Spaghetti Squash

shared by Dara P.

1. Put the whole squash in the crockpot with 1/2 cup water.
2. Cook on high 3 to 4 hours.
3. When done, cut in half, scrape out the seeds, etc. and keep all the yummy "spaghetti."
4. We use it in place of potatoes if making cheesy potato casserole but it is also an amazing replacement for spaghetti noodles when making spaghetti.
5. Easy and healthy!

Mexican Corn Salad

shared by Dara P.


Ingredients:
4 cups frozen corn, cooked and chilled
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup chili cheese Fritos, crushed


Preparation:

1. Combine cooked and cooled corn, peppers, onions, mayonnaise and cheese.
2. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or until chilled.
3. Stir in crushed chips prior to serving.

Parmesan Baked Potato Halves

shared by Patty H.  (when I first saw this recipe I didn't understand why all the reviews were so great - how could a baked potato be this good??? Well, trust me, it is! This is absolutely awesome.  I don't think I will ever bake a potato any other way again. )


Ingredients

6 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half

1/4 cup butter
grated parmesan cheese (the kind from a shaker), about 1/2 cup or to taste
garlic powder
other seasonings (to personal preference)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Melt butter and pour into a 9x13 inch pan and spread evenly across the bottom.
3. Generously sprinkle parmesan cheese and lightly sprinkle other seasonings all over the butter.
4. Place potato halves face down on the butter and seasonings.
5. Place in preheated oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.
6. Cool for at least a FULL 5 minutes before removing from the pan, otherwise the parmesan crust won't stick to the potato.

Chicken Stroganoff

shared by Patty H.  (easy and very delicious)


Ingredients:

12 ounces wide egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
8-10 ounces mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, sliced (I didn't use.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into small chunks seasoned with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (I think this is what gave it the great flavor!)
1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
chopped fresh parsley for garnish
additional salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook egg noodles according to package directions.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Add in finely chopped onion and mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the onions and mushrooms are tender. Remove the veggies from the pan and set aside.
3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. Add in chicken chunks and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the juices run clear and the chicken is cooked through.
4. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons flour in the pan.
5. Add in 1 cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine and whisk out any flour clumps. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce starts to thicken, about five minutes.
6. Add mushrooms and onions back in. Reduce heat to low. Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
7. Season to taste with additional salt and black pepper.
8. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve over egg noodles.

Crockpot Asian Beef and Broccoli

shared by Dara P.


Ingredients:
3 pounds beef, sliced (I cut up a roast and trimmed away ALL the fat)
3 cups beef stock
1 1/3 cups soy sauce
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 T. sesame seeds
6 cloves garlic, minced
5 T. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. flour
3 pounds frozen broccoli


Directions:

1. Combine beef stock, soy sauce and brown sugar until well dissolved.
2. Add sesame seeds and garlic to the mixture. Give it a quick stir.
3. Add beef to crockpot and cover with the mixture.
4. Cover crockpot and cook on low for 5 hours. (I cooked it on high for 4 hours so it was ready for lunch).
5. Remove 5 T. of sauce from the crockpot. Put in a small bowl.
6. Add flour and cornstarch to the sauce and whisk well.
7. Add mixture back to the crockpot and stir.
8. Add broccoli and cover. (I actually just steamed my broccoli and added it to my rice.)
9. Allow to cook for another hour.
10. Serve over rice.

Note: This is for large families (of 7 or more) so this made enough for us to have 2 full meals with 5 people eating.  I made a "yellow" rice to go with it.

Ranch Cheddar Cheeseball

shared by Dara P.


Ingredients:
1 (4 oz.) package buttermilk ranch dressing
1 T. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 lb. shredded cheddar cheese
2 T. jalapeno relish (this is my addition)
enough chopped pecans to roll the ball in.
Directions:
Mix ranch packet and sour cream.  Add cream cheese.  Mix well and add cheese.  Roll into a ball and then roll in pecans.

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

shared by Dara P.


Ingredients:
for the brownies -
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder


for the peanut butter filling -
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2-3 teaspoons milk


for the ganache topping -
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
2 T. heavy whipping cream


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 metal baking pan.
3. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom letting the sides extend past two sides and overhanging slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan once they have baked.)
4. Butter the parchment paper.
5. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from heat and add the sugar; stir to combine.
6. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Mix in cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add flour and stir until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. 
7. Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Let cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack. 
8. While the brownies are cooling, make the peanut butter filling.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the ingredients and beat until smooth.  Add more milk if necessary to make it spreadable. 
9. Spread in an even layer over the brownies.  Place in the refrigerator until filling is set, about 30 minutes. 
10. While the filling is setting, make the ganache.  Combine the ingredients in a double boiler or in a microwave safe bowl.  Melt together and combine.  Pour the ganache over the top and spread gently.  Return to the fridge until set.