Copycat Applebee's Oriental Dressing

(Courtesy of carriesexperimentalkitchen.com)

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp. sesame oil

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk well.

Candied Bacon

(Courtesy of domesticfits.com)

Ingredients:
12 strips bacon
1/4-1/2 c. brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sprinkle one side of the strips of bacon with brown sugar.  Press it into the bacon well.

Place the bacon, sugar side down, on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.  You are going to want to cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil or a Silpat, for the drippings will burn and it will be difficult to clean.

Top the other side of the bacon (the side facing up) with more brown sugar and press into the bacon.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Using a pair of tongs, turn each slice and continue to bake until dark brown and cooked through.

Bacon will not crisp in the oven.  Bacon will not get crisp until it cools and the sugar has hardened.

Allow the bacon to cool, chop and use however you want (top brownies, in ice cream, on maple doughnuts, in pancake batter, in waffle batter, on a salad, in chocolate chip cookies etc.)

Easy Strawberry Cobbler

(Courtesy of tweetandeats.com)

Ingredients:
2 lb. strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 c. sugar, divided
1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees.  

In a large bowl, toss strawberries and 1/3 c. sugar until well combined.  Let set to liquefy, 2 minutes.

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream remaining sugar and butter on medium speed.  Add eggs, one at a time, until blended.  Add flour (a little at a time, while blending).  Add baking soda and salt.  Blend until well blended on medium speed, scraping down the sides as needed.

Spread strawberries evenly on the bottom of a 2 quart rectangular baking dish and dollop batter, using a tablespoon, evenly over top.  Bake until golden brown and cooked through, 35 minutes.

Greek Salmon Burgers

(Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:
1 lemon
1 1/4 lb. skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 egg
2 green onions, trimmed and cut up
2 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves
1/2 slice white sandwich bread
1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 c. chopped seedless cucumber
4 ciabatta buns, split and toasted

Directions:
Soak cedar grilling plank in water at least 1 hour before grilling; drain.  

Finely shred peel from lemon; juice lemon to get 1 tsp.  Set aside.

In a food processor combine salmon, egg, green onions, oregano, bread, half the lemon peel, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. cracked black pepper.  Pulse 5 times or until mixture holds together, scraping sides as needed.  Shape into four 3/4 inch thick patties.  Cover; chill 30 minutes.

In a small bowl stir together yogurt, cucumber, remaining lemon peel, lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. cracked black pepper.  Cover; chill.

For charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around edge of grill.  Place plank on grill rack directly over coals 5 minutes or until plank smokes and crackles; remove.  Arrange patties on plank; place in center of grill rack.  Cover; grill 10-12 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reads 160 degrees.  (For gas grill, preheat; reduce heat to medium.  Adjust for indirect cooking.  Place plank on grill rack over heat 5 minutes or until plank smokes and crackles; remove.  Arrange patties on plank.  Place plank over unlit side of grill; grill as above.)

Serve salmon on buns with lettuce leaves and yogurt mixture.

Homemade Berry Rocket Pops

(Courtesy of yahoo.com)

Ingredients:
1 c. hulled strawberries, partially frozen
1/2 c. blueberries, partially frozen
1/2 c. blackberries, partially frozen
1-1 3/4 c. coconut water, divided
2-3 Tbsp. agave nectar or honey, divided
1 1/4 c. crushed ice
2-3 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest

Directions:
In a blender, blend the strawberries, 1/4-1/2 c. coconut water and 1 1/2-2 tsp. agave nectar or honey.  You want the mixture to be thick, so add the smallest amount of coconut water as possible.  Add the sweetener last as to avoid sticking to the bottom of the blender.

Empty the strawberry mixture into a bowl or glass and freeze for about 30 minutes- it should start to thicken.  Rinse your blender, then repeat with blackberries, blueberries, coconut water and sweetener; blend and freeze.

Rinse the blender.  Blend the crushed ice, lime juice, lime zest, 1/2-3/4 c. coconut water and 1 Tbsp. sweetener.  Taste for sweetness.  Place in a bowl in the freezer for about 30 minutes, until starting to thicken.

You want the purees to reach a texture where you can spoon them on top of one another without them mixing.  After all mixtures have thickened, fill your Popsicle molds about 1/3 the way up with the strawberry mixture.  Tap on the counter to level.

Spoon in the lime mixture next making sure that there are no air pockets (lightly poke with the top of the end of the spoon to fill in gaps), then top with the blackberry/blueberry mixture and level off the top.

Place Popsicle sticks in the ends (your mixture should be thick enough that they remain standing) and freeze until solid, about 4-5 hour.

Serve your Popsicles once frozen.  They may need to thaw for 5-10 minutes before you are able to remove them from the molds otherwise run water over the molds.

Jalapeno Chicken Breasts

(Courtesy of Midwest Living)

Ingredients:
6 bone-in chicken breast halves, skinned
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 c. sliced pickled jalapeno chile pepper, drained
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. cold water
1 pkg. (8 oz.) reduced-fat cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes
2 slices regular bacon or turkey bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled (optional)

Directions:
Sprinkle chicken with chili powder and salt.  Arrange chicken, bone sides down, in a 4 1/2-6 quart slow cooker.  Pour broth and lemon juice around chicken.  Top with drained jalapeno peppers.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5-6 hours or on high setting for 2 1/2-3 hours.

Transfer chicken and jalapeno pepper to a serving platter, reserving cooking liquid.  Cover chicken and keep warm.

If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting.  For sauce, in a small bowl, combine cornstarch and the water; stir into cooking liquid.  Add cream cheese, whisking until combined.  Cover and cook about 15 minutes more or until thickened.  Serve chicken with the sauce.  If desired, sprinkle with bacon.

Raspberry Lemonade Pie

(Courtesy of Kraft)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. boiling water
1 pkg. (3 oz.) lemon flavor gelatin
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 oz. frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 tub (8 oz.) whipped topping, thawed
1 c. fresh raspberries
2 ready to use graham cracker crumb crusts (6 oz. each)

Directions:
Add boiling water to gelatin in a small bowl; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved.  Beat cream cheese in large bowl with mixer until creamy.  Gradually beat in concentrate, then gelatin until blended.

Stir in whipped topping and berries.  Pour into crusts.

Refrigerate 1 pie 4 hours or until firm.  Freeze remaining pie up to 1 week before thawing to serve.

Easy Crockpot Italian Chicken

(Courtesy of thefrugalgirls.com)

Ingredients:
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed (if frozen)
1 bottle (16 oz.) Italian dressing 

Directions:
Place chicken in crockpot.  Pour dressing over top.  Cook on high for 3 1/2 hours covered, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the juices run clear.

4 Ingredient Shepherds Pie

(Courtesy of flouronmyface.com)

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
6 servings instant mashed potatoes
1 can corn, drained
8 oz. medium cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:
Brown the ground beef, adding spices of your choice (like garlic salt).  While cooking the ground beef, cook the instant mashed potatoes, following the directions on  the box.

When the potatoes are done, spread them evenly in the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish.  Drain the ground beef well.

Spread the seasoned ground beef over the mashed potatoes.  Evenly spread the can of corn over the beef.

Sprinkle with the shredded cheese over the top of the corn.

Bake at 375 degrees until the cheese is melted or in the microwave for 15 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole

(Courtesy of bakeatmidnite.com)

Ingredients:
1 large head (2 lbs.) fresh cauliflower
1/4 c. diced green bell pepper
1/4 c. diced red bell pepper
1 c. sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
4 Tbsp. butter, divided
1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 c. milk
1 c. shredded Asiago cheese, divided
3-4 c. plain croutons
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Separate cauliflower into individual florets- try to keep them uniform in size, approximately 1-2 inches across the head.

Place florets in a large pot, cover with water and add 1 tsp. kosher salt.  Bring to a boil, cover and cook 5-10 minutes, or until crisp tender (they will keep cooking in the oven).

Spray an 11x7 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Place cauliflower in prepared baking dish, making an even layer across the bottom.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 3 Tbsp. butter.  Add the peppers, onion and mushrooms to pan and saute until tender.

Add flour to pan with vegetables and blend well.  Add the milk gradually, stirring constantly until well blended and there are no lumps.  Add salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until sauce begins to thicken.  Add 3/4 c. cheese to the sauce.  Stir until the cheese melts.

Pour cheese/vegetable sauce over cauliflower, distributing the sauce evenly over the cauliflower.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Melt the remaining 1 Tbsp. butter.

Remove the casserole from the oven, uncover and distribute croutons evenly over the top.  Drizzle with melted butter.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c. of the cheese then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.

Return to oven and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and croutons are golden brown.

Summer Vegetable Soup

(Courtesy of Taste of Home)

Ingredients:
1 small onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 c. reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 c. sliced zucchini
1 can (15 1/2 oz.) navy beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 c. diced peeled red potato
1/2 c. cut fresh green beans (2 inch pieces)
1/2 c. chopped peeled tomato
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 c. chopped celery leaves
2 Tbsp. tomato paste

Directions:
In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender.  Add the next 8 ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Stir in celery leaves and tomato paste.  Cover and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Tequila-Marinated Chicken Thighs

(Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:
12 chicken thighs, skinned if desired
1/2 c. orange juice
1/4 c. tequila
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. finely chopped canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 tsp. snipped fresh oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish. For marinade, in a small bowl stir together orange juice, tequila, lime juice, chipotle pepper, oregano, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Pour over chicken in bag; seal bag. Turn to coat chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Drain chicken, reserving marinade. For a charcoal grill, arrange medium-hot coals around a drip pan. Test for medium heat above pan. Place chicken, meaty sides down, on grill rack over pan. Cover and grill for 50 to 60 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (180 degrees F), turning and brushing once with reserved marinade halfway through grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Adjust for indirect cooking. Place chicken on grill rack over the burner that is turned off. Grill as directed.) Discard any remaining marinade.

Homemade Microwave Pickles

(Courtesy of mrfood.com)

Ingredients:
1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. white vinegar
1/2/ tsp. mustard seed
1/4 tsp. celery seed
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. salt

Directions
In a microwave-safe 2 quart bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well.  Microwave uncovered at 80% power for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Allow pickles to cool.  Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.  

Parmesan Baked Tomatoes

(Courtesy of foodanddrinkrecipecollections.blogspot.com)

Ingredients:
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/3 c.. freshly grated Parmesan
Fresh oregano
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Directions:
In a baking pan or dish lay out the tomatoes in a single layer.  Top with Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper.  Drizzle olive oil over top.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Funfetti Blondies

(Courtesy of liluna.com)

Ingredients:
1 box funfetti cake mix
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 c. milk
3/4 c. white chocolate chips
FROSTING:
1/2 c. butter, softened
3 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar

Directions:
In a bowl, mix together cake mix, egg and oil until well combined.  Add milk slowly to the mixture.  Stir in chips and mix well.

Pour batter into a greased 7x11 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  They may be a little gooey in the middle but it will set up after a few minutes.  Let cool.

Mix all ingredients for frosting together until smooth.  Spread over bars.

Cherry Pineapple Lemonade

(Courtesy of thekitchenmccabe.com)

Ingredients:
1 recipe lemonade base, chilled (see below)
1 can frozen pineapple juice
1 bottle Maraschino cherry syrup (found in the drink mix section of the grocery store)
Water 
Maraschino cherries
Pineapple slices (for garnish)

Directions:
In a very large pitcher, mix together the lemonade base and thawed pineapple juice.  Add water to the pitcher to taste, leaving the lemonade a little bit on the strong side because it will be poured over ice.

To assemble: Pour 1-2 Tbsp. of cherry syrup in the bottom of a glass.  Fill the glass with ice.  Pour the pineapple lemonade slowly over ice until the glass is full.  Garnish with a maraschino cherry and a slice of pineapple.

Lemonade base:
2 c. fresh lemon juice (from about 10-12 lemons)
2 c. sugar
2 c. water

Directions:
Place the lemon juice, sugar and water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring the sugar until it is completely dissolved.  Remove from the heat and place in a large pitcher.  Refrigerate until cold.

Cool Whip Pie

(Courtesy of vegetarian.about.com)

Ingredients:
8 oz. cool whip
18 oz. yogurt, any flavor
1 ready made pie crust

Directions:
Thoroughly combine the cool whip and yogurt until smooth.  Pout into pie crust and freeze until firm.  Remove from freezer approximately 20 minutes before serving.  Serve with fresh fruit if desired.

Buttery Nipple Shot

(Courtesy of cocktail365.blogspot)

Ingredients:
1/2 oz. Irish cream
1/2 oz. butterscotch schnapps

Directions:
Combine both ingredients in a shaker and strain into a shot glass.

Drunken Cookie Monster

(Courtesy of Pinterest)

Ingredients:
1 oz. cake vodka
1 oz. vanilla vodka
1 oz. white chocolate chocolate liqueur
1-2 c. vanilla ice cream
3 Oreo cookies
Cupcake icing

Directions:
Blend together the cake vodka, vanilla vodka, white chocolate liqueur, vanilla ice cream and cookies.

Top with cupcake icing and decorate with another cookie and design like a monster if you wish.

Note: You can add more or less of the ingredients to make it to your liking.

Easy Cheese Danishes

(Courtesy of chocolatechocolateandmore)

Ingredients:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 can crescent rolls or seamless dough
ICING:
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. milk

Directions:
Stir together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.  Set aside.

Remove crescent dough from packaging.  Do not unroll.  Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 sections, about 3/4 inches thick.  Place dough sections on a parchment lined or lightly greased baking sheet.  Create an indentation in the center of each dough section for your cream cheese mixture.  

Place 1 rounded tablespoon of cream cheese mixture onto each dough section.  

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 14-17 minutes, until dough is golden brown.

While danishes are baking, create the icing.  Combine the powdered sugar and milk until completely smooth.  Drizzle over warm danishes.

French Dip Croissants

(Courtesy of bigoven.com)

Ingredients:
1 pkg. crescent rolls
1/2 lb. deli roast beef, thinly sliced
2 oz. swiss cheese or provolone cheese (8 slices)
1/4 c. onions, sliced
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1/8 c. white wine
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 c. beef broth
Horseradish sauce, optional
Olive oil, for sauteing

Directions:
Unroll crescents onto a large cookie sheet.

Spread a small dab of horseradish on each crescent, then place a slice of roast beef and a piece of cheese on each crescent.

Roll crescents starting from the wide end and ending at the narrow end.

Bake at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes, until crescents are golden color.  Serve with Au Jus and enjoy.

Au Jus:
Caramelize the onions in a small amount of olive oil.  Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Deglaze the pot with white wine, then add Worcestershire sauce and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

Add beef broth and bring to a light boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.  

Blueberry Ice Cream Pie

(Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. slivered almonds
2 Tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
BLUEBERRY SAUCE:
3 c. blueberries, rinsed, well-drained and carefully picked over for damaged berries
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch 
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
OTHER:
1 homemade or purchased vanilla ice cream
3/4 c. blueberry sauce
1/2 c. creme fraiche or sour cream
1/2 c. sour cream
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 c. fresh blueberries, rinsed, picked over and well dried on paper towel-lined baking sheets
Remaining blueberry sauce, heated

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In bowl of food processor fitted with a steel blade combine almonds, brown sugar and salt.  Pulse until coarsely ground.  Transfer to bowl and stir in melted butter.  Turn into 9 inch pie plate.  With fingers press onto bottom and sides to form a firm, even layer.

Bake 8-12 minutes or until lightly golden.  Don't overbrown or the crust will have an overpowering flavor.  Allow to cool completely on a rack.  Transfer to freezer until ready to use (may be made up to a weed in advance and frozen, tightly wrapped).

In a large, wide, nonreactive skillet combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and salt, stirring well with a spoon to distribute the sugar and cornstarch.  Add zest, lemon juice, water and a few gratings of fresh nutmeg; stir again to blend.

Cook and stir over medium heat until blueberries begin to pop, give off juice, and come to a full simmer.  Simmer, stirring gently for 1 additional minute until sauce is lightly thickened and cornstarch is well cooked.

Set aside to cool; refrigerate sauce until completely chilled before proceeding.

Transfer ice cream to a mixing bowl and let stand in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until just softened.

Spoon half into prepared crust.  Spread into even layer and top with the chilled blueberry sauce.  Spoon onto remaining ice cream and spread to edges.

Cover surface of ice cream with plastic wrap and freeze at least 8 hours or overnight until firmly set.

To serve: in chilled mixing bowl, whisk creme fraiche, heavy cream and sugar until just thickened to spreading consistency.  Do not overbeat.  Spread cream mixture over pie; top with blueberries.  Serve with heated sauce on the side.

Honeyed Lemonade Tea Punch

(Courtesy of Midwest Living)

Ingredients:
4 c. water
3 inches fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1/4 c. loose-leaf Darjeeling tea or other loose-leaf black tea
1/2 of a 12 oz. can (3/4 c.) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1/3 c. honey
Ice cubes or crushed ice
Lemon slices or thin lemon wedges
Vodka, gin or bourbon (optional)

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, bring the water and ginger to boiling.  Remove from heat.  Add tea.  Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.  Pour tea mixture through a fine mesh strainer; discard ginger and tea leaves.

Transfer tea to a 1 1/2 quart pitcher.  Stir in lemonade concentrate and honey, stirring until honey is dissolved.  Cool for 30 minutes.  Cover; chill for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.  Stir before serving.

Serve punch in glasses over ice.  Garnish with lemon slices.  Chill remaining tea for up to 1 day.

For a single cocktail, stir 1 Tbsp. vodka, gin or bourbon into ice-filled glass; add punch.

One Pan Cheesey Smoked Sausage and Pasta Skillet

(Courtesy of yellowblissroad.com)

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. smoked turkey sausage, sliced
1 c. diced onion
1 Tbsp. minced garlic (about 2 fresh cloves)
2 c. chicken broth
1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes
1/2 c. milk or heavy cream
8 oz. dry pasta (any small pasta will do)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 c. shredded cheddar-jack cheese
1/3 c. chopped scallions, for garnish

Directions:
Add olive oil to a 5-6 quart saute pan over medium high heat.  Add onions and sausage and cook until lightly browned.  Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

Add chicken broth, tomatoes, milk, pasta and seasonings.  Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender.

Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 c. cheese.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover for about 5 minutes to allow cheese to melt.  Top with sliced scallions and serve.

Chicago-Style Pan Pizza

(Courtesy of allrecipes)

Ingredients:
1 loaf (1 lb.) frozen bread dough, thawed
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tsp. olive oil
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fennel seeds
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Press dough into the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish or a deep dish round pan.

Crumble sausage into a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook and stir until evenly browned.  Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and sprinkle over dough crust.  Sprinkle mozzarella evenly.

Heat oil in skillet.  Add mushrooms and onion.  Cook and stir until onion is tender.  Stir in tomatoes, oregano, salt, fennel seeds and garlic powder.  Spoon over mozzarella.  Sprinkle Parmesan over the top.

Skinny Taco Casserole

(Courtesy of diethood.com)

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. ground beef
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. chili powder
Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 tomatoes, diced
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 bag (9 oz.) fresh spinach
Butter, for dish
4 (6 inch) tortillas
1 1/2 c. mixture of shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese
Optional: Avocado slices, cherry tomatoes, tortilla chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.  Add beef, garlic, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Cook until meat is browned, stirring occasionally.

Add diced tomatoes and diced pepper.  Continue to cook for 6-7 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.  Stir in fresh spinach and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted.  Remove from heat.

Coat a 2-3 quart baking dish with butter.  Cover the bottom of the dish with a layer of the meat mixture.  Top with 1 tortilla.  Repeat layers, but top each layer with cheese mixture before adding the tortilla.

Finish off by spreading the remaining meat mixture on top and the remaining of the cheese.  Cover and bake for 30 minutes; remove cover and continue to cook for 5 more minutes or until bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes.

Before serving, garnish with slices of avocado, cherry tomatoes and tortilla chips, if desired.