Successful Dishes and Memories

Out of all the dishes I made this week for my wonderful husband the Green Chile Cheeseburgers and the Banana Pudding were the biggest hits! Banana Pudding brings back so many memories for me. My Granny knew exactly what each of her grandchildren's favorite dishes were and would make them every time we came to her house. My favorite dish that she made is her homemade Banana Pudding. My mom and I for years have been asking for her to teach us how she makes her banana pudding, but we just never got around to doing it. I found a recipe in a Southern Living magazine for "Lighten Up" Banana Pudding and decided to make it to see if it came anywhere near what my granny's tasted like. It was a HUGE success! If you are a fan of homemade pudding, not the kind you buy in a box at the store (yuck) then this is the Banana Pudding for you! It was easy to make and took very little time. Here are the two successful recipes and pictures of the dishes from this week! Enjoy.

Green Chile Cheeseburgers-
1 Lb. Ground Sirloin or brisket
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 can (4 oz) roasted green chiles, drained and chopped
4 slices of swiss cheese
4 Potato buns
tomatoes and red onion

*Heat a grill, stovetop grill pan, or cast-iron skillet. Season the meet with salt and pepper. Form 4 patties, being careful not to overwork the meat.
*When the pan is hot add the burgers and cook. When you go to flip the burgers spoon on green chiles on the already cooked side and top with swiss cheese. Cook the rest of the burger to your desired doneness. When done dress your burger anyway you like! Enjoy! YUM YUM
320 calories, 11g of fat

Lighten Up Banana Pudding
1/3 cup all purpose flour
Dash of salt
2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 (14 oz) can of fat free sweetned condensed milk
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups sliced bananas
48 vanilla wafers- reduced fat
4 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

*Preheat oven to 325. Combine flour and salt in a medium sauce pan. Gradually stir in 1% milk, sweetened condensed milk, and yolks, and cook over medium heat, stirring CONSTANTLY! for 8 to 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
*Layer the bananas on the bottom of an 8 x 8 dish, next spoon on 1/3 of the pudding mixture, then top with 14 vanilla wafers. Repeat this process twice, ending with the pudding mixture. Arrange 16 more wafers around the inside edge of the dish, firmly pressing the wafers into the pudding. Next make your meringue by beating the egg whites until fluffy and addind the 1/4 cup sugar in gradually. Spread the meringue over the top of the pudding, sealing the edges. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Let it cool and then enjoy!