Jen’s Nine Layer Dip
Scoop up this Mexican-inspired 9-layer salad with tortilla chips. It’s hearty enough for a light meal, and makes a great bring-along dish for a grill party.

Cook the chicken breasts in a skillet with 1 1/2 tablespoons of cilantro, vegetable oil, and medium heat for 5 minutes per side or until the juices run clear and the chicken is lightly golden brown.

Remove and reserve the chicken.

Cut into cubes once cooled.

The bacon should be cooked in the same skillet for about 10 minutes at medium-high heat, stirring frequently to ensure even browning.

Refried beans should be combined with bacon in the skillet and cooked for 5 to 10 minutes, while stirring frequently.

In a bowl, combine the sour cream and taco seasoning.

Homemade Blueberry Pie
Blueberry pie with a gorgeous lattice top is hard to beat! This easy recipe is ideal with fresh berries but mighty fine with frozen ones too.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and place a rack in the bottom position (190 degrees C).

In a bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt; sprinkle over blueberries.

One pie crust is used to cover a pie plate.

Fill the crust with the berry mixture and top with butter.

Strips of the remaining pastry should be 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide.

Create a lattice top using the strips.

Edges are crimped and fluted.

Simple Fry Bread
Serve up a batch of this quick and easy fry bread as a side dish or with jams, honey, or maple syrup for a decadent brunch treat.

Large saucepan oil is heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C).

One inch or more of oil should be present.

In a big bowl, combine salt, baking powder, and flour.

It takes about 5 minutes for the dough to come together into a ball and not stick to your hands after adding water a little at a time.

Cut dough into pieces the size of plums and flatten into 1/2-inch disks.

Dough pieces should be fried in hot oil for three minutes, or until golden brown on both sides.

Before serving, blot with paper towels or napkins.

Ahi Tuna and Pasta with Mushroom Bechamel
Cremini mushrooms and gemelli pasta are coated in a creamy bechamel sauce and served with lightly seared ahi tuna steaks in this elevated version of a deconstructed tuna casserole.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) or the lowest setting.

Set tuna fillets out on the counter to take the chill off.

Prepare bechamel sauce by melting 3 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add flour and whisk constantly until a copper-colored paste (roux) forms.

Slowly whisk in milk and stir constantly until heated through and thickened about 5 minutes.

Remove bechamel from the heat.

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.

Add gemelli and boil until tender yet firm to the bite about 12 minutes.

Zippy Shepherd’s Pie
Gather the family round with this quick and easy shepherd’s pie recipe. The meat mixture can be made ahead and frozen. You can also substitute instant potatoes for the real thing if you’re in a hurry. I especially love to use white cheddar in this recipe!

Large pot of lightly salted water should be brought to a boil.

Add the potatoes and cook for about 15 minutes, or until they are soft but still firm; drain and add back to pan.

Heat oil in a big skillet while the potatoes are boiling.

Garlic, onion, red pepper, and ground beef should be cooked until the meat is evenly browned.

Curry powder, ketchup, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce are all stirred in.

Boil for three to four minutes before simmering.

To make a paste, combine cornstarch with a little water; add to a skillet with the tomatoes, peas, carrots, and celery.

Add salt and pepper after cooking until thickened.

Fill a casserole dish with.

Rainbow Pinata Cake
As you cut into this four-layer cake with a rainbow of colors that is filled with candies and sprinkles like a pinata, observe the guests’ faces as they light up.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Grease and lightly flour four 9-inch cake pans.

Whisk flour 1 teaspoon salt baking powder and baking soda together in a bowl.

Beat 1 1/2 cup butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy about 1 minute.

Beat in white sugar on high speed scraping the bowl with a spatula as needed until fully incorporated about 5 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium-high; beat in eggs one at a time.

Beat in 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.

Mix flour mixture into the creamed butter mixture in 3 additions alternating with buttermilk until batter is smooth and slightly thick.

Easy Chicken Enchilada Soup
This pressure cooker enchilada soup, a simple family favorite, is a hearty blend of beans, corn, tomatoes, and chiles with a Southwestern kick.

In a multipurpose pressure cooker, combine chicken breasts, black beans, chicken stock, corn, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, green chiles, onion, garlic, salt, and cumin.

Lock the lid by closing it.

Set the timer for 30 minutes and cook the stew in the Stew mode at high pressure in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Give the pressure 10 to 15 minutes to build.

In accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, release pressure naturally after 10 to 40 minutes.

With two forks, shred the chicken and add it back to the soup.

Lighter Potato and Leek Soup
Straight from grandma’s recipe book, this light potato and leek soup has no butter or cream, but still has a creamy taste thanks to low-fat milk.

Leeks and 3 tablespoons of olive oil are combined in a stockpot over low heat.

Add more oil as necessary and saute for about 15 minutes, or until soft.

Over the leeks, sprinkle flour and stir it in with a wooden spoon.

Cook for two minutes on low heat.

To make a roux, slowly add 2 cups of water while stirring continuously.

Add 2 more cups of water slowly while stirring continuously.

Add the remaining 2 cups of water and stir.

Add the sugar, chili-garlic sauce, pepper, and bouillon cubes.

Until boiling, turn the heat up to medium and stir occasionally.

Stuffed Pattypan Squash
A wonderful way to use the over-abundance of squash from your garden. Cute pattypan squash are stuffed with a cheesy bacon stuffing, and baked. My children call these ‘Squash Volcanoes’ and gobble them up! Enjoy!

Set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C).

Over medium-high heat, bring a saucepan with an inch of water to a boil.

Add the squash, cover it, and cook for 10 minutes, or until a fork can easily pierce the stem.

Slice off the squash’s top stem after draining.

To carefully remove the squash centers, use a melon baller.

Keep all the squash scraps aside.

To cook the bacon, use a big, deep skillet.

Cook until evenly browned on a medium-high heat setting.

Bacon should be removed and placed on paper towels.

Cook onion in bacon grease.

Chop the reserved squash pieces, then saute them for one minute with the onion.

Crispy Bacon and Sweet Onion Omelet
Sauteed onions, crispy bacon, and a blend of cheddar and American cheeses provide the filling for this fluffy omelet.

In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp over medium-high heat.

To drain and cool, transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels.

Crumble the bacon and set it aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.

For about 10 minutes, cook and stir the onions in the butter until they are soft.