Enchilada Noodle Caboodle

This casserole will knock your socks off.  It's everything you love about beef enchiladas... with the comfort of a noodle casserole.  It's so good.

Ingredients:
2 lbs beef pot roast
1 lb pasta
2 large cans green enchilada sauce
1 can red enchilada sauce
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can sliced olives
2 cans green chiles
2 yellow onions
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
A few pinches of red pepper flakes
A few crushed handfuls of Juanitas corn chips

Preheat the oven to 350°

 

 

Brown your pot roast in a skillet on both sides.  

Put it in the crock pot with a can of the green enchilada sauce.  Cook for 5-6 hours on high and shred it!

Add all those cans of various things in a big bowl.  Mix in the shredded meat.  Add some red pepper flakes.

Boil the pasta for 4-5 minutes.  It will cook more in the oven.

Stir in the semi-cooked pasta and about 3/4 of the cheese.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and add crushed chips.

Bake for 45 minutes and serve with sour cream!  Yum!

Sunny's Famous Almond Roca

My dear friend, Sunny has been making this masterpiece for years.  She brings it to my Mom's Annual Cookie Party every year... whether she wants to or not.  She might want to try a new recipe sometime... but nobody will let her.  There would be an uprising if she didn't show up with a big ol' box of her famous Almond Roca.  Not only does she bring a big box for the actual Cookie Exchange... but she makes individual bags for a few of us... just so we don't have to worry about getting some during the exchange.  It's that serious.

Ingredients:
35 Saltine Crackers

2 sticks of butter (1/2 pound)

1 cup sugar

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter morsels

1 cup of chopped almonds
A few pinches of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400°

Line a 10x15 cookie sheet with tin foil.  Lay out saltine crackers tightly side by side, but not overlapping.

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a small sauce pan.

Once butter is melted, slowly add sugar, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved.  Allow to bubble up like this... it will look weird... but this is what you're looking for.  Foamy, bubbly, frothy.  Mmmmm.

Pour the mixture over the crackers and spread out evenly.  This is where attention to detail is important.  Really make sure all the crackers are covered.  It takes some time... but it's worth it.  

Then pop it in the oven for 7 minutes.  Watch your oven carefully.  Oven times vary... and you want your crackers to be golden but not burnt.

When you take it out, immediately sprinkle the chocolate and peanut butter chips over the top and spread evenly with a spatula.

Again... take your time.  You want it all mixed together and covering all the crackers.

Sprinkle chopped almonds and sea salt on top and put it in the fridge!  Alternate topping options include, peanuts, coconut, hazelnuts or anything else that sounds good to you!  Leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

When you take it out, it will be hard and ready to smash!  

Smash is up into pieces and enjoy!  

Once you've eaten all the delicious almond roca... there will be a pile of crumbs in the pan.  Put all those crumbs on top of coffee ice cream.  Trust me.

Buffalo Chicken Mac n' Cheese

Yes.  It's delicious.

Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 1/2 sticks of butter
2 tablespoons garlic
2 small yellow onions
4 stalks celery, diced
1 3/4 cups buffalo sauce
2 tbs flour
1 tablespoon mustard
2 cups milk
4 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded
2/3 cup sour cream
1 lb pasta
1 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbs parsley, chopped
4 oz bleu cheese

 Preheat the oven to 350°

Chop up the onion and celery.

Saute in 3 tablespoons of butter and tablespoons of garlic for 8-10 minutes, until onions are translucent.

Shred the chicken.

Add the chicken and 3/4 cup of buffalo sauce to the onion/celery mixture.

In a separate pan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour and mustard.

Whisk in milk, 1 cup of buffalo sauce, cheddar and pepper jack cheese.

Par-boil the pasta (4-5 minutes).  It will cook more in the oven.
Combine pasta with cheese sauce and chicken mixture. 
Then, dump it in a 9x13 pyrex.

For the topping, mix together the panko, 4 tablespoons of melted butter, parsley and bleu cheese.

Add the topping and bake for 25-35 minutes!

Enjoy!

Optional: Whip up a little bleu cheese sauce to go on top.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup bleu cheese
1 1/2 cups mayo
1 tbs cream
1 tsp dijon
2 tbs vinegar
Salt & Pepper

Blend in food processor till smooth!