Grilled Cheese Sandwiches...deluxe.

From Simple and Delicious... altered by me
Makes as many as you'd like

For each sandwich, butter the outsides of two slices of bread (use something nice and hearty if you have it, not the cheap stuff) and shake on garlic salt.
Fill each sandwich with chopped tomatoes (you can use canned; I have), sliced green onion, and cheese of your choice. It's really fun to mix a few together. Tonight we just had plain old medium cheddar.
Grill on a hot griddle or grill.

This is a must-try spruce up to the good old Grilled Cheese. I am not a fan of plain tomatoes, but when sandwiched between bread and cheese... delish! Serves really well with Creamy tomato soup.

Thin Crust Pizza (Chicken Pesto Pizza)

From http://recipes.robbiehaf.com/T/272.htm
Makes 1 pizza

.25 oz. pkt. active dry yeast
1/4 tsp. granulated sugar
3/4 cup 110 degree water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Top with Pesto, Mozzarella cheese, sliced red pepper, sliced red onion, and cut up grilled chicken. I've also added bacon, which is good.

-Dissolve yeast and sugar in water; allow to rest for 8 minutes.-In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt.-Pour yeast mixture over flour mixture and mix well with a heavy spoon.-Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for 2 minutes.-Working from the edges to the center, press dough into a 12" circle. We've also found that holding the dough up, off the counter and stretching it works well, too (keep rotating the dough circle as you stretch to keep an even circle forming).-Place dough on a lightly greased pizza pan and stretch dough to edges.-Spread sauce over crust and top with cheese and desired toppings.-Bake in a 500 degree oven for 8-12 minutes, or until edges are golden.

We love this pizza, even Ella eats it! And it is my new dinner to make for friends.

Velveeta Down-Home Macaroni and Cheese

From Kraftfoods.com
Makes one 2-quart casserole

1. Melt 3 TBSP butter in medium saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in 1/4 cup flour; cook 2 minutes stirring constantly. Gradually stir in 1 cup milk; cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) Velveeta cheese (cut into cubes); cook 3 minutes or util melted, stirring frequently.

2. Stir. in 2 cups cooked elbow macaroni. Spoon into 2 quart casserole lightly sprayed; sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Melt 1 TBSP butter; toss with 6 Ritz crackers crushed and sprinkle over casserole (I just omitted the butter and sprinkled the macaroni and cheese with Italian breadcrumbs).

Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until heated through.

*This is a nice and cheesy meal, but less cheesy than the one on the Velveeta package.

Easy Lasagna

From Aunt Vickie Atkin
Makes an 8" x 10" - 9" x 13" pan

1/2 pound ground beef or turkey
1 can Hunt's Four Cheese spaghetti sauce (any will do, but this is what we like)
oregano
italian seasoning
garlic salt
lasagna noodles (9 fit perfectly in our pan)
shredded cheese (mozzarella, italian mix, etc.)

Cook noodles according to package directions; Meanwhile, brown beef or turkey in a large frying pan. Add spices and sauce; keep warm. Drain noodles when ready and then layer an 8x10 or 9x13 pan with noodles, sauce mixture, and cheese; repeating three times. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. YUMMY.

(This is my favorite lasagna because it doesn't use cottage cheese- just regular old white shredded cheese. It is really good and one of our all-time favorites).

Rice, Cheese, & Bean Enchiladas

1 (2-cup) bag Uncle Ben's Boil-in-Bag Rice (I used regular)
4 cups shredded zucchini, drained
1 TBS reduced-sodium taco sauce mix
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (10 ounces) reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of mushroom soup
1 can (8 ounces) diced green chilies
12 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, divided

1. Prepare rice following package directions.
2. Combine zucchini and 2 TBS taco sauce mix in large nonstick skillet. Cook and stir zucchini 5 minutes. Add beans, soup, chilies, and rice. Bring to a boil.
3. Spray 13x9" microwaveable baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon about 1/2 cup of rice mixture onto center of each tortilla. Top with 2 TBS cheese. Roll up to enclose filling; place in baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over enchiladas. Microwave on HIGH 4 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Suggestion: Serve with sliced mango or orange sections.

Fiesta Beef Enchiladas

From Mexican Fiesta
Makes 4 servings

8 ounces lean ground beef (or turkey)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 teas. fresh minced or bottled garlic
1 cup cold cooked white or brown rice
1 1/2 cups chopped tomato, divided
3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend or Cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup salsa or picante sauce
12 (6-7 inch) corn tortillas
1 can (10 ounces) mild or hot enchilada sauce
1 cup sliced romaine lettuce leaves

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13x9" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Cook ground beef/turkey in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add green onions and garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes.
2. Combine meat mixture, rice, 1 cup tomato, corn, 1/2 cup cheese, and salsa; mix well. Spoon mixture down center of tortillas. Roll up; place seam side down in prepared pan. Spoon enchilada sauce evenly over enchiladas.
3. Cover with foil; bake for 20 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese; bake 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Top with lettuce and remaining 1/2 cup tomato.

Velveeta Tex-Mex Chicken & Rice

From Mexican Fiesta p. 96
Makes 4 servings

4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, drained, or 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 cup Salsa
2 cups Minute Rice, uncooked
1/2 pound (8 ounces) Velveeta Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up

1. Spray large skillet with no stick cooking spray. Add chicken; cover. Cook on medium-high heat 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet.
2. Add beans, broth, and salsa to skillet; stir. Bring to boil.
3. Stir in rice and Velveeta. Top with chicken; cover. Cook on low heat 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, if desired, before serving.

Velveeta Spicy Southwest Corn Cheese Soup

From Mexican Fiesta p. 44
Makes 4 cups

1 package (10 ounces) frozen sweet corn, thawed, drained
1 clove garlic
1 TBS butter or margarine
3/4 pound (12 ounces) Velveeta Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro

1. Cook and stir corn and garlic in butter in large saucepan on medium-high heat until tender. Reduce heat to medium.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients; cook until Velveeta is melted and soup is thoroughly heated. Top each serving with crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

*I used homemade freezer creamed corn and didn't use milk or butter... it was very tasty. I also didn't put in the green chilies, but think it would be good with them.

Velveeta Salsa Dip

From Mexican Fiesta p. 30
Makes 3 cups

1 pound (16 ounces) Velveeta Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut up
1 cup Salsa

Microwave Velveeta and salsa in 1 1/2-quart microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 minutes or until Velveeta is melted, stirring after 3 minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips or cut up vegetables.

Layered Mexican Dip

From Mexican Fiesta p. 16
Fills a 8x8 square pan

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 TBS plus 1 teas. taco seasoning mix
1 cup black beans or refried (whichever you like)
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 TBS sliced pitted ripe olives
Tortilla chips

1. Combine cream cheese and taco seasoning; spread on bottom of a 8x8" square dish or a 9" pie plate.
2. Layer remaining ingredients over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with tortilla chips.

*I put olives only on half (one half for me, one for the hubby). This is also great for parties.

Sarah's Baked Pasta

From ME
This is as creative as I get, folks.

12-16 oz. cooked pasta (anything other than spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, or egg noodles work best)
1 jar alfredo Sauce or homemade
1-2 green onions, sliced
3-4 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 oz white cheese, grated
2-3 chicken tenders (breaded is really good)

Toss cooked pasta in alfredo sauce of choice, add green onion, bacon, chicken, and cheese. Bake in oven at 350ish for 15-20ish minutes.

I use jarred alfredo sauce, but homemade would be good too.