Some of my family favorites....

As I end this blog I wanted to post some of my absolute favorite recipes I remember from my childhood. Some of these recipes are not only recipes, but memories with my mother as well! Without her strong cooking skills I remember while growing up I may never have decided to cook in the first place. I love it just as much as she did and I hope my children will have some fond memories of dinners to come in the future!
Enjoy these favorite Waughop family recipes!!!

* This first recipe was always made by my request on my birthday when it fell during the weekdays. It was one of my absolute favorites... not the healthiest dish but quite delicious!

Hamburger Stroganoff

• 1 lb hamburger browned with 1 small onion and 1 clove garlic
• 1 small can mushrooms
• 1 small can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can of cream of celery soup
• 1/4 cup margerine
• 1 cup sour cream

Add hamburger to the other ingredients and simmer at a low temperature for 30 minutes. Serve over egg noodles!

* This next recipe is one of my favorite comfort foods on a cool evening.
Tuna Noodle Casserole

• Prepare egg noodles ahead

Mix with:

• 1 large can of mushrooms
• 1 large can of tuna fish
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup

Place ingredients in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with crumbled Lays potato chips. Bake at 350 degress for no longer than 45 minutes.

*A Fun quick family dish for summer nights or just because!
Hamburger Bar-B-Ques

• 1 lb hambruger
• 1 - 12 oz. can corned beef
• 1 onion
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1 1/2 tsp. chilli powder
• 1 TBSP. Worchestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup brown surgar
• salt and pepper to taste

Brown hamburger and onion. Drain completely. Add remaining ingredients and cook until hot. Serve with hamburger buns!

* This is a favorite from childhood but also from my in-laws family dinners as well!
Scalloped Pineapple

• Mix together:
• 3/4 stick melted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 beaten eggs
• Add:
• 2 cups soft bread crumbs
• 20 oz. can crushed pineabpple

Put in an ungreased casserole dish. Bake 350 degrees for at least 45 minutes.

*This was a dish Mom and I made a Christmastime. A little healthier than most Christmas desserts and the most colorful of them all!!! :)
Jello Dessert

• Red, Green, Yellow, and Oragne small boxes of Jell-O
• 1/2 gallon of vanilla ice cream

Divide ice cream into quarters. Dissolve the first colored Jello in 1 cup water. Add ice cream. Pour into a 9x13 pan and repeat with other layers once one layer has hardened.

A Fall Soup in Five minutes!

My mother-in-law who is an exceptional cook gave me a recipe for Tortellini soup last year and it has become a favorite dish for us especially around fall. I love this recipe because it doesn't take anymore than 5 minutes to prep. Then when you come home it smells delicious! You can make it on the stove top or the crock pot as we do!

Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

• Frozen Cheese filled tortellini 12-14 oz (cook ahead or add 10 minutes at end)
• 5 cans minestrone soup (undiluted)
• 1-2 cans of dived tomatoes
• 2 lbs of browned/drained sausage (can substitute ground beef)
• 4 tsp. chicken bullion
• 2 1/2 cups water

Simmer together until warm!

Another fall soup

I made this recipe for my dad and stepmom on a cold fall afternoon. We served it with salad and it was quite delicious and didn't take more than 20 minutes to put together! It is a great meatless option if you decide to go that route!

 

 Pasta e Fagioli Soup

• Yield: Serves 6
• Cook time:30 Minutes
• Prep time:10 Minutes

• Cost Per Serving:$1.42

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup small pasta such as shells or elbows

Preparation

1. Warm oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrots and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute longer. Stir in beans, tomatoes, broth and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pasta and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente, 10 to 12 minutes longer. Season again with salt and pepper. Thin with more broth if desired.
3. Let cool, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. To pack, rewarm over medium-low heat, stirring often, and ladle into a

Pumpkin Puppy Chow!!

Yep that's right! Puppy chow has never been more delicious for the fall season! I had to try this recipe but can only make it for so long because the main pumpkin ingrediant is only a seasonal item for a limited time only.

PUMPKIN PUPPY CHOW

• 
• 9 cups rice chex cereal
• 1 bag of pumpkin Hershey Kisses
• 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.

 

First, prep your powdered sugar and cereal. Second, using a double broiler method, melt your Hershey Kisses, stirring constantly. The kisses will reach a nice creamy consistency. (you can also melt them in the microwave 20 seconds at a time until melted).

Third, pour your melted kisses over your cereal in a bowl and mix and stir. Once you feel your chex are covered, dump into a bag with your powdered sugar and shake.

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Crockpot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

Serves 12 ( one cup each)

16 oz. dry spaghetti, cooked
1 lb. Velveeta Light (2%)Cheese
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken (I use white meat only)
1 can 98% FF cream of mushroom soup
1 can 98% FF cream of chicken soup
1 can of petite diced tomotoes
1 4oz. can of mild green chilies
4 oz can mushroom stems & pieces, drained
1/2 cup water
1 small onion, diced--or less, to taste
salt & pepper to taste

Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in slowcooker and stir to mix well. Cook on LOW for 2-3 hours. Stir before serving

Easy Sides for the Week!

Sundays have become a food prep day where I try to prep as much of the week as I can. This week I wanted to make some side dishes to pull out with our meals. So here are the two that were HUGE hits in our house and will be made again soon!

Easy Pea Salad

• 4 cups frozen peas, thawed 
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
• 8 strips of applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 shallots, minced fine
• 2 1/2 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tbsp mayo
• 1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl and serve.

Ambrosia Salad

1 cup light sour cream OR yogurt
1 cup mini marshmallows (plain or multi-colored)
1 250 gram bag of shredded unsweetened or sweetened organic coconut
1 can of mandarin oranges
1 can of diced pineapple
(maraschino cherries to garnish)- I added the whole jar for some extra color! YUM!

Mix the yogurt and mini marshmallows together in a large mixing bowl.  Add the mandarin oranges and diced pineapple slowly, stirring them in well.  Don’t be alarmed if the mandarin oranges start to break up a little; the flecks of orange against the creaminess of the sour cream or yogurt looks very pretty. Fold in the shredded coconut, and combine gently. Pour into a large crystal serving bowl, or individual glass dishes.  Chill  in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.  Just prior to serving, garnish with maraschino cherries.  Refrigerate unused portions immediately and use within three days.

Tiny Sandwiches... Big Flavor!

Chad and I tried this delicious dish for a quick meal at home. It reminded us of the ham and cheese foil sandwiches our families often have at gatherings, but this was a little quicker and just as tasty! We decided the sweet bread adds a little flavor that we both loved! Hope you enjoy these delicious treats!

'Hawaiian Baked Ham and Swiss Sandwiches'

Ingredients

1 12 pack of King's Hawaiian Original Rolls

1 lb. deli ham, shaved

1 lb. Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

1 1/2 sticks butter

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

3 teaspoons of poppy seeds 

1 onion, chopped

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350. Melt butter and mix in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion and poppy seed. Simmer for several minutes.

2. Cut the entire pack of rolls in half, horizontally (keeping all top and bottom halves in tact).

3. In a greased 9x13 pan, place bottom half of rolls and spread 1/3 of the onion mixture over the bottom of the rolls followed by the ham and cheese.

4. Replace the tops of the rolls and spread the remaining onion mixture over top. 

5. Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes and, once finished, separate for serving



A Classic Comfort Food in the Crock-Pot!

I think I am becoming a crock-pot junkie! I have been using my crock-pot for the past few weeks on almost 80% of my dinners! I love the convenience of it I guess. All you have to do is combine ingredients and then wait for dinner - how nice when you are trying to pull of being a great stay-at-home mom as well as completing your master's degree!!! This Crock-Pot dish is a classic dish that just hit the spot for Chad and I last night. I made Cornbread Muffins to go with it and it was absolutely delicious!

Creamy Chicken & Noodles!

It's Just THIS SIMPLE....
Combine 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2-10.75 cans of cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup of butter (sliced) and 42 oz. of chicken broth in your crock pot. Cover & cook on low for 8 hours. Add bag of egg noodles. cook for 1 more hour

A "Slim"-Side of Hashbrown Potatoe Casserole

One of my favorite potluck dishes is always a potatoe casserole. However the cream and fat is rediculous in this original dish. Thank goodness people post healthier versions of recipes on Pinterest! We made this casserole to accompany plain grilled chicken breasts the other night and it will become a quick casserole I can go to for a variety of dishes! ENJOY!

SLIM POTATO CASSEROLE:

INGREDIENTS:
1 (32oz) bag frozen SHREDDED Hash Browns
1 1/2 cups plain Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1/2 cup Milk
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Season All Salt
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1 cup Shredded Cheese (of your choice)
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
PreHeat Oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl.  Grease a 9 X 13 glass or ceramic (no metal!) baking pan with cooking spray.  Pour potato mixture into baking pan and spread evenly.  Bake uncovered for 55 min.

*I have never encountered this, but if you are worried about the yogurt curdling, try mixing in 1.5 Tbs of flour to the potato mixture before pouring into the baking pan*

Southern Style Roast Beef Sliders

Chad and I needed a quick meal this week because we are in the process of buying our mini-van! This dish went into the crockpot at 9:00AM and was delicious at 4:30PM! I accompanied this delicious dish with a side of oven-baked potatoes (YUM)! This will be a crockpot meal I will make again - especially when entertaining for family and friends!

Recipe: Three Envelope Picante Roast

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 5 min |Inactive time: 8 hours |

Yield: About 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 pound beef chuck roast (or other braising roast)
• 1 cup of water
• One envelope of dry onion soup mix
• One envelope of dry Italian dressing mix
• One envelope of dry brown gravy mix
• 1 (8 ounce) jar of Pace Original Mild Picante Sauce

Instructions

Whisk together the water with ingredients from all 3 of the envelopes. Pour about 1/4 cup of the liquid on the bottom of the crockpot, place the roast on top. Don't be tempted to season the roast. There is plenty of salt and other seasonings in these envelopes.

Pour the remaining liquid mixture all over the top and all around the roast. Pour the jar of picante sauce on top of the roast, cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high 4 to 5 hours.

To thicken gravy, remove the roast and tent with foil to keep warm. Carefully transfer the contents of the crockpot to a saucepan and stir in a slurry of one tablespoon of cornstarch with just enough water to loosen. Stir into the sauce, bring up to a boil, reduce and simmer until thickened.

~Cook's Notes~

To Make Sliders: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter the insides of dinner rolls and toast, butter side down, on a baking sheet in the oven just until warmed through and browned on the bottoms. Meanwhile in a skillet, caramelize a sliced onion in a tablespoon of canola oil and one tablespoon of butter. While onions are browning, use the lowest setting on the microwave to gently warm the leftover beef, just enough to take the chill off. Use a fork to shred the meat. Place a scoop of beef on the bottom half of dinner rolls, then top with caramelized onion, and some finely shredded Swiss cheese. If you like, stack all the sliders back on the baking sheet and cover the whole pan tightly with aluminum foil. Return to the oven just long enough to melt the cheese. Stack the sliders on a platter and serve with condiments at the table or with a nice sauce like a Sour Cream Horseradish Sauce.

Note: Can use any appropriate braising beef roast including eye or bottom round steak (not top round), rump, shoulder, arm or blade pot roast.

Variation: The traditional 3 envelope roast uses a brown gravy mix, Ranch dressing mix and Italian dressing mix and does not use picante sauce. Can also substitute salsa for the picante if you prefer, or simply omit it.

A Productive Day in my Kitchen!

Yesterday I was determined to be productive in my kitchen not only with cooking but cleaning as well. It was time for my deep-cleaning of the kitchen! I took everything off of the shelves, counter, island, etc and scrubbed it all down. After cleaning I decided to make dinner in the crockpot and make a  treat for the week as well. Here are the results!

For Dinnner.....

Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken Crock-Pot Style



1 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup light soy sauce
 2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins.

Cook on low 6-8 hrs and they should just fall apart.

For a treat...

No Bake Trail Mix Granola Bars

Makes: 12-16 servings (or 24, depending on how large you want them)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup crisp rice cereal (I used a chocolate version)
• 1/3 cup dried cherries
• 1/3 cup mini m&ms
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 2/3 cup honey
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Pour the oats, cereal, cherries, m&ms, chocolate chips, and sunflower seeds into a large bowl and mix together.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, mix the honey and peanut butter. Heat for 30-45 seconds until the honey is warm and you can easily mix the peanut butter into the honey. Stir in the vanilla.
3. Pour the honey and peanut butter mixture into the dry ingredients and mix together, using your hands to get to the bottom of the bowl.
4. Dump the granola bar mix into a greased 9×13 baking dish. With greased hands or a piece of parchment paper, press the mix into an even layer in the dish, using as much pressure as you can while keeping it as even as possible in the baking dish.
5. Cover the dish and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cutting and serving.

Crock-pot Applesauce

As a child I also didn't like to eat applesauce - another "un-American" attribute I had. However I did manage to eat it because I knew it was something most "normal" children enjoyed. I decided to try homemade applesauce because I grew to like applesauce because of Chad's Grandma Knapp's homemade applesauce. Here is a recipe that Chad and I made together. Because of my tendinitis in my left hand peeling and chopping apples was difficult so we made it a joint effort! This is a recipe I will definately make for my children so they can enjoy freshly made applesauce. It also makes your kitchen smell WONDERFUL!

Crock Pot Applesauce

adapted from skinnytaste.com

 

Servings: 12 • Size: 1/4 cup • Old Points: 1 pts • Points+: 1 pts
Calories: 65.9 • Fat: 0.2 g • Protein: 0.2 g • Carb: 17.5 g • Fiber: 2.8 g • Sugar: 12
Sodium: 0.6 mg

Ingredients:

8 medium apples (Use a combination of Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Fuji, Gala, etc.) (I filled the crockpot, using about 20 small apples)

 

1 strips of lemon peel - use a vegetable peeler

 

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

3 inch cinnamon stick

5 tsp light brown sugar (unpacked) - or agave

1.  Peel, core and chop the apples.

2.  Add the sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice and cinnamon stick.

3.  Set crock pot to low and cook for 6 hours. Stir apples occasionally, apples will slowly become a delicious applesauce. Remove cinnamon stick and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth or if you prefer a chunky sauce, leave sauce intact. (I used a whisk, which gave the sauce a nice chunky consistency.)

4.  Can and process as you would other recipes or keep refrigerated up to 3 weeks.

A Quick Crock-Pot Recipe

This crock-pot meal has become a favorite in our household for a quick meal for the evening! It only uses 3 ingredients!! The recipe uses either porkchops or chicken (We have tried both). The chicken will literally fall apart. We have served this dish over rice and mashed potatoes - both were delicious!
Ready for the details?

 

Uh, yeah.  You heard right.  Only THREE ingredients.  I wasn’t joking.

• Pork Chops or Chicken Breasts
• Ranch Seasoning Dry Mix Packet
• 1 can Cream of Chicken plus 1 can water as needed {or 2 cans cream of chicken}  This will depend on how fast your crockpot cooks and how long you’ll be cooking it.

Ready for the hard part?  {I’m so funny.  I know.} Combine all three ingredients in the crockpot and mix well.   Yup.  That’s it.

A Simple Dish Turns Sophisticated!

As a child I always hated grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup . I know.... so "un-American" of me right?! I don't know what it was about the sandwich but it totlly grossed me out I liked bread, cheese, and butter all seperate - but together it was just not appealing I guess. Years later I love tomato soup but grilled cheese is still out of the question. However I stumbled upon this recipe and thought this just might be my ticket to liking a grilled cheese sandwich and it definately was!!!! YUM! I would recommend this recipe for a quick and easy meal for the family!

Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese

Makes 2 sandwiches

What You Need :Fresh spinach – enough for about 3 cups chopped
Canned artichoke hearts – about 3 (around 6 ounces)
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese (we used a blend of mozzarella, Monterrey jack and provolone)
4 pieces bread
Kosher salt
Butter or more olive oil)

What To Do

1  Dice the 2 cloves garlic. Chop the artichokes. Wash and stem the spinach, then chop it coarsely.

2  Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Then add the spinach and a pinch of kosher salt, and saute for a few minutes until just limp. Add the artichokes and saute for another minute or so, until heated through. Drain off any liquid from the pan. Stir in 2 tablespoons sour cream and another pinch of kosher salt.

4  Spread butter (or olive oil) on one side of each of the 4 bread pieces. Heat a griddle pan to medium high heat. Place 2 pieces of bread on the griddle, buttered side down. On each piece, spread some shredded cheese, the spinach artichoke filling, some more cheese (1/2 cup cheese per sandwich), and the other piece of bread. When the bottom bread is browned, flip the sandwich and cook until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.

Nothing like a Delicious Side Dish and Dessert!

Tonight was our 3rd anniversary! I decided to surprise Chad with one of his favorite meats that we never have (at least only once in a blue moon) ----- STEAK! I decided steak on the grill would be just the ticket. However I had to make a fabulous side dish and fabulous dessert to go with it. I had fresh green beans and mushrooms from the store, as well as fresh peaches! The results were delicious and will be repeated!So here is what I found thanks to Pinterest!

Roasted Green Beans with Mushrooms, Balsamic, and Parmesan(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

Ingredients:
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced in 1/2 inch slices (I used brown crimini mushrooms, but any mushrooms will work)
1 lb. fresh green beans, preferably thin French style beans
1 1/2 T olive oil
1 T balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 T finely grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Wash mushrooms and let drain (or spin dry in salad spinner, which is what I did.) While mushrooms are drying, trim ends of beans and cut beans in half so you have bite-sized pieces. (An easy way to trim them is to gather a small handful of beans, stand them up on cutting board, holding loosely so they will fall down and have ends ends aligned, then trim. Repeat with other end.) Cut mushrooms into slices 1/2 inch thick.

Put cut beans and mushrooms into a Ziploc bag or plastic bowl. Whisk together olive oil and balsamic vinegar and pour over, then squeeze bag or stir so all the beans and mushrooms are lightly coated with the mixture. Arrange on large cookie sheet, spreading them out well so beans and mushrooms are not crowded. Roast 20-30 minutes, starting to check for doneness after 20 minutes. Cook until beans are tender-crisp, mushrooms are cooked, and all liquid on the pan from mushrooms has evaporated. Season beans to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper, then sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan. Serve hot.

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Miss Jean’s Peach Cobbler

4 cups fresh peaches sliced* or 29 ounce can sliced peaches in heavy syrup
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour**
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter, melted
In a 9×13 inch dish pour melted butter. Mix flour, milk, and sugar to make a smooth batter. Pour batter over melted butter. Put fruit on top, syrup and all. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. Let set 10 minutes before serving. Serves about 10.

* if using fresh fruit, add extra sugar to the fruit, about 1/2 cup
** if using plain flour, add: 2 tsp. baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt to the flour.

Italiano tonight!!

This week Chad and I will celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary! It's been such a wonderful 3 years and I wanted to do something special for him but my budget is $0.00 now that I am a stay-at-home mom. So I thought why not cook him delicious new recipes all week so he has a hot meal to come home to. However I wanted to not just have a hot meal here... I want the meals to be AMAZING and have that WOW factor. I began the week with this wonderful dish of Summertime Spaghetti! This is definately a recipe that I will have to repeat - not only in the summer but all seasons as well. It takes a little prep time but it's definately worth the wait!

Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy with Herbs and Lemon Marinated Chicken and Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients:
500 grams spaghetti pasta (cooked al dente)
1 pound chicken breast fillets (sliced into 1 inch chunks)

For the chicken marinade:
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped (if using dried, use half of the amount)
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of ½ a lemon
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt (not table salt)
½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to sauté the marinated chicken)
-  Add all the marinade ingredients into the chicken and marinade for 20 minutes (if making this dish in pronto) or over night (if making this dish the next day… much better).
-  Saute the marinated chicken in extra virgin olive oil until cooked (about 4-5 minutes) then set aside.

For the garlic gravy:
½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups chicken stock
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup parsley, chopped (to sprinkle/finish the pasta)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups whole cherry tomatoes
-  Place sauté pan over medium heat and add butter and olive oil.
-  Saute garlic until fragrant and soft.
-  Add the flour and cook for a minute.
-  Add chicken stock and simmer gravy until thickened then add the chopped basil.
-  Season with salt and pepper.
-  Add the sauteed chicken in the gravy then toss the cooked spaghetti into this  sauce.
-  Add the cherry tomatoes and finish the dish with the chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese (serve extra on the side).
Makes 5-6 servings

Breakfast in the Crockpot

When I saw this recipe I thought it would be nice to have a ready-made breakfast on a Saturday morning but instead made it for dinner the night before because I couldn't wait. It was so simple and quick. This breakfast casserole has everything you need in it so no side dishes are necessary. We had it with a littl fresh fruit on the side. It reheats nicely the next day so you can enjoy it again!
* I substituted turkey sausage crumbles in place of the regular ones to make it more of a healthy meal!

Slow Cooker Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (26 ounces) frozen shredding hash brown potatoes
  1 pkg. Jimmy Dean® Hearty Original Sausage Crumbles
  1 cup (4 ounces) shredding mozzarella cheese
  1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredding parmesan cheese
  1/2 cup julienne cut sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
  6 green onions, sliced
  12 eggs
  1/2 cups milk
  1 teaspoon salt
  1/4 ground black pepper  

Directions

1. Spray a 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Layer 1/2 of the potatoe on the bottom of slow cooker. 
2. Top with half of the sausage, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes and green onion. Repeat layering.
3. Beat eggs, milk and pepper in large bowl with a wire whisk until well blended. 
4. Pour evenly over potato-sausage mixture.
5. Cook on low setting for 6-8 hours or on high setting for 3-4 hours or until eggs are set. 

Yield:

12 servings (about 1 cup each)

Minnie's Chocolate Pie from THE HELP

Last summer I was infatuated by the book The Help. Then the movie came out and was equally as brilliant as the book. I decided I wanted to taste chocolate pie, especially the one from the movie. It looked delicious - without the special ingredient which would be from Minnie to Hilly only! :) I tried this recipe out with my in-laws and it was a success!!!

Minnie's Chocolate Pie (without the special ingredient) ;)

1packaged pie dough crust
1 ½ cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
Whipped cream for serving

Oven to 350. Ease the pie crust into a 9 inch pie pan and crimp the edge decoratively. Prick the crust lightly with a fork. Line the crust with foil or parchment and fill pie with weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Remove the weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes longer, just until the crust is dry but not browned.

Meanwhile in a bowl whisk the sugar with the cocoa powder, butter, eggs, evaporated milk, vanilla and salt. Whisk until smooth.

Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake for 45 minutes until the filling is set around the edges but the center is still a little jiggly. Cover the crust with foil halfway through baking. Transfer the pie to a baking rack to cool completely before cutting. Serve with whipped cream.

A light and delicious pasta toss...

This might be one of my favorite dishes to date. I never knew I liked asparagus until this dish came along. After making this dish I went and bought a HUGE amound of it at Sam's to steam for side dishes during the week. Not only is this dish completely delicious and simple to make, but it's fairly healthy as well! I actually couldn't remember the recipe or find it when I went to make it - so I can tell you from experience that this works however you want it to work! :) Hope you enjoy!

Spring Asparagus and Tomato Pasta with Feta Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4

A quick, easy recipe for Spring Asparagus and Tomato Pasta with Feta. Perfect for quick lunches or weeknight suppers.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound fettuccine, or your favorite pasta
• olive oil
• 1 pound asparagus, cleaned and cut into 1" pieces
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• feta cheese

Instructions

1. Bring about 2 quarts of water to boil. Add about 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the water for flavor and to prevent the pasta from sticking together as it cooks. Add pasta and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 10 to 12 minutes to your preferred tenderness.
2. Meanwhile, drizzle about 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a skillet over medium heat. Add asparagus and saute for about 7 minutes. Add tomatoes.
3. Drain pasta and place into skillet with asparagus and tomatoes. Toss to combine and add feta hunks to pasta. Drizzle with a little more olive oil if needed and add salt and pepper to taste.

Martha's Honey-Glazed Carrots

As many of you know I am a little obsessed with the Martha Stewert Show as a stay at home mom! I love trying things off of her show and even am a Martha Stewert Living magazine subscriber. Anyways the other day I tried her honey-glazed carrots recipe and they might be my staple vegetable for company from now on. They are absolutely delicious!!!!

Honey-Glazed Carrots with Cilantro

Yield Serves 4  

Ingredients

• 6 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine, low-sodium chicken broth, or water
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. In a large skillet, combine carrots and olive oil; add just enough water to cover carrots (about 2 cups). Cook over medium-high until water is evaporated and carrots are tender, 15 minutes. Cook, tossing often, until carrots are light golden, 2 minutes. Add honey and wine, broth, or water; cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until carrots are glazed, 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro.