Ooh my gosh!! The autumn leaves are beautiful.  Thought you might like to try a really easy and quite yummy comfort Hot-Dish.  Give it a try.  Any comments are welcome.

Beefy One-Pot Dinner
4 servings

1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup chopped potatoes
1 cup water
1 can baked beans ( I use Bushes)
1/2 cup BBQ Sauce (Your favorite)
1 cup shredded  Cheddar Cheese

Brown meat  in a large nonstick skillet: drain.  Add vegetables: cook 5 min. stirring occasionally.

Sir in water: cover.  Simmer on medium-low heat 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add beans and BBQ Sauce; mix well.  Cook 5 minutes or until heated through.  To with cheese.

Potato Chip Cookies

Leave it to Martha Stewart to come up with this fabulous cookie.  Crunchy, chewy, buttery, salty and sweet.  It can't get any better then that.

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar- packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup coarse sea salt
4-cups coarsely chopped salted potato chips (divided)
1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Beat together butter and sugars with a mixer on high speed until fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Add vanilla and eggs, and beat on medium speed until just combined.
2.  Add flour, baking soda, and salt, and beat on low speed until just combined.  Stir in 2 cups potato chips and the nuts.
3.  Roll dough into 2-inch balls and roll in remaining potato chips to coat.  Place cookies 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake until golden, 18-20 minutes.  Let cool completely on baking sheet.  Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 5 days.  (If they last that long).

Guacamole

4 Haas Avocado's
3 tbsp. lemon juice, fresh squeezed
8 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, diced
tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Cut avocado in half, remove pit and scoop flesh out of their shells into a large bowl. Add lemon juice, Tabasco, onion, garlic, cumin salt and pepper.  Using a sharp knife, slice through avocado's  until they are finely diced. Add the tomatoes. Blend gently.  Serve with tortilla chips. 
Makes 3 cups.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

2 cups tomatoes, chopped and drained
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
2 jalapeno chili peppers, seeds removed and chopped
1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1 tbsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients.  Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for
several hours.

BBQ Chicken Nachos

1  1/2 cup chicken, cooked, shredded
2/3 cup BBQ Sauce
1 can Chili Beans
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 cups tortilla chips

Line pan with foil.  Layer chips, 1/2 of the cheese, chili beans, chicken tossed with BBQ sauce, cheese.  Bake in 450 oven for5-8 minutes.  Top with tomatoes.

Mexican Chicken Chowder

2 1/2 cup Chicken Breast (Cooked and shredded)
1 (11 oz) can Mexi-Corn (drained)
1 (10 3/4 oz) can Cream of Potato Soup
1 (4 oz) can diced green chili's
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro (chopped)
1/2 package taco seasoning
1 (14 1/2 oz) can chicken broth
1 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cheddar cheese ( shredded)
Tortilla Chips

In a large saucepan combine: chicken, corn, cream of potato soup, diced green chili's, cilantro, taco seasoning, chicken broth and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir 1 cup of hot soup into the sour cream. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat through.  Sprinkle each serving with cheddar cheese.  Serve with warm tortilla chips.  Makes 4 main servings.

Cinco De Mayo

Cinco De Mayo is just around the corner.  What a wonderful time to make some fabulous Mexican food. I will have a new recipe each day for you to try.

Mexican Fiesta Salad
Servings: 4

2 cups dried Penni or Rotini pasta
1/2 cup whole kernel corn (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/3 cup chunky salsa (mild or medium)
1 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 medium plum tomatoes, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1/3 cup green olives, chopped
1/3 cup black olives, chopped
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese ( shredded)

Cook pasta according to box directions, add corn the last 5 minutes.  Drain pasta and corn, and rinse with cold water.  Drain again.

Meanwhile, for the dressing, stir together the sour cream, salsa, cilantro and lime juice in a small mixing bowl.  Set aside.

Combine: Pasta mixture, black beans, tomato, zucchini, black olives, green olives and cheese in a large bowl.  Pour dressing over pasta mixture.  Toss lightly to coat.  Serve immediately or, if desired cover and chill up to 24 hours. (After chilling, stir in a little milk if necessary to make desired consistency.)

Macaroni Hot Dish

Do you remember the hotdish you grew up on?  The tomato, hamburger, spiral macaroni topped with your favorite cheese.  Well my daughters had a taste for it lately.  They made it and said it just wasn't the same as they remember.  Anyway, I made it for Dennis and myself last night. I think it turned out just fine and really yummy. If any of you wonder what macaroni is, well it is what we call pasta.  Years ago the term was macaroni.  Hot Dish was also known to all of us who brought to our church pot luck dinners. Those were amazing days of fabulous food.  Good Luck!

Macaroni Hot Dish

1 pound lean Ground Beef

1/2 pound pasta of your choice (Cooked)

1/2 Medium onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1  can (15.5oz) diced tomatoes with juice

1 can Campbell's tomato soup

2 squirts of yellow mustard

1/4 cup ketchup

1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)

salt and pepper to taste

Optional: 1 cup frozen corn or 1 cup frozen peas

In a large skillet, brown ground beef with the onions and celery.  Drain grease,

add to skillet with beef and vegetables remaining ingredients. Mix gently together. Turn heat

down to low, cover and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes. Before  serving add

cheese and allow to melt.