Question #2

Hey Shana!!! I remember once at a family party we had this broccoli soup (I think), with cheese. I can't quite remember but I remember it was good!!! If you have that recipe could you please post it?? Also, with the weather getting colder, I was thinking that we should all try to post at least one soup. Then, we all need to try one new one this month, and if it is good post it for the rest of us! :-)

Question

Hey Jess,
On that cornbread, do you just put the powder of the pudding in or do you actually make the pudding with milk and then put it in? Just wondering, it looks super yummy and easy. Thanks!

Shan

Cheese Broccoli Soup

My aunt makes this every year for Christams Eve and Brad loves it.

In large kettle:
6 c. water
1/4 c. chicken bouillon granules (4 Tbsp. or 12 cubes)
1 c. chopped celery
1 large chopped onion (I only do half - enough to make about 1 c. chopped or less)
16 oz. bag frozen chopped broccoli (or three fresh stalks)
1/2 c. margarine

Boil for ten minutes.

Mix separately:
6 c. water
1 1/2 c. flour

Whisk together. Pour into boiling soup, stirring continuously, (and reduce heat to medium-high) while soup thickens.

When thickened, add:

1 large jar Cheez Whiz (will slowly melt as you stir)
Dash of pepper

Keep stirring until chesse melts, then remove from heat. Makes a big pot of soup. Serve hot. Don't add any salt! Serve with fresh cornbread. (We eat it in bread bowls at Christmas.)

Cornbread

We just tried this last night and Brad said it was the best he's ever eaten. Best part, it was super easy!

1 c. cornmeal
1 c. flour
4 tsp. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1 egg
1/4 c. oil
1 small box vanilla instant pudding.

Double to make 9x13 inch pan.

Mix together sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, egg, and oil. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and pudding. Bake at 350º for 15 to 20 minutes or until done.

Johnny Marzetti Casserole

Yet another tester, and it passed! This was really good, and the kids loved it. I added a few things to the original recipe. Hope you like it!

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces rotini pasta
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced green bell pepper
salt and pepper to taste (you need to add the salt for sure!)
2 t. Italian seasoning, or add some basil and oregano to taste.
1 (14.4 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until just al dente, 6 to 8 minutes; drain. Run cold water over the pasta to stop pasta from cooking further. Set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the ground beef and sausage until completely browned and crumbled, 7 to 10 minutes. Mix in the onion, celery, garlic, and pepper; continue to cook and stir another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Allow to cool five minutes.
Lightly grease a large casserole dish. Spread the pasta over the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the Italian cheese blend over the pasta. Pour the meat mixture over the pasta and cheese. Cover dish with heavy aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes; remove foil and sprinkle Cheddar cheese evenly over the casserole. Continue baking until Cheddar cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes before serving

Crock-Pot Lasagna

Just made this the other night, it was great!! Just put it in the crock-pot and leave it. You will have a delicious meal in hours with hardly any work.

1 lb. ground beef (browned
1 onion chopped
2 tsp. garlic
1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp oregano
1 pkg(8 ounces) no-cook lasagna noodles
3 cups mozzarella cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a skillet, brown meat,onion and garlic. Add tom. sauce, water, paste,salt and oregano. Mix well. Spread a fourth of the meat sauce in crock-pot. Arrange 1/3 of noodles over sauce. Combine the cheeses; spoon a 1/3 of the mixture over noodles. Repeat.

Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

Pear Bread

Okay, so I know it sounds kind-of funny, but my step mom made this for Trev and I and we absolutly love it!! It is so moist and yummy!!

2 C. sugar
3/4 C. oil
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
Mix above together
Add:
3 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 cups chopped pears(I use the canned kind from winco)

Mix together, put in loaf pans(greased and floured). Bake at 325 for 1 hour

Carmel Dip

Here is a quick easy dip that I love!! Great with apples~ I know it definitly isn't good for you, but for an every now and then treat, it is way worth it.

2 cubes butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup karo syrup

Mix together and bring to boil. Keep warm until serving.

Upside Down Pizza

OK girls, my poor family is a bunch of guinea pigs, but this week was a success. They liked both new recipes that I tried. This one was really simple, and really good. Try it, and let me know what you think.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 jar pizza sauce
1 can mushrooms
1 can olives, cut up
any other pizza topping you might like
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls (I did it with one, but I thought the crust wasn't thick enough. Next time I might try it with two.


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Brown beef, sausage, onion and garlic in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Once browned, drain fat and stir in pizza sauce.
In a 9x13 inch baking dish, spread a layer of sauce. Top with 1/2 of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, another layer of sauce and the rest of the cheese. Top with crescent rolls, pinching seams together.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown.

Sonora Chicken

OK ladies, I made this the other night, and we loved it. Claire and Owen actually had seconds, and Chad said I could make it again. It was really yummy. Let me know what you think.

INGREDIENTS
6 large bone-in chicken breast halves ( I actually had left over turkey from Sunday, so I just cubed that, and it was great. You could probably just use chicken already cooked.)
1 (10 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (15 ounce) can chili, no beans (Hormel is the only kind I could find)
1 cup picante sauce
1/2 cup milk
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
12 corn tortillas, torn into strips
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place chicken in a baking dish. Cover and bake for 1 hour in preheated oven. Remove chicken from dish and allow to cool. Remove meat from bone and tear into small pieces.
Meanwhile, mix the cream of mushroom soup, the cream of chicken soup, chili, picante sauce, milk, onion, cumin, and garlic powder in a large bowl.
Spread half the shredded chicken into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover the chicken with half of the tortilla pieces. Pour half of the sauce on top of the tortillas; sprinkle half the Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese evenly over the dish. Repeat the layers with the rest of the ingredients.
Bake in preheated oven until all the cheese has melted and sauce mixture is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes.

Meatloaf

Meatloaf

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 C. oats

2 beaten eggs

1 C. milk

1 tsp. Worchester sauce

1/4 C. onions(I use the dryed kind, but fresh would be fine)

2 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/3 tsp. sage

1 T. mustard

Glaze:

3 T. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 C. ketchup

1 tsp. dry mustard

Mix ingrediants. Put in a bread pan. Then mix all glaze ingrediants and spread over top of meat. Bake uncovered for 1 hour @ 350.

Shanna's famous Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped Potatoes

I usually make this with my Meatlof and it always turns out a hit. This is one of Trev's favorite meals!

3-4 C. thinly sliced potatoes

1/2 onion chopped

1 T. parsley

3 T. flour

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3 T. melted margerine

1 1/2 C. milk

In a 9x13 pan, place a layer of potatoes. Sprinkle with flour, onions, parsley, and salt & pepper. Alternate layers.

Heat milk and margerine together. Pour over potatoes. cover and bake for 1 hour @ 350. Uncover and bake another 1/2 hour. Enjoy

Chicken Pot Pie

This makes two potpies, I usually make half a recipe and put it in an 8 by 8 casserole dish. If you make the whole thing, you can put it in a large dish, and it will serve at least 12 people.

2 C. diced peeled potatoes
1 3/4 C. sliced carrots
2/3 C. chopped onions
1 C. butter or margarine
1 C. flour
1 3/4 t. salt
1 t. dried thyme
3/4 t. pepper
3 C. chicken broth
1 1/2 C. milk
4 C. cooked cubed chicken
1 C. frozen peas
1 C. frozen corn
pastry for double crust pies

Place potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. drain and set aside. In a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, salt, thyme and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add the chicken, peas, corn, potatoes, and carrots; remove from the heat.

Place filling in two casserole dishes. Cover the top with pie crust. Cut slits or decorative cutouts in pastry.

Bake one potpie at 425 for 35-40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Cover and freeze remaining potpie for up to 3months

TO USE FROZEN POTPIE: Shield frozen pie crust edges with foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes. reduce heat to 350; bake 70-80 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Cubed pork - 30 to 35 pieces (I buy the pork roast and just cube that - it's much cheaper)

2 T. cornstarch
1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soy sauce

Mix above together, and add the pork. Soak in the fridge for at least an hour.

Then roll meat in fine cracker crumbs. Deep fry until golden brown. You can use chicken instead.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. white vinegar
1/4 C. ketchup
1/4 C. water
pinch of salt
2 dashes of Tabasco (I usually omit this)
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Boil together, then thicken with. . .

1 T. cornstarch
2 T. water

Stir together and mix with above mixture.

I know it has vinegar, but Chad enjoys this. I don't mix the cooked meat in with the sauce, I serve it on the side. It is really easy, and you will love it.

Chicken Tetrazzini

This is so yummy! I promise - make the whole thing and freeze it. You will love it as an easy meal.

1 package (12 ounces) spaghetti
1/3 C. Butter or margarine
1/3 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. white pepper (I use black)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 1/2 c. half and half cream
1 C. Heavy whipping cream
4 C. cubed cooked chicken
3 cans (4 ounces each) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 jar (4 ounces) sliced pimientos, drained - I don't put these in.
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile in a skillet, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add the broth, half and half and whipping cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in the chicken, mushrooms and pimientos. Drain spaghetti; add to the chicken mixture and toss to coat.

Transfer to two greased 11 in x 7 in x 2 in baking dishes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover and freeze one casserole up to 2 months. Bake second casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes or until heated through

TO USE FROZEN CASSEROLE: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover, bake 15-20 minutes longer or until heated through. Stir before serving.

Recipe Exchange

So I was looking through cookbooks this morning trying to find a new salad recipe (does anyone know of a good one?) and I came across this in an Amish cookbook I picked up in New York ☺ I thought it would be funny for our site :D

Recipe Exchange

I didn't have potatoes so I substituted rice.
I didn't have paprika so I used another spice.
I didn't have tomato sauce so I used tomato paste,
A whole can - not a half can - I don't believe in waste.

A friend gave me the recipe,
She said you couldn't beat it.
There must be something wrong with her -
I couldn't even eat it.

~Author Unknown

Cream Cheese Bean Dip

Thanks Jess for the recipes. I will definitely try them out and let you know.

Super Yummy Cream Cheese Bean Dip

1- 8 oz pgk cream cheese
2 cans chili con carne
Tortilla chips

Heat cream cheese and chili in small sauce pan over low heat until smooth. Serve warm with your favorite tortilla chips.

All my guy friends are in love with this dip and request that I bring it when we have parties.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas (red sauce)

I haven't tried this one but it makes less and sounds yummy. Let me know if you try it before we do ☺

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
2 c. shredded, cooked chicken
1 can corn, drained
1 1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
2 c. salsa, divided
10 (7-8 inch) flour tortillas
1 (10 1/2 oz) can cream of chicken soup

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Set aside 1/2 of the green chilies. Stir together chicken, corn, 1 cup chesse, other 1/2 green chiles and 1 1/2 cups salsa. Place 1/3 cup chicken mixutre on each tortilla and roll up. Place tortillas, seam side down, in shallow 2 quart baking dish. Stir together soup with reamining 1/2 cup salsa. Spoon mixture evenly over filled tortillas. Top with reamining 1/2 cup cheese and reserved green chilies. Bake 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

Chicken Enchiladas (white sauce)

This makes a lot but you can cut it in half. We tried this one and Brad liked it even though it has sour cream in it.

3 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1/4 c. diced onion, sautéed
2 lbs. grated cheese

Add onions to chicken; set aside. Grate cheese; set aside. Combine with above ingredients;

1 lg ctn. sour cream (16 oz.)
1 sm. can diced green chiles
2 cans cream of chicken soup

Two to three dozen small flour tortillas. Take grated cheese and 1 tablespoon sauce. Put in tortilla and roll up. Place in 9 x 13-inch cake pan. Spread leftover sauce and grated cheese on top. Cover with tin foil, bake at 350º for 30 minutes.

chicken enchiladas

Hey Girls!

Does anyone have a good recipe for Chicken Enchiladas; something that doesn't make too much and is easy?

Thanks,
Jeanna

Stacey's Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 c. margarine (Stacey uses 1/2 c. butter flavored Crisco plus 3 tsp water)
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c. flour
1 c. oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
chocolate chunks or chips

Bake at 375º for 9 minutes.
Makes about 24 cookies when you make walnut size balls out of dough.

I used about a half of bag of chips and we like more oatmeal so next time we're going to try about a half cup more but they were awesome!! Brad says they are his new favorite cookie. Thanks Stacey!!!

Crock-Pot Chicken

Crock-Pot Chicken

4 chicken breast
1 1/2 pkgs italian seasoning(dry packets)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pkg cream cheese

Mix all together in crock-pot for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low. Can be served with rice or noodles!

Yummy Brownies

Yummy Brownies

1 3/4 cubes butter

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

Mix well and add:

1 1/2 c. flour

1/3 c. cocoa

Bake at 375º for 20-30 minutes.

Let's Get Cookin'!

It's done! After a weekend together shopping and talking we decided to make a recipe blog. I can't tell you how excited I am because I hate to always make the same thing. You all know what I'm talking about: spaghetti, tacos, mashed potatoes, etc, etc, etc :D So everyone start thinking and blogging :) Also, if you put a label on it when you post it should make it easier for us to go back and find recipes. So classify them if you can and leave comments when you try them. I'll put on one of our favs for an example :)

Happy Blogging!!
Jessica