Christmas Omelet

I shared this on my personal blog last year. It's our traditional Christmas breakfast. I had it growing up every year and its not Christmas to me without it!

Ginger Bread House Recipe and Pattern

Here is the recipe - if you want to make your own. There are two pieces- an isosceles triangle and a rectangle (cut 2 of each shape for one house). The triangle measures 5 1/4" on the two long sides and 4" on the short side, the rectangle measures 5 1/4" x 3 1/2. I cut out a little door on one triangle per house...then I glue it so it is half way open and attached to the house. You can also glue the bottom of the house to a square of foiled covered cardboard - so it doesn't move when you decorate it.

2/3 c. molasses
1 egg
1/3 c. brown sugar
½ c. oil
3 c. white flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Mix together all ingredients. Roll out onto sprayed upside down cookie sheet and then cut out pieces using a pizza cutter and template (give a little space between each piece because they do expand a bit in the oven)... this way you don’t have to move the pieces – just remove the extra dough around the pieces. I use a template traced onto cardstock as I cut out the pieces. Bake at 300 for 15-20 minutes.

Glue houses together with caramelized white sugar. Just put a couple cups of white sugar in sauce pan on the stove and slowly heat it until it melts. It gets really hot...be careful this can seriously burn you. Carefully dip piece by piece as you glue it together...it glues nice and hard like a glue gun. Make sure you do this with no children around....it is dangerous and needs your complete attention.

Makes 3 houses.

Click here for tips & pictures on how to cut out your house!

Click here for pictures on how to assemble the pieces!

Broccoli Salad

I got this recipe from Chad's new employee today. She brought it to the company Christmas party and I LOVED it! I even brought some home. It is so good!

Ingredients:

* 2 bunches broccoli, florets only (5 to 6 cups florets) - I chop up the tender part of the root too or can save for later
* 2 bunches chopped green onion - use the green tops too
* 1/2 cup raisins
* 1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds
* 10 to 12 slices bacon, fried and crumbled or 2 TB Bacos bacon bits(for vegetarian style)

* Dressing:
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or more to taste
* 2 teaspoons sugar

Preparation:
Separate florets from broccoli stalks - I like to shave and chop them off the stalk - giving a size variation in the salad. Save the remainder of the broccoli for another use or freeze for later. Combine salad ingredients; mix well with dressing mixture. Chill and serve.

Banana Sour Cream Cake

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup oil

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Beat first 5 ingredients with mixer on low speed just until moistened, stopping frequently to scrape bottom and side of bowl. Beat on medium speed 2 min. Pour into greased and floured 13x9-inch pan.
Bake 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan .Beat cream cheese and butter with mixer until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition.
Remove cake from pan. Carefully cut cake crosswise in half using serrated knife. Place 1 cake half, top-side down, on plate; spread with some of the cream cheese frosting. Top with remaining cake half, top-side up. Spread top and sides with remaining frosting. Press nuts into sides. Keep refrigerated.

NOTE: I made this for Olivia's baptism dinner today. The cake was one of the moistest cakes I have had. It was delicious, and everyone raved! Not to mention it looks fabulous. :) I also sprinkled a light amount of walnut crumbs on the top to make it look pretty. This is a great recipe for a crowd or dinner party. You can't go wrong here!

Chicken Noodle Soup

I made this tonight and it was super yummy.

2 large chicken breasts- thawed boneless
2 cans of chicken broth
2-3 cans of cream of chicken soup
3 chicken bullion cubes (I use "better than bullion" in the spice section at Costco)
chopped carrots
chopped celery
noodles

Cook the chicken in crock pot season with salt and pepper
2 hours hours before serving add vegetables and broth
10-20 minutes before serving add cooked noodles and cream of chicken soup

enjoy!

Cherry Chocolate Cake

This is a delicious cake from Jody. It's super easy and quick!

1 chocolate cake mix
1- 16 oz can cherry pie filling
2 eggs
1 TB. almond extract

Chocolate frosting

Directions: Beat eggs in separate bowl. Add almond extract (I leave this out if I don't have it on hand). Pour dry cake mix into bowl. Add filling. Add eggs and almond mixture. Mix by hand with wooden spoon until dry mix is completely absorbed. It will be thick like icing. Spread into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Frost with chocolate frosting (I use store bought frosting). I like to eat it while it's still warm with ice cream.

My Favorite Cranberry Sauce

3/4 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

4 green onions, finely chopped

3 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1. In a large skillet, combine the first seven ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until heated through.

This is great on turkey and ham. If you want the original recipe from Taste of Home click here.

Not Your Mamma's Green Bean Casserole

Not Your Mamma's Green Bean Casserole

5 cans Fancy cut/ French cut beans
8oz cream cheese
8oz sour cream
1 Pkg Uncle Dans Southern Ranch mix
1 lb shredded Swiss cheese
corn flakes

Mix 5 cans green beans (drained) with ranch mix, sour cream, cream cheese, and half of shredded cheese until smooth. Spread in glass 9X13 baking pan, top with rest of shredded cheese, and then top with crushed corn flakes.

I put all the cheeses, creams and ranch mix in the blender first- A lot easier! Then mixed in the beans.

Bake 350 until bubbly and corn flakes start to brown. (Approximately 30-40 min.)

Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 1/2 c. gingersnap cookie crumbs
1/4 c. butter, melted
8 oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 16 oz. can pumpkin (2 cups)
4 eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of 9x13 springform pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool. Reduce oven temp to 300 degrees. Beat cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in large mixing bowl on medium speed. mix until smooth and fluffy. Add pumpkin. Beat in eggs, one at a time on low speed. Pour over crumb mixture. Bake until center is firm, about 70 minutes. More or less depending on your oven. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with Cool Whip.

NOTE: I made this with graham crackers for the crust since I didn't have gingersnaps and it turned out great. I also used puree from my pumpkin, not canned pumpkin, and it was wonderful! We all gobbled it up. YUM.

Breakfast Eggs'travaganza

This comes from The Worldwide Ward Cookbook (Jana Bailey).


1/4 cup butter
4 cups frozen hash browns
1 lb. bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled OR sausage/ham
12 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
4 cups milk
2 Tb. parsley, chopped dried (or use fresh)
1 cup cheese, shredded

Melt butter. Add frozen hash browns. Cook until brown. Put in bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Scatter bacon over top of hash browns (I used cut up sausage links). Beat the eggs, salt, pepper, and milk. Add parsley. Pour gently over the hash browns and bacon. Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes or until set. Sprinkle cheese on top and let it melt. Option: Add 1 can cream of chicken soup and 1/2. cup green pepper (I didn't add this). Makes 12 servings.

I changed the recipe from the original to fit this pan. If you only want to make an 8 inch square pan, just half the recipe.

Note: The cooking time may be longer for this larger sized pan.

Cheesy Roll Ups

I got this recipe from A Thrifty Mom's website. It is now one of our favorites! Whenever I make it I double the batch and put one pan in the freezer. Go here to her post to see lots more pics of the making process and a few twists if you want. I am just posting the recipe here.

1 box lasagna noodles
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Cheese Mixture:
1 16 oz pkg ricotta cheese
1 1/2 c. fresh grated parmesean cheese (set aside 1/2 cup for the top)
2 c. mozzarella cheese, grated
1 large egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbl. parsley, fresh or dry

Start cooking your pasta. Put the noodles in a large pot. As they soften up you can slide them down into the pan so they are totally covered with water. Just don't push them as you don't want them to break. Cook them for 10 minutes. (while they are cooking make the cheese mixture). Do not overcook! When done drain and rinse so they are cool enough to handle. Pour the spaghetti sauce in your baking dish.

In a bowl add all the cheese mixture ingredients. Mix until well blended. Lay out the noodles and pat them dry with paper towels. Spread the filling mixture out in a flat layer over the noodle. Leave the last inch open so the noodle will stick together. Roll it up and place seam side down in a pan with the spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle the 1/2 c. parmesean cheese on the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, then another 10 minutes without foil for a total of 35 minutes.

When I make this I put the other half in a foil disposable pan and cover with foil to freeze. I write the directions & label it on top in a permanent marker so I don't forget what's in there or how to bake it.

Potato Latkes

This recipe comes from this very cool, new cookbook "Worldwide Ward Christmas Cookbook". I just bought mine at Costco.

Ingredients:
4 cups raw potatoes, shredded and drained
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1 heaping Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 small onion, grated
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. fresh chives, parsley, or scallions, minced

Combine all ingredients and mix well. (I just realized that I forgot to drain the potatoes - oops, it still worked). Drop by tablespoonfuls on a hot, well greased skillet. Fry on both sides until brown. Makes 24 pancakes.

My tips: I used a larger cookie scoop and added some oil to my frying pan. Mine were larger (like a medium sized cookie so it made less pancakes) and they turned out great. I think next time I might double the recipe because they were a HIT!

Delicious Pork Roast

Rub pork roast with Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and Spade L Ranch beef seasoning. Put 2-3 bay leaves and 1 can stewed tomatoes in the bottom of the pan. If you want add potatoes and carrots.

Cook covered with lid for about 3-5 hours at 250° or until done (depending on the size of the roast).

You can find Spade L beef marinade back in the meat department. They have it at Smiths, Dicks or Reams. They have one for pork, but the beef is better. It's super good on almost any meat. It's a red and white label with a cow and a spade on it.

I haven't cooked this - but this was a freezer meal I received through my swap. Delicious!

Chicken Rolls

I have fond memories of these growing up....

2 large pkg crescent rolls
1 large pkg cream cheese
1/4 c. butter (optional)*
2 medium green onions, chopped
2 c. cubed chicken or turkey
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)
dash of pepper

Cream cheese and butter until soft and well blended. Add chicken, pepper, mushrooms, and onions. Place 1/8 to 1/4 c. of mixture in center of each crescent roll. Wrap dough around the mixture and seal well. Bake at 350 degrees until brown, about 15 minutes.

Make a gravy from broth or chicken soup and serve over rolls.

If desired, melt 1/4 cube butter. Mix 1 c. dressing bread, and 1/4 c. chopped pecans. Dip each roll into butter, then roll in dressing/pecan mixture before baking.

*Can substitute a little plain yogurt, cream soup, or gravy for butter.

recipes

the following three recipes were all in one post a long time ago- so I just edited them and made them into three different posts. I am making the italian rigatoni tonight!

italian rigatoni

Italian Rigatoni

1 (12 ounces) package Rigatoni pasta noodles
1 1/2 pounds italian sausage cut into 1 inch pieces (I use 3 links cut up)
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
2 cans (14.5 ounces) italian diced tomatoes undrained
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp basil leaves- or ground I suppose
1 tsp thyme leaves- ground if you want
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp butter-

In a large skillet, cook sausage until brown. Add onion and garlic with sausage. Add tomatoes, cilantro, basil, thyme, salt, pepper and butter. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rigatoni pasta. Garnish with cheese of choice-Mozzarella and/or Parmesan

Brocoli and Beef Stir fry

Broccoli and Beef stir-fry

4 tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup plus 3 tbsp water
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 lb round steak- cut into strips or chicken
olive oil-
4 cups fresh broccoli
1 onion cut into wedges
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
Cooked brown rice

In a bowl, combine 3 tbsp cornstarch with 3 tbsp water until smooth. Add beef strips and toss. In a large skillet or wok over medium heat- stir fry beef in 1 tbsp oil until meat reaches desired doneness -remove and keep warm. Stir fry broccoli and onion (add other vegetables too if you want) for 5-6 minutes. Return beef to pan. Combine soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, ginger, and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan- cook and stir for 2-3 minutes- serve over rice.

Creamy Tortilla Soup

Creamy Tortilla Soup

2 cans (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with chilies
2 cans (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
1 can refried beans
1 cup canned corn- (I put in the whole can)
2-3 cups cooked chicken shredded or cubed
cilantro, sour cream, Monterey Jack Cheese

Combine tomatoes and broth. Stir in beans and corn. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add Chicken and heat through- Top with sour cream, cilantro, cheese, chips- I think it would be good with a bread bowl-

Lasagna

This is a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens. I have a lot of home canned tomatoes I need to use so I tried this recipe. It is the best lasagna we have ever had. YUM!!! Pair it with homemade breadsticks.

2 Tbl. Onion Flakes
1/8 tsp Garlic Powder
1 qt. tomatoes
2 6oz cans tomato paste
1/2 c. water
2 Tbl. Sugar
1 lb mozzarella cheese
1 lb. cottage cheese
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
12 lasagna noodles
Parmesan cheese

Blend tomatoes, tomato paste, onion flakes, garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano, sugar and water. Brown ground beef, drain, and add to above blended ingredients in a large pot. Add bay leaf and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Boil 12 lasagna noodles in salted water (1 Tbl), also add a little vegetable oil to keep the noodles from sticking together. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse well. Pat dry with paper towels. Fill 9x13 greased pan with alternate layers of noodles, grated mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are yummy cookies, I made a double batch and we ate them all. Taken from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips


1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

2. Add vanilla and chocolate chips.

3. Bake at 350 for approx. 10 minutes.

Never-Fail Rolled Biscuits

3 cups Bisquick Mix (from previous post)
2/3 cup milk or water

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine Mix and milk or water in a bowl. Blend. On a lightly floured board, knead dough a few times. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut desired shape. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake 10 - 12 minutes, until golden brown. Makes about 8 biscuits (recipe says 12 but I've never got that many out of it - maybe I make them thicker)

Bisquick Mix

Tiffani requested this post....I use this mix all the time for bisquits for breakfast, on top of Chicken Pot Pie casserole...etc, etc. I now make it with 100% whole wheat flour and it is good! I make it up and put it in a container in my pantry.

8 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 Tbs salt
2 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups instant nonfat dry milk
2 1/4 cups vegetable shortening

In a large bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Blend well. With pastry blender, cut in shortening until evenly distributed. Mixture will resemble cornmeal in texture. Put in a large airtight container. Label. Store in a cool, dry place. Used within 0 - 12 weeks for best results.

Zesty Italian Chicken

Ingredients
4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts
1 8oz package cream cheese (cut into cube sized pieces)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 package of Zesty Italian Dressing mix
Cooked rice

Preparations
Place all ingredients except rice into crock pot and stir.
Cook on low for about 8 hours.

If freezing
Place chicken mixture in foil pan and cover with two layers of heavy duty foil.
Cook rice, but not completely and place in Ziploc bag.
To serve, thaw chicken completely and warm in oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
For rice, thaw, then open Ziploc and reheat in microwave for 2-3 minutes.
It might be a good idea to add a little more soup when making it to freeze. Or you could even add a little more before serving.

Serve chicken over rice.

Poppyseed chicken

Another Hansen family favorite...

Ingredients
5-6 large chicken breasts
1 ½ cans of cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 ½ tubes of Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter
2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds

Preparations
Combine in 9X13 dish:
Chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
Cream of chicken soup
Sour cream

Combine:
Ritz crackers (crushed)
Butter (melted)
Poppy seeds
Sprinkle this mixture over chicken mixture

To cook
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Black Bean Salsa Chicken

This recipe is FABULOUS. If you want a tastier (and less healthy) alternative, serve in fried corn tortillas crisp enough to fold, but not too crisp...

Ingredients
2-4 chicken breasts
½ cup chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 can corn, drained
1 package taco seasoning
1 can black beans, drained
½ cup sour cream
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preparations
Place chicken in greased slow cooker.
Pour broth, salsa, corn, beans, and taco seasoning over chicken.
Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
Remove chicken and shred then return to sauce.
Stir sour cream and cheese into sauce.
Serve in tortillas or freeze in bags.

To Cook
Thaw in fridge, then heat in pot on stove until hot.
Serve in tortillas

Sour Cream Chili Bake

Ingredients:
1 lb. Hamburger
¼ cup chopped onion
1 can kidney beans (drained)
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 envelope of taco seasoning mix
1 cup cheese (grated)
3 ½ cups corn chips
1 ¼ cups sour cream

Preparations:
Cook burger and onions until brown and drain
Stir in beans, tomato sauce, seasonings, and 3/4 cup of cheese.

To freeze:
Place this mixture in a Ziploc bag.
To share, include corn chips, remaining cheese, and sour cream.

To serve:
Thaw mixture.
Put 2 ½ cups of chips in bottom of 8X8 dish and cover with mixture.
Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until hot.
Spread sour cream on top then remaining chips and cheese. Bake 5 minutes more.

Bread Bowls

I found these two recipes for bread bowls on My Kitchen Cafe - a fabulous recipe blog. My bread bowls didn't look as magnificent as hers...but it was my first time. Next time I won't try to bake 6 bowls on one baking sheet- they need more room. The family loved the soup and most of us are all of our bowl, too!

Artisan Bread Bowls

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
2 teaspoons yeast
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, enough to make a smooth, soft dough

Let yeast dissolve in warm water until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients—by hand, mixer or bread machine— and knead till you've created a smooth dough.

Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 45 minutes; it should become puffy. Divide the dough into 5-6 pieces, depending on how large you want your bread bowl to be. Roll each piece into a ball. Place on a lightly greased or parchment covered baking sheet.

Cover the bread bowls with greased plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to 24 hours); this step will give the bread bowls extra flavor, and a delightfully crisp-chewy texture. Two or more hours before serving, remove the bread bowls from the refrigerator. Uncover, and let them sit for about one hour while you preheat the oven to 425°F.

Just before baking, slash the top surface of the bowls several times with a sharp razor/knife to allow them to expand. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the bowls are deep brown, and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Recipe Source: adapted from King Arthur Flour

This is a picture of what I made!

Italian Bread Bowls


1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

In a large bowl (or bowl of an electric mixer), dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition until a soft but not sticky dough is formed (you may not need to use all 7 cups).

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes (or let knead in an electric mixer). Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Punch dough down, and divide into 6-8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal (or use silpat liners or parchment paper). Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

Recipe Source: adapted from allrecipes.com

Buffalo Chicken Burgers

I found this recipe in our local newspaper. The recipe was submitted by Jennifer Joles. It is so easy to make that I'm excited to add it to my favorites.

1 lb. ground chicken breast
1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped onion (I used less than 1/4 cup of dried onions)
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs (I used seasoned bread crumbs)
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
4 whole wheat hamburger buns
Blue Cheese crumbles (I didn't have this on hand...next time I might add blue cheese dressing)
Lettuce and tomato

Combine ground chicken, half of the buffalo wing sauce, onion, celery, bread crumbs and garlic salt. Form into 4 patties. Brush tops of burgers with some of the remaining buffalo sauce.

Place burgers on grill sauce-side down. Brush remaining sauce on top of burgers. Grill, turning once, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Lightly toast buns during last minute of cooking.

Serve on whole wheat buns topped with crumbled blue cheese (or blue cheese dressing), lettuce, and tomato. For additional heat add a little buffalo wing sauce to your toasted bun.

I doubled the recipe and made an extra double batch for the freezer!

For kids who don't like buffalo wing sauce....just don't brush those burgers with the sauce or remove some of the chicken mixture before you add the sauce.

mooooo

Can you tell I was raised on a farm that had cattle and pigs??? our freezer was always packed with cow stuff- so hence all my red meat recipes- I try to limit cooking with red meat to about once a week...

but yummy I like it.

Hawaiian Meatballs over Rice

Hawaiian Meatballs over Rice

This is a meal that I know everyone will love- and it only takes 30 minutes!!!

1 can pineapple chunks- drain, keep the juice for later
1 pound ground beef
1 cup oatmeal
1 whole egg
1/2 to 1 cup onion flakes or 1/2 to whole onion chopped- I use a lot of onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 TB pineapple juice sauce (sauce recipe is below)

Pineapple juice Sauce:
1/3 cup pineapple juice- from pineapple
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar

first make the sauce- I triple the sauce recipe until I run out of pineapple juice. I like tons of sauce.

mix hamburger, onions, egg, oatmeal, salt, 3 TB pineapple juice sauce, and spices together- form balls out of hamburger mixture and stick a pineapple chunk in the middle of meatball. Fill up a 9x13 dish with meatballs until pineapple chunks are gone. Place plastic wrap over dish and microwave for 5 minutes. Turn meatballs, cover with plastic wrap and microwave for another 5 minutes. Add sauce and cook another 5 minutes. Done.

serve over rice.

Zuppa Toscana Soup

1 lb. Italian sausage- crumbled
1/2 lb. smoked bacon- chopped
1 quart water
2 cans chicken broth 14.5 ounce cans
2 large russet potatoes- cubed
2 garlic cloves- crushed
1 medium onion- chopped
2 cups finely chopped kale
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste

in skillet over medium high heat- brown sausage and break into little pieces- drain and set aside.
In a skillet over medium high heat- brown bacon, drain, set aside.
Place water, broth, pototoes, garlic, and onion in pot, simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.
Add sausage and bacon to pot; simmer for 10 minutes
Add kale and cream to the pot; season with salt and pepper; heat through

serve with bread sticks and salad of course..

Ham and Bean soup

This reminds me of winter and being inside during the holidays.

2 cups Great Northern Beans
1 lb ham with bone
2 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 whole onions- chopped
1 garlic clove
3 whole potatoes cut 1" thick
1 tablespoon parsley
3 large carrots cut 1"thick
3 stalks celery cut 1" thick
1 teaspoon paprika

***You can skip the cooking beans part if you just buy the beans in a can.
*** You can also get a ham bone at the butcher block and use a boneless ham for the meat.

Cover beans with water and bring to boil. Let them sit for 1 hour and then drain.
Add 2 quarts water, salt, and ham. Let them simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Remove ham bone and cut off meat- shred it or dice it, return meat to soup.
Saute onion and garlic in olive oil- then add to soup
Stir in the rest of ingredients
Simmer until vegetables are to desired softness
add pepper to taste

taco soup

so good and so easy

1 pound hamburger
1 large onion choppped
1 can corn
1 can kidney beans
1 can tomatoes
1 package taco seasoning
corn chips
sour cream

Brown hamburger and onion together in large skillet. Then dump in the rest besides sour cream and chips. Heat but do not boil. Good in crock pot.

Maple Syrup Country Ribs

Ok, these are AMAZING!!!!!

3 pounds pork back ribs
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 ketchup
3 TBsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp. teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Boil ribs with water for 15 minutes. Drain. Put ribs in 9X13 dish. Mix the rest of the ingredients together to make sauce. Baste ribs with 1/2 of the sauce. Bake for 90 minutes at 325 degrees- basting every 20 minutes or so with the remaining sauce.

wet backs- the ultimate taco salad

the secret is in the sauce!!!

Tomblin Family Favorite!

1 lb hamburger
1 whole onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped fine- or minced garlic
1 1/2 TB chili powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cans diced tomatoes with juice
1 can tomato sauce

Brown hamburger with onion and garlic. Add canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, brown sugar and chili powder and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer until thick- at least 1/2 hour.

The Fixings:

Lettuce
grated cheese
tomatoes
olives chopped
green onions, chopped
tortilla chips
refried beans
sour cream
salsa

On your dinner plate layer first the beans, chips, lettuce, cheese, onions and such and then pour meat sauce over with sour cream on top.

Will feed 8 people easily

mom's pork chops

these are so simple but they are so so so good. Chay's favorite.

3 pounds pork chops
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 soup can of water

Brown pork chops in skillet. Salt and pepper to taste first. Place browned pork chops in baking dish with lid. Pour soup in skillet and add 1/2 can water. Stir well, stirring in the drippings from the pork chops. Dump soup over chops, put lid on and bake 350 degrees for 1-1/2 hour. Crock pot it if you want- just always brown the pork chops first.

Serve over red potatoes, baked potato- or brown rice

Recipes are now Print Friendly!

I am so excited about this! I just came upon this today. Don't you love it? Take a look at this website to learn how.

Chocolate Crockpot Surprise

I got the recipe from this blog (nienie dialogue's sister). It was one of their favorites so I decided to try it today. It was very good - chocolatey and moist. The crockpot was the perfect size (that's an orginal wedding gift, 15+ years old). I don't know the real name of this recipe.

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup water
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 package instant chocolate pudding mix.

Lightly grease crockpot. Mix all ingredients in a bowl by hand, and then pour into crockpot. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours. Makes about 12 servings.

Rasberry Glazed Chicken

From Tara's collection of freezer meals.

• 1 ½ lbs chicken
• ¾ cup raspberry jam
• ¾ cup ketchup
• 1/8 cup white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparations
• In a small bowl, combine jam, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, chili powder and salt, stirring well.
• Put chicken in a Ziploc bag or freezer container and pour sauce over top.
• Refrigerate for about 1 hr, turning every 15-20 minutes.
• Place container or bag in freezer.

To cook
• Thaw chicken in refrigerator overnight.
• Remove chicken from container or Ziploc and barbeque on the grill OR cook in the oven at 350F for 35-45 minutes (time will vary depending on chicken pieces you chose) until juices run clear and thermometer registers 165F. Great over rice.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is another recipe from Tara's freezer meal collection.

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 slices of ham, thinly sliced
• 4 slices Swiss cheese
• 2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
• ¼ cup grated parmesan
• 2 Tablespoon butter

Sauce Ingredients
• ½ cup canned cream of chicken soup
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoons black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped flat leaf parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)

Preparations
• Place each chicken breast on a cutting board between pieces of wax paper. Use a skillet to pound the chicken breast until it is ½” to ¼” thick.
• Arrange a slice of ham and Swiss cheese on top of each one.
• Roll each chicken breast tightly and secure with a toothpick.
• Coat with melted butter and roll in bread crumbs.
• Place in baking dish.
• In a bowl combine sauce ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Heat in sauce pan and pour over chicken just before serving (or serve in a gravy boat on the side).

To Bake
• Bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

To Freeze
• Cover with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to three months.
• Thaw in refrigerator before cooking as directed above.
• Combine sauce ingredients and freeze in small container. Heat sauce in microwave or on stovetop and pour over chicken just before serving.

Beef Enchiladas

From Tara's recipe collection of freezer meals.

Ingredients
• 2 pounds hamburger
• 1 package Lipton onion soup
• Corn tortillas
• Cheese – mozzarella & cheddar

Sauce Ingredients
• 1/3 cup shortening
• ½ cup flour
• 1 can Nalley’s Big Chunk Chili (no beans)
• 3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1 can enchilada sauce
• 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 package Lipton onion soup
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• Salt

Preparation
• Brown hamburger and mix in Lipton onion soup mix. Take off heat and set aside.
In separate pot (on stove), melt shortening and add in flour, chili, and chili powder.
• Off heat add enchilada sauce, tomato sauce, beef broth, Lipton onion soup, sugar and salt (to taste).
• Put sauce back on heat and thicken.

Building the enchiladas
• Warm the tortillas in the microwave until they start to curl
• Pour in sauce in bottom of pan
• Take a tortilla – add meat & cheese. Roll and place in pan
• Continue rolling enchiladas until pan is full
• Pour sauce over top of enchiladas – completely covering all enchiladas
• Add cheese

To Bake
• Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes
• If frozen, a bit longer
Recipe will make either 2 – 9X13 pans or 4 – 8X8 pans

Creamy Cilantro Salad Dressing

1 pkg. Ranch Buttermilk Dressing Mix
1/3 c. buttermilk
1 c. mayo
3 fresh tomatillos
1 c. fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Just put everything in blender and puree. Refrigerate for couple hours.

Cafe Rio Chicken

2 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
3 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 lbs. chicken breasts

Cook all together in crock pot for 4 hours or till done. Shred meat and cook another hour.

Otis Spunkmeyer Almond Poppy Seed Muffins

1/4 lb. or 1 Stick Butter (softened)

1/4 C. Vegetable Oil

1 1/4 C. Sugar

2 Eggs

1 1/2 C. Sour Cream

1/2 tsp. Salt

3 tsp. Almond Extract

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

2 1/3 C. Flour

2 Tbsp. Poppy Seeds

Measure flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and set aside. In mixing bowl beat softened butter, oil and sugar until blended. Add eggs, vanilla , almond extract and sour cream to butter and oil. Blend until mixture is smooth. all moist ingredients should be blended well. Start adding the four mixture to batter a little at a time until thoroughly blended but do not over eat.When mixed, remove from mixer and add poppy seeds. Stir with a spoon until completely mixed through. Place in muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes. Check muffins with a toothpick. Do not over bake. Store in a sealed container.

Enchilada Sauce

4 Tb. flour
1/4 c. oil
2 T. chili powder
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. tomato sauce
1 tsp. salt
cayenne pepper to taste
2 c. hot water

Combine all ingredients, simmer on stove till thickens a bit.

Too Much Chocolate Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Chicken Bacon Alfredo

2 1/2 lb chicken
5 strips of bacon, cooked OR bacon bits
1 garlic clove
2-3 dashes Italian seasoning
2-3 dashes salt
1 can mushrooms
1- 16 oz bottle Alfredo sauce
1/2 lb linguini noodles.

Cook chicken & bacon. Mix rest of ingredients together and place in baking dish. Warm in 350 oven. Serve.

Baked Italian Ziti

2-3 links sweet Italian sausage
1/2 lb ground beef
1 lb. ziti noodles
1 qt. Spaghetti sauce
1 lb mozzarella cheese, grated
1 lb med. sharp cheddar cheese, grate
4 oz. Parmesan cheese, grated

Mix italian sausage (casings removed) with ground beef. Brown and drain. Boil ziti noodles 5 to 7 min. until no quite soft, drain and rinse. Add the meat mixture and spaghetti sauce to noodle. layer in 9 X 13 pan: 1/2 ziti misture, 1/2 of all cheeses next. Repeat layers. Bake 350 for about 1 hour.

Easy Apple Crisp

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup whole oats
1/3 cup softened butter
4 medium sized apples

Preheat oven to 375. Slice apples and put in small, greased baking dish. Mix all of the other ingredients (everything but apples) Sprinkle mixture over top. Bake for 30 minutes!

Sour Cream Bundt Cake

This recipe is great for both yellow and chocolate flavored cakes. It makes a light, fluffy, and seriously moist cake.

1 (18 oz) package yellow cake mix
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sour cream
1/8 c. powder sugar for dusting

Make the batter folling the directions on the box, EXCEPT replace 2 tsp water with an equal amount of vanilla. Fold in sour cream. Bake according to directions given for baking a bundt cake. Cool on rack, place on serving plate, and dust with powder sugar.
I've made this for several church functions and it gets good reviews. It's good if you need to make something quick!

Chicken Chimichangas

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
8 flour tortillas
shredded cheese
oil
lettuce
sour cream
salsa

Combine chicken, onions, garlic powder and chili powder and stir until mixed. Spoon mixture in center of large tortillas sprinkle with cheese. Fold in ends and roll. Pour oil 1-inch deep in large skillet. Carefully placed filled tortillas in oil. Fry until golden brown and crisp. Turn with tongs and fry other side. Drain on paper towels. Serve on shredded lettuce. Top with sour cream, salsa and other desired toppings.

**I make a healthier version - Arrange on a baking stone and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.*****

French Dip

1 1/2 lb thinly sliced roast beef
1 pkg Au Ju mix
6 hoagie buns

Prepare Au Ju as directed on package. Add roast beef and simmer until heated through. (I like to put it in the crock-pot if I want to make it ahead of time..and just let simmer for awhile) Pile roast beef on buns and dip in au jus.

Mom's Stroganoff

1 lb. round steak, pieces
1/2 chopped onion
1/4 tsp. tobassco sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 c. sour cream
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. green pepper, chopped
Cooked rice.

Throw all the ingredients in crockpot for 7-8 hours on low. Optional to brown the steak in flour before adding, which I usually skip. Sometimes to make it go farther I add one more of each soup and more sour cream.
Serve on top of rice.

Southwestern White Chili

1 c. choppped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
3 (15.5 oz) cans great northern white beans, drained and rinsed
2 (4 oz) cans diced green chile peppers
4 c. chicken broth
3 c. chopped cooked chicken
2 c. shredded monterey jack cheese
sour cream

In crockpot, place all ingredients except cheese and sour cream. COver and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish with cheese and sour cream.

Mandi's White Chicken Chili

32 oz. chicken broth
3 (14.5 oz) cans of white beans, undrained
5 c. cooked chicken
2 c. salsa
8 oz. pepper jack cheese, grated
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
black or white pepper to taste
1/2 c. crushed corn chips, optional

Place all ingredients except chips in a crockpot and cook on high until cheese is melted. When done, add finely crushed corn chips and simmer 10 minutes to thicken. Garnish with cheese or sour cream.
(I don't use the chips and still good!)

Sloppy Joes

1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
3 teaspoons brown sugar
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper; drain off liquids.
Stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Sausage Casserole

1 pound sage flavored breakfast sausage
3 cups shredded potatoes, drained and pressed
1/4 cup butter, melted
12 ounces mild Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup onion, shredded
1 (16 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese
6 jumbo eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch square baking dish.
Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
In the prepared baking dish, stir together the shredded potatoes and butter. Line the bottom and sides of the baking dish with the mixture. In a bowl, mix the sausage, Cheddar cheese, onion, cottage cheese, and eggs. Pour over the potato mixture.
Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the casserole comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Black Angus Potato Soup

4 large baking potatoes
2/3 C. butter or margarine
2/3 C. flour6 C. milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. white pepper
4 green onions — chopped and divided
12 slices bacon — cooked and crumbled
1 1/4 C. cheddar cheese — shredded and divided
8 oz. sour cream

Wash, dry and prick potatoes with fork. Bake in 400 degree oven for 1 hour or until done. Let cool. Cut into half lengthwise and scoop out pulp; set aside. Use skins for something else, such as stuffed potato skins. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, 2 Tbsp. green onion, half the bacon and 1 cup cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream. Add extra milk if necessary for desired consistency. Serve with remaining green onions, bacon and cheese.

Cilantro Lime Soup

1 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T chili powder
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut up
5 c. chicken broth
1 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 c. chopped seeded tomatoes
1/2 buch fresh cilantro sprigs, tied together with string
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 c. fresh lime juice
sour cream
Chips

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add chili powder; stir 1 minute. Add chicken; stir 2 minutes. Add broth, corn, tomatoes and 1/2 bunch cilanto sprigs to saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Discard cilantro sprigs. Add chopped cilantro and lime juice to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with sour cream and crushed chips.
Ryan loves this one.

Simple Chicken Salad Sandwich

2 c. cooked chicken, cubed
1 c. diced celery
1 c. cashews
1 c. mayo
¼ t. pepper
1 t. dry Hidden Valley Ranch mix

Mix together. Serve in croissants. Add sprouts

Speedy Chicken Stir-Fry

8 oz. angel hair pasta
2 c. broccoli florets
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken, cut up in strips
½ c. Kraft Asian Sesame dressing
2 T. soy sauce
1/3 c. peanuts
¼ c. each ground ginger, garlic powder, crushed red pepper

Cook pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 min. of pasta cooking time. Meanwhile, cook chicken for 6-8 min. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and crushed red pepper, cook 1 min. Drain pasta mixture; mix in chicken mixture.

Orange- Glazed Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ c. orange marmalade, divided
1 c. bread crumbs

¼ c. Kraft Zesty Italian dressing
6 c. spinach leaves
1 medium orange, cut in slices

Preheat oven to 400. Spread chicken breast w/ 2 T. of marmalade. Empty bread crumbs in shallow dish. Add chicken, turn to evenly coat both sides. Place chicken in baking dish. Bake 25 minutes or until done. Mix dressing with remaining 2 T. marmalade. Add to spinach; toss to coat

Citrus Chicken & Feta Caesar Salad

Chicken strips, cooked
6 c. torn romaine lettuce
1 pkg. crumbled Feta cheese

1/2 c. sliced red onion
1/4 c. olive oil
3 T. orange juice conc.
1 T. white wine vinegar
2 t. chopped green onion
1/2 c. orange bell pepper, cut into rings ½

Toss chicken, lettuce, cheese, onion and pepper in a serving bowl, Mix remaining ingredients. Pour over salad, toss lightly. Makes 6 servings.

Fabulous Fettucine

This is another family favorite that comes from the Richaels. It's quick and easy, too.

1/2 lb. sliced bacon, diced (I use precooked bacon bits)
3 TB. olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 lbs. fresh tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and chopped) or 2 cans diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 TB. fresh tarragon or 2 tsp. dried tarragon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
1 lb. fettuccine noodles
shredded Parmesan cheese

In skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Removed to paper towels. Drain, reserving 1 Tbs. drippings. Add oil and onions to drippings; saute until tender. Add tomatoes and garlic; simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in tarragon, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, prepare fettuccine according to package directions. Stir in bacon-tomato mixture. Drain fettuccine; top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Delicious!

Rich Seafood Casserole

This recipe comes from David's Mom (she found it in Southern Living). She made it for Tisha's bridal shower and it was delicious - everyone wanted the recipe! This is served on rice.

1 1/2 lbs. unpeeled, large shrimp
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup fresh parsley springs or celery leaves
1 TB. butter
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. bay scallops
3 TB butter
3 TB flour
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded swiss cheese
1 TB lemon juice
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
1 (7 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup soft whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup almonds (optional)
2 TB butter, melted
Hot Cooked Rice

1. Peel shrimp and Devin, if desired (or buy it already done, much easier). Set aside.

2. Combine wine and next 4 ingredients; bring to boil
Add shrimp and scallops; cook 3-5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.
Drain shrimp mixture, reserving 2/3 cup broth.

3. Melt 3 TB. butter in pan over low heat; add flour stirring until smooth.
Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add half and half; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

4. Add Swiss cheese to sauce, stirring until cheese melts. Gradually stir in reserved 2/3 cup broth, lemon juice, and lemon pepper.
Stir in shrimp mixture and mushrooms.
Spoon mixture into lightly greased 11x7 inch baking dish. (If desired, cover and chill overnight. Let stand at room temperature 30 mins. before baking.)

5. Cover and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
Combine breadcrumbs and next 3 ingredients; sprinkle over casserole.
Bake, uncovered for 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serve over hot rice. Yield: 8 servings
(She doubled the recipe for Tisha's shower)

Bacon Potato Soup

1/2 cup bacon bits (I use precooked real bacon bits from Costco)
2/3 cup margarine
2/3 cup flour
7 cups milk
4 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed (you can add more depends on the size)
4 green onions, chopped
1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook about a minute. Whisk in milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes, salt, pepper, 1/3 cup bacon bits, 2 tablespoons green onions and most of the cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream and heat through. Serve topped with remaining bacon, onions and cheese.

p.s. You can leave out the sour cream if you don't have it on hand, I usually forget to add it--and it still tastes great.

Mandarin Orange Chicken

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1" chunks
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups sliced, fresh mushrooms
2 tsp flour
2/3 cup water
Orange juice concentrate to taste (we use 2 Tbsp)
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion bulbs
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 (11 oz) can mandarin orange sections, drained
1 cup uncooked long-gran rice

Cut chicken into 1" chunks. Heat oil in large skillet; add chicken and cook on medium high heat until browned on both sides. Remove and set aside. In the same skillet, cook mushrooms over medium high, stirring constantly. Sprinkle flour over mushrooms, stirring quickly to combine. Gradually stir in water, orange juice concentrate, green onions and bouillon cubes. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add chicken and let simmer 3-4 minutes. Stir in mandrin oranges and heat through. Serve over rice.

Cashew Chicken

1 lb chicken cut into strips
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 small onion diced
1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 Tbsp sugar
6 oz smashed cashews

Marinate chicken in 2 Tbsp soy sauce and 1 Tbsp cornstarch for 15 minutes. Then stir fry over high heat. Add ions and mushrooms to cooked chicken. When all are done, spoon it all into separate bowl.

Add 1/2 cup water to pan, add shredded cabbage and 1 Tbsp sugar. Cover and steam for 5 minutes. Add chicken mixture to cabbage.

Mix 1 tsp cornstarch and 1/4 cup soy sauce together and add to pan. Add cashews. Stir over high heat until sauce has thickened. Serve over rice.

Baked Southwest Sandwiches

1 can (4 1/2 oz) chopped ripe olives, drained
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup sour cream
8 slices Italian bread (I just use hoagie buns)
2 med tomatoes, thinly sliced
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup mayo
1/3 cup chopped green onions
3/4 - 1 pound thinly sliced turkey
2 ripe avocados, sliced
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

In a bowl, combine first 4 ingredients; set aside 2 Tbsp. Add the mayo, sour cream and onions to the remaining olive mixture. Place bread on an ungreased baking sheet; spread 1 Tbsp of mayo mixture on each slice. Top with turkey and tomatoes. Spread with another Tbsp. of mayo mixture. Top with avocados and cheese. Sprinkle with remaining olive mixture. Bake at 350 degrees; 15 minutes. 8 servings.

Chicken Roll-Ups

2 cups chicken, cooked & cubed
1 8-oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
3 pkg (8 count each) crescent rolls
2 eggs, beaten
Seasoned bread crumbs

Gravy:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 can milk

Combine chicken, cream cheese & mushrooms. Stir together until combined. Separate rolls. At the top (widest part) of each roll put a heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture. Roll, making sure seams are sealed. Dip roll-up in eggs and then bread crumbs. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

For gravy: In a small saucepan, add cream of chicken soup and milk. Heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Spoon gravy mixture over roll-up. Serve.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

2 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
2 chicken breasts cooked & cubed
1 pkg Rice-a-Roni Long Grain & Wild Rice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
2 cups milk
1 can French style green beans

Combine water & broth to boil. Pour in rice, cover and remove from heat for 10 minutes. Melt butter in pan, add seasoning packet (from Rice-a-Roni), salt, pepper and flour and whist together. Add milk & stir until thick. Stir into broth. Add cooked chicken and beans and let simmer 10-15 minutes..

Little Sizzlers Breakfast casserole

1 Tbsp butter
6 eggs
1 (12 oz) pkg of Little Sizzlers Pork Sausages cooked & cut into small pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 cups dry biscuit baking mix
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile in large skillet, in butter, cook eggs until lightly scrambled; set aside to cool slightly. In large bowl, combine sizzlers pork sausages links, onion, bell pepper and garlic powder. Add baking mix and shredded cheese. Using hands, knead mixture until well blended. Stir cooked eggs into sausage mixture and combine until blended. Place mixture into lightly greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

1 Tbsp Ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup mayo
1 cup cooked & cubed chicken
1/2 cup chopped cashews
1/2 cup red apples, cut 1/4" pieces


Mix the ingredients together and spread on bread to make a sandwich!

Zesty Ravioli Skillet

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream 

4 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach leaves 

6 oz  provolone cheese, 

grated 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil 

1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded (I leave this out for my family) 

3 garlic cloves, pressed

 2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with onions, undrained 

1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt 

1/2 tsp (2 mL) coarsely ground black pepper 

1 pkg (24 oz/700 g) small frozen cheese ravioli (about 65) 

 Halved grape tomatoes (optional) 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add oil to Skillet; heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Finely chop jalapeño. Add jalapeño to Skillet; cook and stir 1 minute or until crisp-tender. Press garlic into Skillet; cook and stir 15-20 seconds or until fragrant. Add tomatoes, salt and black pepper to Skillet; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until simmering. Add ravioli; stir to coat. Cook, uncovered, 4-5 minutes or until tender. Stir cream into Skillet. Cook, uncovered, 1-2 minutes or until simmering. Sprinkle spinach over ravioli; cook, covered, 1 minute or until spinach starts to wilt. Remove Skillet from heat. Top with cheese; cover Skillet and let stand 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with grape tomatoes, if desired

Fast & Easy Breadsticks

1/4 cup melted butter (I use Pam spray with butter instead)
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup milk

Mix together all the dry ingredients, then add milk. Knead then roll out into an 8x8 square. Cut into 1/2 inch strips, spray with Pam (I also put garlic salt & salad supreme on them) Place on pan and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce

Don't know what to do with all your tomatoes?! Here is a SIMPLE recipe you will want to do!

This recipe is for one pan, which makes 3-4 cups; I usually double it, and simply rotate the pans halfway through the cooking times so that they roast evenly. If I'm planning to freeze the sauce, I omit the herbs so that it can be used in either Italian or Mexican dishes without any conflicting flavors. A side note: try buttering your hot spaghetti before saucing; it adds so much delicious richness.

Ingredients
3-4 pounds ripe tomatoes, ideally plum, stems removed
1 medium onion, halved and sliced
2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled
A large pinch of dried herb, crumbled (marjoram, thyme, basil or oregano) or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh (optional)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon each kosher salt and sugar
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 375. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise, then arrange them cut-side down, in one layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet (mine is 12- by 17-inches), lined with parchment paper, if you like, for easier clean-up. Arrange the onions, garlic and herbs over the top, then drizzle the whole thing evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, sugar, and pepper. Bake for an hour and a half to two hours (or so), until the tomatoes are browning in spots and have fully collapsed. Around an hour in, the tomatoes will be sitting in a flood of juice in their pans, and then this juice will reduce as they cook further, which is what you want for a the thickest and most flavorful sauce.

Now you have two choices: put the contents of the pan (including all the juices), through a food mill: this will make a smooth, skinless and seedless sauce. Or else blend it all in a blender or food processor, which will make a good but more roughly textured and seedy sauce. Taste it: it will likely need a bit more salt, and more sugar too, if it seems acidic. Use it, or allow it to cool completely, then spoon into labeled freezer bags and freeze, or else spoon it into 1-cup containers and then, when these are frozen solid, turn them out into a large Ziploc freezer bag to store.

Pollo Durango

2 medium chicken breasts sliced 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1/2 cup monteray jack cheese 1/2 cup fat free sour cream 3/4 cup tomatillo enchilada sauce (I couldn't find any of this- instead I mixed 1/4 cup mild green chili sauce with 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatillos) Cook chicken and mushroom in a buttered pan. Drain grease off chicken and add remaining ingredients. Cook til creamy. Add a pinch of cilantro.