Linguine with Clam Sauce

Sounds fancy? It is! Sounds hard to make? - It's not!! This recipe is so easy you can make it in about the time it takes to boil the noodles! Expensive? NOT! Canned clams at $1.89 a can make this dish an affordable luxury!

1 lb. linguine (you can even cheat and use spaghetti if need be)
olive oiland butter to saute
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
white wine or beer to de-glaze the pan
2 cans (about the same size as a tuna can) minced clams (drain but save the clam juice!)
lemon juice - a good couple squeezes (couple tablespoons)
cream - a splash (if you have it - 1/2 & 1/2 or canned milk works in a pinch)
chopped parsley
salt & pepper to taste
grated parmesean cheese to top with

Start the water to boil noodles and cook to package directions (al dente). Put a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and a couple pats of butter. Once the butter starts to melt add the onion (and a pinch of salt to bring out the juices). Then add the garlic and saute a little bit. Add the clams and cook a few minutes. Add the lemon juice and incorporate. Add a splash of wine or beer and cook the alcohol off - deglaze the pan if necessary. Add the reserved clam juice and a splash of cream; cook a few minutes more then add parsley - check if you need salt & pepper. Add the cooked noodles and toss with tongs. Serve with fresh parmesean cheese on top.

That's it!!

Bacon Wrapped Lil Smokies - Crockpot

Ingredients:
1 pound bacon
1 package Lil Smokies (I use cheese filled)
3 cups brown sugar

Directions:

Cut bacon in thirds. Wrap bacon around hot dog pieces and secure with toothpick. Place in crock pot and pour brown sugar over them. Cook on high 3-4 hours or until bacon is brown

Stuffed French Bread Meal

Note, don't brown the hamburger for this dish. As it cooks on the bread, the grease soaks in the bread and makes it delicious. It comes out great (not soggy & greasy). This is a hearty, fast, great tasting dish!

6 oz evaporated milk (1/2 can)
2 lbs hamburger (raw)
1 egg
1/2 C chopped onion
1 tbsp mustard
salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 C grated cheese (I use cheddar but use what you have)
1 loaf french bread from the supermarket

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients except french bread (don't discard any of the inside of the bread you need it to absorb hamburger grease). Cut bread in half lengthwise. Spread meat mixture on each half. Wrap foil around bottom of bread so it doesn't burn. Bake 30 minutes, top with cheese bake 5 minutes more.

Sloppy Joe-Mama

This isn't your typical sloppy joe - it's good enough to serve to company!

2 loaves of french bread (from the supermarket), slice in half lengthwise
½ lb bacon, chopped in 1” pieces
2 pounds ground beef
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 small carrot peeled and grated (or finely chopped)
Salt & pepper
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon each oregano & basil
1/2 cup beer (or red wine to de-glaze the pan)
1/2 cup beef broth
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
½ to 1 C chopped parsley
1 pound shredded mozzarella (2 to 4 cups)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Split bread lengthwise then cut in half again and hollow out some of the insides of bread. Lightly crisp bread in oven, about 3-5 minutes. Remove bread and switch broiler on.

Cook bacon in a little olive oil on medium high heat. After the bacon renders most of the fat (not too crisp) add ground beef and brown well. Add garlic, onions and carrots and season with salt & pepper. Add Worcestershire, oregano, and basil, cook about 10 minutes more, stirring frequently. Add beer to de-glaze pan. Add beef broth, tomato sauce, and parsley and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Fill breads with mixture and top with a thin layer of mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan. Place under broiler to melt cheese.

Truffles (Almost)

Ok so they're not real truffles, but don't let them know your secret! These are a holiday favorite! They are almost too pretty to eat!

20 oz package of oreos (generic ok)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 package each white & chocolate (chips or candy qwik meltable chocolate)

Crush cookies in plastic bag or food processor. In a mixing bowl, mix cookies crumbs with softened cream cheese. Roll in to small balls (3/4"). Let set on waxed paper, cover and refrigerate.

Melt chocolate according to package directions (I use the microwave). I dip the balls in chocolate and drizzle with white. you can do the reverse and/or a combination. Delicious!

Irish Creme (like Bailey's)

This is what we're making this Christmas (and have in many before). If you're weirded out about "raw" eggs, omit them and use 1 cup of brewed coffee that has been cooled (instead of instant granules). We have made this for years and use the raw eggs.

1 C Whipping Cream
1 2/3 Cup Whiskey (Brandy is nice too)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
2 eggs
1 tsp instant coffee
2 tbsp chocolate syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond

Blend all ingredients well in a blender. Keep refrigerated. Pour a shot or two in hot coffee. Also delicious over ice with a shot of peppermint schnappes. Pour a shot of butterscotch schnappes in a shotglass, add a little of this irish cream on top for a slider (shot).

Cinnamon Granola

This recipe was modified from Ina Garten's Food Network show, which I saw around 2006. It's very easy and delicious.

Cinnamon Granola

4 C rolled oats
2 C sweetened shredded coconut
2 C sliced almonds
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (dried cherries or raisins work well too)
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/3 C honey
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Toss oats, coconut, almonds, and dried fruit in large bowl. Pour the vegetable oil and honey over the oat mixture. Add cinnamon, stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated. Pour onto a sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice golden brown, about 25-30 mins. Remove the granola from the oven, cool, stirring occasionally. Store in airtight container.

Spaghetti Carbonara

(Bacon & Eggs Spaghetti)

I was leary about posting this recipe because it's something you throw together without even reading a recipe card and what really makes the dish is the cooking technique. It's so delicious - one of my family's favorites. This is a regular (at least once a month) in our house! Traditionally, italians make this with pancetta or prosciutto (an italian style ham / bacon) - but who can afford that? We use bacon (on sale of course) and it is like a gourmet meal! Once you get the hang of this dish - you will make it again and again as it is affordable and delicious!

1 lb. bacon (chopped into 1" pieces)
1 small onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic - chopped
1 cup of white wine (or 1 cup of beer) - to deglaze the pan
2 cups parmesean cheese * (see note) reserve a 1/4 cup or so to sprinkle on top
handfull of chopped parsley (or a couple tbsp. of dried)
4 eggs - beaten
1 lb. spaghetti

Cook chopped bacon in a large skillet - as the fat starts to render add onion & garlic.

Start the water to boil for the spaghetti - when it comes to a boil add a good amount of salt** (see note) and start to cook the spaghetti.

When the bacon starts to get crisp - turn down the heat until the spaghetti is done. Don't deglaze the pan until the spaghetti is ready.

When the spaghetti is done, drain the grease off the bacon turn up the heat a little and deglaze the pan with the wine. Reserve some hot water (about 1 to 1 1/2 cups)in a small sauce pan before draining the spaghetti. Drain the spaghetti and dump immediately into the skillet. Toss with tongs.

Ok, here is where it's a little tricky -

Pour the reserved hot spaghetti water into the beaten eggs while whisking them (this is called tempuring the eggs so they don't "scramble").

Put 1 1/2 cups of Parmesean cheese in the spaghetti pan

Pour in the tempured eggs, add the parsely

Take your tongs and toss, toss, toss; continually until the eggs are "cooked". This is hard to explain because the eggs mix with the parm cheese and sort of make a saucy custard like coating.

Serve immediately with more parm on top!

*I buy parmesean cheese in a chunk and grate it on a large grate (the same size as cheddar) You can also buy already grated parmesean cheese - which I've used in this dish and it works fine. DO NOT USE CANNED PARMESEAN CHEESE.

**I was watching Tyler's Ultimate on the Food Network and he said when salting water for pasta you want to add enough salt that it's actually like a broth. Since watching that I started adding a good amount to my pasta and it really does taste better (like a couple 3 tablespoons of kosher salt for a large pot of 16oz spaghetti).

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Recipe

This is easy and delicious - your family will definiately request this again!

12 flour tortillas
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 1/2 cups sour cream
2 small cans diced green chiles *
3 cups shredded chicken
2 to 3 cups shredded cheddar or jack or combination cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 13 x 9 pan. Mix soup, sour cream and chiles together, spread about 1/4 to 1/2 cup on bottom of baking pan. Reserve 1/2 to 3/4 cup of soup/sourcream mixture and set aside. Add chicken to soup mixture. Cut tortillas in half and arrange 6 halfs on the bottom of baking pan (to cover). Top with soup/chicken mixture, and 3/4's of the cheese. Top with remaining tortillas, spread reserved soup/sourcream/chile mixture on top; top with remaining cheese. Bake about 20-25 mins.

*a can of rotel tomotoes with chiles (drained) can be used in place of chiles (or 1 can chiles with 1 can soup).

Home Made Cherry Pie Filling


You will never buy pie filling in a can again! So much better than what you buy on the grocery store shelf - and so easy and cost effective. No preservatives in this stuff. I made cherry the other day - a 16oz bag of frozen cherries would be enough for cheese cake topping but I would double for a pie. I can't wait to try other fruits!


Cherry Pie Filling


2 cups pitted cherries (or 16 oz bag frozen, slightly thawed)**see note
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch


**Note if using frozen fruit decrease water to 1/8 cup or even no water depending on how 'watery'.


In a saucepan, cook cherries in water for 10 minutes. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch (this is very important to mix together well); add to cherries. Cook cherry mixture until thickened. Cool slightly before using to fill pie shell or other dessert.

Freezer Jam
I was a little leary of using jello to make jam with - but I always wanted to try it and the results are excellent! I can get Jello on sale at Walgreens often as cheap as 25cents a box - this makes using jello (instead of pectin) a great (frugal) option!! My family loves this jam.

Freezer Jam
2-3 cups mashed strawberries (or other soft fruit), depending on desired thickness
3 cups sugar

Bring to a hard boil in a large pot. (It boils up)
Reduce heat to medium, skim off 'foam'
Boil 10 minutes.

Add: 1 3-oz. package flavored gelatin, your choice of flavors

Mix until well dissolved and bring to a boiling point again. Remove from heat and let set a few minutes. Stir again.

Put in sterilized jars or freezer containers and keep in refrigerator or freezer. The fun of this recipe is the options you can use! Can be easily doubled.

Beer Cheese Soup

This stuff tastes like it comes from a fancy restaurant. What a great thing to serve on a cold Football Sunday afternoon. The original recipe calls for Cheese-Whiz. I'm sure that's DELICIOUS but its very expensive (3 jars would be about $18). Velveeta is about 1/2 the price and my soup lovers never knew!

2 1/2 lbs Velveeta (that's right - a package and one-half!)
3 cans (15 0z) chicken broth
2 12oz cans beer - open the cans to settle a little
salt & pepper to taste
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 lb. bacon (for topping)
green onions or chives, chopped

Chop bacon and fry in a pan, set aside. Put chicken broth in large soup pot, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-ish and add Velveeta. I like to slice/chunk it up a little. Stir until cheese is melted. Add beer and seasonings. Stir until hot, I like to simmer for an hour (if you have time).

Serve with crumbled bacon & green onions on top.
Garlic Bread and a salad goes great with this.

Crab Quiche

Feed crab to teenage boys? Is that affordable? Every now and then Walgreens has a sale on canned crab that I can't pass up. They are about 6oz (same as regular tuna can) - I use this for this recipe and it's excellent! As for pie crust, try Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, they are pretty good and of course EASY. I keep them on hand especially for Quiche! Unless you have the talent to make your own, frozen just doesn't seem as good.

3/4 C mayonnaise
2 T flour
3 eggs
3/4 C evaporated milk
2 cans crab meat - drained well (about 1 C)
1 1/2 C shredded cheese (swiss or Monterey jack - combo of mozzarella & cheddar is fine)
1/2 C green onions, chopped
2 tbsp parsley (fresh or dry)
Optional: a couple tablespoons of chopped roasted red pepper adds a nice touch if you have it on hand
9" unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, mayonnaise, flour, and milk until thoroughly blended. Stir in crab, cheese, and onion. Spread into pie shell. Take strips of foil about 2" wide to wrap around the edges of your pie crust so they don't burn, remove the foil about the last 15 minutes of baking. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Chocolate Ice Cream Topping

This is fast, easy, and delicious! You probably have all of these ingredients on hand!

1 C sugar
4 Tbsp cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
3-4 Tbsp butter
1/4 Cup water (more or less to make a stirable consistency)**see note
1/2 tspf vanilla extract

**Note: if you have leftover coffee from the morning use 1/2 water 1/2 coffee for a great flavor. it won't taste like coffee - it's just a "hmmm that's good" taste

Combine sugar, cocoa, and salt in small saucepan. Add enough water to make stir able constancy. Add butter to cocoa mixture. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Allow to boil for 1 minute, stirring. Remove from heat. Add vanilla.

Enjoy!

Can't Leave Alone Bars

These are easy to make (from a cake mix) and delicious as a dessert, snack or kids lunch treat.

INGREDIENTS
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) white cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter, cubed

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the dry cake mix, eggs and oil. With floured hands, press two-thirds of the mixture into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Set remaining cake mixture aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the milk, chocolate chips and butter. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 30 seconds; stir. Microwave 30-45 seconds longer or until chips and butter are melted; stir until smooth. Pour over crust.
Drop by teaspoonfuls of remaining cake mixture over top. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting. Yield: 3 dozen.

Tuna Burgers

This is a great, inexpensive meal that my family loves. Add this to your menu planning once a month (or even twice) and watch your grocery budget shrink!

1 can tuna in water drained and mashed with fork (we prefer white albacore)
10-12 saltine crackers, crushed
1/4 c. onion diced
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 egg (1 egg per can of tuna used)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mash together ingredients with a fork and allow to sit for 30 min (in the fridge) to allow crackers to absorb moisture. Form into balls then gently pat out to form a small cake(1 can makes 4 small cakes). Heat skillet on med-high heat add olive oil and a small amount of butter. Add cakes to oil and fry until golden brown on both sides. You want them a little crisp, don't flip them too early they can fall apart - the crispy sides help keep them together. We add sliced cheese at the end to melt on top and serve on hamburger buns with mayo, lettuce and tomato. No matter how much I make - we never have any leftovers of these!

The Best Crockpot Chili

This is our favorite traditional chili recipe. It's easy and tastes better than anything from a can. My mother-in-law got the original recipe from a family she baby-sits for; we all love this recipe and have modified it somewhat to fit our individual families.

3 lbs ground beef
salt, pepper to taste
garlic (couple cloves) or garlic powder (couple teaspoons)
good size onion chopped
1 - 15oz can of tomato sauce
2 - 30oz cans of chili beans in chili sauce - undrained
3 (or 4) 15oz cans of dark red kidney beans - drained and rinsed
1/4 to 1/2 cup cumin
1/8 cup chili powder

Brown ground beef in a large skillet with salt & pepper, drain; add garlic after browning. Dump ground beef and all remaining ingredients in a LARGE crock pot, give it a stir and cook on low 8-10 hours. Enjoy. Sometimes, instead of a 15oz can of tomato sauce, I use an 8oz can of tomato sauce with a 10oz can (undrained) of Rotel tomatoes (or any brand of diced tomatoes with green chilies) for a little 'kick'. Serve with fresh chopped onion & grated cheese. If using a smaller traditional sized crock pot - cut this recipe in half.

Breakfast Casserole with Bacon (shown above with breakfast sausage)

I made this for my son's football breakfast potluck and it was really delicious. I think we will use for a dinner once in awhile too. It's my mother-in-law's recipe, her secret? She greases the pan with bacon grease! It really gives a great overall flavor to the dish. You can also make it with sausage or ham.

6 eggs, beaten
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
30oz bag of shredded hash browns (frozen)
2 Cups shredded chedder cheese
1 onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper (green or red or combination) finely diced
1 lb bacon, chopped & cooked (I chop it, then fry it - it seems faster)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, pour into a well greased (use the bacon grease generously) pan. Bake for 60-65 mins.

Magnificent Casserole

2lbs ground beef
8oz cream cheese
1 tbsp minced green pepper
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 C grated swiss cheese
8oz egg noodles
1 lb cottage cheese
1/3 C chopped green onions
2 C tomato sauce

In a large pan cook noodles boiling salted water to aldente. Drain & set aside. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream. Add onion & peppers. Set aside. Brown ground beef & drain fat. Add tomato sauce to ground beef. Grease 9x13 pan and arrange in the following layers: Noodles, cheese mixture, meat mixture - repeat. Top with grated swiss cheese. Bake at 375 for 30mins.

School starts in less than 2 weeks. Schedules are already hectic with football practice starting and getting 2 highs choolers and one college age kid ready. Monday night I didn't get home until 6:30 without a clue what I was going to make for dinner. Unusual, but a sign of the busy fall season gearing up. Tuesday morning (yesterday) I threw some chicken breast, balsalmic, soy sauce, and garlic in the crock pot. It was palatable but not very good. The chicken will make decent quesadillas for tomorrow but to stay ahead of the game I'm going to test some new and use some tnt (tried and true) crock pot recipes to keep these hungry men fed!

Sausage Breakfast Puffs
We like to eat breakfast for dinner once in awhile. It's an inexpensive meal that everyone loves. This recipe is a great way to stretch breakfast sausage!

1/2 lb breakfast sausage
3/4 C baking mix
1 C Shredded chedder cheese
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp diced green chiles

Brown sausage in a skillet. Add remaining ingredients and mix together, shape in to 2" balls, place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 12-15 mins.