Favorites for Thanksgiving!

Yummy Mashed Potatoes!

9 Potatoes
9 oz. of Cool Whip
12 oz. Cream Cheese
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1 stick of Butter

2 9x13 pans
Cook for 20 min. at 350 uncovered.
These are really creamy and so good! They are very great tasting with or without gravy!


These are my favorite appetizers!

Artichoke dip

2 cans Artichoke Hearts drained and chopped
16 oz. Cream Cheese
1 cup Mayo
1 cup of Sour Cream
2 cups graded Parmesan Cheese

8-10 ounces frozen spinach drain and chopped
Garlic powder and Dill weed (to taste)
put in a thin dish and cook 25-30 min at 350.


Bacon wrapped Chestnuts

1 lb. Bacon cut in thirds
2 cans of whole Water Chestnuts
- Wrap Bacon around Chestnuts and secure with a toothpick. Place on foil lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 35-45 min. or until crispy.
Sauce

1/2 cup of Brown sugar
1/2 cup of Ketchup
1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
-Mix all together. Pour over cooked appetizers. Put back in oven for 10 mins. Serve warm.

Hope you enjoy!

Raspberry Salad

This is so delicious and for some reason, guys especially go nuts over it. So if you want your husband to love you.... just kidding.

Raspberry Salad

1 pkg. frozen raspberries
1 small package of Cool Whip
3 small boxes of Cheesecake instant pudding
3 C. milk
8 graham crackers
3 T. butter
2 T. sugar

Directions: Mix cheesecake pudding with milk with wire whip. Crush graham crackers into small (not too small) pieces. Pour melted butter mixed with sugar over the graham crackers and mix. Pour into pudding mixture and add cool whip as desired. Add raspberries right before serving. (It's best to make this whole thing right before serving or the graham crackers can get a little soggy after about and hour.) Also, this recipe makes a ton so if it's just for your family you may want to half it. Or invite me over to share it with you. :)

Easy Italian Pasta Dish

Noodle/Beef Mixture:
1lb lean ground beef
2 to 3 cloves minced Garlic
2 tsp. dried Oregano (about I like a lot of flavor so I would add more)
1 tsp. Sugar
Dash of salt and pepper (to taste)
2 cans diced tomatoes, Not drained (about 14oz. each)
1 can tomato sauce (14oz.)
15 oz. Penne pasta, uncooked

Topping Mixture:
1/2 stick of butter
3 cups milk
1/2 onion, chopped (I used frozen pre-chopped onion)
Dash of salt and pepper
2 or 3 Tsp. Flour (preference)
Shredded Triple Cheese blend (parmesan, romano, and asiago)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown beef, in a large sauce pan or pot, break apart in to bit sized chunks. Mix in Garlic, Salt, and Pepper. Pour in cans of diced tomatoes and sugar. Add uncooked noodles. Pour tomato sauce over noodles and stir it all together. Let simmer about 5 min. Stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a medium sauce pan, on medium low heat. Once melted slowly whisk in milk. Add Onions, Salt, and Pepper. Slowly rise the heat so it doesn't burn. bring to a simmer whisk in flour, little at a time to avoid clumps. Add flour until desired thickness.
Pour Noodle/Beef Mixture into a 3 quart baking dish. cover with Milk Mixture. top with Shredded Triple Cheese Blend.
Bake for 30 min. at 350 degrees. if the top isn't browned after the 30 min. increase temp. to 400 degrees for about 5 min. or until the top is brown.
Let cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

CHEESY CHICKEN CHOWDER

5 c. chicken broth
2 c. diced, peeled potatoes
1 c. diced celery
1 c. diced carrots
1/2 c. diced yellow onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 c. butter
1/3 c. flour
2 c. milk
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 c. diced cooked chicken

In 4 quart saucepan bring chicken broth to boil. Reduce heat; add potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, salt, pepper. cover and simmer for 15 min. or until vegetables are tender.
Meanwhile, melt butter in med. saucepan; add flour and mix well gradually stir in milk cook over low heat until slightly thickened. stir in chees and cook until melted. Add to vegetable broth, along with chicken. cook and stir until heated through.
Does make a lot of soup!
enjoy!!!

Since we are getting into the cold, wintery season I thought I would share one of my favorite soups!! enjoy!!!!

Crispy Ranch Chicken

2 Cups Rice Krispies (crushed)
1 pkg ranch powder
1 cup parmesaen cheese
Mix all those ingredients together

2 egg whites, whipped so there are bubbles
8 chicken breasts

Dip the chicken in the egg whites, then dip them into the rice krispie mixture until coated all over. Spray the top with pam or drizzle with 1/4 c butter. Place in a greased pan and bake @ 350 for 20-25 min.

I halfed the recipe and it was a good amount for 3 people. I also cut the chicken so it was in strips, it seemed like there was more flavor since the pieces were smaller and had a little more coating then just normal chicken breast. It was delicious and a really good recipe for a different thing to do with chicken! I also didn't have a packet of ranch powder, just a bottle so I kinda just added however much Ranch powder I wanted. It was so good and I definately will be making it again!

Chicken Cresent Roll Bakes

2-3 boneless-skinless chicken breast halves
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup mayo
1 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp salt
2-3 packages cresent rolls

Mix all the ingredients together in medium mixing bowl. Make rectangles (put 2 triangles together) from the cresent rolls. Put filling on the cresent roll and than fold in half. Press edges together. Bake for 20-25 minutes @375.

Poor Man's Filet Mignon

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 slice of bread (in crumbs)
1 egg beaten
1/4c milk
1t salt
1 1/2t minced onion
1t dried celery flakes
1/4t chili powder
BBQ sauce (your favorite kind)
4 slices uncooked bacon
*Combine all ingredients and 2 T BBQ sauce. Form into 4 thick patties (mixture will be wet). Wrap a bacon slice around each patty and secure with a toothpick. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour. Baste often with BBQ sauce for the last 30 minutes.

Its really good to eat with rice or potatoes... My hubby loves this for dinner!!