Squash Casserole

3 c. cooked, mashed yellow squash (about 6 med. squash)
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2/3 stick butter
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
Pinch of poultry seasoning
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 c. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 ¾ to 2 cups cornbread crumbs (depending on how dry you want the casserole)
1 c. Pet milk
2 eggs, whisked
1 c. cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

In skillet, cook onion and pepper in butter until tender.

Stir all ingredients (except cheddar) together and pour into greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.

Sprinkle top with cheddar. Bake an additional 10 minutes.

Jello Cheese Cake

Crust:
1 box graham crackers (made into crumbs)
1 ½ stick of Butter (melted)

Filling:
¾ c. sugar
1 large pkg. lime Jello (or flavor of your choice)
8 oz. cream cheese
1 ½ c. hot water
1 can Pet milk

Crush crackers. Melt butter and mix into crackers. Press into 9 x 13 pan. Save some to sprinkle on top. Cream ¾ c. of sugar with cream cheese. Add Jello dissolved in hot water. Chill and whip Pet milk. Add to mixture. Pour into crust, top with extra crumbs, and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

Thendera’s Quick and Easy Chocolate Cake

1 stick butter
½ c. shortening
1 c. water
4 Tbsp. cocoa

Mix and bring to a full boil.

2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
½ tsp. salt

Sift together. Add hot mixture to flour.

1 tsp. baking soda
½ c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk. Add eggs and vanilla to batter.

Batter will be thin. Bake in large cookie sheet with sides at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Icing:

1 stick butter
4 Tbsp. cocoa
6 Tbsp. milk
1 lb. powdered sugar

Bring to a boil. Pour over warm cake. Sprinkle with chopped nuts if you wish.

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1 in. strips
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1 in. strips
4 zucchini or yellow summer squash (or any combination of the two), quartered lengthwise and cut into 1 in. pieces
1 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 onion, peeled and sliced into 1 in. strips
¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. Italian herb blend (if desired)
1 lb. penne pasta
3 c. spaghetti sauce (jarred, homemade, or made from a seasoning packet—your preference)
1 ½ c. shredded Italian cheese blend
½ to 1 c. grated Parmesan (amount to personal preference)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 lb. ground beef (Optional—without it, this makes a hearty vegetarian dish)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, squash, mushrooms, and onion with olive oil, ½ tsp. of the salt, ¼ tsp. of the pepper, and the Italian seasoning. Bake until tender, about 15 minutes.

Drop oven temp. to 350 degrees.

Brown ground beef and drain. Stir into spaghetti sauce and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you do not want it to be completely cooked on the stovetop. Drain.

In a LARGE bowl, combine the pasta, vegetables, spaghetti sauce, shredded Italian cheese blend, and remaining ½ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Mix gently until pasta is coated with sauce and ingredients are combined.

Pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 x 2 in. baking dish—it will fit, but the dish will be very full. Top with grated Parmesan and sprinkle with butter pieces. Bake uncovered until the top is golden and the cheese melts, 25-30 minutes.

This is a modified version of a recipe taken from Giada De Laurentiis’ cookbook Everyday Pasta.

Meatballs

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
½ c. grated parmesan cheese
¼ c. plain dried bread crumbs
1 lb. ground beef

Stir together the onion, parsley, egg, salt, and pepper. Stir in cheese and breadcrumbs. Using your hands, mix in the ground beef. Shape into balls. Bake at 350 degrees (or deep fry) until cooked through. Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your meatballs.

Add in: Forming the meatballs around a bite sized piece of mozzarella cheese gives them an added surprise.

Serve alone as appetizers (they’re very flavorful by themselves), with spaghetti, or freeze after cooking and prepare in crock pot with bbq or jelly sauce—the same way you would make traditional cocktail weenies.

This is a modified version of the meatballs that Giada de Laurentiis prepared for her Italian Wedding Soup recipe in her cookbook, Giada’s Family Dinners.

Fajitas

Marinade:
¼ c. fresh lime or lemon juice
1/3 c. water
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tsp. vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
½ tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground black pepper

Meat and Vegetables:
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken cut into strips OR 1 lb. sirloin cut into strips
1 lg. onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. water
½ tsp. lime or lemon juice
Dash of ground black pepper
Dash of salt

Serve with:
6-8 fajita sized flour tortillas
Sour cream
Salsa
Shredded cheese
Shredded lettuce

Combine all ingredients for marinade in bowl with lid. Soak your choice of meat in the marinade for at least 4 hours for chicken, overnight for steak.
When the meat has marinated, grill it to desired doneness while preparing the vegetables (as directed below).
Preheat a skillet over medium/high heat. Sauté the onion and pepper slices in the Tbsp. of oil for 5 minutes. Combine the soy sauce, water, and lime/lemon juice in a small bowl and pour it over the onions. Add the black pepper and continue to sauté until the onions are translucent and dark on the edges (4-5 minutes more). Salt to taste.
Serve.

This recipe is a modified version of Chili’s Fajitas found in Top Secret Restaurant Recipes by Todd Wilbur.

Lora's Broccoli Coleslaw

Slaw:
1 pkg. broccoli coleslaw mix
1-2 sm. bunches green onions, chopped
1 c. sunflower seeds
½ c. toasted almond slivers
2 pkgs. uncooked Ramen noodles, chicken flavor, crushed

Dressing:
½ c. olive oil
½ c. sugar
1/3 c. vinegar
2 pkgs. seasoning mix from Ramen noodles

Approximately 1 hour before serving, mix all of the dressing ingredients. Make sure all ingredients are mixed well. Refrigerate 1 hour. Approximately 30 minutes before serving, mix broccoli, onions, sunflower seeds, toasted almonds and crushed noodles and pour dressing over ingredients and stir.

Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

½ c. sour cream
¼ c. Dijon mustard
¼ c. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. honey

Stir together all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate.

This recipe is taken from the Y’all Come Eat cookbook by Jamie and Bobby Deen

Mexican Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef
1 c. onion, chopped
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
4 c. water
1 pkg. taco seasoning
¾ tsp. salt
8 oz. uncooked lasagna noodles
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
2 c. Italian blend cheese, shredded

Pre-heat oven to 350. Brown beef. Add onions; cook until limp. Add tomato paste, water, taco seasoning, and salt. Simmer 10 minutes. Pour about 3 cups of meat sauce into greased 9 x 13 pan. Cover with layer of noodles. Dot with half the cheddar. Sprinkle with half the Italian blend cheese. Repeat sauce, noodles, cheddar, omitting cheese layer. Cover tightly. Bake in 350 degree oven 1 hour. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 5 minutes longer. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Veggie Snacks

2 cans crescent rolls
16 oz. cream cheese
1 c. mayonnaise
1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
1 pkg. broccoli slaw mix
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated

Flatten rolls on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Beat cream cheese. Add mayonnaise and ranch dressing. Spread on cooled rolls. Mix veggies and cheese together. Sprinkle on top and press into cream cheese. Refrigerate about 3 hrs. Cut into squares.

Sauce for Grilled Onion

¼ c. olive oil
¼ c. prepared mustard
1 tsp. chili powder
2 lg. onions sliced thick, insert toothpicks to hold slices together while on the grill.

Mix all ingredients together and brush over onion slices before placing on a hot charcoal grill. Cook 5 min. on each side or until tender. Baste again when you turn the slices halfway through cooking. Caution: the sauce is very messy, and it will make a mess in your gas grill. If using a gas grill, form a tray with shallow sides out of heavy aluminum foil, separate onions into rings, toss in sauce, and grill in tray, stirring frequently, being careful not to puncture foil. This will keep the sauce from dripping in the grill.

This sauce is also good on grilled yellow or zucchini squash.

Nell’s Apple-Nut Cake

1 c. oil
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cloves
3 c. chopped apple
1 c. roughly chopped nuts
1 c. dates or raisins (optional)

Mix oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Add apples and pecans and raisins/dates. Pour into greased Bundt pan. Place in cold oven and bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove from pan while still hot.

Every fall my Aunt Nell would make these cakes and give them as gifts to everyone in our family.

Mom's Peanut Butter Logs (candy)

Filling:
1 c. crunchy peanut butter (at least, you may add more to taste, up to a whole jar)
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. melted butter
½ tsp. vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar

Coating:
1/2 c. Canola oil
24 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips (At least, you may need more to coat the whole batch. Keep extra oil and chocolate chips on hand in case you need to melt more.)

Mix peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and powdered sugar. Pour butter and vanilla over mixture and work with hands to an even consistency. You may need to put mixture in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes to get it to set into a workable consistency. Shape into log shapes (or balls).

In double boiler, bring water to a boil. Turn off heat. Put oil and chips in top pan. Stir until melted. Dip logs into chocolate and roll with fork to coat, remove quickly and place on wax paper covered baking sheet to set. If kitchen is hot, you may have to pop them in the freezer for a few minutes to get the chocolate hardened. Let cool completely before storing. Keep refrigerated.

I think of this as Christmas candy because when I was little, my mom would make homemade candies (including these) to give as Christmas gifts. The peanut butter logs were always my dad's favorite.

Chicken Strip Dip

1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
1 c. ketchup
1 Tbsp. dried onion flakes
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Mix all ingredients and warm over medium heat. Do not boil. Let cool and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. The flavors blend better if it sits for a while. Serve at room temperature or cold (I prefer cold) with chicken strips as a dipping sauce. Refrigerate leftovers.

My mom made this all the time when I was a kid. We didn’t have chicken strips without it. It’s a little more work than buying a premade dip, but it tastes so much better—it’s worth the effort.

John Walton’s Cold Cucumbers

8 cucumbers
2 tsp. salt
Water (enough to cover cucumbers)
1 tsp. mustard seed
1 tsp. celery seed
1 c. sugar
2 c. vinegar
Sliced onion (Optional)

Thinly slice the cucumbers and soak them in salt water 1 hour. Rinse and discard water. Soak cucumbers (and add onion slices now if using) in mixture of vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and celery seed overnight. Serve. These can be kept in refrigerator (in juice) for up to a week.

This was my grandmother’s brother’s recipe.

Hush Puppies

1 c. yellow corn meal
½ c. flour
1 egg
½ c. buttermilk
½ tsp. Seasoned Salt
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. baking powder
1/3 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. bacon grease or vegetable oil
½ c. whole kernel corn
1 Tbsp. sugar
¼ c. chopped onion
1-2 Tbsp. chopped green chilies--to taste (Optional)
Oil for frying

Mix dry ingredients. Add egg, oil, buttermilk. Stir. Fry in oil. Hush Puppies should float when done. You can refrigerate the batter for a day or so, but bring it to room temperature before cooking.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Grated zest of 1 lemon
3/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
1/2 c. olive oil
1 Tbs. minced fresh rosemary
1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt
black pepper
2 lbs of pork tenderloin

Combine zest, lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, mustard, and 2 tsp. salt to make marinade. Add pork and marinate at least 3 hours or overnight.

Remove pork from marinade and sprinkle with salt and and pepper. Grill until meat registers (at least) 137 at thickest part. Transfer to platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Makes 8 servings.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 5 points per serving.

This is a slightly modified version of a recipe in Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics cookbook.

Oven Fried Chicken Strips

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins
1 c. low fat buttermilk
2 lg. egg whites, beaten
1 c. all purpose flour
1/3 c. cornmeal
1 tsp. salt (divided)
½ tsp. ground black pepper
¼ tsp. ground red pepper
2 Tbsp. canola oil
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine buttermilk and egg whites in a shallow dish, whisk together.

Combine flour, cornmeal, ½ tsp salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a separate shallow dish and stir well.

Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining ½ tsp salt.

Dip chicken in buttermilk mixture, then dredge in flour mixture.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken to pan, cook 4 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.

Place chicken on prepared baking sheet and lightly coat chicken with cooking spray.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.

Serves 6.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 8 points per serving.


Anything oven fried is better for you than the deep fried version. Kids love chicken strips, and they'll like this healthier version too. I think this oven fried batter is much better than the traditional cornflake one.

Classic Pot Roast

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 3 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
2 c. coarsely chopped onion
1 c. dry red wine
4 thyme sprigs
1 14 oz. can fat free, low sodium beef broth
1 bay leaf
2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 in pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Brown roast on all sides in oil. Remove roast.

Add onions to pan and sauté 8 min. or until tender.

Return roast to pan. Add wine, thyme, broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer.

Cover and bake at 350 for 1 ½ hours or until the roast is almost tender.

Add potatoes and bake an additional 1 hour or until vegetables are tender.

Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf and discard. Shred meat. Serve with potatoes and cooking liquid.


I'm not a fan of traditional pot roast, but I love this recipe. You can add carrots when you add the potatoes if you like.

Spinach Roll Ups

1 box Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry (will contain two pastry sheets)
1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
4 Tbs. butter melted and divided
1 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced or chopped into small pieces
1 c. shredded cheese blend (I like Sargento’s Artisan’s Authentic Mexican Blend but you can use anything you like)
4-5 slices bacon
½ a small to medium sweet onion, chopped
Salt
Black Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350. Set out Puff Pastries to thaw. You want them thawed just enough to unfold and work with, but not thawed so much that they become sticky.

Drain spinach well, smashing between layers of paper towels to get out all moisture.
Chop the bacon into small slivers. I cut it up with kitchen scissors. Cook the bacon in a skillet, then drain and pat bacon with paper towels to remove excess fat. Set bacon aside.

Use a little of the drained bacon fat or spray a skillet with cooking spray and cook the chopped onion until transparent. Add chopped mushrooms. Cook through and set aside to cool a bit.

Unfold the pastry sheets and brush each lightly with melted butter (about 1 Tbs. per sheet).

In a large bowl stir the spinach, mushrooms, onions, bacon, and cheese together. Divide the mixture evenly between the two pastries. Spread the filling over the pastry, leaving about ½ in border all the way around. Sprinkle the filling with salt and pepper.

Roll the pastries up, cinnamon roll style. You can wrap in wax or parchment paper, place inside a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for up to two days if you want.

Slice ¼ to ½ in. thick. If cooking immediately and the dough has thawed to the point that it is becoming sticky, it will be hard to slice. You can set the roll in the freezer for 10 minutes or so to make slicing easier.

Place the slices cut side down on baking sheet. Brush tops with remaining 2 Tbs. melted butter.

Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 or until slightly browned.

Red Onion Spinach

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, sliced
¼ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp. soy sauce
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
20 oz. pre-washed fresh spinach (about 10 cups)
¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion and cook about 8 minutes or until tender. Add broth, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Add about one third of the spinach and cook until it begins to wilt, about two minutes. Continue adding the spinach one large handful at a time, sautéing just until it begins to wilt before adding more. Transfer to a bowl, top with cheese, and serve.

Taken from Giada de Laurentiis' Everyday Pasta cookbook. This is one of my favorite ways to do spinach.

Quick Skillet Chili Pie

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 (11 oz.) can sweet whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (1 ¼ oz) pkg. chili seasoning
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Fritos Corn Chips

Steam meat to cook out excess fat (or brown in skillet). Cook onion in large skillet until transparent. Add meat, beans, corn, tomato sauce, and chili seasoning. Stir and cook until heated through. Top with cheese and cover with skillet lid until melted. Serve over corn chips.

Winter Fruit Salad

1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, undrained
1 (3 oz.) pkg. vanilla cook and serve pudding mix
4 cups mixed fresh fruit chunks (apples, bananas, oranges, pears, etc.)
¾ cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup flaked coconut, toasted
Whipped topping (optional)

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Set pineapple aside. In saucepan, combine pineapple juice and pudding mix. Cook on medium heat until thickened. Cool.

In large bowl, combine pineapple, other fruit chunks, nuts, and coconut. Add dressing and toss to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with whipped topping if desired.

Makes ten ½ cup servings (not including whipped topping).

Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 4 points per servings.

Pot Roast with Mushroom Gravy

1 (3 ½ lb.) boneless beef roast
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
¼ c. flour
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups brewed coffee
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 lg. onion, sliced
3 tbsp. cornstarch
3 tbsp. water

Lightly dredge roast in flour, patting off excess flour. Brown roast on all sides in hot oil in large Dutch oven. Blend coffee, soup, and Worcestershire sauce and pour over roast; top with onions. Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until tender.

Reserve drippings to make gravy. Combine cornstarch and water. Stir into drippings. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 1 minute or until thickened. Pour gravy over roast.

Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Corn Spoonbread

¼ c flour
1 ¼ c corn meal
2 tbsp. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 8 ¼ oz. can cream-style corn
1 8 ¼ oz. can whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 8 oz. container sour cream
½ c butter or margarine, melted
2 large eggs
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled into small pieces (or more to taste)
½ an onion, finely chopped

Stir together all ingredients and pour into a lightly greased 11 x 7 inch baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden.

BBQ Country Style Pork Ribs

About 15 Country Style Pork Ribs, trimmed of fat as much as possible and sprinkled with salt and black pepper
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1 can Coca Cola (or Orange Sunkist for a sweeter BBQ flavor)

Place all ingredients in a roasting pan with lid. Bake covered at 325 degrees for 2-2 ½ hours or until meat is fall apart tender.

Slow Cooker Burritos

1 lb ground beef
1 pkg. McCormick Burrito Seasoning
1 can fat free refried beans
1 finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped tomato
1 pkg. reduced fat cheddar or Mexican cheese blend
8-10 burrito sized flour tortillas
Aluminum foil

Steam meat to cook out excess fat (or brown in skillet and drain). Transfer meat to skillet and add burrito seasoning and just enough water to thoroughly blend seasoning with meat.

Spread a thin layer of refried beans over a tortilla, then add a spoonful of meat and a sprinkling of onion, pepper, tomato, and cheese. Fold over ends of tortilla and close, then wrap in aluminum foil.

Place all foil wrapped burritos in slow cooker and cook on HIGH for two hours. The tortillas and veggies steam in the packets, creating a delicious, easy to serve, easy to clean up meal.

Serve with a side of rice and salsa, sour cream, additional cheese, chopped lettuce and tomatoes, and/or a warmed can of enchilada sauce as toppings.