Hoppin' John Risotto

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 1 (15.5 ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 (32 ounce) box PLUS 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth, warmed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Garnish: chopped fresh parsley and bacon crumbles


In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until tender. 
Stir in rice. Cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Stir in wine, cook until wine is absorbed, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat to medium low and stir in black-eyed peas.
Add 1 cup warm chicken broth; cook, stirring constantly, until liquid is absorbed.
Repeat procedure with remaining chicken broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing liquid to be absorbed after each addition, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, and stir in salt, crushed red pepper, and bacon.
Serve immediately.
Garnish with fresh parsley and bacon crumbles.

Philly Brownie Cheesecake

A family favorite!

Ingredients:

• 1 package (19 to 21 oz.) brownie mix (9 x 13 pan size)
• 4 bricks (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3 eggs
• 2 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate (I just use chocolate chips. :)

Preheat oven to 325. Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Prepare brownie batter as directed on package; pour into prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until the top of brownie is shiny and center is almost set.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each egg just until blended. Gently pour over brownie layer in pan. (Filling will come almost to top of pan.)

Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set. (I usually have to bake it longer.) Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen side of dessert from pan; cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Melt chocolate as directed on package; drizzle over cheesecake. Refrigerate 15 minutes, or until chocolate is firm.

Store in refrigerator.

Cheesy Chicken Bites

Another yummy recipe from my sister, Mary.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter, softened
• 1 large can of chicken
• 1-8oz jar of Old English Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons of Mayo
• 1 package English Muffins

Mix ingredients and spread on English muffins.

Cut into 1/4's.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Swedish No-Names

Dough Ingredients:

• 1 pound butter
• 4 cups flour
• 1 pound cottage cheese (small curd)

Mix well and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

• Pinch off a ball and roll out like pie crust.
• Spread with melted butter
• Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts
• Cut into wedges and roll up (wide end toward point)
• Put on foil-lined cookie sheet
• Bake at 375 for approximately 20 minutes. Watch closely!

Frosting:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar

Boil these 2 ingredients for one minute.
Add 2/3-3/4 stick butter.
Cool for 5 minutes.
Beat in 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Put 1 pound powdered sugar in bowl and gradually stir liquid into sugar. Add more powdered sugar if it's too thin.
Spread on cookies.

Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bring ingredients to a boil then simmer until tender. DON'T DRAIN THE WATER!

In a separate saucepan, mix:

• 1/4 cup butter, melted 
• 1/4 cup flour

Heat and stir til blended. Add 2 cups of milk. Heat and stir until thickens.

Add to cooked veggies.

Add:

• 1 jar of real bacon bits 
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

Heat thoroughly. Add milk if it gets too thick.

Johnny Nasset Casserole

It's what's for dinner!  The non-casserole from my Aunt Marilyn.

Ingredients:

• 1 - 12oz. package egg noodles
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 1/2 cups stuffed green olives, sliced 
• 1 1/2 cups canned sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 clove garlic, minced 
• 4 cans tomato soup 
• 3 - 8oz cans tomato sauce 
• 1 - 6oz can tomato paste 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 cup grated cheddar

Preparation:

• Cook noodles til tender and drain
• Saute onion, celery, and green pepper in oil
• Add olives and mushrooms
• Stir until heated
• Saute ground beef with garlic til lightly browned
• Add soup, tomato sauce, and tomato paste
• Stir everything into noodles
• Put into casserole dish
• Top with cheese

Cooking

• Bake at 350 for 45 - 60 minutes

Artichoke Chicken

Yes, another chicken recipe. This one from Mandy Sikkema, the mom of a student I had when I student taught at Dorr Elementary.

Ingredients:

• 1 - 14oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup mayo
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts trimmed

Preparation:

• Combine artichoke, cheese, mayo, and garlic powder
• Spray a baking dish with cooking spray
• Place chick in dish
• Spread mixture on top

Cooking:

• Bake, uncovered, at 375 for 30 - 35 minutes

Creamy Taco Soup

We did a potluck and recipe exchange at Dorr Elementary when I was student teaching and this is the soup that Julie Phillips, the teacher I student taught with, brought to share. It's a great soup for a Mexican theme!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans Fiesta Nacho Cheese soup
• 2 cans Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic soup
• 2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
• 2 cans Cream of Celery soup
• 1 jar of salsa
• 2 cans green chiles
• 1 large can chicken broth
• 4 large chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• Fritos
• Sour Cream

Preparation:

• Brown cubed chicken breasts and onion in butter in soup pot. 
• Add canned ingredients 
• Slow cook
• Serve with Fritos and sour cream

Chicken Noodle Soup

My sister gave us this quick, easy chicken noodle soup recipe. It's a great "cheater" version of homemade soup.

Ingredients:

• 2 large cans of chicken
• 2 large cans of chicken broth (appx. 8 cups)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup sour cream (optional)
• 1 package Kluski dumpling noodles

Preparation:

• Heat broth to a boil
• Add noodles and cook at a low boil
• When noodles are almost tender, add cream of chicken soup
• Add chicken
• Stir well to blend
• Turn heat off and add sour cream, if desired

(If soup gets too thick, add a small can of chicken broth.)

Broccoli Salad

This recipe from my sister, Mary, makes eating fresh broccoli a bit easier to swallow!

Ingredients:

• 1 fresh head of broccoli, cleaned and cut into small pieces
• 1 cup Hellman's mayo
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 jar bacon bits
• 1 package dried red sweet cherries
• Sunflower seeds to sprinkle in

Preparation:

• Place broccoli in large bowl
• Mix mayo and sugar
• Pour over broccoli and toss
• Toss the rest of the ingredients with the broccoli
• Chill

(I didn't have measurements for the ingredients that you add to the broccoli and mayo/sugar mixture. Just add more of what you like and less of what you don't.)

Pecan Pie Bars

Like pecan pie? Try these from the 2005 Taste of Home Annual Recipes cookbook.

Crust ingredients:

• 6 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups cold butter

 Filling ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 cups light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
• 5 cups chopped pecans

Crust preparation:

• In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt
• Cut in butter until crumbly
• Press into the bottom and up the sides of 2 greased 15 x 10 x 1 baking pans
• Bake at 350 for 18-22 minutes until edges are brown and bottom sets

 Filling preparation:

• Combine eggs, sugar, corn syrup, butter, and vanilla in large bowl and mix well
• Stir in pecans
• Pour over crust
• Bake 25-30 minutes until edges are firm and center is almost set
• Cool on wire racks and cut into bars
• Refrigerate until serving

Yield: 6-8 dozen

Chicken Bundles

Ingredients:

• 1 - 8oz. cream cheese, softened
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
• 2 tablespoons minced chives
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper
• 4 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 2 - 8oz tubes crescent rolls
• 1 cup crushed seasoned bread crumbs 

(I omit 2 tablespoons of butter and the bread crumbs.)

Preparation:

• In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of butter, chives, milk, salt and pepper until smooth
• Stir in chicken
• Unroll crescent rolls and separate into 8 rectangles; press perforations together
• Spoon about a 1/2 cup of chicken mixture onto the center of each rectangle
• Bring edges up to the center and pinch to seal
• Brush with remaining butter
• Sprinkle with bread crumbs, lightly pressing down
• Transfer to 2 ungreased baking sheets

Baking:

• Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown

Freezing instructions:

• Freeze unbaked bundles on cookie sheet until firm
• Transfer to covered container (I think I'd wrap individually!)
• Freeze up to two months
• Thaw in refrigerator
• Bake as directed

Chicken Chimichangas with Green Sauce

I found this recipe by Bobbi W. at allrecipes.com. They're no Beltline Bar Chimi, but they are good!

Ingredients:

• 2 - 10.5 ounce cans cream of chicken soup (I used 3 cans to have plenty of sauce!)
• 2 - 4oz. cans diced green chiles
• 5 pitted green olives
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 - 8oz. brick of cream cheese
• 1 - 8oz. package shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 - 1oz. package taco seasoning
• 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken meat
• 8 - 10" flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 - 8oz. package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chopped green onion
• 1 - 8oz. sour cream

Preparation:

• Pour the cream of chicken soup into a blender along with the green chiles, olives, jalapeno, and lime juice. Puree until smooth then pour into saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat while proceeding with the recipe.
• In a large bowl, stir together the cream cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and taco seasoning until well blended. Fold in the chicken. Evenly divide mixture among the 8 tortillas. Fold each tortilla into a rectangular packet around the filling.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over midium-high heat. Fry 4 chimis at a time until golden brown. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
• To serve, place a chimi on a plate, and ladle the warm sauce over top. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and green onions. Finish with a dollop of sour cream.

Yield: 8 chimis

Blue Cheese Garlic Dip

Lynn Velthouse will be glad I finally put this recipe in a safe place where I can't lose it anymore.

• 1 quart real mayo
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 - 8oz blue cheese
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

Mix together and chill. Serve with crackers.

Peanut Butter Hot Fudge Sundae Pie

Kudos to Kelley Pawloski for sharing this one! Warning....it is rich!

Peanut Butter Crust:

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 2 cups Rice Krispies
• 1/2 cup Smuckers Chocolate Fudge Topping 

Peanut Butter Filling:

• 1 - 8oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 - 14oz. Eagle Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups whipped topping

Preparation:

• Coat 9" pie plate with Pam
• Stir together
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup

•  Add cereal
• Mix until evenly coated
• Press into bottom and up sides of pie plate
• Spread with 1/2 cup chocolate fudge topping

• Beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy
• Gradually beat in milk and 3/4 cup peanut butter until smooth
• Stir in vanilla
• Fold in whipped topping
• Pour into crust
• Freeze for 4 hours
• Drizzle with hot fudge

Cut and enjoy!

Cheese Broccoli Soup

This recipe is from Dave's Aunt Barbara. It is delicious!

Ingredients:

• 49.5 oz. can chicken broth
• 1 head broccoli
• 2 cups celery
• 2 onions
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 - 16 oz. AND 1 - 8oz. jars Cheez Whiz 
• 1 cup milk + 1/2 cup flour mixed for thickener
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

• Saute celery and onion in large soup pot
• Add chicken broth and boil
• Reduce to simmer and add carrots, potatoes, broccoli, salt, and pepper
• Add thickener when veggies are cooked
• Add Cheez Whiz last
• Heat and enjoy!

Tennessee Pride Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of sausage (hot and/or mild)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1-8oz. chip dip
• 1 cup onion
• 1/4 cup green pepper
• 1/4 cup red pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1-30 oz. frozen hash browns, thawed (cubed or shredded)

 Preparation:

• Brown sausage and drain well
• Combine cheese, chicken soup, sour cream, chip dip, onion, peppers, salt and pepper
• Fold in hash browns
• Mix well
• Place in 9 x 13 pan

Baking:
Bake at 350 for one hour or until golden brown.

Tips:
Sometimes I start browning my sausage then add the onions and peppers so they begin cooking and aren't crunchy in the casserole. Depends on your taste! 

Apple Dumplings

Ingredients for pastry:

• 2 cups Crisco
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Ingredients for filling:

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar PER APPLE
• 1 pinch of cinnamon PER APPLE
• 1/4 tablespoon butter PER APPLE

Ingredients for sauce:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preparation:

• Mix pastry ingredients
• Cut with fork until no longer sticky
• Divide dough into 10 balls
• Roll each ball into a crust large enough to completely cover each apple (6-8")
• Peel and core apples
• Place an apple in the center of each pastry
• In the center of each apple, put brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter
• Wrap pastry around apple and press closed at the top
• Place in shallow baking dish
• Combine sauce ingredients
• Cook gently for 3 minutes over medium heat
• Pour over dumplings

Baking:

• Bake at 475 for 5-7 minutes
• Reduce heat to 350 and bake 25-35 longer
• Serve warm with ice cream

Yield: 10 dumplings

Cracker Jack Cookies

This is an old recipe from my sister's mother-in-law, Helen Fischer. This "cottage cookie" was always the cookie they had when they went to their cottage.

Cracker Jack Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 sticks of butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (scant) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 cups Rice Krispies
• 2 cups quick cooking oats
• 1 cup coconut
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation:

•  Mix white sugar, brown sugar and butter until smooth
• Add eggs and vanilla; mix until smooth
• Add  flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; mix until smooth
• Stir in Rice Krispies, oatmeal, coconut, and nuts; mix until blended
• Drop by teaspoonfuls on lightly greased cookie sheets (parchment paper works great!)

Baking:

• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until lightly browned
• Remove from oven and let set for 5 minutes
• Remove cookies to cooling racks to cool

Yield: 48-50 cookies