Hash Brown Casserole inspired by Cracker Barrel

Serves: 8
10.25 oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. cheddar  cheese ( grated)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 sm. minced onion
1 tsp. salt         
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 1b. bag of frozen shredded hash browns ( thawed)

-Spray a 13" X 9"  baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
-In a lg. bowl, combine soup, cheese, butter, onion, salt, and pepper.
-Gently stir in the potatoes into the mixture and pour into prepared pan. And spread out evenly.
-Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, until heated through and top is browned.

Cranberry Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients

2 1/2  cups shredded  green  cabbage
2 ½ cups  shredded red cabbage
½ cup of red onion sliced thinly
½ cup dried cranberries

Dressing

¼  cup of cider vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon of minced  Serrano pepper


Directions

In a  large bowl combine the cabbage, onion  and cranberries and toss to combine.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients.  Pour over the slaw, cover and refrigerate a few hours. Then toss again and serve. Serves 4-6 people

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

2 scallions minced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 - 16 oz can of Black Eyed Peas ( rinsed and drained)
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 serrano pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried  parsley
 Spicy Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)


1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
2. Scatter the cubes of butternut squash in one layer on a baking sheet with sides. Drizzle the squash with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, until the squash is brown around the edges and tender when pierced with a fork, stirring the squash pieces periodically so they brown evenly. Allow it to cool slightly.
3.
Gently scrape the warm squash into a large mixing bowl. Add the peas, bell pepper, serrano pepper, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette and toss gently. Season with additional salt, pepper, or vinaigrette to taste. Season with additional salt, pepper, or vinaigrette to taste. Transfer the salad to a serving platter and sprinkle with the crumbled goat cheese. Serve room temp. serves 6



Spicy vinaigrette
 Makes about 1 cup

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½  teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil

- Stir vinegar, honey, lemon juice, pepper flakes, salt and pepper together in a med. bowl. Add  the oil slowly, whisking constantly until all is mixed. Use immediately

Blueberry Lemon Scones

1 cup  frozen blueberries ( do not thaw)
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour                                                                                                      
2 teaspoons baking powder                                                                                                  
1/4 teaspoon salt                                                                                                                  
8 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes                                                                                     
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice




Preheat oven to 400 degrees, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Combine sugar with flour, baking powder and salt and lemon juice. Add butter, using a pastry cutter to cut in butter or you may want to use your fingers to be sure butter is evenly mixed into flour mixture. Stir in Blueberry`s then add heavy cream/buttermilk. Use spatula, gently stir dough until it holds together.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to incorporate dry ingredients. Be gentle so you don't break up fruit and don't overwork the dough. Sprinkle dough with flour if it gets sticky.


Gently pat the dough into a circle that is 3/4 inch thick. If any of the fruit pokes out, push back into dough. Cut circle into 6 wedges, transfer wedges to the cookie sheet, leaving at least 1/2 inch of space between them. bake 15-20 minutes or until the tops are beginning to brown and spring back when you push them. Do not over bake.


* I like to make a glaze to drizzle on my scones once they have cooled. ¼ cup  milk, 1/3 cup of powdered sugar mix, ( add milk very little at time if too thick or  if not thick enough add more powdered sugar till the right consistency) drizzle over scones and serve.

Mexican Cornbread

½ cup softened butter
½ cup sugar
4 eggs
1 can creamed corn
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup flour
1 cup Jiffy corn meal mix
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup diced ham
1 Serrano pepper diced ( take seeds out first)


Directions…

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish
- Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl  and pour into the baking dish. Bake for 1 hour or until golden on top and cut into squares and serve hot.

Black Forest Dump Cake with Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 - 21 oz. can of cherry pie filling
1  - 16 oz. bag of frozen pitted sweet cherries thawed
1/2  - cup of sugar
1 -  box devils food cake mix
2 - sticks of butter sliced
1-  square of chocolate bark


Directions

Empty frozen cherries into a bowl and stir in the sugar, let the cherries thaw.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
In a 9 x 13 inch cake pan, spread the cherry pie filling evenly in the pan and then pour the thawed cherries, juice and all over top of the cherry pie filling.  Open the cake mix and sprinkle over the cherries lightly spread evenly over cherries and juice.  Do not mix into cherries!  Put all butter slices on top of dry cake mix.  The slices will be about ½ inch apart. Place pan in preheated oven and bake for 1 hour.  Serve warm with Ice cream.

To make the choc. curl shavings, I took 1 block of choc. bark and a vegetable peeler.

This is what the cake looks like as it comes out of the oven.

Easy Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 pound fresh Brussels sprouts
½   slab  Applewood thick sliced bacon cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper


Wash and then trim off any loose or damaged leaves from the sprouts. Trim the root end and cut each sprout in half.
Cook the cubed  Bacon  in a large skillet  on med. Heat  Bacon just starts to get crispy. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside.  In the Bacon grease add the Brussels  sprouts  flat side down in  the skillet and season with salt and pepper.  Stir a couple of times  and when Brussels are nice and roasted, turn down the heat to med.- low add ¼ cup of water and put a lid on cook for 15 min. or until tender. Then add the crispy bacon and stir and  transfer to a serving dish.