Southernbelle's cooking for a family she loves

2011 Christmas Baking

2011-12-15T20:27:00.000-08:00

Cindy & I did some baking the other day. Christmas baking. Yum! Here are 2 of the things we made.

I *heart* the Christmas smores. Seriously LOVE them! I made them with the chocolate graham crackers once but didn't like them near as well as when I used the Honey Graham Crackers. So...I recommend using Honey Graham Crackers. Seriously amazing. In my opinion anyway!

The cookies are super cute and yummy as well.

Both of these recipes are oh-so-easy! My kind of baking! :)

Christmas S'mores

12 chocolate graham crackers (I used the Honey graham crackers and liked them MUCH better than the chocolate!)
3/4 cup butter
3/4 firmly packed brown sugar
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup red and green M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 15x10x1-inch jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil leaving a 1-inch overhang on ends; spray foil with no-stick cooking spray. Place graham crackers onto foil so sides touch.

Melt butter and brown sugar in 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and mixture just comes to a boil (4 to 6 minutes). Pour evenly over crackers. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes or until bubbly.

Remove pan from oven; sprinkle with marshmallows.

Continue baking until marshmallows begin to soften (2 to 3 minutes). Sprinkle with M&Ms. Cool completely. Lift from pan using foil and cut into bars.

Source: Land O' Lakes Recipe Collection: Holiday Cookies, 2006.
Printed From: Bakergirl.

Candy Cane Blossoms
recipe from Hershey's

1 bag Hershey;s Kisses brand Candy Cane Kisses

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons milk

Red and Green colored sugar

Preheat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove wrappers from candies (approx. 35)

Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternatively with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in red and/or green colored sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 - 1o minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cookies is set. Remove from oven; cool 2 to 3 minutes. Press candy piece into center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Yields approximately 35 cookies.

Creamy Ranch Pork Chops

2011-09-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

Super easy & well liked by the family!

recipe from crockpotgirls.com

Creamy Ranch Pork Chops

6 pork chops (I used 4 which was plenty for our family.)

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 pkg ranch dressing (dry)

Put pork chops in crock pot. Sprinkle about 1/3 of ranch pkg over pork chops and mix the rest in with soup. Pour soup over chops and let cook for 6hrs on low or 4hrs on high. Serve over rice.

Chicken Soft Tacos

2011-09-14T05:48:00.000-07:00

This can be eaten in tortillas as tacos, or do it as Chris & Gracie first did....put in a bowl with chips & cheese (sour cream for Chris) and eat it similar to a Taco Soup. Can't get much easier than this one!

recipe from CrockPotGirls.com

Chicken Soft Tacos

1 lb chicken

2 pkgs taco seasoning (low sodium)

1 can rotel
1 can black beans
1 cup frozen corn
Chicken broth

Put first five ingredients in crock pot and pour in enough chicken broth to cover everything. Cook on low approx. 5 hours or until chicken is cooked through and the house smells AMAZING! Shred chicken and return to pot. Serve with warm corn tortillas, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, etc…

Super delicious and so easy! Enjoy!

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Bread

2010-11-16T12:46:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe online today. It wasn't actually on a Paula Deen site, but whoever posted it credited one of her cookbooks. I found this to be very good & moist. I love when a recipe makes 2 loaves. 1 loaf is supposed to be for a new neighbor. It's still up for debate on whether or not they'll actually get it!

Pumpkin Bread
from The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook by Paula H. Deen

Yields 2 loaves

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin
2/3 cup water
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans. Mix sugar and oil with mixer. Add eggs and blend. Add pumpkin and blend. Add water and blend. Combine remaining ingredients and add slowly. Fill pans equally and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown.

VARIATIONS:

For the oil, substitute 1/2 cup oil and add 1/2 cup applesauce. For banana bread, substitute 2 cups mashed, ripe bananas for pumpkin and omit nutmeg.

Buttermilk Pie

2010-11-09T17:36:00.000-08:00

I loooooove buttermilk pie, and Chris does, too. This is so good!

Buttermilk Pie
from The Southern Living Cookbook, pg. 362

1/2 c butter or margarine, softened
2 c sugar
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
3 eggs
1 c buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell

Cream butter at high speed of an electric mixer; gradually add sugar , beating well. Add flour, and beat until smooth. Add eggs; beat until blended. Add buttermilk and vanilla; beat well. Pour filling into pastry shell.

Bake at 400 for 5 minutes; reduce heat to 350, and back an additional 45 minutes or until set. Cool to room temperature; then chill.

Yield; one 9 inch pie

Parmesan Knots

2010-11-09T17:28:00.001-08:00

Our family loves these little 'rolls,' and can put away quite a few during a meal! I especially like to serve them with another of our favorites: Chicken Spaghetti!

Parmesan Knots
from Quick Cooking magazine

1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 c parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
dash pepper
3 cans (12 oz. each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

In a small bowl, combine oil, cheese, parsley, oregano, garlic powder, & pepper. Set aside. Cut each biscuit in half. Roll each portion into a 6 in. rope; tie in a loose knot. Place on greased baking sheets.

Bake at 450 for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately brush with the Parmesan mixture, then brush again. Serve warm or freeze for up to 2 months.

TO USE FROZEN ROLLS: Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 5 dozen

Chocolate Fudge Pie

2010-11-09T17:24:00.001-08:00

This is a definite favorite in our family!!!! It's like a big brownie in a pie crust!

Chocolate Fudge Pie

1 stick butter
1/4 c cocoa
1/4 c flour
1 c sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
2 eggs
1 unbaked pie shell

Mix all filling ingredients together. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 for ??? minutes.

I say ??? because what I have written down says 25 minutes, but I've never been able to get it to be done in that short of a time. It usually goes 45 minutes or more; it's quite dense.

Brown Rice

2010-11-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

This is so easy, yet soooo yummy! I got the recipe from my good friend, Melissa Bryan.

Brown Rice

1 stick butter
2 cans Campbell's beef consumme
1 C long grain rice-white
1/2 onion, chopped

Melt butter. Add cans of beef consumme & rice. Add chopped onion. Cook at 350 for 45 minutes.

Brunswick Stew

2010-11-01T11:41:00.001-07:00

I thought this was pretty good! It made a TON! I am including the recipe exactly as it appears in Paula's magazine even though I may have altered a few things.

Brunswick Stew
recipe gotten from "Cooking with Paula Deen" magazine
Sept./Oct. 2010
pg. 62

2 cups new potatoes, coarsely chopped (I didn't see anything labeled 'new potatoes,' so I used really tiny red potatoes)
2 cups frozen lima beans, thawed
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cups frozen okra, thawed
1 onion, chopped
3 lbs. boneless beef roast, trimmed (I used slightly smaller)
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (28 oz.) bottle bbq sauce
1 1/2 cups beef broth
Cornbread, optional

In a 4 qt. slow cooker, combine potatoes, beans, corn, okra, and onion. Place roast on vegetables. Pour tomatoes, bbq sauce, and beef broth over roast. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.

Reduce heat to low, and cook 8 hours.

Using 2 forks, shred meat into bite-size pieces. Serve with cornbread, if desired.

Chicken 'n Spinach Bake

2010-04-11T20:30:00.000-07:00

One of my sweet friends made us some casseroles a few weeks ago. She knew we had been having a stressful time with our break in and kids being sick, so she wanted to do something special for us. Making us some dinners was such a sweet thing to do! Our oven was out of commission for quite a while (like over 3 weeks!) but we got it back to working condition last week (thankfully) so when Ellie ended up being sick last week (again) it was great to be able to grab this fabulous casserole out of the freezer. It thawed during the day and was ready to pop in the oven that night. It was really good and enjoyed by our family!

Chicken 'n Spinach Bake

12 oz. uncooked penne pasta (Heather actually used bowtie pasta for us.)
1 Tbsp. olive oil; she also used the olive oil cooking spray
1 c finely chopped onion
1 (10 oz.) pkg. chopped spinach, thawed & drained
3 cups cooked, cubed chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lbs.)
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) container of chive and onion cream cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (she added more)

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. In a large bowl, combine pasta, spinach, chicken, tomatoes, cream cheese, salt, & pepper. Mix well.
3. Spread oil (or spray) on bottom of 11x7 baking dish.
4. Spoon mixture into baking dish and sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.
5. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes.
6. Remove foil cover and bake an additional 12-15 minutes.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-02-22T08:55:00.000-08:00

It's a chilly day (although I really thought I heard it was going to be a nice weather day) and tomorrow actually brings a chance of snow! Combine that with the fact that I have a scratchy, slightly swollen & sore throat, and a nice, warm bowl of some kind of soup sounds really good for dinner tonight!

I am fixing "Chicken Tortilla Soup." I remember one time receiving a text from Chris while at violin practice with Gracie that said something similar to, "This dinner is amazing!" I'm not sure it was this recipe, but in the cookbook, it has a check mark & smiley face next to it, so I take that to mean we enjoyed it! (My mom always made notes in her cook books next to a lot of the recipes she makes, so I guess I picked up on that habit!)

Chicken Tortilla Soup
(from 'Fix It & Forget It Cookbook,' pg. 47)

4 chicken breast halves
2 15 oz. cans black beans, undrained
2 15 oz. cans Mexican stewed tomates, or Rotel tomatoes
1 cup salsa (mild, medium, or hot, whichever you prefer)
4 oz. can chopped green chilies (I accidentally bought jalapeno peppers instead, so I just left them out.)
14 1/2 oz. can tomato sauce
tortillas chips
2 cups grated cheese

1. Combine all ingredients except chips & cheese in large slow cooker
2. Cover. Cook on Low 8 hours. (I put my chicken in frozen, so I set it on High to begin with.)
3. Just before serving, remove chicken breasts and slice into bite sized pieces. Stir into soup.
4. To serve, put a handful of chips in each individual soup bowl. Ladle soup over chips. Top with cheese.

Apple Dumplings with Rich Cinnamon Sauce

2010-02-20T18:03:00.000-08:00

My friend, Melissa, sent me this recipe, so I decided to try it out today. YUMMO is what I say about it! I never seem to follow a recipe exactly, but I followed this one pretty closely, and it was really good!

Apple Dumplings with Rich Cinnamon Sauce

Ingredients

5 tablespoons softened butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
4 apples (any variety but Red Delicious) peeled, halved, and cored, a thin sliver cut off bottoms so apples sit flat
1 (15 ounce) container 9-inch pie crusts
1 egg white
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix 3 Tbs. of butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon and all the nuts in a small bowl. Spoon a portion of the mixture into each hollowed-out apple core.
For boxed pie crusts, unroll one of the dough sheets onto a floured work surface. Pulling on sides of dough to straighten rounded edges, roll it into an approximate 12-inch square, then cut the dough into four 6-inch squares; brush the perimeter of each square with egg white. Set an apple half on each square. Bring up the 4 corners of dough around the apple and pinch edges to seal. Place on a large (at least 18- by 12-inch) parchment-covered baking dish. Brush dumpling tops and sides with egg white; sprinkle with sugar. Repeat process with remaining apples and dough.
Bake dumplings until pastry sets and starts to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes longer.
While apples bake, bring 1 cup water, the remaining 2 Tbs. butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon to boil in asmall saucepan over medium heat. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tsps. water; whisk into hot syrup for a smooth sauce. Cover, keep warm.
For each serving, spoon a portion of sauce on a dessert plate. Set apple dumpling over warm sauce; serve immediately.

White Chili

2010-01-12T16:36:00.001-08:00

I made this tonight (with alterations which I will note). Chris exclaimed over it, and Ellie gobbled it up! It was good! I think if I make it again and include some of the things I left out, it will give it a little bit of "oomph" to make it even better! I served it with crunchy, buttered, French bread.

Basically, I altered (or simply left out) quite a bit, but this is the basic recipe anyway!

White Chili
from 'Fix It and Forget It Cookbook' pg. 47

3 15 oz. cans Great Northern beans, drained
8 oz. cooked & shredded chicken breasts (I just kinda chopped it and have no idea really how much I used!)
1 cup chopped onions (didn't use)
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow, red, or green bell peppers (didn't use)
2 jalapeno chili peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (optional) (didn't use)
2 garlic cloves, minced (didn't use)
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/s tsp. dried oregano
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
sour cream (didn't use)
shredded cheddar cheese (didn't use)
tortilla chips (didn't use)

1. Combine all ingredients except sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chips in slow cooker.

2. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours, or High 4-5 hours.

3. Ladle into bowls and top individual servings with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chips. (I just served it with a 'hunk' of hot French bread. It soaked up the soup part really well!)

Southern Cinnamon Sugared Pecans

2009-12-11T13:15:00.001-08:00

I made these to take to a party. Typically, I'm not much of a pecan person, BUT these are REALLY good!!!!!

Southern Cinnamon Sugared Pecans
from Recipezaar

1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 Tbs. water
1/4 tsp. vanilla
3 cups shelled pecan halves

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine evaporated milk, sugar, water, & vanilla.

Heat mixture, stirring often, until sugar is dissolved.

Add cinnamon and stir. Some may float on top.

Add 3 cups of pecans to mixture and stir to cover.

Continue stirring pecans in mixture until pecans become coated well and mixture cooks away (gets absorbed/crystalized onto the pecans.)

Spread hot, coated pecans on wax paper; try to separate them as you spread them on the paper.

Let pecans cool completely.

Break apart pecans and store in air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.

Tater Tot Casserole

2009-12-10T19:02:00.000-08:00

When Katie was born while we were living in Aiken, SC, several girls from church brought us dinner. A lady named Kerry brought us this casserole which has since become something I have made many times.

Tater Tot Casserole

1 lb ground beef

¼ cup chopped onion

small bag of tater tots

1 can cream of mushroom soup

8 oz. sour cream

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

milk-as much as desired to make it seem not too dry

Brown the ground beef, season it and drain.

Spread the tater tots on the bottom of a casserole dish. Add a layer of beef. Mix your soup, sour cream & milk. Spread over the casserole. Top with cheese. Bake at 350.

Poppyseed Chicken

2009-12-10T18:58:00.000-08:00

One of our faves.....

Poppyseed Chicken
from ‘Young Married’s Grub Book’ from South Plains Church of Christ (Lubbock, TX)

4 chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken

1 can cream of mushroom

2 sleeves Ritz crackers

1 stick butter

2 Tbsp. poppy seed

1 8 oz. sour cream

Boil chicken and cut. Mix soups, sour cream, some of the poppy seed and chicken. Melt butter. Crush crackers and mix. Add remaining poppy seed. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes.

Buffet Potatoes

2009-12-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

I am planning to make these for a party where brisket & ham will be served. Yummy! I know someone else is also bringing cheesy potatoes of some sort, but we decided 2 people bringing them might be a good idea. After all, who doesn't like CHEESE & POTATOES together?!

This recipe is one of our favorites!

Buffet Potatoes

1 (32 oz.) pkg. frozen hash browns (I use the little 'cube' kind.)
1 stick margarine
1/4 cup "Seasoning Vegetables" (basically, this is chopped onion, celery, & bell pepper. If you buy "Potatoes O'Brien," you're ALL SET)
1 (10 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz.) sour cream (2 cups)
2 cups grated cheese
Italian bread crumbs (can)

Turn on oven to 350. Thaw potatoes. Melt margarine in microwave.
Mix all ingredients except crumbs in a 9x13 pan. Top with crumbs. (I don't really like the crumb part, so they can certainly be left out of the recipe.)
Bake uncovered 1 hour.

Corn Pie

2009-11-24T12:24:00.000-08:00

This is a side dish that our family hasn't enjoyed in awhile, but Chris asked me to make it yesterday for a Thanksgiving luncheon he was having at work today. It is yummy & easy!

Corn Pie

1 box Jiffy Cornbread mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 can cream corn
1 can whole kernel corn
8 oz. sour cream

Mix all ingredients. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Slow Cooker Chicken 'n Dumplings

2009-11-20T07:57:00.000-08:00

I think this sounds great for a rainy Friday night!

Slow Cooker Chicken 'n Dumplings
from "Cooking On Clover Lane"
http://cookingoncloverlane.blogspot.com/2009/10/most-comforting-comfort-food-that-has.html

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 Tbs. butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 onion, finely chopped
2 pkg. refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with just enough water to cover. Cover and cook 5-6 hours on High. About 30 minutes before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Pork Chop Casserole

2009-11-19T17:05:00.000-08:00

It sounds a bit odd, but we're trying this tonight!

Pork Chop Casserole

4 bone-in pork loin chops (1/2 in. thick)
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 cup orange juice
1 can (10 1/2 oz.) condensed chicken with rice soup, undiluted

In a large skillet, brown pork chops in oil; drain. Place the rice in an ungreased shallow 3 qt. baking dish; pour orange juice over rice. Top with pork chops and soup.
Cover and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until pork juices run clear and rice is tender.
Yield: 4 servings

Tex-Mex Chicken Chowder

2009-11-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

I am trying this tonight. Sounds good....hope it is! :)

Tex-Mex Chicken Chowder
"Fix It and Forget It Cookbook" p. 48

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. oil
1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
32 oz. can chicken broth
1 pkg. country gravy mix
2 cups milk
16 oz. jar chunky salsa
32 oz. bag frozen hash brown potatoes
4 1/2 oz. can chopped green chilies
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed

1. Combine onions, celery, garlic, oil, chicken, and broth in 5 quart or larger slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 2 1/2 hours, until chicken is no longer pink.
3. In separate bowl, dissolve gravy mix in milk. Stir into chicken mixture. Add salsa, potatoes, chilies, and cheese and combine well.

Cook on Low 2-4 hours, or until potatoes are fully cooked.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

2009-11-12T06:34:00.000-08:00

My friend Melissa has raved over this recipe many times, so tonight is the time to try it! I go into the office on Thursdays, so I took about 15 minutes this morning to throw it all in the crock pot. Bet it smells good when I get home this afternoon!

Beef Stroganoff

2 lb. beef stew meat (I ended up getting a little over 2 lbs.)
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can cream of onion (I could not find this, so I used 2 cans of cream of mushroom & 1 envelope of dry onion soup mix.)
1 onion, cut into pieces
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese

In a crock pot, combine first 4 ingredients. Cook on high 6 hours or on low 10 hours. Right before serving, stir in sour cream & cream cheese. Stir until well combined. Serve over your favorite pasta; I will use egg noodles.

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake

2009-11-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I've been in a bit of a cooking mood today (and Ellie & I grocery shopped at HEB this morning). I've got dinner in the crock pot for tonight, the main part of dinner for tomorrow night in the fridge, and 2 casseroles in the freezer for other people. I ALSO made this cake which I can't WAIT to eat tonight! The taste test of the icing was yummy! I better get everything cleaned up in the next hour or so, or it could sit there for days...cause I will run out of steam soon!

Feel free to check out the link at the bottom for pictures of each step. She does a much better job of describing this cake that I ever could! Enjoy!

Pioneer Woman Chocolate Sheet Cake
Combine in a mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, melt:
2 sticks butter
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa. Stir together.
Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk.
Add:
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:
Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely.
Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.
Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.
Add:
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Stir together.
Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_chocol/

Chicken Spaghetti

2009-11-09T08:43:00.000-08:00

My family LOVES this recipe! I am making it today to be eaten later....by us & others!

Chicken Spaghetti
taken from Quick Cooking magazine, Nov./Dec. 1999, pg. 53

4 cups cubed, cooked chicken

2 cans (10 ¾ oz. each) condensed cream of mushroom soup,

undiluted

2 ½ cups chicken broth

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

2 Tbs. dried parsley flakes

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 lb. process American cheese, cubed

1 pkg. (12 oz.) spaghetti, cooked & drained

1 can (2 ¼ oz. sliced ripe olives, optional

In a soup kettle or Dutch oven, combine the first 9 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted. Add the spaghetti and olives if desired. Transfer to 2 greased 11x7x2 in. baking dishes. Cover & freeze 1 casserole for up to 3 months. Cover & bake the 2^nd casserole at 325 for 40 minutes. Uncover & bake 10 minutes longer. TO USE THE FROZEN CASSEROLE: Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Bake as directed.

Crockpot Roast

2009-11-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

I still stand by my mom's roast being the BEST ever, but I can't ever seem to replicate it. My friend Cindy says this recipe by our other friend Lisa is awesome, so I'm giving it a shot for dinner tonight!

Lisa Peace's Crockpot Roast
1 beef roast
Bag of Baby Carrots (I didn't use the whole bag.)
Small Red Potatoes (I didn't peel them; I like red potatoes with the skin on.)
Small Onions
Garlic Cloves
Salt and Pepper
1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

Sear the roast in a little oil after seasoning with a small amount of salt and pepper. Place in crockpot that has been sprayed with Pam Spray. Place all vegetables on top of the meat, then spread the soup on top of all of that. (Don't add water unless the meat is frozen.) Cook on Low all day, or on High if it's for Sunday dinner.

Menu for the next little while-Chicken Enchiladas

2009-11-08T17:59:00.000-08:00

So I'm trying to plan menus these days. Chris has given me a CASH budget for groceries which I was quite scared of at first. However, I now LOVE it! I find myself much less likely to go in to the grocery store and pick up 'this & that' w/o having a plan for using 'this & that' which equates to saving my grocery money longer! I have found that when I buy specific ingredients for specific dishes, it makes for much less stress on me each evening. I know what I have and what I can make (for the most part...there have been times when I've forgotten something.)

Anyway, so here is my menu for the next little while. I'm not organized enough to necessarily plan a specific dish for specific days...at least not too far out. I'm afraid I'll change my mind! :) BUT...the next time I go to the store (quite likely tomorrow) my goal is to buy the ingredients for these dishes.

I will post the specific recipe closer to time that I make it.

*Crockpot Roast (courtesy of Cindy's blog courtesy of Lisa Peace)
*Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings (courtesy www.cookingoncloverlane.blogspot.com)
*Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff (courtesy of Melissa)
*Apple Ham Steak (courtesy of my 'Taste of Home' cookbook)
*Pork Chop Casserole (courtesy of my '5 ingredient Taste of Home' cookbook)
*Chicken Enchiladas (courtesy of Melissa)

I'm not sure which I'll make tomorrow, but one that I'm really looking forward to is Melissa's chicken enchiladas, so I'll go ahead & post the recipe. I will probably plan to eat this one Tuesday because the recipe says it is best prepared 24 hours in advance because it gives the juices time to soak in, so if I buy everything tomorrow and make it then, it'll be GREAT for Tuesday! I've eaten this many times, and it is YUMMO!

Chicken Enchiladas
4 chicken breasts cooked and chopped
1 c chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tsp chili powder
4 tsp minced onion
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp tabasco sauce
12- 6" flour tortillas
2 c mexican shredded cheese

Combine and heat soups with seasonings until well blended. Mix half of the soup mixture with the chicken. Place a heaping spoonful of chicken mixture in each tortilla. Grease a 9x13 dish and drizzle a little of the reserved soup mixture in the bottom. Roll tortillas and place seamside down in dish. Top with remaining soup mixture and spread evenly over the top. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Uncover and bake until cheese is completely melted. This recipe is best prepared 24 hours before you bake it.

Sausage Manicotti

2009-11-05T06:26:00.000-08:00

I haven't tried this particular one yet. I plan to serve this one with salad and possibly broccoli. Wouldn't be a bad idea to have some bread, but haven't gotten around to planning that yet.

Sausage Manicotti
from 'Simple & Delicious'
Nov./Dec. 2007, pg. 51

1 lb. bulk pork sausage
2 cups (16 oz.) small curd cottage cheese
1 pkg. (8 oz.) uncooked manicotti shells
1 jar (26 oz.) Italian baking sauce
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

In a large bowl, combine sausage and cottage cheese. Stuff into manicotti shells. Place in a greased 13x9x2 baking dish. Top with baking sauce.

Cover and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of a shell reads 160.

Uncover; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 8-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 7 servings

Lil' Cheddar Meat Loaves

2009-11-03T07:36:00.000-08:00

One thing I really like is remembering who/where I get our favorite recipes. This recipe comes from my friend, Melissa, in Aiken. We have enjoyed this many times!

Lil' Cheddar Meat Loaves

1 egg
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 lb. ground beef
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cooking oats or bread crumbs
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup ketchup
1 1/2 tsp. mustard
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Oven: 350
In a bowl, beat the egg and milk. Stir in cheese, oats, onion, and salt. Add beef and mix well. Shape into 8 loaves. Place in a 9x13x2 baking dish. Combine ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. Mix well and spoon over loaves. Bake 45 minutes.

I plan to have some good 'ole mashed potatoes with this. Maybe some biscuits & a veggie. Probably won't decide on that until I'm in the midst of getting everything ready.

Nacho Chicken

2009-11-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

This is one of Chris' favorites. Actually, we all love it! I gave him a few choices of what I could make tonight based on the ingredients I had, and this is what he chose. It is GOOD!

Nacho Chicken
From Quick Cooking
March/April 2001 pg. 15

4 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 lb. process American cheese, cubed
2 cans (10-3/4 oz. each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes & green chilies, undrained
1 cup chopped onion
½ tsp. garlic salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 pkg. (14-1/2 oz.) nacho cheese tortilla chips

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; mix well. Crush chips; set aside 1 cup for topping. Add remaining chips to chicken mixture. Spoon into a greased 13x9x2 baking dish; sprinkle with reserved chips. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are bubbly. Yield: 8-10 servings

Chocolate Chip Dip

2009-11-02T06:26:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for a really yummy "sweet," you must try this!

Chocolate Chip Dip

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup (6 oz.) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Graham cracker sticks

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Serve with graham cracker sticks. (I couldn't find graham cracker sticks at Super Target or HEB last week, so I used the HEB brand of Teddy Grahams!) Yield: 2 cups

Pumpkin Banana Bread

2009-10-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

I baked this yummy bread yesterday. The recipe made 2 loaves, and the 1st loaf was gone by this morning! This recipe is courtesy of my sweet friend, Krista!

Pumpkin Banana Bread

1 1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Shortening
2 eggs
2 large ripened bananas
3/4 C. solid pack pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. chopped nuts (optional)

Optional additions: sprinkle top with cinnamon & sugar before baking.

Mix sugar & shortening. Beat in eggs, mashed bananas, pumpkin, vanilla & mix well. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt and nuts. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Spoon batter into 2 greased/floured 9x5 loaf pans. Bake @ 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans. Cool on wire rack. Enjoy!

What to do with the left over pumpkin in the can:

Add 2 eggs, 1/2 C. sugar, 1/2 cup of evaporated milk, some pumpkin pie spice & pour into a little dish (5x7) lined with Pillsbury pie crust and you have a mini pumpkin pie! Serve with cool whip.