Tortellini Bolognese by CK
1 pkg frozen Rosetto Tortellini (any filling)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage
½ medium onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
8 oz tomato sauce
½ cup chicken broth (or red wine)
4 oz mushrooms
¼ tsp basil
¼ tsp oregano or thyme
Prepare frozen pasta as directed.  Meanwhile, for sauce, place oil in pan, heat.  Add ground beef and brown.  Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until soft.  Mix in remaining ingredients.  Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over prepared pasta.




Cheese Spread by BDM


Melt 1 T butter over low heat
Stir in:  3 T vinegar
         1 T flour
         ½ c sour cream
         1 egg
Cook over low heat until thick
Meanwhile soften 8 oz of cheese in microwave. Stir into above mixture and continue cooking until all of the cheese is melted
Add 1 T minced onion
         ¼ t garlic powder

OVEN BEEF HASH by CK
2 c. finely chopped cooked potato
1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 c. finely chopped cooked beef
1 1/4 c. finely crushed rich round crackers (Ritz)
1/2 c. shredded carrot
1/3 c. finely chopped onion
1/3 c. snipped parsley
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. melted butter
Lightly stir together potato, evaporated milk, beef, 1 cup of the crushed crackers, carrot, onion, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and oregano. Turn mixture into a 1 1/2 quart casserole.
Combine remaining 1/4 cup cracker crumbs and melted butter; sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake, covered at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.






Pork Tenderloin with Carrots and Fries by BDM
Shake 1 T flour into a large oven cooking bag
Place in bag: one ¾ to 1 lb pork tenderloin
                        one 16 oz package crinkle cut sliced fresh carrots
Stir together and pour into bag: ⅓ c maple syrup
                                                2 T olive oil
                                                1 t dried rosemary
                                                ¼ t pepper
Close bag using provided tie. Turn bag to coat meat and carrots. Place filled bag in one end of large roasting pan. Cut six ½ inch slits in top of bag
Toss 4 c frozen French fried waffle cut potatoes with 2 T olive oil and 1 t rosemary.
Fill other end of pan with potatoes
Roast for 35 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees until potatoes are browned and crisp. (Meat thermometer should show 155˚). Carefully remove food from oven bag. Cover meat and carrots with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.    

BACON NEST EGGS by CK
bacon (1 strip for each nest egg)
eggs (1 for each nest egg)
bread crumbs
cheddar cheese
butter 
Lightly grease muffin pan. Place bacon strip against the sides of each hole. Fry bread crumbs in butter until crisp and brown. Mix with finely grated cheese.
Half fill muffin pans with crumbs mix. Break egg on top. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake in 300 degree oven until egg white is set, then broil until egg yolk is set.
Serve immediately.




Chocolate Covered Cherries by BDM
Pat 60 maraschino cherries with stems dry with paper towels
In a small bowl combine 2 c powdered sugar
                                    3 T butter
                                    3 T light corn syrup
                                    ¼ t salt
Knead until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for an hour


Roll filling into ½ inch balls, flatten each into 2 inch circle. Wrap each circle around a cherry. Refrigerate wrapped cherries, stem up on waxed paper lined baking sheets, covered for an hour.


Melt 2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
        2 T shortening
Stir until smooth. Dip cherries into melted chocolate, let excess drip off. Place on waxed paper. Let stand until set. Refrigerate until hardened. Store in a covered container, and refrigerate for 4 weeks, as it takes that long for the cherries to “percolate”

Chicken Fettucine Alfredo by CK
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into cubes
6 tablespoons butter, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 pound fettuccini pasta
1 onion, diced
1 (8 ounce) package sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
3 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup sour cream
In a large skillet over medium heat combine chicken, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 cloves garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Saute onion, 2 cloves garlic, and mushrooms until onions are transparent. Stir in flour, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes. Slowly add milk and half-and-half, stirring until smooth and creamy. Stir in Parmesan and Colby-Monterey Jack cheeses; stir until cheese is melted. Stir in chicken mixture, tomatoes and sour cream. Serve over cooked fettuccini.


You do not want to use a grated parmesan that you buy on a shelf. When you cook with that type, your Alfredo goes from a sauce to a gooey mess. You want to buy a very good and very hard parmesan in triangle form. Also, make sure the cream doesn't boil too much or there will not be enough liquid to make the Alfredo sauce smooth.






Watergate Salad by BDM


Sprinkle 1 package of instant pistachio pudding
over 8 oz tub of Cool Whip and gently fold in
Gently stir in 1 c miniature marshmallows
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple with juice
¼ c walnuts or almonds
If deeper color is desired stir in a few drops of green food coloring
Refrigerate until ready to serve

Chops baked in Orange Sauce by CK


4 thick pork chops
1/2 cup orange juice
4 Tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dry mustard
Place chops in a baking pan large enough so they do not overlap.  Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over the chops.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until done, usually about an hour.  Baste frequently with sauce.






Brown Sugar Smokies by Gena
1 lb bacon
1 (16 oz.) package Little Smokies
1 c brown sugar, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little smokie.  Pin together with a toothpick.  Arrange on a baking sheet and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar. Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted.  (about 20 minutes)






Stuffed Mushrooms by Gena
2-3 lbs whole fresh mushrooms, cleaned and stems removed
1 lb. breakfast sausage
1/2 lb Velveeta

Brown sausage and drain.  Add Velveeta.  Warm until cheese is melted.  Stuff sausage/cheese mixture into whole mushrooms.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

CHRISTMAS RIBBON SALAD by CK

2 (3 oz.) lime Jello
2 1/2 c. hot water
1/2 c. pineapple juice
20 lg. marshmallows, cut up
1 (3 oz.) lemon Jello
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 1/2 c. hot water
1 (3 oz.) cherry Jello
1 (3 oz.) red raspberry Jello
2 1/2 c. hot water

Mix lime Jello and hot water. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Let stand until firm in refrigerator. Heat pineapple juice and marshmallows in pan until melted. Dissolve lemon Jello in 1 1/2 cup hot water. Soft cream cheese. Combine the hot marshmallow-pineapple juice, lemon Jello and cream cheese. Mix well. When cool, pour over first layer. Let stand in refrigerator. Combine cherry and red raspberry Jello with 2 1/2 cups hot water. When cool, pour over 2nd layer. Cut in 2- 3 inch squares to serve.

 Cranberry Upside Down Cake by BDM

Topping:

Rinse 2 ½ c fresh cranberries, discarding any soft or shriveled ones

Melt ¼ c butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, stirring often

Stir in ¾ c brown sugar, cook and stir until sugar melts and bubbles

Add cranberries, spread in a single layer, set aside

Cake:

Combine    1/3 c shortening

          2/3 c granulated sugar, beating until well combined

Add     1 t vanilla

    2 eggs, beating until smooth

In a separate bowl combine 1  2/3 c flour

             2 t baking powder

            ¼ t salt

Add to shortening mixture 2/3 c milk and flour mixture, beating until batter is smooth

Pour batter over cranberries. Bake 30 minutes in preheated 350˚ oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, let sit for 10 minutes. Put a large serving plate over the skillet and turn upside down. Cake will drop onto plate.

Serve with whipped topping on the side.

Oyster Cracker Snacks by CK
12 oz pkg of oyster crackers
1 cup vegetable oil
4 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1 tsp lemon pepper
Combine oil and powder in a gallon size zip lock plastic bag.  Mix by squeezing.  Add the crackers and shake well.  Pour on a paper towel to “dry” for about 20 minutes.  Store in an air tight container.
Other Variations:
      1 tsp garlic powder + 1 tsp dillweed + 1 pkg dry Ranch Dressing


      1 Tbsp taco seasoning + 1/8 tsp garlic powder




Pumpkin Dip by CK
One 8oz cool whip
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg and ginger will work)
15oz canned pumpkin
Gingerbread men or graham crackers
Thaw cool whip. Mix pumpkin, dry vanilla pudding mix, and pumpkin pie spice.
Fold in thawed cool whip and serve.


Pumpkin Dip by CK - version 2
15 oz canned pumpkin
8 oz cream cheese - softened
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 cups powdered sugar
4 oz cool whip
Using electric mixer on low speed, blend the pumpkin and cream cheese until smooth.  Add pumpkin pie spice and powdered sugar and blend with mixer until smooth and creamy.  Fold in the cool whip and refrigerate for at least on hour.  Serve with ginger snaps or cinnamon graham crackers.




Winter Greens by BDM
Toss together in a large salad bowl:
1 bag (10 oz) mixed baby greens or Italian blend salad greens
1 avocado, pitted, peeled and cubed
1/3  cup pistachio nuts
¼ c dried cranberries
Beat together with a wire whisk until smooth:
1/3 cup olive oil
        ¼ c balsamic or red wine vinegar
        2 T sugar
        1 clove garlic, finely chopped
        1 t Dijon mustard


Toss dressing with greens together when ready to serve