Cheesy Obrien egg casserole

1 28 oz pkg obrien frozen potatoes
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can condensed cheddar cheese soup
1 lb bacon cooked and crumbled (I don't usually use that much bacon unless I am serving more than just my family!)
12 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tbsp butter
2 c shredded cheddar

In large skillet cook hashbrowns how you like them, we like 'em crispy. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Place in a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Top with soup. Sprinkle with 1/2 bacon. In another skillet or the same one (your preference) scramble eggs in butter until nearly set. Spoon over bacon. Spinkled with shredded cheese and remaining bacon. Bake uncovered at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until cheese has melted and eggs are done.

Cheddar Broccoli Tart

1 1/2 c milt
3 eggs
1 pkg soup mix of your flavor preference
1 pkg frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1 1/2 c shredded cheese
9 inch pie crust (or I often just grease the pie plate and serve this without a crust)

Heat oven to 375. In large bowl beat eggs milt and soup mix. Stir in broccoli and cheese. Spoon into pie crust. Bake 40 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. let stand 10 minutes and then slice into pie pieces.

Cajun Chicken Lasagna

Several Years ago I found this awesome recipe in BHAG. It is a great alternative to tomato lasagna, which I am not to hep on but my hubbyy loves....so we compromise with this!


Cajun Chicken Lasagne Recipe.

Try it out and see if you don't love it too!!

Ingredients
16 dried lasagna noodles
1 pound andouille sausage or smoked pork sausage, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 to 3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 10-ounce containers refrigerated light Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Nonstick cooking spray
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degree F. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; rinse. Combine sausage, chicken, Cajun seasoning, and sage. In a large skillet cook meat mixture 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet using a slotted spoon, reserving drippings in skillet. Set meat mixture aside; keep warm. In same skillet cook onion, celery, sweet pepper, and garlic in drippings until vegetables are tender. Stir in meat mixture, one container of the Alfredo sauce, and Parmesan cheese.

2. Lightly coat a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or 3-quart rectangular casserole with nonstick spray. Arrange 4 noodles in bottom of dish. Spread with 2 cups of the meat-vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Carefully spread remaining Alfredo sauce over the top (if sauce is too thick, heat slightly). Cover; bake 1 hour or until heated through. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes before carefully cutting. Makes 12 servings.

Egg Casserole

2 C croutons or bread (wheat works fine, if using homemade you could make the bread into croutons)
1/2 c shredded cheddar
4 slices bacon, crumbled or 1/2 c sausage crumbled (if I don't have this I use whateve I have sauted veggies or extra cheese)
2 c milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp onion powder

in a greased 8x8 in pan. add the croutons and the cheese to the pan. In a bowl cobine the eggs, milk, and seasonings and mix until blended. Pour egg mix over croutons and cheese. top with bacon, sausage or your choice of topping. Bake at 325 for 55-60 minutes. serve immediately!

Peanut Chicken Wraps

Chicken cooked, sliced thin or shredded
rice
flour tortillas (I make homemade, they are so much better!)
Shredded cabbage
cilantro, chopped
green onions chopped
Peanut sauce

You just pile them on and enjoy! Our family was visiting some friends from seminary when they served this meal (well she did) and I loved how easy and fresh it was. I started making my own tortillas and it made this all the better. You really cannot mess this one up! We don't give the kids this with the peanut sauce, unless they like spicy, we use terriaki for them!

Buttermilk Waffles with Bacon and Blackberry Syrup

While looking for a way to use up my frozen blackberries, which I LOVE btw, and not just doing the same ole thing again. I found this fantastic recipe for waffles and syrup. I did some tweeking and obviously doubled the recipe, which gave everyone 2 apeice plus a couple extra squares. I also purred the berries as I don't really like lumpy syrup, it came out really smooth, I also added a little brown sugar to thicken the syrup a bit. I didn't have any buttermilk either so I just added 1 tbsp vinegar to 1 c milk and stirred it well. I also didn't use as much bacon grease, the recipe calls for 1/4 c per recipe, I used maybe two tbsps until it looked like the right consistency. They came out beautiful. I would definately make this a special treat meal we enjoy time after time! Well worth the time, even though this really didn't take too much extra effort.

Meatloaf With Chili Sauce

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
2/3 c dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 chili sauce
1 tbsp wozzy sauce
extra chili sauce for topping loaf

Combine first 6 ingreds well and form a loaf in a shallow baking pan. Bake 350 for 45 minutes. Spread top with extra chili sauce and bake 15 minutes more. let cool 5 minutes before slicing. Serves 6, with no second or leftovers.

Quick Coconut Cream Pie

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 c cold milk
1 carton frozen whipped topping
1 c. flaked coconut toasted, divided
1 graham cracker crust

In a bowl, beat pudding and milk on low, 2 mins. Fold in half of the whipped topping and 1/2-3/4 c coconut. Pour into crust. Top with rest of the whipped topping and the 1/4 c coconut. Chill until totally set.

Will loves this and you can get everything, save the coconut, fat free, so this is definately a keeper recipe!

Roasting Turkey or Other Poultry

Brining the turkey or other Poultry first:

2 c. brown sugar
1 c. maple syrup
3/4 c coarse salt
4 whole heads garlic, cloves separated but not peeled or bruised
1 c. chopped fresh ginger
3 tsps dried chili flakes
2 c soy sauce
3 qts water

Combine all ingredients in a large pot, large enough to hold turkey (or other foul) and brine. Bring the mixture, minus poultry to a boil, remove from heat and cool completely.  Place turkey in brine and add enough water to cover the bird. refridgerate 2-4 days, turning 2-3 times a day. If you are using smaller birds can half or quarter this recipe easily and use just enough for what you are making. This is a recipe for a large turkey.

Roasting Turkey or other Poultry

Heat oven to 425. Season turkey inside and out with salt and pepper, brush with olive oil. put on rack in oven and let go for 30 minutes. lower heat to 350 and continue roasting. Baste every 30 minutes until thermometer reads 160. After taking from oven let stand for 15 minutes to cool and finish cooking. Enjoy the most lucious turkey ever!

Quick Stroganoff

1 lb ground beef
1 can cream of mush soup
1/2 sour cream
3 tbsp wozzy
1/3 c water

Brown beef, drain. Add other ingredients until bubbly, serve over noodles or potatoes. This is obviously our quickie recipe! But it tastes great and we all enjoy it in a pinch.

Fiesta Salad

1 1/2 c. cooked rice
1 1/2 c cooked chicken chopped
1/2 c chopped celery
1/4 c chopped green onion
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 c chopped onion
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp seasoned salt (I use MUCH less)
1 tsp garlic salt (Never use this much!)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 c sour cream

combine the last 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir until well incorporated. Add the other chopped chicken, rice and veggies and lemon juice and mix well. Serve with corn chips if you desire, or can serve as a salad, or rolled up in a tortilla.

Chicken FIngers

These are easy and very tasty. The kids obviously love them.

skinless boneless chicken breast
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 c. milk
1 c canola oil for frying

cut chicken into 2 inch strips. mix flour salt and peper in a shallow bowl. dip chicken in milk ( usually just dump the chicken in the milk after cutting in strips) and then roll in flour to coat well. place on a plate or pan before frying (I usually just do this in batches, but I have prepped every thing before I started frying). Pour oil in frying pan and heat over med high heat. Fry chicken in heated oil until brown an crisp, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Enjoy!

BLT Soup

This is SUPER Delish!

8 bacon slices cooked
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 c chicken broth
1 can navy beans
1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 c shredded lettuce (optional)

Crumble Bacon and set aside. In large sauce pan or pot, stir together tomatoes, broth, beans, and seasonings. Bring to a simmer and stir in vinegar. Ladle soup into bowls and top with bacon and lettuce(optional). Enjoy!

Green Chili Stew

2 lbs ground meat (pork, beef, turkey)
3 cans chopped green chilis or 8-10 anaheim chilis roasted, peeled and chopped I bet pablanos would be delish in this too!)
4 russet potatoes diced (or two bigguns)
1 can diced tomatoes
2 c. water
1 garlic clove
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp coriander

In large pot cook beef until no longer pink, drain. Add the remaining ingredients cover and simmer for 45 mins or until potatoes are done.

Fall-Back Minestrone Soup

1 can beans drained, rinsed
1 can tomatoes
1 c broken egg noodles
celery chopped
4 c broth chicken or beef
carrots chopped

dump all ingredients in a pot. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes or until veggies are tender. Serve warm.

Onion Soup

1/4 c butter
2 lbs onions (6 medium)
1 tsp sugar
8 tsp flour
8 c beef broth
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp wozzy sauce
1/4 c cooking sherry or a few drops lemon jiuce
shredded jack or swiss cheese and parm
croutons, opt

in large pot melt butter, add oinions, spinkle with sugar and saute over low heat, stirring occationally about 1 hour or until golden brown. Stir in flour. Stir in broth, mustard, wozzy and summer 30 minutes. Add sherry. Ladle into oven proof casserole dished with croutons and cheese and bake in 325 oven for 15 minutes.

Beef Lettuce Wraps

1 1/2 very lean ground beef
1/2 c hoisen sauce
1/2 c asian peanut sauce
1 med cucumber seeded and chopped
1/2 c shredded carrot
12 large boston lettuce leaves

Brown beef in large skillet  over med heat until beef is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in hoisin sauce and peanut sauce. add the cucumber and carrots just before serving. Toss gently. Serve in lettuce leaves.

Don't have hoisin sauce on hand heres a quick sub that tastes just the same, only a little bit less thick:

Hoisin Sauce

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons Soy sauce - dark/light/usual
2 tablespoons Peanut butter - or black bean paste
1 tablespoon Honey - or molasses
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
20 drops Chinese-style hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Potato Pancakes

left over mashed potatoes
1 egg
5-6 tbsp flour
5-6 tbsp milk
seasoning salt to taste
pepper to taste
oil for frying

In a bowl mix together first six ingredients together until it has a real pancake consistency. Heat a large skillet over med heat add oil and then fry the pancakes until they are crisp. Serve them warm. We often serve this with a homemade gravy or sausage (polish sausage) and even a chicken pecan thing that we like a lot! This is very versatile.

Chili Rellenos Casserole

This is one of my hubs favorite meals, he loves chili rellenos and this is an easy sub for that. I would like to try it with some poblano peppers that have been roasted in the oven, peeled and then diced! SO YUMMY!

1 can whole green chilis (7oz) or you can roast and peel your own, I like to get chopped green chilis or chop my own.
1 1/2 c shredded coby jack cheese
3/4 lb ground beed
1/4 c chopped onion
1 c. milk
4 eggs
1/4 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Split the chilis you are using, if you are using chopped canned drain well. Arrange the chilis on the bottom of a greased 2 qt baking dish. Top with cheese. In a skillet brown beef and onion, drain. Spoon over cheese. In a bowl, mix eggs, milk flour and seasonings until smooth. Pour over beef/pepper mixture. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean.

Salsa and Guacamole

Salsa:
1/2 jalapeno
1/4 small red onion
1 small garlic clove
2 tbsp cilantro
2 tsp lime juice
1 can diced tomatoes or 2 ripe tomatoes cut into eighths

chop in blender or food processor.

Guacamole:
2 small avacadoes
1 tbsp red onion minced
1 small garlic clove minced
1/2 jalapeno
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
1 tbsp lime juice

mix in a bowl, mushing and stiring until ready.

Chicken Spaghetti

Cook chicken in water on stove and then remove and chop. Cook 1 lb spaghetti and 1 chopped onion in broth made by the boiled chicken until done, Drain off only the left over water. Add 2 cans cream of mushroom or cream of chicken and 1 small can chopped pimentos and chicken. Mix throughly. Serve warm.

Chicken with Creamy Sauce

2 tbsp butter or olive oil
4 boneless chick breasts
1 c water
1 pkg onion soup mix or other favorite mix
1/2 c sour cream

In skillet heat oil over med heat.  Brown chicken turning once. Stir in water and recipe mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chick and keep warm. Add sour cream and mix until creamy. Add chicken and juices back into skillet. Serve over cooked noodles. Very taste meal!

Roasted Peppered Chicken

1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 tbsp oil
1 whole chicken

blend together 1st 6 ingeds. Brush over surface of chicken. Bake at 375, uncovered on roasting pan. 1 hour or until done. And its GOOD! I felt like martha the first time I made this easy and TASTY meal! Its fab!

Parmesan Almond Pasta Toss

1 lb pasta of your chice, I like mostacholi in this one or other tubal pasta
1/2 sliced almonds
1/3 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c shredded parm

Cook pasta according to box directions, drain. In large skillet, lightly brown almonds in olive oil over med heat, stiring often. Add italian seasoning and garlic. stir until garlic is translucent. add drained pasta to oil/almond mix. Toss to coat. Add cheese  and toss. Serve warm. For a heartier dish use whole wheat pasta. serves 4.

Manicotti

1 box jumbo shells (I don't like using the actual manicotti shells as they are seriously hard to stuff and rather large for my little'uns to eat.)
16 oz tub ricotta (I try to use the part skim)
2-4 c shredded mozzarella
1-2 tsp dried basil
Large Jar Pasta Sauce or homemade pasta sauce 4-5 cups worth
Couple handfuls of shredded parmesan cheese

Begin by cooking the shells according to box directions, but make sure to under cook them a little or they will fall apart and not absorb some of the tomato sauce. While pasta is cooking mix in a large bowl the mozz, ricotta and basil. When the shells are done and you have cooled them and dried them on paper towels, spray one or two 13x9 inch baking pans and add about 1/4 cup of sauce to each and spread on the bottom of the pan! Start by filling each shell with 2-3 tbsps of mix, you can shove them as full as you want to or as little as you want. Line them pretty close in the pan. When you have filled them all, pour the remaining sauce over all the shells and then top with shredded parm. Bake for 20-30 minutes in a 350 oven or until the cheese is melted and the sauce hot. Serve with a salad and garlic bread! Yummy!!! I never have complaints when serving this one!

Cheerio Snack

My mom always made this for us when we were kids and I still like it today, so do my kiddos.

3-4 tbsps unsalted butter (I always use unsalted)
2 tbsp wozzy sauce
garlic salt to taste
onion powder to taste
ground red pepper (cayenne) to taste
3-6 cups cheerios (plain not flavors, just good ole bland cheerios)

melt butter in large skillet. Add wozzy, garlic, onion, and red pepper, cook until it is aromatic and smells right to you. I do a lot of cooking by smell, adding until it smells right you can also taste here I know all the big wig cooks say too! Add the cherrios when the butter wozzy mix begins to slightly bubble. Saute/toast the cheerios in the pan until they begin to dry out and crisp up, you want these crunchy but not burned. Serve warm or store in an air tight container and serve later. They are good for a couple of days, but not over 3 I would say.

Celery and Carrot Soup

1 onion minced
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 carrots peeled and sliced thin
2 celery ribs sliced thin
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
2 c chicken broth
1/2 c. dry white cooking wine or more broth

melt butter in sauce pan and cook onion until tender. add celery carrots and tarragon. add broth and wine. bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. serve immediately. this recipe only makes 2 servings, so you will need to double or triple it for a larger crowd, you probably wont need to double up on the butter though.

Peanut Butter Fudge

2 c. sugar (no subs)
1/2 c. milk
1 1/3 c. peanut butter
1 jar ( 7oz) marshmellow creme

In a sauce pan, bring sugar and milk to a boil, boil for 3 mins. Add peanut butter and marshmallow creme. Mix well. Quickly pour into a buttered 8x8 inch square pan. Chill until set. Cut when fully set and cool.

Parmesan Crusted Canned Biscuit Rounds

2/3 c parm cheese
1/2 mayonnaise
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp dried oregano
dash onion powder
1 tube refrigerator canned biscuits

in a bowl mix the first 6 ingredients until making a smooth spread. The on a baking sheet layered with non-stick foil flatten the biscuits until about 4 inches around (about as big as you can get them!). Then spread with the mixture about 1 tbsp on eat biscuit. Make at 400 for 10-13 minutes or until golden! Serve warm!

These are very tasty!

Great Sauce For Fish

When you have fish that you have sauted or broiled in the oven and don't want it to be too boring or too fishy tasting this is a fabulous sauce that we really enjoy!

1 tbsp sugar or splenda
2 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon
dash pepper
1/2 c. orange juice (or a mix of lemon and orange which is my preference)
1/8 tsp tarragon

After you have decided to fix the fish they way you like, either grilled or broiled or sauted. Place first 5 ingredients in a microwave safe dish. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir. Cook 1 minute longer or until thickened. Add tarragon, stir and serve! Super simple and very tasty!

Broccoli Twice Stuffed Potatoes

4 russet potatoes
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 small onion chopped
1 10 ounce pkg frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
1/2 c. ranch salad dressing
1 tbsp olive or canola oil
salt and pepper to taste

Bake potatoes in foil or on a pan in oven at 400 for one hour. after they are done, allow to cool and then cut them in half and scoop out the pulp from each side keeping skins intact. Mash pulp in bowl. Heat small skillet over medium heat, add butter. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 mins. Add onions, broccoli, salad dressing to potato pulp and mix well. Sometimes I add some cheddar cheese at this point, but it isn't necessary. Brush outsides of skins with oil and then sprinkle with the cracked pepper and coarse salt. Spoon the pulp mixture into the shells, dividing evenly. Bake potatoes until heated through, about 15 minutes at 425.

Homemade Alfredo Sauce and Pasta

3 tbsp unsalted butter
3tbsp flour
1 1/4 c milk (I use skim)
pepper and salt to taste
1/4 tsp onion powder or to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder or to taste
1/2 c Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 lb pasta of choice (I use was I have on hand sometimes spaghetti, sometimes linguine)

Heat to boiling a large pot to cook the pasta in. Add salt to taste. When the water is boiling and you have added the pasta and gotten that going, melt butter over med-med/high heat in a med size skillet. Add the flour to make a roue (sp?)  cook until light brown and the flour taste has been cooked out. Add the seasonings, salt pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. stir to combine. Slowly add the milk while whisking the mixture and allowing all the lumps to disappear. Cook the sauce about a minute more until it thickens, then add the Parmesan cheese, stirring until it melts. If the sauce is too thick, I use some of the pasta water to thin it a bit, but go easy. When the pasta is cooked add it directly from the pot into the sauce , don't shake too much of the pasta water off. Use a fork and spoon to mix the sauce with the pasta. I serve this warm with the canned parm that is basically hated in the culinary world, but my family likes it and rarely uses it for anything so we shake some on top of this and everyone eats it up. Can be easily pared with just about any side you can think of. I would go with a quick salad to make this super quick and some garlic bread sure couldn't hurt right?

Note: you can also double this recipe (minus the pasta) and use it to sub into stuff that calls for a jar of alfredo, I bet this is WAY healthier than the store brands!

Onion Meatball Stew

Meatballs (either make your own for your favorite recipe or use frozen, your preference--if using your own make sure you brown them well before continuing on with the steps)
1can condensed french onion soup (campbells)
2/3 c. water
3 carrots, rough chopped
2 potatoes, rough chopped (similar size to the carrots)
1 onion rough chopped
3 ribs celery, rough chopped

In a large pot add all ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until veggies are tender. Serve with biscuts or crusty homemade bread.

Corn bread Stuffing

This is a favorite for our family on holidays and sometimes when I am feeling like making a giant meal with roast chicken and all the fixin's I will make this to accompany.

1 pan 8x8 of baked and cooled cornbread
1 c chopped celery with leaves
1/2 chopped onions
1 stick butter
1/4 c chicken broth or stock

break corn bread into small pieces, I just leave it in the pan it baked in until I need to add it to the veggies. Cook celery and onion in the butter until soft, but not browned (I often add some celery seed or thyme at this point and allow the heat of the butter to release some of the good stuff in the herbs, but it isn't necessary). Add broth and mix well, then add the corn bread to the pan (I use a huge skillet that I have) and toss lightly. Pour into another baking pan and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 30-40 minutes or until the top is crusty and golden. I don't stuff turkeys or chickens (I don't like my stuffing that way) but if you like it you can skip the baking and just stuff your bird.

Sausage Barley and Bean Soup

1 lb sausage cut into coins
4 c water
1 can great norther beans or navy beans drained and rinsed
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 med onion chopped
1/2 c. celery sliced
1/2 c. carrots sliced
1/2 c quick cooking barley
2 tsps wozzy sauce
1/2 tsp dried basil
hot pepper sauce or crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Place all ingredients except hot sauce in a large pot and bring to boil, cover. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 15 minutes or until veggies are tender and season with hot sauce. Serve hot with a crusty bread.

West African Peanut Soup

veggies...veggies...yum!

All done!

4 c. Chicken broth or stock
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 c. chopped carrots
1 c. chopped scallions
3/4 c. peanut butter, smooth or chunky (your preference)
1 c. milk
1/4 c. instant mashed potato flakes
if you like hot sauce to taste

Bring broth tomatoes carrots and scallions to  a boil in a large sauce pan. Reduce heat and simmer 5 -6 minutes or until carrots are tender. Stir in peanut butter until blended, then milk and potato flakes. Simmer 1-2 minutes to heat. makes four servings, you can imagine that it might be good to double this recipe for a larger crowd.

My Mom's Coffee Cake

2 c. busciut mix
2/3c milk or water (if you are suddenly out!)
3 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp canola oil

Topping:
1/3 c. biscut mix
1/3 c brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

Mix first first ingredients and pour into a greased 8x8 inch glass baking dish.  Mix topping and then sprinkle over top. Slice cold butter (not margarine) over the top, about 1 tbsp. The place in a preheated 350 oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden. Mom has made this coffee cake since I was little and we always loved it. We still do love it!

Pot Roast

3 lb Pot Roast
2 bay leaves
2 tsp wozzy sauce
1 pkg brown gravy mix
1/2 c. red cooking wine (this can be easily ommitted, but if you like another layer of flavor go for it!)
1 can cream of mushroom or golden mushroom soup
mashed potatoes for serving

Put roast in the crock pot. Throw everything else, except the potatoes, on top. Cook low for 8 hours. Remove bay leaves and serve over the mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Red Beans and Rice

2 c. chopped ham
1 small onion chopped
1 bay leaf
1 can red beans rinsed and drained
1 can tomato sauce
1 tbsp red pepper sauce (I prefer franks, Will prefers tobasco)
1 bell pepper chopped
2 tsps cajun seasoning
1 lb smoked sausage cut into bite sized pieces
4-6 servings of rice (I don't used instant rice ever, it doesn't taste good to me at all!)

Place first seven ingredients in the crock pot in order listed. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours About 3o minutes before serving start making your rice and also add the cajun seasoning and sausage and then also turn up the heat to high for the last 15 minutes of cooking, until the sausage is heated through. Serve with the red beans piled on the rice in bowls. Yum!

Yummy Breakfast Sandwiches

Whole Wheat English muffins, split
Canadian bacon slices
Swiss Cheese Slices
1-2 tomatoes sliced to your desired thickness
Coarse salt and fresh round pepper


heat oven to 400 degrees. Place however many muffins on a baking sheet as you are making (we usually do alot since as previously mentioned we have a lot of people to feed)and toast until the tops are slightly browned. Spread bottom halves of muffins with a touch of butter (only a touch, not much at all or it gets soggy). Then layer on 2 slices of bacon, 1 slice of cheese and 1 tomato slice (in that order). Sprinkle with the salt and pepper and return to oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tomato is beginning to pucker and is heated through. I usually allow the tops of the muffins to go through this second toasting because then the tops are nice and crispy, my preference, but you do whatever you like best!

These are so yummy, but can be a bit pricey for a large fam, so we usually don't do this to often or only when tomatoes are in season because my former gardening hubby hates hydroponic tomatoes.

Salsa Rice

1 1/2 cups rice

2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup mild salsa

1 tablespoons olive  oil

In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add in dry rice. Stir for about 5 minutes until rice becomes a golden brown color.

Add in broth and salsa (Slowly into rice, not directly onto hot pan!) Stir it up and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and cover. Let it simmer for 20 minutes and fluff with a fork.


This rice is fabulous!! LOVE IT!

Taco Pork Chops

6-8 1/2 inch lean and boneless pork chops
1 pkg taco seasoning
1-2 tbsps olive oil

Place the chops in a ziplock bag with the taco seasoning (can make your own, we love a kind we found only in kansas city we still have some on hand and I am not above asking a friend to mail it to me!) shake the bag to coat the chops evenly. Heat the oil on a griddle or a large skillet, when hot place the chops on the heat. Cook the chops for 5-6 minutes per side, watch them to make sure they brown but do not burn. Serve hot with a side of salsa rice. Makes 6-8 servings (we have a big family!)

Leftovers are good too, and can be easily reheated for lunch or dinner the next day.

yes, i use my kids plate to serve food sometimes ;D

Baked Beans

This recipe is the best for baked beans that we have found. Everytime I have served it everyone loves it! Definately a fix for any barbaque!

1/2 green pepper cut in 1 inch chunks
1/2 red onion cut in 1 inch chunks
1 small can large pinapple chunks, don't use the juice so if you want to save it for something else, go ahead
1-2 tbsps spicy/grainy mustard
1/2 c. brown sugar
2-3 small cans baked beans, or one large one

Preheat oven to 350. Chop veggies and add them to a 8x8 baking pan you have sprayed with cooking spray. Add the baked beans to the pan and then the sugar and mustard. Mixx everything well. Place in the heated oven for 30-45 minutes or until bubbly and slightly thickened, do not cover pan. Serve immediately. Store leftovers in the fridge and reheat in oven.