Banana Bread Recipes

 Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 bananas, mashed
• ¾ cup white sugar
• ⅓ cup melted butter
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 mini muffin tins with cooking spray.

Step 2: Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.

Step 3: Blend bananas, sugar, butter, and egg together in a separate bowl. Add to flour mixture; stir batter well to combine.

Step 4: Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins, filling each cup 2/3 of the way full.

Step 5: Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

See https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/246624/best-yet-banana-mini-muffins/ 

March 2021 - Turned out a little dry for me. It wasn't bad, but I think I will try a different recipe next time. Maybe next time try this one: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/20144/banana-banana-bread/, which is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 ⅓ cups mashed overripe bananas

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Step 2: In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Step 3: Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Other Recipes I've Tried:

Oct 13, 2016 Made this recipe: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread/ 

It was good. Maybe not the best banana bread ever, but good. 

Dec 21, 2016 Tried this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/banana-bread-recipe.html 

I omitted the cinnamon and only put in 3/4th cup sugar. I liked it, I think a little more than the previous one. 

Jan 14, 2017 http://allrecipes.com/recipe/23426/almost-no-fat-banana-bread/

It's ok. Especially considering its low fat 

May 24, 2017 http://allrecipes.com/recipe/20144/banana-banana-bread/ 

Felt like something was missing. not my favorite recipe. 

July 1, 2017 https://www.google.com/amp/www.food.com/amp/recipe/best-banana-bread-2886 

I liked it

June 12, 2018 https://spoonuniversity.com/recipe/the-only-banana-bread-recipe-you-will-ever-need 

I liked it. 

Dec 30, 2021: I (Jimmy) created my own recipe. It turned out okay, but it still needs improvement. It was a little dry. Also, it made twice as much as we needed. It went as follows:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• about 2 cups of bananas, mashed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup butter softened
• 2 eggs
• ½ tspn salt
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips
• Baked at 350

Bacon Ranch French Bread Pizza

 INGREDIENTS

• 1 loaf about 12.5 ounces French Bread or Sourdough Bread
• 2/3 cup Hidden Valley® Simply Ranch Classic Ranch dressing
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 4 cups shredded cheese cheddar or mozzarella or a mix
• 6 slices cooked bacon crumbled
• 2 green onions sliced small, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Slice loaf of bread horizontally. Place two halves face up on the cookie sheet.
3. Stir together ranch dressing and pizza sauce in a small bowl. Coat each bread half with sauce.
4. Sprinkle with cheese, then bacon, then onions.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
6. Serve immediately. May be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days, but best the day it’s made.

Source: https://www.crazyforcrust.com/cheesy-bacon-ranch-french-bread-pizza/

Golden Grahams S'mores

Ingredients

• 8 cups Golden Grahams cereal
• 8 oz miniature marshmallows (4 cups)
• 1 3/4 cups milk chocolate chips (9 oz)
• 5 tablespoons butter or margarine 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup

1.5 Recipe Ingredients

• 12 cups Golden Grahams cereal
• 1 bag (10 oz) miniature marshmallows (5 1/2 cups)
• 2 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips (12 oz)
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup light corn syrup

Steps:

• Grease 13x9-inch pan (13x11 for 1.5 recipe)
• Measure cereal into large bowl
• In saucepan on the stove, melt the butter
• Add the chocolate chips and corn syrup over medium heat
• Stir occasionally and bring melted chocolate mixture to a boil
• Remove from heat; stir in vanilla
• Pour chocolate mixture over cereal in bowl; stir until evenly coated. 
• Stir in marshmallows one cup at a time (reserve 1 cup of the marshmallows to sprinkle on top)
• Pour mixture from bowl and press firmly in pan
• Cool until firm and then cut into bars and enjoy!

Easy Vanilla Ice Cream for 4 Qt. Ice Cream Maker

INGREDIENTS
3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
6 cups heavy whipping cream
3 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Pour into frozen ice cream maker canister.

TRY THESE VARIATIONS BY ADDING EXTRA INGREDIENTS TO MIXTURE:
Black Forest: Mix in 1/2 cup chocolate syrup and 1 can of pitted Bing cherries, drained and halved.
Chocolate Covered Peanuts: Mix in 1 1/2 cups chocolate syrup and chocolate-covered peanuts.
Cookies and Cream: Reduce sugar to 1 1/2 cups. Mix in 30 cream –filled sandwich cookies, broken in small pieces.
Orange-aide: Mix in 1 (12 oz.) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted.
Mint-Chocolate Chip: Replace vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of mint extract. Add 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, 4 drops of green food coloring (optional) to mixture.
Peanut Butter: Mix in 2 cups of chunky peanut butter and mix well.
Chocolate Chip Walnut: Add 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate bits and 1 cup chopped walnuts;
Strawberry-Banana: Add in 6 mashed bananas and 1 quart coarsely chopped strawberries.
Double Almond Chocolate: Replace vanilla extract with almond extract. Add 6 ounces finally chopped semisweet chocolate squares and 2 cups chopped almonds to mixture.
Cookie Dough: Add 1 roll (18 ounces) refrigerated raw cookie dough, cut into small pieces, to mixture.
Banana Pudding: Add 1 cup mashed bananas x`nd 12 crushed vanilla wafers to cream mixture.

https://hamiltonbeach.com/easy-vanilla-ice-cream-for-4-qt-ice-cream-maker

Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 Tblsp minced garlic
1 1/2 - 2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add the garlic to the butter and cook for 1 minute.
Whisk in the cream, salt, pepper, and cheese.
Bring mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat to med/low and simmer uncovered for 12-15 minutes or until thick, stirring often.

Makes 2 1/2 cups

Serving Ideas: with pasta, chicken, vegetables, and/or bread sticks.

Notes: I have never been able to get it thick enough with 2 cups heavy cream, so perhaps use 1.5 cups and if too thick, add the additional 1/2 cup. (Heather)

Recipe courtesy of Alison Robinson

Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks

DOUGH:
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 cups flour, about 15-20 ounces (see note)

BUTTER AND TOPPING:
3 tablespoons butter, melted (for the baking sheet)
Dried herbs, garlic salt and grated Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or in a large bowl by hand), mix together the water, yeast, sugar, salt and one cup of the flour.
2. Continue adding the flour until the dough just clears the sides of the bowl; knead for about three minutes. It should be soft and slightly sticky without leaving a lot of residue on your fingers.
3. Let the dough rest in the bowl for 10 minutes.
4. While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread the melted butter onto large, rimmed baking sheet (about 11X17-inches).
5. On a lightly greased countertop, pat the dough into a long rectangle, about 16-inches by 7-inches or so. Cut the dough every 1-inch (more or less) into strips with a pizza cutter.
6. Twist each strip slightly and place about 1/2-inch apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with dried herbs of choice, garlic salt and Parmesan cheese.
7. Let rise for 20 minutes (you can cover with greased plastic wrap, if desired, I usually go without). Bake for 15 minutes until golden.

from https://www.melskitchencafe.com/divine-breadsticks-2/

No Bake Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups of granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
• 3 cups (often I do 3.5 cups) oatmeal (quick oats work better than regular oats)
• (optional) between 1/2 and 1 cup of peanut butter can be added while mixture boils
• if you use unsalted butter, add some salt (maybe 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon salt)

Directions:
Add the butter, milk, sugar, cocoa, and vanilla to a pot. Mix and place on stove on medium heat, stirring occasionally. At first sign of boiling, set a timer and allow the mixture to boil for 4 minutes. Then remove the pan from the heat and add the oatmeal to the pot. Stir well and then spoon it onto a greased cookie sheet into the desired size of cookie you like. Allow to cool and dry for 10 or 15 minutes.

White Sauce / Creamy Sauce for Pasta

Heather often simply calls this "white sauce". We often have this sauce over noodles and served with grilled chicken and vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk (or 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup chicken broth)
• Spices (salt, pepper, garlic) to taste

Directions:

• Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. 
• Add flour and wisk together. 
• Add liquid (milk and/or chicken broth) 
• Cook over medium heat, stirring / wisking frequently until the sauce thickens (five minutes or so).

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons peanut butter

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.

2. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Recipe By: Nancy
"These peanut butter bars taste just like peanut butter cups."
Printed From Allrecipes.com

Quick and Easy Foolproof Pizza Dough

For use in Pizza Pockets

INGREDIENTS
 1 cup warm water
 1 tablespoon honey
 1 tablespoon oil
 1 tablespoon instant yeast
 1 teaspoon salt
 2-3 cups flour (see note)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the water, honey, oil, yeast and salt. Add the flour gradually until a soft dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The exact flour amount will vary so go by the touch and feel of the dough versus the exact cup measurements in the recipe. The dough should be soft and smooth (not leaving a residue on your fingers but not super stiff, either).

2. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes (more like 5-6 minutes if kneading by hand or if using whole wheat flour).

3. Let the dough rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Shape the dough into pizza(s), spread with sauce and toppings, and bake at 475 or 500 degrees on a preheated pizza stone or on a lightly greased baking sheet for 8-10 minutes (for an in-depth look at baking methods, here is a great tutorial).

NOTES
I almost always use 1/2 or up to 3/4 whole wheat flour with good results - I let it knead for a few minutes longer.

Also, this recipe doubles, triples and quadruples really well. If doubling, use double the amount for all the ingredients. For triple and quadruple batches, increase all the ingredients accordingly except the yeast - only use 2 tablespoons yeast for a tripled batch and 2 1/2 tablespoons yeast for a quadrupled batch. Keep an eye on the flour if increasing the recipe. You want a soft, smooth dough - not too sticky and definitely not overfloured.

YIELD:  1 LARGE OR 2 MEDIUM PIZZAS
PREP TIME:  10 MINUTES
COOK TIME:  10 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME:  20 MINUTES

From https://www.melskitchencafe.com/quick-and-easy-pizza-dough/

Peanut Butter Corn Flake Cookies

Ingredients:    

• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 cup granulated sugar      
• 1 cup peanut butter            
• 6 to 7 cups corn flakes

Mix the corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter in a pot over medium low heat on the stove. When mixture comes to a boil, take off the stove and stir in the corn flakes.  Form it into cookies on a greased cookie sheet, or spread into a greased 9x13 cake pan like rice crispy treats and let them cool off for about 5 or 10 minutes.

Hot Mexican Dip

• 1/2 pound Ground Beef
• 1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning
• 16 oz. can of Refried Beans
• 16 oz. Sour Cream 
• 16 oz. Salsa
• 1 to 2 cups Shredded Cheese (cheddar jack is what we usually use, but plain cheddar would be fine)

The ingredient portions do not have to be exact. For example, sometimes I use less sour cream and refried beans or more salsa and cheese. It just depends what I'm feeling like.

Directions: In a large frying pan:

• Brown the ground beef. Add taco seasoning (and salt and pepper, if you like).
• Layer on the refried beans (or what I typically do is just mix the refried beans together with the cooked ground beef).
• Spread the sour cream in a layer over the meat and beans.
• Pour the salsa in as the next layer
• Sprinkle the cheese over the top for the final layer

You can, of course, do other layers, for instance some people like a layer of diced olives on top.

Serve the dip in bowls and eat with tortilla chips.

German Pancakes (aka Rahn's Pancakes)

2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
2 Tablespoons Butter
Dash of Nutmeg (optional)
(our pans are a little bigger so we add a little more milk and flour, bringing it to about 2/3 cup)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Beat eggs and add flour and milk. Mix lightly (batter will be lumpy). Put two round cake pans in hot oven with butter in the pans, 1 Tbspn each. As soon as the butter is melted, add the mixture, divided between the two pans. Close oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with powdered sugar, maple syrup, hot apples, lemon juice, or other toppings of your choice.

Rice Pilaf

INGREDIENTS:

• 2⅔ c. low-sodium chicken broth
• ⅓ c. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. kosher sea salt
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
• ⅛ tsp. paprika
• pinch onion powder
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• ⅓ c. vermicelli or orzo
• 1 c. long-grain white rice
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add the chicken broth, butter, salt, garlic powder, pepper, paprika, and onion powder. Once the mixture starts to simmer, reduce to low heat.

2. In a large skillet set over medium-low heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the vermicelli and cook until brown, about 4-6 minutes. Add the rice and cook until it turns bright white, about 5-7 minutes.

3. Pour the warm broth mixture into the skillet, stir to combine. Once the mixture simmers, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the cover, add the parsley, cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes or until all of the broth is absorbed. Serve immediately.

-You can also microwave the chicken broth mixture in a microwave-safe bowl for 2 minutes on high right before pouring it into the rice.
-You can cut back the butter to 3 tbsp. without it becoming sticky.

1.5x recipe:

• 4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 c. unsalted butter
• 1.5 tsp. kosher sea salt
• 3/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 3/8 tsp. ground black pepper
• 3/16 tsp. paprika
• pinch onion powder
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 c. vermicelli or orzo
• 1.5 c. long-grain white rice
• 1.5 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Stir Fry / Stir Fry Sauce

Ingredients for Sauce:

6 tablespoons soy sauce (3/8 cup)
2 garlic clove, minced (clove ~ teaspoon)
4 teaspoons cornstarch
6 tablespoons water (3/8 cup)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped (optional, we usually don't)
2 scallion, white and green parts, finely chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon chili oil (optional, we usually don't)

Directions for Sauce:
1 - Dissolve cornstarch in water.
2 - Stir in all other ingredients.

Ingredients for Stir Fry:

2 cups uncooked rice

1 cup of broccoli, washed and cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup carrots, washed and cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup green pepper (optional)

1 cup water chestnuts, diced (optional)

1 to 2 chicken breasts

Directions for Stir Fry:

1. Cook rice separately following rice directions.

2. Cut chicken into small, bite sized pieces. 

3. Grill chicken bites in frying pan with a little oil.

4. Once chicken is almost fully cooked, stir in diced vegetables and sauce. 

5. Bring to a simmer to thickened the sauce and soften the vegetables.

Serve over rice. Yummmmm.

Double Sauce Recipe:
3/4 cup tablespoons soy sauce
4 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely chopped (optional)
4 scallion, white and green parts, finely chopped (optional)
2 teaspoons chili oil (optional)

Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Sauce
1/2 cup coconut milk (can sub regular milk, or yogurt)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
(the spices have been modified by us. the original recipe called for a full teaspoon of each of the spices. way too hot for us.)

Combine all the spices into a small bowl and add the coconut milk and mix until fully incorporated. Adjust spices to suit taste.

Pulled Chicken
2 pounds chicken breasts cut into palm sized portions
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Pinch of salt

1. Fill a large pot with chicken stock and add the garlic and onion and bring to a boil.
2. Once boiling, add the chicken breasts and after 2 minutes reduce to low and allow to simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until chicken is just cooked and no longer pink. Remove from heat and drain immediately and allow chicken to cool.
3. Once cooled, place chicken back into the pot and using two forks shred the chicken finely. Add the tandoori sauce and serve immediately.

Serving Suggestions
Serve over naan bread or rice or both.

Crock Pot / Slow Cooker Method

Throw all ingredients into the crock pot with these modifications... Instead of half cup milk, add 15 oz can of coconut milk. Cook for 6 to 8 hours. During last 30 minutes, add a thickening agent (3 Tablespoons flour whisked with half a cup chicken broth). Take the chicken out, pull it apart, and add it back into the slow cooker.

Jell-O Pretzel Salad

2 2/3 cup coarsely chopped pretzels
1 large package frozen strawberries or raspberries
1 1/2 cubes butter
3/4 large carton Cool Whip
12 ounces cream cheese
2 cups pineapple juice
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large package Jell-O

Beat cream cheese and sugar. Set aside. Mix pretzels and butter. Press into a 9x13 dish. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Spread cheese mix over pretzels. Spread cool whip over cheese. Chill. Dissolve Jell-O in hot pineapple juice. Add strawberries. Allow to set. Pour over top and refrigerate. Also excellent with graham cracker crust instead of pretzels. Much easier too!

Green Bean Casserole

1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup (or we use cream of celery)
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 dash black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

Step 1
Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.

Step 2
Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions.

Step 3
Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

Recipe Tips
For the cooked green beans: Use 1 bag (16 to 20 ounces) frozen green beans, thawed, 2 packages (9 ounces each) frozen green beans, thawed, 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) green beans, drained or about 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans for this recipe.

Texas Roadhouse Copycat Rolls

1 pkg. active dry yeast = 1 Tblsp Active Dry Yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups milk- scalded and cooled to lukewarm
3 tablespoons of melted butter - cooled
1/2 cup sugar
2 quart all purpose flour (7-8 cups)
2 whole eggs
2 tsp. salt

Soften yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar.

Add yeast, milk, sugar and enough flour (like 2-3 cups) to make a medium batter. Beat thoroughly. Let stand until light and foamy.

Add melted butter, eggs and salt. Beat well. Add enough flour to form soft dough . Sprinkle small amount of flour on counter and let dough rest.

Meanwhile, clean and dry bowl; grease clean surface of bow. Knead dough until smooth and satiny. Put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place until double in bulk.

Punch down. Turn out on floured board. Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes.

Shape dough into desired forms. Place on greased baking sheets. Let rise until doubled.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes (until golden brown). Baste immediately with butter

Yield: 5 to 6 dozen (depending on the size - I made mine kind of big and got about 3 dozen)

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS
5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
3/4 cups Butter
1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
1/2 cup (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Pasta with Tomato and Almond Pesto

Ingredients:

1/4 cup slivered almonds (roasted)
1 can of petite diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces and drained) or 12 ounces cherry tomatoes (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup dry basil leaves or 1/2 cup packed fresh basil
1 medium garlic clove , minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound pasta , preferably angle hair or spaghetti
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Toast almonds in toaster over or in small skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until pale golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Cool almonds to room temperature.

In food processor, mix cooled almonds, tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt, and oil until smooth, about 30 seconds. 

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta and transfer back to cooking pot.

Add pesto and ½ cup Parmesan to cooked pasta, so that pesto coats pasta. Serves 4-6 people.

Baked Asparagus

Whenever we get asparagus from Bountiful Baskets, this is the recipe we like to make for a side dish. This recipe is from the food network.

new year... new meal plan

I've been a bit of a slacker in the meal planning department. It's one of those things that is incredible when I do it... "Wow... 3-6 p.m. is so much easier when I plan ahead." but hard to do. It's so constant to plan ahead and organize shopping trips... but I know it's worth it.

So - I designed a new meal plan. I changed the way the shopping list is... simplified it all a bit (I wasn't really planning side dishes, etc). Here's the new one:

If anyone else is interested you can download the pdf here.

I'm hoping to add new favorite family recipes here soon as I think we've tried a few new things in the past year.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Chocolate Zucchini Bread {makes 2 loaves}
Recipe by Our Best Bites

2 C flour
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C canola oil
1 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/2 C sour cream
3 C grated zucchini
3/4 C mini chocolate chips

Topping:
2 T brown sugar
2 T white sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter and flour 2 loaf pans and set aside. I actually used one 8" disposable pan to give away and a larger 9" one for me and the batter divided perfectly. So you should get 2 very full 8" pans or slightly less full 9". Do one of each like I did!

Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Place flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

With a stand or hand mixer beat oil, white sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until combined and slightly fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined.

Gently stir in the grated zucchini. Take a spoonful of the flour mixture and stir in with the chocolate chips (that will help keep them evenly distributed.)

If you only have regular chocolate chips, or a chocolate bar, just give it a chop so it's the size of mini chocolate chips.

Stir remaining flour mixture into batter and mix just until combined. Add chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Divide the batter between the two pans. and sprinkle topping over each. Bake in your preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. I set my timer for 45 minutes and then keep an eye on it for the remainder. Ya never know how different ovens handle things. When it's done a toothpick or skewer should come out without goopy batter on it and the top will be gorgeous and cracked with sugar.

 Let it cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes and then remove from pans. You definitely have to eat a slice warm. And slathered with butter.

Our Favorite Caramel Popcorn

This is our favorite caramel popcorn recipe that my sister Carol shared with us years ago. We usually 1/4 the recipe since my husband doesn't love it too sugary.

Caramel Popcorn - The Best Ever
from: Golda

2 cubes margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup karo (light
pinch salt

Melt butter in saucepan. While melting add brown sugar, karo syrup, and salt. Bring to boil over medium heat while stirring with a wooden spoon. Boil 2 minutes. Pour over popped corn.


1/4 recipe
1/2 cube margarine
3/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup karo (light)
pinch salt

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip BROWNIES

I want to try these yummy looking treats!!!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
Yield: 24 small brownies

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line an 11″- x 7″-inch pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs and oil until smooth. Set aside.

In a separate medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, spices, salt and brown sugar. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until thoroughly incorporated.

Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until passes toothpick test. Cool completely before cutting.

Source: Small Home Big Start

wanna try this bread

One-hour Sweet Bread
mmmcafe (shared by Alison Robinson)

Makes 2 (8x4 inch) loaves

3 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. gluten flour, sifted (or vital wheat gluten)
1 1/4 T. instant yeast (or quick-rising)
2 1/2 c. very warm tap water
1 T. salt
1/3 c. oil
1/3 c. honey or 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/4 T. bottled lemon juice
2 - 2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour


Mix together first three ingredients in mixer with a dough hook.  Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute; cover and let rest for 10 minutes.  Add salt, oil, honey or sugar and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute.  Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup.  Beat for about 6-10 minutes until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl.  This makes a very soft dough.

Preheat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off.  Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide, shape into loaves, place in oiled bread pans.  Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 minutes until dough reaches top of pan.  Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool on racks.

Sesame Chicken

We love this! The flavor was a little strong so perhaps I needed to use more chicken. I used 8 tenderloins. We served with broccoli and rice. There wasn't much sauce.

SESAME CHICKEN {Rachael Howell}

2-4 chicken breasts, cubed
1/4 c. sesame seeds
1/4 c. soy sauce
3 T. oil
2 T. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 tsp. ginger

Mix everything together in Ziploc bag and marinate 1-4 hours. Pour onto a cookie sheet (lined with foil for easier clean up) and broil for 10 minutes. Turn and broil 5 minutes more. Serve over rice with steamed broccoli.

how i freeze fresh peaches

this is definitely not a 'how-to' from Heather... because who knows if I even did it right. But I was-a-wishin' I would have written down my instructions a few years ago when I prepared fresh peaches for freezing ... so here I am doing just that.

Here's the low-down...
i bought a box of peaches at the Thanksgiving Point Farmer's Market for $18.
i probably only used 2/3 of it... so let's say $12-$13 worth.
It took about 4-5 peaches to make 2 cups sliced.
2 cups per quart-size freezer bag x 13 bags = 26 cups
So we'll say about $1 per 2 cups.

First I washed the peaches...

Blanched them by putting them in boiling water for 30 sec - 1 min. Then immediately put them in ice water to stop them from cooking. Hannah helped peel the peaches. What a lifesaver that girl is!

Then I sliced and cubed those slippery peaches. (for future reference... we like the cubed much better.  It seems like I generally cut up the sliced ones.  But sliced would work better for cobbler probably)

I put 1 - 1.5 cups sugar & 2 Tblsp of Fruit Fresh for about 6 cups worth. (one of my white tupperware size bowls). It seemed to make it's own little sauce from the liquid in the peaches. I like it that way - little saucy but not too much.

Then I put 2 cups in each bag and laid them flat in the freezer. Wah-lah. I'm so excited to use these on crepes, scandinavian fruit soup, cobbler, etc ALL WINTER LONG!

Smashed Potatoes

Recipe from Pioneer Woman. Yum! Jimmy and I both liked these potatoes.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

This is a new favorite recipe from my friend Brooke Fritz.

I went a little mellow on the spices and didn't add all the stuff in the dressing.  It was all really, really tasty!

These 3 recipes, Brooke shared.

CAFE RIO PORK

6 Lb. Pork - 2 of the pork sirloin roast at costco per recipe
16 oz. salsa
20 oz. Coke
2 c. brown sugar

Place roast in crock pot cook approx. 6-8 hours until meat falls apart. Shred. In a blender mix salsa, coke and brown sugar. Pour over meat and reheat. YUM!



CAFE RIO DRESSING (I just used the buttermilk ranch dressing mix)

1 pkg. Buttermilk ranch dressing ( prepare as directed on pkg.)
2 tomatillos ( a green tomato with husk)
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 garlic clove
juice of one lime
1 jalapeno pepper ( use seeds too if you like it spicy)

Use a blender to blend all ingredients. Refrigerate.



CAFE RIO RICE
3 c. water
4 tsp. chicken bouillon
4 tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chilies
3/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Butter
3 c. rice

Blend cilantro, green chilies and onion together in food processor/blender. Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients; simmer cover for 30 mins.


These recipes below I found at favfamilyrecipes.com. They have different recipes for the meat, dressing, and rice, as well. Plus, they share ideas for the tin and tortilla for the salad.

Cafe Rio BLACK BEANS - favfamilyrecipes.com

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** we added a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it was AWESOME! We recommend doing this even though it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")


Homemade tortilla chips favfamilyrecipes.com
These are perfect for Our Version of Cafe Rio Salads (click HERE)... or any salad for that matter. They are so easy and cheap to make. If you buy these at the store, they are like $4! What a rip-off! These taste a lot better than the store ones too. I promise it is worth making your own!

10-12 corn tortillas
oil for frying
Kosher salt

Cut tortillas into strips using a pizza cutter. You can cut 2-3 at a time pretty easily. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Place strips into hot oil and fry until they become crispy. When nice and crispy, remove from oil and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt after each batch.

(photo by favfamilyrecipes.com)

What is this all about?

My friend Kristin showed me her 6-week meal plan that she had seen on Better Budgeting.

I decided I needed to fly with it and get my meals in order. I always go bonkers about 4 p.m. trying to decide what to make for dinner or getting it ready. Delaying the inevitable just doesn't work.

So here's my goal:

Step 1: 6-week meal plan with organized grocery list and orderly recipes on blog. See links on right for blank or completed meal plan sheets for download.

Step 2: Organize my morning so I'll make time for dinner prep before I get too tired.

Step 3: Empty dishwasher in the morn. I'm notorious for leaving it until 4 p.m. when I decide to start supper. I can't stand to cook in a messy kitchen so first I'll spend the time to do all the dishes and THEN start on dinner. No - bueno! So - dishes first and all-day so when it's dinnertime, I can focus on dinner.

I know my meal-plan and goals may need some tweeking. And I don't expect to be perfect... baby steps apply here!

Info on 6-week Meal Plan:

A few friends asked to see my meal plan. I hesitate sharing it only because I'm so not a gourmet. Now, my sisters and mom and cousins and aunts are gourmet... so I use their recipes and just try and pretend like I can cook.

Truth is that the cooking gene skipped me. But I'm not letting that stop me from trying. I'm still trying to master baking rolls and breads. I can do easy meals.

But I honestly don't have enough energy to conquer recipes that take all-day long or have a list of 20 ingredients. I don't enjoy my own cooking enough. I enjoy when other's make those recipes, but I'm too tired to enjoy when I'm standing for hours slaving in a hot kitchen.

Blah-Blah. Anyhoo... so, the point is that most of the recipes I chose for our meal-plan are simple. As I was going through the family cookbook (which I hope to reorganize and share digitally one of these days), I saw so many tasty recipes that I didn't include on my mealplan, so I'm adding an ALTERNATIVES section which will give me ideas when I just don't feel like something that week. That section, I'll keep adding to.

I entered the recipes for my own sake. They are listed by Week as well as labeled by category.

Regarding grocery list:  I decided not to include all the items I regularly have in my food storage like rice, noodles, frozen chicken tenderloins, ground beef (unless I need it fresh for the recipe), etc.  But the things I knew I would need to take stock on in my pantry, I included so I wouldn't be without an ingredient.

Regarding sidedishes:  I generally have canned/frozen veggies and fruits which we have each night for side dishes, so I didn't plan my sides/desserts/baked goods very well.  The main dish is what I need help on generally, and it's easy enough to snag the sides depending on what fresh fruit/veggies are in season.

Ummm yeah - and don't judge how healthy I am by my meals.  I realize there are many carbs.  But we try and compensate with lots of veggies, protein, and fruits. We're just lucky to eat around here these days!

Anyhoo... shout out any questions and I'll refer you to the proper chefs to answer them. :)

Also, if you want to share your meals or meal plan, feel free to email them to me at happyfam {at} gmail {dot} com.

Chimachungas

CHIMACHUNGAS (Amy DeMordaunt)

3-5 lb. chuck roast
4 TBSP. flour
3 TBSP. shortening
Large flour tortillas
10 oz. picante sauce

Toppings: Shredded lettuce, tomatoes, olives, grated cheese, salsa, sour cream are good.

I cook the roast in the crock pot on high for 6 7 hours or on low for 12-14 hours. Cool and shred. Melt shortening. Add other ingredients; cook for 1 minute. Stir in reserved juices from meat. Cook until thick. Add more flour, if needed.

Place 1/3 cup meat mixture in upper third or tortilla. Fold top over, sides in, and roll. Place, seam side sown, in roasting pan, well buttered. Butter the top of each chimachunga. Bake at 500' for 8¬10 minutes.

You can also use shredded or canned chicken instead of beef. We use this meat for tacos, too.

Chili

CHILI (Carol Reed)

This is my favorite Chili recipe which I love to put in the crockpot.

2-3 cups beans (Kidney or chili beans)
1 lb hamburger
1 onion, chopped
Garlic Salt
Salt/Pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp red pepper seeds
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
8 oz. can tomato sauce
Can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup water (or so)

Brown hamburger & add chopped onion, green pepper, cook till veggies are soft. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer all afternoon. Add grated cheese right before eating.

Must Serve with Mary Jones Corn Bread!!!

Cornbread

Mary Jones Cornbread with Bisquick

Beat:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cube melted butter

Add:

• 2 cups Bisquick
• 2 heaping Tbsp cornmeal
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup sugar

Bake in 9x13 pan at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Golden Sweet Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• ⅔ cup white sugar
• 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
• Whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. 
• Add milk, vegetable oil, and egg; whisk until well combined. 
• Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.

Won Ton Salad

Won Ton Salad (Pat Mackay)

1 small package fried and broken up won tons
2 heads lettuce
4 chicken breasts, cut in pieces
1/2 cup green onion
1 small package slivered almonds

Oil Dressing:
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup oil

Bring vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to boil. Cool and add oil.

Cheese Enchiladas

Cheese Enchiladas (Jan Moffitt)

1 pkg Enchilada seasoning mix
1 can Tomato soup
1 can water (use soup can)
9-12 corn tortillas
3 C. cheese (or more to your liking)
Ground Beef

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan combine Tomato soup, water, and seasoning mix. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sauce should thicken slightly. If too thick, add more water. Ladle some sauce in an 8X11 pan. With tongs dig a tortilla in the sauce and layer tortillas, more sauce and cheese. Finish with a layer of cheese on top. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly. (Note: you can also add ground beef as a layer.) Serve with sour cream and lettuce. I like to serve it with Spanish rice, recipe below.

Munchies

Munchies (Rasmina Beck)

1 pound ground beef
1 can cream of celery
Grated onion
¼ pound grated cheese
Salt and pepper
12 potato, or other kind, rolls

Brown meat and add spices and soup. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Add grated cheese, turn off heat, and cover. Cut off tops of rolls and remove centers. Fill with meat mixture and replace top of rolls. Serve immediately.

Chicken Pot Pie

I love Chicken Pot Pie. Pat's recipe is delicious but takes more time to do the pastry. I love it though. Amy's is quick and easy and heart-warming.


Easy Chicken Pie (Amy DeMordaunt)

1 package (10 oz) frozen mixed vegetables or make your own by chopping and cooking until partly done: potatoes, carrots, celery, peas…
3 cups cooked and cubed chicken
1 can cream of celery or chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
¼ tsp pepper
1 cup bisquick
¾ cup milk
¼ cup butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 425. Spread chicken and vegetables in a greased, shallow 2 quart baking dish. Stir together soup, broth, and pepper. Pour over chicken mixture. Combine baking mix, milk, and butter in separate bowl; stir until smooth. Pour over ingredients in baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.



Delicious Chicken Pot Pie (Pat Mackay)
½ cup margarine
1/3 cup flour
½ cup onion
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 ¾ cup chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 cups chicken
1 package frozen peas and carrots (can add potatoes). Cook before.

Melt margarine and blend in flour, onions, salt and pepper. Cook until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in broth and milk. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Stir in chicken and vegetables. Prepare pastry.

Pastry:
2/3 cup + 2 Tbsp shortening
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour
4-5 Tbsp water
2 tsp poppy seeds

Roll 2/3 of pastry into 13” square. Ease into square pan. Roll remaining dough. Place over filling. Flute edges and cut slits in top. Cook, uncovered, at 425 until crust is brown, 30-35 minutes.

Chicken Roll-ups

Chicken Roll-Ups (courtesy of Pat Mackay)

Ingredients: 

• 1 package Pillsbury crescent rolls
• 1/2 cup butter/margarine, divided
• 4 ounces cream cheese or sour cream
• 1 cup cubed or canned chicken
• 1 medium green onion diced (optional. can substitute onion powder)
• 1 cup bread crumbs (optional)
• dash pepper (optional)
• sage (optional)

Directions:

• Soften cream cheese and 1/4 cup margarine in microwave and blend together. 
• Add pepper, onion, and chicken. 
• Lay rolls out. 
• Spread with ¼ cup mixture on center of roll. 
• Roll by starting at large end; fold sides in and over. 
• Melt ¼ cup margarine. 
• Make crumb mixture by combining bread crumbs and sage. 
• Roll chicken rolls in margarine, then dip in crumb mixture. 
• Bake 350 for 20 minutes.
• Makes 8 rolls.
•  Optional: Serve with chicken gravy. 

(side note by Heather: I don't use Cream Cheese. I just use a little Sour Cream and put some mozzarella in)

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Mock Chicken Cordon Bleu (Shari Price)

Layer:
Skinned and boned chicken breast fillets (I use Tenderloins)
Sliced ham (Canadian bacon works too)
Slices of cheese (jack and/or cheddar)
Chicken breasts
Cream of chicken soup

(If I don’t have enough breasts, I start with the ham layer.) Sprinkle salt, pepper, paprika, grated onion and grated cheese on top. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Take off foil and bake 15 minutes longer.

Baked Crispy Chicken

Baked Crispy Chicken (Shari Price)

Marinade:
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp paprika
1-4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Blend marinade ingredients. Place chicken breasts in pan. Pour marinade over all, or put all in large Ziploc bag. Refrigerate overnight. Drain thoroughly. Roll chicken pieces in dry bread crumbs. Place in baking pan. Pour 1/4 cup melted butter over pieces. Bake for 1 hour+, uncovered for a crispier chicken. For less crisp coated, cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil, add 1/4 cup water and bake another 15-20 minutes.

Taco Soup & Bread Bowls

Taco Soup (Mary Brunson)
1 pound ground beef
1 can corn
1 can Hunts taco tomato sauce
spices
1-2 cans kidney beans, undrained
1/2 taco seasoning packet
1-2 small cans tomato sauce

Brown meat and then mix all remaining ingredients in crock pot. Cook all day on low. Serve with grated cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.



Bread Bowls
1 loaf Rhodes bread dough, thawed but still cold
1 egg, beaten

Cut loaf into fourths. Form each fourth into a ball. Place on baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Brush with egg. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap, and let rise until double. Remove wrap and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and slice off top. Hollow out bread and fill with favorite soup. (Use hollowed out bread to dip into soup.)

Hungarian Goulash

Hungarian Goulash (Shari Price)

Brown stew mean in a small amount of oil. Season with salt and pepper and instant beef bouillon crystals and onion. Blend in 2-4 Tbsp flour to coat meat. Add two bay leaves. For the sauce you can add 1 large can tomato sauce, canned tomatoes if desired, tomato paste, etc. Cover and simmer until meat is tender, about 3 hours. Remove bay leaves and serve over hot rice or noodles.

French Dip Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• Super-super thin slices of Italian Roast Beef from the deli
• Muenster Cheese slices
• Buns (sub sandwich rolls, or Kaiser Deli Buns, or we like Walmart Steak Rolls)
• Packet of Au Jus / French Dip Sauce

Directions:

• Broil buns for 5 minutes with butter on one-half and Muenster Cheese on the other half
• Follow package instructions to make Au Jus / French Dip Sauce
• Soak Roast Beef in warm Au Jus for a minute, then use fork to remove roast beef slices and put them on the bun.
• Get a small cup of Au Jus to dip your sandwich

Corn Chowder

Corn Chowder (Camille Keller)

2 cups water
2 cups chopped potatoes
1/2 cups sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 can corn (niblets babycorn)

White Sauce:
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
pepper

Simmer vegetables for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make white sauce: Melt margarine. Stir in flour with wire whisk. Add 2 cups milk. Stir over medium heat until thick. Add pepper and grated parmesan cheese. Combine undrained veggies with white sauce. Do NOT boil. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Roast and Gravy

This is how I make Roast - though it's not really a recipe.

We use the Roast Seasoning Packet that comes with a roasting bag.

I add 1/2 cup or so of water with the seasonings with some Worcestershire sauce. I also sprinkle a little Onion Soup packet in.

I put the sealed bag (with a few little cuts up at the top) in a crockpot for 6-8 hours.

Using the bag makes it easier for clean-up and to use the drippings for gravy.


Basic Brown Gravy (taken from a Rachel Ray Shepherd's Pie Recipe)

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup beef stock or broth (or add drippings from Roast)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it

In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute.

(I've had serious problems making decent gravy. Here's my attempt at what I think has worked. I may tweek this next time I make it. Jimmy encourages me to write down what works and I always forget right when I'm making it. Anyhoo...)

Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese

Elbow macaroni or pasta of choice
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
parsley

Cook and drain pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt butter and blend in flour. Stir in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens.

Stir in salt, mustard, cheese and parsley. Heat slowly until cheese melts. Mix with pasta. Turn into buttered casserole dish. Good with crushed ritz mixed with butter on top or extra grated cheese.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until thoroughly heated.

Beef Ole Taco Salad

BEEF OLE (Shari Price)

Saute:
1 onion chopped fine
1 green pepper chopped fine
3 stalks celery chopped fine

Add and brown:
1 lb. lean ground beef

Simmer 30 min. with:
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 t. Mexican seasoning

Serve over a handful of corn chips (& rice). Top with grated cheese, finely shredded lettuce, sour cream, sliced olives, chopped tomatoes, etc.

Golden Chicken Nuggets

Golden Chicken Nuggets (Carol Reed)

1 envelope Lipton Golden Onion recipe soup mix
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400. Combine soup mix with bread crumbs. Dip chicken in bread crumb mixture, coating well. In lightly greased shallow baking pan, arrange chicken, then drizzle with butter. Bake 10 minutes (turning once) or until chicken is done. Serve with sauce. Makes 2 dozen nuggets.

Minestrone Soup

FRESH INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup onion chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic (fresh or dry)
1 med zucchini sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 carrots, peel and chop
1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach

PANTRY INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
5 cups chicken broth
1 med can petite diced tomatoes
1 can beans (small white Navy or black)
1/4 cup orzo pasta
1/3 cup pasta

SPICES
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp beef bouillon

 
Sauté onions & garlic in olive oil in a big pot.

Add chicken broth & tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

Add pasta, vegetables, beans, and spices.

Simmer on med-low for 15 minutes or until tender.

(Add chopped spinach in the last 5 minutes of cooking to avoid overcooked gooey spinach!)

Serve with Corn Muffins, Texas Toast, or crackers.

Hawaiian Haystacks

Chinese Sundaes (Family Favorite)

Serve buffet in this order:
Chinese noodles
Cooked rice
Chicken (cooked and cut in bite-sized pieces)
Gravy (cream of chicken soup thinned with milk and heated through)
Grated cheese
Diced celery
Chopped green onion
Diced tomatoes
Crushed pineapple
Crushed pineapple
Coconut
Craisins
Slivered almonds
Maraschino cherries

You can also use bacon bits, chopped olives, parmesan cheese, sunflower seeds, taco sauce, ranch dressing, cottage cheese, etc.

Lasagna & the sauce

Spaghetti Sauce or Lasagna Sauce (Shari Price)

Brown:

1 pound ground beef
Grated onion
1/4 cup finely diced celery (can also add green pepper)
Salt and pepper
Other spices as desired, garlic powder, oregano, fresh garlic, etc.

Add:
30 ounces tomato sauce
15 ounce can tomato diced tomatoes
8 ounces can tomato paste (can be optional)
bay leaf

Simmer all afternoon.


Lasagna (Shari Price)

Make the sauce as above and simmer all afternoon. Cook the lasagna noodles as direction on package.

Mix:
1 pound grated mozzarella cheese
2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
chopped green onion or parsley flakes, if desired

Layer the sauce, noodles, cheese mixture over and over, ending with sauce. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken

6 Chicken Tenderloins
1 Egg
1 Tbsp Milk
Italian Style Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil

Put plenty of Olive Oil in Frying Pan and warm over Medium Heat.

Dip thawed chicken in mixture of beaten egg and milk. Then cover with Bread Crumbs.

Place dipped chicken in oil and cook both sides about 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked through. Serve with Mashed Tators and Gravy


Chicken Gravy

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
Desired spices - pepper, paprika, Spike

In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute.

Pasta Delight

PASTA DELIGHT (Stephanie Bacon)

12 ounces penne pasta
1 onion
2-3 tomatoes
1 T. olive oil
1-3 zucchinis, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. dried basil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook Pasta according to package directions. Chop shallot or onion. Cut tomatoes. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir zucchini in hot oil until slightly softened. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic. Cook 1 minute. Add tomato; cook 45 seconds. Add basil and cheese. Pour vegetable mixture over penne pasta. Enjoy!

Chicken Fajitas

Chicken Fajitas 

1. Chicken. (Roughly one chicken breast feeds two or three people, depending on how much you eat).

2. Cut chicken into small strips or bite-sized pieces. Cook in a frying pan on medium heat with little bit of oil. Salt as desired.

3. While cooking, add Lawry’s fajita seasoning (or the homemade fajita sauce recipe below).

4. After the chick is mostly cooked, add sliced green and/or red peppers (roughly one pepper for the two or three people, depending on preference).

5. Also add fresh sliced onion.

6. Serve on flour tortilla with desired toppings such as: cheese, tomato, sour cream, etc.

Fajita Sauce (seasons 1.5 to 2 pounds of chicken):

• 2 to 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of black pepper

Tony Roma's Baked Potato Soup

Tony Roma’s Baked Potato Soup

2 medium potatoes
3 Tbsp butter
1 cup diced white onion
2 Tbsp flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups instant mashed potatoes
3/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1/8 tsp thyme
1 cup half and half


Garnish:
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
2 green onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 and bake the potatoes one hour or till done. Remove from oven to cool.

As potatoes cool, prepare soup by melting butter in a large saucepan and sauté onion till light brown. Add the flour to the onions. Stir to make a roux.

Add stock, water, cornstarch, mashed potatoes and spices to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Cut potatoes in 1/2 lengthwise. Scoop out contents with large spoon. Chop baked potato with large knife to make chunks about ½ inch in size.

Add chopped potato and half and half to the saucepan, bring soup back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer soup for another 15 minutes or till thick. Serve in bowl and top with cheese bacon and onion. Great in bread bowls.

(ok, ok... i probably ruin this soup because I don't do everything properly.   I boil the potatoes (it's faster). I also like to add carrots and celery occasionally just to add variety.  Oh, and since I rarely have half-n-half and I'm not a huge fan of cream, I use milk.  I know, I'm sorry if I ruined the best parts of this soup!  But we still love it!)

Pizza Benders / Easy Calzones

Easy Calzones (Jessica Mohlman)

8-9 Texas Rhodes rolls, thawed
2/3 cup shredded provolone cheese
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced, or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Other fillings:

Pepperoni, cooked sausage, cooked ham, olives, peppers, mushrooms, anything you want


Egg wash:

1 egg beaten
1 Tblsp water

Set rolls out to thaw. Pre-heat oven to 350.

Mix together all ingredients (except egg and water for egg wash).

Flatten rolls and fill with mixture. Place onto a greased cookie sheet. (Make sure the cookie sheet has a raised edge.) Fold over and press fork around edges to close.

Mix egg and water in a separate bowl. Brush onto closed calzones. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until whole calzone is golden brown. (Pour excess oil out of pan immediately, or put on cooling rack, so the calzones don’t get soggy!)

Dip in Pizza or Marinara Sauce.

(You can fit a lot more filling that you're realize in the calzones... At recipe group they probably put 1/2 - 3/4 cup filling in).



Pizza Benders (Mary Brunson)

Rhodes Texas Rolls, thawed
Pizza sauce
Favorite pizza toppings (ham, pepperoni, olives, peppers, etc.)
Grated mozzarella cheese

Thaw rolls until warm and bubbly. (30 minutes in oven and then 30 out of oven.) Roll one roll into a 7” circle. Fill with two tablespoons of your favorite pizza toppings and one tablespoon of grated mozzarella cheese.

Fold over like a turnover and seal edges with fork. Bake on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray for 20 minutes at 350. Dip pizza benders in heated pizza sauce.

BBQ Pork Sandwiches

3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, pork butt, or pork sirloin roast
1 teaspoons salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
½ teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground)
2 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
3 cups BBQ sauce (plus more for serving)

Cut pork roast into large 4-inch pieces. Season pork on all sides with salt & pepper. (Heather browns each side of pork roast or chops)

Slow Cooker Directions: add water or broth & liquid smoke to slow cooker. Add pork. Cover & cook on low 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours, until the pork is fall-apart tender.

Remove pork from slow cooker & discard most of the remaining liquid (leave about 1/4 cup). Shred pork using a couple of forks - it should easily fall apart into pieces. Place meat back in slow cooker.

Add BBQ sauce (Heather only adds BBQ Sauce to individual sandwiches based on personal preference) & heat through (or keep on warm for several hours).

Serve on buns with extra barbecue sauce.

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/bbq-pulled-pork-sandwiches-slow-cooker/

Crash Hot Potatoes

Ingredients:

• Potatoes (usually baby ones)
• Olive Oil
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Rosemary (optional)
• Green onion (optional)
• Garlic (optional)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make, and cook them until they’re fork-tender.

Drizzle olive oil on a sheet pan. When the potatoes are tender, place them on the cookie sheet giving them plenty of room to spread out.

Grab your potato masher or fork and gently press down on the potato until it slightly mashes Then rotate the masher 90 degrees and finish flattening it. Of course, you don’t want to absolutely smash it into the pan—you want it almost to resemble a cookie.

Brush the tops rather generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and other optional seasonings.

Now throw them onto the top rack of a very hot (450-degree) oven, and cook them for 20 minutes or until they’re golden and crispy and sizzling.

Courtesy of Pioneer Woman