Creamy Cheese Grits with Chilies

1 cup Grits (quick Or Regular)
4-½ cups Water
½ teaspoons Salt
8 ounces Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
4 ounces Cream Cheese, Cut Into Cubes
½ can Rotel (tomatoes And Chilies)
1 can (4 Ounces) Chopped Green Chilies
¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
¼ teaspoons Paprika
Black Pepper To Taste
1 whole Egg Beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Boil water and add salt. Add grits and stir, then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

Stir in Rotel, chilies, grated cheese, and cream cheese. Stir in spices and check for seasonings. Add salt if needed.

Beat egg. Drizzle in a couple of tablespoons of hot grits to temper, stirring constantly. Dump it all back into the pot and stir.

Pour into a buttered baking dish and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until hot and bubbly and golden on top.

Important: Allow pan to sit for fifteen minutes before serving! Grits will firm up slightly as they sit. Stir a bit in the pan if needed.

Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound Jimmy Dean 'Hot' Sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 (8 ounce) packages of mushrooms, either white or baby bella

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix the cream cheese into the sausage while it's still warm. Clean the mushrooms. Remove the stems and reserve for another use. Stuff the sausage mixture into the mushroom caps. Bake on a baking sheet for 20-25 minutes.

Mexican Rice

2 Tbsp Olive oil or vegetable oil
1 C  long grain white rice
2 C chicken broth

1 small can tomato juice
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the rice. Stir frequently and slightly brown the rice over a medium high heat. Add the chicken broth. Add the tomato juice. Add some salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly. Reduce heat to simmer and cover tightly with a lid. (I ’stir’ the mixture several times while it’s cooking by just shaking/moving the skillet back and forth so that I don’t take the lid off.) Simmer/cook for about 20 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed. Once the liquid has been absorbed, turn off the heat and leave mixture alone with the lid on it for another 10-15 minutes or so.

Tuna with Avocado, Soy, Ginger, and Lime

2 big handfuls fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1/2 jalapeno, sliced
1 t. grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
2 limes, juiced
2 T. soy sauce or coconut aminos
pinch sugar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup EVOO
2 (6 ounce) tuna steaks
1 ripe avocado, halved, peeled, and sliced

In a mixing bowl, combine the cilantro, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, pepper, and 2 T. of olive oil. Stir the ingredients together until well incorporated.

Place a skillet over medium high heat and coat with the remaining 2 T. of olive oil. Season the tuna generously with salt and pepper. Lay the tuna in the hot oil and sear for 1 minute on each side to form a slight crust. Pour 1/2 of the cilantro mixture in the pan to coat the fish. Serve the tuna with the avocado and the remaining sauce drizzled over the whole plate.

Easy Oven Baked Spicy Chicken Tacos

1 T. olive oil
1/2 pound cooked chicken, shredded
1 packet Old El Paso Hot & Spicy Taco Seasoning
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomato, drained
1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chiles
10 Old El Paso Stand and Stuff Taco Shells
1/2 (16 ounce) can refried beans
2 cups mexican blend cheese
Toppings such as jalapenos, sour cream, salsa, cilantro, olives, lettuce, etc.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan and set aside.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add onion and cook for a few minutes until onion is translucent.  Stir in the chicken, taco seasoning, tomatoes, and green chiles. Stir to fully combine. Reduce to simmer and allow to cook for 5-8 minutes.

Place the taco shells in the baking dish, standing up. Spoon 1 T. of beans into the bottom of each shell. Top with the chicken mixture, almost to the top of each shell. Sprinkle each with a generous amount of cheese.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cheese is fully melted and the edges of the shells are browned.

Remove from oven and serve with your favorite toppings.

***be sure to drain the tomatoes completely so the shells don't get soggy.

Delicious Punch

1 package each of Orange, Lemon, Cherry, and Strawberry Kool-aid (small packets)
1 gallon water
3.5 cups of sugar
1- 46 ounce can of pineapple juice
1- 2 liter bottle of Sprite

Mix all together EXCEPT Sprite. Right before serving add in Sprite. Serve chilled over ice.

*can add orange slices to make pretty

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

1 cup pureed pumpkin
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup almond milk
1-1/4 cups GF flour blend
1/2 cup GF rolled oats
3/4 cup sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. pumpkin spice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a metal loaf pan and set aside.

Place the pumpkin, eggs, oil, and almond milk in a large mixing bowl. Blend until creamy.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix thoroughly until smooth. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out dry. Allow to cool in pan before removing to a wire rack.