Mama's Herb Bread

1 pre-sliced loaf Italian or French bread (from grocery deli)
1 stick butter
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried dill
1 tsp. dried parsley

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients. Heat on low heat until butter is completely melted. Stir well.

While butter is melting, place bread on a large sheet of aluminum foil.

Once butter mixture is ready, pour over bread, making sure to get some of the mixture in between every single slice.

Cover top of bread with another sheet of foil, then roll pieces of foil together so that the bread is in a little "packet."

Place in 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

Cheese Grits

4 cups water
2 cups Quaker Quick Grits (not instant)
1 tsp. salt
1 stick butter, divided
6 oz. Velveeta*, cubed into small pieces
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated and divided
paprika for garnish

Bring salted water (along with half a stick of butter) to boil. Gradually add grits, stirring constantly. Once grits have been stirred into water (no lumps), reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 5-7 minutes.

While grits are cooking, cube Velveeta, beat eggs, and spray casserole dish with Pam.

When grits are done, remove from heat, and incorporate remaining butter, Velveeta, and one and a half cups of the grated cheddar cheese. (I usually test to see if more salt is needed at this point.)

Temper your eggs by stirring about a quarter cup of grits into beaten eggs...then transfer egg mixture to grits mixture.
Stir well, making sure everything is blended.

Pour grits into casserole dish, top with remaining grated cheese, sprinkle with paprika and bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes.

* - If you don't have Velveeta, then just substitute regular sharp cheddar. My husband actually likes the grits better that way.

NK's Asian Cole Slaw

1 head cabbage, finely shredded
2 Tbs. butter
1 package Ramen noodles, crushed (seasoning packet discarded)
1 package walnuts, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
Dressing:
4 Tbs. soy suace
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil

Combine all dressing ingredients in saucepan and heat until sugar dissolves. Stir well and set aside.
Melt butter in skillet. Saute' crushed Ramen noodles and chopped walnuts until golden brown.
Pour noodle / walnut mixture on top of shredded cabbage.
Put green onions on top.
Coat and toss with dressing.

Meatballs and Gravy

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tsp. Worcestershire
3 slices bread, crumbled
1 egg, beaten
1 can beef broth
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sour cream (or more to taste)

Combine first 7 ingredients. Add 1/4 cup beef broth and incorporate into mixture. Roll mixture into meatballs. If you do small meatballs you'll have between 16-20. I do larger ones and typically get between 12-15.

In a Dutch oven, heat about 3 tablespoons of canola oil. Place meatballs in hot oil, and brown them until they're cooked through. Remove meatballs, then add chopped onion. Let it cook until clear, then add flour and stir until thick. Add remaining beef broth and sour cream, stirring to combine. Place meatballs back in Dutch oven, then let everything simmer, covered, for about 15-20 minutes.

Serve with egg noodles or rice.

Martha's Chicken Pie Casserole

4 chicken breasts, seasoned to taste, boiled (reserve broth) and diced
6 eggs, boiled in reserved broth
1 ½ cups chicken broth (you can take out before you boil the eggs)
2 cans cream of celery soup
1 stick butter, melted
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ cups milk
Salt and pepper

Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with Pam. Place diced chicken along the bottom. Slice eggs, and place them over the chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper over all.

In a separate bowl, combine chicken broth and soup. Mix well, then pour over chicken and eggs.

Combine melted butter, flour, and milk. Stir well. Pour over everything.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until top is brown.

Asian-Style Dip

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespooon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dried ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Assorted cut-up vegetables (carrots, red bell peppers, sugar snap peas, cucumber, broccoli, etc.)

Combine first 11 ingredients in a small bowl; whisk to blend.

Cover and refrigerate.

Asian Pork Tenderloin

from Southern Living:

1/3 cup lite soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 1/2 to 2 pounds pork tenderloin (I use Tyson tenderloins from Walmart – each package has two tenderloins and weighs about this amount)

Whisk together first 8 ingredients (I do mine in the food processor). Place pork in a shallow dish or Ziploc bag; add marinade, turning pork to coat. Cover and chill 8 hours (just FYI – I marinate meat for about 36 hours in gallon Ziploc bags). Remove pork from marinade, discarding marinade. Place in a foil-lined roasting pan or foil-lined baking dish.

Bake at 425° for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 160°. Let pork stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Chicken Divan

2 10 oz. packages frozen broccoli or 2 bunches fresh broccoli, cooked (don’t overcook)
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/2” thickness
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. curry powder
1 Tbs. dry mustard
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
10 slices bread, cubed
1/2 stick butter, melted

After cooking broccoli and setting aside, heat a non-stick skillet and briefly brown chicken breasts on each side (seasoned to taste) in a little bit of light olive oil or canola oil.

Spray 9 x 13 casserole dish with Pam, then layer broccoli along the bottom. Top with chicken breasts. Prepare sauce by combining all remaining ingredients except for bread cubes and butter. Pour sauce over chicken.

Combine bread crumbs with melted butter. Scatter on top of casserole.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

Scalloped Pineapple

4 cups fresh bread crumbs
3 eggs, beaten
2 sticks butter, melted
1 20 oz. pineapple chunks, drained
2 cups sugar

Toss together bread crumbs and pineapple chunks and place in a greased casserole dish (2 quart). Combine remaining ingredients and pour over pineapple. Bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes. Can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Serves 8 or more.

You will go into a sugar coma shortly after eating this dish, but oooh, is it ever worth it.

Great with pork tenderloin or ham.

Chicken Chow Mein Casserole

from Southern Living:

1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (8-ounce) packages sliced fresh mushrooms
1/3 cup slivered almonds
3 green onions, chopped
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (3-ounce) can chow mein noodles

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add red bell pepper, garlic, and mushrooms; saute until tender. Stir in almonds and next 6 ingredients; pour into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with chow mein noodles.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Yield: 6 servings

Vidalia Onion Dip

modified from Come On In:

3-4 large Vidalia onions, coarsely chopped
3 Tbs. unsalted butter (no margarine)
1 cup mayonnaise (none of that fat-free garbage)
1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
1 clove garlic, minced

Tortilla chips for serving

Preheat oven to 375. Saute’ onions in butter until somewhat clear and soft. Add minced garlic and saute’ for another minute. Remove from heat. In a mixing bowl, combine onions with mayonnaise, cheese, red pepper, and garlic. Pour into a buttered casserole and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Spinach Madeline

from Rosemary Chandler, with a few modifications

2 pkgs. frozen chopped spinach
4 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. flour
1/4 onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
6 oz. Kraft roll jalapeno cheese (if you can find it, substitute Velveeta and add some juice from your jalapeno pepper jar)
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup vegetable liquor from spinach
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Cook spinach as directed on package; no salt. Drain, reserve liquor and set aside. Then, melt butter in saucepan on low heat. Add flour, stirring until smooth, not brown. Add onion and cook until soft. Add vegetable liquor and milk, stirring to avoid lumps. Cook until thick (on med. high heat, about 10 minutes) – stir often. Add seasonings and cheese (which has been cut into small pieces). Stir until melted. Combine with cooked spinach.

At this point, you can either eat the spinach mixture straight from the stove, or you can put it into a casserole, top with breadcrumbs, and back at 350 until crumbs are brown and casserole bubbly. David and I like it straight from the stove; it’s more like a creamed spinach that way (the oven option is more like a casserole).

Kim's Breakfast Casserole

from Kim Daniels:

I know there are tons of recipes for this casserole, but I think this one is the simplest and the best.

1 stick of margarine or butter
6 slices of bread (wheat or white - and I leave crusts on)
1 lb. of pork sausage
1 lb. of shredded mild cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1 pint of Half & Half
1 teaspoon salt

Brown the pork sausage and drain the grease. While it is browning...melt the stick of butter. Dip the bread in the melted butter to cover both sides of the bread. Place the bread in a 9 x 13 dish sprayed with PAM.

When the sausage is browned, spread it over the buttered bread in the pan. Sprinkle the cheese over the sausage. In a blender, mix together the 6 eggs, the Half & Half, and the salt. Pour this mixture over the cheese.

Cover tightly and place in the fridge for 8 to 24 hours. (At least 8) (At this point it can be frozen.) Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Taco Salad

One of David's favorites

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
2 lbs. ground chuck
1 small onion, chopped
2 packets Old El Paso taco seasoning (I like the mild low sodium kind)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
grated sharp cheddar cheese
sour cream
salsa - whatever your favorite kind is - we like the Sam's Choice white corn and black bean
Ranch dressing (made from the packet, NOT the stuff in the bottle)
tortilla chips

Brown ground beef and onion, then mix with taco seasoning according to package directions. Add black beans and heat through.

Set everything out on the countertop and let everybody build their own salad...for some reason, this verrrry simple supper is really, really good.

Texas Cake

from Southern Living:

2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 8-ounce container sour cream
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup butter
1 cup water
¼ cup cocoa
Fudge Frosting

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl; stir in sour cream and beaten eggs.

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 1 cup water and cocoa. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat.

Stir cocoa mixture into flour mixture. Pour batter into a lightly greased 15 x 10 inch jellyroll pan.

Bake at 325 for 20 to 25 minutes.

FUDGE FROSTING

½ cup butter
1/3 cup milk
¼ cup cocoa
1 package powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Spaghetti and Spinach Casserole

from Southern Living:
one of David and Alex's favorites

To make ahead, bake as directed, cover, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bake, covered, at 350 for 30 minutes; uncover and bake 10 more minutes.

1 yellow onion
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 ½ pounds ground beef
salt and pepper
1 large jar Prego traditional spaghetti sauce
½ tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. dried basil
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend
1 ½ cups sour cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. garlic salt
8 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked
1 ½ cups shredded Parmesan cheese.

Heat oil in Dutch oven – saute’ onion until clear. Add ground beef and season however you like (I use salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and garlic powder). When beef is crumbled and done, drain it and return to Dutch oven. Stir in spaghetti sauce, oregano, basil and thyme. Let simmer for however long it takes you to get the rest of the stuff done.

Cook your noodles.

Combine spinach and the next 4 ingredients. Drain noodles and fold into spinach mixture. Put noodle mixture in a large, lightly greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with half of Parmesan cheese; top with spaghetti sauce mixture and remaining Parmesan.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serves 8-10.

This makes TONS – so you may want to divide it into two smaller casserole dishes and put one in your freezer.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

16 oz. elbow macaroni, cooked (make sure to salt your water before you cook the noodles)
8 oz. Velveeta, chopped into small blocks
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine eggs, milk, and seasonings in a bowl. Set aside.

Combine hot, cooked noodles with Velveeta. Stir until most of the Velveeta has melted. Pour half of noodle mixture in the bottom of a lightly greased casserole dish. Top with half the cheddar. Put remaining noodles on top...then the rest of the cheddar.

Pour milk mixture on top of all.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Note: David doesn't like it with Velveeta - he likes it when I use Monterey Jack or Colby Jack instead.

Mama's Ice Cream Pie

1 package of Oreos, crushed (I run them through the food processor - but you can put them between wax paper and use a rolling pin to crush them)
4 Tbs. sugar
1/2 stick melted butter
1 small package chopped walnuts
1 gallon Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, softened
1 gallon Blue Bell chocolate ice cream,softened
Fudge Sauce (recipe below)
fresh strawberries, for garnish

Combine crushed Oreos, sugar, butter and walnuts. Press in the bottom of a round glass pie plate. Spread a thick layer of vanilla ice cream on top of the crust. Follow with a thick layer of chocolate ice cream, and then finish with another layer of vanilla. Cover lightly with wax paper, and put in the freezer for at least 2 hours to harden.

Take pie out of the freezer about 20 minutes before serving. After slicing (you can get 10 slices per pie), pour fudge sauce on top and garnish with a strawberry.

Fudge Sauce

1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup corn syrup
1 cups sugar
1/2 cup half and half
3 Tbs. butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Melt everything except vanilla in saucepan. Boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla, and heat (but don't boil) before serving).

Shrimp and Wild Rice Casserole

from Edna Holland:

1 box Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice, cooked
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated*
1 pound frozen small shrimp, thawed**
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients. Pour into a casserole dish and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Serves 6.

* - I like to buy blocks of cheese and then grate it in the food processor. I just think it tastes better...but the pre-grated kind will work fine, too.

** - I buy whatever brand of small shrimp that is in the freezer case next to the seafood counter in Walmart. Just make sure you thaw the shrimp before you put them in the casserole.

This casserole is great for a crowd...you can double or triple or quadruple it and get the same great taste. I made it nine times back at Christmas...muy delicioso. :-)

Spinach Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/2 package fresh cut spinach
1 head green leaf lettuce, chopped
1/4 red onion, sliced very thin
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1 can mandarin oranges, chilled and drained
1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese (or feta)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Assemble salad. Right before serving, pour vinaigrette over all and toss.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 Tbs. soy sauce

Combine all ingredients and blend in a food processor. Or just whisk and shake like crazy.:-)