Most current recipes are listed first. For older posts, scroll on down.
For clarification later on, I’ll mention a few quirks I have when cooking. 🙂 I do a lot of “a little of this and that”, and don’t always measure. I eyeball things til it looks/tastes right. On substitutions: When “mayonnaise” is called for in a recipe, I normally mean “Miracle Whip”. Hubby likes the real stuff, I like my tangy zip. Also I use real butter in cooking – not margarine. This is just my preference, use whichever you like. I use olive oil almost exclusively in recipes that call for oil (you can’t taste the difference, even in baked goods). I also use unbleached, refined white flour for the most part.
I try to keep a well-stocked pantry onhand at all times. You never know when you’ll need something in the middle of cooking. Plus, in an emergency, it’s good to have extra. Most grocery stores have enough for 3 days. In the event of a major power outage (been there, done that), stores won’t be able to ring up groceries on their electronic cash registers. I just like thinking ahead, plus I love being able to walk into my pantry and find what I need. 😀
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Cornbread Dressing (2 versions)
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Popcorn Concoction
I’m not sure what else to call this, but it is great stuff, makes a lot, and makes great gifts! For Christmas, I have packaged it in holiday-themed cello bags, and tied with a bow. I also make it for our kids at church on Wednesday nights as a snack, and have also served it for VBS. For the Wed. night crowd, I double the recipe and it makes plenty to feed around 50 people. For VBS, I multiplied everything by 4 and had TONS left over (needless to say, everybody went home with a bag! LOL).
3 regular sized packages popcorn – popped (I normally use butter flavor, but use whatever you have)
1/2 to 1 whole bag of pretzels (any shape you prefer)
1 package vanilla almond bark, melted (microwave for 2 – 2 1/2 minutes, stir well)
1 – 2 cups of any of the following: M&Ms, pecans, peanuts, etc. (for the kids, I use M&Ms)
I mix this in a large dishpan so there’s room to stir. I also pour the popcorn into a separate bowl, then scoop it out so the unpopped kernels remain in the bottom. You do not want to chomp down on a kernel in this – ask me how I know!
Mix all ingredients together very well, then pour out onto wax paper (or freezer paper) to harden. Store in ziploc bags (or new large brown paper grocery sacks).
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Enchilada or Taco Sauce
I make a BIG batch of this and either can or freeze it. It’s wooooonderful! We eat it in enchiladas, over tacos, burritos, etc. The smell as it’s cooking is simply divine.
Very easy to make!
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2-3 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1-2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic (love garlic!)
1 – 8oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Saute onions in oil, add spices and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add other ingredients and simmer on low for at least 30-45 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick. Adjust seasonings to your taste. If you like really hot food, you could add red pepper flakes to this too. (I like a little spice, but not heat!)
I process this in my blender after it cools (kiddo doesn’t like onions), and the consistency is excellent.
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I make a BIG batch of this and either can or freeze it. It’s wooooonderful! We eat it in enchiladas, over tacos, burritos, etc. The smell as it’s cooking is simply divine.
Very easy to make!
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2-3 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1-2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic (love garlic!)
1 – 8oz can tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Saute onions in oil, add spices and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes. Add other ingredients and simmer on low for at least 30-45 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick. Adjust seasonings to your taste. If you like really hot food, you could add red pepper flakes to this too. (I like a little spice, but not heat!)
I process this in my blender after it cools (kiddo doesn’t like onions), and the consistency is excellent.
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1 – recipe of my enchilada sauce
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 – 8oz container sour cream
Mix this well. Reserve about 2 cups for sauce – set aside. To the remaining mixture, add:
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken breast
1 cup shredded cheese (we like cheddar best) (you’ll need 2 cups of cheese total – see below)
Mix well. Spoon about 1/4 cup of mixture into 12 flour tortillas. Roll tortillas and place seam side down into a 9×13 pan. (Preheat oven to 350 degrees.)
To the reserved mixture, add 1/4 cup milk for sauce. Stir until smooth. Spoon sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Makes 12 enchiladas. YUM!
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With the economy the way it is, we’re all looking for ways to save money. I’m going to post a few cheap recipes in case this helps someone else make it til next payday.
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Cheesy Ramen Noodles
We like the chicken flavor best – I don’t know how well it will work with another flavor.
1 pkg Ramen noodles with flavor packet
water – enough to cover noodles in a microwave safe bowl
2 oz Velveeta cheese
Crumble noodles in water, microwave for 5 minutes on high. Pour off almost all of the water – I usually leave maybe 1/4 cup to make sort of a “sauce”. Add the Velveeta in chunks along with some or all of the flavor packet. Stir well until cheese melts.
Note: You could also add some chicken or even Spam to this to make it go farther. Double the recipe for the whole family if you make this as a side dish. We eat this for a quick lunch quite often.
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Beef Rice-A-Roni
I make this in a skillet instead of a saucepan.
1 package beef flavored Rice-A-Roni (and water according to pkg directions)
1/2 to 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
1 can Rotel or diced tomatoes
4 slices American cheese
Mix the Rice-A-Roni with water according to package directions, then add cooked meat and rotel (tomatoes). Cook about 20 minutes – until rice is tender. Turn burner off. Lay sliced cheese on top and cover until cheese is melted. Serve with beans and you have a complete meal.
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Quesadillas
If you have leftover taco meat or chicken, this is a great way to use it up.
fajita size flour tortillas (or make your own – they are cheap and good!)
ground beef with taco seasoning OR leftover chicken (or turkey)
shredded cheese
Spray a skillet with non-stick spray with the burner on medium heat. Lay one tortilla in the pan, sprinkle with a SMALL amount of cheese, then meat, then another small layer of cheese (helps hold it all together!). Lay another tortilla on top and heat until cheese starts to melt. Flip the quesadilla over and lightly brown the other side. Use a pizza cutter to cut into wedges and serve with taco sauce, sour cream, etc.
NOTE: You can also make “pizza quesadillas” by using mozzarella and/or cheddar cheeses, pepperoni, and serve with pizza/spaghetti sauce.
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Mini-Pizzas
Kids and grownups alike LOVE these! And they are much cheaper than take-out!
1 can refrigerated biscuits (I use the cheapest ones I can find – doesn’t matter if they are buttermilk or plain)
Spaghetti or pizza sauce
Mozzarella or cheddar cheese
Pepperoni or ground beef (optional)
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper OR spray cookie sheet with Pam. Flatten biscuits with fingertips, top with a small amount of sauce, cheese, and meat. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes (or less – depends on your oven). They are done when the bottoms of the biscuits are lightly browned and the cheese is melted.
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BREAKFAST
Don’t overlook breakfast for supper. There have been many nights we’ve had biscuits, eggs, and sausage or bacon for our evening meal. Pancakes work great too, and even cereal.
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SOS (”Stuff” on a Shingle)
If you’ve been making your own bread, this is even better! Basically, this is just milk gravy with meat added and served over bread.
1/2 to 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
2 or 3 tablespoons oil
2 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
salt & pepper
Bread to serve it on
Heat oil in a skillet, add flour and stir until combined. Add milk and stir with a whisk until all lumps are gone. Continue to stir over medium high heat until mixture thickens. Add ground beef and season with salt and pepper. (I go easy on seasoning and prefer to let everyone season their plates to their own tastes.) Serve over sliced bread and adjust seasoning if needed.
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Chicken and Yellow Rice
Mahatma Saffron Yellow Rice may be regional, but you should be able to find packages of saffron yellow rice in your local supermarket wherever rice is located. If you boil your chicken, use the broth from it in the rice.
2 packages Mahatma Saffron Yellow Rice
2 tablespoons butter
3 1/2 to 4 cups water or chicken broth
chicken – cut into bite sized pieces
Cavender’s Greek Seasoning – to taste
In a large sauce pan, add broth (or water) and butter – bring to a boil. Add rice, chicken, and a few dashes of Cavender’s. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for 25 minutes or until rice is tender. I normally check this several times to make sure there is adequate broth or water. If it seems to be getting too thick, add a little more. Stir periodically.
NOTE: This is really good with green beans or salad and cornbread. My mom made this all the time when we were growing up!
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Hot Cocoa Mix
This makes a BUNCH, so use a large container for mixing and storage.
5 cups powdered milk
5 – 6 cups powdered sugar (or Splenda) – may use more or less to taste
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
Mix all together and store in an air-tight container. Makes about 36 to 40 servings.
To serve, use 1/3 cup of mix with 3/4 cup hot water. Stir well to dissolve.
NOTE: You could also use flavored non-dairy creamer if you’d like, or add some vanilla to the cup when you serve. Enjoy!
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Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
This is so good, you won’t ever go back to Ragu.
SMALL BATCH:
2 – 15oz cans tomato sauce
1 – 6oz can tomato paste
1 tablespoon parsley
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
1/8 cup olive oil (I don’t measure – just use enough to saute the onions)
1/2 cup chopped onion (or more)
1 teaspoon salt (more or less – cook for a while and then adjust to your taste)
1 1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 to 1 cup water (more or less – depends on the thickness you prefer)
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:
2 – 16oz cans whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons sugar
mushrooms
2 pounds ground hamburger, cooked and drained
Simmer onions in olive oil until translucent, add other ingredients and let simmer until you’re ready to serve. (Simmer at least 2 to 4 hours – crockpot works great for this!)
Now – if you love pasta as much as I do, this next batch is for you:
LARGE BATCH:
You’ll need a BIG pot – I use my 6 quart stainless.
1 – large #10 can (105 oz) tomato sauce
4 – 6oz cans tomato paste
4 tablespoons parsley
4 heaping tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil (I don’t measure – just use enough to saute the onions)
2 cups chopped onion (or more)
1/2 to 1 tablespoon salt (more or less – cook for a while and then adjust to your taste)
4 1/2 teaspoons basil
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground oregano
3 cups water
3 to 6 tablespoons sugar – some cans of tomato sauce are a little sweeter and require less sugar – every batch is different (you can even leave the sugar out completely if you want – we like just a touch of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomato)
Simmer onions in olive oil until translucent, add other ingredients and let simmer until you’re ready to serve. (Simmer at least 2 to 4 hours. If your crockpot is big enough, you might get all of this in there!)
Kiddo doesn’t like pieces of onion in anything, but loves the flavor, so I puree the onions after sauteing.
I also normally add a few dashes of Cavender’s Greek Seasoning and some garlic powder to this as well (we love garlic!). It’s cheaper to make a big batch, and it tastes so much better than the commercial stuff!
Enjoy!
Note: To feed 100 people, we multiply the large batch by 5 and use 15-20 pounds or so of spaghetti. Course, that takes into consideration they’ll eat a salad and garlic bread along with it.
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These freeze very well too. I normally make a double batch. Yum!
Chocolate Chip Pancakes
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup chocolate chips
Preheat skillet. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Mix in liquid ingredients until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into skillet. Cook until bubbles form on top and begin to pop, then flip. Serve immediately. (These don’t even need syrup!)
NOTE: These make very thick pancakes – the batter is stiffer than most pancakes mixes, but they are beautiful and fluffy. We love ’em! :o)
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Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
This is more like a chili than a soup, but it’s really good and low fat, not to mention cheap! Freezes well also.
1 onion, chopped
1 (16oz) can chili beans, Ranch style beans, or pinto beans
1 (15oz) can black beans
1 (15oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 can chicken broth
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes (could use 1 or 2 cans Rotel if you wanted)
1 pkg taco seasoning
3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Place all ingredients in crockpot, place chicken breasts on top and press down into the mixture. Allow to cook on low for 7 hours.
Before serving, remove chicken and shred/dice, add back to the crockpot.
Serving options:
rice
shredded cheese
sour cream
crushed tortilla chips
I like this best served over rice with cheese on top, but hubby prefers chips and cheese. This is soooo good and easy to make!
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Golden Egg Bread
2 eggs
6 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup warm water
3 cups bread flour (I use regular flour)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons sugar
1 package yeast (or 2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast)
Bake on regular white bread setting with the crust of your choice (we prefer light on this one). It makes a wonderfully tender loaf that is great for sandwiches or just about anything else.
MY MODIFICATIONS: I use 2 tablespoons honey and 2 tablespoons sugar, and also 2 tablespoons butter (yes, the real stuff) with 4 tablespoons olive oil. This has seemed to really make a big difference on the loaf staying softer for a longer period of time.
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Crockpot Saucy Scalloped Potatoes
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I love these recipes…thank you for sharing!!
Thank you, Shannon! Come back to see us anytime. :o)
Thanks for sharing 🙂
I’m heading back to university in the fall and can’t wait to try canning some of that spaghetti and taco sauce. It will be nice to come home from school and still be able to put something homemade in front of my husband when he gets home from work. I usually just can beets, pickles, jams and pie fillings, this will be a nice new direction. Thanks!