Mexican Casserole

One of my favorite types of food is Mexican. Most things are made out of corn instead of wheat so it's usually pretty easy for me to be able to find something at a Mexican restaurant to eat. My mom used to make this dish but once I went gluten free I wasn't able to make it anymore because you used crescent rolls for the bottom crust. Then I got to thinking, I could use my corn bread recipe for the crust instead and just bake it first. And it worked!! Awesome. Here is the recipe in case you want to try it. It's so good!

Mexican Casserole
Ingredients:

1 corn bread recipe
1 lb. Ground Turkey or Beef
1 package taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg. shredded cheddar cheese
Crushed chips (can either use corn chips or Doritos)

Make corn bread recipe as normal. Spray a 9x13 pan and pour the corn bread in the pan. Bake this at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. You want it almost done.

Brown the meat and add the water, taco seasoning and sour cream. Mix all together.

After taking the corn bread out of the oven, sprinkle a layer of the crushed corn chips over the corn bread. Then evenly spread the meat mixture over the crushed chips. Next sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the top of the meat. Last put another layer of corn chips on top of the cheese. Put back in the oven for about another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Cut and enjoy!

Gluten Free Cornbread

After going Gluten Free I really started paying attention to what bothered me and what didn't and I have found that corn is an okay thing for me.  And one thing I have always loved is corn bread.  So when I went gluten free I thought, perfect, I can still get the corn bread mixes I love and be fine.....this gluten free thing isn't a problem after all.  Boy was I wrong.  Look at the package mixes in the grocery store, every one of them contains wheat.  Crap!  So the search was on for a good gluten free corn bread mix.  I really like this one as far as mixes go, but because gluten free mixes aren't everywhere I have to stock up on the mix to make sure I had some available when I wanted it.   Instead I wanted to find one I could make from scratch on my own, it's so much easier.  So this is what I use instead:

Gluten Free Cornbread
(adapted from this recipe)

1 1/4 c. cornmeal
1 c. flour (I use this gluten free flour, but you can use any kind of flour you choose)
1/4 c. evaporated cane juice (I use this instead of sugar)
2 eggs
1 c. almond milk (or any type of milk you want)
1/3 c. melted butter

If you use regular flour you need to add the following (you don't need to add these if you use the flour I specify because it already has these in it):
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix all the ingredients together.  I usually do the wet and then the dry but you can do it however you want.  I like to put this in either a loaf pan or an 8x8 pan.  You can also make muffins out of it if you want, just be sure to reduce the baking time a bit.  Spray whatever pan you want to use and pour the mix in.  I usually bake it about 30 minutes but make sure it's done all the way through and the top is brown before you take it out.  It's great with butter and/or honey.  Enjoy!!

Snickerdoodle Cookies

I was browsing this awesome blog for recipes and I ran across this old favorite.  This is something we used to make when I was a kid but had never attempted since I went Gluten-free.  This recipe turned out awesome.  I highly recommend them.

Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. white rice flour

1/2 c. potato starch

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

2 Tb. sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix all the above ingredients together except the cinnamon and sugar.  Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a separate small bowl.  After you mix all the other ingredients together for the dough into small balls.  Roll the balls in the cinnamon and sugar mixture and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.  Enjoy.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter.  What a great food. Peanut butter and banana, peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and cinnamon and sugar.....and don't forget about peanut butter cookies.  All are just awesome!  One Sunday I had a craving for peanut butter cookies so I went searching for a gluten free recipe and I found some awesome stuff.  I eventually settled on this recipe:

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies

1 large egg

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract

1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Beat together egg, sugar, baking soda and vanilla.  Add in the peanut butter.  Finally add in the chocolate chips.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Drop about a teaspoon of dough onto baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Let cool on sheet for a couple minutes before removing so they set.  Makes about 3 dozen.


Instead of the chocolate chips I used Reese's Pieces and they tasted awesome.  Lots of peanut butter goodness!  Also I think you could get by with using 1/4 cup sugar based on what I've read.  I want to try them again that way.  Also instead of sugar I used crystallized sugar cane juice.  That stuff is awesome!  Just like sugar just not nearly as processed.  Also this was the first time I've ever used parchment paper, oh my was this stuff awesome!!  It made clean up a snap and nothing stuck to the paper which was great.  I've converted; I don't think I'll ever go back! 

Coffee Cake Muffins

Last night I tried something very new.  I found a recipe on the web for Cinnamon Roll Muffins so I thought I would give them a try.  This recipe calls for almond flour which I don't have so I went in search of a replacement and found that coconut flour can easily replace almond flour.  I just bought some coconut flour last week so I was in business.  I first mixed up the recipe but they seemed dry and I remember reading on the coconut flour label that you need to add water because coconut flour is very fiberous so it absorbs lots of water.  So I added a cup and a half water to thin it out a bit.  I want to try these again using almond flour and I'll post how those differ from these.  Also another cool thing is I used applesauce instead of oil to make them healthier and there isn't any refined sugar in these.  Instead I got to use the agave nectar I just bought.  Very cool!  Anyway, they turned out very good.  Very moist.  But I thought they tasted more like Coffee Cake Muffins than the homemade cinnamon rolls I make so I'll call mine coffee cake muffins instead (that way I don't infringe on any copy right laws).  :)  Here are some pictures of the finished result with the recipe below the pictures.  Enjoy!!

Muffin Ingredients:

1 c coconut flour
2 tbsp sorghum flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c applesause
1/4 c agave nectar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups water (use because of the coconut flour)

Topping Ingredients:
2 tbsp sugar (approx.)
1 tbsp cinnamon

Mix together the muffin ingredients in a bowl.  Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray.  Scoop in the muffin mix.  Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a different bowl.  Using a spoon sprinkle the topping mixture over each muffin mixture covering the top, or as much as you want.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 mintes or until golden brown.  Makes 9 muffins.