Scooter's (baked) Spaghetti

I found this recipe the other day on Pinterest and thought I would try it.  It is now a family favorite.  Well, most of the family that is.  It is a bakes spaghetti.  Easy and oh so yummy!!  Enjoy!!

Scooter's  Spaghetti

Ingredients

·       8 ounces uncooked spaghetti

·       1 pound ground beef

·       1 large can spaghetti sauce (26.5 ounces)

·       1 tablespoon butter

·       1/2 cup chopped green peppers (I usually omit or substitute red peppers)

·       1/3 cup chopped onions

·       8 ounces cream cheese

·       2 tablespoons milk

·       Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

·       French Fried Onions (small can)

Directions

1. Cook spaghetti according to directions on the package. Cook to al dente, drain and set aside.
2. Brown ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add spaghetti sauce to skillet and heat.
3. Combine onions, peppers and butter in small glass bowl. Cover and microwave 4 minutes on HIGH until soft.
4. Add cream cheese and milk to vegetables and stir well. (If cream cheese is not soft, nuke it for 20-30 seconds to make it easy to spread.)
5. Using a 10 x 6 dish, assemble in the following order:
6. Thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish.
7. Spaghetti
8. Cream cheese/vegetable mixture
9. Spaghetti sauce
10. Parmesan Cheese (amount subject to your own taste)
11. French Fried Onions (added during last 5 minutes of cooking)
12. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with French Fried onion and continue baking 5 more minutes. (This is the secret ingredient–don’t let them burn.)

Notes

Make this ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze without the French Fried onions. Don’t forget to add them 5 minutes before casserole is finished cooking.


Posted by:  Margo

Fudge Pecan Pie

Fudge Pecan Pie

½ cup butter
3TBSP cocoa
¾ cup hot water
2 cups sugar
½ cup flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
½ can evaporated milk (6 oz)
1 cup pecan halves
Pie Crust
Whipping Cream

Preheat oven and cookie sheet to 359 degrees. In medium sauce pan, melt
Butter, add cocoa, and stir until dissolved. Add hot water and stir again.
With sire whisk blend in sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, and evaporated milk.
Stir until custard is smooth. Mix in pecans and pour into pie shell. (I use the glass
deep dish pie pan). Bake on preheated cookie sheet for 50 minutes or until custard sets.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 1 to 2 hours. Garnish with whipped topping.

Posted by: Lois

Buttery Herb Loaves of Bread

Buttery Herb Loaves Recipe

Ingredients
4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups 2% milk
1/3 cup butter, cubed
2 eggs

FILLING:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt. In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add eggs; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
In a small bowl, combine filling ingredients; set aside. Punch down dough; divide in half. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll each portion into a 15-in. x 9-in. rectangle. Spread filling over each to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; pinch seams to seal and tuck ends under.
Place seam side down in two greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 2 loaves (16 slices each).
Nutrition Facts: 1 slice equals 109 calories, 5 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 27 mg cholesterol, 116 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 3 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fat.


Posted by: Lois

Yummy Split Pea Soup

Yummy Split Pea Soup

2 c dry split peas
1 c diced onions
1 c diced carrots
1 c diced potatoes
1 can chicken broth
6 cups water
1 ham hock or ham bone
1 TBSP minces garlic
1 TBSP garlic pepper
½ TBSP pepper Carrots, onion, and potatoes. Dice them all up and add to peas.

Also, add a ham hock, ham bone, or chunks of ham. 1 can of chicken broth, 6 cups of waterand the spices. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half. When done remove the ham and dice it up put in a bowl and set aside. Add your soup to a blender and puree all the soup, being careful because it is hot. Don't burn yourself. Add soup back to the same pot you cooked soup in, add the ham, and heat back up to a simmer. Serve. I serve it with corn bread, honey plus a nice tall glass of milk! Enjoy!



Posted by: Lois

Green Chili Enchiladas

Sorry no pics again...  Hope to get my rear in gear and start taking pictures while making the dishes and the final product.  Pictures make a post just so much better...

 So this next recipe is one I came up this week.. It was a huge hit.... I was just looking at what we had in the pantry and  this is what came about....

Green Chili Enchiladas

2 cans shredded chicken
1 brick cream cheese (softened)
1 small onion chopped
1/2 cup diced mushrooms
1 can green chili's
1 large can Las Palmas Green Chili Enchiladas sauce
Flour tortillas
Cheese ( I used the cheddar/jack blend)

Dice/chop onions and mushrooms.  Saute with olive oil til the onions are translucent.  Drain the  green chili's and add to the onions.  Saute for a minute or two and  then set aside.  Drain the chicken and put in a large bowl and shred with a fork.  Add the sauteed onions/mushrooms/green chili's and the brick of softened cream cheese and mix together.

 Pour about 1/4 of the can of green chili enchiladas sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan (enough to cover the bottom).  Spoon a couple of Tbsp of the chicken mixture on a flour tortilla and sprinkle a little cheese on it then roll and place in 9x13 dish.  Repeat until all tortillas and chicken is used.

Pour the rest of the green chili enchiladas sauce on top of the rolled tortillas.  Then add as much cheese as wanted to the top.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is nice and golden and bubbly..


Posted by:  Margo

Enjoy, I know we did...  :O)

Italian Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

  Have you ever wanted to make something and it never quite turned out like you wanted it too?  Mine has always been Lasagna.  It always seemed a bit runny after baking.  And since the hubs works for Nestle at their Stouffers plant and they just happen to make Lasagna there I stopped trying to make it.  I could buy it super cheap at their little store with his discount so that is what I did.  

Until last night.  I found this recipe on a food blog called Fortheloveofcooking it is on the side bar too..

This recipe was so easy and yes OH SO YUMMY!!!  Even the hubs who does not eat Lasagna anymore since working at the Stouffers plant liked it..  You see he had to endure eating Lasagna everyday for 7 years.  They have to taste panel it and since he was/is management that was something he had to do...  Poor guy..  Now my boys think it is an awesome thing to have to do at work.  They have much to learn...

Anyways, I thought I would share the recipe with you all.  Enjoy!!

 

 

Italian Sausage and Spinach Lasagna

• 5 Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 20 oz ricotta cheese (I used non fat)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup baby spinach, chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (divided)
• 2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (divided)
• 4 cups of marinara sauce (homemade or store bought)
• Lasagna noodles (no boil)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a skillet over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage (casings removed), making sure to break it up into crumbles. Add the onions and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Once the meat is brown and the onion is tender, add the garlic and cook for 60 seconds, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and drain any grease.
In a large bowl, add ricotta, egg, spinach, basil, parsley, oregano, nutmeg, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 a cup of mozzarella cheese. Combine until mixed thoroughly.
Layer a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with just enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Lay however many lasagna noodles you need to cover the bottom of the pan. Spread half of the ricotta mixture on the noodles; add another layer of noodles; spread a bit more sauce on top of the noodles followed by the Italian sausage; add another layer of noodles then spread the last half of the ricotta on top. Finish with a layer of noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle a bit more dried oregano on top of the cheese. Bake covered for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Enjoy.

 

 

 

Posted by:  Margo

4 Bs Tomato Soup From Mom's recipes

4 B’s Tomato Soup

Serves 4  to 6 people

4B’s is a popular restaurant chain in Montana.  Some people go there just for this soup.

“according to the lady who submitted it to our local paper, but apparently the restaurant is gracious enough to give people the recipe anyway!” 

28 ounce can diced tomatoes including the juice (I use 4 cups of my frozen diced tomatoes)

1 cup chicken broth

2 TBS butter

2 TBS sugar (you can use substitute - splenda)

2 to 3 TBS chopped onions (I use my dried onions from food storage)

Pinch of baking soda

2 cups  heavy cream or half & half (I’ve also use evaporated milk if out of cream)

Salt and pepper to taste (abt 1 tsp each)  (I use garlic pepper  from the dollar store abt 1 tsp)

Mix all ingredients EXCEPT  CREAM salt and pepper in a large soup pot.

Cover and simmer for 1 hour, checking occasionally

Heat cream in double boiler or in microwave until it is almost ready to boil.  STIR cream into the tomatoes mixture (NOT vice-versa).  I add the garlic pepper at this time…or you can serve and season individual bowls to taste with salt and pepper (I don’t do that)

Note: if tomato mixture seems to be getting too dry, a little tomato juice or more chicken broth can be added.

Posted by:  Margo