Here is a recipe that is easy, tasty, and ready in no time.  Double the recipe and freeze half for when it’s just one of those nights where the thought of cooking dinner overwhelms …

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Sloppy Joe

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 onion medium chopped
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup chili sauce found in ketchup section of grocery store
• salt and pepper to taste
• hamburger buns

Instructions

• Brown meat and onions.  
•  Drain fat and add all other ingredients.
• Bring to a slow boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

Notes

Serve on a bun with chips and a pickle.

Mary-Ellen writes:

This recipe originated from my sister, Kathleen.  Because of the size of our family, holidays always were, and still are, a group effort filled with “assignments.”  One year Kathy was assigned appetizers and she said she would bring something she had recently at a party called Mexican Cheesecake.   I thought it sounded like a spicy dessert, not an appetizer.  Thanksgiving day arrived that year and in walked my sister with her cheesecake.  It was so pretty, everyone was afraid to ruin it by taking a slice.  My brother, Francis, finally took the first bite and got the OMG look on his face – he loved it.  We all dug in and it quickly became a family favorite.  I often serve this at my house or bring it to parties – everyone, every time gets the OMG expression and can’t get enough.  I personally guarantee this appetizer will be a crowd-pleaser at your next simple celebration – give it a try! 

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Mexican Cheesecake Appetizer

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 12

Equipment

• Springform pan

Ingredients

"Cake"

• 1 cup finely crushed Nacho Flavored Dorito Chips place in sealed bag and crush with mallet or heavy spoon
• 1 8 ounce bag finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 2 8 ounce packages of cream cheese completely softened
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup chopped black olives
• 1 hot chili pepper finely chopped
• 2 tsp chili powder

Topping

• 1 green onion chopped
• 1 small tomato chopped
• 2 Tbsp black olives sliced
• 1/2 yellow pepper chopped
• 1/2 red pepper chopped
• 1/2 cup jalapeño peppers jarred kind

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350°.  
•  Spray springform pan with cooking spray.  
• Mix all "cake" ingredients and put into pan.
• Place pan on foil-lined baking sheet and bake for  35 - 40 minutes - until center is set.
• Cool for about 15 - 20 min, remove from pan, and place on serving platter.
• Top the cheesecake with the toppings listed above in a circular pattern (see note below).
• Serve with "Scoop" chips or hearty crackers.

Notes

If you are bringing this to someone’s house, put the chopped toppings in separate, small baggies and top when you arrive.

This recipe is made the evening before you want to serve it.  You can add different nuts or raisins and make it your own speciality!

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Make Ahead Pull-Apart Cinnamon Rolls

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Equipment

• Bundt pan

Ingredients

• 1 package Bridgeford frozen Parkerhouse rolls
• 1 package butterscotch pudding instant or regular
• 1 stick butter melted
• 1 to 2 Tbsp cinnamon
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans raisins, etc (optional)

Instructions

• Start this dish the night before.  Grease a bundt pan.
• Put 1/2 the frozen rolls in the pan.  
• Sprinkle 1/2 the pudding over the rolls.  If adding nuts or raisins, also add half.  
• Repeat layer.
•  Mix together the melted butter, cinnamon and brown sugar.  Pour over the contents of the pan.
• Put bundt pan on a cookie sheet and store overnight on countertop.  This dish will rise overnight.
• The next morning, preheat your oven to 350°.  Bake for 30 minutes. You may need to push dough that has risen above the pan back into the pan.
• Turn onto a pretty serving dish and serve warm.  

Notes

This is also good served room temperature or microwave for 20 seconds to heat it up.

This pie can be made a month in advance and frozen.  The trick is not to bake it.  Stop the recipe before the chocolate drizzle and orange sauce and freeze, wrapped in plastic wrap and two plastic grocery bags.

This pie comes with its own pastry recipe.  To save time, you can use a pre-made Pillsbury pie crust from the refrigerator section of your grocery store, it just won’t have the orange flavor.

Orange Pastry

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
• 2 – 3 tablespoons cold water

Put all ingredients except water in a food processor with metal blade and pulse until it forms a ball (adding cold water as needed to help it along).  Roll pastry on floured board to 2 inches larger than a deep-dish 9-inch pie plate.  Ease pastry into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.  Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of plate.  Fold and roll pastry under, even with plate, and flute with fingertips.

Pie Filling

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 to 2 tablespoons orange liqueur (Grand Marnier or Triple Sec)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon shortening

Beat sugar, butter, corn syrup, liqueur, salt and eggs until smooth.  Stir in pecans and pour into pastry-lined pie plate.  The pie is now ready to freeze –  wrap the uncooked pie in plastic wrap, cover it in foil, then wrap it in two plastic grocery bags.  Put pie in the freezer until the day before you want to serve it.  Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and leave it on the counter for a couple of hours before putting in the oven (it needs to be thoroughly defrosted). When ready to bake, cook in a 375 degree oven for 40 – 50 minutes – check on pie to make sure crust is not excessively browning.  Cover edge with a 2 – 3 inch wide strip of aluminum foil if it is turning too brown.  Cool pie for 15 minutes.  Heat chocolate chips and shortening until melted; drizzle over top of pie.  Serve with Orange Sauce.

Orange Sauce

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3/4 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 2 tablespoons orange liqueur
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel

Mix sugar and cornstarch in 1-quart saucepan.  Stir in orange juice and liqueur.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.  Boil and stir 1 minute, then stir in orange peel.

One of the secrets to this pie recipe is to use a lot of apples and pile them as high as they will go. This can be made a month or so in advance by freezing the pie before it is baked.  Keep the unbaked pie in the freezer until the day before you want to serve it.  Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and leave it on the counter for a couple of hours before putting in the oven (it needs to be thoroughly defrosted).

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Grandma Anna's Apple Pie

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Equipment

• 9" Deep Pie Plate

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour sifted
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup shortening chilled
• 4-5 Tbsp ice water
• 12 apples Granny Smith are best, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• Fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Crust (or use store bought)

• Put flour, salt and shortening in a food processor fitted with a metal blade.  Pulse until coarse.  Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until dough forms a ball.          
• Divide dough in 2 equal balls and chill for an hour (can be made the day before).  
• Roll out crusts on a floured surface.

Pie Filling

• Mix together the sugars, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  
•  Place apples in a large bowl and pour mixture over apples.  Stir until apples are well coated.
• Put one crust in the bottom of a greased 9 inch deep pie dish.
• Put about 1/3 of the apples in the dish.
• Dot with 1/3 of the butter.  
• Squeeze lemon juice over apples.
• Repeat twice more.
• Cover the pie with the final crust and press edges together with your fingers.  Flute.
• Make 4 small slits in the top of the pie to release steam.
• Freeze your unbaked pie by covering it with plastic wrap, foil and wrapping in two plastic grocery bags.
• Defrost before baking in a 400 degree oven for 55 minutes.  Be sure to line the bottom of your oven with aluminum foil because this is one juicy pie.  

Notes

For a truly professional look, using excess dough cut out leaf shapes with a pastry cutter and place on the top of the pie.

Serve the pie warm with vanilla bean ice cream.

This soup is very hearty and makes a healthy, flavorful meal.  The recipe can be changed by using whichever vegetables you have on hand.

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Farmers Market Vegetable and Chicken Soup

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 yellow onions minced
• 4 carrots cut into one inch pieces
• 2 zucchini cut into one inch pieces
• 1/2 pound green beans cut into one inch pieces
• 1 eggplant peeled and cut into one inch pieces
• 1/2 medium head green cabbage shredded
• 4 ounces mushrooms sliced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup canned fire roasted tomatoes chopped
• 3 quarts chicken stock or water
• 2 tablespoon basil chopped
• 1/4 cup arborio rice
• 2 cups canned white or cannellini beans well rinsed
• 4 poached boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces (see our Perfect Poached Chicken link below)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• Several dashes of hot sauce
• 1/2 cup pesto pre-made
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

• In a soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.      
• Add onions and cook for  3 minutes.  
• Add the carrots, zucchini, green beans, and eggplant and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add cabbage and sauté until soft.
• Add mushrooms and sauté for several minutes.
• Add garlic and stir for another minute.
• Add tomatoes, stock and basil and bring to a boil.  
• Reduce heat to simmer and cook until vegetables are tender and soup has slightly thickened - about 15 minutes.
• Add rice and beans and cook for 15 minutes.
• Add chicken, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Heat until chicken is warm.
• Place soup in bowls and top with a teaspoon of pesto and grated parmesan cheese.

Notes

Perfect Poached Chicken

Make this soup while you have the time so on those crazy nights, you can have dinner on the table in no time!

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Thick Tomato Basil Soup

Course Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp minced thyme
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes 28 ounce
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 4 cups water
• 2 Tbsp sliced basil
• Large cut croutons

Instructions

• Melt butter in a large sauce pan.
• Add thyme, onion and garlic.  Sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.  
•  Add tomato paste and continue stirring for 4 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, sugar and water.  
• Bring mixture to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes.  
• Either use an immersion/stick blender* directly in the pot or separate soup into batches and process in a blender.  Leave soup slightly chunky and return to pot.
• Add basil and simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Fill bowls with soup and top with croutons and parmesan cheese.

Notes

* An immersion/stick blender is a great kitchen gadget.  It makes puréeing soups much easier since you can leave the soup in the pot and avoid the messy process of transferring the mixture to a blender.  They sell for $30 - $40.

This chili is chock full of flavor thanks to its fresh ingredients.  It also comes together very quickly once the chopping has been done.  Double the recipe for a large crowd such as a school event or neighborhood pot luck.  Freeze leftovers to have a hearty, tasty meal in seconds!

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Vegetarian Chili

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 cup carrots chopped
• 1 cup onions chopped
• 1 cup green pepper chopped
• 1 cup red/yellow pepper chopped
• 2 Tbsp chili powder add more if you want more kick
• 1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms chopped
• 1 can whole fire roasted tomatoes 28 ounce can with juice, chopped
• 1 can black beans 15 ounces, undrained
• 1 can pinto beans 15 ounces, undrained
• 1 can kidney beans 15 ounces, undrained
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 3 Tbsp fresh oregano chopped
• 3 Tbsp fresh basil chopped

Instructions

• Using a large stock pot, heat the vegetable oil.  
• Add the garlic, carrots and onion and stir until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add the green and red/yellow peppers. 
• Season with chili powder and stir.  
• Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
• Add in all remaining ingredients.  
• Bring chili to a boil and reduce heat.  
• Simmer for 20 minutes.

Notes

Serve with a rustic loaf of bread.

Family traditions often revolve around recipes and cooking.  Vicki shares her chili recipe memory … “This recipe has been in my family for as long as I can remember.  It is so simple to put together.  Each time I make it, I am reminded of sitting around the kitchen table in Indiana with my mom, dad, and sisters, Kristal and Holly.  This tradition was then carried on to my table in Florida where it has become a cool-weather favorite.”

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Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 46 ounce bottle of tomato juice
• 6 ounces ketchup
• 3 16 ounce cans red kidney beans drained
• 3 Tbsp or more chili powder (spicy if you prefer)
• Grated cheddar cheese
• Sliced green onions
• Sour cream

Instructions

• Heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic, and cook until onion is translucent.
• In a separate pot, brown beef with salt and pepper. Drain off fat.
• Return beef to pot, add cooked onion and garlic, and the rest of the ingredients up to the cheddar cheese. Bring to a boil.
• Turn down heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes.
• Place chili in bowls and top with cheese, green onions and sour cream.

Notes

 Freeze leftovers - it tastes even better reheated!

This recipe makes two loaves.  Freeze the second loaf to enjoy at another time, or wrap it up in foil with a pretty bow and give it to someone special as a spontaneous gift – the best kind of gift to receive!

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Zucchini Bread

Course Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Ingredients

• 3 eggs large
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups zucchini peeled & grated
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup walnuts chopped (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325°.
• With an electric mixture, beat the eggs until frothy.  
• Add oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla.  Mix until just combined.  
• Add flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder.  Mix well.
• Stir in nuts (if using).
• Divide mixture into 2 greased loaf pans.
• Bake loaves for one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.