Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (I personally prefer Sausage instead of ground beef)

2 cups  hot mashed potatoes (Feel free to use instant potatoes)

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed

1 cup  KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups  frozen mixed vegetables, thawed (I've also used canned mixed vegetables with good results)

1 cup beef gravy (Or use a regular brown gravy mix)

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Brown meat in large skillet. Meanwhile, mix potatoes, cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and the garlic until well blended.

DRAIN meat. Return to skillet; stir in vegetables and gravy. Spoon into 9-inch square baking dish; cover with potato mixture and remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

BAKE 20 min. or until heated through.

Cinnamon Rolls

CINNAMON ROLLS

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar 
1 Tbls. yeast 
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened 
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.   Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl.  Let set for 10 minutes.  Mix in sugar, margarine, salt and eggs.  Add flour and mix well.  Knead the dough into a large ball, and dust lightly with flour.  Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.  After dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest of 10 minutes.

2.   In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

3.   Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle.  Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture.  Roll up dough and cut into approximately 12 rolls.  Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan.  Cover and let rise until nearly doubled (about 30 minutes).  Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

4.  Bake the rolls in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.  While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla and salt.  Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Paprika Chicken

Paprika Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

salt to taste

pepper to taste

olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 Tbls. paprika

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 (8 oz.) container sour cream

Directions:

Heat oil in a skillet.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on fresh chicken breasts.  Cook chicken over medium-high heat until cooked through and golden brown.  Remove chicken from the pan.  In same pan cook onion until crisp-tender.  Sprinkle onions with paprika.  Return chicken to skillet and add the chicken broth.  Reduce heat to medium-low heat, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.  Serve over egg noodles or rice (our family prefers rice).

Dump Cake

Mexican Wedding Cake a.k.a. Dump Cake

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
20 oz. can crushed pineapple
1 Tbls. baking soda
1 cup walnuts (or nuts of your choosing)

Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar

Directions:

Mix all the cake ingredients together in a large bowl (in no particular order...thus the name "Dump Cake"...you just dump it all in and stir.)  Pour into a greased 9x13 cake pan. and cook for approximately 30 minutes at 375 degrees.  Cooking time may vary depending on altitude.  Cake is done when toothpick or knife comes out clean.  The cake will cook up to be quite dark.  Let the cake cool before mixing and adding the cream cheese frosting.  Enjoy.

Black Beans

Black Beans

Ingredients:

1 Package Black Beans (16 oz or two cups)

1 Package sliced bacon (12 oz)

Minced Garlic to taste (approximately 4-5 cloves)

Salt & Pepper to Taste

2 Bay Leaves

Directions:

Sort and rinse your black beans, place in a crock pot with sufficient water.  Cut up the raw sliced bacon into bite sized pieces, and place in the crock pot with the beans.  Add the garlic, bay leaves, salt & pepper.  Let the crock pot cook for approximately 5 hours, or until beans are tender.  Remove the bay leaves.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve.

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VARIATION FOR BOTTLING BLACK BEANS

Black Beans (1 Quart)

Ingredients:

1 &1/3 cups dry black beans

1/3 – ½ cup chopped raw bacon

1 tsp. Minced Garlic to taste

Salt & Pepper to Taste

1 Bay Leaf

Directions:

Sort and rinse your black beans. Measure dry black beans into a quart jar. Add raw bacon, minced garlic, and salt & pepper. Fill jar with cool water until there is one inch of headspace at the top. Add the bay leaf. Pressure can the beans according to regular bottling methods. Beans can be stored until you’re ready to eat. Upon opening a jar, remove the bay leaf.  You may need to add additional salt and pepper to taste.  Serve.

Chingarettas

Chingarettas

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs of grated cheddar cheese

1 bunch green onions chopped

1 dozen eggs, hard boiled and chopped

2 cans olives, chopped

2 - 4oz cans diced green chilies (or more to taste)

4 cans tomato sauce

1/2 cup salsa verde sauce

1-2 Tbls. minced garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/4 cup oil (optional)

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together, in no particular order.  Spread the cheese mixture on split French rolls that have been toasted in the oven on broil.  Then put the rolls with the cheese spread back into the oven on broil until the cheese melts and browns to perfection.  Eat immediately and enjoy.  The cheese mixture can be refrigerated for several days, since the recipe makes a large batch.  Or feel free to freeze it for later if necessary.

Nana McKane’s Rolls

Rolls

Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water
4 & 1/2 tsp. yeast (2 pkg. yeast)

3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp. salt
4-5 cups flour
1 cup milk

Melted Butter

Directions:

Combine warm water and yeast in a separate bowl and set aside to activate.  Mix remaining ingredients with yeast mixture.  Let rise for 45 minutes.  Turn out of bowl, roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick, and cut into circles.  Dip both sides of dough rounds in melted butter, fold in half like a taco, and place on pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.