15 Bean Soup

This is my Sis-n-law, Lindy's recipe....

1 pkg 15 Bean Soup (dried beans)
1 29oz can petite diced tomatoes
3 Tbs lemon juice,
2 cloves garlic
1 pkg hickory smoked sausage
onion

Follow quick cook method on back of bag. Boil water with dried beans for 1 hour, then add in all other ingredients (chop the sausage into bite-sized pieces) and simmer for an additional 30-45 minutes. Add ham seasoning packet (comes with the beans) right before you serve. Serve with hot cornbread. It is delicious!

Meatsa Pasta

This is a house favorite here! It's easy for me to cook... less than 20 minutes from prep time to eating... and you can play with the ingrediants.

Here's what you need:

1 box penne pasta (of whatever you have)
1 pkg pepperoni
1 pkg smoked sausage or polish sausage
1 jar spaghetti sauce
fresh grated parmesian cheese

Cut up sausage into quarter sized bites (we do smaller for the little ones) and slice pepperoni in half. Put the meat in a skillet and let it sizzle.

While the meat is cooking, boil your water and cook your pasta. Once it's done drain it and add it in with the meat. Cover with spaghetti sauce. Top it with a sprinkle of parmesian and enjoy!

You can play with this one! Add bell peppers and onions to the meat for an added kick. We have also added bacon to it and it was delicious!

Pair with a salad, some bread, and tea and it is a comfort meal in minutes.

NOTE: I substitute turkey sausage, turkey pepperoni, whole wheat pasta, and reduced sugar ragu with very little taste difference!

Renee's Chicken Salad

This is my Aunt Renee's chicken salad recipe.


Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Boiled eggs, one for each chicken breast
Dill relish
Onion powder
Pepper
Hellmann's mayonnaise

Cook chicken in crock pot (add salt so that chicken is seasoned while cooking); chop while still very warm. Chop eggs finely in food processor. Mix all ingredients until consistency of your liking. Don't add more salt until mixed thoroughly as dill relish is salty. Enjoy.


***I took frozen chicken tenderloins & boiled them with a little bit of water, s&p & minced garlic. I also added some garlic salt to the other ingredients.
And I chopped the chicken along with the eggs in the food processor.
We ate the salad on small rolls, I bought from the deli.

Pizza Dough for Thin Crust Pizza

Here's a recipe from Nikki.


2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (may substitute whole wheat flour for 1 cup of the all-purpose)
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1/2-1 tablespoon olive oil
cornmeal,for sprinkling


Mix a little sugar into the warm water.
Sprinkle yeast on top.
Wait for 10 minutes or until it gets all foamy.
Pour into a large bowl.
Add flour, salt, olive oil.
Combine.
Knead for 6-8 minutes until you have a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (add a bit more flour if you need to).
Cover and let rest for 20-30 minutes.
Lightly grease two 12-inch pizza pans.
Sprinkle with a little bit of cornmeal.
Divide dough in half.
Place each half on a pizza pan and pat it with your fingers until it stretches over the whole pan.
Try to make it thicker around the edge.
If desired, pre-bake at 425 F for 10 minutes (I don't always do this).
Then spread with pizza sauce and use the toppings of your choice.
Bake at 425 F for 10-20 minutes longer or until bubbly and hot.
Makes 2 12-inch pizzas.
If you don't want to use all the dough, you can freeze it.
Take a portion of dough, form into a ball, rub olive oil over it and place it in a freezer bag (the oil makes it easier to take out of the bag).
When you want to make a pizza, take dough out of freezer and allow to thaw before using.

Frozen Coffee Cooler

A recipe from Nikki.
recipe source: Southern Living Everyday Grilling Cookbook

6 cups ice cubes
4 cups brewed coffee, cooled
1 cup coffee liqueur
3/4 sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup half-and-half or milk
Garnished:whipped cream, ground cinnamon

-Process half of first 5 ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour coffee mixture into a large pitcher. Repeat with remaining half of first 5 ingredients, and pour into pitcher.
- Stir half-and-half into coffee mixture, and garnish, if desired. Serve immediately. Yield: about 8 cups.

I omit the coffee liqueur, but you can make it according to your tastes. I also cut the recipe in half.

Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese

Nikki sent in this recipe.


Extra-Cheesy Macaroni and Cheese
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Italian three-cheese blend
1 (8-ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/3 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces small shell pasta (about 2 1/4 cups), uncooked

-Combine cheesed in a bowl; set aside.
-Whisk together eggs and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in pasta and 3 cups cheese mixture. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 3-quart slow cooker; sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese mixture.
-Cover and cook on LOW 4 hours. Sprinkle servings evenly with remaining cheese mixture. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Slow Cooker Size: 3-quart
Prep: 6 minutes
Cook: 4 hours

No Precook - The best part of this simple recipe is tht you don't have to precook the pasta.

Hashbrown casserole

I've been craving hashbrown casserole. This one sounds yummy and easy!

2 pounds frozen hash browns -- thawed
1/2 cup margarine -- melted
1 can cream of chicken soup -- condensed
1 pint sour cream
1/2 cup onion -- chopped
2 cups cheddar cheese -- shredded
1 teaspoon salt
2 cps Cornflakes -- crushed
1/4 cup margarine -- melted

COMBINE next 7 ingredients and mix with hashbrowns. PUT all in a 3 quart casserole. SAUTE cornflakes in butter and sprinkle on top. COVER and BAKE at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Cherry/Almond Coffee Cake

Denise sent in this recipe!

1 box white cake mix - the kind for double pan.
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup water

Mix all of these ingredients together and pour into 9x13 pan (floured and prepared)

1 can cherry pie filling.

Place dollops of cherry pie filling across top of batter.

Bake at 350 for 30 min or until golden brown. Sprinkle with almond slivers once out of oven. Let cool.

1 cup confectionery sugar,
1½ teaspoons milk
½ teaspoon almond extract

Blend all ingredients. Drizzle over top of coffee cake once cooled.

Maple-Glazed Carrots

Yield
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients
3 pounds carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Kosher salt and black pepper

Preparation
Prepare the CarrotsIn a large skillet, combine the carrots, syrup, butter, 1/3 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook the CarrotsBring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring once, until the carrots are tender and the liquid has reduced to a glaze, 12 to 15 minutes. (If the carrots are tender before the liquid has thickened, uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until the liquid forms a glaze.)

Breakfast Pizza's

I saw this on Talk of Alabama today and it looked really yummy and easy. There's so many other things you can do with this recipe. Hope you enjoy!


Prep: 20 min., Cook: 10 min., Bake: 20 min.

In order to make this recipe more heart healthy, we decreased the saturated fat and cholesterol by using egg substitute, lean ground turkey sausage, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, and fat-free milk.

Yield
Makes 12 servings (serving size: 1 pizza cup and 2 tbsp. pizza sauce)

Ingredients
1/2 pound lean ground turkey sausage
2 (13.8-oz.) cans refrigerated pizza crust dough
1/2 cup frozen hash browns, thawed
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups egg substitute
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups pizza sauce

Preparation
1. Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well on paper towels, and set aside.

2. Roll or pat 1 can pizza dough into a 15- x 10-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface; cut into 6 (5-inch) squares. Press squares into lightly greased muffin cups, skipping every other muffin cup. Repeat procedure with remaining can of pizza dough.

3. Spoon sausage evenly into crusts; sprinkle evenly with hash browns and Cheddar cheese.

4. Stir together egg substitute and next 2 ingredients; pour evenly into pizza cups, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

5. Bake at 375° for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden. Serve with pizza sauce.