Hamburger Gravy over Mashed Potatoes

Hey girls,
Here is a really quick and easy meal to do when you can't think of anything else to cook. We really enjoy it.

Mashed Potatoes(make as much as you would like)
1 lb. browned hamburger
1-2 cans cream of chicken soup(just depending on how much sauce you want to make)
1 can milk(or so, it may need a little more)
1 1/2 pkg's lipton onion soup mix

Combine all ingredients(except potatoes) and simmer over med heat until warmed through. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Trev's Speciality-Brad's Favorite

This recipe is very special in our family, and quite hard to master, so if you try it read the directions carefully:)

4 pieces of bread
Butter bread and sprinkle with garlic salt
Put bread on pan and put in oven
Turn on oven to broil
Leave in oven over 20 min. And wait to remove until your kitchen is filled with smoke and fire alarms are going off. Tops of bread will be done when they are so very very black, and they smell funny. ENJOY!!

Chicken Roll-Ups and Cream Sauce

4 chicken breasts (cooked & diced)
1/2 c. green onions
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 pkg refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 c. melted butter
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
1 c. Italian bread crumbs

1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
1 tbls worchester sauce

Mix together chicken, onions, cream cheese and garlic powder. Unwrap crescent rolls and place abt 2 Tbls of mix inside and roll up. Combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Dip crescent rolls in butter and then roll in bread crumb mixture. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake @ 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Cream sauce:
In sauce pan combine soup, sour cream, and worchester sauce. Add salt & pepper to taste. Heat until smooth. Serve over baked chicken roll-ups.

Another Good One

Okay, so I made Shan's Crock Pot chicken for dinner group the other night and it was so yummy! Thanks girls for all the great ideas. Keep 'em coming!!!

Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jess!!

Pumpkin Cookies

These are yummy! Try them, you won't be sad. Owen loved the beaters!!!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups shortening
2 cups white sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons milk
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup packed brown sugar

DIRECTIONS
Cream shortening, white sugar and pumpkin. Add eggs and mix well. Sift together the baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt and flour. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
Drop from spoon to cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
To Make Frosting: Cook butter, milk, and brown sugar until dissolved. Cool and add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Spread over warm cookies.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

As the cold weather quickly comes upon us, nothing taste better than a warm bowl of homemade soup. This one is my favorite and everyone says you'll come back for seconds after you try this. It's one of my specialty's and makes a lot. Enjoy~

4 C. cubed potatoes
1 1/2 C. carrots
1 c. celery
1 c. chopped onion
4 cups water
6 cubes ckn boulion
10 oz. chopped frozen broccoli
Cook the above first.
Then make white sauce in separate pan:
1/2 C. margerine
1/4 C. flour
2 C. milk
3/4 lb. velveeta cheese
Add the two together and stir on med. low until serving.

Pumpkin Cake Dessert

You guys have got to try this!! It is AWESOME!! A way easy dessert that is 10 times better than any pumpkin pie!! I made it for my family this weekend and the whole pan is almost gone. You can serve it warm with ice cream on top, or cool it in the fridge and top with whipped cream. I will definitly be taking this to our family Thanksgiving Party!!

1 pkg yellow cake mix(put 1 cup aside for topping)
1 egg
3/4 C. melted butter
Mix all together and put in greased 9x13 pan.(this is the crust mixture)

2 eggs
2/3 C. evaporated milk
1 large can pumpkin pie filling(the kind with the spices already added
Mix above and them put on top of crust mixture

1 C. cake mix
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 T. butter
Mix together and sprinkle on top of 2 nd layer.
Bake @350 for 50-60 min.

Another Winner

So, last night was my turn to cook again for the dinner group. I tried the beef stroganoff that Jess posted. I altered the recipe just a bit and put in a can of cream of mushroom soup and, like Jess, put in some milk. It made a bit more than we needed, but that might have been because I didn't make enough noodles and we ran out. I think that we may have finished it all off had I had enough noodles. I should have made the whole package of noodles up instead of just 3/4 of the package. Jeff announced that it was the best stroganoff he has ever had. Willie and Jenn seemed to like it and I thought it was yummy. So its a winner recipe!!! You should all try it.

New recipes

Just thought it was about time to add some new recipes. These are some of our favorites so even though they are old to us they might be new to you :) Enjoy! Sorry April I did try a new soup recipe but I didn't like it so I can't post it :D Guess my original Broc and Cheese I posted before will have to work for my soup recipe for now :)

Banana Bread

This is my mom's recipe and I just love it!

1 c. mashed bananas
2 eggs
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 tsp. soda
1 3/4 c. flour
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar

Cook at 325º for about an hour.

Mock Sherbet Fruit Salad

1 large pkg. vanilla cook & serve pudding
3 c. liquid (water and fruit juice)
1 can fruit cocktail
1 large pkg. orange jello (our favorites are black cherry or raspberry)

Bring liquid and vanilla pudding to a boil and dissolve orange jello in it. Fold in whipped cream and fruit. Chill until firm. (Takes several hours).

Easy Fruit Salad

1 can fruit cocktail, drained and juices reserved
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 c. miniature marshmallows
1 small box vanilla instant pudding
1 can crushed pineapple and juice
1/2 small ctn. Cool Whip
1/4-1/2 c. shredded coconut

Mix fruits with dry pudding. Add reserved juice to desired consistency. Add marshmallows and coconut with Cool Whip. Chill.

Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo

This is one of our favorites with chicken on the grill and steamed broccoli

8 oz. pkg cream cheese
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1/2 c. milk
8 oz fettuccine, cooked and drained (we use penne noodles)

In large saucepan, combine cheese, margarine, and milk. Stir over low heat until smooth. Add fettuccine and toss lightly. Serve hot.

Beef Stroganoff

Ok I know this recipe has the dreaded white stuff in it but Brad really likes it (he doesn't know what's in it) I think he was suspicious of what made it so creamy but he really likes it and just said not to tell him what was in it :D

1 lb. hamburger
1 chopped onion
1/4 c. butter (optional)
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp salt or garlic salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
Hot cooked noodles

Mix hamburger, onion, and butter and cook through. (Use butter with game meat, you don't need it with regular hamburger). Add flour, salt, and pepper and cook for a few minutes. Stir in cream of chicken soup and simmer 10 minutes (I add a little milk so it's not so thick). Stir in sour cream. Serve over hot noodles.

Beefy Baked Ravioli

I think I have shared this with most of you, but this is one of our favorite recipes. I promise you will love it - it's almost like lasagna but a whoel lot easier to make!

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef (I also add 1/2 pound of pork sausage)
1/2 - 1 (25 ounce) package frozen cheese ravioli
1 (14 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until no longer pink. Drain grease, then stir in the spaghetti sauce and tomatoes.
Spread 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of an 11x7 inch baking dish. Arrange 1/2 of the ravioli over the sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 of the Monterey Jack cheese over the ravioli. Repeat layers, ending with the last of the sauce on top. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top before serving.