Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients:

2 T. Unsalted Butter, plus more for greasing the skillet

3 T. All-Purpose flour 

1 1/2 C. whole milk  

1/4 t. ground nutmeg 

1 t. kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper 

4 oz. Gruyere, shredded

2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick 

6 oz. thick-cut ham, diced 

1/2 C. chopped fresh chives 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. 
3. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. 
4. Whisk in about 1/2 cup milk and cook, whisking, until thickened. 
5. Add another 1/2 cup milk and cook, whisking, until thickened, about 3 minutes. 
6. Add the remaining 1/2 cup milk and cook, whisking, until thickened, another 3 to 4 minutes. 
7. Add the nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few turns of black pepper, and half the cheese. 
8. Cook gently for a few minutes, making sure all the cheese is melted. 
9. Butter a Cast Iron Skillet. 
10. Arrange half of the potatoes all over the bottom. 
11. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. 
12. Layer in half of the cream mixture, then sprinkle on the ham and half of the chives. 
13. Arrange the other half of the potatoes on top, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining cream, remaining shredded cheese and remaining chives. 
14. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
15. Then uncover and bake until browned on top, an additional 20 minutes. 
16. Let cool slightly, then serve.

City Chicken

Ingredients:

Pork butt
Seasoned bread crumbs
Flour
Vegetable oil/Crisco
Eggs
Wooden skewers with pointed ends (cut about 5-6" long)

Directions:

1. Cut pork into 1-1 1/2" chunks, then but on skewers.
2. First roll them in flour, then whisked egg, and finally bread crumbs.
3. Put vegetable oil in large frying pan and brown each one.  You may have to add more vegetable oil as you go.
4. Drain on dish with paper towel.
5. Put City Chicken in a rectangular casserole dish.
6. You can add a tiny bit of water or fat to the bottom.
7. Do not put them on top of one another.  
8. Cover with foil.
9. Cook at 350 degrees for one hour or until tender.
10. Uncover for about 10 minutes to get crisp.
11. Watch you don't burn them!

Tip:  You can use pork and veal or pork tenderloin.

Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1 unbaked pie crust
1 C. white sugar
3 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 C. corn syrup
3/4 t. vanilla
1/3 C. melted butter (salted)
3 eggs, beaten
1 C. (heaping) chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.  
2. Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.
3. Pour syrup mixture over the top.  
4. Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil.
5. Bake pie at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  
6. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.

Note:  Pie should NOT be overly jiggly when you remove it from the oven.  IF it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until set.  Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe.   Sometimes it takes 50 minutes sometimes it takes 75 minutes.

Allow to cool for several hours or overnight.

Serve in thin slivers.

Original Ranch Snack Mix

Ingredients:

2 1/2 C. crisp corn or wheat cereal or a mixture of both

2 1/2 C. small pretzels

2 1/2 C. bite-size cheddar cheese crackers

3 T. vegetable oil

1 packet (1 oz.) Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix

Directions:

1. Combine cereal, pretzels, and crackers in a gallon-size zipper bag.
2. Pour oil over mixture.
3. Seal bag and toss to coat.
4. Add dressing mix.
5. Seal bag and toss again until coated.

Classic Cheesecake

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 C. graham cracker crumbs

3 T. sugar

1/3 C. butter or margarine, melted

1 C. sugar

4 eggs

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 t. vanilla

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, 3 T. sugar, and butter.  
3. Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
4. Beat cream cheese, 1 c. sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. 
5. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
6. Pour over crust.
7. Bake 55 minutes, or until center is almost set.
8. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake.
9. Cool before removing rim.
10. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours. 

Crockpot Beef Roast

Ingredients:

3 to 4 lbs. roast beef or round steak
salt and pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1 C. water
1/2 C. ketchup
2 t. dijon mustard
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 c. red wine (optional)

Directions:

1. Place meat in slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.
3. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over meat.
4. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.

Homemade Frozen Hashbrown Potatoes

Making homemade frozen hashbrowns with extra potatoes is a great way to save money.  Your extra potatoes don't go bad, and you have frozen hashbrowns ready to heat and serve when you need them.

Ingredients:

Potatoes

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash your potatoes and prick them a few times with a fork.
3. Bake potatoes for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until they are baked through.
4. Let potatoes cool a bit.
5. Place in refrigerator until completely cool (overnight is fine).
6. Remove potato skins.
7. Shred the potatoes on a grater.
8. Freeze in freezer safe bags.

Tip:  Be sure to label your shredded potatoes, once they are frozen, they have strong resemblance to shredded mozzarella, and unlabeled bags can get mixed up.

Spicy IPA Pickles

Ingredients:

4 English Cucumbers, sliced or cut into spears
5 cloves of garlic, minced, per quart jar
1 t. whole peppercorns, per quart jar
2 t. dill seed, per quart jar
1 t. crushed red pepper flakes, per quart jar
1/2 t. Calcium Chloride (aka Pickle Crisp), per quart jar

For Brine:

1 bottle IPA beer, for each 2 jars
3/4 c. distilled vinegar, for each 2 jars - Add extra for slices
3/4 c. apple cider vinegar, for each 2 jars - Add extra for slices
3 T. Kosher salt, for each 2 jars

Directions:

1. Add pickle slices/spears to jars snugly.
2. Add garlic, peppercorns, dill seed, crushed red pepper, Pickle Crisp to each jar.
3. To prepare brine, add IPA, distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and salt to a large pot.
4. Bring to a boil.  Be careful not to boil over.
5. Once mixture boils, turn off heat.
6. Ladle into jars.
7. Securely place lids on jars.
8. Shake jars to distribute seasonings.
9. Let jars cool on counter for an hour.
10. Refrigerate for a week to allow flavors to blend.

Maple Breakfast Twist

Ingredients:
Dough:

2 packages dry yeast
1/4 C. warm water

1/2 C. milk, scalded

1/3 C. sugar

1/4 C. butter

1-1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. maple extract

1 unbeaten egg

2-1/2 C. all purpose flour

Filling:

1/2 C. sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. maple flavoring

1/2 C. chopped walnuts

Combine all filling ingredients.

Glaze:

1 C. powdered sugar

1/2 t. maple flavoring

2 to 3 T. milk

Directions:

1. Add yeast to warm water.
2. In a large mixing bowl combine the scalded milk, sugar, butter, salt and vanilla. 
3. Cool to lukewarm.  
4. Blend in egg and softened yeast.
5. Gradually add the four to make a soft dough.  
6. Beat well.   
7. Form into a ball, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours.
8. Mix Filling ingredients.
9. After dough has risen divide into 3 equal balls. 
10. On lightly floured surface roll out one ball of dough to a 10 inch circle.  
11. Fit onto the bottom of a greased 10-12 inch pizza pan or large cookie sheet.  
12. Brush dough with 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle with 1/3 of the filling.  
13. Continue in same manner, forming 2 more layers and ending with the filling.  
14. Use a glass to mark a 2 inch circle in the center of the dough (do not cut through the dough).  
15. Cut from outside edge to circle forming 16 pie-shaped wedges.  
16. Twist each of the 3-layered wedges 5 times.  
17. Let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk.  
18. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  

For Glaze:

1. In a small bowl combine powdered sugar, flavoring and milk till smooth.  
2. Add a bit more milk if necessary until frosting is thin enough to drizzle over the coffee cake.
3. Drizzle with glaze while still warm.

Hot Crab Dip

Ingredients:

6 oz. room temperature cream cheese
1/3 C. mayonnaise
1 t. lemon juice
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1/2 t. Old Bay Seasoning
2 T. pickled jalapeno, finely diced
1 t. mustard
2 C. Monterey Jack cheese
8 oz. lump crab meat

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, Old Bay Seasoning, jalapenos, mustard and cheese in a bowl.
3. Stir in crab meat, then place into an oven safe baking dish.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown along the edges.
5. Serve immediately with tortilla chops, crackers, or vegetables.

Honey Chile Shrimp

Ingredients:

3 T. olive oil
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 limes, 2 zested and juiced and 1 halved
3 green onions, chopped, whites and greens separated
1 mounded T. chile garlic paste
2 T. honey

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
3. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp start to turn pink and are almost cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. 
4. Add the lime zest and the whites of the green onions. 
5. Stir into the shrimp and cook until the onion whites soften, about a minute, then add the chile garlic paste, honey and lime juice. 
6. Stir to combine, then continue to cook until the sauce has a syrupy consistency, an additional 2 minutes.
7. Transfer to a small platter and garnish with the green onion tops. 
8. Zest one of the lime halves over the dish, then cut the remaining half into wedges and serve alongside. 

Total Time:  20 minutes

Serves 2 - 4

Potatoes au Gratin

Ingredients:

4 whole Russet Potatoes, scrubbed clean
2 T. Butter, softened
1 1/2 C. Heavy Cream
1/2 C. Whole Milk
2 T. Flour
4 cloves Garlic, minced
1 t. Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste
1 C. Sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Smear softened butter all over the bottom of a baking dish.
3. Slice potatoes, then cut slices into fourths.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together cream, milk, flour, minced garlic, salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
5. Place 1/3 of the potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour 1/3 of the cream mixture over the potatoes.
6. Repeat this two more times, ending with the cream mixture. 
7. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. 
8. Remove foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown and really bubbling. 
9. Add grated cheese to the top of the potatoes and bake for 3 to 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
10. Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving by the spoonful. 

Prep Time:  10 minutes
Cook Time:  55 minutes

Sweet Pickled Onions

Ingredients:

8 C. thinly sliced sweet onions

2 T. canning salt

1-3/4 c. white vinegar

1 C. sugar

1 t. dried thyme

Directions:

1. Place onions in a colander over a plate; sprinkle with canning salt and toss. 
2. Let stand 1 hour. 
3. Rinse and drain onions, squeezing to remove excess liquid.
4. In a Dutch oven, combine vinegar, sugar and thyme; bring to a boil. 
5. Add onions and return to a boil. 
6. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. 
7. Remove from heat.
8. Carefully ladle hot mixture into four hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/2-in. headspace. 
9. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot mixture. 
10. Wipe rims. 
11. Center lids on jars; screw on bands until fingertip tight.
12. Place jars into canner with simmering water, ensuring that they are completely covered with water. 
13. Bring to a boil; process for 10 minutes. 
14. Remove jars and cool.