Easy Caramel Rolls (AKA Pull Aparts)

2 doz Rhodes frozen dinner rolls
1pkg butterscotch pudding - not instant
1/2c. brown sugar
1/2c. butter
Chopped nuts, if desired

Place frozen rolls in layers on greased bundt pan.
Mix remaining ingredients and put on top of rolls.
Let rise overnight.
Bake at 00-25* for 45+ minutes.
Turn upside down on a plate to allow caramel to run down.

~from an old church cookbook

Classic Beef Stroganoff

1lb beef sirloin steak or tenderloin (in a pinch, sub ground beef or ground turkey: consider getting a roast and cutting that up to be more budget friendly. I like to bake the roast before cutting up for this recipe.)
1/2lb fresh mushrooms
1/2c minced onion
2T butter or margarine
10-1/2oz beef consomme
2T catsup
1 small clove minced garlic
1t salt
3T flour
1c sour cream
3-4c hot, cooked noodles (or rice)

Cut meat diagonally in to very thin slices.
Cook and stir mushrooms and onions in butter until tender, then remove from skillet.
In same skillet, brown meat lightly.
Set aside 1/c consumme but combine rest of consumme, catsup, garlic and salt in to skillet.

Cover and simmer 15m.
Blend reserved consumme and flour, stir in to skillet.
Add mushrooms and onion, heat to boiling, boil for 1 minute.
Stir in sour cream, heat through.
Serve over hot noodles or rice.

~from an old church cookbook.

*Watch catsup and sour cream carefully for allergens, sub gluten free flour, and serve over rice for gluten free.

Pizza Burgers

2lb browned, drained hamburger (or ground turkey)
3/4lb shredded cheese (for lighter, use half light and half fat free cheese shreds.)
1-1/4tsp oregano
1/2tsp sage
1 can spaghetti sauce
1 pkg 8-10 hamburger buns

Mix all together and simmer for 30m.
Put on open buns and place under broiler until nice and hot. Fills up to 20 bun halves.

~from an old church cookbook

*Watch oregano for allergens, sub home-made spaghetti sauce for canned or watch ingredients carefully. Serve over rice bread for gluten free.

Lefse

2c. riced potatoes, packed lightly
1/2c. half and half cream
1T. margarine
1t. salt
1-1/2c. flour (more or less, add slowly)

Add half and half, salt and margarine to hot potatoes and mash with regular potato masher.
Chill thoroughly.
Add flour and blend thoroughly just before rolling out.
Roll a golf ball sized amount of dough on floured pastry cloth using a lefse rolling pin covered with pastry stockingette.
Turn before completely rolled out and re-sprinkle with flour to prevent sticking to cloth or pin.
Roll very thin. Pick up lefse with lefse stck and place on 475-500* grill, lightly brown both sides.
Stack between cloths to keep steam in and prevent drying out.
Serve with butter and sugar.
Freezes well (if there are any left!)

Makes 1 dozen 15" lefse.

~From an old church cookbook

Cheesecake

1-1/4c graham cracker squares
2T sugar
1/2c. melted butter

Combine graham cracker squares, sugar and melted butter.
Remove and reserve 1/4c.of crumb mixture.
Press remainder in to 9" round pie plate.

Filling:
2T butter
1 8oz package cream cheese
1/3c sugar
1 egg
2T flour
2/3c milk
2T lemon juice
1T grated lemon peel (optional)

Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar.
Add egg and mix well.
Add flour and milk, blend well.
Stir n lemon juice and peel. Pour in to crust.
Sprinkle reserved crumbs on top.
Bake at 350* for 35m.
Cool and chill before serving.

Chewy Caramels

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 1 pound light brown sugar
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Cook for 2 minutes at that temperature. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.
2. Meanwhile, butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. When the caramel is ready, pour into the buttered pan. Allow to cool completely at room temperature. Remove from the pan and cut into squares using scissors. Wrap individual pieces in waxed paper or cellophane.

Works for caramel corn or caramel for candies.

Russian Tea Cakes

1	cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2	cup powdered sugar
1	teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4	cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
3/4	cup finely chopped nuts
1/4	teaspoon salt
	Powdered sugar

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1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
2. Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack.
5. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; cool on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.

My Favorite Fudge

Rachael Rae's 5 Minute Fudge Wreath

1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate morsels

9 ounces (3/4 of a 12-ounce bag) butterscotch morsels

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (8-ounce) can walnut halves

1/2 cup (a couple of handfuls) currants

8-inch cake pan, lightly greased with softened butter

Candied cherries, red and green, for garnish, optional

Place a heavy pot on the stove and preheat it over low heat. Add chips and milk and stir until chips are melted and milk combined. Save the empty condensed milk can. Stir in vanilla and remove fudge from heat. Add nuts and currants and stir in immediately.

Cover empty condensed milk can with plastic food wrap and center it in the greased cake pan. Spoon fudge into pan around can, making sure to recenter can if it drifts.


The fudge will set up almost immediately. Garnish can only be added in the first minute or 2 the fudge is in the pan, so work quickly. Decorate your wreath with "holly" made from cut candied red and green cherries. A wreath left plain can be garnished with a pretty fabric bow when serving. Chill covered in the refrigerator and slice fudge very thin when ready to serve, a little goes a long way.

Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta

8 ounces uncooked penne pasta

1 pound ground beef

6 bacon strips, diced

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed tomato soup, undiluted

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Barbecue sauce and prepared mustard, optional

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside.

In the same skillet, cook bacon until crisp; remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Discard drippings.

Drain pasta; add to the skillet.

Stir in the soup, beef and bacon; heat through.

Remove from the heat and sprinkle with cheese.

Cover and let stand for 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Serve with barbecue sauce and mustard if desired. 

Yield: 4-6 servings.

Meghann's notes: I use more bacon and more cheese than called for, and a squirt each of barbecue sauce and mustard.

Stuffed Shells

I start with my spaghetti sauce

Otherwise a jar/can of spaghetti sauce will work too, I just add:
garlic and italian seasoning to taste
1 green pepper sliced and sauteed
1 onion sliced and sauteed
Mushrooms sliced and sauteed

Then you'll need:
1lb ground beef, browned and drained (when I prepare my spaghetti sauce to freeze, I don't always include the meat. Obviously your jarred stuff won't have meat either.)
1 box large pasta shells
8oz cheese - cheddar, motz, parmesean, etc. all work

Heat oven to 350*.
Cook pasta according to directions.
Drain pasta and rinse with cool water (so you don't burn your fingers when you stuff the shells!)
Once your ground beef is browned and drained, add your veggies if you are using jarred sauce or your spaghetti sauce if you made it ahead of time.
Heat through.
Take a cooled shell and stuff with approximarely 1/4 cup of sauce/meat mixture.
Place in baking dish.
Repeat for all shells/sauce. If you run out of shells before you run out of sauce, pour the extra over the top.
Cover the top of the shells with the cheese.
Bake at 350* until heated through and cheese is melted.

Baked Ziti

1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2.In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4.Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Grandma Mary Beth's Cheesy Chicken Hotdish

1 6-oz. Box of Uncle Bens Wild Rice – cooked 1 cup chopped celery
1 small onion – chopped
1 can Cream of Chicken Mushroom
1 can sliced water chestnuts – drained
1 cup sour cream
2 cups cooked chicken – diced
1 cup cheddar cheese

Mix all together
Bake one hour uncovered at 325

Grandma's notes: use more cheese! And, use a large Pyrex bowl. It just tastes better, though you can bake in a regular baking dish too. :o)

Diabetic friendly: sub brown rice. Serve with side salad and limit potion to 1c.
Gluten free: watch ingredients of sour cream and soup.

Lazagna

I start with the spaghetti sauce recipe, and usually will use half of that batch for lazagna.

Otherwise, if you don't make the spaghetti sauce, for the lazagna sauce you'll need:

1lg bround beef (I often use italian sausage for more flavor.)
1 clove garlic, minced
1T parsley flakes
1T basil
1-1/2t salt
1lb canned tomatoes
2 6-oz cans tomato paste
green pepper, mushrooms and sliced ripe olives, optional

Brown meat, drain fat. Fold in next 6 ingredients. Simmer about 30m in a large pot, stirring frequently.

1pkg lazagna noodles - cook according to package directions and rinse in cold water.
3c small curd cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, or a combo. Low fat/light works fine.
2 eggs slightly beaten
2T parsley flakes
2t salt
1/2t pepper
1/2c grated parmesean cheese
1lb (2 8oz packages) motz cheese, sliced thin

Combine cottage cheese, eggs, parsley flakes, salt, pepper, and parm cheese.
Place half of the cooked noodles in a sprayed 9x13 baking dish.
Spread half of the cheese mixture, then 1/3 of the motz, then half of the meat sauce.
Repeat layers, ending with the meat sauce.
Decorate top with motz cheese, it is best if the whole top is covered.

Bake at 375*, 30-45m. Let stand 10m before serving, serves 8-10p.

*Best if made the day before and stored in the fridge overnight - add 30m to baking time if cold. Can also be frozen - assemble but do not bake, then cover with saran wrap and tin foil tightly. Defrost before baking - 24h in the fridge works well.

Cheese Bread

Cut a loaf of French Bread into individual pieces, almost to the bottom crust.
Combine melted butter and minced garlic or garlic powder to taste (1/2-1T for us.)
Brush both sides of each slice.
Put a piece of motz cheese between each slice.
Wrap in aluminum foil and bake at 350* for about 20m, bread will be crusty and cheese will be melted.

Spaghetti Sauce

1 lg can crushed tomatoes
1 lg can tomato puree
1 lg can diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1lb ground beef (or italian sausage)
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1lg green pepper, chopped
1lg onion, chopped
1 container mushrooms, chopped
Minced garlic
Italian seasoning

Brown hamburger, drain.
Sautee pepper, onion, and mushrooms in a pad of butter, add to a large pot with hamburger.
Add all other ingredients - garlic and italian seasioning to taste, about 1T  each for us. Fresh garlic can be sauted with the vegetables.
Simmer for 3h, stirring frequently.

We use for spaghetti, lazagna, goulash, etc. Freezes well.

Diabetic friendly: carb free! Serve over whole wheat noodles.
Gluten free: check seasonings for allergens. Serve over rice noodles, or make meatball sandwiches over rice bread.

Grandma Rose's Banana Bread

1/2c. canola oil
1c. sugar
2 eggs
1tsp. baking soda
2c. flour
3 smashed bananas

Pre-heat oven to 350*
Cream sugar and oil together.
Beat in eggs.
Add bananas.
Stir in flour and soda.
Pour in to 1 extra large bread pan, 2 md bread pans, or greased/lined muffin tins.

Yields one large loaf - bake 40-45m or until toothpick comes out clean
or 15 muffins, bake 18m.

Sue's Bean Casserole

2 cans lima beans or butter beans, drained
2 cans kidney beans, undrained
2 cans pork & beans, undrained
1lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
1lb ground beef, cooked
1 onion, chopped and cooked with ground beef
1/2c. ketchup
1tsp vinegar
1tsp dry mustard
1tsp salt
1/2-3/4c. brown sugar

Heat oven to 350*
Mix everything together and bake 30 minutes covered and then 30 minutes more uncovered.

Crock pot: put on high 1h, stirring frequently.
Gluten free: check ingredients of beans for allergens, especially Pork & Beans. Buy HFCS free ketchup.

Santa Fe Rice and Beans

2 cups cooked white rice
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
1 (10 ounce) can of diced Mexican-style tomatoes (like Rotel)
1 cup salsa
1 cup low-fat sour cream
2 cups shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, divided
1 small red onion, chopped
1 (2 1/4 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, combine beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, 1 cup cheese and cooked rice. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a greased 2 quart baking dish and top with onions and olives.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese and bake 5-10 minutes longer until cheese is melted.

Serves 8. Freezer friendly!

Diabetes friendly: use brown rice. Limit serving to 1c.
Gluten free: check sour cream for allergens. Skip corn if need be.

Melissa's Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 block cream cheese, softened (fat free, low fat works fine)

1/2c ranch dressing (fat free, low fat works fine)
1/2c hot sauce (Cub brand works fine)
2 cooked, shredded BSCB (boneless, skinless chicken breasts) or ~6oz canned chicken
2c Colby-Jack cheese

Heat oven to 325* (We spray the pan first with Pam)
Spread cream cheese in bottom of a pan (we used 9x13" and have also doubled the recipe in a 9x13" pan.)
Mix together ranch and hot sauce, add cooked shredded chicken. Spread over cream cheese.
Top with cheese.
Bake for 20-25 min, til cheese on top is melted and dish is heated through.

Serve with chips.

*Taking to a party? Get a throw away pan with a cover!