Recipes from today's show! King Ranch Chicken Casserole, Mexican Salad, Chicken-Cheese Ball & Pecan Pie Bars :) Enjoy!

KING RANCH CHICKEN CASSEROLE

CHICKEN CHEESE BALL

MEXICAN SALAD

PECAN PIE BARS

CHICKEN CHEESE BALL RECIPE

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

2 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened

½ cup chopped onions

1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and garlic powder

½ package of Ranch dressing (the powder kind)

2 cups finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Mix together first 5 ingredients plus ½ cup of the chopped nuts.  Divide the cheese mixture in half and form into 2 balls.  Roll each ball into chopped nuts.  Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.  These also freeze well.  Serve with your favorite crackers.

KING RANCH CHICKEN CASSEROLE

1 whole chicken, cooked and shredded

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup each of onion, celery, and green pepper

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can Rotel tomatoes

1 teaspoon each of oregano, cumin and Mexican-style chili powder (1 t. chili powder +1/8 t. cayenne pepper)

3 cups sharp cheddar, shredded

12 (6-inch) corn tortillas cut into small squares or strips

Place the butter and olive oil in a skillet and sauté the vegetables in the skillet for 6 to 7 minutes.  Next add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.  Add the dry seasonings to this mixture.  Remove from heat and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, soups, Rotel, cooked vegetables, 1 cup of the cheese and the corn tortillas.  Mix well and pour into a greased 13x9x2 casserole dish.  Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.  Remove from the oven and add the remaining 2 cups of cheese and bake for 5 minutes more or just until cheese melts.  Let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.

MEXICAN SALAD

1 bag lettuce

1 tomato, chopped

½ can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

½ can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 small can corn, drained

1 small can chick peas, drained and rinsed

1 small avocado, chopped

Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup crushed Doritos or tri-colored tortilla strips

Russian dressing or Thousand Island

Toss all together and serve.  Delicious!

PECAN PIE BARS

Crust:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 stick butter, softened

¼ cup brown sugar

Filling:

3 large eggs

¾ cup light Karo syrup

¾ cup sugar

2 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

1 ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 13.x9 pan.  For the crust:  Beat flour, butter and brown sugar in a bowl until crumbly.   Press into the pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes.    For the filling:  Beat the eggs, Karo, sugar, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Pour evenly over crust and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool completely before cutting.