Cheesy Potatoes Yum!

4 medium size russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into quarters (skin can be left on if desired)

1/4 cup margarine, melted

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (grated fine)

Place potatoes in glass baking dish. Pour margarine evenly over potatoes. Sprinkle cheese over potatoes. Bake 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until browned.

Hint: If you want to be even more lazy; substitute melted margarine with "squirt butter"! Can also sprinkle seasoning salt before baking.

Crock-pot Chocolate Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 box chocolate pudding mix

4 eggs

1 cup water

8 oz sour cream

3/4 cup cooking oil

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients and place in greased Crock-pot. Bake on low 6 hours or high 3-4 hours. Serve warm with ice cream.

Candy Covered Peanut Butter/Ritz Crackers

2 sleeves Ritz crackers

1 bar CandiQuik, either chocolate or vanilla

Creamy peanut butter

Make peanut butter sandwiches using two Ritz and a medium amount of peanut butter. Melt CandiQuik according to package directions. Dip the cracker/peanut butter sandwiches into the candy coating and cool on wax paper. Makes approximately 30. So easy you wonder why you only do it at Christmas!

Sausage Cheese muffins

1 pound sausage

1/2 jar Cheese Wiz or Salsa con Queso

1 package English muffins, split

Brown sausage over medium heat. Drain. Return to pan and stir in Cheese Wiz or for more zip; use salsa con queso. Heat over low until cheese is melted. Evenly divide and spread over english muffins. At this point, the muffins can be refrigerated or frozen. Heat in toaster oven or oven until crispy. Makes a great breakfast, snack or quick meal.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Casserole:

2 large cans sweet potatoes,drained and mashed

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup melted margarine

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix all ingredients and placed in a greased casserole dish.

1/2 c cup softened margarine

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

3/4 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup flour

Mix together with a fork until margarine is mixed in and topping is crumbly. Sprinkle on casserole. Bake 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

This can be made ahead and baked at a later time; also freezes well!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tiny Cream Cheese Biscuits

Easy! Three Ingredient Biscuits!

1 block (8oz) cream cheese, softened...do not substitute with fat free, but can use reduced fat

1 stick margarine, softened

1 cup self-rising flour

Cream together cream cheese and margarine with mixer. Stir in flour. Place by teaspoons into ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake 400 degrees 15-17 minutes until done. Yummy!

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

3 cups of chopped, cooked chicken (leftovers are fine!)

1 can cream of chicken soup

3 tablespoons margarine

1 box Uncle Bens Wild Rice with spices

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup cheddar cheese (optional)

salt, pepper, paprika to taste.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook rice according to package directions. Melt margarine in dutch oven and saute onion for 6-8 minutes on medium heat. Add chopped chicken and cook 5 minutes more. Remove from heat, add soup, milk and rice. Salt and pepper to taste. Place mixture in greased casserole dish and sprinkle paprika on top to taste. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for 20 minutes.

Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup Catalina or Russian salad dressing

1 cup orange marmalade

1 packet French Onion soup mix (the powdered stuff)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken breasts in casserole dish. Mix other ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake 20-25 minutes until done. Serve over rice.

Easy!!

Homemade Sloppy Joes

1 pound hamburger

1/4 green pepper, chopped finely

1/2 small onion, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 6oz can tomato paste

3/4 cup water

1 tomato chopped

2 tablespoon sweet BBQ sauce, your choice

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Brown hamburger, green pepper, onion and garlic until brown on medium/high heat. Drain. Mix next ingredients and heat on medium/high until boiling, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low and cook an additional 5 minutes, until thick. Serve with hamburger buns.

Crock Pot Candy

1 block almond bark/dark chocolate/milk chocolate, your choice

1 bag of semi sweet chocolate/peanut butter, etc chips, your choice

1 can nuts, your choice

2 tablespoons shortening

Break up almond bark in pieces. Mix all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low, approximately 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes until melted.

Drop by tablespoons on wax paper and cool.

Yummy!

Pimento Cheese Tomato Pie

Heaven in a pie shell!

1 frozen pie shell

2 medium tomatoes, sliced and drained on paper towels

1/4 cup chopped onion (optional)

8oz pimento cheese, either store-bought or homemade

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pie shell for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and layer tomatoes, onion and pimento cheese, twice, ending with pimento cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. MMMMMM!!!!

Hash Brown Pie

This is one I made up totally on my own and it came out great!

1 frozen pie shell

1 box Hungry Jack hash browns

Hot water

3/4 cup cheese, your choice (I used colby/jack since that is what I had, can use pepper jack for spice!)

2 tablespoons margarine, melted

1/2 c cup milk

1 egg, beaten

2 tablespoons onion, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Partially thaw pie crust by leaving on counter while mixing other ingredients. Rehydrate hash browns with hot water as directed on package and drain. Mix all ingredients together and place in 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until brown. Works as a breakfast or as a side dish.

Easy layered Cheese dip

1 block of cream cheese

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 green onion, minced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Cream together cream cheese and garlic powder. Place in small, shallow bowl. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Layer green onion then chopped tomato on top. Serve with crackers.

This can be adapted easily for your tastes.

Given to me by my mom!

Chicken Noodle Casserole

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup egg noodles, uncooked

1 box Stove Top stuffing

1/4 cup margarine, melted

1/3 cup water

salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder to taste

Mix chicken, soup, sour cream, noodles in large bowl. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder to taste. Place in small casserole pan, sprayed with nonstick spray. Mix melted margarine and water in separate bowl. Add Stove Top and toss to coat. Place on top of chicken mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

These are the EASIEST peanut butter cookies EVER! I am planning on making these with my boys tonight.

Makes 2 dozen

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

Mix ingredients until combined. Roll into 1 inch balls and flatten with a fork. Placed on greased cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven.

That's it!

Macaroni and Cheese Cupcakes

This is a recipe I totally came up with on my own! It turned out well and I only had to tweak it slightly. Here is the new and improved recipe!

Macaroni and Cheese "Cupcakes"

Makes 12 individual portions

1 cup elbow macaroni

1- 1 1/2 cup of grated cheese of your choice (I use whatever is in the fridge; usually cheddar, colby, mozzarella, parmesan, sometimes monterey jack)

3 tablespoon margarine, divided

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

Boil macaroni in 2 quarts water until, following directions on package. Drain. Melt 1 tablespoon margarine in pan over medium heat, add flour. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes, or until it starts to thicken, like a gravy. Remove from heat, add cheeses and stir until melted. Mix with cooked noodles.

Divide macaroni equally into cupcake tin, lined with foil papers. Melt remaining margarine and mix with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture on top.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until browned.

Enjoy!

Spoon Bread

AKA "Pone bread" "Drop bread"

3 cups Bisquick or other baking mix

2 cups milk

1/4 margarine, melted.

Place 1/2 of the melted margarine in a round cake pan. Mix Bisquick and milk until blended. There may be lumps in the batter. Drop by large spoonfuls into the pan on top of the margarine, having the drops touching. Pour the rest of the margarine on top and bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-17 minutes.

Hot Dogs in "the Sauce"

Another good one from my mother!

Hot Dogs in "the Sauce"

2 packages of hot dogs cut into bite size pieces

1 jar currant jelly (sometimes hard to find, but Smuckers makes it)

1/3 cup mustard

Place jelly and mustard into large saucepan and cook on medium heat until melted, stirring often. Place hotdogs into mixture, cover and cook on low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let mixture sit for 10 minutes before serving.

This recipe can be adapted..if you want a more spicy sauce, add more mustard. If you want a sweeter sauce, reduce the mustard.

This recipe also reheats well, is easily doubled and freezes well.

Baked chicken and rice

Sorry! I'm slack already! But here is one of my mom's recipes for baked chicken and rice. Carbo Load!

Baked Chicken and Rice (serves 3)

6 pieces of chicken (thighs and legs work well)

3 cups instant rice

2 chicken bullion cubes (crushed)

3 cups water

margarine, salt, pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425. Place rice, water and bullion in a greased casserole pan. Place chicken on top and season with margarine, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and bake one hour, remove foil and bake 15 minutes more. May also place oven on broil for a minute or two to further brown chicken and rice. Enjoy!

First post!

Sitting here at home, just went from 3 boys, down to one. My youngest and a friend were here then left and went to his house for a sleepover.

Tonight's supper is lasagna cupcakes, a new recipe and garlic bread nuggets. The cupcakes need some tweaking, so when that is done, I'll post it. The garlic bread nuggets are a hit so I'll pass that one to you!

Garlic Bread Nuggets

1 loaf of refrigerator french bread (I used Pillsbury)

1/4 cup margarine, melted

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Dried parsley flakes (optional)

Slice bread into 14 slices and then slice in half again, to make a bread nugget. You will have 28 total. Melt margarine in a large bowl, add garlic powder. Toss "nuggets" into melted margarine mixture. Place in a round cake pan, Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley flakes if so desired. Separate or place on plate and pull apart. Yummy!