Sweet Potato Casserole

This recipe originally from Sue Hodson.

3 C mashed sweet potato

1 C sugar

1/2 C butter

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 C milk

Topping:

1/2 C brown sugar

1/4 . butter

1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)

mix first 6 ingredients, place in greased casserole dish.  In separate bowl, cut butter into flour and sugar until pea-sized.  Add nuts, sprinkle on potatoes.  Bake @ 350 for 25 minutes.

Spicy Black Bean Soup

This recipe originally from Jen Waterhouse.

2 TBSP. olive oil

1 1/2 C chopped red onion

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 TBSP cumin (unless already in black beans)

2 15 oz cans black beans with seasonings

2 C canned chicken broth

8 TBSP fresh cilantro

sour cream

tortilla chips (lime are the best!)

Heat oil in large pot.  Add onion, garlic and cumin (unless using beans with cumin already in).  Saute onion till tender.  Add beans with juices and broth.  Bring to boil.  reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer about 15 minutes.  Puree 3 cups at a time in blender, return to same pot.  Mix in 6 TBSP cilantro.  Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.  Top servings with sour cream and tortilla chips and remaining cilantro.

Shrimp and Green Chili Quesadillas

2 TBSP veg. oil

8 flour tortillas

1 3/4 C any kind of mexican cheese blend

1 C cooked, chopped shrimp

1 can green chilies, drained

1/4 C cilantro

guacamole

salsa

Brush 1 TBSP oil over 4 of the tortillas.  Place oil side down on cookie sheet. Combine cheese, shrimp, chilies and cilantro.  Spoon over tortillas.  Brush oil on remaining tortillas and place oil side up on top of the 4 covered tortillas.  Bake at 450 degrees for 6 minutes, turn quesadillas over and bake another 2-3 minutes.

Pasta With Lemon and Parsley

This recipe originally from Shalet Godfrey.

1 lb. penne pasta

cut up, cooked chicken

1/2 C butter

1/4 C sweet white onion

1 C parmesan

grated zest of one lemon

parsley

Saute onion in butter. Add meat and simmer one minute. Add this to cooked pasta and mix. Add parsley and lemon zest. Add parmesan just before serving and mix well.

Calico Bean Soup

This recipe originally from Laurie Hunsaker.

1 28 oz. can pork and beans

5 16 oz cans any beans

1 green pepper, chopped

1 sweet onion chopped

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

2 cloves minced garlic, or 2 tsp. powder

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp oregano

3/4 tsp. salt

2 TBSP. vinegar

1/2 C ketchup

1/2 C brown sugar

6 slices bacon

Cook and crumble bacon, set aside.  Brown beef in bacon pan.  In separate bowl, make a sauce of the garlic, spices, vinegar, ketchup and brown sugar.  

For a soup, do not drain beans and combine all ingredients in large pot.  Cook for about an hour.

For a casserole, darin beans, combine all ingredients in large casserole dish and bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Italian Chicken and Rice

This recipe originally from Mandi Peterson.

3-4 frozen chicken breasts

1/4 C water

1 pkg. Italian seasoning mix

 Cook this in crock-pot for 3 hours on high.

Cut and shred chicken, then add: 

1 block of cream cheese, softened

1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup

Combine and cook on high one more hour.  Serve over cooked rice and top with grated cheddar cheese.

Creamy Pumpkin Dessert

This recipe originally from Amber Ogilvie.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Topping:  1 white cake mix

1 C  melted butter

Filling:

3 C pumpkin

1 C evaporated milk

1 C sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cloves

2 eggs

Mix filling ingredients and pour in greased cake pan.  Mix cake mix with butter.  Put this on top of pumpkin mix and swirl into mix with butter knife.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Serve warm with ice cream.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Chunky Monkey

1 pkg mini pretzels (6 C)

5 C cheerios

5 C corn chex

2 C salted peanuts

1 lb. M&M's

2 12 oz pkgs. vanilla chips

3 TBSP veg. oil

Mix together first 5 ingredients and set aside.  In microwave, melt together chips and oil for two  minutes.  Stir until smooth.  Pour over cereal mix and stir evenly.  Cool on wax paper and break apart.

Bird's Nest

Melt together:

2 sticks butter

2/3 C peanut butter

2 10 oz. packages of mini-marshmallows

Mix together:

6 C rice chex

6 C pretzels

1 lb. M&M's

Mix dry mix with melted mix, and lay out either on wax paper, cool and pull apart.  Or lay in cookie sheet, cool, and cut into squares.

Banana Cake

This recipe originally from the Farr Family Cookbook.

3 C flour

2 C sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2/3 C veg. oil

1 C buttermilk

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

4 mashed bananas

Mix all ingredients well.  Bake in 13x9 baking pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Tomato Cream Pasta

1 package penne pasta

1 can italian style tomatoes

1 pint whipping cream

1 TBSP basil

(I usually double everything but the pasta)

Cook pasta as directed on package. In separate pot, combine tomatoes and whipping cream. Boil and then reduce heat to medium for 5 minutes. Turn heat off, and combine basil. Serve over cooked pasta with parmesan cheese.

Orange Pancakes

2 C bisquick

1 C orange juice

2 eggs

Mix together, and cook pancakes.

Sauce:

1/4 C. sugar

1 TBSP. cornstarch

1 1/4 C. orange juice

2 TBSP. butter

pineapples

bananas

In small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in orange juice. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and add butter. While sauce is still warm, add sliced bananas and pineapple chunks. Serve with orange pancakes.

Hawaiian Haystacks

This recipe originally from Jodi Cope.

2 C diced chicken

1 C.  chicken broth

2 cans cream of chicken

1/2 tsp each, salt, pepper, parsley and basil

Mix all ingredients and heat for 10-15 minutes on medium heat.  Serve over cooked rice.

Possible Toppings:

Oriental noodles

tomatoes

grated cheese

onions

pineapples

Parmesan Garlic Chicken

This recipe is originally from Abby Olson.

1/2 C grated parmesan cheese

1 envelope Good Seasons Italian Salad Dressing

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

6 chicken breasts

Mix dry ingredients together.  Moisten chicken with water and coat with dry mixture.  Bake in shallow dish at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Serve with pasta sauce and cooked noodles (spaghetti, rotini, etc.)

Fudge Jumbles

This recipe originally from Tricia Clark.

1 C shortening

2 C brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 C flour

1 tsp.  vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

4 C quick oats

Combine all these ingredients in large mixer.

1 12 oz. package chocolate chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 TBSP.  butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

Melt this over medium heat until well blended.

In large cookie sheet, spread 3/4 of the oatmeal mixture and press into the bottom to create a crust.  Pour melted chocolate mix on top and spread out evenly.  Crumble remaining oatmeal mix on top of chocolate, and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Easy Fruit Dip

8 oz cream cheese, room temp.

3/4 C brown sugar

1/4 C powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients with a hand mixer and store in fridge.  

Peach Pork Chops

2 cans peaches (drained, but reserve 1/4 C)

1/4 C juice from peaches

1/4 C vinegar

1/4 C brown sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. ground clove

1 can tomato sauce

pork chops

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and mix well. Add pork chops, cover and cook for about 3-4 hours on med-high heat. Serve with cooked rice.

Honey Lime Grilled Chicken or Pork

1/2 C honey

1/3 C Soy Sauce

1/4 C lime juice

4 chicken breast halves or pork chops

In plastic bag, combine honey, soy sauce and lime juice; mix well. Add chicken/pork to bag and coat. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and then grill chicken over medium heat.

Honey Celery Seed Dressing

I use this dressing on Spinach and Strawberry Salad mostly, however, it's yummy with just a bowl full of cut up fruit as well!

3/4 C sugar

1/2 C honey

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp.  mustard

1 tsp.  finely grated onion

1/2 C lemon juice

1 C vegetable oil

1/2 tsp.  celery seed

Mix all ingredients except oil and celery seed in a blender.  Gradually add oil and celery seed and continue blending.  Refrigerate; this stays well for about a month in the fridge.  

Mexican Rice and Beef

 1 lb. ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

1 1/2 C. water

1 C. salsa

1 C. frozen corn

1 1/2 C. uncooked rice

black pepper

1 C grated pepper jack cheese

lettuce

tomato

In a large skillet, brown beef and drain off fat.  Add taco seasoning, water, salsa and corn.  Cook, uncovered, until mixture boils.  Stir in rice and pepper, cook for one minute.  Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 6 minutes.  Fluff mixture with a fork, sprinkle with cheese and cover for another 2 minutes.  Serve with lettuce and tomato, tortilla chips, hard or soft tortillas, or just eat plain. 

Ritz Chicken Bake

This recipe originally came from Mandie Peterson.

4-6 chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 C. Sour cream

1 tube of ritz crackers

swiss cheese, shredded

Lay chicken in baking dish.  Cover in shredded swiss cheese, as much as desired.  Mix sour cream and cream of chicken soup together in bowl, and then cover the chicken with the mix.  Crush ritz crackers and combine with 1/2 C -3/4 C. melted butter.  Cover the chicken and sauce with cracker mix.  Bake at 350 for about an hour.

Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread

2 C. flour

1 C. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 C. mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)

1/3 C. veg. oil

1/4 C. milk

6 squares baking chocolate coarsely chopped, or about 1 C. chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.  Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl and set aside.  Stir eggs, bananas, oil and milk in large bowl until well blended.  Add dry ingredients.  Stir just until moistened.  Add chocolate.  Pour in 9x5 loaf pan (greased) and bake 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.  

Apricot Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts or breast halves

1 C. Apricot jam

1 C. Russian dressing

1 packet onion soup mix

Combine jam, dressing and soup mix in bowl.  Lay chicken in baking dish, and cover with jam mix.  Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.  Serve over cooked rice.

Homemade Honey Butter

This recipe is great with Six-Week Bran Muffins or Easy Mixer Bread.

1 C butter

1 C. Honey

1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix all ingredients together with hand mixer, and store in fridge.  

Easy Mixer Bread

This recipe originally came from Carolyn Hanson.

2 1/2 C hot water

1/3 C veg. oil

1/3 C honey or sugar

2 tsp. salt

1/4 C. powdered milk

3 C flour

2 packets yeast, or 1 1/2 tsp.

more flour (about 3 cups)

Combine all ingredients except last three cups of flour in a stand mixer with dough hooks and mix for 8-10 minutes, adding last three cups of flour gradually until until dough cleans sides of bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise for 20 minutes. Shape into 2 loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Set oven to 150 and put pans in oven for 20 minutes. Turn oven heat up to 350 and bake for 30 minutes.

Six-Week Bran Muffins

1 1/2 C Sugar

1/2 C Veg. oil

2 1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 C. All Bran

1 C. water

2 eggs, beaten

2 1/2 C. flour

1/2 qt. (2 C) buttermilk

1 C. Bran Buds

Mix Bran Buds and water together.  Add remaining ingredients, and fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.  The batter can be stored in the fridge for up to six weeks.  This recipe makes about 30 muffins.