Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole

24 oz hash brown potatoes

16 oz. ham, cubed

8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded

12 large eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Mix potatoes, ham, and cheese in a large bowl. Put into greased 9x13 pan. Using the same bowl, whisk eggs with milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over potato mixture. Bake at 350 for one hour or until center is set and edges are golden brown.

Cheese and Egg Breakfast Casserole

1/2 cup flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

8 T. butter

10 eggs

16 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

16 oz. cottage cheese

4 oz. can diced green chiles

2 oz. jar pimento, drained (optional, I leave them out)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Melt butter. Place eggs in a large bowl and beat until well blended.  Add the flour mixture to the eggs and beat until smooth. Stir in melted butter, Monterey Jack cheese, cottage cheese, green chiles, and pimentos. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

From Rachelle Schlauder

Aunt Kathy Bars

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup peanuts, chopped (optional)

6 cups cornflakes

1 pkg. milk chocolate chips

Mix sugars and syrup. Add peanut butter (and peanuts if you're adding them). Mix in cornflakes a little at a time. With buttered fingers, press mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Melt milk chocolate chips in a small glass bowl using the microwave. Spread melted chocolate over the bars and let harden. Cut into bars.

From Aunt Kathy McCormack

*For Christmas, I decorate with red and green M&Ms and cut into 1 inch pieces.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

6 cups flour

3/4 t. salt

2 1/4 cup butter

2 1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

3 t. vanilla

Plan ahead: set out butter to soften. 

In medium bowl, combine flour and salt. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar on medium speed. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until combined. Slowly add flour a cup at a time. Don't overmix. 

Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick and cut into desired shapes. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 325 for 13-15 minutes or until edges are just starting to get golden. Let cool on cookie sheet for a couple minutes before moving to wire rack to cool.

Frost and decorate as desired.

Makes 7-8 dozen cookies, depending on size.

Recipe adapted over time. Original from Shirley Ditsworth.

*For my oven, I increase temp to 340 and bake two trays at a time for 13 minutes total, switching at the six minute mark.

Frosting:

4 cups powdered sugar

3 - 4 T. butter, melted or very soft

2 t. vanilla (or 1 t. vanilla and 1 t. almond extract)

milk as needed for consistency

Mix all ingredients well with mixer. Add milk until spreadable, but not runny. Add food coloring, if desired.

Frosting recipe adapted over time. Original from Carol Sullivan.

Caprese Appetizers

Spear on toothpicks:

cherry tomato

fresh basil leaf, folded

fresh mozzarella ball

Mix and drizzle onto spears:

2 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

Radish Home "Fries"

1 lb. radishes, washed and trimmed

1 small onion, diced

2 T. butter

1 T. oil

salt and pepper to taste

Cut radishes into small cubes. Heat butter and oil in skillet. Add radishes and cover pan. Cook until almost soft. Add onions. Continue to cook uncovered over medium heat until nicely browned, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings. I double or triple this recipe.

Greek Vegetable Salad

1 cucumber, chopped (peeled if you prefer)

1 large tomato, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

4 green onions, chopped

20 greek olives

1/2 cup feta cheese

Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

3 T. cider vinegar

1 t. salt

1 t. oregano

1/2 t. sugar

Combine veggies in serving bowl. In a small bowl or jar, mix dressing ingredients. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. 

Beef Pitas

1 lb. boneless beef steak, cut into thin strips

1 t. oregano

1 t. fresh rosemary, minced

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 large sweet onion, sliced

4 t. olive oil. divided

4 pitas, warmed

Yogurt Sauce:

1 cup plain yogurt

2 T. dried parsley (or 1/4 up fresh)

1/2 t. minced garlic 

1/8 t. salt

Mix all sauce ingredients and refrigerate until serving.

Toss beef with seasonings to coat. Sauce onion in 2 t. olive oil until golden brown. Remove and keep warm. Cook beef in remaining olive oil until no longer pink. Serve beef and onion with sauce on pitas.

Serves 4, so I doubled it.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

1-3 cucumbers (depending on size)

1/3 cup sour cream

3 T. mayo

1 t. minced garlic

2 T. fresh dill (or 1 T. dried)

dash of lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Peel cucumbers, if desired. Mix all ingredients except cucumbers. Toss cucumbers with dressing. Cover and chill until serving time. If making ahead, keep cucumbers and dressing separate until about an hour before serving.

Crunch Romaine Toss Salad

Dressing:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
salt and pepper

Topping:
1 pkg. Ramen noodles
2 T. butter

Salad:
2-3 Romaine hearts, chopped
1-2 cups broccoli, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
3-4 grilled chicken breasts, sliced

Combine dressing ingredients. Saute noodles in butter until golden then set aside to cool. In large bowl mix salad ingredients. Before serving toss with dressing and chicken.

Grasshopper Ice Cream Cocktail

1 shot cream de menthe

1 shot cream de cacao, white

2 scoops ice cream

Blend well in blender. Serve.

Corn Bread

1 cup flour

1 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/ t. salt

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

Grease 9x9 pan. Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl. Mix wet ingredients in separate bowl. Add to dry mixture and stir just until moistened. Pour batter into pan and bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes. 

Parkin Cake

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ginger
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup oats
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup honey

Soak oats in milk for 30 minutes. Mix together flour, baking powder, ginger, and sugar in a large bowl. Melt butter and add molasses and honey. Add oats and milk to molasses mixture. Add the oat mixture to the dry ingredients. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes or until cake pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• Topping:
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper, if using. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together buttermilk and butter. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist. Gently fold in cheese. 

Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, scoop the batter evenly onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. For the topping, whisk together butter, parsley and garlic powder in a small bowl. Working one at a time, brush the tops of the biscuits with the butter mixture. Serve immediately.

Baker's Thanksgiving Ham

1 Costco spiral sliced ham
2 16 oz cans of pineapple rings (I like it in its own juice because you need the juice too)
dark brown sugar

Unwrap the ham and cut the slices off the bone in chunks. Spray your crockpot with oil, spread a layer of pineapple on the bottom, sprinkle about a cup of brown sugar over it and then spread a thick layer of the ham over that. Over the ham spread up to a cup of brown sugar and top with pineapple and then another thick layer of ham. Cover the final layer with sugar and then the rest of the pineapple. Pour the juice from one can over the whole thing. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.


From Jenni Baker