Four Cheese Mostaccioli

Continuing with another comfort food favorite...this is nice and cheesy.  Yummy with a simple green salad and garlic bread.

1-1/4 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
(2) 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes with Italian spices
4 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. mostaccioli noodles, cooked
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
8 oz. pkg. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz. pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook mostaccioli according to package directions in a large pot.  Drain pasta in a collander and set aside.  Cook the ground beef in the large pot with the onion.  Drain off any grease.  Stir in the tomatoes with the juice, simmer for 15 minutes.  Stir in cream cheese until melted.  Add cooked pasta and remaining ingredients.  Mix well and place in a lightly greased 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.  Serves 8

This is a great potluck dish to take to sports banquets, etc.  Cheesy, pasta, creamy goodness.  :)

Lemon Bars

Today I went out to my lemon tree and noticed an abundance of lemons...so, I made lemon bars.  This recipe is from my mom.

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups flour
1 cup powdered sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups granulated sugar
juice from 2 lemons
lemon rind

Blend together the softened butter, flour and powdered sugar.  Pack this crumbly mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan.  Bake at 350* for 25 minutes.

While crust is baking, mix together the eggs, granulated sugar, lemon juice and about 1 Tbsp. lemon rind.  When crust comes out of the oven, stir this lemon, egg, sugar mixture again and pour over hot crust.  Bake at 350* for another 15 minutes.

Cool thoroughly, cut into serving size bars and dust with more powdered sugar before serving.  I store mine in the refrigerator.  They are a refreshingly tart, cool treat on a warm day.  They are also pretty on a plate with a strawberry fan garnish.

Enjoy.  (I am gonna go get another bar...)

Festive Corn Dip

Easy recipe to have for the holidays, or any time. Very colorful and can be quite spicy, up to you. Great with Fritos 'Scoops' or Tostitos Scoops.

2 cans Green Giant Mexicorn (drained)
8 oz. sour cream (I use light sour cream)
1 cup real mayonnaise (I haven't tried the light version yet)
5 grn onions, finely chopped
12 oz. mild cheddar cheese, shredded (I usually use light Mexican blend)
1 med. jar pimentos, chopped (can be left out...but adds color)
1 tsp. garlic salt (sometimes I leave out)
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper (sometimes I leave this out too)
1/2 cup (or small can) chopped jalapeno peppers (drain for milder recipe, use with juice for spicier version)

Mix by hand...best if refrigerated overnight. Serve with 1 or 2 bags of Fritos or Tostitos 'Scoops'

Catalina Dip

Catalina Dip
A recipe from my past...

1/3 cup Catalina Salad Dressing
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. catsup
1 small onion, grated
Gradually add the salad dressing to the softened cream cheese, mixing until well blended. Add catsup and onion. Serve well chilled with fresh vegetables.

Peanut Butter Brownies

1 box Brownie Mix

Bake Brownies as directed on the box, cool completely



Frosting*


1 box Powered Sugar

1- 8 oz. package cream cheese

1/8 cup Peanut Butter (1/4 cup for more peanut butter flavor...I chose more)

4 Tablespoons milk (more milk for a smoother consistency if needed)

Optional: ½ cup chocolate chips, melted

Frost cooled brownies and drizzle chocolate over the frosting and refrigerate overnight.

*Frosting is enough to frost a large pan (2 boxes) of brownies.

Frosting recipe may be cut in half


Note: For the Christmas Holiday, you can substitute ½ cup crushed candy canes for the peanut butter with or without the chocolate drizzle

Hominy Casserole

I think this recipe came from my mother via my Grandmother Ruth.  My brother-in-law, Stan-the-Man, loves it.

2-16 oz. can white hominy, drained
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated Monterey Jack Cheese
1-4 oz. can diced green chilies, undrained
salt to taste

Mix all together and put in a greased 9"x13" square pan. Top with 1 Tbsp. butter and 3 Tbsps. bread crumbs. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes.

Great with Ham.
Enjoy!

First Sunday in the Park Coffee Cakes

1 yellow cake mix
1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding (4 serving size)
1/2 cup Wesson Oil (that's what the recipe says)
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs

Mix in a small bowl:
2/3 cup sugar
4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup walnuts

With a mixer, beat together the first five ingredients. Pour half of this batter in a greased bundt pan. Swirl half of the nut mixture over the top of the batter in the pan. Pour balance of batter over the swirled mixuture. Swirl remaining balance of nut mixture over top.
Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350*. Make lots and lots of these the night before First Sunday in the Park to sell at Bethel #217's hot dog booth. :)
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Mother's Club Coffee Cake
(the original from "scratch" version, provided by Sandi Weaver circa 1977)

1 cup Margarine (2 sticks)
1 1/2 cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 cup Sour Cream
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda

Topping
3/4 cup Brown sugar
1 Tbsp Flour
1 tsp Cinammon
2 Tbsp Margarine
1/2 Cup Walnuts

Cream together margarine & sugar. Then add eggs, sour cream and vanilla and stir until mixed. Then add flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix until combined.

Mix all of the topping together in a separate bowl.

Pour 1/2 of the batter in a bundt cake pan, then sprinkle 1/2 of the topping, then pour the rest of the batter and then top with the rest of the topping.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool in pan and then turn out onto a plate and enjoy!!!

Rum Cake...m-mm-mmm-good!

1 pkg. Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Golden Cake Mix
1 pkg. Instant vanilla pudding mix
4 large eggs
1/2 cup Rum
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped walnuts

Grease 2 loaf pans well. Place chopped nuts in bottom of pans. Beat remaining ingredients together at high speed for 4 minutes. Divide batter between the two pans and bake at 325* for 1 hour. Take cakes out of the oven and let cool and "fall".

In a saucepan, mix together:
1/4 cup rum
1/4 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cube butter (1/2 cup)

Boil for three minutes. Pour over cooled (and fallen) cake. Let rest until all the sauce has been absorbed. Turn pan over to release cake with the nuts being on the top on the cake now. Tastes better after it sits for a day. Wrap as a lovely...rum-ly fragrant gift cake. Yummy with coffee.

Macaroni Shrimp Salad

Macaroni Shrimp Salad

1 pkg. salad macaroni
sliced radishes
sliced green onions
Green Bell Pepper
6 hard boiled eggs
1 can shrimp, (drained and rinsed)
salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste
mayonnaise
Catalina salad dressing

Ha, ha, ha...mix all together. This is another recipe from my mom...so everything is to "taste" as to how much you add. I've also made this with bigger, fresh cooked shrimp. It's the Catalina dressing that makes this salad.

Pistachio Fruit Salad

Ok...here's the funny story about this recipe. My mom collected sooooo many recipes, and this was one of them I got from her. Years later, she asked me for this recipe after I made it for Easter. Apparently, she forgot that I got it from her originally...so, she wrote it on a new recipe card giving me credit for it. Silly mom.

Kids and husbands LOVE this!! It's more like a dessert than a salad.

20 oz. crushed pineapple, undrained
small box instant Pistachio pudding mix, dry
8 oz. cool whip, thawed
1 cup mini-marshmallows
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Ina a bowl, Sprinkle pudding mix over pineapple and let sit for a few minutes. Add additional ingredients and mix thoroughly. Best when made long enough to chill in refrigerator before serving.

Burritos by the pan-full

Burritos
This is from my mom's collection of recipes, but gives credit to her youngest sister, Debbie, and is dated 08/20/1974.

1 dozen flour tortillas
1 can green ortega chilies, chopped
1 large or 2 small cans pinto beans, drained (i'm guessing 28 oz.=large, 15 oz=small)
1 pound ground beef
1 package mild cheddar cheese (yep, this was back before you bought cheese already shredded)
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Pico Pica Taco Sauce
1 large can tomato sauce with tomato bits

Brown meat, drain, season with garlic salt and pepper. Mash beans with a fork ( I use a potato masher) into meat. Set aside.

Heat tomato sauce with 1 1/2 Tbsp. pico pica. Rinse tomato can with smidge of water and add to sauce pan. Can add some regular tomato sauce to stretch the sauce.

Grate the cheese (If you didn't buy already shredded).

Warm both sides of your tortilla on burner of stove until soft. Put a spoonful of mean/meat mixture, some cheese and chilies into the warmed tortilla and roll up. Place in a pan and repeat until all the meat mixture is used up and you have a pan full of burritos. Sprinkle more cheese over the burritos and pour the sauce on top. Bake at 325* for 15-20 minutes.

Serves the entire Ruth clan...mom, dad, 3 girls and 2 boys.

Sweet Crockpot Baked Beans

6-8 slices of thick cut bacon
1 medium onion, diced
16 oz. package of small dried white beans (like navy beans)
1/2-1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 heaping tablespoon prepared dijon mustard
3/4 cup BBQ sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Chipotle)
5 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
Start with your bacon.  Slice in half and fry over medium heat, just until fat is rendered.  You don't need to cook the pieces until they are brown and crisp.  Remove bacon from the grease and set aside.  DO NOT throw out the bacon grease.
Depending on how much grease your bacon gave, you may want to pour some off, but leave enough to cook your onions in until they are soft.
While your onions are cooking, mix together the packed brown sugar, molasses, cider vinegar, dry mustard, dijon mustard and barbeque sauce in a 5-6 quart crockpot/slowcooker.  Add the dried beans (no need to soak, but I do check for any rocks/debris that may have made it into the package), the cooked onions and the partially cooked bacon slices.
Add the 5 cups of water, stir all together.  Cook, covered on low for 12 hours until the beans are tender and the liquid is syrupy.
Before serving remove the bacon strips and discard, stir in 1/2 tsp salt and add pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
Note: For my non-onion eating friends, you could probably just leave those out...  :)