Cheesy Potatoes

Let me introduce you to my standard, go-to, breakfast casserole. This one is SO easy and so yummy! Every time I serve it, people talk about it and ask about it. I took it to MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) this morning, and once again I received many compliments! I think that if I didn't bring it, people would be upset. The last time I was supposed to bring a dish to share at MOPS, I asked my Facebook friends if I should bring the cheesy potatoes or cinnamon rolls. They demanded the potatoes.

Cheesy Potatoes (The Yummy Version)

• 1 bag of Potatoes O'Brien (don't you love that you don't have to chop peppers or onions?)
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1.5 - 2 cups shredded cheese (I usually use cheddar, but I just used the remnants of a couple of different bags of free cheese.)
• dash of garlic salt (or more)
• pepper to taste

In a large bowl, stir together melted butter, sour cream, soup, garlic salt and pepper until well combined.

Add frozen potatoes (making sure there aren't any big lumps all stuck together) and mix well.

Add shredded cheese and mix well. Reserve a little bit of cheese to garnish the top later on!

Place in a baking dish.

This is when I usually cover it and put it in the refrigerator and go to bed.

In the morning, I get up and throw the uncovered dish into the oven at about 375° for 1 hour. When I'm short on time, I crank it up to about 400° for 35 minutes!

Important: It needs to be bubbly all the way in the middle of the dish. PU-LEASE don't pull it out before it is bubbly in the center! This results in crunchy, uncooked potatoes. If you are concerned about too much browning around the edges, you can always cover just the edges with a little bit of foil (not that I ever do!). Now, sprinkle a tiny bit of cheese on the top to make it pretty!

Fruit Pizza

This is a great summer recipe--perfect for all the peaches, blackberries, and blueberries

Step 1:
1 C Flour
1/4 C Powdered sugar
1/2 C Butter

Mix and Pat on Pizza Pan (or cookie sheet). Back 325* for 15 min. (oven times can vary) Cool 15-30 minutes.

Step 2:
1-8oz pkg. Cream Cheese
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Beat on High. Spread on cooled crust.

Step 3:
1 T. Cornstarch
4 T. Sugar
1 C. Crushed berries (can use frozen if you run out of fresh)

Cook in saucpan on high. Spread over pizza.

Step 4:
Put 1-1/2 cups fresh fruit/berries on top. Decorate with whipped cream or powdered sugar.

This is the best tasting thing on a hot day! It's more of a dessert, but you might be able to fool people into thinking it's the main fruit dish. Enjoy!

Roasted Spiced Cauliflower (or Veggies)

I have been making these veggies about once a week since we were served it at a church Valentine's dinner. The gal from church was gracious enough to share her recipe and I just adore my vegetables fixed like this.
1/4 C. olive oil
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. curry powder
1/2 t. ground cardamon
1/2 t. ginger
1/4 t. cayenne
1/4 t. pepper
1 Large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds) cut into florets*
I sometimes do a veggie medley and use 1/2 a cauliflower, a stalk or two of broccoli, a couple carrots cut into thick slices. You can also add leek, onion, or mushrooms.
Preheat oven to 450. Lightly grease a pan with oil. (9x13)
Combine olive oil with spices, toss together with veggies. Mix well. Spread veggies in a single layer in pan. Roast for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally til tender crisp and a bit browned.

Notes: I dump my veggies on my silpat to roast and it works wonderfully. My oven may run a bit hot, they are usually done in 12-15 minutes. I also cut back a bit on the spices. I usually double the vegetable amount for a family of 5 (plus we like leftovers) and double the oil to 1/3-1/2 cup, but still use the same measurements of spices. Otherwise, it is a bit too overpowering for the kids. If you don't care for a spice, just leave it out! I don't have any cardamon, so I have been making them without and they are just as wonderful.

Eggless Peanut Butter Cookies

Yesterday someone on Facebook mentioned something about eating cookies and I instantly wanted something sweet. The only problem was that I desperately needed go grocery shopping and didn't have all the necessary ingredients for cookie making, namely eggs. So I turned to the trusty All-Recipes site and found several recipes for eggless cookies. I still had to make some substitutions but this is the recipe I actually made--Eggless Peanut Butter Cookies. They turned out great!

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Mix the shortening, peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar and buttermilk until smooth and fully combined. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the peanut butter mixture and mix until well blended. Drop cookies 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet. Do not flatten like you would with normal peanut butter cookies--these cookies spread. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Sandwich Pockets

A quick calazone type recipe that's easy to throw together for lunch or dinner on the run.

Your favorite pizza crust recipe OR a tube of refrigerator biscuits

1 cup turkey (or regular) keibasa cut into small pieces

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Miracle Whip

2 ounces cream cheese

1 1/2 tsp deli mustard

Combine mozzarella, cream cheese, miracle Whip and mustard. Add keilbasa.

Divide dough into eight pieces and roll out into circles.* Place sausage mixture on one side of each circle, fold into half moon shape. Seal the edges. Bake for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees or until the crust turns golden brown.

These are best served right out of the oven, but are tasty cold too.

*If using refrigerator biscuits, roll them out into nice flat circles.

VARIATIONS:

• thin sliced turkey lunch meat or leftover turkey
• thin sliced ham or diced ham, substitute Swiss for mozzarella and dijon mustard for the deli

Best Oatmeal Cookies

A friend brought over these cookies and shared them with our family. We were all impressed. It is pretty hard to get your socks knocked off by a regular oatmeal cookie, but these are exceptional. They have the chewy texture, the buttery flavor, and oatmeal nuttiness that is just perfect. I asked for the recipe and have made them several times. The recipe makes a huge quantity and the cookies freeze well when baked. I took them to a couple Christmas parties after I dunked them in milk chocolate and mini chocolate chips. Yum.

Family Favorite Oatmeal Cookies, from Jenni Birch

2 cup butter flavor shortening
2 cup sugar
2 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cup flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
6 cup quick oats
2 cup chopped nuts
Optional 2 cup choc chips or 2 cup raisins and 2 tsp cinnamon.

• Cream shortening and sugars.
• Blend in eggs and vanilla.
• Sift flour, salt, and soda.
• Fold into creamed mixture.
• Add oats and nuts then mix.
• Add choc chips or raisins last.
• Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookies sheets.
• Flatten cookies with palm of hand.
• Bake at 350 for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden and lightly set.
• Cool for a few minutes on the sheet and then move to wire rack.
• Makes 10-11 dozen. This cookie freezes well and keeps in the cookie jar for about a week before becoming dry.

Crock Pot Roast Beef

This is an easy recipe (almost brainless!), yet I always get huge compliments!!

You know me, though. Everything is approximate!!

1 big chunk of beef (maybe 3-5 pounds)
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix
1 small can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

Place the chunk of meat in the crock pot. Sprinkle with the entire envelope of onion soup mix. Spread the entire can of mushroom soup over the top. Cover and cook on high.

What I do: Usually, I put a frozen chunk of meat in there around 10:00am or so, and it is totally done (falling apart) by 5:00pm. I typically turn it down to low around 4:00 because we eat pretty late (when daddy gets home).

Resist opening the crock pot. Every time you do, you need to add 30 minutes to the cooking time.

This makes great gravy, so be sure to make some mashed potatoes to go with it!