush, throw it in the toaster oven, or microwave.

Step five: Top with guacamole and/or sour cream and DEVOUR!!

To die for

That's what this recipe is: TO DIE FOR! Once you taste this pumpkin cheesecake, you'll never want to go  back to plain ol' pumpkin pie.

picture borrowed from All Recipes

You can find the recipe here. I highly recommend the following changes, though:

1. 1 tsp of vanilla instead of just 1/2
2. generous pinch of the spices
3. an extra 2Tbs sugar
4. take 1 cup and 1/3 cup of the cheesecake mix for the bottom layer instead of just 1 cup

Oh, and a homemade graham cracker crust is really easy and tastes much better than store-bought (although I'll never judge you, either way!

Notes from the lunch room

I'm the kind of person that likes to have everything prepared ahead of time, and lunch is no exception. I hate the thought of making a sandwich every night (or morning). So much prep work. So much clean up. Plus, I'm not a big sandwich fan.

A few years ago, I came across this Make Ahead Lunch Wrap recipe and it totally changed my life! Now I only spend an hour or two every three weeks cooking up a big batch of these. They freeze really well, and they actually taste very good when reheated in the microwave.

A problem I hadn't yet solved was how to take my lunch to school. I admit, I'm a bit of a cheap-o, so I usually just ended up bringing my food in a plastic bag. Other teachers bring brown paper bags, gift bags, or practical-looking-cooler-type bags. I'll admit.... there were lots of days where I kinda felt like white trash walking into the lounge with my plastic bag from Kroger.

But not anymore!! Last week, I received a BEAUTIFUL lunch box from Apey Lee's Homespun Designs. I literally gasped when I pulled it out of the box (oh, and I was impressed with the really fast shipping too!). The fabric was so pretty and the inside is made from that wipe-downable material for easy cleanup!

 I'm just learning how to use to my sewing machine -- it takes me all afternoon to make a cloth napkin -- so I was really impressed with the quality of the stitching. That's some serious talent right there, folks!

I've been using this as my new lunch box for about a week now, and I can tell you a couple of things:

1. You can fit a lot of lunch in there: I put in a wrap, a pear, a bag of pretzels, and a small plate, with no problem!
2. It's super sturdy.
3. The velcro helps it to close well.
4. I like that I can hang it on the peg in my pantry and it doesn't have to take up space on the floor or on one of the shelves.
5. It's got little pockets on the front to stash my "emergency" chocolate!

And.... most importantly... I can feel all good about myself when I walk into the teacher's lounge with my pretty new lunch box!

If you're ready to tote your lunch in style, head on over to Apey Lee's Homespun Designs! She's got several beautiful options that will make you the envy of your lunchroom!

Take a peek:

Souperlicious

If there's one thing I love about colder weather (okay, it's still in the 80's down here, but I'll take what I can get!), it's eating soup. Not only is it good for you, but it's usually an easy meal to prepare! Plus, it's just great comfort food, too.

I have some VERY easy go-to recipes when I get a hankering for soup. One is the Six Can Chicken Tortilla Soup (I promise nothing about it tastes canned!!). Be sure to add in a can of cream of chicken soup if you make it... otherwise it's a little thin.  My other favorite is Black Bean Soup. Easy, cheap, and delicious -- a winning combination if you ask me!

Now if only I had some super awesome soup bowls to go with these winning recipes....

Textured Autumn Soup Mugs from Wilson River Pottery

Green Aqua Soup Bowls from Karin Lorenc

Beige Soup Dish from Les Oreilles Decolles

Blue Bowl from Rebecca J D Brandow

Skeleton Leaves Bowls from Just Mare