French Bread Pizza

We made this pizza with homemade french bread, but any loaf of french bread would work well.

Its a quick and easy meal!

Ingredients:

1 loaf french bread

1 can pizza sauce

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

pizza toppings as desired

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Cut bread in half, lengthwise.  Place both halves on a cookie sheet.  Spread desired amount of pizza sauce on cut part of bread.  Sprinkle generously with cheese.  Bake for about 10 minutes, or until hot.  Slice, and serve.

Beef and Been Burritos
This recipe makes LOTS of burritos.  These can be frozen individually or in a baking dish.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 8-oz. can tomato sauce

1 10-oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup

6 16-oz. cans refried beans

40 to 50 medium tortillas

3 cups shredded cheese

Seasoning

6 T. chili powder

4 tsp. ground cumin

3 tsp. garlic powder

1-1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves

1 tsp. ground red pepper

2 tsp. salt

In a large pot, brown meat with chopped onion; crumble meat as its browning.

Combine all seasoning ingredients.  Add seasoning to beef; stir.

Add tomato sauce and sop to beef; stir.  Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in beans.  Put equal amounts of filling in each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese.  Fold and place burritos in greased baking dishes.  Bake at 350 until centers are hot.  Serve hot with desired taco toppings.

Yield:  40 - 50 burritos.

Sausage Gravy

This recipe is sometimes called 'milk gravy' also because it uses quite a bit of milk.  We usually eat it over waffles or biscuits.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Jimmy Dean Natural pork breakfast sausage

2/3 cup flour

5 cups milk, heated

2 teaspoons pepper

2 teaspoons salt

In a large saucepan brown sausage on medium high heat.  Crumble sausage as its browning.

When the sausage is thoroughly cooked, stir flour into sausage.  Cook for 1 minute.

Whisk in heated milk; add salt and pepper.  Cook and stir until thickened.

Serve over biscuits or waffles.

Serves 6-8

Waffles
Waffles is a favorite treat to have for supper at our house.  This time we 5x the batch, so we had enough for supper and breakfast!

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all purpose or whole wheat flour

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large mixing bowl combine first four ingredients. Make a well in the center, and mix in the remaining ingredients, just until mixed.  Do not over-stir.  The batter should still be lumpy.

Cook on waffle iron according to manufacturer's direction.

Muddy Buddies

This fun party food is also called 'Puppy Chow'.  Its very easy to make, and is always a great hit.

The original recipe only calls for 9 cups of chex; you can the original recipe here.

I modified the recipe to use a whole box of chex, which is about 13 cups.

Ingredients:
13 cups Chex cereal  (I prefer rice Chex)

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup creamy peanutbutter

3 Tablespoons butter

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1.) In a microwavable1-qt. bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter uncovered on high for 1 minute; stir.  Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth.  This may require stirring for several minutes.  Do NOT over cook.  Stir in vanilla

3.) Place cereal into a large bowl.  Pour chocolate mixture over cereal and stir until coated.

(Here I am stirring away!)


(The kids loved helping with this snack!)

4.) Pour the coated cereal into two gallon  zipper bags. Split the powdered sugar between the two bags.  Seal the bags well, then shake well until the sugar evenly coats the cereal.

For best taste store in refrigerator, and serve cold.
 26 servings (1/2 cup each)

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

I entered this recipe in a Delicious Dairy Dish 4-H contest this summer.  It won Grand Champion, giving me $50.  I was SO excited!  This is a recipe we usually make for New Year's Eve.  Its a favorite of mine.  Its sweet, with chocolate and cream cheese.  Served on Graham crackers

We happened to 4x this recipe because I am taking some to a friends' house and I guess we needed extra to eat?  It was a rather large batch, but worked out fine!

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

2 Tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

 1.) In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Mix in confectioners' sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla.

2.) Leave the mixture in the bowl and closely cover it with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

3.)  Wrap with plastic wrap, and shape chilled cream cheese mixture into a ball. Refrigerate for at least 1 more hour.

4..) Roll the cheese ball in finely chopped pecans before serving.
Serve on graham crackers.

One batch makes one ball, or two small logs.

Monster Cookies

These giant cookies are packed with good things.  Ground walnuts, flaxseed, oats, coconut, chocolate chips and M&M's all in a giant soft cookie.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 ground flaxseed

1/4 cup ground walnuts

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup M&M's (mini or regular)

Preheat oven to 325° F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together margarine, butter, and sugars until very smooth.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, coconut, flaxseed, ground walnuts, and oats; stir into creamed mixture.  Mix in the chocolate chips.  (The M&M's can be mixed in at this point or placed on top of the cookies before baking.)

Use a 1/4 cup measure to drop dough on greased baking sheets.

  Place M&M's on top. (If you didn't mix them in the dough.)

Make sure you leave enough room for the cookies to spread out, about  4 to 5 inches.

Bake at 325° F. for 15-17 minutes, until edges are browned.  Cool before removing from baking sheets.