Nor is it healthy when topped with all that cheese but it’s very good to eat and GREAT to make when feeding a large crew.  I’ve always seen this cooked in this way but would love to hear your variations if you make something similar.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground beef
• ½ small onion chopped
• 6 to 8 saltine crackers, crushed
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup, divided
• 1 cup cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Combine the ground beef, onion, egg and about ¾ of the soup in a bowl. Add the crackers to the beef and mix till combined.  Put in a baking dish and form it like a meat loaf. Spread the remaining soup on top.
(It is better to have a casserole with higher sides so that when you top with mashed potatoes there will be room)

Bake @ 350 degrees for approx. 1 hour  While it is baking prepare the mashed potatoes.  When the beef is done top with the mashed potatoes and sprinkle the cheese on top.  Place back in oven till cheese has melted.

The lovely dish is Temp-Tations from QVC.  They offer many beautiful styles, including the one below.  The meal itself isn’t a pretty one but it always helps to serve it up in something pretty!

Have you ever set out to make something only to realize that you don’t have the ingredients so you’re scurrying around trying to think of something else to make?  Well, try being in that situation when you’re feeding a cowboy crew.

This recipe would be one of those times and even though it was pretty good overall, some improvements can be made no doubt, in which I’ll leave up to you.  I needed something that would cook within an hour so I wasn’t thinking, at the time, what I should or shouldn’t do.  Clearly, I should have done something because the rice ended up like an oatmeal texture. In fact, my husband said, “Was that oatmeal or rice?”.  UGH.

You can see how I did the recipe below but I would love for you to tell me what I should have done differently or to improve the texture of the rice. I basically threw it all in a casserole pan and baked it and have never baked rice in the oven before.  I could use your expertise here folks!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cans of cream of chicken (I used cream of mushroom because it’s all I had)
• 1 onion
• 2 cups of rice
• a whole bunch of thighs (chicken of course:)

DIRECTIONS

Cut your onion up, skin your chicken (or not) and throw it and the rest of the ingredients  in a casserole pan, adding water to cover.  Bake for one hour in a 350′ oven.

My sister-in-law was so gracious enough as to submit a King Ranch Casserole with her own flay-va!  She really is an awesome cook and I hope that one day she’ll share her family recipe for her pecan pie….HEAVEN!!!

A couple of the things in her recipe are optional.  As always, substitute, omit, or whatever you want to your liking:)  ENJOY

INGREDIENTS:

• 10 3/4 oz cream of Mush
• 10 3/4 oz cream of Chicken
• 10 oz diced tomatoes w/ green chilies
• 1 small can black olives (OPT)
• 1 8oz soften Cream Cheese
• 2 lbs Ground Beef or( 2 C. Chicken-precooked)-we prefer beef
• 12 Corn Tortillas, broken to fit pan
• 2 C shredded cheese
• Uncle Chris’s seasoning (OPT) -our favorite on everything.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven 350F. Lightly mist 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Brown meat add seasoning’s (of choice) , drains excess grease. Add Cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, Diced tomatoes w/ green chilies and cream cheese. (I cube the cream cheese)

Use 1/2 the tortillas tear and layer bottom of dish until covered, add all meat & soup mixture, take other half of tortillas, tear in pieces and place on top of meat mixture, until covered. Top with Cheese & olives. Bake 30 – 45 mins. I like to brown the cheese on top. We love olives and cream cheese and added them to this recipe for my own special touch.  Serve with garlic bread….

THANKS SO MUCH TO MY AWESOME SIL FOR SUBMITTING HER RECIPE!!  SHE DOESN’T HAVE A BLOG SO I CAN’T SHOW HER SOME LOVE………SINCE I CAN’T, PLEASE WELCOME HER IN THIS POST AND ENCOURAGE HER TO SUBMIT MORE RECIPES:)

Okay, so I really don’t know the name of this recipe. It was given to me by a friend of mine years ago. It’s been a cowboy favorite for many years for me. People try to take short cuts like NOT pan frying the patties but you can’t do that! It’s not the same if you don’t pan fry them! Thank you to Johnna for giving me the recipe and many others.

INGREDIENTS:

• Ground beef formed into patties
• Cheddar Cheese
• 2 Cans Cream of chicken or 1 can of cream of chicken & 1 of cream of mushroom
• Green Chilies but I highly recommend Rotel!  I know many of you don’t have Rotel though.
• Flour

DIRECTIONS:

Flour up your patties and start frying them.  While they are cooking, mix up your cream of soups and green chilies and set aside.  When patties are done, place in casserole dish and cover with soup mixture.  Top with cheese and bake in 350′ oven until warm and cheese melts.

Served with my quick bread rolls, green beans and mash taters!

Not the best picture I know but I was having a bad day;)