BREAKFAST COOKIES

So most of you have probably had those yummy Sausage Balls that people serve as appetizers at party's...right???  Well, I was trying to make them once, but the recipe I had was very "non-specific" about the size of the balls, and the temperature to cook them at.  So I just winged it!!!  What came of it was a WONDERFUL breakfast treat for my family!!!  Soft, warm, breakfast biscuits that DON'T fall apart when you eat them.  You can also freeze the extras and take them out a few at a time and reheat them in the microwave for a quick breakfast on the go!   I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family has!!!

BREAKFAST COOKIES yield 36

1 lb breakfast sausage, browned and drained (sometimes I'll add a little Crushed Red Pepper Flakes to the sausage while cooking to spice things up!)

1 lb shredded cheddar cheese

3 cups baking mix (like Bisquick or Jiffy)

½ cup water

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Place ingredients in large bowl and mix well by hand.  Turn out onto floured board and knead 10 to 12 times.  Shape mixture into balls (I use my medium Pampered Chef scoop) and flatten slightly.  Bake for 20 minutes on well greased cookie sheet until lightly browned on bottoms.  Cool and EAT!! 



Breakfast Cookies before baking...



Breakfast Cookies after baking.  They puff up slightly
and the bottoms will be lightly browned
when done.



CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Today is a SNOW DAY!!!  YAY!!!  and I really REALLY needed to go grocery shopping, but don't really feel like getting out in the cold with the slick roads and since my DH will be working out in the weather ALL day long I decided I needed to cook something hearty and filling.  But with the not so full cupboards I just wasn't sure.  Then I remembered my Sis Javonna's FAMOUS chicken and dumplings....they are so simple and basic.....and I have EVERYTHING I need!!  YAY!!!  I am going to substitute the whole chicken for some leg quarters I bought on sale around Labor Day and froze.  And I won't be using the crock pot....I'll be cooking my chicken on the stove top ( but I LOVE the crock pot option for busy days when I'm not home).  I also may add some carrots and onions to the water as I boil the chicken to add some extra flavor to the stock.  Thanks for this AWESOME recipe Javonna!!!  I can't believe it didn't get posted here sooner!!

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

From Javonna Wallace

Cook one chicken - I like to do mine in the crock pot with salt, pepper and enough water to cover the chicken. However you can also cook it in a pot on the stove.
When chicken is done remove it and allow it to cool. Place all but 1 cup of broth into a stock pan.
Take the 1 cup of broth (best at room temp), mix in 1 egg and enough flour to make dough the consistency of bread dough.
Bring remaining broth to a boil.
Roll out dough. Cut into strips about 1x1 inch. I use a pizza cutter because it's easier. Drop strips one by one into boiling broth.
Reduce heat and Simmer for 40 minutes.
While dumplings are simmering debone chicken and tear meat into chunks.
When 40 minutes are up add chicken and enough milk to make creamy. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 more minutes.
Salt & pepper to taste!

MEATBALLS

Today I had a hankering for meatball subs.  Saucy with my favorite marinara and lots of melty cheese.  MMMMMMMM.....unfortunately when I went to the cupboard to get out the seasonings I realized I was totally out of dried Italian Seasoning. ARGH!!!! So I went to my handy dandy New Betty Crocker cookbook and looked for a recipe using the individual seasonings.  I found a list...really....just a list of the herbs used for Italian cooking.  Lucky for me I had 3 of those herbs growing in my planter garden outside the back door.  So I've revamped one of my old meatball recipes using fresh instead of dried herbs.  If you don't have the fresh herbs at hand feel free to substitute 2 TBSP of dried Italian Seasoning in it's place.  Right now half of the meatballs are simmering in the sauce while the other half are cooling to prep for the freezer to be used later. 

MEATBALLS

Makes approx 5 dozen meatballs

Prep: 30 mins

Baking: 30 mins

Additional baking in sauce: minimum 1 hour

3 lbs 80% lean ground beef

3 eggs

1-1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh Basil leaves, chopped

4 sprigs fresh Oregano, chopped (about 1 TBSP)

2 sprigs fresh Rosemary, chopped (about 1 TBSP)

1/2 tsp ground red pepper

1 TBSP Garlic powder
1 TBSP Kosher Salt
1 Onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

Mix all ingredients by hand in large bowl until combined.  Using a medium sized scoop, form meatballs and place evenly spaced on a baking pan.  Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until browned.   Remove from oven and drain off fat.  At this time you can either add them to your favorite marinara sauce and simmer for an hour.  OR you can cool completely and place in freezer bags for later use.



portioned meatballs ready to go into the oven....I got 57!!



Meatballs fresh from the oven

Layering the meatballs in marinara to simmer.

Cooling the rest of the meatballs on a lined rack to get ready for the freezer

here's one on a fork that I am going to eat RIGHT AWAY!!!  YUM!!!

Bierocks (kind of a hot pocket type food)

1 lb ground beef (think I'll add some sausage next time)
1/4 cup chopped white onion (Yes Amy...I used onion)
2 Tbsp veg oil
1 head of cabbage - chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
18 Rhodes Texas size frozen yeast rolls - thawed
Shredded cheese (optional)
1/2 stick melted butter

Preheat oven to 350

Let your rolls thaw or if you have more energy than me you can make homemade rolls. My kitchen is too small and I'm a little lazy so I buy frozen.
Saute your onions in the vegetable oil, when soft add ground beef, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook until meat is browned. Now don't drain the meat yet. While the meat was browning you should have chopped up that head of cabbage. Add the cabbage and the Worcestershire sauce to the meat/onion mix, cover and cook until cabbage is limp....I'd say roughly ten minutes. Taste and add additional seasoning as needed. (I didn't do this and wish I'd added more seasoning.) Now you can drain all the liquid off of your meat/cabbage.

Take one of those Texas size thawed rolls and roll out very thin. Put approximately 1/4 cup of the meat/cabbage mixture in the middle. Sprinkle a little cheese if wanted and then seal up that roll. Place your creation seam side down on a cookie sheet (spray the cookie sheet with some cooking spray first) and start again. When your cookie sheet is full, brush the bierocks with some melted butter or an egg wash. Pop it into your preheated oven and bake 30 minutes. It smells wonderful. I love the smell of bread baking!
When the bierocks are golden brown remove from oven and brush with more butter!!

I've heard that these freeze well and microwave well. I plan on using sauerkraut in my next batch instead of cabbage. I love sauerkraut!

GREEN BEANS SAUTE

With the winds and drought this year I am just now getting fresh veggies from the garden.  Today I cooked up this large batch of green beans.  Some families may be able to eat them all in one meal, but only two of us in my house eat green beans, so I portioned the rest out into 1 cup freezer containers to pull out later.  I've frozen them before and they taste wonderful reheated!!   Quite often I will use more olive oil than called for....and I didn't have any yellow onion today, so I substituted a white one instead.  Toasted slivered almonds are a nice complimentary flavor and texture to add at the end.  

GREEN BEANS SAUTE

1 lb fresh or frozen green beans cut into 1" pieces
1 TBSP olive oil
1 lg yellow onion, halved lengthwise & thinly sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 TBSP fresh parsley, minced (optional)

If using fresh green beans, cook in boiling water for 10-12 minutes or steam 2-3 minutes until barely fork tender. Drain well. (if frozen, thaw first).

Heat oil. Saute onion until golden.

Stir in green beans, salt & pepper. Heat through. Toss with parsley before serving.

SISSY'S CHEESE BALL

SISSY"S CHEESE BALL
yield: 4 cheese balls

3 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 TBSP worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP hot pepper sauce OR 3/4 tsp ground red pepper
1 lb. shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

In an electric food processor or blender, combine cream cheese, garlic, worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Blend well. Add cheddar cheese and process until the cheddar is fine, but still very visible. Shape the mixture into balls or logs. Wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in the freezer.

While the balls are in the freezer, combine the chopped pecans and parsley in a shallow bowl. Remove the balls from the freezer and roll them in the pecan and parsley mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Freezes well.

POTATO HAM SKILLET

POTATO HAM SKILLET (or as my guys call it...cheesy ham and potatoes!!)

4 cups cubed cooked peeled potatoes
2 cups diced fully cooked ham
1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) Mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet, combine the potatoes, ham, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until heated through. Stir in cheese until melted.