Teacher Mom Recipe Ideas

Layered Taco Salad

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layered mexican salad

Salads taste so much better in the summer. There is a crunchy coolness to them that is perfect for evening meals on a hot day. My favorite salad recipes are the ones that work as a whole meal. I have a few different taco salad combinations that I like to use. The Mexican Chopped Salad and the Baja Chicken Salad are good options, but I played around with a new layered chicken taco salad recipe this weekend while my mom was visiting. I made a version that serves a group in a trifle dish, and I also tested it out in Mason jars to make single servings to take to school for school teacher lunches. It was a hit both ways.

layered mexican salad layers

Ingredients

  • 2 heads Romaine lettuce chopped (or amount needed for number of people serving)
  • ~3 c. chopped fresh spinach (or amount needed for number of people serving)
  • 1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (11-oz) can white shoepeg corn, rinsed and drained (or any type of canned corn)
  • 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • 2 c. cooked chicken, diced (I used 2 roasted chicken breasts)
  • 1-2 c. shredded Colby-Jack cheese
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 2 T. fresh cilantro chopped
  • ~3/4 c. salsa
  • ~1/2 c. ranch salad dressing (or dressing of your choice)
  • tortilla chips, ( ~1/2 c. broken into smaller pieces)

layered mexican salad trifle dish

Directions for Assembling in a Trifle Dish

  • Sprinkle black beans on the bottom layer of the trifle dish. You might not use the whole can. Add the amount of beans you like.
  • Mix the chopped Romaine and spinach together in a separate bowl. Add half of the lettuce mixture on top of the black beans.
  • Sprinkle a layer of corn on top of the lettuce.
  • Sprinkle cherry tomato pieces on top of the corn.
  • Add the chicken.
  • Cover the chicken with the remaining lettuce.
  • Drizzle ranch salad dressing over the top layer of lettuce. I like a light salad dressing layer.
  • Cover dressing with a layer of cheese.

layered mexican salad top

  • Spoon desired amount of salsa in the center of the trifle dish on top of the cheese.
  • Sprinkle green onions and cilantro over the salsa. Sprinkle crushed tortilla chips around the edges. Sprinkle a little more cilantro in the center for garnish.
  • Offer additional whole tortilla chips, salad dressing, and salsa on the side.

layered mexican salad in a jar w lid

Directions for Assembling in a Mason Jar

  • Spoon ~1 T. ranch dressing in the bottom of the jar.
  • Add ~2 T. black beans.
  • Add a layer of lettuce followed by corn, tomatoes, chicken pieces and another layer of lettuce. Do not overfill.

layered mexican salad in a jar top view

  • Sprinkle the top with cheese, green onions, and cilantro.
  • Put one spoonful of salsa on the top, add the lid and tighten.
  • To eat, pour salad into a bowl or out on a plate, so the dressing on the bottom will drizzle over the top. Serve with tortilla chips on the side.

layered mexican salad in a jar w chipsNotes

  • You do not need exact ingredient amounts. Use amounts you need for the number of people you are serving. 2 heads of Romaine lettuce and 3 c. of spinach will serve 5-6 adults.
  • You can add/delete any toppings. I think diced red pepper would be a good addition and possibly seeded and diced cucumber.
”Fluster

Strawberry Shortcake

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strawberry shortcake

It was TheRoomDad’s birthday this weekend, and there were many little opinions about the birthday dessert he should have. TheRoomDad typically does not go old school like I do and want a yellow cake from the grocery store with butter cream frosting (my favorite birthday cake). So, I made the executive decision to serve strawberry shortcake. TheRoomDad loves fruit desserts, and we all thought this particular version of strawberry shortcake was delicious.

Shortcake Ingredients

  • 1/4 c. sugar
  • 2 c. flour (plus more for rolling out dough)
  • 1 T. baking powder
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • 6 T. cold butter cut into small pieces
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 c. plus 3 T. heavy cream (plus more cream for serving)
  • 1 large egg yolk

Shortcake Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Combine 1/4 c. sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a fork (or a pastry cutter) to cut in butter until the dry ingredients resemble coarse meal.

strawberry shortcake cut in butter

  • Whisk together egg and 1/2 c. plus 2 T. heavy cream in a separate bowl. Slowly add the liquid to the dry ingredients. Mix with a fork until the dough comes together.

strawberry shortcake add liquid

strawberry shortcake dough mixture

  • Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough into a 6-in. square, 1-in. thick. Cut 4 rounds using a 2 1/2 in. cookie cutter. Place shortcakes on an ungreased cookie sheet.

strawberry shortcake biscuit cutting

  • Whisk together egg yolk and 1 T. cream in a small bowl; brush over the tops of the biscuits.

strawberry shortcake brush biscuit top

  • Bake until golden brown, ~25 minutes. Remove from the cookie sheet immediately and cool on a wire rack for ~15 minutes.

strawberry shortcake biscuits baked

Strawberries

  • Cut ~16 oz. of strawberries (the standard container size, about 2 cups) into quarters/bite sized pieces and put in a bowl.
  • Top with 3 T. fresh lemon juice and 1/4 c. sugar. Stir gently without crushing the strawberries.
  • Let stand about 1 hour.

strawberry pieces

Assembly

  • Cut shortcake biscuits in half like a hamburger bun.
  • Place biscuit halves in the bottom of a bowl. Top with sweetened strawberries making sure to get a little strawberry juice on there too.
  • Drizzle heavy cream over the top.

Notes

  • You can serve the shortcake with whipped cream rather than the liquid heavy cream.
  • Use a glass with a thin rim to cut the biscuits if you do not have a round cookie cutter.
  • Trying not to overknead the shortcake dough, keep reshaping leftover dough and cutting more biscuits until the dough is used. The final biscuit can be formed by hand rather than using a cutter.

strawberry shortcake with heavy cream

The Magic of Chocolate Sheet Cake

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choc sheet cake piece

The first time I made chocolate sheet cake for TheRoomDad, I brought it with us to tailgate at a college football game. When TheRoomDad’s friend took his first bite, his knees got weak. Since that tasting, I have shared the cake at many group events. Last year, I brought the cake to the retirement party of the beloved receptionist at our school. I originally baked a glazed lemon cake for the event, but this happened.

lemon cake failSo, I baked the chocolate sheet cake as a back up. People again had to grab onto something for support after the first bite hit their lips. It’s that good. There are many recipes available for chocolate sheet cake. I checked. The Pioneer Woman has a no-fail version that uses butter. My recipe uses margarine. You may also see versions of something called Texas sheet cake that are basically the same thing. I have not compared the recipe I currently use to the one my mom always used, but I am sure they would be close– fudgy cake, frosting that absorbs into the top layer while the cake is hot, a little pecan crunch to balance the moistness of the cake. Heaven. We had friends join us for Easter dinner last weekend, and I dusted off the recipe and served a slice of sheet cake to everyone with a scoop of vanilla or coffee ice cream. It did not disappoint.

choc sheet cake finishedIngredients

  • 2 c. flour
  • 4 T. cocoa
  • 1 t. baking soda
  • 1 c. water
  • 1 c. margarine (2 sticks)
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 1/2 c. buttermilk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 c. granulated sugar

Cake Directions

  • Sift together flour, sugar, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.

choc sheet cake dry ingredients

  • Boil water, margarine, and cocoa until melted stirring to combine. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients and mix well.

choc sheet cake margarine

  • Add buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Mix well.

choc sheet cake batter

  • Place in a greased 10 x 15 in. sheet cake pan and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
  • Prepare frosting while the cake is baking and pour the frosting over the cake while it is hot (important!).

choc sheet cake frosting pouredFrosting

  • 1/2 c. margarine (1 stick)
  • 6 T. buttermilk
  • 4 T. cocoa
  • 1 t. vanilla
  • 1 c. chopped pecans
  • 1 (1-lb) box powdered sugar

Frosting Directions

  • Bring margarine, buttermilk, and cocoa to a boil in a medium pan.
  • Add vanilla, nuts, and sifted powdered sugar. Mix well. It will seem to dry at first but keep mixing.

choc sheet cake frosting

  • Pour over the hot cake. Gently spread close to the edges with a spatula. The heat of the cake will help the frosting spread to the edges.

choc sheet cake piece close

Weeknight Dinner

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tomato soup and grilled cheese dinner

My weeknight dinner efforts are fair at best. Everybody is worn out by the time we make it home and roll through the door. We have many cereal and scrambled eggs nights (much to TheRoomDad’s frustration). One weeknight dinner I can handle is tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. I usually have all of the ingredients on hand even if I have not been to the grocery store, and it takes minimal effort and time to prepare. We ate tomato soup twice last week with toasted sandwiches in the panini maker.

tomato coup ingredients

Ingredients

  • 2 T. olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 c. canned, diced tomatoes
  • 1 T. fresh basil leaves, minced (or 1 t. dried)
  • 1-2 c. chicken stock

tomato soup carrot and onion

Directions

  • Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften (~5 minutes).
  • Add the diced tomatoes and basil. Simmer about 10 minutes.

tomato soup heating

  • Add 1 c. of chicken stock. Return to a simmer.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  • Using an immersion blender (or regular blender), puree carefully until smooth.

tomato soup pureed

  • Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Reheat if needed before serving.

Notes

  • If you do not have whole carrots, dice a handful of pre-cut carrots sticks if you have a bag of the snack carrots in your refrigerator.
  • You can replace the basil with thyme.
  • We like the soup with grilled cheese strips and/or Goldfish.

tomato soup and grilled cheese strips

Brownie Fix

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caramel brownies side view

My caramel brownies are not the only reason TheRoomDad wanted to marry me, but the chocolatey, gooey goodness is definitely a contributing factor. This is the best Valentine’s Day sweet treat I know, and in the early years of our courtship, I baked a batch of these brownies every Valentine’s Day and some birthdays too. Until yesterday, it had been many years since I served them. My kids don’t remember ever eating them! What was I thinking?

I got the recipe from one of my mom’s friends when I was about nine years old. For years, I have been under the impression that we were a privileged few who had access to the secret. Then, I did a Google search. Damn. It is not a secret. Since my recipe (and many spin offs) are available online, I am going to go ahead and share the version I use.

caramel brownies ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 11-oz. bag light caramels, unwrapped
  • 2/3 c. evaporated milk, divided
  • 1 box German chocolate cake mix
  • 2/3 c. margarine, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 c. chocolate chips (~6 oz.)

Directions

  • Combine caramels and 1/3 c. evaporated milk in a double boiler. Stir until melted and set aside.

caramel brownies melted caramel

  • In a medium bowl, combine cake mix, melted margarine, and 1/3 c. evaporated milk.

caramel brownies batter mixed

  • Press 1/2 of the dough in a greased 9″ x 13″ pan. Bake at 350 degrees for ~6 minutes and remove from oven.

caramel brownies bottom layer

  • Sprinkle the partially baked dough with chocolate chips.

caramel brownies w choc chips

  • Spread the melted caramel over the chocolate chips and gently spread evenly with a spatula.

caramel brownies spread caramel

  • Crumple the remaining dough over the caramel layer.

caramel brownies top layer

  • Bake an additional 15-18 minutes.
  • Remove from oven. Let cool and cut into squares to serve.

caramel brownies finished in pan

Notes

  • If you don’t have a double boiler to melt the caramels,  use a metal mixing bowl on the top of a pan of water as a double boiler. The caramels can also be melted with the evaporated milk in a microwave. Heat in 45 second increments stirring at the end of each time until the caramels are melted completely.

caramel brownies stack