Potato Pancakes

Perfect thing to make with leftover mashed potatoes!
3 cups mashed potatoes
3/4 cup shredded cheese
2T chopped green onion
2 eggs beaten
4T flour
4T oil
Sour cream for serving
Mix mashed potatoes, cheese, onion, egg and flour till well combined. Divide into 12 patties. Gently dredge patties in flour, then lay in hot oil. Work in batches, don't overcrowd, and patiently wait till a nice golden crust forms before turning. Drain on paper towel, season with salt. Serve with a dollop of sour cream! If there are any leftover, reheat next day with an egg on top for breakfast!

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

(From sixsisterstuff). This is a great week night meal that is quite easy. Brandon and Isaac had seconds and thirds! Surprisingly good!

1box chicken stuffing mix (stovetop)
1 stick butter, melted
4 zucchini, diced
2 cooked chicken breasts, diced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup sour cream
Cook onion in a little butter or oil till soft, set aside for a minute. Mix stuffing and butter. Mix zucchini, chicken, soup, cooked onion, sour cream and half of the stuffing then pour into greased 9x13 dish. Sprinkle remaining half of the stuffing over top. Bake 45 mins at 350.

Parmesan Tortellini Bites

These were from Christmas Eve. So addicting. Would be fun to do with a meat ravioli too!

20oz refrigerated cheese tortellini (I used Bouitoni)
1 cup oil
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs (found in Asian section)
1/2 cup Parmesan (I used the really fine grated kind for better coating)
1 cup flour
4-5 eggs, beaten well
1 cup marinara sauce for dipping
Cook tortellini according to package directions, being careful not to over cook. Drain well, lay out on paper towel to dry slightly. Heat oil in skillet. In a bowl combine panko and Parmesan. Put flour in another bowl. Dredge about 10 tortellini at a time in flour, then egg, then panko mixture, making sure to coat well. Set in hot oil. Repeat to fill skillet, cook and turn till golden on all sides, then drain on paper towels. Repeat till all are fried. Serve immediately with marinara sauce or any sauce really, these things are even great by themselves! A 20oz pkg will fill a large cookie sheet so if you have a small group just half the recipe.

Breakfast Enchiladas

Okay. You need these in your life. These were a hit. Completely satisfying. Easy to make!

1 lb. pork sausage
Red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese
10 flour tortillas
2 cups half and half or whole milk
7 eggs
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
Black pepper to taste
1 T flour
Good salsa and sour cream to serve
In a skillet, cook sausage, onion and bell pepper till onion is soft. Fill tortillas with 1/3 cup filling then sprinkle with cheese and roll up. Place tightly in 9x13 dish. When all tortillas are filled in dish, whisk eggs, flour, season salt, black pepper, and half and half, and pour over enchiladas. Cover and put in fridge overnight. To bake, heat oven to 350. Bake 45 mins till eggs are puffed and golden brown. If top darkens too fast put foil over top. (I baked mine closer to an hour). You can add any remaining cheese to top for the last 10 mins of baking. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and salsa if you wish!

Baked French Toast

This is the best one I've tried! Mom made this one famous in the fam! Serve with Buttermilk Syrup drizzled over top. Could also be served as a dessert!

1 large loaf dense white bread, cubed
8 eggs
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbl. pure vanilla extract
Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch nutmeg
1 stick butter, cut in small pieces
Grease 9x13 dish. Put bread in dish. Mix eggs, milk, cream, sugar and vanilla. Pour over bread. Cover and store in fridge till ready to bake (overnight is great). Mix topping with a fork till crumbly. Sprinkle over top and bake 350 45 mins to an hour. Serve hot with syrup, fruit or whipped cream.

Shellie's Mint Fudge

This is so creamy and good. You would never guess its easy and quick!

1 bag milk chocolate chips (Guittard brand is best)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
dash salt
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1/4 cup crushed candy canes for topping
Melt over low heat chips, milk and salt, when smooth, remove from heat and add extract. Spread into a foil-lined 8 or 9" pan. Sprinkle with candy cane and chill in fridge at least 2 hours. Turn out onto cutting board, remove foil and cut into squares. Store covered at room temp. Makes 2 lbs.

Tuscan Bean Soup

This is adapted from Pinterest. Full of veggie goodness and hearty for a cold night. I added the potatoes and ground turkey, but you can omit the turkey for a vegetarian version!
2-3 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
2 small zucchini, diced
1 yellow zucchini, diced
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp fresh rosemary roughly chopped or 1/2 tsp dried
1 qt broth
2 cans white beans, rinsed and drained (i like great northern)
1 can no-salt diced tomatoes, juice and all
2 cups kale, ribs removed and chopped
3 small potatoes, peeled and diced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 T sugar
1 T white wine vinegar
1 lb lean ground turkey, season with garlic salt, cook and drain, set aside

In dutch oven or large heavy pot, heat oil over med heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, zucchinis. Cook 8-10 mins.Add garlic and herbs, cook another minute. Add broth, tomatoes, and beans. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and add kale and potatoes. Cover and simmer 15 minutes till tender. Meanwhile you can cook your ground turkey and set aside till the end. At this point you can use a hand blender or regular one and blend partially leaving half unblended for texture. Add salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar. Add cooked turkey and heat through. Serve with shaved parmesan on top and some good crusty bread to dip!
*you may need more broth while potatoes cook, just eye ball it. I ended up using about another can's worth.

Chicken and Potato Chowder

Mmmmmmmmmm. Still thinking how good this was!! Kind of like a chicken pot pie without the crust. Eat this while you watch the snow fall. Or rain, whatever you got! Perfect eaten with Cheddar Bay Biscuits dipped in.

Half stick butter
1 onion, chopped fine
3 carrots, peeled, sliced or small dice
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk (May need more if too thick)
2large or 4 smallish russet potatoes,peeled, diced to bite size
2 cups cooked chopped chicken(rotisserie is so good!)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T chopped fresh parsley
Melt butter in large heavy pot. Add onion, carrot, celery. Cook about 4 minutes stirring occasionally. Add thyme, cook 1 minute. Whisk in flour, stirring 1 minute or so till starts to brown. Add broth and milk, whisking till slightly thicker, 2-3 minutes. Add potatoes and parsley. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer till potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cheese, a little at a time to thoroughly melt. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper. If chowder is too thick, add more milk(I added about 3/4 cup more). Serve hot with additional cheese and/or parsley on top. * if you have leftovers, pour into a pie plate! stick a pie crust on top and freeze or have next day as a pot pie! Bake at 350 till golden and bubbly.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Fluffy, soft and scrumptious, I could eat them all myself!!
Makes 10-12 biscuits, double them! You won't be sorry.
Quick to make! 20 minutes and you're eating them!
2 cups flour
1 T sugar
1T baking powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne (leave out if you don't like kick)
1 cup buttermilk
1 stick butter, melted
1 1/2 cups shreded cheddar
Topping:
3T butter, melted
1T chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder (I used Johnny's garlic mix)
Heat oven to 450. In large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne. In a 2 cup measuring cup pour in 1 cup buttermilk and add the melted stick of butter to it, whisking to mix. Don't worry if it's lumpy. Add to dry ingredients, stirring with a spoon just till moist. Gently Add shred cheese. Scoop spoonfuls (1/4 cup size) onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes just till done, bottoms will be golden. Remove from oven and brush with topping mixture. Serve warm and try to save some for your family!! Goes perfect with Chicken and Potato Chowder.

Holly's Apple Crisp

Oh my. This is Fall in a bowl! Warm, soft apples with a crunchy, buttery top. Get your gallon of good vanilla ice cream ready!!
5 apples peeled, chopped (any variety or a mix. I mix red delicious and granny)
1/4-1/3 cup sugar, depends on tartness of apples
1/2-1 tsp or so cinnamon
half a lemon
Grease an 11x7 baking dish. Put chopped apples in bottom. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Squeeze lemon over apples.
For topping:
3/4 cup oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, really soft
pecans, optional
with your fingers in a bowl, mix topping ingredients till large crumbs. Sprinkle over apples, Bake @350 for 55 minutes. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh cream drizzled over.

Meatloaf Muffins

Meatloaf is the ultimate in comfort food if you ask me. These are a fun way to have a personal-size chunk-o-meat on your dinner plate! Add whatever veggies you want, but here's what i did:
1 T olive oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 carrots peeled, grated on large grater
1/2 bell pepper (red is my fave), chopped fine
1 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
1- 1 1/2 cups ketchup
2 1/2 lbs ground beef
40 saltine crackers, crushed to crumbs
1-2 T mustard
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
Heat oven to 350. heat oil in skillet, add onion, carrot, bell, oregano and garlic. cook 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup ketchup, cooked veggies and all other ingredients. Mix well with bare hands or spoon. Grease muffin tins (this makes 24 muffins). Fill muffin tins with meat mixture but do not overflow. Just about level with the top. Top each muffin with 2 tsp ketchup (I mix a tablespoon or so brown sugar with my ketchup first to make a sweeter sauce). Bake 25-30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes in tin before you serve.
*I served these next to some mashed potatoes. For the gravy, i used a packet of Au Jus once it boiled I added 1 Tbl cornstarch to about 1/4 cup cold water, stirred, then added to boiling gravy. It thickened just enough to make a yummy gravy to drizzle over the potatoes. We were in comfort heaven! These freeze well in a freezer ziplock!

Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Dish

This is scratch! No cream of soups. Delicious and comforting for a Fall evening.

3 large chicken breasts, cooked and diced to bite size
1 cube butter
1 onion, diced fine
1-2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup white wine (optional, its not a must, but makes the difference)
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 T fresh parsley or 1/2 tsp dried
1/2 cup raw wild rice
1 cup raw white rice
2 cups chopped broccoli, steamed in microwave 2 mins
2 cups shredded cheddar/Jack mix or whatever cheese you like
Prepare rice according to their own packages in seperate pots. The wild rice takes about 45 mins to cook so start that ahead! When both are done, combine the two, toss. Meanwhile, cook onion in butter till soft. Add garlic 1 minute. Add flour, whisking till no lumps and cook 2-3 mins stirring. Add wine and broth, whisk till combined and add poultry seasoning, mustard and parsley. Whisk till thickened. Add cream and then remove from heat. Assemble casserole by greasing a 9x13 dish with deep sides. Layer chicken then broccoli. Add half the cheese. Layer rice, then pour sauce over the top evenly. Sprinkle with other half cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 mins till bubbly. **note: you may want to salt your rice and chicken water while cooking them for more flavor! You can also buy a wild rice blend and save a step.**

Nutella Icebox Cake

From Mom. Light, fluffy layers make this completely addicting!!
1 3/4 cup heavy cream, cold!
1 1/2 cups mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup Nutella
20 whole chocolate graham crackers or other good chocolate cookie/cracker
Beat 1 cup cream, 3/4 cup mascarpone, all the sugar and vanilla till combined. Beat till stiff peaks form 1-2 minutes. Combine remaining 3/4 cup each cream, and mascarpone with the nutella in a separate bowl, beat till stiff peaks, 1-2 mins. Line bottom of 8 inch spring-form pan with 4 grahams in single layer, breaking up if needed to fill gaps. Spread half the vanilla whipped cream over crackers. Top with another layer crackers. Spread half the Nutella mixture over, then layer crackers. Repeat ending with Nutella layer. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6 hrs. To serve, run a knife along edges of pan.

Fresh Tomato Tart

1 pie crust (if you are buying I like Kroger brand)
8oz mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup fresh grated or shaved Parmesan
3 T chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
4-6 garden tomatoes, sliced
1/4 red onion, sliced really thin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Preheat oven 400. Bake pie crust in a pie plate for 10-15 mins. Remove from oven and add 2/3 of the mozzarella. Sprinkle with basil. Add layer of tomatoes and onions, seasoning well throughout with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil. Add remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand at least 15 minutes. Garnish with more basil.
This is so fresh and delicious! Great vegetarian dinner on a summer night, or serve with a steak from the grill!

Best Berry Shakes

We were licking our glasses!!!
2 cups frozen fruit (mixed berries-straw,black,rasp,blue)
2 cups heavy cream
2 tsp  pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
Blend in blender till thick and the texture you want! Delicious.