mrs_helenesnape | Day 21 of 30 Day Meme

Day 01 → Your favourite song
Day 02 → Your favourite movie
Day 03 → Your favourite television programme
Day 04 → Your favourite book
Day 05 → Your favourite quote
Day 06 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 → A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 → A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 → A photo you took
Day 10 → A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 → A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 → A fictional book
Day 14 → A non-fictional book
Day 15 → A fanfic
Day 16 → A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 → An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 → Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 → A talent of yours
Day 20 → A hobby of yours
Day 21 → A recipe

I recall that I promised to share my cheese ball recipe on 'Day 19' but there is also another recipe that my Mamaw used to make that I absolutely loved growing up. I'm ashamed to say that back in the day, I wasn't worried about fat grams, calories, or cholesterol, so the first recipe comes with a 'Heart Attack' warning, meaning that you don't want to indulge too often, as you can hear you arteries hardening as you eat. But it's a Southern comfort food, so I'm gonna share it.

Creamy Tacos (HEART ATTACK WARNING)

1 lb ground beef
1 chopped onion
1, 15 oz brick of "Famous Chili Inc.: 4 Star Chili"
10 oz can of "Rotel", drained (& rinsed if desired)
1 lb "Velveeta" cheese product, cubed
5 oz can of Evaporated/Filled Milk
Shredded Lettuce
Tortilla Chips
Garnishes (optional): chopped tomatoes, sliced olives, sour cream

1. Brown ground beef and onion in large (12 inch) skillet. Drain & return to pan. Reduce heat to medium.

2. Add sliced chili, breaking it up into the beef, stirring to distribute it throughout.

3. Stir in drained Rotel.

4. Add Velveeta cubes, stirring constantly to keep cheese moving and prevent sticking.

5. When Velveeta is completely melted, slowly add the evaporated milk.

6. Ready to serve when the concoction bubbles slightly.

In a single serve bowl, place tortilla chips, then some lettuce, and a good heaping serving of creamy tacos. Add desired garnishes and enjoy.

Cheese Ball:

2, 8 oz pkgs of Philadelphia Cream Cheese – softened to room temperature
1, 2.25 oz jar of Dried Beef, rinsed in warm water and drained thoroughly, chopped
1/2 bunch of scallions (green onions), sliced
Accent seasoning to taste (I'm not sure if it's widely available, but it's commonly known as MSG)
Chopped pecans (to roll finished cheese ball in to coat)

1. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, dried beef, and scallions. It's difficult to get it to blend well using a large spoon or even a serving fork. Your hands are you best instrument in this instance. A rubber glove works well for me, using one hand to mix and the other to hold the bowl steady.

2. Add Accent as you blend. (I honestly can't tell you how much Accent I add, it varies as I often end up making a larger cheese ball each subsequent year.) Check for flavoring as you go along, to see what tastes best you to.

3. Roll into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for approximately 1 hour to firm up for rolling in chopped pecans. When you unwrap for pecan coating, you can use the plastic wrap to help you move the cheese ball around, to keep clean up to a minimum. If you have nut allergies, or you just don't like them, you can always omit this step.

4. Wrap in fresh plastic wrap, refrigerate overnight and enjoy on your favorite cracker.