~What's Cooking Wednesdays~ Mexi Shells, Lemonade Pie and Flour Tortillas!

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I bought some jumbo shells a while back and have been eyeing a Betty Crocker recipe! So I finally tried it the other day and they turned out sooo yummy! I used sausage instead of beef though, so did not use as much of the spices that they called for.

Mexi Shells
From Betty Crocker.com
Make an easy pasta dish pepped up with salsa, beans, chiles and cheese.
Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 55 min
Makes: 6 servings

18 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
3/4 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles, drained
1 can (15 oz) chili beans in sauce, undrained
2 jars (16 oz each) Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz)
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Cook and drain pasta shells as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in cilantro, cumin, chiles and beans.
3. In ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish, spread 1 cup of the salsa. Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons beef mixture into each shell. Place shells, filled sides up, on salsa in dish. Pour remaining salsa evenly over shells. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Cover with foil; bake 30 minutes. Uncover; let stand 10 minutes before serving

Planned-Overs
You'll want to make two pans of this family-pleasing casserole. Serve one for dinner tonight, and put the other in the freezer. Then when there's no time to cook, just thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed.

This Lemonade Pie recipe is a family favorite! We always made our own graham cracker crust from scratch and made a double batch in a 13x9" pan! It is sooo sweet, sour and Yummy!!!!

LEMONADE PIE
1 can Eagle Brand condensed milk
1 sm. can frozen lemonade or limeade
1 med. container Cool Whip
2 graham cracker crusts
Pie Filling, if desired (cherry)

Fold together milk, lemonade and Cool Whip. Pour into crusts. Refrigerate. Top with pie filling if desired. Makes 2 pies.

I wanted to make egg burritos for supper the other night, but did not have any flour tortillas! I decided to make my own and was really surprised at how easy they were to make and they were good too!
Here is the recipe I used:

Flour Tortilla Recipe

Ingredients:
* 2 cups all purpose flour
* 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
* 1/2 tsp. salt
* 1/2 tsp. baking powder
* 3/4 cup warm water

Directions:
In a bowl, blend flour, salt, baking powder and shortening until it resembles fine meal.
Add warm water, a little at a time, to flour mixture and toss until liquid is incorporated. Water amount will vary with different flour types.
Form dough into a ball and kneed on a floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. Divide, and make 12 smaller balls. Cover and let stand at least 30 minutes.
Cooking Tortilla:
Roll each ball of dough on a floured surface to make 6 or 7 inch sized tortillas. Place on a pre-heated griddle or cast iron skillet and cook till medium golden on both sides.
Remove to a basket lined with a cloth towel or put between a towel until cool. After the tortillas have cooled completely, store them in a plastic bag. This recipe will make approximately 12 flour tortillas.

God bless your week and cooking!
~Hannah