Beef and Bean Chimichangas

My husband and father-in-law both love chimichangas, which are essentially deep-fried burritos. I really don't like making anything deep-fried because it's messy and smelly. Maybe one day if I have a fryer I'll change my mind. Anyway, to save the mess and some calories, I bake my chimis. And you know what? They are just as good.

The recipe calls for a can of chili beans. This is not the same as chili with beans. Here is an example of what I mean:
It's essentially pinto beans in a flavored sauce. I'm pretty sure most brands make a version.

BEEF AND BEAN CHIMICHANGAS

2-3 lb. beef roast
1 Tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper
1/2 cup water
1 (15 oz) can chili beans
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
10 (burrito size) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack
3-4 Tbsp. butter, melted
diced tomatoes
shredded lettuce
sour cream
guacamole (optional)

Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a skillet over med-high heat and brown roast on both sides. Pour 1/2 cup water in a slow cooker and add roast; cook on low for 8-9 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove roast from slow cooker and shred. In a medium bowl, combine beef, 1/4 cup drippings from slow cooker, beans (with sauce), chilies, cumin, and chili powder.

To assemble chimis: Scoop about a heaping 1/2 cup of beef mixture onto a tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese and roll up burrito style. Place seam side down on a foil lined jelly roll pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Brush chimis with melted butter and bake for 25-30 minutes or until light golden brown. Serve with toppings.

Bob Andy Pie

I have no idea who Bob Andy is or why this pie is named after him. From what I understand, this is a popular pie from Indiana Amish country. The brown "crust" on top is formed when the cinnamon rises to the top of the custard during baking.

The recipe calls for whole milk, which I didn't have, so I made it with 1% and it turned out just fine. I think it just lost some creaminess and fullness in the custard, but it's still delicious. I prefer it chilled but it can be served room temp.

BOB ANDY PIE
from ThreeManyCooks on TastyKitchen

3 whole large eggs
1 9-inch pie shell
2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Crack eggs in a medium bowl; brush pie shell with a little of the egg whites. Whisk eggs until thoroughly mixed; whisk in milk. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt then whisk into milk mixture.

Set pie shell on oven rack and pour filling into shell. Bake until custard has set and crust is golden about 50-60 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and serve room temperature or chilled.

Chocolate Covered Easter Eggs

Happy Easter! I meant to post these yesterday but ran out of time - busy day! These are not the creamy peanut butter centers similar to buckeyes or Reese's Eggs. Instead they are chewy and crispy almost like a Whatchamacallit candy bar. They take some patience to make but are well worth the effort.

CHOCOLATE COVERED EASTER EGGS
adapted from Crunchy Chocolate Eggs on Allrecipes.com

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups corn flakes, slightly crushed
2 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
3 1/2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. shortening
candy sprinkles or white chocolate for drizzle

In a large saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and peanut butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Stir in corn flakes and rice cereal until thoroughly mixed.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto wax paper lined cookie sheet (I use a medium-sized cookie scoop). Roll into balls and pinch one end slightly to create egg shape:

Refrigerate until firm.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip eggs in chocolate; allow excess to drip off and place on wax paper lined baking sheets. Decorate with candy sprinkles or drizzle with white chocolate. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.

Eggs are best eaten at room temperature.

Grilled Zucchini

Here's another great recipe for zucchini. If you are one of those people with an overabundance of zucchini from your garden in the summer this is just another option instead of zucchini bread. If your zucchini have grown to one of those monsters about 3-4 inches in diameter, you don't need to slice on the diagonal to keep it from falling through the grill grate.

GRILLED ZUCCHINI
adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

4 zucchini, cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup Italian dressing
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. oregano (optional)
1/4 tsp. basil (optional)
salt & pepper to taste

Combine dressing, garlic powder, oregano, and basil in a large Ziploc bag. Add zucchini, seal bag, and shake to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes or more.

Preheat grill to med-high heat. Grill zucchini slices 3-4 minutes then turn and grill another 3-4 minutes or until desired tenderness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.

Chicken Divan

I have tried many variations of this recipe but always come back to the one I was raised on. It seems to have the right proportion of sauce to chicken and broccoli. In our family we would serve it over white rice, but it can stand on its own.

Do not use frozen broccoli florets because they retain too much water and will turn this into soup (I know, because I've tried). When it comes to bread crumbs, I like to use panko because of their superb crunch, but regular or Italian style work just as well.

CHICKEN DIVAN

3 cups cooked, diced chicken
2-3 crowns of broccoli, cut into florets
1 can cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium skillet, heat 1/2 inch of water until boiling. Add broccoli florets, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. Drain water and spread florets evenly in bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with chicken.

In a medium bowl, whisk together soup, water, mayo, lemon juice, pepper, and curry powder. Pour evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, and melted butter; sprinkle over cheese.

Bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 5-10 minutes more or until breadcrumbs are golden brown and crispy.

Lemon Sour Cream Pie

I came across this little gem on the blog I'm Topsy Turvy. Ashlee makes unbelievable cakes and sometimes shares her favorite recipes. I love anything lemon and this just sounded so good. The flavor is smooth and light...and delicious!

LEMON SOUR CREAM PIE
from Ashlee on I'm Topsy Turvy

1 (9-inch) pie shell, baked
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sour cream
1 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 tsp. honey or sugar

Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolks, and milk in a saucepan, and cook over medium heat until thick. Remove from heat and stir in butter. Cool to room temp and then whisk in sour cream until smooth. Pour into pie shell, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.

In a medium sized bowl, combine whipping cream and honey or sugar. Beat with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pie before serving.

Pork Chops O'Brien

This dish is great for cold weather, but I just felt like making it - especially since it hadn't made it to the blog yet. It's one of those rare recipes where I didn't change anything because it was perfect as is.

O'Brien hash browns are diced potatoes with onions and peppers mixed in. You can always use regular diced hash browns if you prefer. Just make sure they are thawed out before you use them (don't ask me how I know this).

PORK CHOPS O'BRIEN
from Allrecipes.com

6 pork loin chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of celery soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 (2.8 oz) can french fried onions, divided
1 (28 oz) package frozen O'Brien hash browns, thawed
seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown pork chops in oil. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine soup, milk, sour cream, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese, and 1/2 cup french fried onions. Fold in hash browns. Spread potato mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Place chops on top and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Cover and bake for 40-45 minutes or until chops are tender. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese and onions. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.