Welcome to my recipe blog! I started it when my brother, Mark, moved away and was in need of some recipes....or so I thought.... The goal is to post recipes that can be made quickly, easily, and inexpensively. If you have something to contribute, please let me know and I will be glad to add it!!

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Chicken Ceaser Casserole

I made this up today for lunch. I didn't have the stuff to make any particular meal, so I just threw some stuff together. It turned out really tasty!!

Ceaser Chicken Casserole

2-3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 heads broccoli
3 cloves garlic, pressed or diced
1/2 cup Ceasar salad dressing
8 oz noodles, cooked
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
Sauteed mushrooms, if desired
Shredded cheese

Cook chicken and garlic. Add cream of mushroom soup, Ceasar dressing and milk. Simmer until thickened. Steam broccoli until bright green. Cook noodles.

Layer ingredients in 9x13 pan -- Noodles, broccoli, chicken. Top with shredded cheese....as much as you want. Bake at 350 until cheese is melty. Yummies!!

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Mississippi Mud Cake

Mississippi Mud Cake

1 Cup Cooking Oil
1/3 Cup Cocoa
4 Eggs
1 ¾ Cups Sugar
1 ½ Cups Self-rising Flour
2 tsp Vanilla
2 Cups Chopped Nuts

Mix ingredients together and bake in an oblong cake pan at 300 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Cover with small marshmallows when removed from hot oven.

Icing:

1 ½ Sticks Oleo
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
1 Lb Powdered Sugar
1/3 Cup Cocoa
½ Cup Evaporated Milk
½ Cup Chopped Nuts

Mix all ingredients well. DO NOT COOK. Pour over cake while still warm

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Sausage and Apple Stuffing

Another recipe I found looking for something for Christmas dinner. This one sounds better. I think.

Sausage and Apple Stuffing

8 cups cubed white bread (about 16 slices)
1 pound pork sausage
1 large onion, diced
2 large apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
Preparation:Spread bread cubes on large cookie sheets; place in a 250° oven for 10 minutes, until dry. Remove from oven and set aside.
Brown sausage in a skillet; breaking up larger pieces. Cook until no longer pink, fully cooked. With a slotted spoon, remove sausage to a large bowl and combine with bread cubes.
Pour off all but 1 to 2 tablespoons of drippings from skillet. Add onions; sauté until tender. Stir in water and apples; heat to boiling. Pour over bread and sausage mixture; add salt; toss lightly until evenly moist.Makes enough to stuff a 10 to 12-pound turkey

Apple Pecan Stuffing

I am in charge of bringing stuffing for Christmas dinner. I've never made it before, so I was looking online for recipies. This sounds yummy!!

Apple Pecan Stuffing

1/4 cup melted butter
1 small onion, chopped, about 1/4 cup
1/2 cup chopped celery
8 slices soft white bread, torn into small pieces
1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chicken or turkey stock
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon dried sage leaves, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper


Preparation:Sauté chopped onion and celery in the butter. In a large bowl combine the onion mixture with the bread, apple and pecans. Beat together the chicken stock, egg, sage, salt and pepper; add to the bread mixture, mixing in gently. Place the mixture in a greased 2-quart casserole; cover with lid or foil and bake at 325° for 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover the last 5 minutes of baking time.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Holiday Party Mix

9 cups oven-toasted corn cereral squares
4 cups popped popcorn
1 1/2 cups dry-roasted peanuts
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 3/4 cups (10-oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House Holiday Shapes and Morsels**
1 pkg. (7.5 oz.) Nestle Flipz White Fudge-covered Pretzels

Prehat oven to 250 degrees F. Grease large roasting pan.
Mix cereal, popped popcorn and peanuts in large bowl. Pour into prepared pan.
Combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract and baking soda. Pour evenly over cereal mixture, sitr to coat evenly.
Bake for 45 minutes stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely in pan, stirring frequently to break apart mixture. Shir in Shape & Morsels and Flipz. Store in airtight container.

Makes about 5 quarts.

**If you can't find these use semi-sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips. At Christmas you can usually find some holiday shaped chips or colored white chocolate chips.

Ranch Oyster Crackers or Pretzels

12 to 16 oz. plain oyster crackers

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (buttermilk recipe)

¼ tsp. lemon pepper

½ to 1 tsp. dill weed

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¾ to 1 cup salad oil

Combine Ranch dressing mix and oil. Add dill weed, garlic powder and lemon pepper. Mix well. Pour over crackers. Stir to coat. Place in warm oven for 15 to 20 minutes. (Stir once in a while in over). Serve.

Also works well with pretzels.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Fruit Slushy Punch

Oh-so-yummy!!! This is my favorite-est punch!!!

Fruit Slushy Punch

4 Bananas
1 Can Frozen Orange Juice
1 Can Frozen Lemonade
1 Can Pineapple Juice
1 Pkg. Tropical Punch Kool-Aid (or Strawberry or Cherry...anything red)
1 Cup Sugar
3 1/2 Cups Water
1 Liter Ginger Ale or Sprite, Chilled


Partially thaw frozen juice. Blend bananas and 1 -2 cups of water. I usually add the Kool-Aid, too, because it's easier to mix up. Mix all ingredients together. Freeze about 24 hours (the bigger your container, the longer it takes to freeze....). About 15-20 minutes before serving, mix punch and Ginger Ale with a 1:1 ratio. Use a big spoon or something to mush the frozen stuff up. It should be really slushy and really yummy!!!

Friday, December 5, 2008

Hot Chocolate Mix

2 lb. box Nestle Quik
1 lb. box confectioner's sugar
11 oz. jar Coffee-mate
8 qt. box powdered milk (10 2/3 c.)
Mix all together and sift. Store in airtight container. Fill cup half full of mixture and add boiling water. Stir and enjoy.