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.



PORK ROAST

Life is busy and some days I struggle getting dinner on the table....do you know how I feel???  Well last week I found a really good deal on a pork shoulder roast.  It was a 7.5 lb roast so I knew it would feed the 3 of us MANY meals.  But the question was "how do I cook it so I can change it up so we don't get bored with the same ole thing?"  I searched the internet and found a wonderful recipe for a pork roast rub that I changed up a bit.  So far the first night we had just the shredded roast on tortillas with lettuce, cheese, salsa and sour cream.  It made WONDERFUL burritos!!  Then two nights later I took a portion of it and covered it in BBQ sauce, heated it through and served it with yeast rolls....BBQ Pulled Pork Sammies!!!  The rest of it is divided into two containers in the freezer.  One I think I'll add to a stew and the other....I'm just not sure yet.  Any ideas???? 


PORK ROAST RUB

4-5 lb pork roast (I used a 7.5 lb roast and felt I had plenty of rub to cover it all)
2 TBSP kosher salt
2 TBSP black pepper
2 TBSP paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp cayenne

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.  Rub into roast.  Cook in slow cooker for 7-10 hours.  Shred pork and serve as desired.

OVEN BAKED BBQ SPARERIBS

This week a very special friend celebrated her birthday....so for a celebratory lunch I made these spareribs, along with yummy grilled veggies!!!  I've made these ribs for many years...and they always get rave reviews.  Today I'm gonna share the recipe! 

OVEN BAKED BBQ SPARERIBS

1 rack of pork spareribs
salt
pepper
1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Cut rack of ribs into individual ribs and lay in a 13x9" casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray (this may take more than one casserole dish if your rack of ribs is very large).  Lightly salt and pepper.  Cover with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. 

Remove pan from oven and lower oven temp to 250 F at this time.  Then, remove ribs from pan, pour juice out of pan, put ribs back into pan, cover with bbq sauce and put back into oven uncovered.  Cook slowly for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours.   Cover w/ foil and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.

MMMMM......MMMMMM.....finger lickin' good!!!  Make sure you have LOTS of napkins handy!!!

CHEESY BROCCOLI & HAM RICE BAKE

Cheesy Broccoli and Ham Rice Bake
Posted by Sandee

1-1/2 cups raw rice
water for cooking rice
...1 broccoli crown, cut into florets
1 cup ham, chopped
1 large can (26 oz) cream of chicken soup (the family size)
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
a few shakes hot sauce, optional

Cook your rice according to the package's directions. Meanwhile blanch the broccoli in boiling water for about 1-2 minutes; drain and immerse in cold water to stop the cooking process; drain when cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked rice, blanched broccoli, ham, cream of chicken soup, and 1 cup of the cheddar cheese. Add salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce (if you're using hot sauce) and stir well to combine. Spread half of the mixture in a baking dish (I used a 3-qt roasting dish, but you could use an 8x8 or 9x9 dish). Cover with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Top with rest of casserole mixture. Cover and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until completely heated through and cheese has melted throughout. Let stand for 5 minutes before digging in (if you can wait! LOL!!).

CORDON BLEU CASSEROLE

Cordon Bleu Casserole ~ yield 6 servings
Posted by: Sandee

INGREDIENTS
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
...4 cups cubed cooked turkey (I used chicken)
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I omitted)
1 3/4 cups milk

TOPPING:
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs (I used club cracker crumbs)
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted (I used 2 tbsp)

DIRECTIONS
In a nonstick skillet, sauté ham for 4-5 minutes or until browned; drain and pat dry. In a greased 2-qt. baking dish, layer the turkey, cheese and ham; set aside.
In a saucepan, sauté the onion in butter until tender. Stir in the flour, mustard and nutmeg until blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour over ham. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

I added sliced mushrooms (about 8 oz) to the sautéed onions. I also did added about 1/4 cup cheddar cheese instead of the 1/2 cup swiss to the topping mix.

PORK SOFT SHELL TACOS

Pork Soft Shell Tacos
Posted by: Sandee
Source: BH&G New Dieter's Cookbook
Start to Finish: 25 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

8 ounces boneless pork loin
2 teaspoons cooking oil
1/4 cup light dairy sour cream
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, crushed dried chipotle chile pepper, or chili powder
4 6-inch tortillas, warmed, if desired
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 cup diced tomato
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (2 oz.)
Bottled salsa

1. If desired, partially freeze pork for easier slicing. Trim fat from pork. Thinly slice pork across the grain into bite-size strips. In a large skillet cook pork strips in hot oil over medium-high heat until cooked through; set aside.

2. In a small bowl combine sour cream and chipotle chili powder, chipotle pepper, or chili powder; set aside.

3. Spoon one-quarter of the pork onto each tortilla just below the center. Top pork with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Fold top half of each tortilla over filling. Serve with sour cream mixture and salsa.

*Note: To warm tortillas, wrap them in foil. Place in a 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until warmed.

CREAMY WILD RICE SOUP

CREAMY WILD RICE SOUP         recipe courtesy of Kristi Fields
yield: 6-8 servings

1 pkg long grain & wild rice mix
3 Tbsp chopped green onions
1/4 cup shredded carrots
3 Tbsp chopped pecans
6 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup flour
2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) chicken broth
1/2 cup diced ham or chicken (optional)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup half and half cream

Cook rice according to package instructions. In a large pot, saute onions, carrots and pecans in butter 1 or 2 minutes. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth; bring to a boil and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat; add pepper and rice. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until carrots are tender. Add cream and heat through, DO NOT BOIL.

CARRABBA'S SPICY SAUSAGE LENTIL SOUP

**I made this last night to have for lunch after church today. Larry & I really liked it, although I will be making a few changes the next time I make it. First off, it was too thick with lentils for *me* (Larry loved it that way), so I added more chicken broth as I heated it up today, which worked pretty well at thinning it out some. Next time I will cut back on the amount of lentils, but Larry says if I do that, he'd want me to add more of the veggies, which would be fine. I also didn't really see where the "spicy" part came in, because it didn't taste spicy to me. Next time I'm going to add about a 1/4 lb of crumbled Italian sausage; I think that will add a LOT of flavor.**

Carrabba's Spicy Sausage Lentil Soup
Serves: 6 Ready In: 1-2 hrs
posted by Sandee

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, sliced
6 ounces Smoked sausage (such as kielbasa), coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 cups water
2 cups green lentils
1 strip (3 inches long) orange rind
1 teaspoon crumbled dried marjoram
1 teaspoon crumbled dried savory (I omitted)
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper, to taste


Directions:
In large heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; add onion and cook for

5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add celery and sausage; cook for 5 minutes, Stirring occasionally. Add stock, water, lentils, orange rind, marjoram and savory; bring to boil Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add carrots and Potatoes; cover partially and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 35 minutes Or until lentils are tender. Discard orange rind. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

ZUPPA TUSCANA

Zuppa Tuscana
Posted by Sandee

**This is the same soup that is served at Olive Garden, and it is fabulous!! I've made it several times now, and just had it made for me again on my birthday!**

1 (16-ounce) package mild or spicy Italian sausage links *
6 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 quart water
2 tablespoons chicken base or instant bouillon granules
2 medium all-purpose potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 cups shredded kale
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

In a large cooking pot or Dutch oven, cook sausage links over medium-high
heat until done, about 12 to 15 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Remove
from pan; bias-slice sausages into 1/2-inch slices; set aside. Drain fat.
In same cooking pot, fry bacon until crisp; remove; drain on paper towels;
crumble and set aside. Drain all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from pot.
Add onions to same cooking pot and cook over medium heat until softened. Add
garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the water, chicken base and potatoes.
Bring to boiling, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until
potatoes are tender.
Return the cooked sausage and crumbled bacon to the pot. Add the kale and
crushed red pepper, if using, and simmer for 4 minutes. Stir in the cream
and cook until heated through, without boiling. Serve hot.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
* An easier option would be to substitute with 1 pound bulk Italian sausage,
crumble and cook until done; drain fat, set aside and continue with recipe as
directed.

SAUSAGE & POTATOES

SAUSAGE AND POTATOES

4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (sis didn't use the onion)
1/4 cup butter
1 lb polska kiebalsa, sliced into bite sized pieces

Melt butter in large skillet (I really liked using cast iron). When butter is melted add potatoes; cook until browned, turning occassionally to brown on all sides. Add onion and cook another minute or two until onions are tender. Add polska kiebalsa; cover and cook, stirring occassionally until hot throughout, about 7 minutes.

GARLIC PORKCHOPS

GARLIC PORKCHOPS

6 boneless Pork Loin Chops
1 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP minced garlic

Heat oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add garlic and saute about 1 minute. Add porkchops (make sure they are thoroughly dried) and cook until lightly browned and no longer pink inside.

GEORGIA'S RIBS

Georgia's Ribs
Posted by Sandee

- Ingredients:

1 (28 ounce) can of sauerkraut or 1 (2# poly bag) sauerkraut, drained
2 pounds country style ribes, boned and trimmed
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 can french onion soup (undiluted)

Directions:

Place meat on bottom of a 9X13 dish. Top with the sauerkraut. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of kraut. Top with french onion soup.

Bake at 350 degrees for 3 to 4 hours or until tender, covered. Uncover the last half hour for browning.

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.

CROCKPOT GREEN BEANS w/ HAM & POTATOES

Crockpot Green Beans With Ham & Potatoes
posted by Sandee

3 (28 oz. each) cans of cut green beans or 4 pds. fresh beans
15 small yellow yukon potatoes, unpeeled and whole (I used new potatoes)
1 pd. boston butt/cottage butt/ham, cut into chunks
Enough water to fill crockpot
1 small diced onion
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix

Pour green beans and their juice into crockpot. Add potatoes and ham. Add
enough water to fill crockpot to the top.

Cook on high 6-7 hours.

Prepare cornbread according to directions.

SAUSAGE BRUNCH BRAID

Sausage Brunch Braid
posted by Sandee

12 ounces bulk pork sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons chopped green onion tops
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tube refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 egg, lightly beaten

In a skillet, cook sausage, onion, celery, green pepper and garlic until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain. Add cream cheese, green onion and parsley. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted; set aside. Unroll crescent dough on a greased baking sheet; press perforations together. Roll into a 12x10-inch rectangle. Spoon sausage mixture to within 3 inches of long sides and 1 inch of ends. On each long side, cut 3/4-inch strips 3 inches into the center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle, forming a braid. Brush dough with egg. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

PANCIT

PANCIT                                                                                                                                                                                                      prep time: 10 mins
cook time: 20 mins
1 lb ground pork
2 TBSP olive oil
2-3 TBSP soy sauce
6 oz bag frozen cooked peeled shrimp
1 cup chopped green onion
1 cup julienne cut carrots
8 oz pkg rice noodles
Prepare rice noodles as directed on package (sometimes the instructions are in another language…so basically you soak them in hot water for about 5 minutes and then drain in a colander while you cook the rest).
Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add green onion and carrots; stir fry until tender crisp. Add ground pork and brown. Add frozen shrimp and 2-3 TBSP of soy sauce and cook until shrimp is thawed. Add rice noodles to the mixture and stir fry until thoroughly combined, add more soy sauce if necessary for taste. Serve hot.