Martha's Recipe Cabinet

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2012-02-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

1/2 stick butter (4 Tbsp.)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots (optional)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup cooked, chopped chicken
1 package Uncle Ben's Long Grain Wild Rice - Original Recipe

In a large pot melt butter on med heat. Add onion, celery, carrots. Saute on med. heat until tender. Rice including seasoning mix, chicken and broth. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes.

Comments - The original recipe for this soup called for 2 Tbsp. of flour added to the onions for thickening and 3 Tbsp. of sherry. I omitted both and added the butter to my onions and added celery which wasn't called for in the original recipe. I also left out the carrots simply because I don't like cooked carrots. For my chicken I used 2 plump split chicken breasts using this for my broth. This version gave me a pot full of chicken and rice with just enough broth to make it perfect. Due to the seasoning mix included with the rice, no salt was needed. You could add a little garlic and maybe a touch of sage if you want but I found it perfect as it is for my taste buds.

Banana Nut Rum Cake

2012-02-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

1 yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup rum (2 mini-bottles)
4 med. ripe bananas
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mash bananas and set aside. In a large bowl combine cake mix, eggs, water, butter and rum. Beat with electric mixer about 1 minute. Add bananas and pecans and beat until blended. Pour into 2 loaf pans and bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Comments - This idea came to me when I discovered 2 mini-bottles of rum in the cabinet and some bananas that were ripe and needed to be used, quickly. The 1/2 cup of rum mixed with the bananas gives this cake/bread a deliciously, unique taste. The only changes I've come up with so far would be to add coconut instead of or with the nuts. You could use strawberries instead of the bananas or change the flavor of the cake mix. This is a must try!

Cheese Straws

2012-01-22T12:28:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups shredded cheese, room temperature
1 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine butter, cheese and mustard. Add flour and mix until the mixture is completely blended and forms a large ball. Pinch off pieces and roll into a ball about the size of walnuts. Roll these balls into strings. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes about 3 dozen.

Comments: The original recipe for this called for 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese. I have about 1/2 cup of Parmesian and about 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheeses that needed to be used. I combined these with 1 cup of cheddar for my cheese. The original also called for a tsp. of pepper. This I eliminated but did add a Tbsp. of a herb blend that included Rosemary to half of my mix. This gave me 2 flavors and also helped me use up some leftover cheese. So for this dish Think With Your Taste Buds!

Smothered Pork Roast

2012-01-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

2 1/2 lb. pork sirloin
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 can (18.5oz.) Progresso French onion soup
2 Tbsp. corn starch
water

In an electric frying pan, heat oil. Add sirloin and slightly brown on all sides. Add water, starting with 1 cup, adding more water as needed to keep meat from cooking dry. Cover pan and cook 45 - 60 minutes depending on the thickness of mean or until a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees. When meat is done, in a bowl mix soup and corn starch. Pour over meat and heat for 10-15 minutes or until soup is hot.

Comments - the original recipe called for pork chops. I've adjusted it to work with a pork sirloin or tenderloin. I cooked mine in an electric frying pan on high for browning and then reduced the heat to 300 for cooking. But, this can be cooked in a Dutch oven on top of the stove. For changes, use a pre-seasoned cut of pork. One that's already seasoned with garlic and maybe even a few herbs would be tasty. This will also come out great by using a thick beef roast instead of pork.

Rice With Chicken Casserole

2012-01-15T09:22:00.000-08:00

1 cup chopped chicken (1-2 no bone, no skin chicken breasts, cooked)
2 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup green bell peppers, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/2 cup sour cream
salt & pepper to taste
shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix everything but cheese. Pour into a casserole dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Top with cheese and bake until cheese melts.

Comments - I used 2 boiled chicken breasts which gave me just over 1 cup. For the rice I used 1 pkg of boiling bag rice. And for my cheese I used a thin topping of mozzarella and topped that with cheddar. I wasn't sure how this dish would come out. The idea came from a recipe for rice and tuna which had olives, boiled eggs and lemon juice as additional ingredients. I changed to chicken, left out these 3 ingredients and added the onions. This comes out with a slightly sweet taste from the peppers and oh so good. I took a dish over to 2 of my food testers and they simply loved it and she doesn't care that much for bell peppers. This is a real keeper!

Sweet Potato Pie

2011-11-27T11:35:00.001-08:00

1 can (21 oz.) Bruce's Baked Sweet Potatoes
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmet
1/2 tsp. salt
1 unbaked deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. With a mixer beat potatoes, milk, eggs and spices until well blended. Pour into pie shell. Bake 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake another 60-70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Comments - About 30 minutes into baking at the 350 degrees I laid a piece of foil over the top to stop the browning of the crust. This pie is thick and oh so good, as well as easy to make. When my pie was done I dabbed it with thin slices of butter and sprinkled just a little sugar over the top. Then I placed it back into the oven just long enough for the butter to melt completely. Changes - top with marshmallows and pecans. But for me, I loved this the way it is.

Cheddar Chicken Broccoli Soup

2011-11-06T14:35:00.000-08:00

1 pkg. Bear Creek Cheddar Broccoli Soup Mix (11.2 oz.)
8 cups chicken stock/water
2 chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. sage
1 cube granulated onion
1 cup shredded cheese
seasoned stuffing mix

Boil the chicken breasts until completely done. Remove meat from bone. Strain the broth and measure broth adding enough water to make 8 cups of stock/water. In a large pot, bring to a boil. Add onion cube and sage. Whisk in soup mix and cook on low uncovered 10 minutes. Add chicken and cheese. Heat, stirring constantly until cheese melts. Serve with seasoned stuffing mix.

Comments: This soup comes out a little thick but oh so good. I decided to use the stuffing mix instead of crackers giving it just a little more of that heart warming sage taste. This is a great recipe to have on hand using leftover turkey in place of the chicken.

For my review of Bear Creek Cheddar Broccoli Soup Mix, visit my site The Good, The Bad, The Maybe.

Apple Walnut Cake

2011-10-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

4 med. apples, peeled and sliced (or 3 large)
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread apples in the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2 pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup walnuts and cinnamon. In a large bowl combine flour and both sugars. Add eggs, oil, buttermilk and water. Mix well. Pour over apples. (Batter should be slightly thicker than cake mix, if not, add a little water and mix until you have a thick, pourable mix.) Bake 35-40 minutes or until browned and toothpick in center comes out clean. While cake is still hot, poke holes into cake using a fork. Set aside and made topping.

Topping - In a saucepan combine sugar and sour cream. Cook over medium heat until it starts to boil. Immediately add baking soda and remove from heat. Pour over hot cake allowing to seep into the cake. Great served with ice cream while still hot!

Cube Steak Catatorie

2011-10-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

2 cube steaks
1/2 cup frozen, chopped bell peppers and onions
1 heaping tsp. minced garlic
1 can (8 oz.) Rotel Zesty Tomato & Green Chili Sauce
1/4 cup flour
3 Tbsp. oil
salt & pepper to taste
cheese
rice

In a frying pan, with lid, heat oil on med. high. Place flour in a shallow bowl large enough to fit each piece of steak. Salt and pepper steak then place in flour, pressing as much flour onto both sides as possible. Fry on both sides. You want the flour to be slightly browned and the meat to be no longer pink inside. Remove from pan. Add onions, peppers, garlic and Ro-Tel to pan. Lay steaks on top. Cover and cook 20-25 minutes or until meat, onions and peppers are tender. Push onions, peppers and tomatoes to the side. Cover steak with cheese, shredded or sliced, any flavor you like. Spoon onions, peppers and tomatoes over cheese. Cover and heat until cheese melts. Serve over rice. Serves 2

Kielbasa Rice Pilaf

2011-09-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

1 pkg (1 lb) Kielbasa
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 stalk celery chopped
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1 box Rice Pilaf (7.2 oz.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil

In a sauce pan cook Rice Pilaf according to package directions.
While the rice is cooking, in a large frying pan heat oil. Add peppers, onion, celery and garlic. Cook on medium high until onions and peppers are tender. Cut Kielbasa into bite size pieces and add to onion & peppers. Continue to cook allowing the Kielbasa to heat thoroughly. Add rice and mix well. Serves 6.

Comments - You can color this up by using red and/or yellow peppers. When cooking my onions and peppers I like them soft but if you like them a little less done, cut down your cooking time. This will give the dish a little more added crunch but remember you will also have a slight crunch from the celery. If you don't like Rice Pilaf, use plain rice, wild rice, brown rice or a combination of both. If you don't like Kielbasa, use chicken.

Applebutter Muffins

2011-09-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

3 1/2 cups plain flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups apple butter
2 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
1 cup chopped walnuts
cinnamon sugar (1 tsp. cinnamon, 3 tsp. sugar mixed well)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Beat in apple butter and vanilla. Stir lemon juice into the evaporated milk. Using low speed, alternately add the flour and milk to the apple butter mix until combined. Fold in nuts. Line regular size muffin tins with liners. Fill 2/3 full. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes. Makes 3 - 3 1/2 dozen muffins.

Comments - I found this recipe on Food.com and made a few changes. For one, I doubled the recipe to give me more muffins. I also added the nuts and cut down the amount of sugar, which could actually be cut down another 1/4 cup. I used walnuts but pecans would work just as well. You can also add raisins for an added texture and taste. And if you don't have apple butter, use cinnamon flavored applesauce.

Chicken Broccoli Stir-fry

2011-09-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 pkg. (12 oz.) Broccoli Slaw
3 + 1/4 cups water, divided
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 cup cornstarch

In a large skillet sprayed with non-stick spray, stir-fry chicken in canola oil until the chicken is no longer pink. Move to a large bowl and set aside. Add broccoli slaw to the pan and stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan and add to chicken. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add bouillon cubes and stir until dissolved. Reduce heat and add soy sauce, ginger, chicken and vegetables. Cook about 5 minutes. Mix cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water creating a paste. Stir into chicken/broccoli and bring to a boil. Cook about 2 minutes stirring constantly or until the sauce thickens to the consistency of a thick gravy. Serve over rice. Serves 4-6 depending on serving size.

Comments - My food testers loved this one. The broccoli slaw simplified the recipe eliminating the need to cut up the broccoli and shred the carrots. The mix I bought also had shredded purple cabbage adding another color and taste to the dish. Now, what do you do with the leftovers, if you have any? I wrapped them in flour tortilla, placed them in a baking dish, covered with cheese and baked on 350 until the cheese melted and the dish was piping hot. Yum Yum!

Chili Wraps

2011-08-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2 cans (15 oz. each) chili with beans
10 (6") flour tortillas
1 can Enchilada Sauce (I used mild green)
cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef. Crumble well and drain. Add taco seasoning and chili. Mix well. Spray baking dish with non-stick spray. Spoon beef mixture down the center of tortillas, wrap sides over and place seam side down on dish. Spoon Enchilada sauce over tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Comments - I went to Taco Bell a few days ago and had a dish that I can't even pronounce the name of. It was beef, refried beans and onions wrapped in a tortilla, covered with cheese and baked. It was delicious but I knew I could recreate it at home. That's when I came up with my Chili Wrap recipe. I did substitute the refried beans for the chili with beans only because I thought I had a can of beans and didn't but did have the chili. Turns out this was even better. And the best part about this recipe is that you can use shredded, cooked chicken instead of the beef if you want. Also, this would be delicious with a scope of sour cream on top, maybe a sprinkle of chopped green onions and/or tomatoes.

Chicken Delicious

2011-08-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

2 chicken breasts - cooked, cooled, cut up into bite size pieces
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup celery, chopped (about 2 stalks)
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 stick butter, melted
2 cups stuffing mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix chicken, soup, chestnuts, mayo, celery and cheese. Spread into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Mix melted butter and stuffing. Pour over chicken mix. Bake 45-50 minutes.

This dish has a story. Here is my co-author, Lillian Mort's portion of the story.

When our sister was ill, my sister, Lorretta, brought dinner to us (I was there helping to care for my sister and, when Lorretta brought dinner, she did the whole thing from salad, to entree, to home made rolls and to dessert!). This time, the entree was Chicken Delicious and it stood up to its name. Later, after I came home, I added Water Chestnuts and, sometimes, thinly sliced green onions, to her recipe and have been making it ever since. It's always a hit with shut-ins from church, too. Sometimes, I make two smaller casseroles and freeze one before baking for a meal on another day.

Now for my part of the story. When I went to FL for the release party of our cookbook Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts, Lillian cooked this dish. It's such a simple recipe that required very little preparation time, giving us more time to spend together just talking. I really enjoyed the dish so I copied down the recipe and decided to make it myself. But...I decided to add one more ingredient. Lillian had added the water chestnuts giving it an extra texture so I added the cheese.

You can bet this recipe will be in our next book Think With Your Taste Buds - Meats. In the meantime, make it our own recipe by adding your own ingredients.

Triple Chocolate Cake

2011-07-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

3 eggs
2 cups cake flour or all purpose flour (I like cake flour)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk
3 oz. dark or bittersweet chocolate, grated

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl mix together flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl cream butter until smooth. Continue to cream adding sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Start adding eggs one at a time to the butter mix. Add 1/2 of the four mixture and whipping cream. Mix until smooth. Add remaining flour, milk and vanilla. Fold in grated chocolate. Pour into a angel food or bundt pan that's been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Drizzle:
1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup cooking cream cheese

Mix together and spread over top of cake allowing to run down sides. Sprinkle with chocolate (optional)

Comments: If you like chocolate you can't help but love this cake. It's full of chocolate and so moist that you can actually eat it with very few crumbs. Changes can be to add a few finely chopped nuts to the batter or the drizzle. You could also add a little coconut to the drizzle.

Loaded Potato Bake

2011-07-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

5 medium-size potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cooking cream cheese
1 Tbsp dehydrated onion
1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 string cheese sticks
French fried onions (optional)

Boil the potatoes in salted water to cover until tender. Drain. Mash lightly with a fork. While still hot, add the sour cream, cream cheese, onion, butter, bacon, pepper and salt. Mix well. Cut cheese sticks into small pieces. Fold into potato mix. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place in a casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle Parmesan on top. Bake 20 minutes. During last 5 minutes of baking top with French fried onions and bake last 5 minutes. More cheese can be added at this time if desired.

Comments – you can add just about anything to this simple dish. Broccoli would be a great addition. The bacon can be left out and roast beef can be added making the dish a main course. Spring onions would make a great substitute for the dehydrated onions. You can also use instant potatoes but they won't be near as good as the real thing. Think With Your Taste Buds!

Hot Chocolate Pound Cake

2011-07-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

2 cups sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
7 eggs, at room temperature
3 cups cake flour
1 cup hot chocolate mix
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine sugar and butter and beat on medium speed until creamy. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Sift flour and chocolate mix together. Add half of the dry mixture and 1 cup of the whipping cream. Beat until smooth. Add remaining dry mixture and other 1/2 cup of cream. Pour into a Angel food pan or bundt pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. or until tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Remove and cool completely before slicing.

I came up with this idea when I found that I had hot white chocolate mix left over from Christmas. I hate to throw things away so decided to give it a try in a pound cake. It's great! The pound cake recipe that I used called for 3 cups of sugar but since the mix is sweet I cut the sugar down to 2 cups. Also, the recipe called for 1 cup of whipping cream but due to the addition of a whole cup of hot chocolate mix, I added the extra 1/2 cup. And yes, you can use regular hot chocolate mix (without marshmallows) in place of the white chocolate.

Sausage Squash Casserole

2011-07-10T09:10:00.000-07:00

1 lb. sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion, more if you like
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers, more if you like
3 large yellow squash, peeled, sliced, cooked and drained
3 cups cheddar cheese
2 1/2 cups dry stuffing mix
1 carton (6 oz.) plain yogurt
1/2 French fried onioins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet brown sausage, onions and peppers. Pour off drippings. Stir in squash, 2 cups cheese, 2 cups dry stuffing and yogurt. Mix well and pour into a 2 quart casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with 1 cup cheese, 1/2 cup stuffing and French fried onions. Bank another 5-10 minutes or until cheese melts. (Watch French fried onions so they don't burn. If they start browning too quickly, cover dish loosely with foil. Serves 6-8 as a main dish.

Shrimp Toast

2011-07-09T15:21:00.000-07:00

1 cup salad shrimp
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. mustard
8 slices French bread

Toast the bread on both sides. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all other ingredients. Spoon onto toast. Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly bubbly.

Shrimp & Scallops Over Rice

2011-06-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

4 cups cooked rice
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 oz. bay scallops
1 heaping Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large frying pan heat olive oil. Add shrimp, scallops and garlic. Cook 4-5 minutes or until shrimp is no longer pink. With a slotted spoon remove shrimp and scallops. Whisk cream cheese into the juices from the shrimp and scallops. Add to cream cheese, shrimp, scallops and rice. Pour into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes. Serves 6-8

Comments - For my rice I used instant but you can, of course, use any rice you might like. The flavor of the finished product is a combination of Shrimp Scampi and Shrimp and Grits. Changes you might add would be a little nutmeg and maybe a splash of Sherry. Also, you can serve this over grits. It's rich, creamy and delicious!

Pork Tenderloin Au Jus

2011-05-08T14:55:00.000-07:00

1 pork tenderloin (1 1/2 - 2 lbs.)
1 1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Mix sage, garlic, thyme, allspice, paprika and olive oil in a shallow bowl. Rub over tenderloin coating completely. Place tenderloin in a deep pot. On med. high heat brown on all sides. Turn heat to low. Add 1/2 cup of water, cover pot and cook 1 hr. Spoon juice over meat when serving.

Comments: My idea for this dish came to me when I found that I had a package of McCormick Recipe Inspirations. The recipe on the package was actually for apple pork chops but I decided to "Think With My Taste Buds" and create something different using the herbs/spice included in the package. And I couldn't have chosen a better piece of meat to work with than the pork tenderloin. It picked up all of the flavors, it was juicy and tender and my kitchen has had a wonderful smell all day.

Taco Casserole

2011-05-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 tsp. salt (to taste
1 package taco spices and seasonings
1 cans Rotel
1-1/2 cups uncooked pasta (macaroni, spiral, etc.
1 cup water
1/2 cup shredded cheese
chopped green onions
sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef and drain. Cook pasta according to package, drain and rinse. Add Rotel, taco seasoning, water and pasta to beef. Pour into baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Cover with cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Top with onion tops and sour cream when serving.

Notes - You can heat this up by using the hot Rotel and/or hot taco seasoning. I used the mild. You can use just about any type of paste that you want. I used elbow mac. You can also use any cheese you want. I used a Mexican blend. The leftovers, if you have any, heat up quite well in the microwave and it also freezes well so you can double the recipe and freeze one.

Crabby Rice Patties

2011-04-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

Chicken broth
1 cup instant rice, uncooked
2 cans (6 oz. each) crabmeat, drained, cleaned
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup butter
Old Bay seasoning, to taste
2 eggs
Panko bread crumbs
Cooking Oil

Cook rice in chicken broth according to cooking directions on package of rice. Stir in crabmeat, cheese, butter and Old Bay. Add eggs. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Heat oil in large frying pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour Panko into a shallow bowl. Shape into patties, press patties into Panko to coat. Fry until browned on both sides. Place on a baking sheet covered with foil. Bake 20 minutes.

Tips/Changes - I mixed everything but the eggs so I could taste my mixture as I went along. This way you can add as much or as little of the Old Bay. You can add more or less cheese, I used cheddar but you can change that to fit your own taste. I used plain Panko bread crumbs but I'm sure seasoned would be good. I haven't tried it yet but I want to give this a try using Salmon instead of crab. Bet that one will be good too.

Smoky Sausage Quiche

2011-04-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

2 regular pie crusts (not deep dish)
1 pkg Smoked Sausage (I used Hillshire)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped bell peppers
1 Tbsp. oil
8 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake shells 15 minutes. In a small frying pan saute onions and peppers. Set aside to cool. Cut sausage into bite size pieces. In a large bowl mix eggs, milk and mustard with a whisk until well blended. Add onions, peppers, sausage and cheese. Stir well. Pour into pie shells and bake 40-45 minutes. Serves 8 (4 for each pie)

Tips: I poked holes in my shells before baking to keep them from bubbling. To make life even easier I used pre-cut peppers and onions. These can be found in the freezer department and are usually mixed red and green. I cut the sausage into 1/2" circles and then cut them into 4ths. You can cut this recipe in half but after tasting you will probably wish you hadn't. I used cheddar cheese but I'm sure pepper jack would have been wonderful! To complete the meal I served a salad and slices of fruit.

Ground Beef Stuffed Shells

2011-04-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

24 jumbo shells, cooked according to package
1 lb. ground beef
1 med. onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
Your favorite meat seasoning, to taste
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 soup can water
French fried onions
shredded cheese

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef. Drain and remove from pan. In the same pan saute peppers and onions (there should be enough grease in pan from cooking beef, if not add 1 tsp. oil). Add meat to pepper and onions. Let cool. Spray baking dish large enough to hold all 12 shells with non-stick spray (I used an oval dish that was 8 x 6 and fit my shells tight). In a bowl whisk soup and water. Pour over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with cheese and French fried onions. Bake about 20 minutes or until bubbly but watch onions so they don't burn. If they start over browning cover with a sheet of foil. Serves 6-8

Notes: I used a cheese blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack. You can use any cheese that you like. The seasoning I used was an herb & garlic blend. Think With Your Taste Buds and use whatever you really enjoy on your meats. You can also leave out the soup and cover with a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce for a totally different taste and dish.

Peanut Butter Bars

2011-04-03T12:57:00.000-07:00

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup regular sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup Peanut Butter Bars, crushed (about 20)
8-10 Peanut Butter Bars, crushed and set aside
Glaze (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a med. bowl mix flour, nuts, brown sugar and butter. Press into the bottom of 9 x 13 x 2" baking dish. Bake about 10-21 minutes or until slightly browned. In another bowl using a mixer blend cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in 1 cup peanut butter bars. Pour over crust. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven. Spread a fine glaze over top and sprinkle with remaining peanut butter bars. Refrigerate. Makes about 30 bars.

Notes: In the picture you'll see the type of peanut butter bars I used. You can use chocolate coated peanut butter candy instead of the type I used. This also works well with crushed toffee candy. For my glaze I used Duncan Hines Amazing Glazes. I keep a bottle of this in my refrigerator to use when I want a glaze that isn't sticky when cooled. This works perfect. You can also use the chocolate glaze for added flavor.

Potato Chip Chicken

2011-04-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks
1 cup potato chips, crushed
1/4 cup French fried onions crushed
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup ranch dressing

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick spray. Place cut chicken into a bowl. Add ranch dressing and toss to coat. In another bowl mix chips, onions and cheese. Individually roll chicken pieces in chip mixture, then placing them on baking sheet. Don't crowd. Use a second pan if needed. Bake 20 minutes.

Notes: I found a recipe for chicken crusted with cheese crackers and couldn't wait to give it a try. It turned out that I was out of cheese crackers so I did my usual - I decided to Think With My Taste Buds and came up with this recipe. Changes can be in the cheese. Pepper Jack would be wonderful and give it a touch of heat or you can increase the onions and add more flavor.

Beef Stew - Crockpot Method

2011-03-31T16:11:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. lean beef cut into chunks
3 Tbsp. oil
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
3 Tbsp. flour
1 bottle beer (12 oz.)
1 med. onion, chopped
4 med. potatoes, cubed
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp. mustard
1 tsp. caraway seeds
salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet. Cook and brown beef turning frequently, about 10 minutes. Remove and place in crockpot. Add mushrooms to skillet. Sprinkle with flour and saute 2-3 minutes (add 1 Tbsp. of oil if needed). Slowly add beer stirring constantly to keep down foaming. Cook about 3 minutes or until sauce thickens. Pour over meat in crockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on Low 8-9 hrs.

Notes: Serve over rice or noodles. The meat needs to be a lean cut such as round but you can use any lean pre-cut stew meat. You can use any mushrooms you want. I like portabella but white button are good too. You can also add carrots giving you everything but the bread in one dish. This is great served with cornbread but crackers and rolls work too.

Lima Bean Soup

2011-03-30T16:33:00.000-07:00

1 bag (16 oz.) Baby Lima Beans
8 cups water
1 med. onion, chopped
1 lb. ham, cubed
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste (with Italian Herbs, optional)
4 garlic cloves
hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Place everything in a slow cooker. Cook on med. 6-8 hrs.

Note: I used the Italian Herb tomato paste for added flavor. You can change the ham to turkey ham if you want.

Key Lime Jello Pie

2011-03-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

1 pkg (3 oz.) lime jello
2 pkg (6 oz. each) Key Lime Yogurt
1 cup hot water
Whipped topping
Nuts
1 Graham Cracker Crust

In a bowl mix jello with hot water until melted. Whisk in both pkgs of yogurt. Pour into graham cracker crust. Refrigerate or freeze until firmly set. Top with whipped topping and sprinkle with nuts. Serves 6-8.

Changes: Change jello and yogurt flavors e.i. strawberry jello & strawberry yogurt, lemon jello & lemon yogurt. Or blend flavors e.i. strawberry jello & banana yogurt.

Chocolate Pecan Cobbler

2011-03-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

2 sticks of butter
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups sugar & 1 cup sugar (separated)
1 cup milk & 3/4 cup milk (separated)
1/4 cup cocoa
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped nuts
glaze, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter into a 9 x 13 x 2 baking dish. Place in oven while preheating allowing butter to melt. Mix flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup of milk until well blended. Pour over melted butter. Mix 1 cup sugar and cocoa. Sprinkle evenly over flour batter. Mix 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup water. Pour over sugar/cocoa mix. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake 60 minutes. After about 30 minutes lay a sheet of foil over mix to slow down browning. Drizzle with glaze, optional. Serves 8-10. This dish is VERY rich and sweet. You can also serve it with ice cream while hot.

Cabbage Rolls

2011-03-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

6 whole cabbage leaves
1 lb. ground beef
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided (I used pepper jack for a touch of heat)
1 brown rice boiling bag, cooked according to package
1 Tbsp. garlic & herb seasoning (no salt)
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot boil cabbage leaves, about 10 minutes. Remove from water and allow to drain and cool. Brown ground beef with garlic. Drain and set aside to cool. After beef has cooled add eggs, 1 cup cheese, rice and garlic herb seasoning. Stir well. Spoon down the center of your cooled cabbage leaves. Place in a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray, seam side down. Cover with undiluted soup. Bake covered with foil 20 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake 15 minutes more uncovered. Serves 6.

Comments and changes - This dish is so good. The original recipe called for 2 egg whites as well as the 2 whole eggs, I left them out. It called for basil and dill which I also left out. Also, the cheese in the original recipe was cheddar, I wanted a little heat so I used Pepper Jack which gave this a wonderful taste!

Dirty Rice & Shrimp

2011-03-07T14:45:00.000-08:00

2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 lb. ground pork
1 med. onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Zatarain's Jazz it Up Seafood seasoning
2 pkg (6.2 oz.) Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice
(or 1 1/2 cups any brand long grain & wild rice)
2 cans (14.5 oz. each) low sodium chicken broth
1 lb. (40-60 count) shrimp, shelled, cleaned, cooked & cut in half
3-4 green onions including tops, chopped

In a large saucepan heat 1 Tbsp. of the oil. Add pork and cook over med. heat until the meat is no longer pink. Reduce heat to med. low and add the other Tbsp. of oil, onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in Zatarain's seasoning and rice (do not add seasoning mix). Add broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer covered for 20-25 minutes or until rice is done. Stir in shrimp and let simmer for about 2 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serves 8-10.

Tips: The original recipe called for regular rice, I wanted the different textures so I used the wild and long grain rice. I also had a list of 6 different seasonings but I had just bought a jar of Zatarain's Jazz it Up Seafood so decided to try it instead. I used 1 Tbsp. but wanted just a bit more heat so I added an extra teaspoon which is optional. I also bought my shrimp already cooked which saved time. All-in-all, it turned out wonderful!

Changes: Use Polish Sausage or chicken instead of the shrimp.

Pork Chops & French Fried Onions

2011-03-06T13:09:00.000-08:00

4 boneless pork chops

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup milk

1 heaping Tbsp. mustard

¼ cup flour

¼ cup Panko bread crumbs

½ cup crushed French fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a cookie cooking rack sprayed with non-stick spray on a baking sheet covered with foil. In one bowl mix mayonnaise, milk and mustard together. In a second bowl mix flour Panko and crushed French fried onions. Dip chops in mayonnaise mixture then into crumb mixture. Place on cookie rack. Bake 20-25 minutes or until chops are done and crumbs are lightly browned. If the crumbs start to brown before chops are done, loosely cover them with a sheet of foil.

Tips: Use a fork to crush the fried onions. You want them crushed small enough that they will cling to the mayo mixture. The mayo mixture should be about the consistency of a slightly thick gravy. You want it to stick to the meat on both sides without running off.

Changes – It was suggested to me by a man I work with that this would probably be good made with zucchini squash instead of the chops. Thanks John for the suggestion, I’ll have to give it a try. I also suggest maybe broccoli or change the meat to chicken and even cube steak. Also, if you don’t have Panko bread crumbs, regular bread crumbs will work too. I like the Panko for the added crunch when cooked.

Potato Puffs

2011-02-05T15:54:00.000-08:00

1 pkg (4 oz.) Instant Potatoes
(with butter, sour cream, bacon, onions and/or chives)
1 cup hot water
1/4 cup flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
Panko crumbs, seasoned
24 cheese cubes (1/2" x 1/2")

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix potatoes with hot water. Stir in flour. Add egg. Let cool. Shape into 1 1/2" balls. Press a cube of cheese in center. Roll in Panko. Place on baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.

Changes - The original recipe called for "real" potatoes baked, mashed and seasoned with green onions. I simplified the whole recipe by using instant potatoes with the works. The original recipe called for a Shake 'N Bake coating, I changed it to the seasoned Panko. You can change these by using regular instant potatoes and adding cooked, crumbled bacon for a stronger flavor. You can use regular instant potatoes and add shredded dried meat. As always...Think With Your Taste Buds.

Bacon Broccoli Quiche

2011-02-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

1 deep dish pie shell
1/2 lb. bacon
1 Tbsp. bacon drippings
1 can (4 oz.) Shiitake mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
6 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese (I used Pepper Jack)
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pie shell for 10 minutes. Set aside. Fry bacon until crispy. Crumble bacon and set aside. Saute mushrooms, broccoli, bell peppers and onion in bacon drippings for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. In a bowl, whisk eggs and sour cream. Stir in cheese and bacon. Pour mushroom broccoli mixture into pie shell. Add egg mix. Bake 40 minutes or until center is set. Cover top with additional shredded cheese and broil until melted. Serves 6.

Changes and short cuts - you can use precooked bacon to save time. You can change the meat to ham instead of bacon or change the cheese. You can even use asparagus instead of broccoli.

Creamy Clam Chowder

2011-01-22T17:17:00.000-08:00

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can chicken broth
2 cups half and half cream
5-6 med. potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cans (6 1/2 oz. each) chopped clams, with juice
1/2 cup dry sherry or cooking sherry
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt & pepper to taste

In a large sauce pan melt butter. Add flour and potatoes. Stir well. Add broth and cream. Cook on med. heat stirring often until potatoes are tender. Add clams with juice, sherry, cheese, salt & pepper. Cool until cheese melts. Serves 8-10.

This is good with a little cheese garnish too. Be very careful when cooking the potatoes. You don't want the soup to stick or scorch. If you find your soup is getting a little thicker than you want, add a little water. This dish can be made using shrimp instead of the clams and boy is it good!

Cinnamon Twists

2011-01-17T14:44:00.000-08:00

1 tube pizza dough
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup powdered sugar
finely chopped nuts
ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Open and remove the pizza dough from the container. Cut in half. Unroll and slice into 1" strips. Carefully twist the dough and place on the parchment paper lining the cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until slightly brown.

While twists are cooking mix powdered sugar with melted butter. As soon as the twists come out of the oven, drizzle with butter mixture. Sprinkle with nuts and cinnamon to taste.

While running through an old cookbook I ran across a recipe where you made up a dough, let it rise, rolled it out, cut it into strips and baked. After baking it was drizzled with butter, cheese and seasonings. Well, this sounds good but I wanted something sweet and didn't want to go through the process of making my own dough. That is when I decided to give pizza crust dough a try. It works perfectly! And if you Think With Your Taste Buds you can even come up with your own combination making your Twists sweet or basted with butter and sprinkled with seasonings and cheese.

Creamy Pasta with Italian Sausage

2010-12-08T13:57:00.000-08:00

1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
3 cups uncooked Rotini pasta
1 jar (26 oz.) pasta sauce with mushrooms & peppers (or your choice)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large pot cook pasta according to package. Drain, rinse and set aside. In a skillet over med. heat, cook ground beef and Italian sausage. Drain well. In a large mixing bowl combine garlic, cream cheese, sour cream, eggs and 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese. Add garlic, cooled meat, pasta and pasta sauce. Pour into a 13" x 9" glass baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Top with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake 25-30 minutes. Serves 8

Changes - I chose Rotini due to it's shape which allows the sauce to stick to its crevices but you can use any pasta you want with this, even spaghetti. Spice it up some by adding a cup of Parmesan, half inside the dish and the other half sprinkled on top. Change the pasta sauce flavors. Add sauted onions and bell peppers. Think with your taste buds on this one.

I served this dish with my "Crescent Knots." They are made by spreading a thin layer of garlic butter over crescent rolls before rolling and baking.

Chocolate Snickerdoodles

2010-12-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

1 box (17.5 oz.) Snickerdoodle cookie mix
1 box (19.5 oz.) milk chocolate brownie mix (no nuts)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients until completely blended. Shape into 1" balls. Place on cookie sheet 2" apart. Bake 10 minutes for soft cookies and 12 minutes for crisp. Makes 4 dozen.

Additions: Bottom center - press a thumb print into the cookie ball before baking. Fill hole with English Toffee Bits. Place a pecan half on top of toffee. Bottom Left - press candies into unbaked cookie balls. Top Left - Press a large chocolate candy into unbaked cookie ball. Top Right - Roll in cinnamon sugar before baking. Bottom Right - Roll in cinnamon sugar with chocolate sprinkles. Center - Roll in cinnamon sugar and press a pecan into the center of unbaked cookie ball.

These are just a few ideas. Get the kids in the kitchen and come up with other ideas.

Steak Marinate

2010-10-17T15:23:00.001-07:00

1 Tbl. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. herb seasoning (your favorite)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 - 1 1/2 lb. steaks

Combine all in a large zip type plastic bag. Add steak. Marinate 2-6 hrs. Grill.

This simple marinate works great with chicken, pork and any cut of beef including roast. You can even use it to marinate hamburgers but put it in a flat bowl, cover and leave up to 30 minutes, carefully turning once.

White Lasagna

2010-10-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 small onion, sliced thin
1/2 bell pepper, sliced thin
1 can (4 oz.) shiitake mushrooms, sliced & drained
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Lasagna noodles, boiled if needed
1 jar (l lb.) garlic Alfredo sauce
4-5 slices Swiss cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large frying pan crumble and brown ground beef. Drain well and set aside. In same pan saute onions and peppers in olive oil until transparent (not brown). Add drained mushrooms. Add Alfredo sauce to ground beef. In a 13 x 9" baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray cover bottom with lasagna noodles. (I use the no pre-cook type which are wide. For my dish it takes 3 noodles to cover the bottom. If you use the type that must be boiled 1st it may take 4 lengthwise.) Top noodles with 1/2 of the ground beef/Alfredo, 1/2 of the onion/pepper/mushrooms. Cover this with the Swiss cheese slices. Top with another layer of noodles, the remaining onion/pepper/mushrooms, ground beef/Alfredo and then cover evenly with mozzarella cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly, cheese has melted and starting to brown.

Changes - Use Italian sausage instead of ground beef. This is also good made with Imitation Crab or shrimp. I've not tried it yet but I think chicken would also be great and I might even add some spinach to the 1st layer.

Pecan Coconut Bars

2010-10-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

Crust
1 pkg (about 18 oz.) butter pecan cake mix
5 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 egg

Topping:
3/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/4 cup toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9" pan with non-stick spray. In a bowl combine cake mix, butter and 1 egg. Mix until well blended. Pour into pan and press evenly to form crust. Bake 15 minutes. For topping mix syrup, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Pour over crust. Evenly sprinkle pecans, coconut, white chocolate and toffee bits. Bake 25 minutes. Cool completely. Cut into squares. Makes about 24 bars.

Changes - I think this would be good with a lemon cake mix. If I used lemon I would sprinkle with a little lemon zest and maybe leave out the toffee bits. Or change it to a chocolate cake mix and use chocolate chips. This is a fun recipe to play with.

Pasta Bake

2010-09-28T14:20:00.000-07:00

1 pkg (16 oz.) pasta (your choice, macaroni, spiral, etc.)
1/2 lb. Italian sausage, bulk (not in casings)
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg (5 oz.) mini pepperoni
1 jar (16 oz.) spaghetti sauce (your choice of flavor)
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (your choice of color)
1 Tbsp. cooking oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onions and peppers in oil. Set aside. In the same pan brown and crumble sausage and ground beef. While meat is cooking, cook pasta according to package directions. In a large bowl combine coked meat, onions & peppers, pepperoni, spaghetti sauce, cheddar cheese and drained pasta. Mix well. Pour into a 13 x 9 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 20 minutes or until bubbly. Top with mozzarella cheese. Turn oven to broil and cook, watching carefully until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Serves 6-8.

The idea for this came from a recipe for a casserole that required ingredients that I simply didn't have in my kitchen so I just changed it up a bit. These changes gave me the dish above and it is so delicious. You can make your own changes by doing exactly what I did. I decided to Think With My Taste Buds.

Apple Pie Cake

2010-09-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

4 Granny Smith apples (peeled, chopped)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) melted
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 egg
1/2 - 3/4 cup walnuts (I like to use 3/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place apples, brown sugar and cinnamon in a sauce pan. Cook on med. heat until apples are tender and most of the liquid cooks out. (Don't add liquid, the apples will create their own liquid) While apples are cooking combine cake mix and butter. Mix until crumbly. Take out 1 cup of mix and set aside. Press the remaining cake mix into a 13 x 9 baking dish. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Top cake mix crust evenly with cooked apples. (You can drizzle with 2 - 3 Tbsp. of the liquid from the cooked apples but no more than that.) In a small bowl, using an electric mixer, mix cream cheese, flour and egg. Spread over apples. (This is not easy to spread but using a butter knife or the back of a spoon works best. Just smooth it over the apples the best you can.) Sprinkle with walnuts. Using your hand, sprinkle the remaining cup of cookie mix over nuts. Bake 18 - 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Changes - change the cake mix to carrot or spice cake. Change the fruit to pears. This is delicious served with a scope of ice cream drizzled with caramel.

Beef Chowder

2010-09-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

1 lb. stew meat cut small (1/2" x 1/2")
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 med. sized potatoes, cubed small (1/2" x 1/2")
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheese

Cover beef with water and boil until tender (about 45 minutes). Remove beef from pan. Strain 1 cup of broth and add back to pan. Bring to a boil. Add onions, potatoes and beef to broth. Let simmer until potatoes and onions are tender. Stir in mushroom soup. Top with shredded cheese when served. Serves 6-8

I want a clear broth so when I strain my broth I also rinse off my stew meat.

Changes - try this with chicken or pork. Serve as a meal or as a side dish. This is so simple and so easy that it's one you won't want to miss trying.

Italian Sausage Roll

2010-09-21T03:27:00.000-07:00

1 lb. Italian sausage
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tube crescent rolls
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 cup Alfredo sauce with mushrooms
cheese for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crumble and brown Italian sausage. Drain well and cool completely. After cooling mix in cream cheese. Cover a cookie dish with foil sprayed with non-stick spray. Unroll crescent rolls and seal seams by pressing together. Form sausage mix into a roll placing it long-way down the center of dough. Top with shredded cheese. Bring sides up and over sausage roll. Bake 20-25 minutes or until slightly browned. Top with optional cheese and heat until melted. Heat Alfredo sauce in a saucepan. Cut Roll into slices topping with hot Alfredo. Serves 6-8

Changes - This one is fun to play with. Add very well squeezed spinach to meat mixture. Use different flavors of cheese such as sharpe or blended cheeses. Use Pizza or Spaghetti sauce in place of the Alfredo. You can also use a tube of thin crust pizza dough in place of the crescents.

Coconut Cream Cheese Cookies

2010-09-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

1 pkg. (18 oz.) coconut cake mix
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. coconut extract
1/2 cup large flakes or 1 cup regular flake coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix, cream cheese and coconut extract together until blended smoothly. Add coconut. (I use my hands for mixing all ingredients together). Roll into 1" balls, press lightly to flatten, place 1" apart on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake 12-15 minutes. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

Changes - Simply change the cake mix flavor. You can use spice cake and raisins, chocolate cake mix with coconut or mix in chocolate chips. While making these I added about 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans to the last half of the dough to add an extra taste and texture. It turned out to be a wonderful addition.

Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-09-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 pkg. spice cake mix (18 oz.)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. In a large bowl combine oats, cake mix, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Stir in raisins, nuts and white chocolate chips. Shape into 1" balls, press slightly and place on cookie sheet 2" apart. Bake 10 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.

Changes: Of course you can change the cake mix. Carrot cake mix would be good. You can use chocolate chips, use pecans and change from raisins to cranberries. Be creative!

Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies

2010-08-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

1 pkg. (18 oz.) yellow cake mix
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 cup toffee bits
Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, on medium speed beat cake mix, peanut butter, butter, water and egg for 1 minute. Beat in toffee bits. Shape into 1" balls, slightly press and then make an indention in the center with your finger. Fill indention with your favorite sprinkles. Bake 10-12 minutes.

As you can tell from the picture I used 4 different toppings. I love my white chocolate so some had to be adorned with them. Some I sprinkled with chocolate sprinkles, some with candy coated chocolate sprinkles and some with a mix of chopped peanuts and chocolate sprinkles. These are really kid friendly cookies and with the holidays around the corner, they are perfect to add to your holiday trays and even to leave for Santa. And don't forget the school parties. Think how proud your kids will be when they brag to their friends that they made the cookies.

White Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

2010-08-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup crushed thin pretzels sticks
1 yellow cake mix
3/4 cup melted butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 cup chow mein noodles
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup English Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place pretzels in a shallow bowl and set aside. In a large bowl combine cake mix, butter and eggs. Mix until well blended. Mix in chow mein noodles, white chocolate chips and toffee bits (this mixes best when you use your hands). Shape dough into 1" balls. Roll in pretzel pieces, pressing to adhere. Place cookie balls 1" apart on parchment paper. Bake 14 minutes. Cool.

When I make cookies I try to always use parchment paper. This allows me to slide the paper with the cookies off of the cookie sheet and allow them to cook while I'm making the next batch. If you're making several dozen cookies, you can actually reuse the paper to bake another batch.

For changes in this recipe, you can of course change the cake mix as well as the flavor of the chips. I decided on white chocolate due to the salt in the pretzels. I simply like that combination. These cookies would be great for different holidays. You can use seasonal colored M&Ms for your chips giving the cookies a holiday color. And of course, you can always add coconut. This is a very simple recipe. One that kids would even enjoy making and being creative with.

Easy Sandwich Cookies

2010-08-13T17:09:00.000-07:00

Filling

3/4 cups chunky peanut butter
3/4 cups marshmallow cream
3 Tbl. milk
3 Tbl. powdered sugar

Cream all ingredients together. Spread between store bought cookies or homemade cookies. These make delicious sandwich cookies at very little cost. I made them with homemade sugar cookies. It made enough to make about 20 sandwich 3" cookies. I also used them with store bought cookies. The homemade ones were the best, of course, but it also improved the taste of the store bought cookies.

This is a recipe that's fun to play with. Try melting 3/4 cups of chocolate chips to use in place of the peanut butter or the marshmallow cream. When making this change you may need to add just a little more powdered sugar to get the creamy texture. You can also use white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, etc. Just play around with different flavors. If you have children, this is a good way for them to help and start appreciating the fun you can have in the kitchen.

Irish Cream Shortbread

2010-08-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup, dry Irish Cream non-dairy creamer, powdered
1 lb. cold butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your hands, mix butter into flour until it resembles fine bread crumbs. Knead dough until smooth, about 6-10 minutes. Press dough into an ungreased 15 x 10 x 1" baking pan. Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. While still warm, cut into squares but cool completely before removing from pan.

When you start pressing this into your pan you might think there will be too much but believe me, it will all fit into one 15x10x1" pan. Just make sure you have it evenly distributed. As you can see with my shortbread I added walnuts to some. You can also make a finger indention and add a little preserves before baking, lightly press in a piece of chocolate, or change the nuts to pecans. You can also use different non-dairy creamers for different flavors. Just make sure they are the powdered type.

Shrimp-A-Roni & Cheese

2010-08-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

1 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 cup shredded cheese
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 lb. shrimp, cleaned & cooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and pour into a large bowl. While still hot stir in cheese. In a small frying pan melt butter and saute onions (about 3 minutes). Add to macaroni. Stir soup and milk into macaroni. Fold in shrimp. Pour into 8 x 8" baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Top with more cheese during the last 5 minutes of baking if you want.

The idea for this came from a tuna casserole that I found while thumbing through a cookbook. The original recipe called for a box of macaroni & cheese. I changed that to use elbow macaroni and shredded cheese. I eliminated the 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice, which you can add back if you want. In it's place I added the evaporated milk. And of course there was the change form tuna to shrimp. (The original recipe called for 1 small can of tuna.) You can change this dish by using tuna, crab or even imitation crab. If using either of these I think 1 cup would be sufficient.

Banana Cinnamon Coffeecake

2010-07-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
3 large very ripe bananas
2 tsp. baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 cups (16 oz.) Ricotta cheese
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl mash bananas, add baking soda and set aside. In a large bowl cream butter and 2 cups of sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and water. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in bananas. In another bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add alternately with ricotta cheese to butter/egg mixture (add 1/3 of flour mix, 1 cup ricotta, 1/3 flour mix, 1 cup ricotta, remaining flour). Mix well after each addition to keep batter smooth. The batter will be a slightly thicker than cake batter. In a bowl mix cinnamon, nuts and brown sugar. Spray a 10" tube pan very well with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon 1/3 of the batter into the pan, sprinkle with 1/3 of the cinnamon mix, continue ending with cinnamon mix. Bake 70-80 minutes done in center. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes before removing from pan. Cool completely before slicing.

The original recipe was called Cinnamon Coffee Cake. I decided to Think With My Taste Buds and change it up a bit. I had 3 bananas that were ripe and needed to be used, I had some Ricotta cheese that needed to be used and for cinnamon type toppings I prefer brown sugar. The recipe called for sour cream but I wanted to use up my ricotta which is dryer than sour cream but I thought that adding the bananas and 1/2 cup of water would make up for the moisture that would come from the sour cream. Plus, I have used ricotta before in cakes and they have always come out moist. And using the brown sugar instead of regular sugar in my topping worked out perfect. For changes - add coconut, of course. Change the spice from cinnamon to allspice, cloves, etc. All-in-all, this came out perfect and I was able to use up some ingredients that may have gone bad before they were used. I do think I'll use a few more nuts in the future making but it's still good as it is.

Beef and Sausage Meatballs

2010-07-17T14:52:00.000-07:00

2 1/2 cups stuffing mix for chicken
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. lean sausage, hot
1 cup water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix until completely blended (this is where you must use your hands). Shape into balls (I make them about 1 1/2"). Place on a cookie sheet covered with foil, sprayed with non-stick spray. This makes about 48 meatballs. Cook 20 minutes.

Changes - These are not only good with spaghetti and sauce, they are good as appetizers. I had a couple of neighbors over when the first batch came out of the oven and I thought I was going to run short for the spaghetti, they enjoyed them so much. I suggest using hot sausage for the slight heat you will end up with. The ground beef and stuffing mix tone it down. If you want your meat balls hotter, add a little hot sauce. These would be good with Alfredo sauce instead of spaghetti sauce served over noodles.

I also want to tell you that the plate my spaghetti and meatballs are served on are called Palm Plates, made form palm leaves. They were sent to me by MarxFoods and they are great!

Lemon Poppy Seed Squares

2010-07-10T16:49:00.000-07:00

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbl. poppy seeds
1 cup All-Bran cereal
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
3 Tbl. vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbl. lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbl. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium size bowl mix flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and poppy seeds. In large bowl mix cereal, milk, eggs, oil, lemon juice and sour cream. Add flour mix, stirring until combined. Stir in nuts. Pour into an 8 x 8 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a glaze. Use more juice if needed. You want the glaze to be thick but still run off the spoon. While cake is still hot, cover with glaze.

Changes - change flavor by using different flavorings such as coconut, pineapple, almond, etc. If using any of these, eliminate the lemon juice. If you use flavorings in your icing, decrease the amount to 1/2 tsp. and add water to make up the difference.

Shrimp Alfredo & Pierogies

2010-06-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

12 large Potato & Cheddar Pierogies
1 lb. large shrimp, cleaned & cooked
1 jar (15 oz.) Alfredo sauce with garlic
Shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Place pierogies in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour sauce over pierogies. Top with shrimp. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until bubbly and cheese is melted, about 15-20 minutes.

Changes - Use chicken or imitation crab instead of shrimp. I used cheddar cheese but blends would be good too.

Do Nothing Cake

2010-06-13T13:47:00.000-07:00

1 stick margarine
2 cups plain flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large can crushed pineapple

Mix all ingredients. Pour into 9 x 13 pan. Bank at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Topping:
1 stick margarine
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Cook margarine, sugar, milk for 5 minutes. Add coconut and nuts. Spread on cake.

This is the recipe as it was given to me by a friend. It sounded good but the directions weren't quite complete. I googled the cake name "Do Nothing Cake" and actually came up with a couple hits but the directions were all the same, incomplete. So, this is what I did. I did make a couple of changes and used butter instead of margarine in the cake as well as the icing. I also used cake flour instead of plain flour only because that's what was handy. I mixed the cake ingredients and ended up baking the full 40 minutes. When I inserted a toothpick it came after that amount of time. For the topping, it didn't say what temp. to cook the margarine (butter), sugar and milk. I brought it to a full boil and turned it down to a low boil. I make a cookie that requires boiling butter and sugar, not stirring for 5 minutes but with this having milk I decided to stir frequently. It also didn't say when to add the icing. I added the icing while the cake and icing was still hot. The icing thickened but was still thin enough while hot to seep into the cake some. Following these directions, you should come out with a really good cake! I did.

Butter-Pecan Cookies

2010-06-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

BUTTER-PECAN COOKIES (very rich cookies)

2 1/2 sticks butter. No substitute.
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
3 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. almond extract
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar well. Add egg yolks, one at a time; then gradually add the sifted flour. Add the almond extract and the finely chopped pecans. Mix well.

Drop by teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350º for about 12 minutes.
Makes 5-6 dozen.

Changes - change the nuts and flavoring. Make them into black walnut cookies by using black walnuts instead of pecans or, cheat by using chopped English walnuts with a tsp. of black walnut extract added. You would be surprised to find that you can't tell the difference between the nuts when mixed this way.

Pastrami Rolls

2010-05-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 green onion, chopped (including tops)
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
salt & pepper to taste
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 pound deli pastrami, cut into 16 thin slices
shredded cheese

Stir together first 5 ingredients until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread evenly on one side of each tortilla; top with 4 beef slices and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up tortillas tightly; wrap in plastic wrap and chill 8 hours.

Changes - change meat and cheese. I use the Buddig brand thin deli meats which are extremely inexpensive. Using these you can make some with pastrami, beef, chicken, ham, etc. I've tried using sliced cheese and found the shredded works better. You can heat your rolls either in the oven until hot or in the microwave for a few seconds. They also make nice snack/appetizers by cutting them into 1" slices after their refrigeration time.

Oatmeal Bars

2010-05-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

CRISPY OATMEAL BARS

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Oven: 350º

Cream together sugars, shortening, egg, salt, vanilla and soda. Blend in remaining ingredients. Dough will be stiff. Press into bottom of greased 9x13" pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes until light golden brown. Do not overbake.

VARIATION: OATMEAL-DATE CHEWS:

Combine 1 cup cut dates (or raisins) and 1/4 cup boiling water. Add to dough with nuts.

Changes - This recipe was sent to me by Lillian. I used the variation for the Oatmeal-Date Chews and also added my favorite addition... coconut. They are simple to make and turned out delicious. I would make one other change when making these again. I will decrease the dates to 1/2 cup instead of the full cup. With the full cup they come our a little on the sweet side. The coconut I used is dried, shaved with no sugar added.

Five-Cup Dessert

2010-05-24T15:52:00.000-07:00

These are from an old paper back cookbook, "250 Luscious Refrigerator Desserts" by Culinary Arts Institute, 1950.

Lillian sent this recipe. This one can use up some leftover rice and make a good dessert.

FIVE-CUP DESSERT
1 cup cold cooked rice
1 cup drained canned crushed pineapple
1 cup quartered marshmallows (I'd use the mini's here, for convenience)
1 cup chopped walnut meats
1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Combine ingredients in the order listed, chill thoroughly and serve in sherbet glasses. Garnish with additional whipped cream. Serves 10.

I made a few changes when making this one. I didn't have leftover rice so I cooked some. I did have about 1/2 cup of crushed pineapple, about 1/4 cup of sliced strawberries and about 1/2 cup of pecan halves. I combined these and added the marshmallows. I didn't have time to whip heavy cream but had a cup of cool whip so I used that. The picture above is what I ended up with. It's a real keeper!

Bowtie Chicken

2010-05-22T17:29:00.000-07:00

2 cups chicken, cooked and cut into bite size pieces
6 oz. bow tie pasta, cooked according to package
1 pkg frozen broccoli, thawed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

In a large frying pan on medium high heat, cook broccoli in 1/4 cup water about 5 minutes. Mix in soup and heat until hot stirring frequently. Fold in chicken, pasta, salt, pepper and cheese. Turn off heat and place a cover over pan to allow cheese to melt. Serve immediately.

Changes - use a combination of broccoli and cauliflower. Change the soup to cream of mushroom. Add mushrooms. Change the pasta to whatever you like or have on hand. To reheat, pour into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray and heat in the oven. You might even want to add a little extra cheese and even some bread crumbs or French fried onions or panko before heating.

Coconut Bars

2010-05-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

Crust:

3/4 cup margarine, softened (I used butter 1 1/2 sticks)
1 cup light brown sugar
2 cups flour (All-Purpose)

Combine ingredients; press into greased baking pan (9 x 13"). Bake at 350º for 10 minutes.

Filling:
1/4 cup flour (All Purpose
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 eggs
2 cups light brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 can coconut ( I use 1to 1 1/2 cups coconut)
2 cups nuts, chopped

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add remaining ingredients, beating well after each addition. Pour over crust; bake at 350º for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool.
Yield: 24 bars.

Martha - This is a recipe from Lillian that she found in one of her cookbooks dating 1964. This is one example of how simple recipes were years ago. I made these Coconut Bars and there is very little that I would change. I did make the change from margarine to butter, I also used large shredded coconut which I found at a fresh market. These bars come out like pecan pie but better, especially with the butter in the crust.

Lillian - This is a good recipe from an old cookbook that my sister sent to me for Christmas that year. The book is "Favorite Recipes of Pennsylvania" , from Women's Club Leaders of PA.

Italian Casserole

2010-04-22T15:29:00.000-07:00

1/2 lb. extra lean ground beef
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
30-40 pieces pepperoni
1 med. onion, chopped
1 jar spaghetti sauce, your choice of flavor
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 can crescent rolls
margarine
garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown beef sausage and onion. Drain. Add pepperoni. Add spaghetti sauce. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. In a bowl mix sour cream and cheese. Spoon over meat sauce. Open the crescent roll but don't separate wedges. Lay over cheese top forming a crust. Bake 20-25 minutes or until crescent topping is lightly browned and completely done. Brush top with margarine and sprinkle with garlic. Place back in the oven to allow margarine to absorb into the crust.

Changes - Use ground chicken and chicken sausage. Add sauteed mushrooms, onions and peppers. Add black olives or change the spaghetti sauce flavors.

Breakfast Soup

2010-04-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

1 lb. ground sausage, lean
4 cups diced potatoes
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
2 cups water
2 cans (10 3/4 oz.) cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
cheese for garnish

In a large Dutch oven brown sausage over medium heat stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain and return to the Dutch oven. Add potatoes, onion, chicken broth, water and soup. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Garnish with cheese when served. Makes about 2 quarts.

We have soups for lunch, dinner, supper, evening snacks but I don't think I've heard of one for breakfast. This soup is really delicious! I used gold fish as my crackers but it works great with toast. For changes - try using bacon instead of the sausage. I've not tried it yet but I can't see how it wouldn't be just as good as the sausage and maybe even better, if that's possible.

Blond Brownies (2 Recipes)

2010-03-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

(brownie on left is recipe #1, center and right brownie is recipe #2 with no almonds added to center brownie)

Blond Brownies #1

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 box (16 oz.) powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl mix cake mix, pecans, butter and 1 egg. Press into a 13 x 9 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Set aside. In a bowl combine 2 eggs, cream cheese and sugar. Beat until smooth. Pour over cake mix. Bake 60 minutes or until set in the center.

Blond Brownies #2

1 cup butter
2 1/4 cups (1 lb) box of brown sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg (12 oz.) butterscotch chips
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup almond slivers

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add brown sugar. Blend well. Remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes. After cooling, add eggs one at a time beating well after each. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to butter/brown sugar mix. Mix Well. Add vanilla and mix well. Fold in chips, coconut and nuts. Pour into a 13 x 9 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 50-60 minutes or until center is done.

Notes - Mary Kennedy sends goodies to the troops every month. She put in a request for me to work up some Blond Brownies that would ship well. The first recipe Blond Brownies #1 are wonderful but I don't think they will ship very well. I don't think the cream cheese would travel very well. The recipe for Blond Brownies #2 is also wonderful and there should be no problem with shipping. This one can easily have taste changes. The chips can be changed to white chocolate, peanut butter and even chocolate. The nuts can be changed to pecans or walnut. Flavor wise, I have to say I like both equally.

Tuna Casserole

2010-03-01T16:49:00.000-08:00

I found a recipe for a Tuna Casserole in our local paper. It sounded too good to pass up so I decided to try making it, but of course I ended up making changes along the way. This is what I ended up with.

1/2 Tbl. butter
1 box macaroni & cheese
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cans (6 oz. each) albacore tuna, drained
2 Tbl. butter
1 cup milk
1 cup saltine crackers, crushed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crushed French fried onion rings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil water and cook the macaroni. Drain. Using the same pot used to cook your macaroni, saute the onions in 1/2 Tbl. of butter until they turn clear. Add your drained tuna, milk, 2 Tbl. butter and cheese packet from the mac & cheese. Cook until it starts to thicken. Mix in cooked macaroni. Pour into a casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Top evenly with cracker crumbs. Sprinkle cheese over crackers. Add French fried onions. Bake about 15 minutes or until cheese has melted and dish is bubbly.

This came out so good. I've made again a couple of days ago and used 3/4 cup of crushed cheese nip crackers instead of the saltine crackers and didn't add the cheese nor onion rings.

Creamy Chicken & Pasta

2010-02-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

1 1/2 cups rotini pasta, uncooked
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbl. cooking oil
Black olives, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta according to package. In a large skillet cook chicken in oil on medium high heat until done, about 8 - 10 minutes. Stir in broth, cream cheese, soup, and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Cover with lid or foil and bake 15 minutes or until totally heated. Uncover and top with remaining mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake another 3-5 minutes or until cheese melts. Sprinkle with olives.

Changes - SHRIMP! This would be wonderful made with shrimp. You can also make this with leftover chicken or pork. Of course you would eliminate the cooking of the chicken and add the chicken with the broth, cream cheese, etc. I think some French fried onions on top would be good too. These would be added when the final cheese is added. This is a fun dish to play with.

Pizza Tortilla Rolls

2010-01-31T09:26:00.000-08:00

This idea came to me after purchasing a package of frozen pizza rolls. I won't mention the brand but I will say that the taste is great but the price I paid for just 3 is a little high. I knew there had to be a way to have something at least close to the same flavor but at a less expensive price. If you like thin crust pizza, you'll like my Pizza Tortilla Rolls.

These are simply made from tortillas, cheese, pepperoni and pizza sauce. I sprinkled the tortilla with cheese, added about 2 Tbl. pizza sauce down the middle of the cheese, made 2 rows of pepperoni down the center, carefully rolled them up and secured with tooth picks. Then I baked them in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese was melted and the sauce was hot.

These are perfect for lunches, snacks and even super bowl parties. They are easy and you can make as many or as few as you like. You can also change the meat if you like to ground beef, sausage, ham, etc. Or use an Alfredo sauce and spinach.

Lentil and Ham Soup

2009-11-22T13:50:00.000-08:00

3 Tbl. butter or margarine
1 med. onion, chopped
3 Tbl. minced garlic
1 lb. ham, cooked & chopped
1 lb. lentils, cleaned and rinsed
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in large stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and ham. Cover and cook until vegetables are soft 8-10 minutes. Add peas, broth, water, bay leaf, salt & pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until lentils are soft, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Makes about 3 quarts.

Changes - Use Polish sausage instead of ham. Add carrots and/or celery to veggie mix. Add chopped potatoes to beans about 20 minutes into their cooking time.

Shrimp & Wild Rice

2009-11-15T15:32:00.000-08:00

1 lb. shrimp, shelled
1 pkg (6 oz.) long grain & wild rice
1 med. onion, cut into thin strips
1/2 bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 tsp. Chef Paul Prudhommes Seafood Magic
(or any seafood seasoning you like)
1 Tbl. olive oil
1/4 cup almond slivers

In a large frying pan saute peppers and onions in olive oil. Remove from pan. Cook rice according to package. Add peppers and onions, seasonings, almonds and shrimp. Turn heat to medium and cover. Stir a couple of times and cook until shrimp are pink.

Changes - If you don't like shrimp this can be made with chicken, pork or beef. If I change the meat, I still use the seafood seasoning. It gives a flavor to the rice that is simply wonderful. The almonds give a little crunch but can be omitted.

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

2009-11-03T16:47:00.000-08:00

4 pork chops
2/3 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbl. garlic & herb seasoning, non-salt
1 egg
2 Tbl. water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking dish, with enough room to lay all 4 chops without touching, with non-stick spray. In one dish combine bread crumbs, cheese and seasoning. In another combine egg and water. Beat egg with water until well blended. Dip chops into egg mix and then bread crumb mix pressing crumbs into chops to coat heavy. Place in prepared dish. Bake 20 minutes or until chops are done and crumbs are browned.

These chops are so tender, moist and tasty. Changes can be made with the seasoning. You might want to use Italian blends or even Mexican blends of seasonings. This dish can also be made with chicken instead of chops.

Veal or Chicken Cutlets

2009-10-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

Veal or Chicken Cutlets

4 veal or chicken cutlets, 1/2" thick

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

olive oil

4 slices Mozzarella cheese

1 cup spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use 3 shallow, wide bowls. In one bowl mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and Oregano. In the 2nd bowl place flour. In the 3rd bowl place the beaten eggs. In a large frying pan heat on medium high enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Dip chicken into flour, then egg, then bread crumbs. Place each piece into heated oil. Brown on both sides. Spray a baking dish with non-stick spray. Place each cutlet, in a single layer, into the baking dish. Place a slice of Mozzarella cheese on top of each cutlet. Spoon spaghetti sauce over cutlets. Bake 20 minutes or until cutlets are done and cheese is melted. Serves 4

One of my favorite diners serves what they call veal cutlets which comes with your choice of brown gravy or red sauce. It seems that every time I eat there I end up getting the cutlets. I finally decided to try making them myself so after going through several recipes, this is what I came up with. I like mine with red sauce so I use spaghetti sauce but you can also make a gravy from the drippings in the frying pan to make a brown gravy. I've tried this with both veal, which is a little expensive, or you can make it with chicken. To be honest, I can't tell much difference in taste.

Spinach Cheese Appetizers

2009-10-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

1 frozen pkg spinach, thawed, liquid squeezed out
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 Tbl. minced garlic
1/2 cup shredded white cheese
2 tubes pizza crust
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Roll out pizza dough. Slice into 2" x 3" strips. Roll spinach mix into 1 - 1 1/2" balls. Place in the center of each crust square. Roll sides over to seal. Seal ends. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray, seam side down. Cut a slit across the centers of each.

I used a coupon to buy what turned out to be some really wonderful spinach cheese appetizers. Even with the coupon they were still expensive. I won't give the brand but I will tell you that these are so close and so much cheaper.

Cheesy Broccoli Casserole

2009-09-29T14:24:00.000-07:00

1 lb. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an 8 x 8 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray, evenly spread broccoli over bottom. Combine sour cream, cottage cheese, flour, butter and eggs. Beat in med. speed until well blended. Pour over broccoli. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake 50-60 minutes or until center is set.

This recipe came from a friend and is simply wonderful. My NJ son-in-law loved it. The texture has a light breading on top with a pie type texture inside. And yes you can make changes. Use asparagus or squash instead of broccoli.

Windy's Crab Bake

2009-08-02T12:14:00.000-07:00

1 cup finely chopped onions
1 stick butter
1/4 cup flour
1 can (13 oz.) evaporated milk
2 egg yolks
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 cup milk
1 lb. crab meat
1 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13x9x2" casserole dish with non-stick spray. In a large skillet melt butter. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Add cream, soup and milk. Cook over medium heat until thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in crab meat. Pour into casserole dish. Cover with cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese has melted.

Changes - Yes you can use imitation crab meat. You won't get the exact flavor nor texture but believe me, it's still good. You can also add a little Old Bay to spice up the flavors or add chopped green bell peppers to the onions. This dish is rich in flavor and so good. Leftovers are still good the next day but the dish won't be as fluffy. You can also leave off the cheese and use this dish as a spread for party bread and crackers.

Pork Chop Mashed Potato Bake

2009-07-22T14:44:00.000-07:00

4-6 boneless pork chops
1 Tbl. vegetable oil
1 packet butter flavored instant potatoes
1 cup shredded cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
1/2 - 1 can (2.8 oz.) French fried onions
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Salt and pepper chops. In a large skillet heat oil and brown chops on both sides. In a large bowl mix together potatoes, cheese, soup, sour cream and milk. Pour into 1 1/2 - 2 qt. baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Place chops on top of potatoes. Bake 20-25 minutes or until chops are done and cheese is melted. Sprinkle with French fried onions and bake another 5 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Changes - The potatoes are perfect without the chops and make a wonderful side dish. You can use boneless, skinless chicken instead of the chops. If you want to make potatoes without chops, add some cooked, crumbled bacon for added taste. If you like potatoes you will love this dish!

Chicken Stuffed with Prosciutto & Cheese

2009-07-12T16:10:00.000-07:00

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 slices prosciutto ham
4 slices Provolone Cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 small onion, diced
1/4 cup chicken broth (or white wine)
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz. can sliced mushrooms (drained)
1 Tbl. basil
1 tsp. lemon juice

Cut chicken breasts to form a deep pocket, not cutting all the way through. Bake, grill or broil the chicken until done. Cool chicken. Fold the cheese and wrap prosciutto around the cheese. Stuff into the pocket of the chicken. Secure with a toothpick. Set aside.
In a large frying pan melt butter on med. high heat until most of the "water" cooks out of the butter. Stir often and don't let your butter burn. Add onions and garlic to butter and saute on med. heat until done. Add chicken broth (or wine). Add salt, lemon pepper, mushrooms, lemon juice and basil. Cook 1-2 minutes. Place chicken in skillet. Spoon sauce over chicken. Cover with a tight fitting lid and turn heat to simmer. The dish is ready when the cheese has melted.

I went to an Italian restaurant the other day with a couple of friends and ordered a dish similar to this. My friends had both gotten their food but mine had not come out. The waitress came over to tell me it would be out shortly and told me how sorry she was that it was late and that she wasn't going to charge me. A few minutes later the chef came out bringing my meal. He to apologized and wanted to know if he could get me something else to make up for the delay. I asked for the recipe. The dish was well worth waiting for. Of course he couldn't give me the FULL recipe with measurements but did give me a list of the ingredients. I was on my own after that. This is the dish I came up with from his list of ingredients and the taste is so close. I made 3 changes in the ingredients. I changed the cheese to Provolone, I cut down the amount of lemon juice and I used chicken broth instead of wine. I served my dish over rice but it would be equally as good over pasta. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Balls

2009-07-10T10:52:00.000-07:00

1 cup seasoned mashed sweet potatoes (refrigerator section)
2 cups corn flake cereal, crushed
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
12 large marshmallows

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and sprayed with non-stick spray. Mix sweet potatoes, corn flakes and pecans until well blended. With your hands, wrap enough potato mix around each marshmallow. Place on foil. Bake 6 minutes.

If you like a little spice in your sweet potatoes, add just a touch of nutmeg or cinnamon. You can also add a little coconut or shredded pineapple that has been drained completely, you don't want to add any more moisture. To dry your pineapple, pour it into a strainer and with the back of a spoon press as much liquid as possible out of the pineapple. To get it even dryer, press it with a couple of paper towels. The towels will absorb the liquid. These are really good, they are pretty and not too sweet. Perfect as a side dish.

Broccoli Casserole

2009-07-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

1 lb. broccoli chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup French fried onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine broccoli and soup and pour into a casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with onions. Place back into the oven for another 10 minutes.

This is the "green bean casserole" dish made with broccoli. I love it with green beans so I thought it might be good with other veggies too and it is. For changes, before adding the onions, cover with cheese. Add sauted onions. Instead of topping it with cheese mix 1/2 cup of cheese into the soup mix. Use cream of broccoli soup instead of mushroom. Get brave and try this with other veggies. I would think that mixed veggies might even be good. Think with your taste buds.

Broccoli Fritters

2009-07-10T10:45:00.000-07:00

1 cup chopped broccoli
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup self rising flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Cayene pepper
Oil for cooking

Mix all ingredients except the oil for cooking. Heat oil on med. high. Spoon fritters into hot oil, pressing with a spatula to flatten and brown on each side. Fry about 1-2 minutes on each side. Makes 8-10 fritters.

The original recipe used fresh corn cut off the cob. I changed that to broccoli and added the cheese and cayenne pepper. I also used self-rising flour and eliminated the baking soda. Now, for changes, use a small can of well drained corn, white or yellow. Use a small can of any pea that you might like, well drained. Or try changing the dish completely and use a can of well drained salmon instead of the veggies. If buttermilk isn't something you normally keep on hand use sour cream instead. Be creative with this one.

Cheese Potatoes

2009-07-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

3 T butter or margarine
6 large potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded Cheddar Cheese

Melt butter in a non-stick skillet on med. heat. Cook potatoes until barely tender and browned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour milk over all. Boil gently until the milk is absorbed. Sprinkle with cheese and allow to melt. Stir and serve. Serves 6-8

This one is a fun one to work with and change. Brown ground beef and fold into the potatoes before serving. Saute and add onions and/or bell peppers. Change the cheese. Add garlic. Add cooked, cubed ham or chicken. How about some broccoli? If you like it with potatos and cheese, why not add it? I like to use a combination of beef, onions, peppers and garlic. Have fun with this one.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

2009-07-10T10:37:00.000-07:00

1 pkg (24 oz.) frozen, cubed sweet potatoes, thawed
1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg or ground cloves
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
Marshmallows

Microwave sweet potatoes according to package (12 minutes). Mix all ingredients together using an electric mixer. Pour into a 2 qt. casserole dish. Top with marshmallows. Broil in oven until marshmallows are browned and melted, 2-3 minutes

This can be changed by using the different spices or by adding pineapple, coconut and/or nuts. I personally like using the nutmeg or ground cloves and adding chopped pecans.

Crab Quiche

2009-07-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

2 pie crusts, unbaked (not deep dish)
2 T butter
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
3 T bell peppers, diced
1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms, drained and chopped
4 eggs
8 oz. sour cream
1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese, grated
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1 (1 lb) pkg. imitation crab

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 2 sheets of foil with non-stick foil. Line both crusts with the foil placing the sprayed side against the crust to prevent sticking. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees. In the butter, saute onions, peppers and mushrooms. In a large bowl beat eggs. Add onions, peppers, mushrooms, sour cream and both cheeses. Arrange the imitation crab on the bottom of both crusts and pour mixture over the crab dividing evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before cutting.

My friend Dusty loves my "crab" dishes and keeps telling me she will "work for food" so I make 2 of these and send one to her. This dish can be changed by using REAL crab meat but due to the strong taste and cost of the real thing, I prefer the imitation. If I were making this with real crab I would only use 1/2 lb. divided between both crusts. You can also change this by using shrimp, you can add some very well drained spinach. I would use 1 frozen pkg for both and make sure you get all of the water out before adding. An easy way to do this is to place the spinach onto 5-6 sheets of paper towels, rolling it up and twisting to remove the water. And of course, you can change the flavor by changing the cheese you use.

Imitation Crab Dip

2009-07-10T10:19:00.000-07:00

1 lb. Imitation crab, shredded, water squeezed out
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 pkg (16 oz.) shredded cheese
1 T pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1 - 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise

In a food processor (or by hand) chop crab until shredded. Add pepper and lemon juice and mix well. Add cheese and mix well. Blend in cream cheese. Add mayonnaise a little at a time until it's the thickness you like in a dip. If you like it firm add enough mayo for that thickness. If you like it thin, add enough for a thinner dip. Chill for about an hour and serve with crackers or chips. Make sure you squeeze as much water from your crab as possible or your dip will be too thin.

For changes, use well drained, water squeezed out salad shrimp (1 - 2 cans), add sliced olives (black or green), add chopped water chestnuts or chopped green onions. Using the imitation crab gives you the flavor of crab dip without the high cost.

Salmon Potato Patties

2009-07-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

1 (14 oz.) can salmon, drained and skinned
2/3 cup instant potatoes
2/3 cup boiling water
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp. chopped chives
1 egg
cooking oil

Mix instant potatoes and boiling water. Mixture will be thick. Mix sour cream into potatoes. In a large bowl combine potatoes, salmon, bread crumbs, chives and egg. Refrigerate at least 1 hr. This really works best if mixed up the night before cooking. Shape into patties. Heat oil on med. high. Place patties in hot oil, reduce heat to med. and browned on both sides. About 6-8 minutes on each side. If they start browning too quickly, reduce heat. You want the egg inside to cook completely. Makes 8 patties.

I found a recipe for salmon patties that used mashed potatoes and simplified it by using instant potatoes. I also added the sour cream and chives to give them added flavor. Dehydrated onions which would moisten back up while being refrigerated can also be used. I found, quite by accident, that making these the night before makes them easier to work with and enhances the flavor. I have also found that using tuna instead of salmon is also really good. This is a really moist patty due to, I'm sure, the potatoes.

Clam Dip

2009-07-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

1 can (71/2 oz) minced clams, drained
2 tsp. chopped parsley
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese softened
2 T mayonnaise
2 tsp. chopped onion
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
dash of hot pepper sauce

Combine all of the ingredients mixing well. Chill for several hours to blend the flavors. Serve with crackers or heavy chips.

With this recipe you can substitute minced shrimp for the clams. &If you don't like seafood, replace it with meats such as dried beef, corned beef (I use the small pkgs. found in the lunch meat section) or if you are a vegetarian, try minced ripe olives.

Baked Flounder

2009-07-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1 lb flounder
1/3 cup mayonnaise

In a shallow dish combine crumbs, cheese and salt. Brush both sides of fish with mayonnaise. Coat with crumb mixture. Arrange in single layer in shallow baking pan and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily.Serves 4

Changes - make this dish with any fish.

Easy Shrimp Scampi

2009-07-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled, divined
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 T minced garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice
Hot Sauce to taste

Melt butter, saute garlic and add lemon juice and hot sauce. Arrange shrimp in a single layer in shallow pan. Pour garlic butter over shrimp and salt lightly (optional). Broil 2 minutes, turn shrimp and broil 2 more minutes.

This recipe can be changed by adding chopped green onion tops, a light sprinkle of seasoned bread crumbs, lime juice instead of lemon juice or use imitation crab meat in place of the shrimp. The shrimp can be used as an Appetizer, serving the juice for dipping. The shrimp and juice can be poured over rice and served as a Main Dish or serve the shrimp separately and serve just the juice over rice. Serves 4-6 (depends on how much you like shrimp).

Salmon Spaghetti with White Sauce

2009-07-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

8 oz. spaghetti
1 Tbl. minced garlic
1/3 cup olive oil
1 can (14 3/4 oz.) boneless, skinless salmon
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup minced parsley
4 oz. cream cheese, cut into pieces
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup sliced black olives
salt to taste

Boil spaghetti according to package. In a large skillet heat oil. Add garlic and saute. Add salmon, broth, parsley, cream cheese, milk and salt. Heat on med. heat until cream cheese is melted and everything is well heated. Serve over spaghetti. Garnish with olives. Serves 4-6

This is a recipe that was entered on another site by a young man who is called CRS101271. It's his Salmon Linguine. I really liked it but wanted to make some changes. With his permission, this is what I came up with. I added the cream cheese and evaporated milk to give it a thicker, clinging sauce. I added the olives for color and taste. I put it over spaghetti simply because I was out of linguine. This dish has a wonderful taste. It was rated 9 by 3 of my food testers that were lucky enough to try it. But it's also a recipe that has possibilities. You can use clams or shrimp instead of salmon. You can add sauted onions and/or green peppers for an entirely different taste. This one is fun to play with. Thanks CRS101271 for allowing me to play with your recipe.

Italian Chicken Bake

2009-07-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

1 can (10 3/4oz.) cream of celery soup
1/3 cup milk
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup flour
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Italian style with garlic stuffing mix (1 cup crushed)
2 T margarine
1 cup water
1/4 cup Italian blend cheese shredded
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix soup and milk in wide opening dish. Place the cup of crushed stuffing mix in a wide opening dish. Salt and pepper chicken. Lightly coat chicken with flour, dip in soup mix and then into crushed stuffing. Place in baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Place in oven and cook 20-25 minutes or until chicken is done. With remaining dressing mix margarine, water and cheese until moist (add more water 1 T at a time if needed). Place dressing mix in a small baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Place in oven with chicken. Dressing will need to cook 15-20 minutes.

This can be changed by changing the dressing and soup flavors. You might want to try regular dressing with cream of mushroom, cream of broccoli or cream of chicken soup. You can add finely chopped almonds or pecans to the dressing that goes on the chicken as well as the side dressing. You can add mushrooms or chopped broccoli to the side dressing. I haven't tried it yet but if you use cream of broccoli soup a little extra finely chopped broccoli might be good.

Pork Chops with Stuffing

2009-07-10T09:53:00.000-07:00

4 thin sliced pork chops
1 pkg. (6 oz.) stuffing mix
1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 T butter or margarine
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
salt & pepper

Salt and pepper the pork chops. In a non-stick pan lightly brown the chops on both sides, cover with a lid and cook until completely done and tender. Mix stuffing mix, water and butter in a bowl. Pour into 8 x 8 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Place pork chops on top of stuffing, cover with soup and bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until soup is starting to bubble. Serves 4

This dish with a side salad and rolls makes a quick and easy meal. You can always spice it up by adding sauted onions, bell peppers and/or more mushrooms. You could even add a little celery to the stuffing or saute it with your other veggies. A little cheese sprinkled on top adds a twist to the flavor. I like to mix a little cheese in my stuffing, usually blends of Italian or Mexican. This dish can have you in and out of the kitchen in under 45 minutes. It's a tasty looking dish and is great for the working cook.

Poor Man's Beef Tips & Rice

2009-07-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

Made with leftover roast beef

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 onion, sliced into lengthwise strips
1/2 bell pepper, sliced into strips
4 Tbl. margarine
2 Tbl. flour
1 1/2 cups water
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 cups of leftover beef roast cut into thin strips
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cooked Rice

Lightly saute mushrooms, onions and peppers in margarine. Add flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Dissolve bouillon cubes in water and add to vegetables. Cook over med. heat until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add leftover beef. Heat thoroughly. Serve over rice.

Changes - Add a little garlic, use pork instead of beef. Serve over noodles instead of rice. Serve over toast. Make it a meal in one dish by adding cooked carrots, potatoes, celery. This makes a tasty, easy dish that will make you hope you have leftovers the next time you cook a roast.

Easy Chili

2009-07-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can (14.5 Oz.) diced tomatoes
2 cans (16 oz.) Kidney beans
1 pkg (1.25 oz.) dry taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup water

In a med. size pot crumble and brown the ground beef. Drain if needed. Add tomatoes, beans, taco seasoning and water. Simmer 30 minutes. Serves 6-8

In the old days, chili making was an all day event. You cooked dried beans and let your chili cook all day. Today, with canned beans and dry packaged seasonings, it's so easy to make great tasting chili in just a few minutes. If you like a mild chili use the dry package of chili mix but if you want a taste with a kick use the taco seasoning. I also like to use diced tomatoes that are fire roasted with garlic. This adds even more flavor. You can also add extras such as chopped onions and/or bell peppers but saute them before adding them to the pot. If you want a smoother texture in your chili use Pinto Beans instead of the Kidney Beans. This dish is ready to eat after 30 minutes of cooking but the flavor is even better the next day.

Ashley Dogs

2009-07-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

24 cocktail sausages
1 cup self rising flour
1 large egg
1/4 cups milk (add more if needed but in small amounts at a time)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin pan (small size muffin tins) with non-stick spray. Place 1 sausage in each tin. Mix flour, eggs, milk and cheddar. Mix will be consistency of cake batter. Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon on top of each sausage. Bake 6 minutes or until slightly browned.

This recipe is named after a young lady who bought my cookbook. She and her mother have e-mailed me to tell me they have already made my Cracker Bars and will be making other dishes from my book Stir, Laugh, Repeat. I love to see young people learning to cook. For changes to this recipe you can add mustard to the batter, maybe add a few chives or dried onions. For serving I would use a dish of mustard and/or horseradish sauce. These are easy, quick and perfect for entertaining.

Meaty Noodle Bake

2009-07-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

2 cups uncooked noodles
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1 jar (14-15 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 container (8 oz) cream cheese with chives & onion
1 container (8 oz) sour cream
3 T milk
1 box (9 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed, water squeezed out
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 2 qt. casserole pan with non-stick spray. Cook noodles according to package and drain. In a frying pan cook beef and Italian sausage until done, drain well. In a large bowl mix meat, spaghetti sauce and cooked noodles. In a medium size bowl mix cream cheese, sour cream and milk until smooth. In the bottom of the casserole dish evenly spread the cream cheese mixture. Top with spinach. Pour the beef noodle mix over the spinach. Cover with foil and bake 30-25 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with cheese. Bake another 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

The noodles in this dish can be most any type but I've found that the "Fiori" noodles which look like small wheels or flowers are the best. Unlike some noodles they pick up all of the ingredients inside their little openings. This dish is easy to change just by using different flavors of spaghetti sauce or adding a few extra ingredients such as garlic, mushrooms or onions (I would saute the mushrooms and onions before adding). And if you don't like spinach I suggest you just try it once or put it on just half of the dish for those who do. The spinach adds just the perfect touch of flavor and makes the dish really pretty when served. Serve this with a salad and garlic bread and you have a great meal that really took no time to make. Serves 6

Muffcuits

2009-07-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

2 cups biscuit mix
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 lb. sausage, crumbled, browned and well drained
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix biscuit mix, egg and buttermilk until well blended. In your muffin tins sprayed with non-stick spray place 1 tablespoon of the bread mix into each tin. Top with cheese dividing it equally. Next add the sausage dividing it equally between the tins. Top with another tablespoon of bread mix. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins

This is a combination of meaty muffins and biscuits. Thus the name Muffcuits. I've tried this with paper cupcake liners. The liners were hard to peel away from the bread. You can still use liners but only if you spray them with the non-stick spray. This helps them to peel away easier but you won't have the golden browning like you will without liners. There are many changes that can be made. Change the meat to bacon or ham. Use cheese cubes instead of shredded. Change the dish completely by using fruit instead of meat. When doing this, add about 1/2 cup of sugar to your bread mix and sprinkle a little sugar over your fresh fruit such as peaches and apples. You can also mix up a quick drizzle to pour over the top by mixing 1/2 cup powdered sugar and just enough milk (start with 1/2 tsp.) to make the mixture thin enough to drizzle. To this you can add spices such as cinnamon when using apples. Have fun with this one.

Ground Beef Parmesan

2009-07-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup uncooked macaroni
1 med. onion chopped
1/2 bell pepper chopped
1 (16 oz.) jar Roasted Garlic Parmesan
1 Tbl. olive oil or margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package. Crumble and brown ground beef. Drain and remove ground beef from pan. Add olive oil or margarine, onions and peppers. Saute until tender. Add ground beef back to pan. Add Roasted Garlic Parmesan and mix. Place in a 2 qt. casserole dish and bake 20 minutes. Serves 6-8.

If you want something with flavor that's quick and easy, this recipe is for you. The flavor from the roasted garlic along with the onions and peppers make this a really tasty dish. Changes - add mushrooms, serve over spaghetti, add water chestnuts for a little crunch. This can even be done with ground chicken or turkey. It's simply good.