Apple Dump Cake

Quick, easy, delicious and perfect for fall.  Be sure to serve this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream...YUM!

1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 stick butter
2 cans apple pie filling
1 T cinnamon
2 T brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  Dump the apple pie filling into a 9x13 pan and spread out until even.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar.  Spread cake mix over top evenly.  Dot top with butter.  Bake 45 minutes or until bubbly and brown. 

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1.03.01

Busy Night Chimichangas

I've just started back to school and with 3 kids at home looking for meals that are inexpensive, quick, easy, and delicious has become a necessity.  This recipe is a nice change of pace and goes over well with kids and adults alike.  You can top them with any combination of shredded lettuce, sour cream, salsa, or even white cheese sauce.  They may look difficult, but they're really a breeze.  I usually double the recipe and wrap each leftover in aluminum foil to freeze or to eat the next day.  They're just as good the next day, if not better.

1 pkg flour tortillas
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 T prepared minced garlic
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded mexican cheese
2 T vegetable oil

Serves 6

Brown the beef, onions, and garlic in a skillet and drain.  In a large bowl combine the beef mixture with cheese and salsa and mix until combined evenly.  Use a tablespoon to "scoop" out about 3 heaping tablespoons onto each flour tortilla.  Fold into a rectangle.  Meanwhile heat oil in a skillet and cook each chimichanga seam side down first 2-3 minutes on each side until browned.  Drain on paper towels. 

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1.03.01

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This recipe I found on a can of Hormel Premium Chicken Breast, believe it or not!  I have to give credit where credit is due.  This recipe would be wonderful for entertaining, on salads or stuffed in a wrap or a pita.  The possibilities are endless.

2 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 cup prepared Ranch salad dressing
3/4 cup hot wing sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 12.5oz cans Hormel Chicken Breast
Crackers or Tortilla chips for dipping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In large bowl, combine cream cheese, Ranch dressing, hot wing sauce and shredded cheese.  Gently stir in chicken.  Spoon mixture into a 2 qt casserole dish.  Bake for 20 min or until hot and bubbly.  Serve warm.

Steam N' Mash Masterpiece Mashed Potatoes

Making great tasting mashed potatoes couldn't be easier than with this recipe and Ore Ida Steam N' Mash frozen potatoes.  I have perfected this recipe over the past 6 months or so, the result is a savory, easy dish that I hope you'll enjoy.

What you'll need:

2 bags frozen Ore Ida Steam N' Mash Cut Red Potatoes (my Wal-Mart carries them, not widely carried yet)
1 1/2 sticks salted butter
1/2 cup half n' half
1 Tablespoons Durkee Grill Creations Kansas City Style Steak Seasoning (or just steak seasoning will do)
1 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 Tablespoons white sugar

• Prepare steam n' mash potatoes according to pkg directions.
• In a large bowl put in the butter, half n' half, steak seasoning, garlic salt, pepper and white sugar
• Put cooked potatoes on top
• Mash with potato masher (Is that the technical term? :) )

Close your blinds, put on your stretch pants and enjoy!  Please remember that sample bites used for seasoning purposes have zero calories according to southerner rules.

Awesome Chicken Casserole

I was in a pinch the other day for something to throw together for dinner.  I found a recipe online and altered it to fit the ingredients I had on hand.  The result was one of the best chicken casseroles I've ever had.  I let my picky boys be the judge and I got more than a few compliments from them on this one.  You can add this one to your list of comfort food classics.  Paula Deen would be so proud.  (sniff, sniff)


2-3 large chicken breasts (I use the frozen kind, no need to thaw)
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 medium onion chopped
3 tsp chicken flavored soup base
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 bags Uncle Ben's white rice, cooked according to pkg directions
6 oz sour cream
2 cans (10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup with herbs
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 cups crushed buttery crackers (Ritz or Club)
1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F
Bring to a boil the chicken breasts, celery, onions, soup base, salt and pepper and enough water to cover.
Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 35 minutes.
Reserve about 4 cups of the chicken broth and cool chicken.  Cut into bite sized pieces.
In a large bowl, stir together sour cream, cream of chicken soup, onion powder, garlic powder, broth, and celery salt.  Mix in cooked rice and chicken.  (Mixture will be somewhat thin, do not worry)
Spoon into 9x13 casserole dish.  In a resealable bag mix together melted butter and crushed crackers. 
Sprinkle over top of casserole.  Bake 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.

Watermelon Glazed Barbecue Meatballs

I wish I could take full credit for this one, but I happened upon this recipe recently at my local grocery store.  I must admit that it was so simple looking that I just had to try it, not to mention that I have a watermelon addiction.  Sadly, whenever watermelons are in season I buy those seedless ones and usually end up eating the entire thing myself.  I was worried that the watermelon wouldn't make it long enough in my house to end up in this recipe, but somehow I was able to keep my watermelon addiction at bay long enough to make this super fast, yummy dish.  The watermelon puree adds a very interesting layer of flavor with a hint of sweetness.  These would make an excellent appetizer as well.  Even my pickiest kid loved these!

1 pkg frozen meatballs (about 24-30 meatballs)
2 T vegetable oil
1 cup watermelon puree
1 cup barbecue sauce  (I used Maul's Kansas City Style, but I'm sure just about any brand would do fine)

Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high.  CAREFULLY put frozen meatballs in and cook until browned and heated through then turn the heat down to low.  In the meantime, combine the barbecue sauce and watermelon puree and pour over the meatballs.  Simmer on low for about 3-4 minutes and serve hot.

A word about the watermelon puree:  I used a seedless watermelon and there were still a few seeds here and there.  I would not sweat picking out every seed when making the puree.  If you make the puree ahead of time, any seed fragments will settle to the bottom of your bowl and you can just dip the puree from a dish or bowl until you reach the bottom.

Infused Waters

After living it up all year eating Paula Deen recipes, I've started trying to lose weight recently and know that I should be drinking lots of water.  When I was in really good shape I was drinking water with lime or lemon religiously or I'd buy that expensive bottled water all the time. Recently I've found a way to drink water without having to buy the $1.00 a bottle spring water and I wanted to share it here.


Lemon, Cucumber, Mint Infused Water

1 Gallon Jug or Pitcher
1 Large lemon, sliced
1/2 Large cucumber peeled and sliced thinly
5 or 6 mint leaves

Here's the hard part:  Put all of the ingredients into the jug/pitcher and fill with water.  Wait 1 hour and drink.

You may want to try these variations as well:

• Watermelon mint
• Rosemary lime
• Cucumber, mint, rosemary & lemon

Best Ever Wrap

Just because you want an inexpensive meal doesn't mean you have to sacrifice nutrition and taste.  Get your kids in the kitchen to help "create" these works of art and they'll love eating them when they're done.







1 Pkg Whole Grain Tortillas
1 Small tub Philadelphia Chive and Onion Cream Cheese
1 Small container french onion dip
1 Pkg Bagged, Ready-To-Eat Baby Spinach
1 Pkg Shredded Carrots
1 large cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
3 Roma Tomatoes (or any other type that you like), thinly sliced
1 lb. thinly sliced ham

Lay out a whole grain tortilla on a cutting board.  Spread about 2 Tablespoons of the chive and onion cream cheese evenly over the tortilla leaving about 2 inches space on the right hand side of the tortilla.
Cover the cream cheese with a layer or two of the baby spinach leaves. Leave the 2" space empty on the right side for all of the remaining ingredients.
Put a layer of the ham over the spinach leaves.
Spoon about 2 T of the french onion dip over the ham, spread it evenly.
Sprinkle a layer of shredded carrots
Top with a layer of thinly sliced cucumbers & tomatoes
Wrap tightly from left to right (towards the 2" empty tortilla end) and cut into two halves.

Peach Ham Glaze

With Easter just around the corner, I thought I'd include a scrumptious glaze for hams.  Brush on your ham before putting into the oven and baste throughout the baking process.  Enjoy!

1 c. honey
1 c. brown sugar
1 can peach pie filling
1/4 cup crushed pecans
pinapple & cherries

Combine the honey, brown sugar, peach pie filling & pecans.  Place pineapples and cherries on your ham using toothpicks, brush the glaze over top of the ham and bake ham according to directions.  Baste the ham throughout the baking process.

Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

While I would like to take full credit for this recipe, I'm afraid that I cannot.  This is from the queen herself, Paula Deen.  She is definitely a woman after my own heart.  As a fellow southern woman, I appreciate her respect for a good stick of butter. 

I don't know about you but I love sweet potatoes.  The only problem is that I eat them only at Thanksgiving and while I'm eating them I always think to myself, "Now WHY don't I eat these at any other time of year?"  This recipe is so stupid easy that I wish Paula would change the name to Sweet Potatoes For Dummies.  I mean even I can cook these babies!  Enjoy!

1/2 cup, plus 2 T butter (all hail butter!)
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into wedges
2 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large saucepan over med-high heat, melt butter.  Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cinnamon.  Add the potato wedges to teh butter and toss to coat.  Season the potatoes with salt and pepper.

Spread the potatoes in an even layer on a baking sheet.  Roast potatoes, stirring occasionally, until tender (about 20-25 min).

Cool Striped Dessert

What's great about this recipe is that you can alter it into different variations and never get bored of this yummy dessert.  It's so simple, yet very tasty!  This is one of our summertime absolute favorites.  Change the pudding flavor and the cookie crust and you've got a variation of this dessert all your own!

35 Oreo sandwich cookies, finely crushed (about 3 cups)
     (for different variations try nilla wafers, graham crackers, or ginger snaps)
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 pkg (8oz) Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 c sugar
2T cold milk
1 tub (12oz) Cool Whip, thawed & divided
3 1/4 c cold milk
2 pkgs (4 svg size each) Jell-0 Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

Mix crushed cookies and butter in med bowl.  Press firmly into bottom of 13x9 baking dish, refrigerate 10 min.
Beat cream cheese, sugar and 2T milk in med bowl with wire whisk 2 min or until blended well.  Spread over crust.
Pour 3 1/4 cups milk into large bowl.  Add dry pudding mixes.  Beat with wire whisk 2 min and spread over cream cheese layer.  Let stand 5 min or until thickened.  Drop remaining whipped topping by spoonfuls over pudding layer & spread evenly to cover pudding.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours.  Cut into 24 squares.  Store in refrigerator.

Shrimp Noodle Bowl

There's nothing like curling up on the couch with a warm bowl of noodles while watching your favorite show on T.V.   This is so easy to make and full of flavor to boot.  I know it will become one of your favorites, just as it has become mine!

Serves 4

2 pkg Ramen Noodles (any flavor)
1 T vegetable oil
1 lb raw, peeled and deveined 36-40 count shrimp, thawed
1 T drained roasted garlic
1 lb. frozen broccoli stir fry veggies (carrots, onions & red peppers)
1/2 c teriyaki marinade and sauce
2 T Szechuan stir-fry and marinade sauce
1 tsp Asian sesame oil
1/3 c dry roasted peanuts (optional)

Cook Ramen Noodles according to directions but do not add seasoning packet, drain well.
Heat oil in 12" skillet until hot but not smoking.  Add shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes or until they
turn opaque, stirring constantly.  Transfer shrimp to medium bowl.
To the same skillet, add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring.  Add veggies and sauces; cook 4-5 minutes
or until veggies are heated through.  Stir in sesame oil, shrimp and any juices in bowl and drained noodles; heat through.  Sprinkle with peanuts.

Cheesy Pepperoni Roll Ups

1 pkg frozen large crescent rolls
1/2 lb. pepper jack cheese, shredded
4 oz pepperoni, finely chopped

Top each flattened crescent roll triangle with about 1 T cheese and 1 rounded tsp pepperoni. Roll up and seal the seams by pinching. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake 350 for 16-20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm & refrigerate leftovers.

Spicy Sausage Super Bowl Soup

Try saying that 10 times fast! I realize that soup is probably not a typical super bowl offering but serve this instead of chili and wait for the compliments! You probably won't get away with just serving this one time a year either once your hubby gets a taste. It's quite different from the usual boring soups. Pair this with cheesy pepperoni roll ups and you've got a hit any time of the year.


1 lb. Italian sausage
1 can Italian stewed tomatoes
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1/4 c. chicken broth, beef broth or wine
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 c. Italian veggies (I use a frozen bag of squash and zucchini)
3/4 c. Red, green and yellow pepper strips (I use a bag of frozen pepper strips)
3 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. minced parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Meanwhile in a crock pot, combine the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer 10 minutes minimum. Drain sausage; add to soup and continue heating until ready to serve.

Bacon Egg Salad Croissants

Perfect for a sunday brunch or any meal, really. These sandwiches are light and flavorful.











6 hard cooked eggs, chopped
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/3 cup crumbled bacon
4 lettuce leaves
4 thin tomato slices
4 croissants, split

In a bowl combine the eggs, celery, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper. Fold in the bacon. Serve on a crossant with lettuce and tomato slices.

Tossed Broccoli Salad

Excellent side dish for any kind of meal from Thanksgiving dinner to just another friday night meal. It's surprisingly crisp, fresh and crunchy with a bit of sweetness.

2 lbs. fresh broccoli, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked & crumbled
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 medium red onion chopped
raisins and walnuts to taste (optional)

Dressing

1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sugar
2 T cider vinegar

Combine dressing first then add broccoli, bacon, cheese, onion and raisins and walnuts. Refrigerate.

Hot Dog Soup

You might think this is a strange sounding soup but it is surprisingly yummy. Kids, of course, will love it too!

4 medium carrots, cut into thin strips
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup butter
2 T all purpose flour
1 (16oz) pkg hot dogs, halved lengthwise and cut into bite size pieces
1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp pepper

Saute carrots, potatoes, parsnips & onion in butter for 5 minutes. Stir in flour until blended. Add hot dogs, milk, soup, water, basil and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 25-30 minutes.

Chicken Tacos

When I first made this recipe, after I tasted the chicken I decided I'd better make a double batch. Learn how to make this easy mexican style shredded chicken and you can use it on taco salads, burritos, wraps, tacos, sandwiches, quesadillas or whatever. You'll find lots and lots of uses for it. It's even better warmed up the next day.

4 chicken breast halves (I use the frozen style that comes in a bag)
3 T oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped onions
1 - 2 cups salsa

lettuce, shredded
sour cream (optional)
mexican style shredded cheese
diced tomatoes
salsa or taco sauce
flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken breast halves into a shallow baking dish and bake for 40-50 minutes until juices run clear. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook onions and garlic in oil until transparent. After the chicken is cooked, shred and add to the skillet with the salsa. Heat through. Serve on tortillas with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream and taco sauce.

Light Classic Macaroni Salad

If you're on weight watchers, a 3/4 cup serving of this is only 2 pts! I used to love to eat a nice sandwich for lunch with some of this yummy macaroni salad on the side. Personally I think this macaroni salad is better tasting than the full fat version!




2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 cup fat free mayonnaise
2 T sweet pickle relish
1 packet of equal
3/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped onion
Dash paprika (optional)
1 hard cooked egg, sliced (optional)

Cook macaroni according to pkg directions, drain and rinse with cold water. Cool completely. For dressing, in a small bowl, combine the mayo, pickle relish, equal, mustard, salt and pepper. In a large bowl, combine macaroni, celery, carrot and onion. Add dressing & toss gently to coat. Refrigerate until serving and garnish with egg & paprika.

My Favorite Cucumber Onion Spread

A must for the summer months or anytime of the year that you can find cucumbers. We grow our own just so we can have plenty of this yummy spread on hand.








1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup finely chopped and seeded cucumber
1/4 cup finely chopped vidalia onion
2 T mayo (or Miracle Whip)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Crackers, potato chips or rye chips

Combine all ingredients; beat until blended and refrigerate until serving.

Lil Smokies Appetizers

Around my house we sometimes turn an good appetizer into a meal. This is one of those recipes. In fact, it's become a Christmas Eve tradition to have these yummy smokies around. They're easy to grab whenever you're hungry.

2 pkgs little smokies sausage links
1/2 cup catsup
1/2 cup bbq sauce
1 cup grape jelly

Combine everything in a crock pot on medium heat for 1 hour. Stir and turn to low for another 30 minutes.

Kansas City Steak Soup

I love a good soup and a pot of soup at my house goes a long way. It's even better the next day and you can pair it with a yummy grilled cheese sandwich or a crusty roll or even a salad, depending on your mood. This recipe is one even the kids will love even though it has a good helping of veggies.


1 lb. coarsely ground beef, browned and drained of fat
3 c. water
2 small onions, sliced
1 (16oz) can tomatoes
1 tsp pepper
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen mixed vegetables
2-4 tsp beef base or beef boillon granules
1 can tomato soup
3 celery stalks sliced thinly
2 carrot sticks sliced thinly
1/4 cup sugar

Place the browned ground beef, water, onion, celery, carrots, undrained tomatoes, pepper, mixed vegetables & beef seasoning in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
1 Hour before serving, turn to high and add 1 can of tomato soup and sugar.

Secret Chinese Donuts

What's the secret? They're ridiculously easy and so good that they won't last. You may even want to make a "secret" batch just for yourself! Shhhh, I won't tell.

Can of refrigerated biscuits
Oil
Sugar

Heat oil to about 350 degrees. Tear biscuit dough in two and roll into a ball. Drop (very carefully) into the hot oil. Once they are browned, remove from the oil and place into a large paper bag. Sprinkle your donuts with sugar (inside the paper bag) and toss gently to coat.

Rich & Easy French Onion Soup

As you know, I'm a sucker for a good crock pot recipe. Here's one for one of my favorite soups. Enjoy!

6 large onions, chopped
1/2 c butter
6 (10 1/2 oz) cans of beef broth, undiluted
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 bay leaves
10 slices French bread, toasted
Shredded Parmesan and/or Mozerella cheese

Cook onions in a skillet with the butter until pearly white.
Transfer to a slow cooker and add the beef broth, worcestershire sauce
and bay leaves. Cover and cook on low 5-7 hours. Top each bowl with
a slice of french bread and cheese.

Easy Salisbury Steak

We love comfort food around here. This is one of the best and is surprisingly easy to make and smells wonderful. Pair it with some mashed potatoes and a veggie and you have yourself a fancy shmancy dinner! Is your mouth watering yet?






1 1/3 cans Golden Mushroom Soup
2 lbs. ground round
2/3 cups dry breadcrumbs
1 1/3 large eggs, beaten
2/3 cup chopped onions
salt and pepper
garlic salt or garlic powder
1/2 cup water

1. Combine 1/4 soup with ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, salt, pepper and garlic.
2. Make 6 patties and put into a shallow baking dish
3. Bake 350 degrees for 40 minutes, then drain off fat.
4. Combine remaining soup and water and pour over patties.
5. Bake 10 minutes longer or until heated through.

Mom's Saturday Night Spread

Growing up with a policeman as a dad and a mom who stayed at home, we didn't have a lot of money. This is an easy dish that my mom came up with that we loved. Hope you enjoy it too.

2 lbs. ground beef
1/4 tsp chili
1/2 cup to a cup of chopped onions
1 can Chicken Gumbo soup
3/4 cup Ketchup
1/2 cup Mustard
1 Tbs butter

Cook onions in a skillet with butter until they are transparent. Brown the ground beef and spoon
out the extra fat. Add the rest of the ingredients and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes on
med. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve on buns like sloppy joes or over bread.

Crock Pot Chicken n' Dumplins

Yes, I know that Chicken n' Dumplings has a "g" on the end. I'm from the south and we pronounce it Chicken n' Dumplins. So, spell it any way you want, this is an EASY and inexpensive (aka CHEAP) dish that will please every member of your family, even those picky kids. If you know me, I'm all about easy and I worship the person who invented the crock pot. Why didn't THAT person win a Nobel Peace Prize? The crock pot has done more to promote peace in households all over the planet than anything else I can think of. In the south we have a saying...When mama ain't happy, ain't NOBODY happy...and crock pots make THIS mama VERY happy! Enjoy......

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 Tablespoons butter
2 (10.75 oz) cans cream of chicken soup
1 onion, finely diced
2 (10 oz) pkgs refrigerated biscuit dough
Parsley (optional)
Salt
Pepper

1. Put the chicken, butter, soup and onion in the crock pot and fill with just enough water to cover.
2. Cover and cook on high 5-6 hours.
3. About 30 minutes before serving, put torn, small pieces of biscuit dough into the pot and
cook until dough is no longer raw in the middle.
4. Sprinkle with parsley and salt and pepper to taste.