Homestead Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients:
8 slices of bread, cubed
1 lb. breakfast sausage, fried and drained
6 eggs
2 c. milk
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tsp. dried mustard
1 lb. grated cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1 chopped onion

Directions:
Place bread in bottom of a casserole dish. In a bowl, beat eggs, then add milk, onions, salt, and mustard. Sprinkle sausage and cheese over the bread. Slice butter over the cheese and pour the egg mixture over the top.
Bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees.

Waffles

Ingredients:
2 c. flour
2 eggs, beaten separately
3 tbsp. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. melted butter or fat

Directions:
Stir flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into mixing bowl. Beat yolks well and add milk and beat, adding this to the flour slowly beating until perfectly smooth. Then add melted butter and fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. This recipe makes approximately 10 waffles.

Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
3 medium bananas (mashed)
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. oil
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Grease a loaf pan, set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
2. In another bowl, combine egg, bananas, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to dry mixture. Fold in nuts.
3. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or till toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from loaf pan, cool on wire rack.

Amish Loaf Bread

Ingredients:
2 c. warm water
2/3 c. granulated sugar
5 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. vegetable oil
5 1/2 c. flour

Directions:
In large glass bowl dissolve sugar in the warm water and stir in yeast. Allow to proof about 5-10 minutes. (It will look foamy.) Mix in salt and oil to the yeast. Mix in flour 1 cup at a time. When dough has formed a ball, knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth (not stick) about 5-10 minutes.

Wipe down previously-used glass bowl and oil it well. Place dough in bowl and turn to coat surface of dough with the oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap in a warm area. Allow to rise until it has doubled in bulk.

Knead dough lightly and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place into two well oiled 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees F, and bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Let bread sit for at least 15-30 minutes after it comes out of oven to finish setting up.

Paula Deen's Creamy Macaroni & Cheese

A friend of mine made this the other day and it was awesome so I hunted down the recipe and posted it here so that I don't forget it when I want to make macaroni and cheese again. This is super yummy!

 Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup sour cream
1   (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
3   eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cup (about 10-ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8 ounce box isn’t quite 2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Add eggs. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Servings: 12 servings
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Easy

Hamburger & Hot Dog Buns

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/4 cup margarine, melted
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 6 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the milk, margarine, warm water, sugar and yeast. Let stand for about 5 minutes.
2. Mix in the salt, and gradually stir in the flour until you have a soft dough. Divide into 25 pieces, and form into balls. Place on baking sheets so they are 2 to 3 inches apart. Let rise for 20 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake the rolls for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool slightly, then split them in half horizontally to fill with your favorite burgers.

Pizza Crust

Found this super easy recipe for pizza crust that we really love.

Ingredients

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Overnight Blueberry French Toast

Made this for the first time when my in-laws came to visit and it was awesome! Can't wait to have it again! The blueberry sauce is great but this is also VERY good with just regular maple syrup.

Ingredients

12 slices day-old bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup fresh blueberries
12 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup maple syrup

1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish, and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes.
2. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned.
5. In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked French toast.

TaterTot Hotdish

This is my version of this North Dakota delicacy. Nice for a super quick put-together meal.

Ingredients:

1 small bag of frozen mixed vegetables or 1 can of mixed vegetables
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2lbs ground beef or turkey
1 cup French's fried onions
1 can milk (use the soup can to measure)
1 small bag tater tots

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown and season meat. Once cooked transfer to 9x13 baking pan. Add vegetables and fried onions to meat and mix. In a small bowl mix cream of mushroom soup and milk to thin out the soup just enough to make it pourable. Pour 1/2 of the soup mixture over the meat/veggies/onions. (You may pour all of it over the meat/veggie mix if you choose.) Pour tater tots over meat/veggies/onions. Sometimes it is easier to organize them on top. Then pour the remainder of soup mixture over tater tots if you chose to do half on the meat and half on top.

Bake for 45min-1hr. Tater tots should be nice golden brown.

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue

Found this recipe online. Haven't tried it yet but hope to really soon.

Makes about 6 servings.

Ingredients:

6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (12oz) bottle of BBQ sauce
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Place chicken in slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the bbq sauce, italian salad dressing,  brown sugar and worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.
2. Cover, and cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Got this recipe online somewhere and gave it a try. Totally loved it. This will certainly be a new staple to my menus.

Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients:

2lbs cubed beef stew meat
2 cans condensed golden mushroom soup
1 onion chopped
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water
8 ounces (1 block) cream cheese

Directions:

1. In slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water.
2. Cook on low setting for 8 hours or on high setter for about 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese just before serving.
3. Serve on top of your favorite egg noodles.

Taco Ring

We made this at a friends Pampered Chef party and it was awesome. I've tweaked it a little to be easier for me but it still turns out  super yummy!

Ingredients

2lbs groud beef or turkey
2 pkgs of taco seasoning
1 1/2 cup water
2 cans of crescent rolls
shredded cheese

Garnish if desired

shredded lettuce
chopped tomatos
onions
chopped olives
sour cream
salsa
guacamole
shredded cheese

In skillet, brown meat. Add taco seasoning and water according to package directions. Simmer for 5 minutes to make sure it's not runny. Add some cheese and mix well.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On large pizza pan or pizza stone (I would recommend the stone), place crescent roll triangles in a circle around the middle of the pan, large side to the middle, point towards the edge of the pan (sunburst pattern). Use a small roller to flatten out the middle of the ring. Add meat in the middle of the ring in a ring inside the crescent rolls. Fold crescent points into the middle of the ring. Top with cheese if desired. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until nice and golden. Once ring is done baking, garnish with your favorite toppings, serve and enjoy!

Gayle's Fat-in-a-bowl

Okay, I know the name sounds so NOT appealing BUT this is sinfully good. My sister started making this and didn't know exactly was it was called, so she called it so lovingly fat-in-a-bowl because basically that's what it's made of!

Ingredients

2 bricks cream cheese
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup raisens

Mix all ingredients together well and chill in refrigerator. Serve cold with buttery crackers like Ritz or Townhouse.

Melly's Mac & Cheese

I have no clue how to make mac & cheese NOT out of a box. So, Melly as usual is here to rescue me! Here's her recipe so I don't lose it!

Ingredients:

elbow macaroni (cooked as usual)

shredded cheese (I usually use a combination of cheddar and colby jack

1 c. milk

1 egg

salt and pepper

a few pats of butter (about 5)

Directions:

I put a layer of elbow macaroni, then a layer of cheese, then another layer of macaroni and another layer of cheese. Then I beat the egg in a mixing cup and add the milk to 1 c. Sprinkle in salt and pepper and stir. Then pour egg mixture over the top of the layered macaroni and cheese. Top with pats of butter. Bake @ 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Amber's Italian Gringo Lasagna

This concoction I came up with at the spur of the moment in an effort to use up some of the chili I had made.

Ingredients:

1 batch of Foster's Famous Gringo Chilie
1 package of lasagna
4 cups colby/jack cheese

1. Make your chili and boil the lasagna until al dente.
2. In a 9x13 pan layer as follows: lasagna, chili, cheese. This usually makes 3-4 layers. Do whatever you are happy with and that won't overflow in your oven. This is kind of the dump method, not real rocket science!
3. Top with chili and cheese. You will have a lot of chili left over. Freeze or make freeto pies another day, take your pick!
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

If you'd like to change it up a bit you could layer with corn tortillas as well. Haven't tried it yet but am planning on it in the near future.

Melly's Cornbread

My friend Melly has the best recipes for bread and well, for just about any and everything.  Here is her Cornbread. All of her recipes can be found at http://www.proverbs31homemaking.com/

1 cup flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup milk
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
Add ingredients to mixing bowl in order. Mix, but do not overbeat. Pour into greased 9x9 baking pan.
Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

Chicken Broccoli Delight

Someone shared this on an email group I belong to. It sounded pretty tasty so I wanted to make sure I saved it!
1 pkg frozen broccoli cuts, thawed
3 1/2 cups cooked cubed chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup undiluted
1 cup mayonaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon curry powder ( i am going to use garlic powder this time)
2 cups shredded chddar cheese
1 cup (about 25) butter crackers like Ritz

In 9x13in pan layer broccoli and chicken. Combine soup, mayonaise, lemon juice, and curry. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle w/ cheese and cracker crumbs. Bake @350 for 1 hr.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

1 package Egg Noodles
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 can Milk
1-2 cans of Tuna
6 slices of American Cheese
1 can Vegetables (I like to use green beans or peas & carrots)
Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Butter

Boil egg noodles until done. Mix together soup, tuna, milk and vegetables. In casserole dish, layer half of the noodles noodles , butter, 3 slices of cheese and half of the tuna mix, then again with the other half of the ingredients. Top with bread crumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Foster's Famous Gringo Chili

This is the recipe to my Dad's multi-award winning chili. Make it as mild or as hot as you like. It's never disappointing!

3 lbs. Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
2 Onions
3 Packets of McCormick Chili Seasoning (pick your level of warmth)
1 cup Water
1 pint Salsa
3 cans Stewed Tomatos (chopped or sliced)
3 cans Dark Kidney Beans

1. In a stock pot on high heat. Brown ground beef and onions together. Add any additional seasonings you might like for your meat.
2. Add chili seasoning and water. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add salsa. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add tomatos. Cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add kidney beans. Bring to a boil then turn off heat and let sit until ready to serve.

Key to this recipe is to make sure chili does not scorch. If it does, it more than likely cannot be salvaged.