​I am all for one dish easy to put together meals! I tried a new recipe from my Grand daughter, Samantha last week she’s a busy Mom so she likes easy too, I will definitely make this one again.  For just the two of us I changed the amounts to 2 chicken breasts and 5 potatoes, the other amounts I kept the same. Left overs worked well warmed up in the micro wave.
 
The Christmas cards are finally ready to mail and the goodies ready to package up to send to my four kids my goal for today, I hope your holiday preparations are going well, I’m sure for many of us it will be a very different holiday but there is always next year to think about, and there is hope with a vaccine on its way, a reason to celebrate!!
 
Chicken Potato and Ranch Hot dish
 
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
14 medium potatoes, cubed
3 chicken breasts, cubed
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese
1 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
1 cup green onions, chopped
1 tsp. black pepper
 
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Line 9x13 inch baking dish with foil and spray with cooking spray.
In a large bowl combine oil, salt, pepper and ranch dressing mix.
Add potatoes to the oil mixture and toss well. Spoon potatoes into a large baking dish, leave as much oil mixture behind as possible.
Roast potatoes until crispy, about and hour ( it took mine 45 minutes) stirring every 15 minutes.
Cut raw chicken into bite size pieces. Add to oil mixture and toss well.
In a separate bowl mix the cheese, bacon and onion.
When potatoes are crispy, remove from oven, Lower temperature to 400 degrees, top potatoes with the raw chicken and then the cheese mixture. Bake for another 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, serve with sour cream or ranch dressing, enjoy!
 
Have a great week and stay safe!

​Today Santa left the food section of the Minneapolis Tribune containing some prize winning Christmas cookie recipe’s on my front porch! Whoever left them thank you, I always like to try one or two new recipes during the holidays! I have decided that since we have cancelled our family Christmas get together I am going to send each family a package of goodies so this week I will be in my kitchen. I wasn’t going to put many decorations up this year but when I got started I was on a roll so even though it will be just the two of us it will look festive!
 
I have several variations of the good all American Chocolate chip cookie but a couple of weeks ago a long time friend sent me a new take, I would say that this Chocolate chip cookie rates to be a Holiday cookie try it and see what you think!
 
Bailey’s Irish Cream Chocolate Chip Cookie
 
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. espresso powder or instant coffee
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 Tablespoons Bailey’s Irish cream liquor
2 room temperature eggs
12 oz. chocolate chips
 
Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and espresso powder, set aside.  Combine sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy about 2 minutes then add vanilla and bailey’s Irish cream liquor, mix then beat in eggs one at a time. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix in the dry ingredients, fold in chocolate chips. Chill dough for 2 hours or up to three days. Roll one Tablespoon of dough in a ball and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-10 min. Let cool for a couple of minutes before removing from pan.
 
Have a great week and stay safe!

​My Thanksgiving dinner was a sad tale! On Wednesday afternoon I had a dessert in the oven baking, when the timer went off, its wasn’t done so I gave it another 10 minutes, it still didn’t seem done on further investigation my oven didn’t seem very hot so I determined my oven was to put it bluntly dead. Luckily I have an electric roaster so I put my dessert in that to finish cooking, it did seem done but the consistency was off we each had a piece and I threw the rest out. I fixed our Thanksgiving ham in the roaster, that too wasn’t the same, I cooked the dressing in the crock pot which I have done before but it was dry. I even managed to over salt the green beans the only good part of our meal was the cranberry salad I had made. The good thing was we didn’t have that stuffed feeling we usually have after eating Thanksgiving dinner and of course a memory! I have decided I just wasn’t motivated this year my heart wasn’t in it!! The repairman is due to come today or tomorrow.
 
On to todays recipe, I am sharing a cozy taco soup, the recipe comes from Cindy Tonne, I like it better than chili, I hope that you will like it too.
 
Taco Soup
 
1 # hamburger, browned and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cans beans, any kind or a combination such as black beans, kidney beans or white beans, do not drain.
3 cans Ro-Tel diced tomatoes or 1 large can diced tomatoes and 1 can green chilies
1 can water
1 can Mexicorn, do not drain
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. dry Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
 
Combine all ingredients, simmer 20 minutes to 1 hour. Makes 12-14 cups, Freezes well. To serve may top with grated cheese, sour cream and Fritos.
 
Have a great week and stay safe!