Things I Ate In College

Several years ago, a site called Endless Simmer posted a top 10 list of “Things I Ate in College That I’ll Never Eat Again“.  Here is the list and my commentary.

10 – Bread in a can – Never seen it. Never heard of it. Would have never tried it. Ever.

9 – Spray Butter – WHAT?!?! How can this be on the list? There is no invention better for corn on the cob than spray butter. I don’t use it for anything else, but it is the most perfect delivery system for butter to corn.

8 – Congealed Nachos – Nachos are like pizza. Good when fresh and hot. Good when cold and congealed. While I would not strategically seek out congealed nachos, if the mostly finished appetizer dish is still sitting there long after dinner is complete and the dining group is having a good time drinking and talking, I’d grab a chip with cold, congealed cheese and very happily slide it into my mouth.

7 – Copiously Frosted Fast Food Desserts – Hmmm. I cannot say that I order fast food desserts. Maybe an occasional McDonald’s apple pie (but that is not frosted). If you want to go to a Cinnabon, then we have another argument. When I have four hours in an airport while changing planes and the Cinnabon is there, I cannot say that I won’t stop by and get me a mini-bon. Isn’t that travel law??

6 – Frozen Broccoli in Canned Cheese Soup – I have a beef with the frozen broccoli part. Flash frozen veggies are the next best thing to fresh and identical from a health standpoint. As far as cheese soup, I have used that in cooking, but would not pour it over broccoli. That is what Velveeta is for!!!

5 – Olestra Chips – Are these still on the market? They had a quick run (and made you quickly run).

4 – Flaming Shots – I never had one of these in college and not sure I’ve had one since. I guess I don’t see the benefit to have burning alcohol splashing around my head.

3 – Ice Cream for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner – I have to admit that it was dinner once or twice. Not on the menu these days, but worth thinking about.

2 – 2 for $1 Jack in the Box tacos – There wasn’t a Jack in the Box by my school (The Ohio State University) but we did have a convenience store that served $0.25 hot dogs. That was late night food for poor college students. I could do that again in a pinch. No problem.

1 – Kraft Mac and Cheese made with Strawberry Yogurt – I think you have to be seriously messed-up to even try this. Why ruin a perfectly good box of M&C by even trying. Strawberry and nuclear orange powder just don’t go together.

This recipe reminds me of a great college-age dish. Great flavor and not too much health!

Your typical “taco” type ingredients.

Fry the ground meat, peppers and onions.

Mixing the cheese topping.

Layered and blurry…

A peek into the oven.

A nice melt to the cheese.

I added the avocado on the side my youngest would draw from.

A good alternative to tacos.

Deep-Dish Taco Squares

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Bisquick
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 1/4 oz. pkg. taco seasoning mix
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup Miracle Whip
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• Garnishes: sour cream, chopped tomatoes, chopped lettuce, chopped onion

Directions:

Mix Bisquick and water; spread in a lightly greased 13×9″ baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 9 minutes; remove from oven and set aside. Brown ground beef, green pepper, onion and garlic powder in a large skillet; drain and stir in tomato sauce and taco seasoning mix. Spread mixture over crust. Stir together cheese, sour cream and Miracle Whip; spoon over beef mixture and sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 25 more minutes. Cut into squares; garnish with sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce, and onion.

Source: http://randomcookbooks.blogspot.com/2011/08/deep-dish-taco-squares.html?m=1