Emma's Favorite Debbie's Macaroni and Cheese

Debbie's Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb elbow noodles (Barilla is my favorite)
18 slices Kraft American cheese
2-3 cups of milk
6 T butter
salt and pepper to taste

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.  Over medium-low heat, add milk and butter to cooked noodles.  Gradually add 18 cheese slices, stirring often, until melted.  Mixture will be runny.  Add salt and pepper to taste - don't forget to season!
Bake in oven-safe dish at 325 for 20 minutes and serve to your favorite toddlers.

Sweet Potato Souffle

Sweet Potato Souffle

from Ginger Manning 

6 sweet potatoes - bake at 375 for 45min. or until soft to mash
Mash and add in: 

2 cups of brown sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp. of cinnamon 

1/2 evaporated milk

Stir ingredients together & put in 9x13 baking dish.

Topping 

1 stick of butter 

1 cup b. sugar

2 tbls. of flour

1 cup chopped nuts (pecans)

Spread topping over potatoes in baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 min.

If the topping is to thick, add some water so it will spread better.

Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana (copycat from Olive Garden)
from geniuskitchen, with edits

1 lb Italian sausage (I use Jimmy Dean)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
4 medium russet potatoes, washed, sliced in half, then cut in 1/4-inch slices
2 cloves garlic
salt, pepper, chicken bouillon to taste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cups (one box) chicken broth
2 cups water
4 cups kale, deveined and sliced into ribbons
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 1/4 c heavy whipping cream

Cook and crumble sausage in Dutch oven.  Remove from pot.  Add bacon drippings and saute onions until translucent over medium heat, about 5 minutes.  Add sliced potatoes, garlic, salt and pepper, red pepper; mix, then add broth and water, and return sausage to the pot.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, until potatoes are tender.  Reduce heat to low and give a few good smashes with a potato masher to thicken.  Add kale, allowing it to wilt slightly.  Add in crumbled bacon and then slowly mix in cream.  Serve hot with crusty bread.

Apple Dumplings

Apple Dumplings with Mountain Dew

from Agatha Jenkins, because she's amazing 

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced into 8 pieces

2 tubes crescent rolls 

1 c butter, melted

1 1/2 c. White sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 can Mountain Dew 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll dough starting at the smallest end. Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish.
3. Melt butter and stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour over the apple dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew over the dumplings. (I usually use half the can. Also may sub sprite or other citrus  soda.)
4. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

White Bean and Chicken Chili

White Bean and Chicken Chili (in the instant pot)
from Linda Castillo, via the internet, with modifications

Ingredient
6 c chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 c dry white northern beans
4oz can diced green chiles, undrained
1 t dried oregano
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t chili powder
1 t salt
1 t ground black pepper
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (we use rotisserie)
3/4 c sour cream

Directions
Rinse and drain beans - no need to soak beforehand!  Add all the ingredients except chicken and sour cream to the pot.  Cook on manual high pressure for 32 minutes, then turn off and quick-release pressure. 
Add chicken to the pot and simmer for 12 minutes.  Add sour cream and serve.

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins or Pumpkin Bread

3 1/2 c sifted flour
3 c sugar
2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 1/2 t salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c oil
2/3 c water
2 c mashed, cooked pumpkin

Sift together flour, sugar, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Combine eggs, oil, water, and pumpkin and mix well.  Stir into dry ingredients.
For muffins, fill greased (or use liners) muffin tins 2/3 full.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until tops begin to brown and muffins bounce back to the touch.
For bread, turn batter in 3 greased 8x4-inch loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour.  Cool before slicing.


****

It may be only August but it's time for the pumpkin to come out!

Banana Bars

Banana Jelly Roll Bars w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

(adapted from Taste of Home)

http://tastysensations.blogspot.com/2010/03/banana-jelly-roll-bars-w-cream-cheese.html?m=1

Bars:
½ cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Dash salt

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, bananas and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into creamed mixture just until blended. Transfer to a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

For frosting, in a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Frost bars. Yield: 3 dozen.

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
from https://pinchofyum.com/instant-pot-mashed-potatoes


Ingredients
about 2.5 lb russet potatoes
2 t salt, divided
1/4 c butter
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 c cream cheese
1/4 parmesan cheese
1 t garlic powder

Peel potatoes and quarter.  Add to instant pot and cover with water (around 4 cups).  Add a teaspoon of salt.  Cook on steam setting for 12 minutes.  Release steam right away.  Drain.

Mash potatoes with a potato masher.  Let the steam escape for a few minutes, then mix in the butter, olive oil, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, remaining salt, and garlic powder. 

Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf
from Aunt Frances and Uncle Paul,
via Southern Living Homestyle Cooking, slightly modified

MeatLoaf:
2 pounds ground beef
3/4 c uncooked regular oats
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 c ketchup
1/4 c milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
salt and pepper

Saucy Topping:
1/2 c ketchup
3 T brown sugar
2 T spicy brown mustard

Combine MeatLoaf ingredients in a large bowl; stir well.  Form beef mixture into a loaf and place in a pan for baking.

Combine Topping ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well.  Spoon half the mixture over the top of the meatloaf.  Bake uncovered at 375 for 1 hour 15 minutes.  Spoon remaining mixture over meatloaf and bake 10 more minutes. 


*****

Aunt Frances and Uncle Paul gave us this cookbook when we were married and we have used it frequently!  Other favorites include cheese grits, lemon bars, fried shrimp, and hushpuppies.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

from Lauren's Latest https://laurenslatest.com/lemon-crinkle-cookies/ 

• ½ cups Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ⅛ teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
• ½ cups Powdered Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.
3. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
4. *If using a non stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Lemon Bundt Cake

Lemon Bundt Cake
from https://www.culinaryhill.com/lemon-bundt-cake/

Cake:
1 pkg lemon cake mix
1 (3.4 oz) package instant lemon pudding
2/3 c water
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/3 c fresh lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 t lemon zest

Glaze
3/4 c powdered sugar
1 T milk
1/2 t vanilla (I always go heavy on vanilla)
1-2 T lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350.  Generously coat large Bundt pan with Baker's Joy spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix and dry pudding.  Add water, oil, lemon juice, eggs, lemon zest; stir to combine.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes.  Cool 15 mins in pan.  Invert onto cooling rack and cool completely.
For glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.  Add lemon juice until the glaze is thin enough to pour.  Drizzle over cooled cake and let glaze harden for at least 10 minutes.


** Every year when the lemons come off the trees at Grammers' house, we juice a bunch and freeze the juice in cubes to use all year.  But also while there's fresh lemon juice in the house, we make all the lemon recipes.  We made this delicious treat for Grandma Day on Great-Grandma's birthday a few times because chocolate isn't her favorite, but citrus is.  This is a springtime classic.

Hammy Sammies

Hammy Sammies
  from Becky Higgins

24 rolls (I've used Sister Schubert's parbaked frozen rolls, Hawaiian rolls, and Costco's yeast rolls, and it doesn't matter they are all delicious.)
mayonnaise
12 thick slices deli ham (black forest)  
12 slices Swiss cheese
1/2 c. melted butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Slice rolls in half so they open. Spread mayo on top and bottom of the inside of each roll. Assemble rolls with ½ slice of cheese and ½ slice of ham. Place all of these in a baking pan or stone. Mix together the melted butter, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Brush this mixture all over the tops of the rolls and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes until heated through.

This is one of my favorite things to make to take in to families who are sick or have a new baby because leftover sandwiches go well in lunchboxes the next day.  A bag of chips and a few grapes and you're ready to go.  In colder weather, serve with a nice brothy soup (visiting teacher soup, anyone?) as an indulgent roll, or with macaroni and cheese to make the kids happy.  It's also a good way to use up leftovers from an Easter or Christmas ham. (Save the ham hock for Bean and Ham Soup.)

See someone else's post, with photos, here: https://www.kerribradford.com/2011/09/21/ham-swiss-rolls/

Bean and Ham Soup

Bean and Ham Soup
from the delightful Tammy Adams

1 pound navy beans (2 1/2 cups)
5 cups water
1 clove garlic
1 ham hock
1 t salt

Soak beans in water at least 4 hours.  You'll want to add MUCH more water than beans because they expand.  Drain water.
Add garlic, ham hock, beans, and water to crock pot.  Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours of high for 4 hours.  Add salt during the last hour of cooking time.
Remove ham hock from cooker and allow to cool.  Cut ham off hock and stir back into bean mixture.

Note from the original recipe:  "The most important thing of this recipe is you MUST use a ham hock.  I will make a ham for Sunday dinner and then keep the blessed hock to use for this soup!  I will sometimes cook a ham just so that I can have the hock for this soup.  It is really that good.  Be careful for the occasional bone.  For added flavor or color, you can add onion, celery, carrots, or tomatoes."

Tammy brought me this when when I was sick with pneumonia and also had two newborns.  I ate it for days and then got the recipe and made my mom make me another batch.  Now it is one of my cold-weather favorites!