Cheesy Potatoes

Ingredients

Small bag of frozen potatoes (or 6 medium potatoes)

1 can cream of chicken soup

¾ cup butter

¼ cup sour cream

¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup green onions

½  cup bread  crumbs

Cut potatoes with skin on and put in a buttered 2 ½ quart casserole dish or crock pot. In a sauce pan  mix together ½ cup butter, soup, cheese, onions and sour cream. Heat it over low heat and stir in potato. Pour it in a crock pot and put bread crumbs over the top.

Spinach Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 Large Potatoes
•  1/2 Cup Butter
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Green Onions
• 1/2 Teaspoon Dried Dill
• 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 10oz Frozen Spinach, Thawed & Squeezed Dry
• 2 Tablespoons Sour Cream

• 1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese to Sprinkle on Top

Wash and poke holes in your potatoes. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 1 hour or until cooked throughout.   Once cooked, scoop out the potatoes and combine with all of the ingredient except the Parmesan cheese.  Stuff the mixture back into the potato skins and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Then add the Parmesan and broil for 3 minutes.

Mac Daddy Mac n' Cheese
 
This is a Guy Fieri recipe that my mom recommended. I made it for our church small group last weekend, and it was a big hit. 

Ingredients

• 2 shallots, peeled
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 pieces bacon, diced, cooked, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon fat
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound penne pasta, cooked
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
  
• 2 tbsp. melted butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place shallots and garlic in a small aluminum foil pouch and drizzle with olive oil. Roast 20 to 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from foil and chop. In a large saute pan, reheat reserved bacon fat over medium heat. Add roasted shallot and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add flour and stir for 1 minute. Whisk in heavy cream and thyme. Reduce by a third. Stir in cheeses until melted, creamy and thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and gently stir in pasta. Place in a 9X13 casserole dish. In a small bowl, mix together diced bacon, bread crumbs, butter and parsley. Top Mac n Cheese with Panko mixture and bake uncovered at same heat until bubbling and lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/mac-daddy-mac-n-cheese-recipe/index.html

Spinach Dip

This is my all time favorite veggie dip. Although at my house growing up I seen it eaten with everything: tortilla chips, potato chips, pretzels, bread or a spoon.  Sometimes I have a hard time finding the Knorr Leak Soup so I will substitute it with the Knorr's Vegetable Soup.

10 oz. frozen spinach
16 oz. sour cream 
Knorr Leak Soup 
¾ cup Mayonnaise
3 green onions
Handful of Parsley
1 tsp. Dill 
½ package of Italian Dressing Mix

Blend all ingredients in a food processor.

Homemade Marinara Sauce

2 cloves garlic
½ Peeled onion
28 oz Can whole tomatoes with basil
2 TBS olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 drops of Tabasco or Red Pepper Flakes
 
Drop the garlic through the feed tube of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and running motor. Add onions and pulse until chopped. Drain the tomatoes reserving the juice and add until they are finely chopped. Heat oil in medium saucepan, add tomatoes and reserved juice. Simmer uncovered at medium heat until sauce is reduced and then about 20-30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Tabasco.

Snickerdoodles

One of the key ingredients to making them soft is the margarine.  I haven’t been able to find sticks of Parkay margarine lately, but I found that I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter work pretty well too. Also if you have time refrigerate the dough before rolling the balls so it hardens a bit.

1 Cup Margarine ( use Parkay or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter)
1.5 Cups of Sugar
2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 tsp. Soda
2 Eggs
2 ¾ Cups Flour
½ Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 400. Mix margarine, sugar and eggs. Blend in flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Roll in cinnamon sugar mix (the 2 tsp cinnamon and 2TB sugar).  Bake 8- 10 minutes.

Scotcharoos

This is one of the only recipes I have memorized.  I can’t resist eating these for every meal when I have them in the house.

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
6 cups rice cereal
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cups butterscotch chips

Mix light corn syrup and sugar in large pot until it bubbles.  Stir in peanut butter and remove from heat. Mix in cereal and press into a 13x9 pan.  In the microwave, melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips and spread over cereal mixture. Let the chocolate harden or stick them in the refrigerator to speed up the process. Enjoy!