Blackberry Breakfast Bars

I just have to tell you that this is DELICIOUS and should totally be called Blackberry ANYTIME Bars. I used blueberries and ate it for dessert tonight. Yum to the O!!

2 cups blackberries (or raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, etc)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted

~ For filling, in a medium saucepan, combine berries, sugar, water, lemon juice and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for about 8 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
~ Ina mixing bowl stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir in melted margarine till thoroughly combined. Set aside one cup of the oat mixture for topping. Press remaining oat mixture into an ungreased 9x9x2 pan. Bake in a 350 oven for 20-25 minutes.
~ Carefully spread filling on top of baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Lightly press oat mixture into filling.
~ Bake in the 350 oven for 20-25 minutes more or until topping browns.
~ Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

If I could make one change to this, I would probably add just a tad more butter to the topping, to keep it together better. But, overall, this was super easy and SUCH a hit!

Whole Chicken Crock Pot Recipe

Tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken! Omit the overnight refrigeration if you are in a hurry. For variety, eliminate the onion and substitute a quartered lemon or two, stuffed into the chicken cavity.

4 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large roasting chicken (with pop-up timer if possible)
1 cup onions, chopped

~ In a small bowl, combine the spices

~ Remove any giblets from chicken and clean chicken

~ Rub spice mixture onto the chicken

~ Place in resealable plastic bag and refrigerate overnight

~ When ready to cook, put chopped onion in bottom of crock pot

~ Add chicken

~ No liquid is needed, the chicken will make its own juices

~ Cook on low 4-8 hours

This is a great go-to meal and it really is fall-off-the-bone tender! This picture just doesn't do it justice! I never realized how hard it is to photograph food!

courtesy of Kathy at Recipezaar

Super Easy and Spicy Fried Pickles

2 cups peanut oil for frying (I used corn oil and it worked really well)
1 (32 ounce) jar dill pickle slices
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs; beaten
1 (8 ounce) bottle Ranch dressing

~ Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.

~ Pat the pickle slices dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and garlic powder. Dip pickle slices into the egg, and then coat with the bread crumb mixture.

~ Fry the pickles in the hot oil, until golden brown on each side, turning once. Transfer to paper towels and serve hot with ranch dressing.

THESE ARE DELICIOUS! Every once in a while I crave fried pickles and these really did the trick!!

courtesy of All Recipes

Beef Stew

1-2 lbs of stew meat
2-3 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 tsp of garlic powder or 2 cloves of garlic finely diced
2 cups of water
2 beef buillion cubes
1 can of green beans
1-2 cups of baby carrots, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium russett potatoes, chopped
2-3 tsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp marjaram
1/2 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf

Cut stew meat into bite sized pieces and coat with flour. Brown in EVOO, remove from pan, and drain on paper towels. Saute onion in left over oil for 5-6 mins (add more oil if neccessary), add garlic, cook for one addtl minute.

Meanwhile, boil buillion cubes in the water until dissolved and pour into crock pot. Add chopped potato, carrots, green beans (do not drain), tomato paste, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf.
Add browned stew meat, and sauted onions to the crock pot. Cook for 30 mins on high and then another 1-2 hours on low or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Salt and pepper to taste

submitted by reader, Jessica

Asian Noodle Bowl

2 cups diced cooked chicken (I used boneless pork chops and it worked very well)
2 cups thinly sliced bok choy
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions with tops
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup julienne-cut carrots - one inch long
1 1-inch piece peeled fresh gingerroot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, pressed
3 cups water
1 can (14 oz) 100% fat-free vegetable broth
2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 package (3 oz) oriental-flavor ramen noodles

~ Dice chicken and thinly slice bok choy and green onions. Slice mushrooms. Cut carrot into julienne strips; cutstrips into 1-inch pieces. Peel and finely chop gingerroot and garlic.

~ Place mushrooms, carrots, gingerroot and garlic in a 4qt pot. Add water, broth, soy sauce and seasoning packet from ramen noodles; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, bok choy, onions and noodles. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

This was super delicious and pretty appetizing as a main dish. I served it just by itself. The pork tasted great, too!



from The Pampered Chef "It's good for you" cookbook

Spicy Sausage & Peppers Penne

8 oz uncooked penne pasta (I use Barilla whole wheat)
1 pound Italian turkey sausage (your choice; hot, sweet, mild) about 4 links
1 each: medium green, red and yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves; pressed
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in sauce, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup (1 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

~ Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and keep warm.

~ Meanwhile, cook sausage in skillet, over medium-high heat 14-16 minutes or until sausage is lightly browned and no longer pink, turning occasionally. Remove sausages from skillet; cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Cut bell peppers into 1/4-inch strips. Coarsely chop onion.

~ In same skillet, cook bell peppers, onion and pressed garlic over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add sausage, tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasoning. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until heated through.

~ Place pasta in large bowl; pour sauce mixture over pasta, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

This was super yum-o, definitely going to be a go-to recipe in our house!

from The Pampered Chef "It's good for you" cookbook

Bulgogi

2 pounds top sirloin
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 t pepper
3 green onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Freeze steak ~1 hour so it slices easily into thin strips. Mix together marinade and add meat. Marinate in fridge 8 hours or overnight. Drain marinade, and cook meat in hot oiled skillet. Serve with lettuce and rice (lettuce-wrap style).

** You can prepare the marinade and meat, and freeze until ready to use. Makes an easy meal for a busy day!**

CJ's Chuckwagon Stew

1 1/2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
4-5 potatos, peeled and cubed
1 (28 ounce) can barbeque baked beans

Place meats, onion and potatos in slow cooker. Stir together. Spoon baked beans evenly over top. Cover, and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.

Serve with extra bbq sauce, cornbread and salad.

Slow-Cooker Mexican Style Meat

This is a yummy pork dish that can be served in a variety of ways: with tostadas/tortillas, or as a base for enchiladas, etc. Top with fresh spinach, guacamole, tomatos, cheese, etc. You can adjust the "heat" to your personal taste.

1 (4 pound) pork loin (can also use beef or chicken)
1 t salt
1 t black pepper
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 can diced green chiles
1 t chili powder
1 t ground cayenne
1 (5 ounce) bottle hot pepper sauce
1 t garlic powder

Trim the meat of any excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Place meat in hot skillet, browning quickly on all sides.

Place meat in crockpot, and sprinkle with onion. Add remaining ingredients. Add enough water to cover 1/3 of the roast.

Cover, and cook on high for 6 hours. Reduce heat to low, and conitnue cooking for 2-4 hours, or until meat is tender and falls apart.

from allrecipes.com

Burrito Casserole

Filling:
1 lb ground beef, drained
1 can refried beans
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning
garlic/onion powder

Sauce:
2 cups plain yogurt
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup salsa
chili powder
shredded cheese

Spray a 13x9. Fill 10-12 tortillas, roll up and place in pan. Spread with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 325 till bubbly and hot.

Sweet and Salty Treat Mix

8 cups popped popcorn
2 cups small pretzel twists
3/4 cup peanuts
1 1/2 cups Heath bits (chocolate-covered or not)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup M&Ms

Heat oven to 275. Grease two 13x9 pans.

Place popcorn, pretzels and peanuts in large mixing bowl.

Combine toffee bits and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until toffee is melted (About 12 minutes). Pour over popcorn mixture, stirring until evenly coated. Divide between baking pans.

Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir frequently until cooled to keep mixture from hardening into one big clump. Stir in M&Ms. Store in tightly covered container.

Makes ~12 cups.

UMW Taco Soup

2 lbs. lean ground beef
medium onion; chopped
1 large can Ranch Style Black Beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes (you choose; original, mild, hot)
(2) 15 oz cans stewed tomatoes (chopped) including juices
1 can water (rinsed in/out of beans can to get all flavor)
1 can niblet yellow corn with juice
1 packet Ranch Style Dressing powder
1 packet taco seasoning

~ In a soup pot, brown meat; add onion until tender. Add in remaining ingredients. Stir thoroughly and simmer for 30 minutes. Will be thick and hearty.

~ Serve with tortilla chips

submitted by reader Jamie

Chicken Enchiladas

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package soft taco size flour tortillas
1 quart heavy cream
1 - 1 1/2 bricks cream cheese; softened
1 stick of butter
1 small can chopped green chilies
8 oz brick of Monterrey Jack Cheese - grated (pepper jack is also good!)
Salt / Pepper to taste

~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 glass backing dish with Pam.

~ Cook the chicken breasts until white all the way through. Dice the chicken into bite sized pieces and put into a bowl. When the chicken is cool, add the softened cream cheese and the chilies. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

~ Melt the butter in a shallow bowl. Dip the tortillas in the butter and coat completely. Rub them down with the butter, if necessary. This keeps the tortillas form getting dried out when baking.

~ Spoon approximately 3-4 tsps of chicken mixture onto the tortilla in a line. Roll the tortilla up and place in the baking dish. Repeat until all the tortillas and chicken mixture are gone. Usually about 10 enchiladas and the pan will be full.

~ Next, pour about 2/3 of the pint of heavy cream over the tops and ends of the enchiladas. Then top the enchiladas and cream with the grated Monterrey Jack Cheese.

~ Spray one side of a piece of foil with Pam and place sprayed side down on the top of the baking dish and tightly cover pan. This keeps the cheese from sticking.

~ Bake for about 40 minutes or until bubbly. You will want to remove the foil for the last 10 minutes or so for light browning.

~ Serve with tortilla chips and salsa - ENJOY!

Reheating: Move the remaining enchiladas to the middle of the pan and coat with the remaining heavy cream. Tightly cover top with foila nd pop in the oven on 275 degrees for about an hour. The reheated enchiladas will come out soft and tasty!

submitted by reader Jamie

Death by Chocolate

Box of brownie mix
Box of Chocolate pudding (sugar-free/fat-free)
Cool Whip (low-fat or no-fat)
Heath bars (or you can buy a bag of crushed Heath bars in your grocer's baking aisle)

1 Bake brownies, according to box directions
2 While brownies bake, mix up pudding and chill
3 Crush Heath bars (approximately 4 of a 6 pack)
4 After brownies cool, crumble 1/2 on bottom of a bowl
5 Layer on 1/2 pudding
6 Layer on 1/2 Cool Whip
7 Layer on 1/2 crushed Heath bars
8 Repeat steps 4-7

Note: depending on the size of your party, you can double or triple the recipe. Depending on your serving dish, you may have more layers. Just divide the four ingredients evenly for each layer.

submitted by reader Katie

Sweet and Sour Chicken

6 half chicken breasts
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 (13.5 oz) can pineapple chunks (reserve juice)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp sugar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch strips

~ Coat chicken with flour and brown in oil in skillet. Remove to roasting pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

~ Drain pineapple, pouring juice into a 2 cup measure. Add water to make 1 1/4 cups. In saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil 2 minutes; then pour over chicken. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Baste occasionally.

~ Add pineapple and green peppers. Bake 30 minutes longer, or until chicken is tender. Place chicken on serving platter, on bed of rice if desired. Pour on juices and pieces of pineapple and green pepper over chicken.

~ Serve immediately.

submitted by reader Katie

Beer Pretzel Dip

1/2 cup of beer (any kind, but Yuengling is suggested) appe
2 pkgs of cream cheese; softened
1/2 package of ranch salad dressing mix (not dip mix)
8 oz sharp shredded cheddar cheese (not finely shredded)

~ Mix all ingredients together using a mixer.
~ Serve with pretzels or with beer bread.

submitted by reader Katie

Bacon and Bleu Cheese Spinach Salad

2 or 4 bags of baby spinach
3 ounces bleu cheese crumbles
1 pound bacon; cooked and crumbled

Dressing:

1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar (white also works)
6 Tbsp sugar
1 small onion; finely chopped
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp celery seed

~ In a blender, combine oil, sugar, vinegar, onion, mustard and celery seed; blend until creamy.

~ Add dressing, just before serving.

submitted by reader Katie

Chicken and Asparagus Kabobs

Dipping Sauce:
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp white pepper

Kabobs:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp minced fresh gingerroot
1 - 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-1 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

~ In a bowl, combine the sauce ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

~ In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, sesame oil, pepper flakes and ginger. Add the chicken; seal the bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours, turning occasionally.

~ Drain and discard marinade. In a brown bag, toss the asparagus with olive oil and salt. On six metal or wooden soaked skewers, alternating, thread one piece of chicken and two pieces asparagus. Grill, covered, over medium heat 4-5 minutes on each side or until chicken juices run clear and asparagus is crisp and tender.

~ Serve with dipping sauce.

originally from Taste of Home Magazine, submitted by reader Katie.

Shepherds Pie

1 lb ground beef

1 onion

couple handfulls of mushrooms, sliced

couple handfulls of frozen peas

1 brown gravy packet, prepare as directed (or I suppose you could make gravy from scratch)

1 tbs Worchestershire sauce

5 russet potatoes, peel and diced

2 tbs horseradish

milk

small pat of butter

salt

pepper

paprika

~ Brown meat in cast iron skillet, add onions and mushrooms until tender, then add peas. Prepare gravy mix and add worchestershire sauce to gravy. Add gravy to meat mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.

~ Cover potatoes with cold water and boil until tender. Mash potatoes with milk, butter and horseradish until desired consistency (I leave mine a little lumpy), add salt and pepper to taste.

~ Spread mashed potatoes over the meat mixture (still in the cast iron skillet), completely covering. Sprinkle top with paprika. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 min until you can see the mixture bubbling. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Thank you, Lori, for this recipe. She is a new first-time mom of twin boys and looks terrific still. Making me SICK!

Oven-Roasted Applesauce

Martha Stewarts recipe
Makes 2 Cups

1/4 c. cider or apple juice

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

pinch of ground cloves or nutmeg

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 c. plus 2Tbsp. packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths

3 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
Pinch of salt

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a roasting pan (13x9) combine first 6 ingredients. Add all the apples and toss to coat.

2. Roast until the apples are very soft and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Transfer apples to the bowl of a food processor; pulse until smooth. Stir in the salt. Serve warm.

When I make applesauce, I use this baking method, but I don't add anything to the apples except the lemon juice and 1/4 c. water and I use Golden Delicious or Gala apples for the whole thing. I also like my applesauce chunky, so I just mash the roasted apples with a potato masher instead of putting them in a food processor. Either way is fine. I've made this applesauce with all the stuff in it and it's awesome, but for baby food, or just a simple applesauce, it's ok to leave all the other stuff out. The apples are sweet enough without adding sugar.
You can freeze this in ziploc bags for about 6+months. Just make sure it lays flat when you freeze it so it takes up less room in the freezer.

Thanks, Katie, for passing this along. I can't wait to try it!

Banana Muffins

4 bananas
1 egg
1/3 cup applesauce
1 1/2 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup oatmeal

Mash bananas. Combine with wet ingredients. Mix together dry ingredients and add to banana mixture. Divide into greased muffin tins (about 12). Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Homemade Hot Chocolate and Marshmallows

deHomemade Hot Chocolate
Makes 4- 1/2 cup hot chocolate mix and 4- 1 cup liquid hot chocolate servings

3/4 cup powdered milk
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I used unsweetened Ghirardelli cocoa)
3 ounces semi- sweet chocolate

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Take the semi-sweet chocolate and roughly chop it up to give a chunky but consistent size. Mix well with a wooden spoon and then store in a dry airtight container. To make the hot chocolate, simply add 1 cup of water per 1/2 cup of hot cocoa mix. Heat in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring with a whisk. Heat until hot, but do not boil, about 6 to 7 minutes. Serve with marshmallows.

Variations:
Instead of cinnamon try crushed peppermint candy
Add a small pinch of ginger and nutmeg with the cinnamon for a spicy, Jacques Torres Style hot chocolate
courtesy of: Citrus


Homemade Marshmallows

You can download the Your Heart Out recipe card here.

You’ll need:

• 4 gelatin envelopes
• 1½ c. water
• 1½ tsp. peppermint extract, or less
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract, or less
• 3 c. sugar
• 1¼ c. corn syrup
• candy-canes, crushed to make 1½ c.

1. Coat a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray for extra thick marshmallows. Or coat one 9 x 13- and one 8 x 8-inch pan with cooking spray for medium thickness. Cut parchment paper to fit and line bottoms of pan(s). Then coat parchment paper with spray.

2. Put sugar, corn syrup and ¾ cup water in a saucepan and bring to boil with lid on. Once boiling, remove lid and continue to boil without stirring until candy thermometer registers 240 F. (While you’re waiting, it’s a good time to work on steps 3 and 4.)

3. Place candy-canes inside a plastic bag and the place within another plastic bag and crush. We used the end of a rolling pin.

4. In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine ¾ cup water, peppermint extract and vanilla extract. Then sprinkle gelatin over the liquid. Let sit.

5. With mixer on low, pour sugar/corn syrup mixture into the gelatin mixture. Be really careful as mixture is very hot and pan could be heavy. You might want to employ a splashguard. When all is poured in, raise speed to high. Mix until very fluffy, usually 10 minutes.

6. Pour mixture into lined pan(s) and pat down with offset spatula smothered in cooking spray. Sprinkle 1-2 cups of crushed candy-cane over the top and carefully pat in. Let sit uncovered in a clean space for at least 10 hours.

7. Remove from try and cut with scissors or knife coated in cooking spray. Dip edges and bottoms generously in confectioners sugar to buffer sticking.

Enjoy!

Though the recipe is different, DesignSponge beat us to the punch yesterday and made this informative video to show you how it’s done!

courtesy of: Your Heart Out

Saucy Chicken with Veggies and Rice

3 cups sliced celery

3 cups sliced fresh carrots

2 cups sliced onions

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 envelope onion soup mix

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried tarragon

2 Tbs cornstarch

1/3 cup white wine or chicken broth

hot cooked rice

~ place the celery, carrots, onion and chicken in a 5 qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl combine the soup, soup mix, thyme, pepper, and tarragon; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until meat thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 170 degrees.
~ Mix cornstarch and wine until smooth. Stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until gravy is thickened. Serve with rice.
~ Yields 6 servings

This comes from my dear friend, Katie. She is a wonderful friend, mother and wife. And cook, apparently!!!

*** EDIT *** I tried this tonight and it's delicious. For those of you who have a husband who is allergic to poultry, you could easily do some beef with this and get a very similar result. Yum-O, either way!

Cornflake Goodies

1 bag of butterscotch morsels

3/4 cup peanut butter

4 cups corn flakes

(optional - 1 cup peanuts)

~ Melt, over low heat; bag of butterscotch morsels, 3/4 cup peanut butter.
~ In another bowl, mix together 4 cups corn flakes (and optional peanuts.)
~ Pour melted mixture over dry mixture.
~ Mix until covered evenly. Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet lined with wax paper (or sprayed with Pam).
~ Refrigerate until firm

No-Bake Cookies

1 Stock of butter

2 cups of sugar

3 Tbsp Cocoa

1/2 Cup milk

~ put all ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil.
~ Turn off and add:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups oatmeal
~ Leave uncookied for 1 minute
~ spoon onto wax paper and freeze

Secret Recipe Chili

1 lb. ground beef (or chicken or turkey)

3 cans (15 oz ea) chili-style diced tomatoes (undrained)

2 cans (15 oz ea) black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can (15 oz) kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

1 square Baker's Unsweetened Baking Chocolate

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

~ Cook meat in a large skillet on medium heat until cooked thoroughly, sitrring occasionally.
~ Add tomatoes, beans and chocolate to a large sauce pan; mix well. Bring to a boil. Add browned meat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
~ Top with cheese.

* I like to add red pepper flakes, chili powder, cayenne pepper and salt to the meat to taste.