Grilled Picnic Taco Nachos

I made this for our Memorial Day Barbecue. Everyone really liked it and it was so easy to make.

5 cups tortilla chips
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained, rinsed and mashed
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles, drained
2 tsp taco seasoning mix (from 1 oz package)
2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, chopped
2 medium green onions, sliced (2 Tbsp)
2 cups finely shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend (8 oz)

1. Heat gas or charcoal grill. Spray 12x18 inch foil pan with cooking spray. Spread tortilla chips in pan.
2. In medium bowl, mix beans, chiles and taco seassoning mix; spoon evenly over tortilla chips. Top with tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover pan with foil.
3. Place foil pan on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 3 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Carefully remove foil.

Makes 4 servings

Spicy Molasses-Glazed Steak Tips

I found this in a cookbook and made it for dinner this last week. My husband really liked it and I did too. It worked up really quick. I served it with a salad, vegetable and garlic bread.

1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds sirloin steak, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1. Whisk molasses, vinegar, pepper flakes and 1/4 tsp salt in medium bowl. Pat steak tips dry with papper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook meat until browned all over, 6 to 10 minutes; transfer to platter and tent with foil.

2. Add molasses mixture and any accumulated meat juices to empty skillet and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Spoon sauce over steak. Serve.

Steak tips are sold as whole steaks, cubes, and strips. For this recipe use a whole steak or strips and cut the chunks yourself.

Beet Jelly

Nola wanted this one, so here it is.

Mom made this every summer when we were kids. She would can the beets and save the juice to make jelly. We ate a lot of it over the winter. My sister-in-law adds 2 small packages of strawberry jello to hers to make it taste like strawberry jelly.

8 cups beet juice
1 cup lemon juice
3 pkg pectin

Mix all together and boil hard for 1 minute.

Add:
13 cup sugar
Boil for 3 minutes. Bottle and seal or put wax on top

Makes approximately 7 1/2 pints.

Triple Chocolate Dessert

I got this recipe from my mother in law a way long time ago. It is absolutely scrumptious. You can't go wrong serving this for dessert. It's also quick and easy. You can't beat that.

Bottom layer:
1 stick butter
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup flour
Mix with mixer. Pat into 9 x 13 pan and bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Second layer:
1 package cream cheese 8 ounce, softened
1 cup Cool Whip
1 cup powdered sugar
Mix and spread over first layer.
Third layer:
1 package vanilla instant pudding mix, 4 serving size
1 package chocolate instant pudding mix, 6 serving size
4 cups milk
Beat together. Spread onto second layer.
Top with Cool Whip.
Sprinkle chopped nuts over the top for garnish.
Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Nachos

This was a favorite when my kids were teenagers. It's quick and easy and very tasty. Serve with some extra salsa if you like.

1. Brown 1 pound hamburger, mix in 1 can refried beans
2. Layer on cookie sheet:
Tortilla chips
Hamburger/bean mixture
Grated cheddar and/or mozzarella cheese
Salsa
3. Bake in 300 degree oven until the cheese melts

Porcupine Meatballs

I got this recipe from a good friend many years ago. I've been making them ever since. It's kind of a meal in one pot. There's meat, vegetable juice, and rice. Add a salad and you're good to go.

1 egg
1/2 cup water
1 envelope onion soup mix, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked regular rice, divided
1 can (46 oz.) tomato juice
1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:
1. Beat egg slightly with water and 2 Tablespoons of the soup mix. Mix lightly with ground beef and 1/4 cup of the rice. Shape into 12 balls. Roll in remaining rice.
2. Heat tomato juice to boiling. Stir in remaining onion soup mix and sugar. Place meatballs into tomato juice. Cover.
3. Simmer 50 minutes or until rice puffs out around meat and is tender.

Jumbo Raisin Cookies

These are my all time favorite cookies. I can't make them very often because I could eat them all in just a couple of days. I've been making these since I was a teenager. They are easy and they are the BEST.

Boil together for 5 minutes:
1 cup water
1 cup raisins
Set aside.
Cream together:
1 cup shortening and
1 3/4 cups sugar
Add:
1 teaspoon vanilla and
3 eggs, beaten
Mix together:
4 1/2 cups flour,
1 teaspoon baking powder,
1 teaspoon baking soda,
1 teaspoon salt,
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Add the raisins with the water and add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture. Mix well.
Add 1 cup nuts if desired.
Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.