Vintage Lipton Onion Dip

Onion Dip

16 oz carton sour cream

 1 packet dry onion soup mix

In small bowl, combine ingredients; mix well.  Cover; refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to blend flavors.  Serve with vegetable dippers, potato chips or snack crackers.  Makes 2 cups.

Hot Pepper Jelly & Cream Cheese Spread

Hot Pepper Jelly & Cream Cheese Spread

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1 jar Hot Pepper Jelly

Ritz Crackers

Put the softened cream cheese on a plate, top with Hot Pepper Jelly.  Serve with the crackers.

This is an easy and delicious!  The first time I ever had it was at Mom's in North Carolina.

Chili Dip

Chili Dip

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 can Chili with Beans

1 pkg Pepper Jack cheese or cheddar, shredded

Tortilla Chips

Spread the cheese evenly over the bottom of a small casserole dish.  Spoon the chili over the cream cheese and sprinkle with the shredded cheese.  You can either microwave it covered until it's hot or heat in the oven which will brown the cheese a bit.  Let cool before serving...it gets very hot.  Serve with chips.  Also good with mini corndogs!

There are never any leftovers with this recipe!

Brown Sugar Smokies

Brown Sugar Smokies

1 (16 ounce) package little smokie sausages

1 pound bacon

1 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Place the wrapped sausages on wooden skewers, several to a skewer. Arrange the skewers on a baking sheet and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar. Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted.

SOOOO Goood!

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Smoked Almonds

Bacon Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Cream Cheese and Smoked Almonds

Jennifer found and served this recipe for Thanksgiving 2008.  They are addictive!

18 (1 by 1/4-inch) pieces cream cheese

18 pitted dates

18 smoked whole almonds

6 slices bacon cut crosswise into thirds

18 wooden toothpicks

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stuff 1 piece of cheese and 1 almond into each date, then wrap one piece of bacon around each date and secure bacon with a toothpick if desired. Arrange dates, bacon seam down and 1 inch apart in a shallow baking pan. Bake 5 minutes, then turn dates over with tongs and bake until bacon is crisp, 5 to 6 minutes more. Drain on a paper towel or parchment. Serve immediately.

Bacon Tater Tots with Mustard Dip

I found this recipe in a magazine in the late '70's and make it for Thanksgiving.  It was a HUGE hit and I made it every Thanksgiving for years afterwards.  People didn't even bother with the mustard dip….they'll eat this things as fast as you can make them!  And, seriously, only making 12 of these is a joke!  I always have to make the whole darn bag of tater tots to meet the demand for the these!

12 tater tots

6 slices bacon, halved crosswise

4 slices American Cheese

1/2 cup mustard

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp ginger

Blend mustard, brown sugar and ginger and set aside.

Cook bacon halves until slightly browned but still limp.  Meanwhile, prepare the frozen tater tots according to package directions. 

Cut slices of American cheese into thirds and wrap a strip of cheese around each hot tater tot.  Wrap limp bacon around cheese and secure with a toothpick. 

Broil, turning once, until bacon is crisp.  Serve hot with sauce.

Million Dollar Spaghetti

Million Dollar Spaghetti

1 lb ground beef

1/4 lb ground pork

Garlic Salt & Pepper to taste

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp fennel seed

24 oz jar spaghetti sauce (I used Barilla Marinara)

Drizzle of honey 

8 oz cream cheese (I used about 6 oz of the reduced fat variety)

1/4 cup sour cream (I used lite sour cream)

1/2 lb Cottage Cheese (I used about 6 oz Ricotta)

1 stick butter (I only used half a stick)

8 oz noodles, pre-cooked until al dente and drained (I used 16 oz Spaghetti)

Bag of shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350^ F.

Brown and crumble the meats in a large skillet with garlic salt, pepper, basil, oregano and fennel.  Drain and add the spaghetti sauce and honey.  Simmer about 15 minutes.  

Combine the cream cheese, sour cream and cottage (or Ricotta) cheese until well mixed.

Slice the butter into pats and place in a 9x13" pan or casserole dish.  Add half the spaghetti noodles and spread the cheese mixture evenly over that.  Top with remaining noodles (the original recipe say to add the rest of the butter at this point) and then the sauce.  Bake for 30 minutes.  

Remove from oven and top with the shredded Cheddar.  Bake for another 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let sit about 15 minutes before cutting.

This was absolutely delicious and I'll most assuredly make it again!

 Adapted from a recipe athttp://ashleykaitlin.blogspot.com/2011/01/million-dollar-spaghetti.html

Cathy's Favorite Chicken Noodle Soup

1 lb chicken tenderloins
Salt and Pepper
1/2 - 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small onion, diced
1-2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 heaping teaspoon fines herbes
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
32 ounce carton chicken stock
1 can Campbell's cream of chicken soup
Water (6-8 cups, approximately)
10 ounce bag frozen peas
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
16 ounce pkg fine egg noodles

Season the chicken tenderloins with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil and butter in a large stockpot until the butter is melted and starting to bubble a little.  Add the chicken and cook over medium-high heat until they begin to brown, then turn them and cook another 3 or 4 minutes.  Add the onion, celery and bell pepper and cook 2 or 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the fines herbes, sage, thyme and chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Cook until chicken is completely cooked and tender about 10 minutes.  Stir in the cream of chicken soup, water, peas, parsley and lemon juice.  Turn heat up to high and bring to a full rolling boil.  Stir in the egg noodles and cook 3 minutes (or until done).

Serve at once.

Excellent soup if I do say so myself!  And perfect for dinner when you've got a cold!

Note: I usually remove the cooked chicken before adding the cream of chicken and water.  I chop up 2 or 3 pieces into small chunks and add them back into the soup and then save the rest of the chicken to make chicken salad for lunch the next day!  Two meals for the price of one.

Hot Roast Beef Sandwich

2 Publix Bakery Egg Knot Rolls

1/2 lb Publix Deli top Round Roast Beef, cut into 1/2-inch strips

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon Lite Soy Sauce

3 splashes Worcestershire sauce

2 slices Sargento's Aged Swiss

2 slices American cheese

Mayonnaise

French's Spicy Brown Mustard

Good  Season's Italian Dressing Mix, prepared according to package directions (with white vinegar, water and        vegetable oil)

Shredded Romaine lettuce

Thinly sliced Beefsteak tomato

Cut the Egg Knot Rolls in half horizontally.  Melt half the butter on a large skillet over medium high heat.  Place the rolls, cut side down, in the skillet until lightly toasted.  Remove to serving plates and top the bottom half of the rolls with 1 slice Swiss cheese and 1 slice American cheese each. 

In the same skillet, melt the remaining butter.  Add the beef strips, soy sauce and Worcestershire.  Toss the meat around in the skillet until it's hot through and then divide the hot beef on the cheese-topped roll bottoms.  Spread a little mayonnaise and drizzle of mustard onto the roll tops.  Top the beef with lettuce and sliced tomatoes and drizzle with a little Italian Dressing then place the roll top over the sandwich. 

Serve with a Salad and a slice of Publix's Mini Apple Pie for dessert.  Excellent meal!!

Sausage-Veggie Soup

OK, here's one of my favorite quick and easy dinners: Sausage Veggie Soup, served with Garlic Bread Sticks (New York's Original Garlic Bread Sticks - in your handy dandy freezer case at the grocery store!) This is one of those meals that I go to when I forget to set something out of the freezer....I always keep a pound of Jimmy Dean Sausage that I have browned and crumbled, in the freezer. I do the same thing with ground chuck. So, here's the soup:

Sausage Veggie Soup

1 lb sausage (I like Jimmy Dean's reduced fat sausage but this is great with Hot or Sweet Italian too)

1 chopped onion

1-2 cloves minced garlic

Splash of Worcestershire sauce

Pepper (I use black pepper and a 6 Pepper Blend or some crushed red pepper flakes) to taste

Italian Herbs to taste

1 16-24 oz jar your favorite spaghetti sauce

1 large container chicken stock

1 can dark red kidney beans or black beans

10-16 oz pkg frozen veggies (I usually use mixed vegetables but whatever's in the freezer is fine)

Brown the sausage in a large pot or Dutch Oven with the onions (throw in some chopped bell pepper if you want) and the garlic. When browned, splash in the Worcestershire and add pepper and herbs to taste. Pour in the spaghetti sauce, chicken stock and beans. Add water if too thick. Heat to a gentle boil until everything's hot. Add the vegetables and cook until done. Great with Garlic Toast. This is also good with a handful of small pasta....(which I cook separately so it doesn't get overdone), and add to the bowls before I ladle in the soup. I HATE overcooked pasta!

Pineapple Num Num

2 cans pineapple tidbits, drained

1 cup sugar

5 tbsp flour

1-1/2 cups shredded cheese (give or take)

1 tubs Ritz crackers, crushed

1 stick melted butter

Butter a casserole.  Heat oven to 350^F.  Mix the pineapple with the sugar and flour and put the mixture into the casserole dish.  Top with cheese.  Mix the Ritz crumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle over the cheese.  Bake 1/2 hour.

Awesome!!  This is one of my absolute all-time favorites.  It's terrific with anything Pork and is always a hit at Pot Lucks!  

From Carol Noles

Aunt Suzie's Oh So Good Cake

Cake:
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
1 (17-oz) can fruit cocktail
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup pecans

Glaze:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350^F.  Grease and flour a 9x13" pan.

Stir the sugar and flour together in a large bowl.  Add the fruit cocktail (juice and all) and the eggs and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.  Pour into the prepared pan.

Combine the brown sugar, coconut and pecans.  Sprinkled over cake batter.

Bake at 350^ for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Meanwhile, in a small pan, combine the sugar, evaporated milk, and butter.  Bring to a boil and cook about 4 minutes or until it thickens.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla until well mixed.

Remove the cake from the oven, and while still hot, pour the glaze over the cake.

Cool completely and serve.

This cake brings back so many happy memories of our summers in Jacksonville.  We'd spend the mornings at the beach, then, after a nap!, we'd play in the yard late in the afternoon while Daddy and Uncle Gene manned the grill.  Mom and Aunt Suzie would make the rest of our dinner in the kitchen and start the ice cream which we kids would take turns churning!

I called Aunt Suzie in 1977 for this recipe.  I wrote it on the back of a receipt from Lake Gas Co, which also brings back great memories.  Grandpa worked there for so long and he and Granny lived right on the property.  I spent so much time with them when I was growing up.

The BEST Broccoli

1 package frozen broccoli florets
1 tablespoon lite soy sauce
2 tablespoons butter, cut into 3 or 4 pieces

Place the frozen broccoli in a microwave safe bowl and sprinkle the soy sauce over it.  Microwave on high for 6-8 minutes, or until broccoli is crisp tender.  Remove from the microwave, add the butter and stir until it melts.

The BEST broccoli ever!  My personal favorite!

Hamburger Ramen Soup

1 lb ground chuck

3 packets Beef Flavored Ramen Noodles

3 packets Oriental Flavored Ramen Noodles

4 tbsp lite soy sauce

1 tbsp Chinese hot mustard

4 tbsp duck sauce 

1 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder

1 tbsp crystallized ginger

16 oz pkg frozen broccoli, cauliflower & carrots combination (or Oriental veggie mix)

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, green beans, etc)

8 1/2 cups water

Brown and crumble the ground chuck in a large Dutch oven. Drain and discard any grease. 

Add the 6 spice packets from the Ramen noodles (only use 4 if you need to cut back on your sodium), the soy sauce, hot mustard, duck sauce, five spice powder and crystallized ginger. Stir in the frozen vegetables and the water. 

Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes or until veggies are done. Stir in the Ramen noodles and cook about 2 minutes or until noodles are just cooked....do not overcook the noodles! Serve immediately.

This is quite possibly my favorite noodle soup of all time. It makes enough to serve 4 normal people, but John likes it so much he can easily eat half of it by himself AND he'll even eat the leftovers for breakfast!  

Note:  I use the leftover packets of hot mustard and duck sauce that come with our Chinese take-out for this recipe!    

Buttermilk Pancakes with Amazing Buttermilk Syrup

Buttermilk Pancakes with Amazing Buttermilk Syrup

PANCAKES:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
2 Tbsp butter, melted

SYRUP:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup + 1-1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla

Sift the flour, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar into a bowl.  Add egg, buttermilk and melted butter and whisk until well combined.  Pour 1/4 cup portions onto a hot, buttered griddle and cook until golden brown on both sides, turning once.  Makes 12 delicious, melt-in-your-mouth pancakes.

For the syrup (and don't skip this because it is so much better than regular syrup with these pancakes!):  In a small saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and buttermilk.  Heat over medium heat until sugar completely dissolves and just before it comes to a boil.  Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla.  It will foam up so be prepared!  Serve hot with the pancakes.  Your tummy will thank you!

These are the BEST pancakes I've ever eaten in my life and the syrup was AWESOME!  I halved the original recipe since it's only John and I for breakfast but we ate them all!  Seriously!

Found on Pinterest and traced to chef-in-training.com.

Cathy's Macaroni and Cheese

I may be biased, but my family's recipe for Macaroni and Cheese is the BEST Mac and Cheese I have ever eaten. Period.

Macaroni and Cheese

16-oz box elbow macaroni
Cheese, shredded - lots of it
Butter, 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Milk or Half and Half, or a combination
Garlic Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Cook the macaroni in boiling, salted water as directed on the package to al dente (or the minimum amount of time listed in the cooking instructions).

Butter a casserole dish or a 9x13" pan and leave the rest of the butter in the pan, cut in chunks. Drain the macaroni and pour into the buttered pan. Season to taste with the garlic salt and pepper. 

Stir in the cheese. You must use at least 2 cups of shredded cheddar. We always throw in a couple of handfuls of whatever other kind of cheese we have on hand. Do NOT skimp on the cheese!  Here's what it should look like.  This is about 2 cups of shredded Velveeta and 2 cups of shredded Sharp Cheddar. 

Stir the cheese into the macaroni and level it out.

Pour in enough milk to come to the top of the macaroni. 

 Now, stir it around and level it out again. The milk should be just under the top layer of elbows.  Like this:

Bake about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let set 5 to 10 minutes before serving.  

This is excellent as is, or you can add cubes of just about any kind of cooked meat - smoked sausage and ham cubes are my favorites.  Or bacon.  Bacon is always good!  

Delicious!

Note:  I used Shredded Velveeta in this batch and I didn't like it as much.  It was good...but it tasted like Velveeta.  John liked it.  I prefer real cheese and preferably a combination of mild and sharp Cheddar plus a little shredded Swiss or Jack.  

Foolproof Rib Roast

1 (5 pound) standing beef rib roast
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Allow roast to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the salt, pepper and garlic powder in a small cup. Place the roast on a rack in a roasting pan so that the fatty side is up and the rib side is on the bottom. Rub the seasoning onto the roast.

Roast for 1 hour in the preheated oven. Turn the oven off and leave the roast inside. Do not open the door. Leave it in there for 3 hours. 30 to 40 minutes before serving, turn the oven back on at 375 degrees F. to reheat the roast. The internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving into servings.

This truly is a foolproof way to cook a rib roast. I've made this several times since finding this Paula Deen recipe on foodnetwork.com and it's always juicy, tender and perfectly cooked!

Cathy's Cincinnati Chil

This is one of our absolute favorite meals!  Everyone at my house loves it!

 

2 - 2 1/2 lbs ground chuck

1 tsp olive oil

1 medium minced onion

4 cloves garlic, crushed

Garlic Salt & Pepper to taste

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cumin

3-4 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp ground allspice

12 oz can tomato paste

15 oz can tomato sauce

1 12-oz can Coca-Cola

3-4 cups water

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

3 Tbsp honey

4 bay leaves

1 oz block unsweetened baking chocolate

2-3 cans dark red kidney beans

1 lb spaghetti, cooked and drained

Shredded cheese

minced red onion (or a Vidalia)

Brown the meat, onions, garlic, garlic salt & pepper in a large heavy pot.  Add Worcestershire sauce and the spices and cook a couple of minutes.  Add the tomato paste, tomato sauce and Coke.  Add enough water to thin the mixture somewhat.  You don't want it too thin though - it should be thick enough to cling to the spaghetti.  Stir in the vinegar, honey, bay leaves, and chocolate.  Cook slowly until chocolate melts.  Add beans and simmer for an hour or so.  Serve over cooked pasta topped with shredded cheddar, minced onions).  

Lauraine's Swedish Meatballs

2 lbs ground beef

2 eggs

2 onions, grated fine

2 raw potatoes, grated fine

8 saltine crackers, crushed

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Oil for frying

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 soup can water

1 (4oz) can mushroom caps

Combine hamburger, eggs, onions, potatoes, cracker crumbs, salt & pepper.  Mix well.  Shape into small (about 1-inch) balls and brown in a small amount of oil in a skillet a few at a time.  Pour off oil.  Add mushroom soup, water and mushrooms.  Simmer at least 20 minutes.

Lauraine Kwoka used to bring this to all the college pot lucks before she retired.  These were always a hit with everyone!

Brandied Cranberry Sauce

2 bags fresh cranberries, washed  (about 4 cups)

2 cups sugar

Cinnamon

Cherry Brandy

Place the cleaned cranberries in a 9x13' baking dish.  Pour the sugar over them and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake at 300^ for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Remove from oven and stir in about 1/4 cup brandy.  Cool and serve at room temperature or chill.

This stuff is SO much better than the canned stuff!!

11/25/10 Variation
Added 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp crystallized ginger and 1 tsp cinnamon with 2 1/2 cups sugar and 1 large chopped Fuji apple with Blackberry Brandy.  Yum!!