Two Breakfast/Holiday Staples

Hashbrown Casserole

1 package frozen hashbrown casseroles
1 8 oz container sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups cheddar cheese
Cornflakes

1 stick butter melted

Combine 1st 4 ingredients and put in a 9 x12 baking dish. Top with cornflakes and melted butter. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Sausage Balls

1 lb sausage (Jimmy Dean in the tube)
2 cups Biscuik
10 oz shredded cheese

Put everything in a bowl and mix well. It's easiest to do with your hands. Roll into balls. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes (or browned well)

Butterfinger Cake

Warning: This cake is so good (and easy) - you'll want to eat the whole thing yourself!

Yellow cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar caramel topping
3-4 Butterfinger candy bars
Cool Whip

Bake the cake mix according to the package. While hot - poke holes all over it. Mix together the sweet milk and caramel and pour over cake. Crush up the butterfingers and spread on top. Allow to cool and refrigerate. Once completely cool - top with cool whip.

Spinach Dip and Cherry Limeade Punch

This is my signature spinach dip. I make it all the time and it is soooooo good. To me - it's the best spinach dip recipe I've ever found so I have to share.

Spinach Dip

1 pkg frozen spinach

8 oz cream cheese

8 oz Monterrey jack cheese

6 oz Parmesan cheese

1 can Rotel

Cook the spinach according to package. Add cheeses and melt in microwave for 3-5 minutes until liquid form. Add rotel and mix together. Serve with crackers or bagel chips or melba toasts.

Last night I made cherry limeade punch. Everyone wanted to know if my friends at Sonic gave me the recipe. I figure they would since I'm their best customer but I actually got the recipe off the net! It's very yummy. This recipe is just 1-1-1 so you can double or triple accordingly. (I doubled for last night).

Cherry Limeade Punch

1 can frozen limeade concentrate

1 bottle Sprite

1 jar of maraschino cherries

1 lime

Put in the limeade and then add the sprite. Pour in the juice from the cherries. Then add the cherries and sliced up lime for looks and taste.

Bunco Buns

One of my favorite little party foods is something my mom calls "Bunco Buns" or you could call them "Party Sandwiches" or just about anything you want to call them but they are so yummy!

You need:
1 pkg 24 party rolls (or I used 2 pkgs of 12 dinner rolls)
1/2 stick butter, melted
4 tablespoons poppy seeds
4 tablespoons mustard
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Sliced ham
Swiss cheese

In a bowl - mix together the butter, poppy seeds, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

Spread sauce on both sides of rolls and put a piece of ham and cheese on each

Cover and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until cheese melts. Best if served warm!!!!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

(by Paula Deen)

This is one of our favorite meals. It's easy and SO good!!!!!

Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 oranges, juices
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup tamarind concentrate (I have NO idea what this is and I have never been able to find any - so I just skip it)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped scallions

1 pork tenderloin (about 12 ounces)
Olive oil, for brushing

Combine marinade ingredients in measuring cup and stir to combine. Place the pork tenderloin in a plastic, sealable bag. Pour marinade over the tenderloin and seal bag. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat an outdoor grill or preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove pork tenderloin from marinade and pat dry. Brush olive oil onto grill and over meat for extra flavor. Reserve marinade. Grill tenderloin until cooked through, about 30 minutes to 40 minutes over medium heat. Or roast in oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Allow meat to rest about 10 minutes before cutting into 2-inch serving pieces.

While meat is grilling, bring reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan, then lower the heat and gently simmer until it is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Stir occasionally. Drizzle a small amount of marinade over each piece of meat.

The meat always stays so tender! This is my favorite recipe to use for pork tenderloin.

Carmalized Onion Dip

Carmalized Onion Dip

I made this dip last summer and it is so good - I could get in the bowl and just swim around in it!

INGREDIENTS

2 large yellow onions
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise

METHOD
Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch-thick half-rounds. (Yielding about 3 cups of onions)

Heat the oil and the butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat (it works better to NOT use a non-stick pan). Add the onions, cayenne, salt and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook for 40 more minutes, stirring occasionally (but not too often-the onions should start to stick to the pan) until the onions are browned and caramelized.

Add the Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes. Allow the onions to cool.

This is what you want the onions to look like. Note that they are really dark because of the balsamic vinegar.

In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream and the mayonnaise. Whisk until smooth. Add all of the onions, reserving about a tablespoon for garnish, into the cream cheese mixture. Stir to combine and mix well. Transfer to a serving dish and top with reserved onions. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to combine. Serve at room temperature with potato chips.

Makes 2 cups.

Chicken Lasagna

Here is the recipe for Chicken Lasagna:

2 or 3 cooked chicken breasts
2 jars of Prego sauce (I'm partial to garlic and parmesan cheese)
Uncooked lasagna noodles
1 15 oz ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzerella
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

In a 11x7 dish, spread 1 cup sauce, top with uncooked lasagna noodles.

Then layer ricotta cheese, mozzerella cheese, and parmesan cheese. Cut up chicken into small pieces and spread on top. And I've never done this before but I thought it sounded good and I had a bunch extra so I added some fresh mushrooms. I figure it can't hurt?
Spread 1 cup sauce on top of that and then cover with another layer of noodles. Then put remaining sauce on top of the noodles. Cover with foil in oven. Bake 1 hour at 375. Uncover and top with remaining mozzerella cheese and let stand for five minutes.

Follow the link for the recipe for the snickers pie! Like anything Paula Deen makes - it is full of fat and full of flavor! So yum!