2×4 Scrappy Pumpkin Family

I hope everyone is enjoying fall. I love it when the leaves start to turn and there is a chill in the air.

Such a beautiful time of year!

🙂 Vicki

Crock Pot Chicken or Turkey Stock

3-4 lbs chicken bones

onions

celery

carrots

peppercorns

garlic cloves

bay leave

parsley

boiling water

Preheat the crock-pot on high. Try breaking up the bones as small as possible, place with all the other ingredients in the crock pot. Cover with as much boiling water as your crock pot can take. Switch to low and cook for 12-24 hours. Strain, cool, skim off the fat, use the stock or freeze.

Mexican Enchilada Casserole (Deer)

2 pounds lean ground deer or other big game

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T vegetable oil, optional

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

3 T chili powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 can cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup milk

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 package taco shells, coarsely crushed

Heat oven to 350º. Grease 2 quart casserole; set aside. In large skillet, cook meat, onion, and garlic in oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender. Drain, if necessary. Stir in tomato sauce, chili powder, and salt. Heat over medium heat until bubbly. Reduce heat to very low; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside.

In small mixing bowl, blend soup and milk; set aside. Ona sheet of waxed paper mix Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses; set aside.

In prepared casserole, layer one-third the crushed taco shells, half the meat mixture, half the soup mixture, and half the cheese mixture. Continue layering half the remaining taco shells, the remaining meat mixture, and the remaining soup mixture. Top with the remaining taco shells and the remaining cheese. Bake until hot in the center and cheese melts, about 45 minutes.

Dressing & Cooking Wild Game
The Hunting and Fishing Library

Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

1  1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/3 cups mashed bananas

1/3 cup oil

1 egg

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the first six Ingredients. In a small bowl, combine bananas, oil, and egg. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups three fourths full. Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done.

Deer BBQ

1-2 lb. venison roast

1 bottle BBQ sauce

Cook roast over night on low in slow cooker. Shred and add BBQ sauce to your liking.

Turkey (or chicken) Noodle Soup

1 medium onion chopped

2 large carrots chopped

2 stalks celery chopped

1 T. olive oil

900 mL chicken broth

handful of noodles

1 cup chopped turkey

1 T. parsley

Saute onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil until soft. Add chicken broth and cook until tender. Add noodles and simmer 5 minutes. Add turkey and parsley.

Banana Nut Bread

1 Stick butter

1c. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c. pecans

2 c. flour

1 tsp. soda

3 very ripe bananas

Whip bananas until light. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time. Sift flour and soda. Add to butter and egg mixture. Combine with finely chopped pecans and whipped bananas. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake 350º for 1 hour.

 

Mexican Pizza

Mexican Pizza

1 lb ground beef
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning
2 tablespoons water
8 small flour tortillas
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans, warmed
2/3 cup mild picante sauce or 2/3 cup salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or 1 cup monterey jack cheese, blend
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup chopped green onion

Directions:

1
-Using your hands, mix together beef, taco seasoning, and water.
2
-Brown the beef mixture in a skillet over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, using a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat as it cooks; set aside.
3
-In 375 degree oil, fry tortillas for 30-45 seconds per side, keeping as flat as possible and popping any bubbles that may form; drain on brown paper bags.
4
-Spread beans, then meat, then picante sauce/salsa over 4 of the tortillas; set aside.
5
-Spread cheese, then tomatoes, then onions over remaining tortillas; stack one of these tortillas on each of the others.
6
-Place pizzas under a hot broiler just until cheese has melted.
7
**** I usually just brown the burger and add the beans in with it.

Chicken Pot Pie

This one was fast, easy, and yummy!! I found it here.

Turkey Pot Pie(Or Chicken)

 

2 c. cooked turkey, cubed (pennies if using leftovers)
1 can cream of chicken soup ($.60 on sale)
1 can Veg-all brand mixed veggies, drained ($.50)
1 can biscuits ($.50 on sale)

In a 2 quart casserole dish combine turkey, soup and veggies; mix well. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven. Place biscuits on top of casserole. Increase oven heat to 400 and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Total cost of this dish is around $2.00 for 6 servings. That averages out to about $.30 per serving.

Budget Gourmet Taco Pasta

Now this was yummy! A definite keeper. It came from here. I did cut back on the cheese quite a bit and we added it along with the sour cream, black olives, and jalapenos in the end. We are still picking peppers from the garden so we had peppers stuffed with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and bacon as a side.

Taco Pasta:  (Printable recipe can be found here…)

You will need:

1 package taco seasoning

1 pound ground beef or turkey or chicken

1 – 15 oz can diced tomatoes – do not drain (**if you use fresh tomatoes, you will need approx. 1.5 Cups, diced and you will need to add a bit of water.)

1- 16 oz box dried pasta (use penne or rigatoni or ziti or farfalle or whatever you prefer)

2 Cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 Cup diced green onion

Sliced black olives

Sour cream for garnish

Instructions:

Bring large pot of water to a rapid boil and add the dry pasta.  Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, brown the ground meat in a skillet, draining any grease upon cooking.

Add your taco seasoning and tomatoes to drained meat, stirring to thoroughly incorporate.  **If you are using fresh diced tomatoes, add 1/2 cup of water to meat mixture.  Simmer until sauce thickens to your liking.

Turn burner off and add the diced green onions and one cup of grated cheese to the meat mixture.  Stir well to incorporate.

Drain cooked noodles and return to pot.  Stir in meat mixture with drained noodles and add remaining one cup of cheese while still very hot.

Sprinkle sliced black olives over the top of individual servings and garnish with a dallop of sour cream.