Mac and Sausage

Because children like anything that includes Mac and Cheese, but adults often want something a little fancier. Here’s a great way to appeal to the whole family!

Ingredients:
1 lb sausages (any sausage type)
1 ½ cups milk
12 oz Velveeta cheese
1 cup of mushrooms, sliced
1 cup diced tomato
½ cup Dijon mustard
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
2 oz elbow macaroni
2 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup green onion, chopped

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease 2 quart casserole.

Cook pasta according to package instructions.

In a skillet, crumble and cook sausage until nicely browned.

In a large saucepan, combine Velveeta cheese, milk and mustard and cook over low heat – stirring constantly – until the cheese melts and the mixture is nice and smooth.

Add the sausage pieces, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, sausage and pepper and combine well. Remove saucepan from heat.

Add the cooked macaroni to the cheese mixture and stir. Then spoon the mixture into the greased casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake for about 15 – 20 minutes. Top with the grated parmesan cheese and bake uncovered for another 5 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Indian Coconut Shrimp

A fantastic appetizer for something fun to serve at all your holiday get-togethers. Whether it’s a potluck or you are hosting, give this one a try, it’s sure to be a HIT!

Ingredients:
1 small coconut, drained and the meat grated (to simplify: you can buy unsweetened coconut at the shop)
¾ lbs prawns, peeled and deveined
1 onion, chopped
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp round cayenne pepper (or less if you don’t like it too spicy)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt

Instructions:

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and sauté until they are translucent. Add the shredded coconut and continue to sauté for another few minutes. Add the turmeric, pepper and salt and mix well. Then add the prawns (and if you like it a bit juicier you can add a bit of water). Cook for about 15 minutes on low heat.

Serve immediately with rice or other Indian dishes.

Cheese and Broccoli Rice

If you’re looking for one more fun, simple dish to try out for something new this holiday season, here’s another idea for you!

Serves about 6

Ingredients:
1 small onion, diced
½ c celery, diced
10 oz broccoli, cut up in florets (you can also use frozen broccoli)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup Minute Rice (uncooked)
¼ lb Velveeta cheese
¾ stick butter

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8” square casserole dish.

In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the onions and celery, until the onions are translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until the cheese starts melting.

Pour mixture into the greased casserole dish and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.

This is a very easy rice dish to make. Serve immediately with a tossed salad.

Crock Pot Apple Butter

Fall is definitely one of the best times to pull out your crock pot and put it to good use. I know families that use theirs year round for an amazing variety of meals, but fall is an easy time for anyone to use it, especially to make stews and soups.

Here’s another fun use for a crock pot. As we are finishing picking all the apples off our trees in the yard, we could definitely use a few more recipes and this one fits the bill perfectly.

Ingredients:
5 ½ lbs apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp salt
4 cups white sugar (you can cut down amount of sugar if preferred or use honey instead)

Instructions:
Place the finely chopped apples in a slow cooker.

In a mixing bowl, combine spices, salt and sugar. Add to the slow cooker and mix until well combined.

Cook the apples covered on a high temperature setting for about one hour, then reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for a further 9 – 11 hours. Give the mixture a stir occasionally. Once the mixture has thickened and is dark brown, uncover and cook for a further hour on a low temperature setting.

Use sterile containers and fill with the apple butter, cover and refrigerate. Apple Butter can also be frozen.

Roasted Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

Growing up, there is one October-only memory that I will NEVER forget…mom roasting the pumpkin seeds in the oven. When we were done decorating our fall pumpkin, the seeds that had been removed would then be sprinkled with seasonings and roasted for us to eat later. Here’s a yummy twist on that tradition.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds, cleaned and rinsed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp crushed red pepper
½ tsp black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine the pumpkin seeds with the spices. Place the pumpkin seeds on a baking tray, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, and bake for approximately 15 minutes. The seeds should be slightly golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely.

This makes a delicious and healthy snack.

Halloween Chili

This quick and easy recipe is a great fall favorite!

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups onions, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 19oz cans red kidney beans
2 19 oz cans black beans
1 red pepper, cut in chunks
1 green pepper, cut in chunks
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 6oz can tomato paste
¼ cup taco seasoning
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
3 cups vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add garlic and onions and sauté until onions are translucent. Add peppers and beans, taco seasoning and spices. Sauté for a further few minutes, then add tomato sauce, tomato paste and vegetable broth. Mix well.

Simmer until the chili mixture thickens, approximately 45 minutes. Season with pepper and salt and serve with grated cheese and tortilla chips.

Crispy Halloween Chips

If you’re looking for a fun fall treat for the kids, here’s one idea .

Ingredients:

1 package of large flour tortilla
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt, optional
Halloween shaped cookie cutters

Instructions:

Place tortilla on a flat surface. Using the cookie cutters, cut each tortilla into your favorite Halloween shapes. Brush olive oil onto both sides of your shape. Place on cookie sheet. Place in broiler. When the shape begins to brown, flip and finish browning the other side. Sprinkle with salt if desired and serve with your favorite dip.

Bacon Cheddar Melt Dip

Are you looking for something a little more unique to take with you to a fall potluck or party?  This one is sure to please all ages!

Bacon Cheddar Melt Dip

Ingredients:

1 package of cream cheese softened
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped bacon
1/4 chopped green onion
1 small diced tomato

Directions…

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and mayonnaise.
After that is well mixed, add the bacon, green onion, and tomato.
Spread mixture into an ungreased 8″x8″ baking dish.
Bake until cheese has melted thoroughly.

Serve with crackers or French bread pieces.

Beef Stew

The seasons are changing in our little corner of the world.  It’s as though the weather actually knows that the children are going back to school and someone flips the switch from sunny and warm to cool and rainy.

There’s nothing our family enjoys more on a cool damp night than a hearty and warm bowl of Beef Stew…especially if it’s served with (or IN) sourdough bread.

Ingredients:

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1 pound boneless flank steak, cit into small chunks
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped red onion
8 ounces sliced white mushrooms
3 cups beef broth
4 teaspoons tomato paste
3-4 large thyme sprigs
1 large bay leaf
1 pound baby white potatoes, unpeeled, cut in quarters
8 ounces baby carrots
4 teaspoon finely chopped parsley

Instructions:

In a heavy zip lock bag place the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
Close and shake to incorporate all ingredients together.
Add meat to bag and shake to completely coat the meat.
Add 2 teaspoons of oil to a large Dutch oven.  Heat over high heat until oil is hot.
Add meat and brown about 3 minutes per side.
Remove meat.
Add onions and mushrooms to oil.
Cook until onion is soft about 5 minutes.
Add broth, tomato paste, salt and pepper.
Whisk until all ingredients are combined.
On medium high heat bring mixture to a boil.
When begins to boil add bay and thyme.
Continue boiling until it becomes a rapid boil.
Add potatoes, carrots and meat to boiling liquid.
Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer approximate 15 minutes.
Remove bay leaf and thyme before serving.

Stars and Stripes Muffins

Kids can never get enough of the 4th of July during summer, so this great muffin recipe will be right up their alley.  Perfect for breakfast, snack or dessert alternative.  YUM!

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen strawberries
4 teaspoons sugar

Instructions:

Place the flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl.  Mix a little to combine ingredients.  Make a well in the center of the ingredients.  In a separate bowl mix the milk, oil and eggs together.  Slowly add to the dry ingredients place the liquid into the well made in the dry ingredients.  Carefully fold together until dry ingredients are just moistened through.  Divide batter into two bowls.  Add the blueberries to one and the strawberries to the other.  Mix them in well.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Grease 12 muffin tin cups or use baking cups.  Fill each full with batter. Six blueberry muffins and six strawberry muffins.  Sprinkle the tops with the 4 teaspoons of sugar.  Bake 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  The tops should be light brown.  Remove from tin immediately and cool on a wire rack.

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