Crock Pot Pork Chops

I used bone-in pork chops and increased the liquid but it worked out great and they fell off the bone anyways! These are really good and easy!

Crock Pot Pork Chops

8 boneless pork chops (1/2 inch thick)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

In a large skillet, cook pork chops in oil until lightly browned on each side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in Crockpot. In a bowl, combine the soup, garlic, onion, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and pour over chops. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until meat juices run clear.

Spring Rolls

These were so inexpensive and easy! Justin was on the counter "helping" so I cooked the cabbage a little longer than I would have liked and then I pulled them out of the oven just a bit before they were quite crispy enough...one way or another they were still really good:) I wish I could remember where I found this recipe!

1 bag of coleslaw shreds (or shred your own cabbage - 4 cups raw)

2 chicken bullion cubes, or 2 tsp bullion powder

1 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp olive oil

Soy sauce

Egg roll wrappers (I found them at Walmart near the bagged salad for about $2.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute the cabbage, bullion and ginger in olive oil on high heat, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes or until the cabbage is wilted but not mush. Add a couple splashes of soy sauce (remember both the bullion and soy sauce are salty, so you may want to taste.)

Lay a wrapper on the counter with a corner facing you. Put a couple tablespoons of the cabbage mixture 2 inches from that corner and fold the corner over it. Fold the side corners in and roll down to the farthest corner. (I guess you could also roll them like a baby burrito, if that makes you happier.) Place seam side down on an ungreased cookie sheet, or pizza pan, etc. Repeat for all 12 wrappers. Spray the rolls with olive oil or Pam (for browning.) Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. They will be very hot when they come out, so it's a good idea to let them rest a few minutes.

Crustless Bacon and Cheese Quiche

YUM This was good!!! This was a recipe Tee sent into the recipe challenge group.

Crustless Bacon and Cheese Quiche
5 green onions, chopped, divided
1 tomato, chopped, divided
12 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
12 eggs
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Make It!
HEAT oven to 325ºF.
RESERVE 2 Tbsp. each onions and tomatoes. Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon to paper towels; reserve 1 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Add mushrooms to skillet; cook and stir 2 min. or until tender. Remove from heat. Chop bacon. Add to skillet with onions and tomatoes; mix well.
BEAT eggs and sour cream with whisk until well blended. Pour into greased 13x9-inch baking dish; top with bacon mixture and cheeses.
BAKE 30 min. or until center is set. Sprinkle with reserved onions and tomatoes. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve

SL Slow Cooked Orange Pork Roast Tacos

This sounded like a great way to make something besides the usual tacos with ground beef. I also never buy this cut of meat. It was good! I don't know that it was worth the price of buying orange marmalade but I would definitely cook another pork shoulder in the crockpot! Day two I shredded it and we had bbq sandwiches for lunch that were really good. To make this again I would start it the night before because at 8 hours it was nowhere near done. I removed the fat, turned it over and continued cooking it to get it done.

Also I used flour tortillas because we don't like corn.

SL Slow Cooked Orange Pork Roast Tacos

Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

Ingredients

* 1 medium onion, chopped * 1 (10-pound) bone-in pork shoulder, picnic cut * 2 tablespoons soy sauce * 1 tablespoon chopped garlic * 2 teaspoons salt * 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper * 1 cup orange marmalade * 20 corn tortillas

Also buy:

LettuceTomatoesCheese

Directions

Place the onions in the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker. Place the pork shoulder, fat and skin side up. in the slow cooker. In a medium bowl stir together soy sauce, garlic, salt pepper and orange marmalade. Pour mixture over the pork. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove shoulder to a serving platter and let rest for 5 minutes. Break up some of the meat with a fork and arrange on platter. Leave the rest of the meat on the bone to keep it warm and moist and let your guest pull it off the as they need it.

Wrap the tortillas in damp towels, 10 to a towel and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Set out pork and tortillas with Cabbage Slaw and have guests assemble their own tacos.

Weekly Menu

I get to go grocery shopping tomorrow night with no kids so it's time to get the menu and shopping list together. With the house bills we're still going frugal so while there's not a lot exciting it's all meals I know we like:)

Zesty Minestrone(new recipe for us...crockpot)
http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/zesty-minestrone-104591.aspx

Weeknight Lasagna Toss
http://wheelofbrie.blogspot.com/2007/04/weeknight-lasagna-toss.html

Italian Mac
http://wheelofbrie.blogspot.com/2008/07/italian-mac.html

Breakfast for dinner:
hash browns with onions/peppers
bacon
scrambled eggs

Hot dog muffins
http://wheelofbrie.blogspot.com/2008/12/hot-dog-muffins.html

Meals if I need them:
Blackeyed peas and cornbread

Bean burritos & rice

Cheesecake

I got this off the box of Philadelphia cream cheese. It was not sweet enough for me at all but a little added sweetness it would be really good:) I didn't have any light to work with because  Hunter got home around 11pm from the Dynamos game so excuse the picture;)

2 (8 ounce) packages Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese , softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 prepared graham cracker crumb crust
Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix until blended.Pour into crust.Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.Makes 8 servings
This recipe created by Kraft Foods.

Quick Pasta Carbonara

We all loved this! Definitely a keeper recipe!

PREP 20 min.
MAKES 4 servings
COST PER SERVING = $0.94*
what you need
½ lb. medium-size pasta
4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, chopped
4 oz. (½ of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
½ cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
¾ cup milk
1 cup frozen or canned peas
½ tsp. garlic powder
make it
COOK pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, cook bacon in large skillet until crisp; remove with slotted spoon to paper towels, reserving 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet.
ADD remaining ingredients to drippings; cook on low heat until cream cheese is melted and mixture is well blended and heated through.
DRAIN pasta; place in large bowl. Add cream cheese sauce and bacon; mix lightly.

Creamy Chicken Pot Pie

We had this twice last week...sooo easy!


PREP 10 min.
TOTAL 40 min.
MAKES 8 servings
COST PER SERVING = $0.90*
what you need
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
½ cup chicken broth
1 lb. cooked Tyson® boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed (about 3 cups)
16 oz. frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
½ tsp. garlic salt
1 egg
½ cup milk
1 cup all-purpose baking mix
make it
HEAT oven to 400°F.
COOK cream cheese and broth in large saucepan on low heat until cream cheese is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently with whisk. Stir in chicken, vegetables and garlic salt.
SPOON into 9-inch pie plate. Beat egg and milk in medium bowl with whisk until well blended; stir in baking mix just until moistened. Spoon over chicken mixture. Place pie plate on baking sheet.
BAKE 25 to 30 min. or until golden brown.
* Cost per serving is based on approximate costs of ingredients

Quiche

I got this recipe off recipezaar.com and it was so good. I love that it can use up leftovers too! Instead of just making it to freeze I made two and put one in the freezer and baked the other for dinner. It took a long time to finish cooking in my oven but that could just be my oven's temperature issues. I used half a pound of "bulk" sausage, frozen spinach and half cheddar/half mozzarella. Everyone loved this except Corrine and I didn't even have her try it...she just had a sandwich for dinner instead:)

Quiche in a Bag (Oamc-Freezer Cooking) Recipe #290442

50 min 10 min prep

SERVES 6 -8

1 cup meat, any diced and browned (such as bacon, ham, chicken, sausage etc)
3/4 cup vegetable (thawed chopped spinach, broccoli, chopped green pepper)
1 cup cheese, shredded
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 cup milk
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (use 1 tsp for a spicier kick)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Combine meat, vegetable, cheese, and onion. Place this mixture in a labeled 1-gallon freezer bag.
With a mixer or blender, combine the milk, eggs, Tabasco sauce, flour and baking powder.
Pour into the bag with the meat/vegetable mixture.
Seal and freeze.
To serve, thaw completely. Shake bag well and pour into a spray-treated or greased deep dish pie plate or quiche pan.
Bake at 350º for 35-45 minutes, until lightly browned on top and well set in the center.
Cool about 5 minutes before serving.

Crispy Salsa Chicken

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 pouch SHAKE 'N BAKE Extra Crispy Seasoned Coating Mix
1/2 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Make It!
HEAT oven to 400ºF.

COAT chicken with coating mix as directed on package. Place on baking sheet.

BAKE 20 min. or until chicken is done (165°F).

TOP with salsa and cheese. Bake 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

TACO BELL® and HOME ORIGINALS® are trademarks owned and licensed by Taco Bell Corp

Pretzel Dessert

We all loved this! Hunter and Corrine called it their new favorite:)

Ingredients
2 cups finely crushed pretzels
3/4 cup butter, melted
8 ounces cream cheese

1 cup sugar
1 pint whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup pie filling (strawberry, blueberry, cherry, etc)
Directions
1In a 9x13 glass pan, combine pretzels, sugar, and butter; pat into bottom of pan.
2In a separate bowl, whip cream until fluffy and stiff.
3In a separate bowl beat cream cheese until smooth then add powdered sugar. Add whipped cream.
4Spread mixture evenly over crust. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Spread pie filling over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate at least 2 more hours.

Beef Casserole

I've been loving stew beef so trying different recipes. This ended up being pricey with the mushrooms and cream..it was good but not good enough for the price.

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 large bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
Preparation:Combine flour, salt and pepper. Dredge or toss beef with flour mixture. Heat butter in a heavy skillet; brown beef cubes. Add tomatoes and mushrooms and cook for about 4 minutes longer; add bay leaf, wine, allspice. Bring to a boil. Transfer to a 1 1/2-quart casserole; cover and bake at 350° for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until beef is tender. Stir in cream and bake 10 minutes longer.

Steak tips over rice

This was one of Mandi's choices for her week and was originally from southern plate. This was really good and you can't get much easier! I want to add salt next time and I used glass jars of gravy instead of cans to get around msg. I'll add a picture next time I make it.

1 Package Stew Meat
1 Can Beef Gravy
Rice, prepared according to package directions
Place stew meat in slow cooker, cover with beef gravy. Cook on low, 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. Serve over hot rice.

Pasta and smokie bake

I got this recipe from Shar and it was easy and so good

1 lb smokies, cut into small bites(I bought lil' smokies...14 ounce package)
1 jar (15 oz) spaghetti sauce---think mine was bigger
1 bag of pasta, cooked and drained--I think I used a 12 ounce box
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded cheese--I used cheddar
----------------
preheat oven 350 degrees
in greased qt baking dish combine
smokies (cook if needed, most are precooked) , sauce, penne pasta and parmesean cheese.
top with shredded cheese.
bake for 15-20 minutes

Mediterranean Mozza Chicken

This was soooo good! I'd been craving zucchini too:)

What You Need!
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
1 red onion, halved, sliced
1 zucchini, chopped
1/4 cup KRAFT Tuscan House Italian Dressing and Marinade
1/2 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup pitted black olives
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Make It!

HEAT large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cover skillet with lid. Cook 5 to 7 min. on each side or until chicken is done (165ºF), adding onions and zucchini after 5 min.

ADD dressing, tomatoes and olives; cover. Cook on medium-low heat 2 min. or until heated through.

STIR mixture. Top with cheese; cover. Cook 2 min. or until cheese is melted.

Beef tips

This was sooooo good! I even got compliments from Corrine *gasp* This is recipe #17990 on recipezaar.

Beef tips
2 lbs cubed beef stew meat
1 onion, chopped
1 package brown gravy mix
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 cups water
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup water
In a large skillet, heat oil over high heat.
Saute the onion until translucent.
Add stew meat and cook on high heat until meat is browned on all sides (3-5 minutes). Pour 2 cups water, soy sauce, and worcestershire sauce into the skillet.
Stir in garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Bring to boil and reduce heat.
Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Then combine the gravy mix with 1 cup of water, mix thoroughly and stir into the meat. Bring to boil, stirring frequently until it slightly thickens.
Serve over egg noodles.

Hungarian Goulash

UPDATE: (May 09)We loved this!!! Would definitely double the meat part next time but I wouldn't double the noodles...just add a bit.
I got this from the 'zaar. It's going in the freezer as soon as it cools. I would double this if I made it again(if we like it)...will have to have a large salad or other side to be sure everyone gets full. Oh and I used 1/4 cup butter instead of shortening.

Hungarian Goulash Recipe #59805
3 hours 30 min prep

SERVES 6 -8

1/4 cup shortening
2 lbs beef chuck or beef round steak, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup sliced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup catsup
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 dash red cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup water
3 cups hot cooked noodles
Melt shortening in large skillet.
Add beef, onion and garlic; cook and stir until meat is brown and onion is tender.
Stir in catsup, Worcestershire, sugar, salt, paprika, mustard, cayenne and 1 1/2 cups water.
Cover; simmer 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Blend flour and 1/4 cup water; stir gradually into meat mixture.
Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
Boil and stir 1 minute.
Serve over noodles.
To freeze: Assemble as directed. Cover and freeze.
To serve: Thaw in the fridge. Re-heat, covered at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Sterling Burgers

This recipe is from my sweet sweet friend Shar. Once she puts it up on her blog I'll link to it:) I made this freezer friendly and will put those instructions at the end.

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 chopped onion
BBQ sauce to taste
Cheddar cheese

Mix together beef, bread crumbs, egg and onion in a bowl. Form patties. Fry in skillet (or on the BBQ) until done (15-20min) in the last minute, add a spoonful of BBQ sauce on top of each burger, then a slice of cheddar cheese on each. Melt.. serve!

Freeze after making patties. Put wax paper between the patties and put them in a gallon ziploc. Then write this on the bag: Defrost in the fridge overnight. In the last minute of grilling add a spoonful of BBQ sauce on top and a slice of cheddar cheese.

Swiss Chicken Casserole

LOVE this!!!  I used double the cheese...

Swiss Chicken Casserole

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
6 slices Swiss cheese
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup milk
2 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange chicken in a greased
12x8x2-inch baking dish. Top with Swiss cheese slices.
Combine soup and milk and stir well. Spoon mixture over
chicken and sprinkle with stuffing mix. Drizzle butter over
crumbs. Cover and bake for 50 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Chilidog and tots casserole

I added 8 cut up hot dogs,, put it all in a 9X13 disposable casserole dish and froze it whole. The original recipe is below from the 'zaar.
*made this 4-27-09* The entire casserole is gone in one meal! I liked it but everyone else absolutely loved it.

Chili Tots Casserole Recipe #143773
There's something about the combo of these two fast food favorites. However, when you're scraping up pennies to afford rent, eating out isn't an option. This dish is affordable and great because you can make two and freeze one. Also, you can make this a Chili dog and tots casserole by adding bite-sized hot dog pieces to the chili and serving with buns.
by Redneck Epicurean
50 min | 15 min prep

2 casseroles

1 lb ground beef (optional)
2 (15 ounce) cans chili without beans
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 (32 ounce) bag tater tots
Cook the beef and drain.
Stir in the chili and heat through.
Pour into 2 8" sprayed square baking dishes.
Sprinkle with the cheese and top with the tater tots.
Cover and freeze one casserole for up to three months.
Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.
To use the frozen casserole: Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hrs or until heated through.

King Ranch Casserole

This made a really good sized casserole dish full. I'm not sure about the chili powder but the rest looks really good!
Made 4/9/09--wouldn't make this again...it wasn't bad but it was spicy and the tortillas didn't hold up well to freezing and baking.

1 cup Onions -- diced
1 cup Green Bell Peppers -- diced
1/2 pound Mushrooms
1/4 cup Butter or Margarine
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 pound Cheddar Cheese -- shredded
2 cups Chicken -- cooked and diced
1 can Tomatoes with Green Chilis
1 clove Garlic -- minced
2 tablespoon Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Chicken Broth
12 Corn Tortillas -- torn into quarters

In a large pan, sauté onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms in butter, Add soups, tomatoes & chilies, garlic, chili powder, and chicken broth. Line bottom of a 9x13 inch pan with pieces of tortillas. Spread half the chicken over the tortillas and top with half of the sauce, then half of the cheese. Cover with another layer of torn corn tortillas, and repeat the chicken, sauce and cheese layers. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Serves 6

(When freezing, put in freezer after assembling casserole, and bake when ready to eat.)

Noodle Stroganoff(OAMC)

1 lb (I use 2c.) cooked ground beef seasoned with onion and garlic
1 large can (6.5) canned mushrooms
1 can beef broth (1 3/4 cup)
3 Tblsp Lemon Juice
3 Tblsp apple juice or red wine

Bag together, label, date and freeze.
Write the name and these instructions on the bag:
Defrost and add 3 cups noodles. Cook until noodles are tender then stir in 1 C. sour cream. Warm and serve.

Onion Soup burgers(OAMC)

Onion Soup Burgers

2 pounds ground beef
2 envelopes onion soup mix (I use the mix I make)


Mix beef and dry soup mix together in a large bowl.
Form into 8 burgers. Place each burger on a piece of wax paper, plastic wrap or foil. Place wrapped burgers in a zipper bag and freeze flat. Thaw unwrapped burgers on a plate in the fridge. Grill and enjoy!

Freezer time

It's time to stock the freezer for after baby meals.

Crockpot meatloaf(2 meals)
Onion soup burgers(1 meal)
Noodle stroganoff(2 meals, 1 meal gone)
Chili tot casserole--one 9X13 pan
Sterling burgers(2 meals)
Hungarian Goulash(1 meal-will need large sides because it didn't make a big dish)
King ranch chicken(1 meal)

Already bought:
3 premade italian meals that need nothing or just spaghetti sauce
(1 lasagna, 1 manicotti, 1 stuffed shells)
2 packages premade meatballs
Big box 80 hot dogs
hamburger buns

Other meals only partially done in the freezer or throw together meals with items on hand:
Tasting is believing chicken--just need rice -
Crockpot burritos--have the burritos in the freezer

14 pounds precooked beef for:
manwiches(6 cans) -2 cans left
Tacos/add taco seasoning
Taco soup

Oven Ribs

The full name of these ribs is Beth's Melt in Your Mouth Barbecue Ribs and it's recipe #107786 on recipezaar. They are SO good!! We aren't big rib eaters but these lived up to their name! Yummmmm! I used Cattlemens barbecue sauce because it's our fave here:) And when I put the bbq sauce on I also heavily salted the ribs too.

4 lbs pork ribs
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon hickory smoke salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
2 cups of your favorite barbecue sauce (mine is Sweet Baby Ray)
Preheat oven to 300 degrees f.
Peel off tough membrane that covers the bony side of the ribs.
Mix together the sugar and spices to make the rub.
Apply rub to ribs on all sides.
Lay ribs on two layers of foil, shiny side out and meaty side down.
Lay two layers of foil on top of ribs and roll and crimp edges tightly, edges facing up to seal.
Place on baking sheet and bake for 2-2 1/2 hours or until meat is starting to shrink away from the ends of the bone.
Remove from oven.
Heat broiler.
Cut ribs into serving sized portions of 2 or 3 ribs.
Arrange on broiler pan, bony side up.
Brush on sauce.
Broil for 1 or 2 minutes until sauce is cooked on and bubbly.
Turn ribs over.
Repeat on other side.
Alternately, you can grill the ribs on your grill to cook on the sauce.

Upside-Down Caramel Apple Biscuits

This recipe came straight from the Pillsbury site. These were fun to make and tasty too:)

INGREDIENTS

1/4cup LAND O LAKES® Butter

1/2cup SMUCKER'S® Caramel Ice Cream Topping

1/4cup packed dark brown sugar

6cups sliced peeled Granny Smith apples (about 4 medium)

1/2cup Fisher® Chef's Naturals® Chopped Pecans

1can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Flaky Layers Butter Tastin'® refrigerated biscuits (8 biscuits)

DIRECTIONS

1.Heat oven to 350°F. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook butter and caramel topping over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and bubbly. Stir in brown sugar and apples. Cook over medium-high heat 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender.

2.Meanwhile, spray 8 (10-ounce) custard cups or 8 (12-ounce) ramekins with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon pecans in each cup. Spoon about 1/3 cup caramel-apple mixture evenly over pecans in each cup.

3.Separate biscuits; gently stretch each biscuit until large enough to cover caramel-apple mixture. Place biscuits on top of caramel-apple mixture in each cup. Place cups on large cookie sheet with sides.

4.Bake 18 to 23 minutes or until golden brown. Place cups on cooling rack; cool 5 minutes. Place heatproof serving plate upside down on each cup; carefully turn plate and cup over to remove cakes. Serve warm.

Bean and Beef Dish

I got this from the miserly moms site and everyone here loved it...we actually ran out so to make it again I need to figure out a way to double it. I used grands biscuits again and had to bake it about 30 minutes to get them to not be doughy. I'm putting the prices I actually paid...just lucked out with these deals:)

Bean & Beef Dish
Ingredients:

1# ground beef (99cents per pound)

1 can beans with MOLASSES (about 1.19--I couldn't find molasses so I got honey)

1 cup ketchup

1 cup brown sugar

2 small biscuit tubes ( I used most of one can of grands and got them on sale with a coupon for .25)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese ( about 99 cents)

Brown ground beef. Drain and place in ungreased, round 1 1/2 qt casserole dish. Stir in beans, ketchup and brown sugar. Mix well. Take biscuits and cut in half so that one side is flat. Place in two rows around the casserole dish. ( LEAVE the middle open or the biscuits will not cook right). Sprinkle with cheese.Bake at 350 until the biscuits are done. ( about 20 minutes)

Submitted by: Anna Benneta

BBQ Cups

I doubled this one and it's a good thing because there were no leftovers even doing that! I used two pounds of meat just because all my meat is in the freezer in 1 pound packages. I also used Grands biscuits and cooked them for 14 minutes at 350 before upping the temp and adding the filling. It was more like a biscuit at the bottom than a "cup" doing it that way but it tasted the same:)

BBQ Cups

3/4 lb. hamburger meat

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

2 tlbs. brown sugar

1 tlbs. minced onions

1 can Pillsbury biscuits

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown beef, drain. Add bbq sauce, brown sugar and onion. Place individual biscuits into muffin pan - ungreased, press them out all around each muffin pocket. Put meat mixture into the biscuits and topwith cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes

Biscuit Taco Cups

These are still part of my "biscuit" theme...expect plenty more of these posts:) Everyone loved these! Hunter even said he'd happily have them the next night too;)

1 1/2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 (15-oz.) can spicy chili beans, undrained
1 package (1.25 oz) Old El Paso® 40% less-sodium taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup water
1 can (16.3 oz) Grands!® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1/2 cup shredded lettuce, if desired
1/2 cup chopped tomato, if desired
1/2 cup sour cream, if desired
1/2 cup Old El Paso® Salsa, if desired
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375°F. Brown ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain.
2. Add chili beans, taco seasoning mix and water; mix well. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes or until ground beef mixture is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, spray outside bottom and sides of 8 (6-oz.) custard cups lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Separate into 8 biscuits. Roll or pat each biscuit to form 4 1/2-inch round. Place rounds over outside of sprayed cups; press to fit over bottom and part way down sides of cups. Place cups, upside down, in ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
4. Bake at 375°F. for 14 to 16 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove pan from oven. Carefully remove biscuit cups from custard cups. Place biscuit cups, right side up, in same baking pan. Spoon beef mixture evenly into each cup.
5. Top with cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and salsa.

Pizza dough in the breadmaker

I use one batch of this dough to make two smaller pizzas.  The younger kids can split one but my older son has a whole one.  My mom gave me a marble rolling pin that helps get the crust thin.

Or I make a thick crust one...

I blogged this with another recipe before but it's getting it's own post to make it easier to find:) I added some flax seed to this one in the picture. Also when it was done I stretched it in the pan and then came back a little later and stretched some more. Did that a few times until it filled the pan and then poked it all over with a fork to not have any bubbles and I plan to do this everytime. Also this one is lightly prebaked to make it easier to use when a recipe called for a store bought prebaked crust.

Breadmaker crust
1 cup water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. yeast

After the dough has risen in the machine, grease a 14" pizza pan or baking pan. Stretch the dough to fit. Spread your favorite sauce, sprinkle on grated mozzarella (and Cheddar if you like), add toppings, and bake at 450 for 15 - 20 minutes.

Crock barley, bean and corn burrito filling

I needed something to throw in the crockpot since the kids had classes downtown and I never know when we'll get back from those. This is also a meatless recipe. Hubby and I really liked this and the kids ate it without complaining. It definitely needed salt and I only liked them with cheese and sour cream.

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 (15 ounce) can tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 cup barley, uncooked
2 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cup frozen corn
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Directions
1Place all ingredients in crock pot. Stir well. Cover, and cook on low setting 4-5 hours.
2Serve with tortillas, cheese, cilantro, lettuce, salsa, sour cream--your favorite toppings

Sugar Cookies

I was craving sweets tonight but didn't have any "special" ingredients on hand so I needed something simple. This did get close to making me run out of flour.

I got this recipe off the zaar and it's for once a month cooking. I intended to bake some and freeze some but the kids kept eating so I just baked them all:) They are delicious! Super soft and very delicate.

45 min 30 min prep
6 dozen
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 1/2 cups flour
Place sugars, butter, and oil in a large bowl. Beat until fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until incorporated.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda.
Add to butter mixture and mix until combined.
To freeze:.
Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Roll dough into 1-1/2" balls and place on sheet. continue until all dough is used. Place in freezer and freeze until dough is firm, about 1 hour. Transfer dough balls to a large freezer bag. Seal and freeze.
To bake:.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
Place dough balls on sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until edges are starting to turn golden brown.
Remove and cool on a rack.
If baking immediately after mixing dough, reduce baking time to 8-10 minutes.
You don't want the whole cookie to brown, just the edges.

White Pizza

This is one of Tee's recipes for her week on recipechallenge.

I would make this again and not even put chicken on it. Very yummy:)

Also I made the crust and probably doubled most everything on it because it was a big crust.

WHITE PIZZA

1 12inch store bought pizza crust (or make your own)
1 cup pesto
1 cup cooked diced chicken
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoon pine nuts

Preheat oven to 450. Place pizza crust on large baking sheet and spread with pesto. Top with chicken, cheese and pine nuts. Bake 8 to 10min until cheese melts and crust is golden brown.

Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna

I really liked this...the kids ate it and said it was good(although not great). I can't decide if I'd like it even more with the sauce portion doubled...it just didn't seem like as much sauce as a lasagna should have. I probably used a lot more than 3 cups of cheese too:)

Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna

9 lasagna noodles (uncooked)
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 can artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)
1 package frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed)
1 jar Alfredo sauce
3 C mozzarella cheese, divided

Cook lasagna noodles according to package. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add Alfredo sauce, spinach and artichokes and heat through. Spread ¼ of the sauce on the bottom of greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with 3 noodles and ¾ C cheese. Repeat with 2 remaining layers. Bake covered at 350 for 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake until cheese starts to brown. Let set 5 minutes before cutting.

Bubble Pizza

I didn't bother taking a picture of this. There are pics all over the net. But I do want to save the recipe because it was so easy and so good. The whole pan full was gone in no time!

3 pkgs. refrigerator biscuits (I used two cans of Grands)
1 can or jar of spaghetti sauce
Shredded mozzarella
Pizza toppings--I just used pepperoni this time

Directions:

Cut biscuits into quarters and place in a 9x13 baking dish. Add sauce, stir to coat, and spread evenly in bottom of pan. Top with cheese, then toppings, (3 toppings or less).

Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes. Be sure to check middle to make sure all the dough is cooked through. I turned the temp down to 350 and continued cooking another 10 minutes to make sure the middle dough was done.

Hunter's birthday cake

I got this off the Zaar but lost the link for it. It was really easy and pretty and tasted good too!

Cake
1 (18 1/4 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
1 (4 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 3/4 cups water
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Glaze
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup powdered sugar (10X)
2-3 tablespoons hot water
Directions
1
Cake: Preheat oven to 350°.
2
Grease and flour bundt pan, set aside.
3
In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix and chocolate chips.
4
In another bowl, combine water, eggs, and vanilla mixing well.
5
Add egg mixture to dry mixture and mix with spoon until just blended.
6
Pour into prepared pan.
7
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until cake tests done when wooden pick in center comes out clean.
8
Cool 15 to 20 minutes before removing cake from pan.
9
When completely cool, drizzle cake with Chocolate Glaze.
10
Chocolate Glaze: Combine all ingredients in bowl.
11
Mix with spoon until smooth.

Hot dog Casserole

I had a feeling this would go over well and it definitely did. Everyone liked it and it was super fast to throw together after grocery shopping tonight.

8 hot dogs(I used turkey)
1 big can Bush's baked beans
2 boxes jiffy cornbread mix

Slice hot dogs and mix with beans. Put in large baking dish. Mix cornbread by package directions. Spread over hot dog mixture. Bake at 350 until hot and bubbly and cornbread is done.

White Castle Casserole

We all love the little frozen white castle burgers here but they are SO expensive that I won't buy them. This casserole smells and tastes JUST like them! I didn't put pickles on just because I forgot them but I will try that next time.Ingredients

* 1 (1 3/4 ounce) package onion soup mix (Dry)
* 2 (12 ounce) cans crescent rolls
* 1 1/4 lbs hamburger
* American cheese (Around eight slices)
* pickle
* mustard

Directions

Cook hamburger with onion mix, Dry extremely well.
Lay whole can of crescent rolls in bottom of pan (do not break apar
Layer hamburger mixture, cheese, pickles and squirt mustard up
and down across pan.
Put whole can of crescent rolls on top.
Bake at 350 until golden brown

Paula Deen's Layered Mexican Cornbread

This was originally a Paula Deen recipe. I found it on recipezaar(#208619). This was soooo good!!


45 min | 10 min prep
SERVES 9 -12 , 1 (8x8-in) pan
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
2/3 cup half-and-half cream (or use milk--use evap milk)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt or 1/2 teaspoon white salt
1/3 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped or green onion
1 (14 ounce) can creamed corn
1 cup frozen corn, thawed or drained canned corn niblet
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (or to taste)
Set oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 8 x 8-inch or a 9 x 9-inch square baking dish.
In a large bowl mix together cornmeal with flour, sugar baking powder, garlic powder, milk, eggs, seasoned salt and melted butter or oil until well blended.
Add in onion and creamed corn and thawed corn; mix to combine.
Pour half the batter into prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle the layer with grated cheese and jalapeno peppers.
Pour the remaining batter on top of the cheese and jalapeno peppers.
Bake for about 35 minutes or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (baking time will vary slightly depending on the size of pan used).
Allow to cool slightly before slicing.

Tastin' is Believin' Chicken

Melissa's grandma used to make this and it's fantastic! Cooking it in the crockpot made it unbelievably easy too:) This will become one of our staple meals for sure!

4 - 8 boneless skinless chicken breats-depending on size
1 8-oz bottle of Russian salad dressing
1 can whole berry cranberry
1 Package Lipton Onion Soup Mix

Put chicken in the bottom of the crockpot, pour everything on top and cook on high for 4 hours until chicken is done.

Sicilian Meat Roll

This was very good but VERY meaty. I haven't been eating as much meat lately so for me I only needed half of one slice.

Ingredients
2 slightly beaten eggs
3/4 cup soft breadcrumbs
1/2 cup tomato juice (or 1/4 c. tomato sauce and 1/4 c. water mixed)
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 lbs lean ground beef
6 slices fully cooked deli ham, thin
1 3/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
1Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2In a large bowl combine eggs, bread crumbs, tomato juice, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic.
3Stir in ground beef, mixing well.
4On foil, pat meat mixture into a 12x10 inch rectangle.
5Arrange ham slices on top of meat, leaving a 3/4 inch border around all edges.
6Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups cheese over ham.
7Starting from a short end, carefully roll up meat, using foil to lift and guide; seal edges and ends. 8Place roll, seam side down, in a 13x9x2 pan sprayed with Pam.
9Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until it reaches 170 degrees and juices run clear.
10(Center of meat roll will be pink because of the ham.) Sprinkle remaining cheese over top of roll; return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
11Remove to a platter to serve.

Bean and Kale Soup

I thought this was quite good. The leftovers were finished the next day but possiblyjust because it was the only heat and eat option I gave. I threw in a lot of baby spinach that I wanted to use up too and instead of getting the blender messy I just smashed up some of the beans with a fork.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cups raw kale, chopped (remove spines)
4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth, divided
2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans or navy beans, undrained, split
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
salt and pepper
1 cup chopped parsley
shredded parmesan cheese
Directions
1In a large pot, heat olive oil.
2Add garlic and onion; saute until soft and the onion is transparent.
3Wash the kale, leaving small droplets of water. Saute, stirring, until wilted and a lovely emerald green, about 15 minute.
4Add 3 cups of the broth, reserving 1 cup, 2 cups of the beans, reserving 1 cup, all of the tomatoes, herbs, salt and pepper.
5Simmer 5 minutes.
6In a blender or food processor, mix the reserved beans and broth until smooth.
7Stir into the soup to thicken it nicely.
8Simmer 15 more minutes.
9Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with chopped parsley and shredded parmesan.
10Serve with a nice loaf of crusty bread to soak up all the yummy broth!
11For Vegetarian use the vegetable broth.

No Bake Chocolate PB Bars

These are realllly good! It says to refrigerate at least an hour and they came out of the pan okay but after being in the fridge overnight they did MUCH better:)

From the Pillsbury site:

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Estimated Times:
Preparation - 15 min Cooling Time - 1 hrs refrigerating Yields - 60 bars (5 dozen)

Just beat, melt, stir, and refrigerate...these bars are that simple.
Ingredients:
2 cups peanut butter, divided
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels, divided
Directions:
GREASE 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

BEAT 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. With hands or wooden spoon, work in remaining powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup morsels. Press evenly into prepared baking pan. Smooth top with spatula.

MELT remaining peanut butter and remaining morsels in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over lowest possible heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Spread over graham cracker crust in pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chocolate is firm; cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Hearty Mexican Spaghetti

This was from Mandi's week and she also made it so you can see hers here. Mine doesn't look nearly as nice because I used ground turkey...I'm on a mission to use up everything in my kitchen and this worked to use the turkey. I also had macaroni instead of spaghetti noodles so used those too:)

Hearty Mexican Spaghetti Recipe #129025
From: Recipezaar.com
SERVES 8
12 ounces spaghetti, uncooked

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey

14 1/2 ounces tomatoes, canned, diced in sauce, undrained

22 ounces whole mexicorn whole kernel corn, undrained (with red and green peppers)

1 (7 ounce) can diced green chilies, undrained

1/2 cup green onion, sliced

1/2 cup Mexican blend cheese, shredded
Break spaghetti in half and add to simmering water in large pot or Dutch oven. Cook until tender. In large skillet brown ground beef or turkey. Add taco seaoning mix, undrained tomatoes and corn, green chilies, and onions. Over medium heat cook until heated thru, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta and place in large bowl. Add meat mixture and toss lightly. Sprinkle with cheese, serve.

Ham Casserole

We loved this! Will be a staple of using up leftover ham in the future:)

6 potatoes, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups grated Cheddar
1 cup leftover ham, cubed
1 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
In a Dutch oven cover peeled, sliced potatoes in water, cover and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes ONLY. Drain and place in a buttered or non stick sprayed 2 quart casserole.

Sprinkle ham over potatoes.
In a saucepan place 3 tablespoons butter and melt.
Add flour, salt, and pepper and stir. Cook over low heat stirring constantly. Add milk.
When the mixture thickens, add the cheese and cook until it starts to bubble.
Pour sauce over the potatoes in casserole.
In a bowl combine bread crumbs and 2 tablespoons melted butter.
Sprinkle these over top of casserole and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until bubbly.
Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Chowder

I decided to add a little extra creole seasoning to this and shoulda skipped it...talk about heartburn for the pregnant woman! This was good though:)

Ingredients:

• 6 slices bacon, diced


• 1/2 cup diced celery


• 2 cups potatoes, small dice


• 1 cup diced onion


• 1/2 cup diced carrot


• 3 tablespoons flour


• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth


• 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning or seasoned salt


• 1 cup corn kernels


• 1 1/2 cups half-ahd-half


• 1 1/2 to 2 cups diced cooked chicken


• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes


• salt and pepper, to taste

Fry bacon in a large saucepan or Dutch oven; remove to paper towels to drain. Add butter to bacon drippings, if necessary, to make 3 tablespoons. Add celery, potatoes, onion, and carrot. Saute, stirring constantly, until onion and celery are tender. Stir in flour until well incorporated. Add chicken broth and seasoning or seasoned salt, stirring to blend well. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Add the diced chicken and corn; simmer for 7 minutes longer, until vegetables are tender. Add half-and half and tomatoes. Heat through and taste. Add salt and pepper, as needed.
Serves 4 to 6.

Cottage Cheese Salad

This was good! I would have liked some nuts in it too:)

COTTAGE CHEESE SALAD
1 (16 oz.) container cottage cheese
1 (3 oz.) pkg. lime Jello
1 (20 oz.) can fruit cocktail, drained
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 c. miniature marshmallows
1 (9 oz.) container frozen dessert topping, thawed
Whip cottage cheese with mixer until fine. Beat dry Jello into cottage cheese. Add remaining ingredients. Mix together and pour into bowl. Chill until firm. Serve in bowl.

PB Cookies--3 Ingredient

I've seen this recipe around for years and read reviews so knew what to expect...they are a very different cookie and very very easy! Justin(2 1/2 years old) helped me with these:)

1 cup white sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 egg

Mix and drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Do NOT overbake...they will be very soft.

Pesto Pizza

This was soooo yummy! I chose this for our meatless night this week. I didn't make the pesto like this has directions to do--instead I used a jar of pesto from the store. And I used our pizza oven instead of the regular oven.
Also I tried a new crust that I got off of Mandi's blog here and we LOVED it. Going to start using it now as our regular crust! (recipe also below)

Pesto Pizza
Ingredients
1 cup prepared pesto sauce (ingredients and directions included)
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
pesto sauce
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (need a big bunch of parsley)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup pine nuts
Directions
1
Place the following in blender: parsley, grated parmesan cheese, olive oil, pine nuts, garlic cloves (use garlic press)and blend until smooth.
2
PREHEAT OVEN 425F DEGREES.
3
Spread the Pesto Sauce on a 12 or 14 inch pizza crust.
4
Place spinach on pesto sauce.
5
Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over pizza, then sprinkle the sharp cheddar cheese.
6
Top with sliced tomatoes, then sprinkle the feta cheese all over the pizza.
7
Bake about 15 minutes or until the mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese are melted, and the crust is crisp and golden.

Breadmaker crust
1 cup water

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp. yeast

After the dough has risen in the machine, grease a 14" pizza pan or baking pan. Stretch the dough to fit. Spread your favorite sauce, sprinkle on grated mozzarella (and Cheddar if you like), add toppings, and bake at 450 for 15 - 20 minutes.

White bread

This made a good bread with a soft crust. The inside was very airy and went very well with our soup. With all the yeast it did touch the top of my bread maker for a bit but that was the only problem with it:) There's nothing like that fresh bread smell on a cold day!

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 (.25 ounce) package bread machine yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons if you keep a jar of yeast like I do)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Place the water, sugar and yeast in the pan of the bread machine. Let the yeast dissolve and foam for 10 minutes. Add the oil, flour and salt to the yeast. Select Basic or White Bread setting, and press Start.

Zuppa Toscana

 *6/18/10 I grew swiss chard this year specifically for this recipe and finally got to try it today!  Fabulous!  I also made it more frugal by using homemade yogurt instead of cream.  It was a lighter version but still good:)

I got this recipe from the zaar and then read all the reviews and followed some of the suggestions. This is absolutely awesome and I highly recommend trying it:) I've never used kale before so this was another first for me too!
This is supposed to be a copycat of an Olive Garden soup but I don't normally order soups at restaurants so I'm not sure if it is a copycat or not.

1 lb Italian sausage (I used mild)
4 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half,and then in 1/4 inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 can oscar meyer bacon bit (I used about 6 slices crumbled bacon)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups kale or swiss chard, chopped (used kale and lots more than 2 cups)
1 LARGE can chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream


Remove casings and cook sausage in a skillet. Set sausage aside.
Cook onions and garlic with a little olive oil in the same skillet.
Place onions, garlic, potatoes, chicken broth in pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.
Add sausage and bacon.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer for another 10 minutes.
Turn to low heat.
Add kale and cream.
Heat through and serve.

Ham and Spinach Quiche

This was sooooooooooo good! Even Corrine ate it and she's my egg-hater!

Deep Dish Ham and Spinach Quiche(6 servings)
1 9" deep dish frozen pie crust
5 slices sandwich ham - chopped (I used regular cubed ham--two handfuls)
1/2 of an onion - chopped
1/2 package frozen spinach - thawed and drained (I used the whole package)
2 Tablespoons ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded Italian 5 blend cheese
1 cup milk
6 large eggs
salt and pepper - to taste

Preheat oven to 400.In a bowl, combine all ingredients.Pour into deep dish pie crust and bake for 1 hour.

Breakfast Bake

I really didn't expect to like this...I've made the recipes with bread and eggs before and the whole wet bread thing didn't work for me but this didn't have that texture at all!!

1 can (8oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 pkg (8 oz) smoked ham, chopped (deli-type lunchmeat)
6 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/2 t pepper
1 c shredded cheddar
1 c shredded mozzarella

Heat oven to 350*. Unroll dough in a 13x9" dish, press to cover bottom of dish, firmly pressing holes and seams together to seal.
Sprinkle ham over crust. Beat eggs, milk and pepper with whisk until blended. Pour over ham. Top with cheeses.
Bake 25 mins or until center is set