Cream Cheese-Bacon Crescents

Ingredients:

1 tub (8 oz) Philadelphia Chive & Onion Cream Cheese Spread

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 cans (8 ox each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation Instructions: 

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix cream cheese spread, bacon, and as much cheddar as you want until well blended.

Separate each can of dough into 8 triangles. Cut each triangle lengthwise in half. Spread each dough triangle with 1 generous tsp. cream cheese mixture. Roll up, starting at shortest side of triangle; place, point-sides down, on baking sheet.

Bake 12-15 min. or until golden brown. 

Serve warm. 

Hot Spinach Dip

Ingredients:

3 packages of cream cheese softened

1 frozen chopped spinach cooked and drained

1 package of  knor or lipton dry vegetable soup mix

1 cup of mayo (give or take)

garlic powder according to your taste

1/2 stick of butter

Preparation Instructions: 

Combine and heat through and then add a cup of mozz. cheese and stir throughout.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Get 4 bowls: 
Bowl 1. milk
Bowl 2. flour, with salt & pepper to taste
Bowl 3. eggs, well beaten and thinned with a few Tbs. water (mostly egg, not mostly water)
Bowl 4. half breadcrumbs (we use Italian) and half grated parmesan

Measurements for the above ingredients are a complete mystery...it depends on how many tomatoes you want to fry. You will always have too much of something and not enough of something else. I think that is a law or something...

Choose tomatoes that are just starting to turn pink or orange (no green baseballs).  Core and slice about 1/2 inch thick.

Assembly: each slice is dipped in each bowl in order (1,2,3,4). Coat thoroughly. Coated slices are placed on racks to "sit" for 15 minutes. Go sit down and read to the youngsters for 15 minutes.

Heat your canola oil in a frying pan to proper temp. [Sometimes I will add some olive oil to the canola if I'm feeling Mediterranean.] I am frugal, and rarely use more than an inch of oil. A bit of the coating dropped into the oil should sizzle right away, but not burn. Fill the bottom of your pan with a single layer of slices. Turn only once, when golden brown on the bottom. When the second side is also beautiful, remove to paper towel-lined platter. Finish frying all your slices.

These will burn your mouth if you don't let them cool a bit. They are great hot, warm, or at room temp. I have kept them warm in the oven at 175 degrees, but not recommended for more than 5-10 minutes. They are yuck if refrigerator-cold or leftover.  Plan accordingly.  I hope you love them

Seasoned Potato Sticks

Ingredients:

12 potatoes

4 T. grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp. garlic powder

A couple of shakes of pepper

1/2 cup oil

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. paprika

Preparation Instructions: 

Scrub potatoes and cut into strips. (leave peeling on) Combine other ingredients in a plastic ziplock bag. Place potato strips in mixture and shake well to coat evenly. (obviously, closing the bag before shaking) Spread strips on cookie sheets, in single layer.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot and crispy.

Hearty Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:
1 can (46 oz.) of vegetable (or tomato) juice
4 cups water
1 medium head green cabbage, finely chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
6 or 7 carrots, sliced (about 2 cups)
3 medium stalks celery
3 tblsp instant beef or chicken bouillon


Preparation Instructions: 

Heat all ingredients to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 1 hour.

Yield: 16 servings (about 1 cup each)

No Fail Pizza Hut Style Breadsticks

Ingredients:
1 ½ cup hot water
2 Tb sugar
½ tsp salt
½ cup non fat dry milk
1 Tb yeast
3 cup flour
1/3 cup melted butter (I used half of the butter, just softened and spread it in the pan. The other half I melted and poured it on top)


Preparation Instructions:Dissolve sugar, salt and dry milk in hot water. Add enough flour (~1 cup) to make a soupy mixture. When the mixture is no longer hot but still warm add the yeast and stir well. Then add the rest of the flour, enough to form a moderately stiff dough. Knead the dough until smooth. Roll dough into a rectangular shape the size of your baking pan. Spread half of the butter onto the baking pan, then place your dough into the pan and spread the remaining butter on top of the dough. Top the breadsticks with garlic salt, Parmesan cheese, salad seasoning salt, or whatever you want. Cut the dough into breadsticks with a pizza cutter and let raise for 10-15 min. Bake at 350 degrees for 20- 25 min. Yum!

Red White and Blue Dessert

Ingredients:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
2 quarts strawberries, halved, divided
2 quarts blueberries, divided

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and extracts until fluffy. Fold in whipped cream. Place a third of the mixture in a 4-qt. bowl. Reserve 20 strawberry halves and 1/2 cup blueberries for garnish.

Layer half of the remaining strawberries and blueberries over cream mixture. Top with another third of the cream mixture and the remaining berries. Spread the remaining cream mixture on top. Use the reserved strawberries and blueberries to make a "flag" on top. Yield: 18 servings.

Marie Callender’s Famous Golden Cornbread

Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg


Honey Butter
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/3 cup honey


Preparation Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Add the milk, shortening, and egg and mix only until all the ingredients are well combined.
4. Pour the batter into a greased 8x8 inch pan.
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let the cornbread cool slightly before slicing it with a sharp knife into 9 pieces.
6. For the honey butter, use a mixer on high speed to whip the butter and honey together until smooth and fluffy.

Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:
1 26-ounce bag frozen hash browns
2 cups shredded Colby cheese (or cheddar)
1/4 cup minced onion
1 cup milk
½ cup beef stock or broth

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Dash garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Preparation Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Combine the frozen hash browns, cheese, and onion in a large bowl. 

3. Combine the milk, beef stock, half the melted butter, the garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in another bowl. Mix until well blended, then pour the mixture over the hash browns and mix well.

4. Heat the remaining butter in a large, ovenproof skillet over high heat. 

5. When skillet is hot, spoon in the hash brown mixture. Cook the hash browns, stirring occasionally, until hot and all of the cheese has melted (about 7 minutes).

6. Put the skillet into the oven and bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until the surface of the hash browns is dark brown.

Tidbits:

If your skillet isn’t ovenproof (because it has a plastic handle, for example), you can also spoon the potatoes into a glass 9X9-inch baking dish and microwave the potatoes until they are hot and the cheese has melted. Then put that baking dish into the 425 degrees F oven until the surface of the hash browns has browned.

    If you can’t find Colby cheese, you can also use Cheddar cheese for this recipe. Colby, however, is preferred. 

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Ingredients:
2 envelopes yeast
4 cups water
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups whole wheat flour
4 cups white flour

Preparation Instructions: 
1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
2. In a large bowl, combine butter, molasses, honey and salt and mix well.
3. Add yeast mixture and then gradually add flours.
4. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth.
5. Place in buttered bowl and let rise until double.
6. Punch down and let rest for a few minutes.
7. Divide dough into 4 parts and shape into loaves.
8. Place in greased pans and let rise for about an hour.
9. Bake at 375* for 35 to 40 minutes.

Butter Horn Rolls

Ingredients:
1 pkg. dry yeast (or 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/2 cup sugar
scant teaspoon salt
 3 eggs well beaten
1/2 cup butter melted
1 cup lukewarm water
5 cups flour

Preparation Instructions:
Dissolve the top three ingredients in a large bowl.  Then add sugar, salt, eggs, butter, water, and flour.  Mix by hand with spoon until stiff.  Cover with lid or plastic wrap and put in refrigerator overnight.  The dough should about double so I mix and use a large bowl.  When ready to use, roll out on floured surface--dough will be sticky.  It is better if dough is used right from the refrigerator.  Cut into triangles and place on cookie sheets After dough is rolled and placed on cookie sheets, brush with melted butter.  Put in a warm place to rise about 2 hours.  Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes depending on how big you make the rolls.  Makes 24-48 depending on size.

Dough can be kept in refrig. for several days.  Also I use the dough for danish, cinnamon rolls, or pepperoni twists.  The dough is easy to use.

Parmesan Potato Halves

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
8 medium unpeeled red potatoes, halved lengthwise

Preparation Instructions:
Pour butter in baking pan. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over butter. Place potatoes, cut side down, over cheese. Bake uncovered, @ 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until tender.