Potato Deluxe

Recipe from Marcy Miller

2 pounds frozen cubed hash browns (defrosted)
1 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
1 stick butter plus extra to cook with onions
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups diced ham (optional)

Cook onions with a little of butter in a sauté pan until soft. Mix soup, sour cream, butter, cheese, and salt in large bowl. Add onions and potatoes and ham (if using it), mix well. Spread into a 9x13 pan. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

Recipe from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 package lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon extract or 2 to 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar for decoration

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, and lemon extract or juice until well blended. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into a bowl of confectioner's sugar. Roll them around until they're lightly covered. Once sugared, put them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 6 to 9 minutes. The bottoms will be light brown and the insides chewy.

Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies

Recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen
Yield: 3 dozen  Prep Time: 15 minutes  Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup Reese's Pieces
1 cup peanut butter chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and pudding; set aside. In a mixer beat butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add vanilla extract and honey and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, beat to combine. Add chocolate chips, Reese's Pieces and peanut butter chips and mix until incorporated.
Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1 1/2 inch ball between your palms and then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart (you should be able to fit 12 cookies on each sheet). Using your palm, gently flatten the dough balls until they are about 3/4 inch thick. Bake 10 minutes.

Becky's Black and White Holiday Bark

Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Black and White Holiday Bark

Black and White Holiday Bark

YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 25 PIECES

Note: If you are not a dark chocolate lover (I'm crying tears for your soul right now), you can try substituting milk chocolate, but I have not tried it and am guessing it will make the total package much, much sweeter so attempt at your own risk. Also, it's very important to use bar white chocolate, not white chocolate chips, as the chips can have serious issues when being melted.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup Rice Krispies cereal
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries, divided
• 1 pound white chocolate, chopped (do not substitute white chocolate chips!)

DIRECTIONS

1. Line an 8X8-inch or 9X9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing the foil to extend over the sides, and set aside. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, microwave all but 2 or 3 tablespoons of the chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate at 50% power for 1 minute. Stir, scraping down the sides. Continue microwaving at 30 second intervals, still at 50% power, until small lumps remain. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Spread the chocolate into the prepared pan and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
2. Melt the white chocolate using the same method as the dark chocolate, keeping in mind that white chocolate melts at a lower temperature than dark chocolate so take care not to scorch it. When the white chocolate is completely melted, stir in the rice krispies and 1/2 cup of the cranberries until everything is evenly mixed. Spread this mixture over the chilled chocolate mixture in an even layer. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cranberries over the top. Chill for 30 minutes, until the white chocolate layer is set.
3. Melt the 2 or 3 reserved tablespoons of dark chocolate in the microwave and transfer to a small ziploc bag, making sure to pour it all into one corner of the bag. With the pan of bark right in front of you, snip a tiny corner off the bag where the chocolate is and drizzle it over the top of the bark. Let the bark sit for 10 minutes until the drizzle is set. Remove the bark from the pan by lifting up on the foil. Carefully peel the foil away. Cut the bark into squares with a sharp knife. The bark will keep, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from America’s Test Kitchen Holiday Cookies 2010

Erin's Zucchini, Squash and Tomato Gratin

Erin’s Zucchini, Squash and Tomato Gratin

6 oz zucchini, sliced ¼ inch thick on a long bias

6 oz yellow squash, sliced 1/8 inch thick on a long bias

12 oz tomatoes, cut in half, then sliced ¼ inch thick crosswise

2 scallions, chopped (onions or green onions will work too)

1½ tsp garlic, minced

1 ½ tsp oregano, chopped

2 oz feta cheese, crumbled

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly oil a 6 inch diameter oven proof saute pan.

2.     Toss zucchini with salt and pepper.  Toss yellow squash with salt and pepper.  In a bowl, mix the scallions, garlic, oregano, and cheese.

3.     Lay zucchini slices in the pan, slightly overlapping them like shingles.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Top with a layer of tomatoes, slightly overlapping like shingles.  Sprinkle with ½ of the scallion mixture.  Top with a layer of yellow squash, then another layer of tomatoes; sprinkle layers with salt and pepper.  Top with remaining scallion mixture.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

4.     Place on a sheet pan in the oven.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the top is slightly browned.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes.  Cut into wedges and serve.

Variations:

Add 1 Tbsp roasted diced red pepper between the layers.

Replace oregano with basil, thyme, or rosemary

Replace feta cheese with goat cheese or parmesan cheese.

South Beach Meat Loaf

South Beach Meat Loaf with Vegetables

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

½ red bell pepper, chopped

½ green bell pepper, chopped

½ lb extra lean ground beef

½ lb ground turkey breast

1 cup chunky salsa

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp salt

Pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup cooked brown rice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes or until tender.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, turkey, salsa, egg, salt, pepper, and garlic.

Stir in the vegetables and rice.

Place the mixture in a round baking dish and pat into an oblong loaf.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the center registers 160 degrees and meat is no longer pink.

Orange Glazed Little Smokies

Orange Glazed Little Smokies

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp flour

¼ cup orange juice concentrate

2 Tbsp mustard

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 package little smokies

Instructions:

In a microwave safe bowl combine first 5 ingredients.  Add the package of little smokies and stir to coat.  Cover the bowl and microwave on high for 3 to 4 minutes or until bubbly stirring every minute or so.  Put in a crockpot to keep warm until ready to serve.