Christmas Party Tarties

I just submitted this Christmas recipe to a contest. It turned out really well. SO easy with four ingredients!

Ingredients:

6 ounces Brie cheese
15 Athens Mini Fillo Shells (1 box)
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1 kiwi, peeled and small diced

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the brie into 1/2 inch squares. Place a square of Brie into each Fillo Shell. Place on a metal pan in preheated oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is just melted. Remove from oven and top with half pomegranate seeds (red) and half diced kiwi(green). Serve warm.

Sweet Potato Casserole-reposted for 104.7 The Fish

I was selected to compete in the "Sweet Potato Battle" on Kevin and Taylor's Thanksgiving Homemade Smackdown on Christian radio station The Fish 104.7 on Monday, November 21 around 7:30am. I'm re-posting my Sweet Potato Casserole which tastes like a cross between a casserole and souffle.

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 cups mashed sweet potatoes, baked (fresh is best)
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions:
First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees to cook the fresh, sweet potatoes.  Rub the sweet potatoes with a little oil; place on a baking sheet and bake for an hour at 400 degrees for the best result. Allow to cool, peel, then mash the cooked, sweet potatoes and set aside for later use in the recipe.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla and milk. Pour into a casserole dish or 8 inch by 8 inch pan. Mix the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

Givin' Thanks for BAKED CORN PUDDING

The holiday countdown is on! This is a tasty side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and it's not difficult or expensive to make. It relies on canned corn and creamed corn. Everyone will think you worked much harder than you actually did. ;)

Baked Corn Pudding

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1-15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
1-14 ounce can cream-style corn

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the sugar and flour. Whisk in the eggs, milk, butter, salt and pepper. Stir in the corn and creamed corn. Pour the mixture into a 2 1/2 quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a knife comes inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serves 6-8

Best Ham Sandwich Rolls

I've been craving these, so I pulled out this old recipe. If you make them on the small dinner rolls, then it's an appetizer. If you make them on sandwich buns, then it's lunch or dinner. You can't get much better than that!

Best Ham Sandwich Rolls

Ingredients:
1 package Pepperidge Farm dinner rolls (split horizontally) or 6 sandwich buns
1 stick butter (at room temperature)
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 pound shaved ham (I love Black Forest)
1/4-1/2 pound Swiss cheese slices

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the softened butter, mustard, Worcestershire, and poppy seeds in a small bowl until combined. Spread the butter mixture on both sides of the rolls/buns. Place the ham and cheese in the middle of the bread. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Mexican Pork Stew - In the Crock Pot

It's that time of year. Pull out your Crock Pot and make some stew! In Spanish, this pork stew is called "posole". The Mexicans use hominy, just like the Southerners, but I actually prefer the Mexican recipes using it better. If you can't find hominy, just substitute regular corn.

Mexican Pork Stew - In the Crock Pot

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes
2-16 ounce cans posole, drained
1-28 ounce can GREEN Enchilada Sauce, medium (I love Las Palmas brand)
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lime juice
chopped cilantro (optional as topping)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except cilantro, in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours. Serve as is in a bowl or with tortillas.  Serves 6.

Mini Meat Loaves

Here comes a son-requested recipe from my family-favorites file. I hardly make a meatloaf any other way any more. It's YUMMY in your tummy!

Mini Meat Loaves

Ingredients:
3/4 cup ketchup (divided into 1/2 cup and then reserve 1/4 cup for glaze)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups Chex corn cereal, crushed
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 and 1/2 pounds lean, ground beef

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the first 9 ingredients (everything except the meat) in a large bowl and allow to soften for a minimum of five minutes. Mix the ground beef into the cereal/ketchup/spice mixture until well combined. Portion the beef mixture into 12 metal cupcake tins. Top with the reserved 1/4 cup of ketchup for a glaze. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes.

Healthier Chicken Lasagna

I use this recipe when I want a break from regular beef lasagna. It's a nice change of pace. It's a good way to sneak a few vegetables into your family too. Using the "no boil" lasagna noodles saves time and a dirty pan.

Healthier Chicken Lasagna

Ingredients:

½ cup chopped onion
2 carrots-peeled and diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 rotisserie chicken, remove skin and cut into bite-size pieces
1-10.75 ounce can 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
½ cup low fat or skim milk
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 -10 ounce box frozen, chopped spinach-thawed and squeezed dry
12 ounces low fat cottage cheese
1 cup shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese
8 no-boil lasagna noodles

 Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Saute the onion and carrots in the butter in a medium saucepan until tender. Stir in the soup, milk and basil. Heat thoroughly.  Pour half of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place four of the lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Spread the chicken pieces evenly on top of the noodles.
 

In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, cheddar cheese, and cottage cheese.  Evenly spread the spinach/cheese mixture on top of the chicken. Top with the remaining four lasagna noodles and then add the remaining soup/milk sauce as the final layer.  Cover the pan with foil. Bake for 45 minutes.

 

Serves 4-6