Tamale Casserole for the Crock Pot

Honestly, this dish from all recipes did not wow me.  It was fine, but nothing I'd serve to guests.  However, for a week day meal that you can have hot and ready when the days activities are done, it'll do.  Plus my picky family actually liked it better than I did.  As always, I'm putting the boring version - the one my family will eat here.  If I were making it just for myself I would include:

• a can or two of chopped green chiles
• sliced olives
• a can of drained balck or pinto beans

Please try those for me, will you?

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 egg

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn,

drained or 2 cups frozen corn kernels

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes,

undrained

1 (1.25 ounce) package chili seasoning

mix

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

shredded lettuce (optional)

sour cream (optional)

In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. In a bowl, combine the egg, milk and cornmeal until smooth. Add corn, tomatoes, chili seasoning, seasoned salt and beef. Transfer to a greased slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours and 30 minutes*. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and cook 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  Top with lettuce and sour cream if desired.

*Note:  the original recipe says to cook on high.  However, my crock pot is big and tends to run hot.  After three hours on low it was starting to brown at the edges.  You know your appliance.  Cook accordingly.

Green Chile Cheesecake Spread

1 cup tortilla chips, crushed

3 Tbsp melted butter

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1 4-ounce can diced green chiles

1 fresh jalapeno cored, seeded and diced

8 ounces shredded Colby-Jack cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

Chopped tomatoes, green onions, black olives and/or avocado

Preheat oven to 325.  Combine crushed chips and butter.  Press into the bottom of a greased 9 inch pie plate.  Bake 15 minutes, remove from oven.

In a large bowl, blend cream cheese and eggs.  Add green chiles, jalapeno and shredded cheese.  Pour over crust and bake 30 minutes.  Top will be turning golden brown and sides will just begin to pull away from the pan.

Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes.  Spread sour cream over top and sprinkle your choice of toppings over the sour cream.  Serve with chips.

Tres Leches Cake

We had a Cinco de Mayo potluck at work today. I picked dessert (of course). I found this recipe and the whole time I was making it, I was sure that it was going to be a gigantic disaster. Everything about it seemed wrong. Shockingly, it was actually quite delicious and an enjoyable change of pace. I must admit though, that I used Cool-Whip on top in place of the whipped cream because I knew it would be sitting out for an hour or so and I was afraid the cream wouldn’t hold up.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
5 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Direction:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour on 9x13 in pan.
Sift flour and baking powder together and set aside.
Cream butter and 1 cup sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Beat well.
Add the flour mixture, 2 Tbsp at a time until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand on a cooling rack until cool.
Meanwhile, mix together the three milks. When cake is cool, poke all over with a fork. Slowly pour milk mixture all over. It will run off the sides, to the bottom - it’s okay! Refrigerate, covered, several hours.
Whip cream, vanilla and sugar together until thick. Spread over the top of cake. Keep refrigerated and serve cold.