The Recipes- All Except for the Tortilla Soup

Sticky Chicky
From "Eat, Shrink, and Be Merry"

3 lbs chicken pieces
Sauce:
1/2 c. bbq sauce
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. honey
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp gingerroot (I have successfully substituted ground ginger. Use like a teaspoon.)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp cornstarch

Put chicken in 9x13 inch pan. Whisk all ingredients except cornstarch together and pour over chicken. Turn chicken pieces to coat with sauce. Bake 40 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm. Pour sauce out of baking pan into a small pot. Bring to a boil. Combine 1 tbsp water and the tbsp cornstarch in a small bowl; add to sauce. Cook 1 minute. Serve chicken with sauce.

Orzo and Chicken

(This is a "to taste" dish. Amounts are NOT exact.)
orzo
about 1-2 cups precooked chicken, shredded or diced
butter
olive oil
clove or 2 of garlic, minced
salt
(Of the following, use as much or as little as your family would like):
sundried tomatoes, chopped
kalamata olives, chopped
feta cheese

Cook the little package of orzo according to the directions. While it's cooking, saute the garlic in butter or olive oil; add the chicken and heat through. Drain and toss with a bit of olive oil and/or butter and salt. Add the chicken and garlic, tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese. Taste it. If it's yummy, serve. If not, add some more butter and salt and taste again.

Skillet Shepherd's Pie

1-2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 cups cheddar cheese
1 packet taco seasoning
about 3 cups mashed potatoes

Use a cast-iron skillet, if you have one. If not, you'll need to transfer the meat to a baking dish after you brown it in the skillet.

Brown the ground beef. The onions and garlic can be cooked at the same time. Add the taco seasoning and 1 cup of cheese. Stir to combine. Stir 2 cups cheese into the mashed potatoes. Top the meat with the potatoes. Broil for 5-10 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Spaghetti

3 lbs ground beef
1-2 onions, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
several jars of your favorite pasta sauce (be sure to use enough for dinner tonight and pizza tomorrow!)
1-3 tsps basil
1-2 tsps oregano
Spaghetti or your favorite pasta
tapenade, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, or whatever else you like to add to spaghetti sauce
Brown the ground beef, onions and garlic in a large cooking pot. Add the spaghetti sauce, spices to taste, and your other favorite ingredients. Cook pasta according to package directions and serve sauce and pasta together. (Yes, I know you know that part!)

Pizza

1-2 pizza crusts, depending on how many people you need to serve
your leftover spaghetti sauce from yesterday
multiple handfuls of shredded mozzarella cheese
whatever else you like on your pizza- olives, different cheeses, pepperonis, etc

Make the crust according to the package directions or recipe. Top with your leftover spaghetti sauce, other ingredients, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake according to package or crust recipe directions.

Speedy Jambalaya

cooked rice
1 lg onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 tsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cans (15.5oz) black-eyed peas, drained
1 lb sausage, cooked

Saute all vegetable except garlic for about 4-6 minutes. Add garlic and saute another minute or two. Stir in tomatoes and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes. Stir in peas and sausage. Heat through. Serve with rice.