Tater Tot Hot Dish. Uff Da.

If you're from Minnesota, chances are you both know what tater tot hot dish is and have eaten it. You may also have a family recipe, which is just a little different from your best friend's family recipe. If you're not from Minnesota, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. Certain Minnesotans I know (*cough*myhusband*cough*) would probably argue you should stay blissfully ignorant.

I'm not going to let that happen. First, some explanation - hot dish is just what we call a casserole up here. Go to any church basement pot luck and you are likely to find not only at least 3 different varieties of tater tot hot dish, you're also likely to find a whole bunch of other questionable-looking  ground beef/potato or noodle/cream of __________ offerings. I advise you skip most of them.

This one, however, you should try. And while you're eating it, try to fit in as many "ya sures" and "you betchas" and "uff das" into the conversation as possible. A lot of us really do sound like Fargo up here (though we will deny it and be extremely offended if it's ever pointed out to us).

Tater Tot Hot Dish
family recipe
Serves 5-6
Prep Time - 5 min
Cook Time - about an hour

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 lb ground beef (ground turkey works well too)
1-2 TSP olive oil
1 med. onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic
salt & pepper
1 can low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
1 can low-sodium cheese soup
Most of a 2 lb bag tater tots

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes, until they start to get soft. Add the ground beef to the pan and brown. Season with salt & pepper. When the beef is almost done, add a few cloves of garlic. Once the beef is browned, drain if necessary.

Add to the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Meanwhile, while the beef is browning, mix together the cream of mushroom soup and the cheese soup in a small bowl. Do not add any other liquid, like milk or water, even though it'll be very thick and you will be tempted to.

Pour the soup mixture over the ground beef. Spread it around a little so all the ground beef is mostly evenly-covered.

Add tater tots to the top of the pan, sort of lining them up, using the picture above as a guide for how to do it. You should use somewhere around 2/3 to 3/4 of the bag. Cover the pan with tin foil.

Bake, covered for 25 minutes.

Remove the tin foil and bake, uncovered for 20 minutes to get the tots nice and crispy.

Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Peach Pie

I'm not the biggest fan of fruit pies. Unless it is an apple or rhubarb pie with a crumbly top, you can forget about it. Yes, this means that I do not like cherry or blueberry pie. I do not like any fruit pie that has a lattice or a regular pie crust on the top. I know that might take a while to process.

I do, however, love my grandmother's fresh peach pie. And it's not surprising - it's not baked, it has a graham cracker crust, and is served cold. Plus, the main ingredient is peaches, which I love.

One of my favorite things about this pie is that it requires absolutely no cooking. Sure, I feel a little Sandra Lee-ish when I make it, but I really don't care. If you want to make your own graham cracker crust and your own whipped cream to make this a bit more home-made, I'm sure it would be absolutely delicious. I'm sure I'll get around to trying it that way one day, too.

Grandma's Peach Pie

Cook & Prep Time - less than 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4-6 peaches or nectarines (depending on size)

1 tub cool whip

1 jar marshmallow fluff

1 pre-made graham cracker crust

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, stir the marshmallow fluff and cool whip until well combined.

Cut up the peaches, and remove the skins, and place the slices into the bowl with the cool whip mixture. Stir until the peaches are coated.

Pour the peaches into the graham cracker crust and let refrigerate for at least an hour.

Grandma's Zucchini Bread

Zucchini bread was one of my favorites when I was a kid, and nobody made it quite like my grandma. Well, truth be told, when I was a kid there were a lot of things nobody could make quite like my grandma could. This is my take on her recipe. I've tried to make it just a little healthier so you don't feel quite so bad about eating it.

Zucchini Bread

Grandma Ann's recipe, adapted

Makes 2 loaves

INGREDIENTS

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups sugar

1 cup canola oil

1/3 cup water

4 eggs

2 1/2 - 3 cups grated zucchini

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce*

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix together the flours, salt, sugar, soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, beat together the canola oil, water, eggs, and lemon juice. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined. Add zucchini and applesauce and stir until combined.

Pour into pre-greased loaf pans and bake for 1 hr, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*If you want, you can eliminate some of the oil by swapping out an equal amount of oil for apple sauce. So, for example, if you only add 1/2 cup of oil, add 1/2 cup more of the applesauce, for a total of 3/4 cup.

Cabbage & Meatball Soup

When I was growing up, one of my favorite meals was my grandma's cabbage & meatball soup. I could've eaten bowls upon bowls of the stuff in a single sitting. Then, I moved away from home and away from Grandma's cooking. Sadly, I was away from my beloved cabbage & meatball soup for almost 10 years.

Recently, I found myself really craving it and decided to take a crack at figuring out the ingredients and making it on my own. I think Grandma would be proud.

Cabbage & Meatball Soup

Serves 6-8

Prep Time - 20 minutes

Cook Time - about 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 TBSP butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

1-2 carrots, sliced

1 medium head cabbage (somewhere between 1/2 & 1 lb), sliced

salt & pepper

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup water

2 cups beef broth

1/2 lb (more if you like) ground beef

2 tsp parsley, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg

1/4-1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in a large stockpot. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and cook about 5 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften. Season with salt & pepper. While the veggies are cooking, chop up the cabbage.

Add cabbage and stir. Let the cabbage cook for about 3 minutes. Add broth & water. Put a lid on the pot and let simmer.

While the pot is simmering, mix together the ground beef, salt & pepper, garlic, parsley, egg, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Form into small balls (about 1" - 1 1/2") and add to the pot. Keep the cover on and let cook for about 10-15 minutes. If the pot comes to a heavy boil, turn down the heat. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Rhubarb Pie

With this post, I'd like to introduce what I hope to be a new segment on this blog called "Stuff I Made with Stuff I Grew in my Backyard." Yep, that's right - I have a garden this year. I'm very excited. My first creation from my homegrown goods was a rhubarb pie.

I grew up eating rhubarb and I love it. When baked, it's somewhat similar in taste to an apple, but softer and more tart. It pairs well with berries, but I prefer it on its own. It's very easy to work with, too. When picked out of the garden, it should look like this:


Don't be alarmed... your pile should be that size. Trim off the leaves. Don't be alarmed if some of your apparently mature rhubarb stalks are more green than red - they taste the same as the deep pink ones, they just aren't as pretty. Don't eat the leafy greens. Be sure to wash the stalks well. When you're all done with that, they should look like this:


Isn't that better? Cut them up into little pieces like you would chop up celery.

For this pie, I used my regular apple pie recipe, but used rhubarb instead of apples and coated them in a bit more cinnamon & sugar than normal. The result is an amazing pie.


You must try it right away.

Basic Spaghetti

Is it just me or does everyone like their own family spaghetti recipe better than all others?

Regardless, I love family recipes. There's just something about passing recipes down that warms my heart. On top of that, I love reading people's family recipes and wondering how on earth anyone came up with the combinations they did. My mother-in-law's spaghetti recipe is no exception. I have no idea how she came up with this combination of ingredients, but it's great.


Spaghetti
Serves about 12
Cook & Prep Time - about 1 1/2 hrs

INGREDIENTS
2-3 lbs spaghetti noodles
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion
salt & pepper
1 (26 oz) jar Ragu "Old World Style" spaghetti sauce
1 large can tomato juice
2 (15 oz) cans stew tomatoes
3 packages dry spaghetti sauce mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS
Brown ground beef with onion & garlic. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Drain & set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large pot. Add ground beef and simmer on low for 1 - 1 1/2 hrs.

About 15 minutes before serving, boil noodles to al dente. Drain and serve with the sauce.

MMM... Manicotti

I know I've blogged about manicotti before, but I finally got a good picture, and I've decided to submit the recipe to Presto Pasta Nights, which is started and organized by Ruth at Once Upon a Feast, so I've decided to do it again. This week's round-up is hosted by Ulrike at Kuchenlatien. This recipe makes a lot, and I like to make a full batch and freeze half. Thanks for hosting, Ulrike. Enjoy, everyone!


Manicotti
Recipe from my mother-in-law
*Serves about 8*

1 box manicotti shells
2 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (I use the 5-cheese blend)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
8 oz Ricotta cheese (whole milk variety)
12 oz cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Marinara sauce (no set amount, but a lot)

DIRECTIONS:
Par cook noodles (about 5 min). Drain, but do not rinse.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all cheeses and egg in a bowl. Stuff noodles and place in a 9x13 pan.

Cover with sauce and bake for 1 hour (45 min covered and 15 min covered). Let sit about 5 minutes before serving.

Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls

My grandma makes the best cinnamon rolls. When I was growing up, she knew I liked them fresh out of the oven, so she would always make sure they were just done when I woke up. If I wasn't going to be at her house for a while, and on special occasions, she'd bring me a pan to let rise and then bake on my own.

I made them with her many times when I was at her house visiting, but I'd never made them on my own. I put my own twist on them, using the fabulous cream cheese icing recipe on Little Ms. Foodie's blog, but they still use Grandma's basic recipe.


Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe by my grandma, adapted
Makes 12-16 rolls

INGREDIENTS
1 loaf Rhodes frozen bread dough, thawed
6 TBSP butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 TBSP cinnamon
Icing, recipe follows

DIRECTIONS
After dough has thawed, but before it starts to rise, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it's about a 14 x 6 inch rectangle.

In a small bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Spread the cinnamon mixture on the dough.

Roll the dough up like a jelly roll, starting with the long side (this would be the bottom of the rectangle, for the instructionally-impaired like myself). Cut the roll into 12-16 slices (about 1 to 1 1/2 inch slices.

Place them into a greased 9 x 13 pan and let rise for about an hour, or until they have doubled in size.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let cool, and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Icing
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

Beat together all ingredients until smooth. Use to frost cooled rolls.

Chili

The cooler weather has brought out the soup making at my house. The latest is my husband's brother's recipe for chili.

I didn't know if I could post this recipe for the longest time. I wasn't sure if my brother-in-law kept it under lock and key or if my husband had to take some sort of blood oath to get it from him, but I have now been assured it's safe to post and should be shared with the world (or, my tens of readers... whatever. You've gotta start somewhere, right?). I've taken some small liberties with the original recipe so you don't have to stand at the stove for a whole day cooking, and use every pot, pan, and bowl in your kitchen. You'll thank me later.

I'm not the biggest chili fan in general, but everyone I know goes crazy over this recipe. Be forewarned - it's really spicy.


Scott's Chili
From my Brother-in-Law
Serves 12-18 (yes...)
Cook & Prep Time - 2-3 hrs

SPECIAL NOTES
*Use a 6-Quart stock pot
*Make this at least a day in advance, let it sit in the fridge overnight before you're going to serve it

INGREDIENTS
1 can spicy baked beans (this is a big can. It should be the only one available)
1 large can Tomato Juice
2 cans hot & spicy chili beans (regular sized cans)
2 cans kidney beans (regular sized cans)
2 packages hot chili seasoning mix
3 lbs stew meat
4 stems celery
2 medium onions
6 jalapeno peppers (cut it in half or de-seed if you don't like spice)
1 bottle Frank's Red Hot Sauce (you'll use about 2/3 of the bottle)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
crushed red pepper
Minced Garlic
Vegetable oil (or canola... or olive - whatever you want)
Tabasco sauce
1 cup red wine (I highly recommend a dry Marsala)

DIRECTIONS
Dice onion and divide into two bowls. Cut celery and put into its own bowl. Dice jalapenos, with seeds, and divide into two bowls. Set aside.

Cut beef into nickel size pieces. Set aside.

Coat stock pot with oil, over medium heat, and add one bowl of onion. Season with salt & pepper. Add 1 tsp crushed red pepper. Simmer until onions are translucent.

Add 1 tsp garlic and stir. Add one bowl of jalapeno peppers.

Add more oil if necessary. Never keep the ingredients dry.

Add 1 tsp crushed red pepper and 2 TBSP Frank's Red Hot. Stir.

Add meat. Right away add half the bottle of Frank's Red Hot. Stir.

Add 2 tsp crushed red pepper. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Add 1 tsp Tabasco sauce.

Continue stirring and simmer until the meat is just browned.

Once the meat has browned, add the remaining onions. Salt & pepper to taste. Add 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper and 1 tsp Frank's Red Hot. If the pot is cry, add a little more oil.

Add one heaping tsp. of garlic and the rest of the jalapenos. Stir.

Add the red wine & celery. Stir. Let simmer until the celery gets soft.

Once the celery is soft, add the tomato juice. Stir to combine.

Add the brown sugar and white sugar. Stir.

Next, add the dry chili seasoning mix and all beans (do not drain kidney beans). Simmer on low for about 2 hrs.

Store overnight and cook for at least 1 hour before serving.

Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, or whatever your favorite chili accompaniment is.

The best apple pie ever

It's not quite apple season yet in Minnesota (speaking of which, when will the grocery store start stocking fresh apples?), but that didn't stop me from making my fabulous apple pie recently. I realize, after re-reading my posts, that I actually have blogged about this pie before, but I figure 1). I didn't include a picture before, and 2). it's just that good. I've also used this recipe with fresh rhubarb instead of apples with great success.

Dutch Apple Pie
recipe from my mom

Bottom Crust
1 stick melted butter
1 TBSP sugar
1 cup flour

Filling
4-5 sliced apples (sour-ish ones are better)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Top Crust
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, softened

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix bottom crust together with a fork and press into pie plate.

Mix sliced apples and cinnamon/sugar; put in pie tin with the bottom crust. When filled, it should look sort of like a dome.

Mix brown sugar, flour, & butter to a crumbly mass (do this with your hands). Top the apples with this mixture.

Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Caramel Rolls

I think Sunday morning is a great day for a leisurely breakfast. My favorites are a quasi-Irish breakfast and caramel rolls (not together). Don't laugh, Husband. I didn't say I'm up cooking full breakfasts often, just that I like to (see, I changed that wording for you to make it more clear). This recipe has been in my family for as long as I can remember. It makes an appearance at every holiday and family function, and we all love them... Well, I love them when no one screws them up by adding walnuts to the caramel sauce... I always feel a bit Sandra Lee-ish when making them, but I get over it quickly because they're so wonderful. I promise you'll like them. The best part (aside from the delicious flavor) is that they come together in less than 5 minutes of prep time.

Just out of the oven -
Top View

Flipped over

Caramel Rolls
Family Recipe (true source unknown)
Serves 4-8

INGREDIENTS
18 Rhodes frozen roll dough balls
1 package butterscotch cook & serve pudding (NOT INSTANT)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONS
Grease a bundt cake pan.

Place the frozen dough balls in the bottom of the pan. I like to do it so there is an inner and an outer layer when it cooks.

Sprinkle the dry pudding mix on top of the dough.

Meanwhile, melt the butter and combine it with the brown sugar. Once mixed together, pour over the top of the dough and dry pudding mix.

Place in a cold oven overnight (or about 8 hrs, if not overnight). Turn on oven to 350 and bake about 25 minutes or until golden brown. Don't bother to take them out to pre-heat the oven. Just turn it on and set a timer for 25 minutes and walk away. When the timer goes off, the caramel rolls should be done.

*Let them sit about 10 minutes before flipping and removing them from the bundt pan. When it's time to do so, I suggest covering the top of the pan with a plate and flipping the whole thing over as fast as you can. Make sure to keep watch for any caramel that slips out the sides.

Swedish Meatballs

Anyone who knows me even remotely well knows that I absolutely love Swedish meatballs. I'd eat them once a week if I could. And when I was younger, I think I probably did.

The region of Minnesota where I grew up is very Scandinavian. So much so that we had a significant number of exchange students every year from Norway or Sweden, and many people, like my grandma, still know how to speak Swedish. Not surprisingly, Swedish meatballs make an appearance at pretty much every family gathering, holiday, or church/community event in the area. Understanding a little more when I said previously that I probably ate them about once a week? I thought so.

Every Swedish-American family has their own version of this classic. If other families are anything like mine, they have several. My dad's is slightly different from my grandma's, which is slightly different than her (late) sister's (may she rest in peace with her delicious recipe that she wouldn't give up). No one in my family will give out their recipe, and all of the above-listed people swear they make the same recipe. Not so, says my taste buds. Once, I was lucky enough to get my dad to tell me how he makes his, only to discover that he wasn't exactly honest with me about the ingredients. Is anyone getting flashbacks to that episode of Everybody Loves Raymond? Or am I the only dork that's seen pretty much every episode of that show at least 3 or 4 times? I am? .... ok. I'll make my peace with that.

I've become convinced that every Swedish meatball recipe in my family will die with its maker. The best one already has. I've been left with no choice to create my own, and I'm determined to make it even better than the recipes they won't give up. And when I do, I'll hesitate before I give it to either my grandma or my dad. Yeah, I can be vindictive like that. But I won't, because I believe that good food should be shared. My family will thank me later.

I'm not sure if I've exactly come up with the perfect recipe, but this one's close. I did my best to remember what I did so I could write about it later. I think with a bit of tweaking, I'll be able to have a recipe far superior to my late great-aunt's. Sorry, Bertha. As much as I loved your meatballs, it had to happen one day.


Swedish Meatballs
Serves 4-6
Prep Time - 15 minutes
Cook Time - 45 min

INGREDIENTS

Meatballs
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 medium onion
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed
~1/2 - 2/3 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten
dash nutmeg
1 tsp salt (be generous)
25 grinds freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (do not use the super lean kind)

Sauce
1 TBSP butter
2 TBSP sherry
1 1/2 cup beef stock
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup half-and-half
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium low heat.

Meatballs
Place all ingredients into a large bowl, except for onion and vegetable oil. Grate the onion into the bowl (as in, use a cheese grater) and mix. I'm serious about the grating. You'll be sorry if you don't. Form into small-ish meatballs. Use a cookie scoop if you have to, but make them as round as you can.

Place them in the pan you've had heating up and brown on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

Sauce
Drain the oil from the pan. If there's any brown bits at the bottom of the pan, get rid of those too. You don't want them. These are not the yummy brown bits you have from when you fry chicken breasts.

Add the butter and melt. Once melted, add the sherry and chicken stock, to deglaze the pan. Whisk in the flour and cook until sauce thickens.

Add the half-and-half, Worcestershire and bay leaves. Keep whisking. Bring to a simmer, whisking often until thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat, add meatballs back to the pan. If do not have an oven-safe pan, transfer meatballs into a baking dish and then pour the sauce over the top. Cover. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Discard bay leaves before serving.

Serve this over egg noodles. You could do mashed potatoes instead, but that's not as good. Do egg noodles. You'll thank me later.

**UPDATE!!**

After careful consideration, I have decided to submit this recipe to this round of Homegrown Gourmet. It's my first submission. I'm so excited!

Cheesy Hashbrowns

I was just looking through my blog posts and was shocked to discover I'd never posted about this recipe. My family makes this at pretty much every holiday/family gathering and I never get sick of it.

Apparently this recipe reveals my true Minnesotan, but I prefer to think it just reveals my wonderful culinary sense. As a bonus, it reheats really well.

Cheesy Hashbrowns

True source unknown - from my dad
Serves about 8

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs frozen hashbrown potatoes (use the chunky ones, not the shredded potatoes)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint (16 oz) sour cream
2 TBSP melted butter
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 medium onion, finely diced
freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together all ingredients. I find it helps to add the potatoes last.

Place in casserole dish or 9x13 pan, cover, and bake 45-50 min.

** My family tops this with a mixture of crushed cornflakes and melted butter. I don't like it that way, but if you do, knock yourself out.

Lasagna

I'm probably biased, but I think my lasagna is the bomb. In the past, I tended to shy away from making lasagna because they're so time consuming to put together, but this one comes together in about 30 minutes. I took several very time consuming recipes, and combined it with my parents' super simple recipe, and came up with what's becoming our regular lasagna. Enjoy!


Lasagna
My recipe
Serves 6
Prep Time - 30 min
Cook Time - 1 hr

INGREDIENTS
1 jar marinara sauce*
~1 cup water
1/2 onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 TBSP flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 bay leaf
1/2 lb ground beef (optional)
salt & pepper

8 oz cottage cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten

6-8 lasagna noodles**

1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
In medium to large saucepan, combine marinara sauce, water, 1/2 of the diced onion, 3 cloves garlic, parsley, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Let simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf after about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown the ground beef with the rest of the onion and garlic. Season with salt & pepper. When browned, drain any excess fat and add to the marinara sauce. Remove from heat.

Also while marinara is simmering, combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and beaten egg in a separate bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the lasagna in 8x8 pan as follows:

• Thin layer of marinara sauce
• 1/2 lasagna noodles
• 1/2 cottage cheese mixture
• 1/3 Mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 marinara sauce
• Remaining noodles
• Remaining cottage cheese
• 1/3 Mozzarella cheese
• Remaining Marinara
• Remaining Mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese

Bake covered for 45 minutes, and uncovered for 15 minutes. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.

*Feel free to use your favorite marinara sauce, but I really like to use Stokely's brand for this lasagna. It's cheap & plain, but it has the right texture and tastes great with the additions I make to it. If Stokely's is not available, I really suggest using a cheaper, plain marinara - nothing chunky - and adding to it as I indicate above. Trust me on this.

** I like no-boil lasagna noodles, but my husband prefers this recipe with regular lasagna noodles. No matter which you use, do not boil them. If using regular noodles, add about another 1/2 cup water.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I admit it. I don't like raisins, but I love oatmeal raisin cookies (without the raisins). So, I guess I really love oatmeal cookies. I've always thought of them as a breakfast cookie more than a dessert. Is that weird? I have yet to find a recipe I like better than this one.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Recipe from my mom
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter (I use Crisco sticks)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp soda
2 eggs, beaten
5 tsp raisin juice
1 cup cooked raisins
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup cooked raisins

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange oven racks 2 racks apart.

In small skillet over medium low heat, cook raisins in about 1/3 - 1/2 cup water. They should "plump" as they cook.

Meanwhile, mix together first 5 ingredients.

After raisins are cooked, add raisin juice and vanilla. Mix together. Add flour and mix well.

Add oatmeal and raisins and mix together with a spoon.

Drop dough on cookie sheets and place on lowest of the 2 racks. Bake until cookies start to spread out and form the cookie shape. Move up to highest rack. Finish baking there. Take them out of the oven and transfer to cooling rack when just golden brown.

Old Fashioned Cake Doughnuts

The female elders in my family have been making these doughnuts for years. They're light and airy - pretty much everything you would want in a doughnut. I highly recommend them. Unfortunately, even with a doughnut dropper, it's a bit difficult to get the shape. Don't be discouraged if you get a few alien mutant doughnuts at first.


Old Fashioned Cake Doughnuts

Family Recipe

INGREDIENTS
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
pinch of salt
2 cups sour milk
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour
Oil for frying

DIRECTIONS
Mix all the above together with electric mixer. Add flour 1 cup at a time. You'll probably have to stir in the last cup of flour by hand.

Heat oil to 375 degrees.

Place batter in doughnut dropper and drop batter into hot oil. Fry about 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. If desired, coat with cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Sloppy Joes, my way

Growing up, my mom didn't really cook. She made a few things every once in a while, but basically, my dad did the cooking. This recipe was one my mom did make, and frequently. I'm not sure where she got the recipe, but I love it. It's great for a quick meal, and the leftovers work great for next-day lunches. I've never really liked tomato-y sloppy joes, and I'm pretty sure growing up with this recipe was at least a little responsible. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Gumbo Burgers

Recipe from my mom
*Serves 4-6*
Prep Time – 5 min
Cook Time – 15 min

INGREDIENTS:
1 - 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (ground turkey or chicken work well too)
1 small onion, chopped or minced
½ cup chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
1 can chicken gumbo soup

DIRECTIONS:
Brown the ground beef with onion, salt, & pepper. Drain off any excess fat.

Add remaining ingredients; mix together. Simmer for about 10 min. Spoon onto hamburger buns. Serve with chips.

Manicotti

On Friday, I got a huge craving for manicotti. So, I discussed it with the husband, and decided Sunday was the day. I've made it several times before, and each time I make it, I think I like it better. There's a bit of prep work, but the results are worth it.

Excuse the poor quality - my digital camera is out of batteries
so I had to use my camera phone

Manicotti
Recipe from my mother-in-law
*Serves about 10-12*

1 box manicotti shells
2 1/2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (I use the 5-cheese blend)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup Ricotta cheese (whole milk variety)
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup shredded Paresan cheese
Marinara sauce (no set amount, but a lot. You can use jarred, but I recommend this recipe.

DIRECTIONS:
Par cook noodles (about 5 min). Drain, but do not rinse.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all cheeses and egg in a bowl. Stuff noodles and place in a 9x13 pan.

Cover with sauce and bake for 1 hour (45 min covered and 15 min covered).

Lasagnas

I've been making quite a bit of lasagna lately. I like making lasagna. I find the assembly somewhat tedious, but I enjoy it. I like seeing the progress as the layers are put together. I think my homemade recipe book has about 6 or 7 lasagna recipes I want to try some day, and I swear, I'll make them all one day. I made the following recipe for the previously-mentioned dinner with the in-laws and it was a big hit. I know I might be biased because I made it, but I do think it's the best lasagna I've had outside of Italy.

Photo from www.foodnetwork.com

The Lady and Sons Lasagna
Recipe by Paula Deen
*Serves 8-10*
Prep Time - 25 min Cook Time - 2 hrs, 20 min

For the sauce:
2 cups canned, diced tomatoes, with juice (I use petite diced tomatoes)
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 bay leaves
1 lb ground beef

For the Lasagna:
6 to 8 long strips lasagna noodles (I think I used about 10)
12 oz cottage cheese, mixed with 1 beaten egg and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

For the sauce:
Combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. If sauce is too watery, thicken it up by mixing 1 TBSP of cornstarch with 1/4 cup water.

Brown ground beef in a saucepan. Cook until no pink remains and drain off any excess fat. Add ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Par cook noodles. Drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the lasagna:
Place a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Place a very thin layer of sauce at the bottom of the pan. Layer as follows:

1/2 noodles
1/2 cottage cheese mixture
1/2 Gruyere cheese
1/2 Swiss cheese
1/2 cheddar cheese
1/2 cream cheese - pinch off small pieces and dot over the other cheeses
1/2 meat sauce

Repeat with the remaining ingredients, ending with the sauce.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with mozzarella and continue to bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.


Below is the lasagna recipe I grew up with. I don't like it as well as the lasagna recipe above, but it is significantly simpler and is even easy to throw together on a week night. Today, I made one to give away to a friend that's going through a rough time.

Short Cut Lasagna

1 lb ground beef
1 (32 oz) jar spaghetti sauce (I don't like to use homemade for this)
1/2 jar water
1/2 onion, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (12 oz) container cottage cheese
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
12 oz lasagna noodles, uncooked
Parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef with onions, garlic, salt, & pepper. Mix with spaghetti sauce & water.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Layer as follows:

1/3 meat sauce
1/2 lasagna noodles
1/2 cottage cheese
1/2 Mozzarella cheese
1/3 meat sauce
remaining lasagna noodles
remaning cottage cheese
remaining Mozzarella cheese
remaining meat sauce

Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake covered for 1 hour.

Brownies, anyone?

I've taken a brief break from blogging, but I haven't taken a break from cooking. I hadn't baked in a while, so I decided to make brownies. Now, if I'm going to eat a brownie, I'd much rather it be a really good, full fat one than a low or non-fat one that tastes like preservatives (I'm talking to you Trader Joe's No-Pudge!!). I really hate to brag, but I think my brownies are the best. They're rich and fudgy and pretty much just melt in your mouth.


Brownies
Family recipe - original source unknown

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, melted (must be butter)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325.

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pour into 9x13 inch brownie pan and bake 30-40 min or unti toothpick comes out clean.

Let brownies cool and then with chocolate frosting (recipe below).

Frosting

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cream (substitutes do not work)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Mix together cream and sugars. Bring to a boil & boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.

Add chocolate chips, cover, and walk away. In about 20 minutes, uncover and stir. Keep uncovered. Walk away again.

Let stand to thicken, stirring occasionally.

Frost brownies when the frosting has reached your desired thickness.

*Shameless plug for my brownie pan... I got a Calphalon brownie pan for a bridal shower and I swear my brownies taste better when I make them in that pan than when I make them in a regular 9 x 13 pan. If you're into brownies, you should check out the pan.