Homemade Ice Cream

2 c. heavy cream

1 cans (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the heavy cream, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl until thick, stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes.  Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan or freezer-safe container, cover and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours and up to 2 weeks.

Hot Corn Dip

2  cans (11oz)  mexicorn, drained
2  cans (4.5oz) chopped green chilies, drained
2  c. grated monterey jack cheese
3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 c. mayonnaise (not miracle whip)
corn chips, for dipping (frito scroop or tostitos scoops)

Preheat the oven to 350°F Grease a 9 × 13 × 2-inch casserole dish. In a medium bowl, mix the corn, chile's, cheeses, and mayonnaise until fully combined.  Spread the mixture in the prepared casserole dish and bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges. Serve the dip warm from the oven with corn chips.

* Can also be prepared in a crockpot on low until all cheeses are melted, stirring occasionally.

Charleston Cheese Dip

1/2 c. mayonnaise
1  8oz package cream cheese, softened
1  c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2  c. grated Monterey jack cheese
2 green onions, finely chopped
Dash of cayenne pepper
8  Ritz crackers, crushed
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, green onions and cayenne pepper.  Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish.Top mixture with cracker crumbs and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through.  Remove the pan from the oven and top with the bacon. Serve immediately with corn chips, bagel chips or crackers.

 

Chocolate Chip Cheese Dip

 ½ c. butter
 ¼ c. brown sugar, slightly packed
 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
 8 oz cream cheese , room temperature
 ½ c. powedered sugar
1 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients.  Serve with Teddy Grahams.

Hamburger Steaks with Brown Gravy

Hamburger Steaks:

1lb ground beef

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp garlic powder

 

Brown Gravy:

2 tbs pan drippings

2 tbs flour

1 ¾ c. beef stock (or 1 beef bullion cube in 1 ¾ cups water as a substitute)

Salt & pepper to taste

 

Crumble ground beef in a medium bowl and add salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder; mix by hand until seasoning is evenly distributed taking care not to over-work the meat. Shape ground beef into four thin hamburger steaks (about ½ inch thick).  Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is good and hot, cook steaks on each side for 4-5 minutes or until nicely seared. Remove steaks to a plate and set aside (do not worry if they are cooked through, they will finish cooking in the gravy). 

 

Reduce frying pan temperature to medium. Pour off pan drippings into a cup or bowl then measure two tablespoons of the drippings and add back to the pan (the hamburgers should yield almost exactly two tablespoons but if you’re short, add melted bacon grease or butter). Add flour to pan and whisk to incorporate. Continue cooking and whisking for about 3-4 minutes or until roux is medium brown. Add beef stock and continue whisking for 2-3 minutes or until gravy starts to thicken a little (gravy will be thin). Add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Add hamburger steaks to gravy, reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until meat juices run clear and gravy has reduced and thickened.

Serve with white rice or mashed potatoes.

 

 

Ritz Cheesy Chicken and Gravy

Chicken
4 large chicken breasts
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/2 C milk
3 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 t dried parsley

Gravy1 14 ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 T sour cream
2 T butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks. In a small food processor grind up the ritz crackers.  Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.  Dip each piece of chicken into the milk then the cheese and finally the cracker crumbs.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan.  Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.
Cover the pan with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.

Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.

Pasta e Fagioli Soup

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, diced 

1 large carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced 

2 14.5oz cans diced tomatoes

1 15oz can red kidney beans, undrained

1 15o. can Great Northern Beans, undrained

1 Tbs white vinegar 

1 ½ tsp salt 

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

½ tsp pepper

 ½ tsp thyme

½ lb. Ditali pasta

 

Brown the ground beef in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and saute for 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender.  Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring often.  At 50 minutes into simmer time, cook the pasta according to package directions, until al dente. Drain the pasta and add to the pot of soup.  Simmer for 5-10 minutes.  Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  Serve with garlic breadsticks.

 

Stovetop Christmas

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas....mmmm, heat this on your stove to fill your house with warmth and good tidings!

one whole orange or just the orange peel

1/2 cup cranberries

1 Tbsp. whole cloves

3 sticks of cinnamon or a small handful of small pieces of cinnamon

a bit of grated nutmeg if desired

Quarter the orange (a really ripe one is best) or just use the peel.  Add all ingredients to a pot, add water, simmer on low heat.  You can reheat this same mix everyday for weeks.  Don't let all the water evaporate though.

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

5 c. of chicken broth (boxed or can is fine)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c. onions, chopped fine
1/2 c. celery, chopped fine
1/2 c. carrots, chopped fine
1/2 c. green onions, sliced
1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup Egg noodles
2 cups cooked chicken chopped

Add everything but the noodles and cooked chicken to the crock pot.  Cook on low for 7 hours.  During the last hour, boil noodles as directed on package, drain.  Add chicken and cooked pasta to crock pot, stir, serve with crackers.

No Peek Beef Tips

2 lbs stew meat
1  can cream of mushroom soup
1  packet brown gravy mix
1 packet lipton dry onion soup mix
1 4 oz can mushrooms (I personally leave these out because we don't like mushrooms)
1 c. water

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Add cubed meat to a 9 x 13 inch pan.  In a large bowl mix the remaining ingredients together and pour over the meat.  Add mushrooms and stir to coat. Cover with foil and bake at 300 degrees for 3 Hours.  No peeking!  Do not remove foil until done.  Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 14-ounce package smoked turkey sausage, sliced into rounds
1 1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 10-ounce can Ro-Tel Tomatoes and Green Chiles, Original Style
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces uncooked penne pasta (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Thinly sliced scallions
Salt, to taste
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet) until smoking.

Add the sausage and onion, and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add in the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the broth, Ro-Tel, heavy cream, uncooked pasta, and pepper, and give the mixture a good stir. Bring to a boil, cover the skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice while cooking. Preheat the broiler while the pasta is cooking.

Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Taste, and add salt as needed. Top with the scallions and remaining cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted and lightly browned - about 3 minutes.

Cheesy Taco Casserole

3/4 box of ziti noodles
1lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 c. water
4 oz cream cheese
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Boil pasta as directed.  Set aside.  Brown ground beef and drain, mix in taco seasoning and water.  Simmer for 5 minutes, add cream cheese, stirring until melted.  Add to pasta, add 1 cup of cheese, gently mix.  Pour into casserole dish, top with remaining cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes.