Keto Taco Casserole

Trying something new. This sounds like a dish Jake used to make, but with biscuits on the bottom.

Tomato Spinach Chicken Spaghetti

This is such a tasty dish! A nice change to the basic spaghetti-noodles-and-sauce dish.

Country Captain

1 c uncooked rice
2-3 chicken breasts cut into pieces
1/3 c shortening
1 chopped onion
Sprinkle of garlic salt
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 t. curry powder
1 t. thyme
salt and pepper

Cook rice by package. Brown chicken in shortening. Pour in tomatoes, onions, and spices. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice. (This is a great crockpot dish)

Orange Dijon Chicken Saltimbocca

4 boneless chicken breast halves
4 thin slices prosciutto
4 slices mozzarella cheese
1 T. olive oil
1 can cream of chicken dijon soup
3/4 cup orange juice
1 T. sage (or 1 t. dry sage)
1/2 c drained mandarin orange segments

Cut a pocket in each breast. Stuff with 1 slice of cheese and 1 slice of prosciutto. Heat oil in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned. Add soup, orange juice, and sage. Heat to boil. Cover and cook over low heat 5 minutes or until done. Add Mandarin segments. Heat through. Serves 4.

Cheddar Ranch Burgers

1 pound ground meat (turkey, beef, chicken... it's your preference)
1 package dry Ranch dressing mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Form into patties (4 large or 6 medium). Grill on George Foreman. Make into a burger however you like... bar-be-que sauce, cheddar cheese slices, or whatever condiments you prefer.

Tuna Chip Casserole

1 package potato chips
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (use one can half full of water)
1-2 cans tuna, drained
3 hardboiled eggs
Mix soup, water, tuna, and eggs together. Make sure the mix is moist. Put in greased casserole dish. Cover with crushed potato chips. Bake @ 350 for 45 minutes.

Apple Wraps (Apple Dews)

2 Granny Smith apples, cut into 8ths
2 cans Pillsbury crescent rolls
2 c sugar
2 full sticks butter
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. cinnamon
10 oz. Mountain Dew

Wrap apples in cresent rolls. Place in baking pan. Mix sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon; heat. Pour over apples. Add Mountain Dew. Bake @ 350 for 40 minutes.

Ranch Pretzels

1 package thick pretzels (20 oz)
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dill weed

Break pretsels into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over pretzels. Stir to coat. Pour into ungreased baking pan. Bake @ 200 for one hour. Stir every 15 minutes.

Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

1# chicken breasts
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1 can pineapple tidbits
1 T. teriyaki sauce
2 T. dehydrated onions
Swiss cheese
rice

Brown chicken in a large skillet. Add the entire bottle of bbq sauce, can of pineapple (undrained!), teriyaki sauce, and onions. Let the mixture boil and allow time for the sauce to thicken. Serve on top of rice. Sprinkle with swiss cheese.

Cast-Iron Skillet Dinner

4B's Cream of Tomato Soup

32 oz. diced tomatoes
9 oz. chicken broth
1 oz. butter
2 T. sugar
1 T. chopped onion
Pinch of baking soda
2 c. cream

Mix tomatoes, chicken broth, butter, sugar, onions, and soda. Simmer for one hour. heat cream in double-boiler. Add cream to mix.

Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 egg
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
3/4 cup quick-cook oats
1/2 flaked coconut

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combo flour, soda, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Beat in oats and coconut. Spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Cool.

**Recipe has been halved. Makes a large dozen!!

Hunter's Chicken

1/4 cup flour
1 t. dried basil leaves, crushed
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. pepper
8 chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), skin removed **I used boneless, skinless
1 T vegetable oil
1 can Campbell's condensed Golden Mushroom soup
1 can (8 oz) stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 small carrot, thinly cut or thickly shredded
1 medium zucchini, sliced **I used two small-med yellow squash
Hot cooked noodles **I used egg noodles
Grated parmesan cheese

Combine flour, basil, garlic powder, and pepper in a pie pan. Coat chicken lightly with flour mixture.
Over medium-high heat, heat oil in a large pan and cook chicken until browed on both sides. Remove and set aside. Remove most fat/oil from pan.
In same skillet, combine soup, tomatoes, and carrot. Heat to boiling. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook 15 minutes, occasionally stirring.
Stir in zucchini. Cover and cook another 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
To serve, spoon chicken over noodles and top with sauce and veggies. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Pepper Steak

Vegetable oil
3 sweet peppers, cut into strips (green, red, yellow)
1 medium onion, cut into 12 wedges
3 cloves, minced
1 pound boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 beef bouillion cube
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Hot cooked rice

Heat some oil in a skillet. Stir fry peppers, onions, and garlic until tender-crisp. Remove; set aside. In same skillet, heat some more oil and stir fry beef until browned. Remove; set aside. In same skillet, add soup, soy sauce, and ginger. Heat through. Return veggies and beef to skillet. Stir and heat through. Serve over hot rice.

Homemade Noodles and Chicken (a great left-overs dinner)

Noodles

One egg for every person eating

Flour

Chicken broth or chicken bouillon cubes

Beat eggs together. Begin to mix tablespoons of flour with eggs until it reaches the consistency of pie crust. Add some salt and pepper. Sprinkle counter with flour. Roll out dough. Cut with a pizza cutter into noodles about 1"x2". In a pot, boil chicken broth or water with bouillon cubes dissolved in it. Place noodles in boiling liquid and stir occasionally. As noodles begin to float, check one to see if it's done (should have a egg-y taste and they are not doughy. Scoop out noodles to a bowl and cover while making gravy.

Gravy

Remaining chicken broth

Flour

Milk

Salt and Pepper

Continue boiling chicken broth. In a lidded container, shake a few tablespoons of flour in with 1/4 cup of milk. Add mix to broth. Stir with whisk. Add additional flour as necessary to thicken gravy.

Bringing it all together!!

Heat leftover chicken up in the microwave. Chop up into bite-size pieces. Add noodles and chicken to gravy. Make some mashed potatoes and serve it up for your family!

Thai Peanut Chicken, a Kraft Recipe

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into short strips
1/4 cup Kraft Catalina dressing
1 1/2 cups water
1 can chicken broth
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. peanut butter
1/2 lb thin spaghetti
1 bag frozen mandarin or other stir-fry veggie mix

Warm 2 T Catalina dressing in pan. Add chicken strips and cook. Add the rest of the dressing, water, chicken broth, soy sauce, and peanut butter. Stir and bring to a boil. Add spaghetti and simmer for 5 minutes covered. Add frozen veggies and continue simmering covered until spaghetti is tender and veggies are cooked. Enjoy!

Barnoski Beer Bread

3 cups self rising flour

1/2 cup sugar

12 oz beer

1/4 stick melted butter

combine flour and sugar. pour in beer. stir until just mixed. pour in 9x3 greased pan. bake 50 minutes at 350. brush with butter. enjoy!!

Apple Dews

2 granny smith apples, cut into 1/8s
2 cans crescent rolls
2 cups sugar
2 sticks butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
10 oz. Mt Dew

Wrap apples in crescent rolls. Mix sugar, butter, vanilla, and cinnamon; heat to boil. Pour over rolls in a 9x9 dish. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Taco Bake

1 roll of refrigerated biscuits
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 can tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning
Grated cheese

Fry hamburger; drain fat. Add tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Simmer until hardly any liquid is left, about 7 minutes. While simmering, prepare 9x13 pan: smash biscuits into bottom. Pour meat mixture on top and cover with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Chicken Spaghetti

1 lb. shredded chicken
1 box spaghetti noodles
1 small box Velveeta, melted
1 can Rotel (regular or mild)
1 can cream of mushroom

Cook spaghetti until al dente. Stir in chicken, Velveeta, Rotel, and cream of mushroom soup. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Warm in the oven for about 15 minutes at 350.

Pecan Balls

• About 1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup chopped pecans (about 4 oz.)

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium speed, beat 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

2. In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Add to butter mixture, stir to mix, then beat until well blended. Stir in pecans.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place about 1 inch apart on buttered

12- by 15-inch baking sheets.

4. Bake in a 300º regular or convection oven until cookies are pale golden brown, about 25 minutes. If baking two sheets at once in one oven, switch their positions halfway through baking. Let cookies stand on sheets until cool enough to handle.

5. Place remaining 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar to coat all over; discard remaining sugar. Set cookies on racks to cool completely.

**These cookies are our way of compromising... Jake loves his mom's Hidden Kiss cookies but I'm not a fan of the chocolate in the middle. So this works well. The outer cookie of his mom's recipe tastes a lot like this cookie. So we both can be happy. Hey, what's marriage all about!?!? :)

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cup water
2 cups canned pumpkin
3 1/3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

Mix all ingredients together. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Cinnamon Thumbs

5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup butter
2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour and vanilla. Shape as short lady fingers and press slightly. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Roll cookies in a mixture of 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon when slightly cooled.

Pecan Caramel Candies

Packs of Rolos
Pretzel twists
Pecan halves

Place pretzel twists on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place one Rolo on top of each pretzel. Bake at 250 for 4 minutes or until candy is softened (candy will retain shape). Immediately place one pecan on to each Rolo-topped pretzel, pressing down to fill pretzels with candy. Cool slightly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until set.

**No amounts are given. For every pretzel, you need one Rolo and one pecan half. Make as many as you want... they make great holiday treats for friends!

Kringles

2 cups sugar
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups sour cream (not lite!!)
2 teaspoons baking soda
5 cups flour

Cream first four ingredients. Beat in eggs. Add sour cream and baking soda. Stir in flour. Chill over night.

Cut off a small piece and roll into a snake on floured surface. Twist dough into fish shape (or half of a figure 8). Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes or until LIGHTLY brown.

**Traditionally, cookies are shaped into a figure 8. I have never had luck at this, making a long enough snake and twisting it well. I settle for the fish shape... really, though, any shape will do. It won't matter what shape they are in as long as they are cooked and ready for me to eat!! :)

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potatoes:
3 cups sweet potatoes (three cans of yams, drained)
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter/margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup margarine, melted
1 cup pecans, crushed

Beat all of the sweet potato ingredients together. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle topping over sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes -- topping will harden a bit.

**LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe! This is our new holiday addition to our other traditional foods.

Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat 8 oz. cold cream cheese (not rock solid, but it means you can use it straight out of the refrigerator) with 5 Tbsp. softened butter and 2 tsp. vanilla until combined. Gradually add 2 c. powdered sugar that has been sifted after measuring. Continue to add more sifted powdered sugar until you reach a consistency and sweetness that fits your taste.

I LOVE this frosting recipe and used it to top my pumpkin cake that I made with Nana's Apple Cake recipe, replacing the apples with pumpkin. It was delicious!!

Pineapple Salsa

1 whole pineapple, cleaned and cored
1/2 of a mango
1/4 of an onion
1 jalapeno
1 handful of cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a blender and combine. Serve with tortilla chips.

Caribbean Roast Pork Loin

2 teaspoons EVOO
1 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 boneless rolled pork loin roast (3-1/2 pounds)

Combine the oil, pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg; rub over roast. Place on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 350° for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160° Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Yield: 10-12 servings.

Serve with some plantains!

Spinach Pizza

1 package (6-1/2 ounces) pizza crust mix
1/2 cup Alfredo sauce
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend

Prepare pizza dough according to package directions. With floured hands, press dough onto a greased 12-in. pizza pan. Spread Alfredo sauce over dough to within 1 in. of edges. Top with spinach, tomatoes and cheese. Bake at 450° for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Yield: 4-6 servings.

**We are going to try it with cubed chicken!!

Stacked Enchiladas

2 lbs. ground beef or hamburger meat
1 lg. bag grated cheese
1 chopped white onion
1/2 c. chopped jalapenos (optional)
1/2 chopped bell pepper (green and red)
1/2 head shredded lettuce
1 lg. tomato, chopped
1 (30) pkg. corn tortillas
1/2 c. cooking oil
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 can tomato soup
1 sm. can tomato sauce

Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a large skillet, brown meat and 1/2 cup of the onions, 1/4 of the chopped bell pepper, and 1/2 of the taco seasoning. In a saucepan, heat soup and tomato sauce and remainder of taco seasoning. In another large skillet, heat the tortillas in small amount of cooking oil until they are limber, but not limp. Line aluminum foil in a large casserole dish, layer tortillas on bottom and pile on meat and cheese, add another layer and then place in oven until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and garnish with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and peppers. More cheese and sauce as you desired.

Orange Chicken and Veggies with Rice

1 1/2 cups rice
1 T., plus 1/3 cup cornstarch
1 cup orange juice
1 T. soy sauce
1 t. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 T. olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh carrots
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion

Cook rice according to package directions. In a small bowl, combine 1 T. cornstarch, orange juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper; set aside. Place remaining cornstarch in a plastic bag. Add chicken; shake to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in 2 T. oil for 7-9 minutes or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, saute carrots in remaining oil for 2 minutes. Add green pepper and onion; saute 2-3 minutes longer or until veggies are tender-crisp. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for two minutes or until thickened. Add chicken; heat through. Serve over cooked rice.

Applesauce BBQ Chicken

4 chicken breasts (pound out breasts so they are thinner -- helps with cooking time)
1/2 t. pepper
1 T. olive oil
2/3 cup chunky applesauce
2/3 cup spicy bbq sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 t. chili powder

Sprinkle chicken with pepper. In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil on both sides. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; pour over chicken. Cover and cook 7-10 minutes or longer until meat reaches 170 degrees.

Tilapia Florentine

1 pkg (6 oz) fresh baby spinach
6 t. canola oil
4 tilapia filets
2 T. lime juice
2 t. garlic-herb seasoning blend
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook spinach in 4 t. oil until wilted; drain. Place tilapia in a greased 13x9 pan. Drizzle with lime juice and remaining oil. Sprinkle with seasoning blend. In a small bowl, combine the egg, ricotta cheese, and spinach; spoon over filets. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes with ease.

Cordon Bleu Potato Soup

2 cans cream of potato soup
1 can chicken broth
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 cup diced fully cooked ham
1 cup milk
1 can chunk white chicken, drained
2 t. dijon mustard

In a 2-qt. dish, combine all ingredients. Cover and microwave on high for 5-8 minutes or until heated through, stirring twice.

Black-eyed Pea Salad

1 can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 large tomato, diced
1 avocado, peeled and diced
1/3 c. chopped green pepper
2 green onions, chopped
1 T. minced fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup prepared Italian salad dressing

In a large serving bowl, combine all the ingredients; toss to coat. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Skillet Catfish

3/4 cup corn break/muffin mix
2 t. seafood seasoning
4 catfish filets (6 oz. each)

Combine the corn bread mix and seafood seasoning in a resealable bag. Add catfish filets, one at a time, and shake to coat. In a large nonstick pan coated with cooking spray, cook filets for 5-6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Stovetop Chicken and Stuffing

1 pkg corn bread stuffing mix
1/2 cup flour
1 t. salt
1 t. ground mustard
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 oz. each)
1 T. canola oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2/3 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup milk
2 T. crumbled cooked bacon
2 cans cut green beans, drained
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large resealable bag, combine the flour, salt, and mustard. Add chicken and shake to coat. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. In a large bowl, combine the soup, onion, milk, and bacon; stir in green beans. Pour over chicken; top with stuffing. Cover and cook for 7 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; cook 3-4 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Chicken Asparagus Stir-Fry

1 pound chicken breasts, cut into chunks
3 T. cornstarch
2 cups chicken broth
2 T. soy sauce
2 cups cut fresh asparagus, 2 inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 T. canola oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can (8 oz.) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Hot cooked rice

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, chicken broth, and soy sauce until smooth; set aside. In a large skillet saute the asparagus, onion, and celery in 1 T. oil for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and water chestnuts; stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until tender-crisp. Remove veggie mixture and set aside. In the same skillet, stir-fry chicken chunks until cooked. Add chicken broth mixture to pan and boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add vegetables; heat through. Serve over rice; sprinkle with almonds.

**Try bay scallops in place of the chicken.

BBQ Chicken Salad

2 frozen chicken patties (Banquet or Tyson, whatever your liking)
Salad from the bag
Honey BBQ sauce
Ranch dressing
Shredded cheddar cheese
Bacon bits
Any other salad fixings that you enjoy

Follow the box directions for cooking the patties (oven tastes better -- microwave is quicker). Using a pizza cut, cut the patties into bite-sized pieces (pizza cutter is just faster!). On a large plate, put a few handfuls of salad. Top salad with chicken patty pieces. In a bowl, mix equal parts bbq sauce and ranch dressing (1/4 to 1/3 cup of each). Pour on top of salad. Add cheese and bacon bits. Enjoy a simple chicken salad and a dressing with a twist!

Pizza Loaves

1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) Prego® Traditional Italian Sauce

1 1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 1/2 cups Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Stuffing

2 eggs, beaten

1 medium onion, chopped (or use dehydrated onions, whatever you have stocked)

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed

4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cut into 6 pieces

Mix 3/4 cup pasta sauce, meat, stuffing, eggs, onion, pepper and oregano thoroughly (adding extra stuffing if needed) and shape firmly into 6 loaves, forming loaves around pieces of mozzarella. Place loaves in baking pan. Bake at 400°F. for 30 min. or until meat loaves are done. Pour remaining sauce over loaves, cover with foil, and keep warm in the oven (turned off) until ready to serve. Serve with parmesan noodles (lunguine noodles tossed in some butter, parmesan cheese, and a touch of pasta sauce) and a tasty Italian tossed salad!

**These loaves taste great reheated the next day for a leftovers lunch, too!

Tasty Breakfast Donut Holes

1 package (8-count) biscuits (ours were the buttermilk ones)
Powdered sugar
Cinnamon and sugar mix
Milk
Vanilla
Jelly (your choice on flavor!)
Brown bags

Cut each biscuit into quarters; roll each quarter into a ball. Drop balls into fryer (350 degrees), turning to allow a deep golden color. Take balls out and sit on towel-plate for a minute. In one brown bag, put a few spoonfuls of powdered sugar. In the second bag, put the cinnamon and sugar mix. Place a few donut holes in each bag and toss to coat. Pull out donuts and set on serving plates. Continue with the rest of the dough balls. Make glaze out of powdered sugar and milk (more powdered sugar than milk) and a touch of vanilla. Then add one to two scoops of jelly to the glaze and mix well. Serve with the donuts.

** Sorry there are no amounts to the ingredients. I just added a little at a time, more as needed. We used strawberry jelly since that's what I had on hand but next time will try to use raspberry jelly.
** These donut holes tasted a lot like those served at Smokey Bones BBQ, but homemade! :)

Pork Chops and Apples in the Crock Pot

6 pork loin chops, about 1-inch thick, trimmed of visible fat
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt
6 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, cored and thickly sliced
1/4 cup currants or raisins, optional
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar

Brown chops in oil over medium heat. Sprinkle with salt. Place pork chops in the crock pot; combine remaining ingredients and pour over the pork chops. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, or on high 3 to 4 hours.

Chicken Sausage and Bacon Kabobs

6 slices center cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 packages of chicken and apple sausages
1/2 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green, red, or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 orange, cut into slices or wedges

Cook bacon pieces in a microwave oven for about 1 minute, or pan fry until the edges begin to curl but the bacon is still flexible. Drain well. Cut each sausage into 5 pieces. Thread veggies and meats onto skewers in whatever order you prefer! Place skewers on hot oiled grill and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side (16 to 20 minutes total). Meanwhile, squeeze the orange juice into the BBQ sauce and stir to combine. Brush kabobs with BBQ sauce with each turn. Serve hot with orange slices or wedges.

INDOOR: Prepare kebabs as directed. Preheat broiler. Place kebabs on wire rack over foil lined baking sheet or broiler pan. Place under broiler 4 to 6 inches from heat source and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side. Brush with BBQ sauce with each turn.

*I used a green, red, orange, and yellow pepper since grilled peppers are so good! Also, I cut up fresh pineapple and added that to the skewers too -- same reason! You could really taste the marinade on the meats... soooo good!

Chopped BBQ Steak Sandwiches

BBQ sauce
A-1 sauce
Brown sugar
Seasoning salt
BBQ seasoning powder
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Mustard
Steaks
Buns
Pickles, optional

Mix first eight ingredients in a ziploc bag. Tenderize steaks, flattening them out for faster cooking. Add steaks to marinade. Set marinade in frig for 30 minutes+. Grill steaks smothered in marinade until cooked. Chop into small pieces. Place meat on a bun and top with additional BBQ sauce and pickles. Yum!

*Okay, so this isn't some mind-blowing recipe but it worked! We had some steaks still from the other night that we didn't cook since we didn't need two each! So I told Jake I'd figure something out and this was the end product. I am not a "smart" chef where I can just start pulling ingredients together but this actually turned out real well. Even just eating the steaks unchopped would've been good - the marinade was quite tasty! Sorry there's no amounts... I just added some of this and a little of that.

Chinese Cheesecake

Canola oil, for frying
8 tablespoons cream cheese
3 tablespoons ricotta cheese
2 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar (1 1/2 for mix, 1 tablespoon for garnish)
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
10 thick egg roll skins
1 cup raspberries, fresh preferred
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Heat 1-inch of canola oil in large saute pan, to 325 degrees F. In a bowl mix the cream cheese, ricotta, and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar with a whip, until thoroughly blended. Beat egg and milk together. Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of cheese mix in center back of egg roll skin and place 4 to 6 raspberries in the center of cheese mixture. Brush egg wash around edges of skin, fold left and right sides of skin in 1/2-inch, and then roll from back to front, insuring that the roll is sealed.
Place in oil and cook both sides until golden brown. Let drain on paper towels for 2 to 3 minutes.
Dust with cinnamon and sugar. Serve with whipped cream and raspberries, if desired.

**Ok... we tried it and... ehh! It was alright -- it didn't deliver like we thought it would. If any of you want to play with this and make it "yummier", please let me know what you did to make it better! :)

Italian Beef Sandwiches

1 Roast
1 Jar of Pepperoncini's
1-2 packets of Good Season's Italian Dressing Mix (the powder)
Hoagie Buns
Butter (optional)
Sliced Cheese (Pepper Jack)

Trim roast if necessary (some fat makes good flavor) and dump first 3 ingredients into crockpot until the roast just pulls apart easily with a fork. I would put everything in that order so the juice from the jar of peppers doesn't take the powdery dressing mix off of the roast. In my crockpot I usually do it on Low for about 5 or 6 hours.

Then, assemble sanwiches. I like to put butter on the hoagies and broil them for a minute or two to make them crispy. Otherwise the meat might make them soggy. Add cheese and beef.

**For the roast, I always get whatever is cheapest or on sale. And I usually make it for just 2 and it makes a ton, so invite another couple over.
**For the jar of pepperoncini's I like to get the ones that are already deli sliced... less mess and more flavor.

Thanks to Emily Grover and family for sharing this recipe with us! I just happen to have a roast in my freezer and now I know what to use it for. Thanks, girlfriend!!

Lettuce Cashew Salad

1 head lettuce
1 cup cashews
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup Wesson oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon grated onion
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Combine the first four ingredients. Just before serving, add dressing to taste and toss.

For the dressing, combine sugar, vinegar, mustard, onion, and poppy seeds. Slowly add oil, beating constantly until thick.

*Thanks, mom, for sharing this recipe from our Lourens family cookbook! The dressing sounds wonderful - I bet that's why dad likes it so much!! I made this with dinner last night and it was the FIRST thing that Jake ate off of his plate... and he went for seconds! :)

Chicken Divan

1 package frozen broccoli
3 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 cup mayo
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4-1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup cheddar cheese
Bread crumbs

Cook broccoli in a casserole dish using the microwave. Drain off any extra liquids. Cover with chicken cubes. Combine mayo, soups, lemon juice, and curry powder. Pour over chicken. Cover with cheese and then sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

*You can cook the broccoli any way you'd like but if you do it in the casserole dish, it saves you from cleaning an extra dish later! (coming from the person who once took a trash bag full of dirty dishes home to my parents' house for my mom to clean... pathetic, I know!) :)
*This is Jake's favorite dish that I cook. I'm quite liberal with the cheese and bread crumbs, too.

Chicken Long Grain

1 box original recipe long grain rice
1 can beef consemme soup
1 can french onion soup
1 can water chestnuts, mostly drained
1 can green beans, mostly drained
1 pound uncooked chicken, cut into 1" pieces

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a casserole dish. Cover dish and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, and cook for another 30 minutes. Stir and let sit with lid off for a few minutes before serving. Good with crescent rolls for dipping in juices!!

*Great recipe for the crockpot!!
*A good side dish minus the chicken.
*I add an extra can of green beans and chop up the water chestnuts - just my prerogative!