Alica's Super Easy Super Tasty Pound Cake

1 c. unsalted butter (2 sticks)
3 c. sugar
3 c. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
6 large eggs
1 c. heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla

DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN!

Generously grease and flour bundt, tube, or loaf pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, being sure each is incorporated before adding the next.

Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture. Mix well.
Add about ½ the cream. Mix well.
Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture. Mix well.
Add the rest of the cream. Mix well.
Add the last of the flour. Mix well.

Add vanilla. Mix well.

Spread batter into pan.

Place in cold oven. Set temperature to 325. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes.

 DO NOT OPEN DOOR DURING BAKING.

When done, remove from oven. Cool in pan for 15 minutes.

Stuffed Shells

 

(Picture is before the shells were baked)

1 box of large shell pasta

1 pound italian sausage (sweet, mild, spicy - whatever you like)

2 boxes frozen cut spinach (completely thawed)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic

1/2 c tomato sauce

1 can spaghetti sauce (any flavor you like)

16 oz ricotta cheese

1 large egg

3 c shredded mozzarella cheese

3/4 shredded parmesan cheese (NOT the green container of faux cheese)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spread the tomato sauce (or some of the spaghetti sauce) in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. This should just coat the bottom (so the shells won't stick). Fresh spinach leaves can be placed on top of the sauce, too, if you like - it looks pretty.
Prepare the shells until al dente (almost done, but not real floppy). Drain and set aside.
Wrap thawed spinach in scrupulously clean kitchen towel and wring out all liquid. Set aside.
Put olive oil in pan, add onion. Sweat onion for about 5 minutes. Add sausage. Break up sausage into small bits while browning. When sausage is just about done, add the garlic. You don't want to cook the garlic for a long time. When sausage is done, drain and set aside.
Mix ricotta and egg in a large bowl. Add sausage, spinach, and 2 cups of the mozzarella (save the other cup for the top).

Fill shells with the cheese, spinach and sausage mixture and place on tomato sauce (and fresh spinach if you used it) in the pan. Don't crowd the shells!
After all shells are full, pour spaghetti sauce over the top but don't drown them. You don't have to use the whole can of sauce.
Sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella. Top with the fresh parmesan.
Bake for about 45 minutes till bubbly.
This recipe makes 2 9 x 13 pans of shells!

Weight Watchers Chili

1 lb 97% Lean Ground Turkey
1 onion
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Mexican style tomatoes (or another of either of the other 3)
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans (OR 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed)
1 can chili beans
1 large can diced green chilis
1 can Mexicorn

Dice onion and saute in 1 T vegetable oil till soft. Add ground turkey and cook till not pink. Add all other ingredients and stir. Cook till heated through. I serve this with baked Tostitos (regular Fritos for those who are not dieting).

If you'd like to make the chili more spicy, make your Rotel tomatoes the hot kind. The taco seasoning also comes in various heat levels, as do the chili beans. Make your own combination.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
4 cups milk
4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated (or any type of grated cheese or combination of cheeses you like)
1 lb. (16 oz.) elbow macaroni

Preheat oven to 350.
Prepare macaroni as directed on package. Drain and set aside.
In a large pan, melt butter over medium high heat. When butter is completely melted and starting to sizzle a little, add the flour.
Whisk the flour into the butter. Let it bubble for about a minute - whisking constantly.
Turn the heat up to medium high. Start adding milk about one cup at a time, whisking constantly. Leave no lumps.
After all the milk has been added, continue whisking and cooking for about a minute.
Turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the burner. Add the cheese. Stir till all cheese is melted. Mix this sauce with the cooked macaroni, then dump into a 9 x 13 pan.
Bake at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes or until gold and bubbly.

Jalapeno Cornbread

2 Envelopes of Martha White Sweet Cornbread mix
2 eggs
1 c milk
3 T jalapenos from a jar, seeded and chopped (3 T makes a pretty darned hot cornbread. You can reduce the amount or even leave these out altogether. Taking the seeds and membranes off the jalapenos will make them milder, but not really mild.)
1 can green chilies, undrained (the smaller can)
2 T. chopped pimentos, drained (this is a whole jar if you've bought the small jar)
1 yellow onion, very finely chopped
1 can cream style corn
2-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
5 slices bacon

Preheat oven to 400.
Fry bacon in cast iron skillet till crisp and crumbly. Remove bacon from pan but don't pour out the bacon grease. Set the bacon pan aside for now.
In a large bowl, mix cornbread mix, eggs, and milk till combined. Stir in the jalapenos, chilies, pimentos, onion, and corn.
Stir in 2 cups of the cheese, reserving 1/2 cup for later.
Crumble 3 pieces of the bacon and stir that in there, too. Now the cornbread part is all done.

If the bacon grease has cooled down, put it in the preheated oven until it's good and hot (5 minutes or so).
Remove the pan of grease from the oven and immediately pour in the cornbread mixture. It should sizzle....
Put back in the oven and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour till golden brown on top - and I mean a pretty dark golden brown. You may need to put a sheet of tin foil on the rack under the cornbread to catch any overflow. (When you think it's done, shake the skillet around a bit to make sure the center isn't jiggly. If it is, cook till it's not jiggly anymore. After 5 minutes or so of cooling, cut into it - pie-slice-syle. If the consistency is mushy, turn oven down to 300 and bake for another 15 or 20 minutes to dry it out just a little bit.)
Remove from oven. Sprinkle with another 1/2 cup or so of shredded cheese and the remaining 2 pieces of bacon, crumbled. Put back in oven just until cheese is melted.

Mmmm Mmmm Chicken Pie

 

I made this after Samantha had her wisdom teeth taken out. I chopped everything up pretty fine so she wouldn't have to chew much. It's creamy and homey tasting.
Filling:
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of chicken with herbs soup
1 c. milk
8 oz mushrooms
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can peas and carrots (or just tiny peas)

Crust:
3 c. Bisquick
2 eggs
1-1/2 c milk

Preheat oven to 400.

Boil chicken till done and tender, then chop or shred.
Spray a 9 x 13 pan with Pam, then spread the chopped chicken in the bottom.

Saute the onion and chopped up mushrooms in 1 T olive oil and 1 T of butter till tender. Pour all of that, including oil, over the chicken.

Open a can of baby peas (or a can of peas and carrots). Drain it well, then pour it over the chicken.

Mix the soups with 1 cup of milk together. Pour it over the chicken stuff, then mix it all up. Spread evenly in pan.

Mix 2 eggs with 1-1/2 c milk and 3 c of Bisquick. Pour over chicken mixture.

Bake at 400 about 30 - 40 minutes till crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

Lilian's Lemon Bars

From cozy-mystery-with-recipes "Aunt Dimity Digs In" by Nancy Atherton.

Preheat oven to 350

Crust:
1/3 c butter
1/4 c sugar
1 c all purpose flour

Topping:
2 eggs
2 T all purpose flour
3/4 c sugar
1 T finely grated lemon peel
3 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds until creamy. Add 1/4 c sugar. Beat until well combined. Beat in the 1 c flour until mixture is crumbly. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 8 x 8 x 2 baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes or just until golden.

While crust is baking, combine eggs, 3/4 c sugar, 2 T flour, lemon peel, lemon juice and baking powder. Beat for 2 minutes.

When crust comes out of oven, pour topping over hot crust.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes more or till lightly browned around the edges and center is set. Cool in pan on rack. Cut into bars.

If desired, sift powdered sugar over the top prior to serving.