Hungry Momma Mexican Chilaquiles

While living in Ames we ate at this joint and I always ordered their Mexican Chilaquiles.  It is a super yummy but simple dish.  I decided a few weeks ago I was going to try and re-create what I remembered and I was pleasantly surprised with how much it tasted like the real deal!
Here is what I did:

 Place 4-6 frozen Chicken Breast in a crock pot.

 Dice a medium sized purple onion in the onion chopper.

 I love this thing!  Best invention ever - I hate chopping onions!

 Pour over the chicken One can of Mild Red Enchilada Sauce and One small can of tomato sauce.

 Drizzle in some Olive oil.

 Pour your onions over the top.

Sprinkle in one package of your favorite Taco seasonings.

Cook it low and slow until your meat is falling apart.

How to eat this dish:
On a parchment lined cookie sheet I take my favorite thin corn chips - (El Milagro chips) and I spread this meat mixture over the top.
I then top it with Colby Jack/Cheddar blend of cheeses and broil til the cheese is just melted.
You can serve this with sour cream, guacamole, feta cheese, cilantro, salsa - you name it the toppings are endless!  What I loved about this version is that it wasn't overpowering with onion, those just cook down to nothing in your sauce.  Also I used a mild taco seasoning - Old El Paso and it wasn't too hot for my youngest to eat!  Its a kid friendly dish for sure!
I hope this makes getting to the table easier for you and your family!

Contest Submissions

Hey friends! The Contest submissions are due before midnight tomorrow night!  We can't wait to hear your suggestions for The Dish Without A Proper Name!

Cheesy Spinach Roll-Ups

My friend Sonya shared this with me several years ago.  I have been enjoying this dish - that is very similar to Lasagna ever since. 

Ingredients:
17 lasagna noodles

Mix in a bowl:
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella 
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp pepper
Box of frozen spinach, thawed and drained, squeezed and then patted dry! (in other words - get all the liquid out you can!)

Saute together:
4 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Onion chopped

1 jar of Ragu Mushroom sauce (or your favorite variety)

Take 1 cup of your filling mixture and spread in a 9X13 pan.
In each individual noodle spread 1/3 cup of your cheesy filling and roll up.  Place Seam side down in your baking dish. Top the Cheesy Spinach Roll-ups with the Marinara sauce.  Sprinkle with a bit more Parmesan Cheese.
Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until it is bubbling.
Serve with Salad and French Bread!
This will usually yield 12 Cheesy Spinach Roll-ups.  If you have extra's you will just need to have more marinara on hand. 

Momma Lorraine's Sugar Cookies

We have several sugar cookie recipe's in our house.  This one is my mom's recipe that Im sure was passed on to her from someone else!

Cream Together:
1 1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Crisco
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Corn Syrup

Sift Together:
3 Cups Flour
3/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp Soda
Add to creamed mixture.
Chill dough, Roll out 1/4" thick.
Using your favorite cookie cutters - cut them out.
Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Cool + Frost.

Frosting
2 Tbsp. Butter, Melted
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
pinch salt

Add enough milk or water to make spreading consistency.

Wilted Spinach Salad

Serve this dish with Peggys Pasta! They marry quite well!
1/4 cup oil
1Tbs. Sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water
Heat till boiling and sugar dissolves
Pour over spinach with crumbled bacon and purple onion slices over top.
Delicious & Simple

Momma's Rocha (Toffee)

 

This toffee is a newer holiday tradition at my parents house.  Super easy to make and so yummy.  

Here is what you need to know - It hasn't ever flopped on my mom, but she ALWAYS uses a Cast Iron Skillet!

Grease a cookie sheet so that it is ready for the completed toffee.

In this order place in your hot cast iron skillet:

1 Cup of Sugar

1 Cup of Butter - No substitutes - otherwise it will flop

On High you are going to bring this to a boil for 3 minutes.  Just adjust your temperature to make sure that you don't scorch it but don't go below medium high.  Stir this constantly with a very heat resistant spoon. 

Have hot pads handy.  When the color changes you will know that it is ready for the Vanilla.  It will start to have darker amber swirls, add 1 Tsp of Vanilla, and stir it up.  Pour immediately onto the greased cookie sheet.  Wait a few seconds and sprinkle with chocolate chips over the top. When they look glossy you will use your spoon and spread out evenly over your toffee mixture.  You can add nuts to the top now if you prefer.  Let it cool and break apart. 

So here are the notes momma gave me - 

ALWAYS use cast Iron

ALWAYS use a very heat proof utensil.

Have a hot pad handy.

If you would like to change it up a bit - you can omit the vanilla and replace with a rum flavor, and add almonds to the toffee before pouring onto the cookie sheet.

Peggy's Pasta

This is a dish that we grew up eating. One of my momma's best friends in California made it up.  Kids Love this too. There was a time growing up that I thought my brother was going to turn into Peggy's Pasta.  Its a "quick to the table" dish.  You can serve it with a huge nummy salad and garlic bread and you're good to go!

Chop 1 lb. bacon in 1 inch slices
Chop 1 red onion

Brown together with salt and pepper.

quick directions:
Boil one pkg. linguine pasta with a dab of oil. Drain Pasta as well as Bacon and Onions and toss all together while the bacon is still hot, add lots of Parmesan cheese 1/2 to 1 cup. Season with at least 1 T. Italian Seasoning. Serve Immediately.
 

Start your bacon first.  Let it get going before you add the onions, you don't want them to cook away to nothing. 

After a nice coarse chop of your Purple Onion add it to the bacon.  What you are doing to the Onion is basically caramelizing it.  It will become sweet!  So delicious.  This is why you don't add the onion immediately because you don't want it to fry up crisp like your bacon. 
Start your water for the Pasta.  The goal is to have the bacon finished just as the pasta is finished because it all marries together at the perfect time and the result is delicious!

After your bacon is crisp and onions are caramelized Drain them in a colander.

Mix your tablespoon of Italian seasoning in with your Parmesan cheese. Have it ready to go.

Drain your Linguine.

Drizzle with plenty of Olive Oil.

Add the Parmesan Cheese and toss vigorously.

Go for it Honey!

Your ready for your Bacon and Onions, (Plates should be ready &drinks on the table because you eat it immediately!








Toss Vigorously again and serve it up!  All the children rejoice - OH YAY! MOMMA, YOU MADE PEGGY'S PASTA!!!! (at least that is how it goes at our house!)

Hungry Momma Spice Cookies

This is Santa's favorite cookie at our house!  We hope He enjoys it at your place too!
They get eaten so quickly that I often double the batch because they are a perfect gift and no one eats just one.  They are thin, chewy and crispy on the outside - Perfection in a cookie!



Makes 36 * Prep time: 25 minutes * Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon (heaping)
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
12 T. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1/4 cup Molasses

What to do:
1. Preheat oven to 350*. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a shallow bowl, place 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.

2. With an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining cup of sugar until combined. Beat in egg, and then molasses until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in dry ingredients, just until a dough forms.

3. Pinch off and roll dough into balls, each equal to 1 tablespoon. Roll balls in reserved sugar to coat.

4. Arrange balls on baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges are just firm, 10 to 15 minutes (Cookies can be baked two sheets at time but they will not crack uniformly). Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; transfer to racks to cool completely. Store in air tight containers, 3-4 days.

Mexican Corn Casserole

This is one of those dishes that is a holiday tradition, but isn't necessarily a holiday dish!  It's just one that Cousin Pat Eichenberger always brought to Christmas gathering and we loved it. I would love to see her and all my Arkansas family.  I miss them so much especially in the fall and Christmastime.  So today while I think about them - I will share her dish with you!

5  cans shoe-peg con drained
2 pkg *8oz  cream chease
1 cup warmed milk
1 1/2 stick of butter
1 cup jalapeño peppers (chopped)
3 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. salt

Melt cream cheese and butter in microwave; Stir until smooth.  Add Milk, flour, and Salt, Mix Well. Stir in Corn and Jalapeños.  Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and cook at 350 for 30 minutes.

Party Cheese Ball

1 cup crushed pecans (I like to toast mine)
2 8 oz cream cheese
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 T onion
1T bell pepper
1 T pimento
2 tsp Worcestershire
2 tsp lemon juice
Mix cream cheese and grated cheddar cheese
In food processor (i use my little cheap one for this) blend your onion, pimento, bell pepper, Worcestershire and lemon juice
When blended and diced very fine add to cheese mixture

Form ball with hands then roll in crushed pecans! Serve with wheat thins
Instead of balls I have also shaped it into hearts, bells, Christmas tree...whatever the season requires! This makes 2 balls. It is best on the second and third day after the ingredients have blended together well.

Aunt Viki's Sweet Pickles

I have been meaning to post this for some time now.  This is my Aunt's recipe for the most amazing sweet pickle you have ever put in your mouth!  These are the pickles that I love to eat with Chili.  I know that pickles are a summer thing - but its always winter when Im craving them.  I am going to post this now while I am wishing I had a jar in my pantry to go with the Chili on my winter menu!

7 lbs Cucumbers
2 cups of pickling lime
1/2 gallon of vinegar
8 cups of sugar
1 Tablespoon of salt
1 Tablespoon of Cloves
1 Tablespoon of Celery Seed
1 Tablespoon of All Spice

Mix 2 cups of pickling lime with 2 gallons of water, pour over sliced cucumbers.  Soak 24 hours - stirring often.  Pour off, and Rinse the cucumbers VERY GOOD 4 or 5 times if necessary.  Let the cucumbers set in ice water for three hours.  Drain Well.
Mix Vinegar, Sugar, and Salt.  Pour over the cucumber slices and soak for 6-24 hours (longer for convenience).  Cook until transparent and only gently stir them.  Pour into jars and cap off.  As with any canning make sure that before you put the lids on,  the top of the rim is wiped off with a scalding hot cloth.  This will ensure that you have a great seal and that there isn't any pickle juice or sweet syrup hindering that! 
Once you place the rings on - give these jars a 10-15 minute hot water boil bath.   Your jars will seal as they cool and you will have pickles in the summer and the winter - depending on how quickly you eat them and if you share them! :) This recipe will make about 12 pints.
I say this is an AWESOME Christmas gift idea, because they are a labor of love, but not hard to do.  I received them in my stocking a few years ago and it was probably one of my favorite gifts!

Pepper Steak Goulash

I enjoy using my Martha Stewart Enameled Cast Iron Chili pot to make this.  Any good sized pot will work, but this is going to cook low and slow on the stove once you get it going... Here is what you will need:

1 round steak (I use a nice size and sometimes two depending on my crowd)
1 large can (20+ oz) of Crushed tomatoes (have an extra 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes on hand just in case your meat doesn't make much broth and you think you need more).
2 (14 oz) cans of italian style stewed tomatoes (or petite diced).
1 small can of tomato paste
3 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 tsp of italian seasoning
1 tsp of oregano
1 tsp of Basil
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves smashed and diced
2 - 3 Green Bell Peppers
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil

1.  Slice your round steak on the diagonal into very thin strips.
2. Thinly slice your bell pepper into strips, and do a smash and dice on your garlic.
3. In your pot drizzle in olive oil - enough to just cover the bottom of the pot.
4. After piping hot put your meat in and season with salt and pepper.
5. Once the meat is just browned, add in your garlic and thinly sliced bell peppers.
Let this cook down just for a moment while you are opening all your cans.
6. Pour in all of the tomatoes and tomato paste,  add in the seasonings, bay leaf and sugar.  Stir this good.  Do not drain the oil off of your meat - this will add to the flavor of your dish.  If you feel like there needs to be more broth on this - add a little bit of beef broth.  (However it will be thicker when you serve it because the slow cooking should reduce your sauce intensifying the flavor.)
Let this cook all day long on a low simmer. Stir Occasionally.  The lower and slower the more delicious it is.

Serve this over a bed of rice! DELICIOUS!!!

Contest Coming in the Morning!!!

Dear Blogger Friends,
I have a special recipe that has come up in our family for years.  It is so delicious and I would love to share it...However....The name that it was given - is not right - because it is neither Hungarian or a Goolash in my opinion.  I need your help.  This Hungarian Goolash - as my mother and grandma called it, needs cooks like yourselves to make it and submit your name for the dish!
Here is what you need to do,
Follow the recipe  - Get your friends to make the recipe...
Post a picture of your completed dish on the Hungry Momma Facebook page.
Submit your name for the dish as your comment on your picture of the dish.
Compete and talk smack with your sisters and friends who are also making the dish and the name they have chosen...
All Entries must be submitted by December 18th!
The Name of the Dish will be Posted On the 20th!
The more the merrier in this competition.  The prize as of now is bragging rights that you named a dish on the Hungry Momma, along with, of course -  a box of delicious home made Hungry Momma cookies shipped to your door - Or you can have them sent to someone for a New Years gift!
If your in,  let me know in the comment section below!!!
Recipe will post in the morning as the "Dish Without a Proper Name!"

The Kemper Bran Muffin

While living in Iowa I was given this recipe by a dear friend Shanna.  It was her husbands Grandmother's recipe.  It is delicious!  I never thought of a bran muffin as delicious, but - it really is amazing.  The batter last for 6 weeks in the refrigerator which is nice, but it doesn't last that long in our house!  Perfect Breakfast!  Serve it with a Banana and Hot Tea - YUMMY!


2 cups All Bran
2 cups hot water
Pour water over the bran and let set while mixing the rest.

1 cup oleo
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
Beat together and add bran/water mix.

Next add:
1 qt buttermilk
5 tsp baking soda
5 cups flour
4 cups 40% bran flakes

Keeps in fridge for over 6 weeks.

Bake in muffin tins at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes