Tuesday

Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole (standard recipe)

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

Mix mushroom soup, milk, black pepper, green beans and 2/3 cup of fried onions in casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until hot. Remove and stir. Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake an additional 5 minutes.

Sunday

Fun Musings

If you just want to read some great musings and fun mommy stuff, then visit my other blog - Musings of a Manic Mom.

Recipe Storage

I plan to write a series of blog entries on Recipe storage methods, and organizing the different types of recipes. However, I was curious, how others do it?

I'd love to hear your ideas and suggestions, because I am sure there are dozens of different methods.

Wednesday

Creamy Garlic Green Beans

These are delicious with almost any meal! We love them as a veggie with pasta or spaghetti!

Creamy Garlic Green Beans

4 cups green beans
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sour cream

In pot, heat green beans on high heat for six minutes. Drain. In a frying pan, melt the butter and garlic powder on low heat. Add sour cream, and heat for another minute. Toss in green beans to coat. Serve with anything.

Tuesday

Easy Cajun Shrimp Pasta

I've had a pasta theme going lately, because we seem to be eating a ton of it! LOL I am thinking I'm going to gain way too much weight, and I need to rethink my cooking habits! This pasta is AWESOME!

Easy Cajun Shrimp Pasta

1/2 pound of chopped bacon
1 chopped onion
1 sweet red pepper, sliced in julienne strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound of fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 pound of peeled & deveined shrimp
1 1/2 cajun seafood seasoning (seafood magic is awesome)
2 pounds of fresh linguine
3 Tablespoons of parmesan cheese
2 cups of warmed heavy cream
Salt & pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, saute bacon until it turns opaque, then add onion and saute until golden. Add the julienned red pepper and garlic. Cook for 1 minute and then stir in mushrooms. Cook another minute. Remove all contents to a bowl, leaving drippings in the skillet.
Place shrimp in skillet and saute for about 30 seconds on each side. Sprinkle with cajun seafood seasoning and continue cooking until the shrimp becomes pink in color. Toss the bacon mixture back into the skillet and keep warm on low heat.
Cook linguine as directed, drain and then stir into shrimp mixture. Add the Parmesan cheese and the heavy cream. Season as desired with salt and pepper.

Chunky Ham Casserole

This one dish meal is simple and tastes great.

Chunky Ham Casserole

1 pound of ham, chunks
6 medium potatoes, sliced
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 of a medium onion, diced
1/4 cup of Velveeta cheese, diced
3/4 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon of pepper

In large bowl, mix cream of mushroom soup, diced onion, milk and pepper. Add ham chunks. Mix again. Add potatoes and Velveeta cheese. Blend. Pour into a buttered casserole dish. Using a spoon, top with dabs of butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Monday

Chicken and Dumplings

A favorite around here! This is the easy way.

Chicken and Dumplings

2 cans of biscuits
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 bouillon cubes

2 tablespoons butter
3 or 4 boneless chicken breasts


Place chicken in pot and boil for 20 minutes. Sprinkle your work surface with flour. Prepare dumplings, by rolling out the cans of biscuits in flour. Make dumplings as Make them as flat at you can and check that they have a light coating of flour. Set them aside.

When chicken is has completely boiled, remove from pot and set aside to cool. Do not throw out the water! Skim foam off the surface of the water; add more water or remove water to ensure that the pot is about 3/4 full. Bring to a boil again and add the can of cream of chicken soup, butter, and boullion cubes. Stir well.

Reduce water to medium/high heat and tear dumplings into small strips. Drop them into water. After you have dropped them all into the water, reduce heat to medium, stir occasionally - not much. Start tearing chicken into pieces and drop into pot.
Cook until the dumplings are soft or approximately 30 minutes or so.

Friday

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

I'm a peanut butter addict, and these are so good!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

2 sticks of butter or margarine
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 pkg. 12 oz. chocolate chips

Melt butter, then remove from heat. Add the peanut butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs. Mix well. Spread the mixture in an ungreased pan. Press down evenly.

Melt chocolate chips. Next, spread the chocolate with a knife over the top of the peanut butter mixture. Chill for thirty minutes and then remove and cut into bars.

Thursday

Easy Dill Dip

This recipe is now located here: Easy Dill Dip

Wednesday

Bob Evans Country Sausage Mac and Cheese

I love Bob Evans Sausage, and when I found this recipe, I knew I had to try it!

Bob Evans Country Sausage Mac and Cheese

1 pound BOB EVANS® Special Seasonings Roll Sausage
1-1/2 cups milk
12 ounces pasteurized processed Cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 cup diced fresh or drained canned tomatoes
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
12 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 350°F. Crumble and cook sausage in medium skillet until browned. Drain on paper towels. Combine milk, processed cheese and mustard in medium saucepan; cook and stir over low heat until cheese melts and mixture is smooth. Stir in sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, green onions and cayenne pepper. Remove from heat.

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Combine hot macaroni and cheese mixture in large bowl; toss until well coated. Spoon into greased shallow 2-quart casserole dish. Cover and bake 15 to 20 minutes. Stir; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Recipe © Bob Evans

Tuesday

Simple Stroganoff

Simple. Easy. Scrumptious.

Simple Stroganoff

1 1/2 pounds cooked ground beef seasoned with onion and garlic
1 large can of sliced mushrooms
1 can of beef broth
3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
3 Tablespoons red wine

1 bag noodles
1-2 cups sour cream, to taste

In pan, brown hamburger meat, seasoning with onion and garlic. Add sliced mushrooms, can of beef broth, lemon juice and red wine. Boil noodles separately, add to beef mixture. Stir in sour cream and serve.

But if you want to FREEZE the recipe - try this instead:

In large gallon bag, add all ingredients except noodles and sour cream. Label the bag, date it, and pop it in the freezer.
When ready to prepare - thaw bag in refrigerator overnight. Place entire mixture in pot. Boil noodles until al dente (still a bit firm but flexible). Add noodles to beef mixture. Cook until noodles are soft and tender. Add sour cream. If you add extra noodles, like we do - you might need to add some liquid - I recommend milk.

The kids love this - even with the mushrooms!

Creamy Pasta Casserole

This is one of my favorite dishes to make and freeze for my freezer cooking sessions. Tastes great!!

Creamy Pasta Casserole

2 pkgs. cream cheese, softened
1 lg. container of sour cream
2 small containers of cottage cheese
2 1/2 lbs. ground beef or ground turkey
1 pkg. spaghetti or angel hair pasta
2 eggs
1 large jar of spaghetti sauce or alfredo sauce (your choice)

Brown hamburger and mix with alfredo or spaghetti sauce. Cook pasta as directed. Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese and eggs. Layer in casserole dish as follows:

1/2 the noodles
1/2 the meat sauce
1/2 cheese mixture
and then repeat again.

Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for fifteen minutes before serving, it allows it time to set. If you want to freeze this dish, cook for 20 minutes, and then allow to cool. Freeze. When ready to reheat, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes or until completely cooked.

Friday

Chocolate Cheesecake

This is rich, and delicious! Really simple too!

Chocolate Cheesecake

1 chocolate graham cracker crust
2 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese
2 cups of chocolate chips , semisweet
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sweetened condensed milk, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Finally, stir in the melted chocolate. Pour into the prepared crust.
Bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees, or until center is set. Remove from oven, and allow to cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Thursday

Tropical Fruit Salad

In honor of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday!

Tropical Fruit Salad

2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 cans pineapple chunks with liquid
3 firm bananas, sliced (do not add until ready to serve!)
1 4oz. box instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup shredded coconut

In large bowl, combine all ingredients. It will still be runny, but as the pudding begins to set, the salad will thicken. Chill overnight. Stir before serving.


For best results, add sliced bananas just before you are ready to serve the salad, so they don't brown too much.

Tuesday

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Typically kids just love this!

Chicken Noodle Casserole

l bag of wide egg noodles, cooked
l pound of chicken breasts, diced in large chunks
l diced medium onion
3 cans of cream of mushroom soup
¾ cup of grated cheddar cheese
l/4 cup of grated parmesan
2 Tablespoons of oil
2 Tablespoons of butter

2 Tablespoons of milk
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease glass casserole dish. Layer noodles in bottom of casserole dish. Set aside. In pan over medium heat add oil, diced chicken and diced onions. Add butter and milk. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Pour over noodles. Add mushroom soup. Stir. Sprinkle cheese and parmesan over top. Cover with tinfoil. Bake 25-35 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Garlic Butter Pasta

This recipe is now moved here. Garlic Butter Pasta

Friday

Chocolate Rum Cake

Moist and delicious! Good for holidays or anytime!

Chocolate Rum Cake

1 pkg. chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup white rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a Bundt cake pan. In a bowl, Beat cake mix, instant pudding mix, eggs, oil, 1/2 cup of water, and 1/2 cup of rum for two minutes. Pour batter into Bundt pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Can be made with or without Rum Glaze.

Rum Glaze

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup white rum
1/4 cup water


In a saucepan combine the butter, sugar, 1/4 cup of rum, and 1/4 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Pour immediately over still warm cake while warm.

Thursday

7 Layer Taco Dip

This is so easy to make and tastes great at picnics, potlucks and more!

7 Layer Taco Dip

1 packet taco or Mexican seasoning mix
1 can of refried beans
1 package cream cheese, softened
1 container sour cream
1 medium jar salsa
1 large tomato, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups shredded mexican cheese

In a medium bowl, blend the seasoning mix with the refried beans. Spread the beans into a Trifle dish or other large bowl. In another bowl, mix the sour cream and cream cheese. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the top of the beans. Next, top with jar of salsa. Next, do a layer of tomatoes, then green pepper, then green onions, and then lettuce. Top the entire thing with cheddar cheese and add black olives to the top. Serve with tortilla chips

Wednesday

Sweet Potato Souffle

This is yummy at holiday time, but tastes great anytime!

Sweet Potato Souffle

2 cups sweet potato, boiled and mashed
1/2 cup milk

2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine potato, milk and eggs. Mix well. Add butter, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour into baking dish.


Next, in a small bowl, mix:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup melted butter

Sprinkle over top of souffle. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Tuesday

Watergate Salad

A real favorite at our house. We make it all the time!

Watergate Salad

1 package of pistachio pudding and pie filling
1 can of crushed pineapple in juice
1 cup white miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped pistachios (if desired)
1 tub of whipped topping

Stir the pudding mix, the pineapple with juice (keep the juice in - don't drain!), marshmallows and nuts in large bowl until well blended. Gently stir in container of whipped topping. Refrigerate 2 hours. Garnish as desired.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

I've been making this since I was in highschool! It's hearty and delicious any time of year!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

4- 6 chicken breasts, cut up
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of cream of celery soup
2-4 cups of rice, cooked
3 Tablespoons of butter


Preheat oven to 350F. Cook rice. In large bowl mix, rice, butter and all three cans of soup. Add chicken pieces. Pour into a large casserole dish. Add salt and pepper, as desired. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until chicken breasts pieces are cooked.