CHEESE BALL/LOG 3 WAYS

RANCH (our family favorite)

2 8oz cream cheese softened to room temperature

4 TBL sour cream

1 env. Ranch salad dressing mix

1 tsp dried minced onion (optional but I always use it)

1 cup cheese (I like sharp best) (blue is good but start with a little and taste after each addition)

Optional: bacon bits, chopped almonds, pecans or finely grated cheddar

Mix sour cream with ranch powder and onion. Mix with softened cream cheese. Stir in cheese of choice. Put on cling wrap and shape into a ball and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Remove from cling wrap and roll in bacon bits, chopped almonds, pecans, finely grated cheddar or just leave as is.

Serve with crackers. Delicious with veggies!

Makes 1 large or 2 small cheese balls.

PARTY CHEESE BALL/LOG

2 8 oz cream cheese

2 cup sharp cheddar

1 TBL chopped green pepper

1 TBL chopped onion

2 tsp Worcestershire

1 tsp lemon juice

Dash of salt

Chopped nuts

Mix all but the nuts. Chill several hours, form into balls or logs then roll in nuts.

GREEN OLIVE

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lemon juice concentrate

1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped onion (sub with 1 TBL dehydrated minced onion)

1/2 cup chopped green olives

In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese, mayonnaise and lemon juice concentrate. Mix in Cheddar cheese, onion and green olives. Form the mixture into a ball shape. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 3 hours, or until firm, before serving.

ANSELMO AWESOME PASTA SAUCE

2 #10 Cans Tomato Sauce (25cups/13lb. 4oz.)

4 Cups Fresh Chopped Onion

2 TBL Minced Garlic

5 lbs. browned hamburger

2 TBL Dried Basil

4 tsp Dried Oregano

2 TBL Salt (I always half this.  You can add more at the end if needed)

Simmer 8 hours

*I have halved this recipe and cooked it in a crock pot and it worked well!

ANSELMO RAVIOLI

PASTA

14 cups four

3 tsp salt

12 egg

6 tsp oil

2 cups water (add it slow, it's easier to add water a little at a time then trying to thicken up the dough)

FILLING

5 lbs. raw hamburger

3 TBL minced garlic

3 TBL dried minced onion

2 TBL oregano

½ TBL salt

1 TBL pepper

Cook all together, drain. (if you cook in water you can break it down really small)

Then add:

4 boxes spinach, chopped really small and squeezed dry

½ cup parmesan cheese

MAKES ABOUT 300 RAVIOLI

CRANBERRY CREAM CHEESE HOLIDAY SALAD

1 1/2 cups crushed Almonds

4 1/2 tablespoons Splenda

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 tsp salt

1 cup Splenda

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

1 (8 ounce) container frozen lite whipped topping, thawed

2 (3 ounce) packages sugar free raspberry Jello

2 cups boiling water

1 (16 ounce) package frozen raspberries

8 ounces of cranberries (chopped) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix together the almonds,1 tsp salt, 4 1/2 tablespoons Splenda and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool completely.

In a medium bowl, beat the Splenda and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.

In a medium bowl, stir together the gelatin mix and boiling water. Mix in frozen raspberries and chopped cranberries then stir until thawed. Pour over cream cheese mixture in pan. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.

*Can 1/2 the recipe in a 9x9 pan.

CROCK POT BEEF AND NOODLES

(2 pound) beef chuck roast (I’ve also used steak)

1 envelope onion or beefy onion soup mix

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (14-ounce) beef broth

2 (12 ounce) packages frozen egg noodles

Salt and pepper to taste

Additional beef broth to add in with noodles (1 to 2 cans)

Parsley for garnish, optional

1. Place beef roast in slow cooker. Mix onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, garlic, and beef broth. Pour over meat.

2. Put lid on crockpot and cook 9 to 10 hours on LOW.

3. Remove lid and shred beef using 2 forks. Add noodles and enough beef broth to mostly submerge the noodles. It's ok if some of the noodles are sticking slightly out of the liquid. There is enough moisture and condensation in the crock pot to cook them thoroughly.

Cook for 1 hour. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle parsley on top when serving.  Serves 8

CARROTS & CRANBERRIES

1 lb. packages carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1 cup dried cranberries, or more to taste

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 pinch ground cinnamon, or to taste

1. Put carrots and cranberries into a microwave-safe dish. Mix chicken broth, butter, and brown sugar together in a bowl; drizzle over the carrot mixture and stir to coat.

2. Cook in microwave on High for 4 minutes..

3. Continue cooking in microwave until carrots are tender, about 8 minutes more; cool at room temperature for 5 minutes and sprinkle with cinnamon.

SWEET GLAZED CARROTS

1 lb. Carrots

2 TBL. Butter

2 TBL. Honey

1 TBL. Brown Sugar

Pinch of Thyme

S & P to Taste

Cook on stove top until tender crisp. About 15-20 minutes.

BUTTERSCOTCH BALLS

15 frozen dinner rolls (thaw just enough to cut in half to end with 30)

1 pkg stove top butterscotch pudding

¾ cup butter, melted

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ pkg pecans chopped (optional)

About 8 hours or the night before, place rolls in a greased Bundt pan. If using pecans, sprinkle into pan. Combine pudding, butter, sugar and cinnamon. Pour evenly over top of rolls. If using pecans, sprinkle over top. Cover with towel and let rise. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake 25-30 minutes.

SPINACH DIP

10 oz. frozen spinach
16 oz. sour cream
1 cup mayo
1 envelope vegetable soup mix
8 oz. drained water chestnuts, chopped
3 chopped green onions. (optional)
2 cups shredded swiss cheese, (optional)

 Mix all together and chill at least 2 hours.

TACO MAC CASSEROLE

1lb. ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

2/3 cup water

1 box macaroni and cheese

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup salsa

Brown ground beef in skillet, drain grease. Add taco seasoning and water and simmer until most liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, prepare macaroni and cheese according to box directions using the butter and milk. Stir in sour cream to the macaroni and cheese. Spread half of the macaroni and cheese on the bottom of a 2 quart baking dish. Top with meat and sprinkle 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Add second half of macaroni and cheese.

Cover and bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Remove foil and spread salsa over top. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese over salsa. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

GLASS BLOCK JELLO

SERVES 15

4 3-oz jello

2 pkts unflavored gelatin

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Spray 4 small food storage containers (like Tupperware/Gladware/Rubbermaid) with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Bring 5+ cups of water to a boil. Combine 1 c. boiling water with 1 package of Jello, stirring until dissolved. Place the dissolved Jello in one of the prepared containers. Repeat with the remaining packages of Jello. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferable overnight.

When the Jello has set, bring another 1 1/2 c. of water to a boil. While the water is heating, sprinkle 2 packets of unflavored gelatin over 1/2 c. of cold water. Allow to stand for about 4 minutes. When the water is boiling, pour 1 1/2 c. boiling water over the dissolved gelatin and stir to combine. Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix well. Allow to come to room temperature.

Lightly spray a 9×13″ pan with non-stick cooking spray. Carefully cut the colored Jello into cubes and gently toss to combine in the 9×13″ pan. Pour the cooled milk mixture over the colored Jello and, if necessary, rearrange some of the colored Jello to make sure it is evenly distributed and not sticking out of the white mixture too far.

Place the 9×13″ pan in the refrigerator and chill overnight. Cut into squares, rectangles, or various shapes with cookie cutters and serve.

CRANBERRY SAUCE

12 ounces cranberries

1 cup white sugar (can use 1 cup stevia)

1 cup orange juice

1 cinnamon stick

1 small pinch of clove

In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the rest of ingredients and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools. You may want to halve this recipe unless you have a lot of cranberry sauce eaters.

APPLE PIE IN A BAG

6-7 apples peeled and sliced thin

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 C sugar

1/4 C flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp butter cut into chunks

1. Place butter chunks in freezer.

2. In a gallon freezer bag mix all ingredients except apples, butter and lemon juice and shake until combined.

3. Coat apples in lemon juice. Discard extra lemon juice.

4. Add apples to bag and shake to coat.

5. Add butter.

6. Remove air and lay flat and freeze.

TO USE:

Remove bag from freezer and lay on counter for about an hour to 45 minutes to defrost or in refrigerator overnight. Squish bag to mix well and dump into pie shell. Either cover with top crust or add a crumb topping.

CRUMB TOPPING:

¾ cup rolled oats

½ cup flour

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp cinnamon

6 TBL butter

BAKE:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake with edges covered for 25 minutes. Uncover edges and return to oven for 20 minutes.

FREEZER APPLESAUCE

Makes 3 ½ - 4 cups (1 quart)

Doubles & Triples very good.

8 cups of washed, peeled & chopped & cored apples

2/3 c. water

2 TBL lemon juice or Fresh Fruit

CROCK POT INSTRUCTIONS

Fill 6 quart crock pot to the top with peeled, sliced and cored apples

Add 2/3 cup water, mixed with 2 TBL of lemon juice

Cook on low 4-5 hours, stirring about every 90 minutes. Once apples are falling apart, use stick blender to puree. Can add Brown sugar or cinnamon if desired.

STOVE TOP INSTRUCTIONS

Put everything into large pot. Cook on medium heat until soft enough to puree, about could be anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours depending how soft your apples were to start. Puree up with stick blender, traditional blender or food processer.

Place in freezer containers. Let cool before placing in freezer, or you can just eat it right away. Oh, and no need for sugar, but if you like really sweet applesauce add 1/4 cup of brown sugar after you get it all mashed and pureed up. Can add ½-1 tsp. cinnamon also.

BEAN WITH BACON SOUP

2 cups of dried navy, great north American or cannellini beans

10 strips of bacon, cut into tiny pieces
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp. (or more) of fresh rosemary, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp. tomato paste

1/4 tsp. liquid smoke (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Soak your beans overnight covered in water. Drain the next day and set aside.

2. In a large stockpot, add bacon to the pan and cook until bacon pieces are brown and crispy. Remove and let drain on a paper towel.

3. If there's a lot of bacon grease in the pan, dump out all but 3 tbsp. of it.

4. Saute onion, garlic, and carrots in the bacon grease until vegetables start to get tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rosemary and cook for an addition 1 minute.

5. Gently pour in the chicken stock, drained beans and 5 strips of the bacon, crumbled. Whisk the tomato paste in until all has dispersed and incorporated into the soup. Add liquid smoke if using.

6. Bring mixture up to a boil then cover and let simmer gently for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally.

7. When the soup is ready, carefully use your immersion blender and gently pulse the bean mixture until a desired creamy texture is achieved. If you're worried about blending too much, you can always ladle out a few scoopfuls of beans, blend the soup, then add the beans back in. Really, it's all up to preference!

8. Serve hot with remaining bacon pieces on top.

BEEFY SOUR CREAM NOODLE CASSEROLE

1-1/4 pound Ground Beef

1 can 15-ounces Tomato Sauce

3/4 t Salt

1/2 t freshly ground Black Pepper

1/4 t Seasoning Salt (I love Johnny's)

1/2 t Garlic Powder
1/4 t Dried Minced Onion

8 ounces Egg Noodles (1/2 of a package)

1/2 cup Sour Cream

1-1/4 cup small curd Cottage Cheese

1/4 t Dried Minced Onion

1/4 t Seasoning Salt
1/4 t Garlic Powder

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Brown ground beef until thoroughly cooked, drain fat from pan.

3. Stir in tomato sauce, salt, pepper, seasoning salt, garlic powder & minced onion.

4. Simmer on low until ready to use in casserole.

5. Cook egg noodles according to just under al-dente according to  package directions, drain.

6. In large bowl stir to combine: sour cream, cottage cheese, minced onions, garlic powder, seasoning salt & pepper. Add in cooked egg noodles, stir together.

7. In greased 13x9 assemble in layers. 1st layer 1/2 of noodle mixture, followed by 1/2 of meat mixture, and then 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar. Repeat all layers.

8. Bake 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and heated through.

9. Serves 6

You can bake half now in an 8x8 pan and freeze half the meat mix, cheese, cream mix before you add noodles.

When ready to cook, prepare noodles, thaw frozen mixtures, assemble in an 8x8 and cook.

LUNCH LADY HAMBURGER GRAVY

Feeds 3-4

1 lb of beef 80/20 fat content

1 medium onion diced

1 10 oz. container Swanson’s beef stock

All Purpose Flour 3-4 Tablespoons

1/4 Cup milk

Salt, Pepper

Brown hamburger with onion in skillet. Salt and pepper to taste. DO NOT drain fat. Add 3-4 tablespoons flour until all juices are absorbed. Then add milk and beef stock. You can add stock to your liking until you get the consistency of gravy you want. Then turn on low and let simmer for half hour.

Serve over mashed potatoes!

EASY STOVE-TOP TASTY MAC 'N' CHEESE

Use equal parts of small noodles, milk and grated cheese (ie: 2 cups noodles, 2 cups milk, 2 cups cheese)

1. Put noodles & milk along with salt and pepper to taste into a pot. (I also use a little dehydrated onion and pinch of nutmeg)

2. Simmer (do not boil) until noodles are done, stirring often. (takes about 15 minutes)

3. Without draining add in grated cheese. Stir until melted.

When I make this for 2 people I use 1 cup of each!

BLUE CHEESE VINAIGRETTE

1/2 cup Roquefort cheese, grated

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey-Dijon mustard

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

APPLE PUFF PANCAKE

6 eggs

1 cup whole milk

2/3 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

2 TBL sugar

1/2 tsp salt

4 T butter

1-2 large apples peeled & sliced thin (I do 24 slices per apple)

1/4 cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONS
1) Move oven rack down one level

2) Beat eggs, flour, cinnamon, vanilla, sugar and salt until smooth and there are no visible lumps.  (you can use a whisk or blender)
3) Beat in milk.
4) Put apples and butter in a 9x13 pan.
5) Put pan with apples and butter into oven.

6) Turn oven on to 425. Once butter sizzles and apples have softened a little, remove pan from oven.

7) Pour batter over apples and sprinkle with brown sugar.

8) Bake 18-20 minutes and enjoy right away!

***The recipe calls to bake in 9x13 pan but I like using my 11.5x8 pan (for 20 minutes) best***

TACO SEASONING

1 TBL chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flake or 1/8 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 TBL flour

Use 2 TBL per 1 pound of meat

This batch makes about 3.5 TBL

CROCKPOT CHICKEN AND NOODLES

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used frozen)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 stick of butter (I will try 1/2 stick next time.  It was very rich)
2 15 oz cans chicken broth
24 oz. frozen egg noodles

Cook chicken, soup, butter, and broth in crock-pot on low for 6-7 hours.
Take chicken out and shred.
Put chicken back in; add noodles and cook on low for 2 hours. Stir a few times while cooking.

OVERNIGHT REFRIGERATOR OATMEAL OR SUMMER PORRIDGE (8 flavors)

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS

In a ½ pint jar or 1 cup container with lid

Add: ¼ cup uncooked old fashioned oats

3 oz yogurt

1/3 cup milk if using greek yogurt or ¼ cup milk if using regular yogurt

1.5 tsp chia seeds

 

Now decide what flavor you need and complete the recipe:

 

1.MANGO ALMOND

Add to on top of chia seeds

¼ tsp almond extract

1 tsp honey

Shake until well combined

Stir in ¼ cup diced mango (approx ½ a mango)

Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.

 

2.RASPBERRY VANILLA

Add to top of chia seeds

1 TBL raspberry jam

¼ tsp vanilla extract

Shake until well combined

Stir in 1/3 cup raspberries (enough to fill jar)

Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days

 

3.BLUEBERRY MAPLE
add on top of chia seeds

2 tsp maple syrup

Shake until well combined

Stir in ¼ cup blueberries (enough to fill jar)

Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days

4.APPLE CINNAMON
add on top of chia seeds

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp honey

¼ cup applesauce (enough to fill jar)

Shake until well combined

Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days

 

5.MANDARIN ORANGE

Add on top of chia seeds

1 tsp honey

1 TBL orange marmalade

Shake until well combined

Stir in ¼ cup drained mandarin oranges

Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days

 

6.CHERRY CHOCOLATE CHUNK

Add on top of chia seeds

1 tsp honey

½ tsp vanilla

Shake until well combined

Stir in 1 TBL chopped dark chocolate & ¼ cup chopped cherries (fresh or frozen)

Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days

 

7.PUMPKIN PIE

Add on top of chia seeds

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp maple syrup

¼ cup pumpkin puree

Shake until well combined

Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days

 

8.PEACH

Add on top of chia seeds

¼ tsp vanilla

1-2 TBL raspberry jam

Shake until well combined

Stir in ¼ cup chopped peaches

Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days

GRUB RUB

1 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsps ground black pepper

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp mustard powder

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp brown sugar

4 tbsps ground paprika

1/2 tsp dried oregano

MAC 'N' CHEESE (CROCK POT)

3/4 to 1 pound uncooked macaroni or hearty pasta

4 cups of milk

1 egg

4 cups shredded cheese (1 pound) (I used all cheddar)

1/2 t kosher salt

1/2 t black pepper

1 tsp dried mustard (or 1 TBL prepared mustard)

 

Spray crock well with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, whip egg and milk together. Stir in spices.

 

Add cheese and noodles, and stir well to combine. Pour the mixture into the crockpot.  It will be very liquidy.

 

Cover and cook on low for 2-5 hours, or on high for 1-3. The cooking time will vary depending on what size crockpot you are using, and how quickly it heats and cooks. I was quite surprised at how quickly our pasta got fork-tender. 

 

For a 2 QT crock pot:

1/2 lb. pasta

1 1/2 cup milk

1 egg

2 cups cheese

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried mustard (or 1/2 TBL prepared mustard)

HEIDI GARZA'S RIBS FOR DUMMIES

3 racks baby back ribs.

Garlic or onion salt

Generously sprinkle garlic or onion salt on both sides of the meat.  Wrap in foil.  Bake 3 hours at 325 degrees.  Take out of oven and baste with bbq sauce broil 2-3 minutes on each side.  Watch carefully, you don’t want to burn them but you do want them to get brown.

Easy sauce – 1 cup ketchup, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cap-full of liquid smoke.  Mix well.

Can use your favorite bottled sauce if you prefer.

3 HOUR NO-PEEK BEEF TIPS

2 lbs. beef tenderloin tips or stew meat

1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

1 packet brown gravy mix

1 packet dry onion soup mix

1 cup ginger ale soda (could use water)

 

1.   Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

 

2.   Place the meat into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

 

3.   In a bowl, combine the mushroom soup, brown gravy, onion soup, and water/ginger ale.

 

4.   Pour the soup mixture over the beef. Cover pan with aluminum foil.

 

5.   Place in the oven at 300 degrees and bake for 3 hours. Here is the important thing – leave this in the oven for the whole 3 hours. No removing the foil to peek on the beef until the 3 hours is up!

 

6.   Carefully remove foil. It will be steamy and you don’t want to get burned! Let sit for a few minutes to cool and serve over cooked rice, egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

 

Serves 6-8

MY FAV. ZUCCHINI BREAD

Yield 2 loaves or 24 muffins or 1 loaf & 12 muffins

 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 1/4 cups white sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup choc. Chips

 

1.  Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2.  Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

3.  Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl.

4.  Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well.

5.  Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined.

6.  Pour batter into prepared pans.

7.  Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool. If doing muffins, put ¼ cup batter in each muffin cup, bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes.