Eggplant and Shrimp Alfredo

Thinly slice eggplant
salt and pepper the eggplant and allow to sit while you are cooking angel hair pasta

cook angel hair pasta to package directions

dredge dry eggplant slices in flour

then dip in egg bath

then dredge in seasoned bread crumbs

heat oil in skillet

fry breaded eggplant on both sides until golden brown

quick meals are best accomplished by using 2 jars of creamy alfredo sauce

season up with salt/pepper/italian seasoning/tony's/old bay/ dash of olive oil

add in one package thawed cooked salad shrimp until heated thru

serve eggplant over pasta and top with alfredo sauce

Cowboy Stew

Brown 1 lb ground meat along with
1 chopped onion
1 chopped bell pepper
2 celery stalks chopped
chopped garlic

add 1 box beef broth (4 cups)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg brown gravy mix

chopped potatoes and carrots
one can green beans
one can green peas
one can butter beans
one can corn
one can petite diced tomatoes with juice
(can pretty much add whatever veggies you like!)

let simmer for at least 30 minutes
serve with hot butter cornbread

this recipe freezes well in small tuppeware for take along lunch servings

Seafood Bisque

1 lb shrimp
1 package crab legs
bell pepper
yellow onion
green onion
celery
garlic
4 finely diced potatoes
1 stick butter
2 tbl flour
1 can whole kernal corn, drained
1 can cream of shrimp soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
salt/pepper/tony's/old bay/louisiana hot sauce

Finely dice all veggies and saute them in butter along with the corn. Add 2 tbl flour until incorporated. Pour in chicken broth first then cream. Add soups, shrimp, and crab. Season to taste. Bring to a boil then turn to low heat until potatoes are done (about 30 minutes is good)

Caramel Apple Cookies

sugar cookie dough
cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
caramel apple dip
chopped peanuts

cream together cream cheese, brown sugar, peanut butter, cinnamon, and vanilla. put in fridge and let set for an hour or more (best if made several hours before so the sugar will dissolve completely)
spread cookie dough on cookie sheet to edges and bake to package directions. let cool.
spread peanut butter mixture over cooled cookie
drizzle caramel sauce over top, then sprinkle chopped peanuts on top. cut into small squares to serve

these can also be made in foil cupcake cups for individual servings and easier transport to kids parties

Hot Ham and Cheese Roll-ups

This is a must for church socials! I have to make a lot because they go fast!

crescent rolls (the recipe ones with no perforations work best if you can find them)
cream cheese
shredded cheese
cubed ham
chopped green onions
garlic powder/salt/pepper
dash worchestershire

mix all ingredients together. spread over crescent dough. roll up jelly roll style. Wrap in saran wrap and let chill in freezer. slice thinly into spirals. bake 375 until golden brown 10-15 min

Corn Casserole

Great spicy side dish that goes well with porkchops or baked BBQ chicken!

1 onion chopped
1 can diced green chilis
2 eggs
1 box Jiffy mix
1 can whole kernal corn
1 can cream style corn
1 c sour cream
1 c grated cheese
chopped jalopenos

saute onions in butter and mix with green chilis and jalopenos. mix in eggs, cornbread, and corn. pour into greased casserole dish. Spread sour cream over top and then top with grated cheese.
bake 375 for 45 minutes

Reese Peanut Butter Cups

This recipe will work best with a silicone mini muffin baking pan. If you don't have one, you can make it into bars, but they tend to crack when you cut them. Don't worry....they still taste fabulous!

16 oz jar creamy peanut butter
16 oz can vanilla frosting (not whipped)
1 pkg chocolate almond bark

For silicone baker:
spray cups with non stick spray (will make two 12 cup bakers)
melt 1/2 of pkg chocolate bark and put spoonful into each cup then put in fridge
put frosting in mixing bowl and microwave 30-45 seconds till liquid
stir in jar of peanut butter until well mixed (it will start to thicken up really fast)
put spoonful of peanut butter on top of frozen chocolate
melt other 1/2 pkg chocolate bark and pour spoonful in each cup over peanut butter
put back in fridge to set
turn silicone baker and pop out reese cups
keep in sealed container in fridge

For bars:
line a cake pan with foil and spray with non stick spray
melt 1/2 chocolate and spread evenly over foil then place in fridge
spread peanut butter filling over set chocolate
pour other 1/2 melted chocolate over filling and spread evenly
put in fridge to set
lift foil lining out of baking dish and put large bar on cutting board
cut into 24 even rectangle bars
keep in covered container in fridge

Taco Crescent Ring

2 packages crescent rolls

1 lb. ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 C. grated cheddar cheese

shredded lettuce

chopped tomatoes

green onions
sour cream
salsa

Brown ground beef in a skillet. Drain off grease. Add the contents of the taco seasoning and follow package directions.

Unroll the 2 packages of the crescent rolls. On a cookie sheet, place the crescent roll wedges in a circle, with the wide side of edge towards the middle, pointed edge towards the outside.

Add the cheese to the ground beef and stir it in. Place the ground beef on the crescent rolls and wrap the pointed edges around the meat mixture so that it forms a ring.

Bake at 375°F. for about 12 minutes.

When baked, remove from the cookie sheet and place the ring on a platter. On the inside of the ring, place the lettuce, tomatoes and green onions. Serve the sour cream and salsa in bowls on the side. Cut into wedges and serve.

Broccoli Cornbread

So, the weather is finally turning cooler and I'm soooo excited about hot soups and cornbread! This recipe is a family favorite. It goes with any meal and is very good cold the next morning for breakfast: if there are any leftovers, that is!

1 stick butter
4 eggs beaten
Large onion finely chopped
1 pkg frozen chopped broccoli
1 t salt
1 box jiffy mix
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup shredded cheese

Set oven to 400*. Melt butter in pyrex . Beat eggs add all ingredients mix well. Pour into hot pyrex over melted butter. Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown.

5 minute peanut butter candy

1 16oz can vanilla frosting (do not get whipped)
1 16oz jar peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
cornflakes cereal

melt vanilla frosting in a mixing bowl for about 30-45 seconds until smooth liquid
stir in peanut butter and mix until creamy
fold in cornflakes a few cups at a time until all are coated
drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper covered cookie sheet
put in fridge until set

YUMMY!

Country Apple Coffee Cake

This recipe came from one of the elderly ladies in my mom's church and has been in my family for many years. It tastes similar to apple dumplings and is wonderful with vanilla icecream!


2 T butter
1 ½ c chopped apples
10 oz can biscuits
1/3 c brown sugar
¼ t cinnamon
1/3 c karo
1 egg
½ c pecan
Raisins (optional)

Glaze
½ c powdered sugar
Vanilla
Milk

Spread ½ chopped apples in bottom of dish. Cut biscuits in 4 pieces and place point facing up over apples. Top with rest of chopped apples. Combine butter, sugar, cinnamon, surup, egg in a mixing bowl. Beat 2-3 min stir in pecans and raisins. Pour over biscuits. Bake 350 35-45 min. Let cool and then drizzle glaze all over

Zuppa Toscana

My favorite soup in the world is Zuppa Toscana aka sausage and potato! This recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes and is fabulous served with hot butter breadsticks and salad. Don't worry about whether or not it freezes well...you'll never have any left over to try!



The soup base is Bear Creek Creamy Potato, a dry mix found at Brookshires or Walmart in a green and white package. It has dried diced potatoes in the mix, so there is no peeling and chopping!

1 lb Italian Jimmy Deam ground sausage
finely chopped green onion, mushroom, small onion, red bell pepper, parsley, garlic, celery (pretty much any entree I make has this combination of veggies! use what you like and omit the rest!)
2 boxes chicken broth
1 pint heavy cream
T Italian seasoning
ok, do I have to say it?....open the pantry and add your favorite seasoning combos!
hot water
Optional 1/2 bag frozen diced O'Brien potatos


Brown sausage in a couple tablespoons olive oil
spooon out cooked sausage and add finely chopped veggies to now wonderfully flavored olive oil and cook till tender...don't drain
add 2 boxes chicken broth and 1 pint cream
add dry soup mix and seasonings and stir well
cook about 15-20 minutes on med low heat until dried potatoes are tender
If you are feeding a lot of people such as a potluck or church social, I will add extra potatoes and more water at this point and cook a little longer
the soup will seem very thin at first but thickens up as the potatoes absorb  liquid, so you may have to add more. I just add a cupful of hot water at a time to get it to the desired consisency.

This travels and serves very well in a crock pot, just watch the thickness and add water as needed.

Garnish with shredded cheese and a spoonful of sour cream for added flavor...

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Butterfly cut a 3-4 pound pork tenderloin. Season with salt/pepper/tony's/garlic/etc.....

Cover the pork roast with desired stuffing....

Pictured here is 3 Boudin links removed from the skin.

I have also used ground sausage and link sausage before.

Roll up the tenderloin tightly. No need to secure with toothpicks......

TIGHTLY wrap the tenderloin up in several layers of foil to seal in the juices...make sure to cover the ends well. This is why you don't need toothpicks to secure.

Bake in a roasting pan 3 hours at 300*

Allow to rest about 15 minutes in the foil before cutting.

Slice into 1-2 inch slices and serve!

Weekend getaway

I will be heading to Dallas in a bit. Cody (my 15 year old) is participating in a powerlifting competition Saturday at the Dallas Convention Center and hopes to be the youngest kid to ever bench 500#!! So my next few meals will be graciously prepared at places on the go. If I come across something fabulous, I will be sure to share when I get back! Thanks to everyone who is following...and feel free to request a special dish for me to add!

Hot Pockets

roll out refrigerated pizza dough on greased wax paper until thin and doubled in size. Cut into 8 rectangles.

Slice mozzarella cheese and place 1/3 up on rectangle.

put pepperoni slices, veggie, cooked sausage, turkey, ham, bacon,  (whatever desired filling) onto cheese slices.

If making pizza pockets, put a couple spoons of pizza sauce on top of filling.

If turkey, ham, or BLT, you can add ranch dressing, cream cheese, spinach leaves, tomato, lettuce, etc......

fold up bottom and top of rectangle. pinch and seal edges then roll under so filling doesn't bake out.

Bake 425* for 15 minutes on greased pan

wrap cooled pockets in saran wrap and foil for freezing. Be sure to label your pockets so you know what filling you used (label a gallon freezer bag for each type if making a bunch!) Heat up pizza pockets and wrap in foil to keep warm for school lunch. Turkey, BLT, ham, etc. can simply be put in lunch box frozen and should thaw by school lunch time for a better cold cut sandwich!

Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie

This is soooo much better than any store bought full of fat pot pie! I cook mine in a big casserole dish, but you could make individual pies with small tins for each member in your family.





Cooked and diced chicken
2 cans crescent rolls or 2 rolled out pie crusts or puff pastry or biscuits
chopped onion and celery
can mixed veggies or frozen mixed veggies thawed and roasted in oven (YUM)
2 T butter
3 T flour
1 1/2 c chicken broth
salt/pepper/tony's/garlic

cook and dice 3-4chicken breasts
grease the bottom of dish and roll out crescent roll and press to edges of dish
in saute pan cook onions and celery (how much depends on what you like)
add 2 T butter to pan and let melt
add 3 T flour and stir until incorporated with veggies
add 1 1/2 cups HEATED chicken broth to saute pan (just nuke it in microwave while you make roux)
bring to soft boil while stirring constantly until sauce is thickened
remove from heat and add chicken and veggies
pour mixture over bottom crust
roll out crescent roll for top crust (can also use canned biscuits at this point, or puff pastry cut into circles, or pre rolled pie crust)
brush melted butter over crust
bake 400* until crust is browned
this freezes very well-just have to lengthen baking time to 45-50 minutes when frozen and bake covered in foil

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

This is one of those "cook one, freeze one" meals. Next time you go to Walmart get some of those rectangle metal cooking tins and keep them handy for recipes like this. There is no more work involved in doubling the recipe and you will have a freezer meal ready for when you work over or are just too tired to cook supper.

One bag frozen chicken breasts (about 6 breasts)
1 pkg angel hair pasta
2 lb velveeta
2 cups chicken broth
2cup milk
can cream of chicken
can cream of mushroom
onions/mushrooms/green onions/celery
1 can rotel
seasonings
shredded cheese

boil chicken in seasoned water with salt/pepper/tony's/garlic powder
sautee whatever veggies you wish to add (onion/green onion/chopped mushrooms/celery)
spoon chicken out of boiler and keep the broth. cook pasta in broth per package directions
melt velveeta with 2 cups broth, milk, cream soups, rotel, add more seasonings to taste (LOTS of garlic!!)
add chicken and spaghetti to cheese mixture (it may seem runny at first, but the liquid will cook into pasta)
put half of spaghetti in greased pan and top with shredded cheese
bake 350* for about 20 minutes
put the other half in your freezer tin (do not bake) and seal well with foil and plastic wrap

Nana's Enchiladas

Supper tonight was at my mom's. She always makes 2 pans of enchiladas....one chicken and one deer meat....If deer meat turns you off, just substitute your favorite ground meat! Be sure to drain all your veggies before adding them to the cheese sauce so your tortillas won't get soggy. She served a hot black bean and corn dish on the side.



1 lb ground meat or shredded chicken
med onion or green onions chopped
16 oz mexican velveeta cheese
pkg shredded mexican blend cheese
can cream of chicken soup
can evaporated milk
can chopped green chilies (drained)
can rotel tomatoes (drained)
salt/pepper/tony's/cumin/garlic powder
flour tortillas

saute beef and onions, or cook and shred chicken breast then add shredded cheese
combine velveeta, soup, milk, veggies and seasonings in a saucepan until melted
add large scoop meat to tortilla. roll and place in greased baking dish
pour cheese sauce over tortillas
bake 325* 30 minutes
                                          

Sliders

For a lunch the kids will love (and they're great to freeze for lunch box meals!) use my meatball recipe and make little patties instead of meatballs. Cook Sister Shubert's Rolls as directed. Slice in half and put one pattie on each roll along with the italian mayo/cream cheese mixture, or your favorite hamburger condiments. These will also be a hit at potluck dinners or church socials!

Seafood Grits

This is my own creation, so i'll just tell you what i use and how i do it. I could eat this every day and LOVE it over homemade cheese grits!! The other people in my family like it over rice.





Seafood Sauce

dice one link andouille sausage and brown to a good crisp in an iron skillet with olive oil
add finely chopped green onion, bell pepper, and celery and saute with cooked sausage
add one bag cooked small shrimp and one bag crawfish tails to skillet and heat thru
add 1 pint heavy cream, 1/2 of 8oz block velveeta, 1/2 8oz block cream cheese
salt, pepper, tony's, parsley flakes, old bay, garlic powder, dash or two louisiana hot sauce (whatever seasoning you like to taste)
keep on low heat till cheese is melted and make sure to stir often to prevent scorching.

Cheese Grits
3 cups chicken broth, the other half of velveeta and cream cheese blocks, old bay and all the other spices, bring to boil
add 1 cup grits stir until thick and creamy over low heat....

Meatball Sub Casserole

One of the nurses that I work with has a husband who cooks the BEST meatball sub casserole! This will be a guaranteed favorite. Don't let the cream cheese/mayo combo turn you off....it tasts so good when cooked and so worth the try! My recipe makes enough for 2 casseroles...one for supper and one for the freezer. Feel free to adjust quantities of any veggies, we love onion so i tend to use more than most. Seasonings are to personal taste, just open the pantry and add away!




1 loaf french bread
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup Hellman's mayo
T dried italian seasoning
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb jimmy dean italian sausage
med yellow onion, or green onions
bell pepper
minced garlic
Italian bread crumbs
2 eggs
salt/pepper/tony's/celery flakes/cumin
large pkg Italian cheese blend
2 jars spaghetti sauce (my favorite kind is prego garlic/italian sausage add about 1/4 cup water to thin)

Slice french bread into 1 inch slices and place in bottom of baking dish (16-18 slices)
mix mayo, cream cheese, and italian seasoning until creamy and spread on top of french bread slices

Chop veggies and saute in olive oil
mix meats, veggies, eggs, and seasonings till combined
add bread crumbs to make the mixture firm enough to roll meatballs
roll meatballs to desired size. I make 2 meatballs per slice of bread
bake meatballs on a roasting pan 400*  until cooked thru (about 10 min for 1-2 inch balls)
place cooled meatballs on bread slices
pour spaghetti sauce to cover
top with italian cheese blend

bake 350* 30 minutes
do not pre-bake freezer meal.

Thank you to my Kindergarten Pal

Thanks to Jill who told me to get my own stupid blog so she wouldn't have to post my stuff to hers!