Enchiladas and CAKE!

So, leave it to me to rush off with my enchiladas and strawberry cake and not take a pic of them!! I guess you'll either have to make them or use your imagination this time.

These Enchiladas are probably my mom's favorite thing. She has requested that I make them pretty much every time I go home, and this was even her birthday meal once. This recipe comes from a cookbook that I've gone to many times for a quick and delicious meal. "Southern Living Fast Family Suppers", has too many amazing recipes to name. I'll probably even share a few more from it at some point down the road!

Weeknight Enchiladas

1 lb. ground chuck
1 small onion, chopped
1 910 3/4 oz.) can tomato soup, undiluted
1 (10 oz.) can mild enchilada sauce
8 (7 or 8 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups ( 8 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
Sour cream (optional)
Sliced ripe olives (optional)

Cook beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain and return to skillet.

Stir soup and enchilada sauce into meat mixture. Spread 1/4 cup meat mixture onto each tortilla; sprinkle evenly with 1 cup cheese. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in a greased 13x9 baking dish. Pour remaining meat mixture over tortillas.

cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese; bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts. Serve with sour cream and olives, if desired!


This cake is kind of a mixture of a couple of different strawberry cake recipes and a fruit dip that I absolutely adore! What I love about this cake is that it starts with a box mix, but adds lots of fresh fruit and light cream cheese frosting!

Strawberry Mixture
1 pint strawberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Cake
1 box strawberry cake mix; baked as directed ( Use milk instead of water when using a boxed mix. My mom taught me this, and it really does make a difference!)

Frosting
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese ( I always use 1/3 less fat cream cheese; it's better for you and I honestly can't tell the difference and neither can my husband!)
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 8 oz. container whipped topping
1-2 tablespoons orange juice

Slice strawberries and toss with granulated sugar. Refrigerate for at least and hour ( you want it to make a syrupy liquid).

Bake cake as directed. As soon as you remove cake from the oven, use either a wooden skewer or a fork to pierce the cake. Evenly pour strawberry mixture over warm cake. Let cool.

While cake is cooling, assemble frosting. With an electric mixer beat cream cheese and sugar. Lightly thin with orange juice. Fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over cooled cake and refrigerate. Enjoy!

Stay tuned because I have a few goodies planned for this weekend. I'm even thinking of a monkey bread that has a cream cheese dip with it!

Key Lime Cake and Mac and Cheese... OH MY!

Last night was a success! Not only was the food delicious, but the company was even better. I will be sad to see this amazing couple leave :( I have decided to share the recipes for the Key Lime Cake since some asked about it in yesterdays blog, and the Mac and Cheese because it is a potluck favorite and I've been asked many times for the recipes.

The Key Lime Cake recipe comes from Trisha Yearwood's cookbook,"Home Cooking with Trisha Yearwood". This is an amazing cookbook, and I think I've cooked everything in it at least once! I first fell in love with Key Lime Cake while on a trip home (Cleveland, GA). My mom took me to a place called Truelove Celebrations for some of the best cupcakes I have ever eaten. The Key Lime are really the stand outs!

Key Lime Cake

Cake:

1 3 oz package lime flavored gelatin
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

2 cups shifted all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

5 large eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

3/4 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup Key Lime juice (from about 25 small key limes or 4 large regular limes)

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Cream Cheese Icing

1/2 cup ( 1 stick) butter, room temp.

1 8 oz cream cheese, room temp.

1 1lbs. box confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Grease and four either 3 nine inch round cake pans or 1 13x9 pan.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the gelatin, sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir to mix well. Add the eggs oil, orange juice, lemon juice, and vanilla. Divide the batter evenly among the 3 pans ( if making a round cake) or pour into 13x9. Bake for 35-40 mins. Test for doneness by lightly touching the tops of the layers or inserting a toothpick. Cool the layers in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto racks.

While the layers are still hot, mix the lime juice and confectioners' sugar and pour it over the layers on the racks. You can pierce the layers with a fork to allow the glaze to soak in better. Allow the layers to cool completely as you prepare the icing.

Cream the butter and cream cheese. Beat int eh confectioners' sugar until the mixture is smooth and easy to spread. Spread the icing between the layers and on the top and sides of the cake.

This mac and cheese is a favorite at our house. My kids actually refuse to eat mac and cheese from a box because they say,"it isn't real"! I have also taken this to many of Jake's work functions and it is always a hit!

1 box elbow Macaroni
2 8oz blocks of sharp cheddar cheese
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayo
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste.

Cook macaroni according to package directions.Meanwhile, grate cheese on a boxed grater sprayed with a non stick spray (easier to clean). Mix cheese,soup,milk, may, and salt and pepper. Drain pasta and add immediately to cheese mixture. Add pasta/cheese mixture to a greased 13x9 casserole. Bake for 30-35 at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly! This recipe can also be cut in half and placed in 8x8 casserole.

Stay tuned, because tonight I will making easy enchiladas and a strawberry cake for a celebrations welcoming our new battalion commander's wife!

My First Post!

I'm hoping to use this blog to share and gather recipes. My goal is to stick with it and post at least once a week recipes and pics of some of the things I've been making. Please feel free to comment with recipes of your own or variations of recipes that I share!

To give a preview of my taste buds, tonight we will be having a fellow Army couple over to dinner one last time before they move to Tennessee. On the menu we have, pulled pork in the crock pot, mac and cheese, fried okra, mayonnaise rolls, and key lime cake for dessert! Can't wait to have some quality time with them before they leave!

Thanks for stopping by,
Erica