Twice Baked Potato Casserole

 Found recipe and imagine here.

 

Ingredients:

• 5 lb russet potatoes
• 10 sli bacon
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 0.5 c unsalted butter, melted
• 1 c sour cream
• 0.25 c chives, minced
• 2.5 c cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 t kosher salt
• 0.5 t pepper

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Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

 

2) Peel potatoes, and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a large saucepan, and add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender and easily pierced with a paring knife, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain; return to pan, cover, and set aside.

3) Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp and browned, turning once. Transfer to paper towels to drain; let cool, and crumble into pieces.

 

4) Using a fork, mash the potatoes in pan until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese, butter, and sour cream, and stir until combined and smooth. Add the chives, 2 cups cheddar cheese, half the bacon, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.

5) Transfer to a buttered 3-quart baking dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake until top is slightly golden and potatoes are heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven; garnish with remaining bacon. Serve immediately.

White Cheddar Mac-n-Cheese

 

 I found this recipe and image here.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

16 oz. macaroni noodles

5 T. butter, divided

1 c. heavy cream

8 oz. cheese, shredded (I would recommend something strong like an aged cheddar, muenster, or what cheese your family prefers)

Salt and pepper

¼ c. Ritz cracker crumbs

Directions:

1)  Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.  

 

2) In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta according to the package directions just until 1-2 minutes shy of al dente.

3) Dice 4 tablespoons of the butter and place in a large mixing bowl.  Warm the cream in a small saucepan or the microwave.  Cover to keep warm.

4) Once the pasta is cooked, add to the bowl with the butter and toss to coat well.  Stir in the warm cream and the cheese until the cheese starts to melt.  Mix in salt and pepper to taste.

5) Pour the mixture into a buttered 2-quart casserole dish.  In a small bowl, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter.  Mix in the cracker crumbs.  Toss with a fork to coat evenly with the butter.  Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the pasta in the baking dish.

6) Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the topping turns golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Meatballs and Cream Sauce

 

 I found the recipe and image here.

 

 

Meatball Ingredients: 

 

1 egg, beaten

1/4 c. milk

2 T. ketchup

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

3/4 c. quick oats

1/2 t. onion powder

1/4 c. parsley

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

3 T. flour

 

Cream Sauce Ingredients:

 

4 T. butter

4 T. flour

1/2 t. thyme

salt/pepper to taste

1 (14oz) can chicken broth

1 c. milk

3 T. parsley

Directions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  

 

2) In large bowl combine egg, milk, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, oats, onion, parsley, salt and pepper.  Add beef and mix well.  Shape into 1 1/2 in. balls and roll in flour, shaking off excess.  Place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 22-25 minutes, turning meatballs over after 10 minutes.

3) While meatballs are cooking make sauce.  Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in flour, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth.  Gradually add broth and milk, whisking until smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring occansionally.  Cook until thickened and bubbly.

3) Drain meatballs on paper towels.  

 

4) Serve over rice with sauce.

Sour Cream Pancakes

 

 

 I found recipe and imagine here.

 

 Ingredients:

 

2 c. all purpose flour

2 1/2 t. of baking powder

1 t. baking soda

2 t. sugar

1/4 t. salt

2 eggs

1/2 c. sour cream

1 2/3 c. milk

2 t. vanilla

Directions:

1)  In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together.  

 

2) In another bowl, whisk eggs until lightly beaten then add sour cream, milk, and vanilla.  Whisk until smooth.  

 

3) Add flour mixture to milk/egg mixture and whisk together.  

 

4) Cook in a frying pan with a little butter over medium heat, flipping when bubbles form on the uncooked side.  Repeat until batter is gone.  

 

5) Serve warm with your favorite toppings.  Enjoy!

Tatter Tot Breakfast Casserole

 I found this recipe and image here.

 Ingredients:

1 package tater tots

1 pound sausage

2 c. cheddar cheese

6 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2) Cook the sausage.

3) In 9 x 13 pan, arrange tater tots in one layer on bottom.  Next layer the sausage and then the cheese, spreading evenly.

4) In medium bowl, mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper.  Pour over cheese.

5) Place in oven and bake 35-40 minutes or until middle is set.  Serve with salsa, ketchup or barbeque sauce.

Chicken and Bean Burritos (Freezer Meal)

 

Image and recipe found here.

Ingredients:

2 cans refried beans
1/2 cup salsa
2-4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
tortillas


Directions:

1) Cook and shred chicken.

2) Warm beans.

3) Mix together beans, salsa, and chicken.

4) Spread 1/8 of mixture onto one tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and turn ends under. Stick in a freezer bag or in a 9×13 baking pan and freeze.

Breakfast Burritos (Freezer Meal)

 I found recipe and image here.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. bacon, diced
• 2 lbs. breakfast sausage
• 1 large onion, diced small
• 1 cup diced bell pepper (I use one red and one yellow pepper)
• 20 eggs
• 36 fajita sized flour tortillas
• 1 (8 oz.) bag shredded cheddar cheese
• I add shredded frozen hash browns
• I add green chili's to some of the burritos for Sean
• I also have added mushrooms in the past for Sean too

Directions:
1) Cut up the bacon into bite sized pieces.

2) Chop up the onion and peppers into small bite sized pieces.

3) In a large skillet (electric skillet would be ideal) cook bacon until browned. Drain grease from bacon and set aside on a plate with a few paper towels to absorb the grease.

4) In the same skillet brown and crumble the sausage until cooked through. Drain grease from sausage and set it aside on another plate with a few paper towels to absorb the excess grease.

5) Using the same skillet saute the onion and bell pepper till the onion is translucent and the peppers are soft yet a little crisp.

6) While the onion and bell pepper are cooking, crack and scramble the eggs. (For large quantities of eggs like this you can scramble them in a blender, though I've never tried it.)

7) Cook the hash browns in that same skillet if you are adding them.

8) Once the bell peppers and onion are cooked add the eggs and cook just as you would for scrambled eggs, stirring the egg mixture while cooking until they are cooked through, being careful not to over cook the eggs. Then add the cooked bacon and sausage to the eggs. (I don't have any skillets/ frying pans large enough so I just cook my eggs by themselves.)

9) Warm you tortillas (I just used my microwave).

10) Use about 1/4 cup of filling for each burrito (I did not measure this).

11) Spread on green chili sauce, if desired.

12) Once all of your burritos are made, wrap each one in plastic wrap and place into labeled freezer bags and seal, removing as much air as possible. Frozen burritos will store for 2-3 months in regular freezer bags. For longer freezer storage you can seal them with your Foodsaver and they will last 5-6 months easily.

13) To eat, unwrap a burrito and place on microwave safe plate. Cover loosly with the plastic wrap and microwave for 1 minute, flip over and cook one more minute. Serve with Tabasco or salsa if desired. (I keep forgetting to cover my burrito with plastic wrap so I warm it for about 2 minutes on one side then flip and warm it for another 2 minutes and then let cool for a minute.)

Holiday Scented Play Dough

I found the instructions and picture here.

Peppermint Play Dough

• 2 Cups Flour
• 1 Cup Iodine Salt
• 4 Teaspoons Cream of Tarter
• 4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 2 Cups Water 
• 3 Teaspoons Peppermint Extract
• Few drops red food coloring

1) Add peppermint extract and red food coloring to water. Measure flour, salt, cream of tartar and vegetable oil into a heavy, medium size sauce pan. Pour water mixture into dry ingredients, mix well.

2) Cook over low heat, stir the mixture contentiously until it begins to thicken and pull away from the sides of the sauce pan.

3)Remove the mixture from the burner. Once the mixture is cool enough to handle, kneed until consistency of play dough. Store in a Ziplock back up to a few weeks.

Gingerbread Play Dough

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 4 tsp cream of tartar or alum
• 5 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp. oil

1) Combine the dry ingredients in a saucepan.  Add the water and oil and mix well.

2) Cook over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to thicken and pull away from the sides of the sauce pan.

3)Remove the mixture from heat and knead when cooled enough to handle.  Store in a Ziplock bag when cooled to keep from drying out.  

Santa Fe Chicken (Crockpot Meal)

I found recipe and image here.

 Ingredients:

15 oz can white beans
15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 - 1 1/2 cup bottled chunky salsa
1 pkg of chicken breasts (1.65 lb)
5 oz of low fat cream cheese, cut into chunks
1 cup shredded cheddar

Directions:

1. In a slow cooker, mix beans, and 1/2 cup salsa. Top with chicken and pour remaining salsa over the chicken. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours (or high for 3 hours) until chicken is tender and cooked throughout.

2. Shred chicken with a fork or any type of utensil you want. Add cream cheese. Stir and let cream cheese melt into the mixture to create a creamy sauce.

3. For serving: I served the chicken & sauce over rice with cheddar cheese, green onions and a little sour cream on top. Or you can serve these as tacos with cheese and a couple of taco fixings such as lettuce and tomato. We also just like to eat it with tortilla chips.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

I found this recipe and picture here.

 Ingredients:

 

1 1/2 dozen tortillas

2 cans cream of chicken soup

4oz. can diced green chilis

1 pt. sour cream

1 med onion

1/2 lb. grated cheese

3 C. cooked chicken (diced)

 

 

Directions:

1) Put soup, chilis, sour cream in pan and heat to boiling. 

 

2) Put about 1 tsp. of soup mixture on each shell. 

 

3) Sprinkle each shell with cheese, onion, and chicken. Roll up and put in pan. 

 

4) Pour the rest of the sour cream mixture over them and sprinkle with cheese and onion. 

 

5) Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

 

Chicken Pillows

I found this recipe and image here.
 
Filling Ingredients:

6 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tbs butter or margarine, softened
2 cups cooked and diced chicken breasts (I used 1 1/2 cans of chicken from Costco)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Rest is optional: green onions, celery, mushrooms

Filling Directions:

1) Heat oven to 375 degrees. 

2) Mix softened cream cheese with butter, Add chicken, salt and pepper and mix. 

3) Add green onions, celery, and mushrooms, if desired. 

Biscuit Dough Ingredients:

4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
5 tsp baking powder
1 cup shortening
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk

Biscuit Dough and Assembly Directions:

1) Combine flour, salt, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. 

2) Cut shortening into dry ingredients. 

3) Mix eggs and milk together in a small bowl, then add to flour mixture. 

4) Dough will be sticky. Knead lightly on a floured breadboard or counter about 20 times. 

5) Roll out and cut dough with cereal bowls.

6) Put a tablespoon or two of the filling in the middle of each circle and folded it up. 

7) Put a little egg wash on the top to give it a nice golden yummy look. 

8) Place dumplings on a greased (pamm-ed) cookie sheet, and bake 20-25 minutes. 

9) Serve with gravy. "Gravy" is a can of cream of chicken soup mixed with 1/2 soup can of milk and heated through.

Easy Breadsticks

I found the recipe and image here.


Ingredients:

1 ½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
3 ½ cups flour ½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted (for the baking sheet)
 
Directions:

1) Mix all ingredients (except melted butter) in a large bowl or electric mixer and knead for three minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. 

2) Heat oven to 375 degrees. 

3) Spread melted butter onto an 11X17-inch baking sheet. 

4) Roll out the breadstick dough about 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Twist slightly if desired and place about 1/2-inch apart on the baking sheet. 

5) Sprinkle with garlic salt, herbs of choice, and Parmesan cheese. 

6) Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise 30 minutes. 

7) Bake 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown.


*Makes about 20-25 breadsticks, depending on how thick or thin you cut them