Mexican Macaroni

1 lb of ground beef
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 box of Macaroni and Cheese (we prefer Kraft Dinner)
1 cup of salsa
1 cup of Sour Cream

Brown ground beef.  Follow directions on taco seasoning packet.  Cook Macaroni as directed on the box.  Stir in about 1 cup of sour cream and 1 cup of salsa.  Add in ground beef.  Stir all till mixed well.  Pour into a oven-safe dish and place in the oven at 350 for 25-30 minutes.  We usually sprinkle the top with cheese or bread crumbs.

Chicken Fried Rice

Rice
Sesame Seed Oil
Soy Sauce or Oyster Sauce
Corn
Peas
Egg
Chicken
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder

Cook chicken with soy sauce in a saucepan. Cut into bite size pieces. Set aside. Cook rice as directed on the box. Set aside. Heat corn and peas. Set aside. Cook eggs in a wok- scramble them. Add rice to the wok and mix. Stir in sesame seed oil and soy sauce. Mix in corn, peas, and chicken. Add more soy sauce as needed. Sprinkle with garlic and onion powder. Stir.

**This recipe is all about how much you want and taste. That's why I left no measurements. We love making extras of this for lunches later. Heats up really well- just add a little water.

Pesto Pasta

1 jar of pesto
Pasta of your choice- I usually choose Penne
Chicken
Cream Cheese
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder

Mix Pesto with several spoonfuls of cream cheese. Sprinkle with a little garlic powder and onion powder. Heat and stir. Cook pasta as directed on box. Serve- picking how much pasta, pesto, and chicken you want. Cook your chicken however you like- for this meal we usually grill it with Italian seasonings. Cut chicken into pieces or strips.

**I love pasta, but get tired of red sauce at times- this is a good choice to add in the mix for pasta night!
Serve with salad, garlic bread, and red wine = perfect!
(Recipe adapted from my Aunt)

Mexican Style Rice

3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Stirring rice constantly, add garlic salt and cumin. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

**I am always looking for a good Mexican rice to go with our Mexican meals. This one is good. Still is not the same as the rice at Mexican restaurants though. I like to add in some corn with the rice as well.
(Recipe found through Pinterest)

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

1/2 cup Butter

2 cups Sugar

1/2 cup Milk

4 tbsp Cocoa

1/2 cup Peanut Butter

3- 3 1/2 cups Quick cooking Oats

2 tsp Vanilla

Add the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 1 minute. Stir in the next 3 ingredients and drop onto wax/foil paper. Let cool until set. 

**Love these cookies! One of my best friends growing up got me hooked on these because they were her favorite.  

Crockpot Chicken (for tacos)

3 chicken breasts
1- 14oz. can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Place all ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 7-8 hours, or until tender. Shred chicken and season with salt and pepper as needed.

**My sister found this recipe on a blog and made it for us. It was delicious!  You'll get a sweet and spicy kick from the ingredients.
(Recipe from http://www.cookingalamode.blogspot.com/)

South of the Border Soup

1 can of no bean chili
1 can of bean with bacon soup
1 can of tomato soup
1 can of cheddar cheese soup
1 can of water (more or less depending on how thick or thin you want it)
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Pour all ingredients into a big pot. Heat on stove to a boil. Serve with tortilla chips.

**A go to meal when hungry, but don't have a lot of time. Cheap, easy, and very filling.