BBQ Meatballs

This is another recipe that was a favorite at Clovia that I have modified slightly. For the sauce, I usually just use whatever bottled sauce I have on hand.

1 can (13 ounce) evaporated milk (can use regular milk)
3 pound hamburger
2 cup quick cooking oatmeal
2 eggs
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

2 teaspoon worchestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients and shape into balls (the size of a walnut). Place in a flat pan, only one layer to each pan. (I line my pan with aluminum foil for easier clean up.)Pour barbeque meatball sauce over meatballs and bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour.

Cherry Chocolate Gobs

This recipe for Chocolate-Cherry Stack Cake came from Better Homes and Gardens magazine in the February 2009 issue. I've been wanting to make this recipe & finally decided that it would be a great Valentine's Day treat. The magazine made it as a 4 layer cake or it could be made into cupcakes. With some added flour, it easily became my favorite chocolate gob recipe. The chocolate covered cherries also went over very well. I doubled the cherry juice for the icing but it still didn't taste cherry enough for me. Guess I will still have to work on that.

Chocolate-Cherry Stake Cake

3/4 cup flour use 1 1/4 cup flour if making gobs

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 6x2 inch round cake pans or springform pans. Set pans aside.

In bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, & salt; set aside.

In large bowl with electric mixer beat butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Beat in sour cream and flour mixture. Pour batter in pans; spread evenly.

Bake 22 to 26 minutes until top springs back when lightly touched and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on rack.

Use serrated knife to horizontally cut cakes in half to make 4 layers total. Place bottom layer on plate; spread with 2/3 cup frosting. Repeat with layers. Place top layer on cake. Heap remaining frosting, swirling in peaks. Refrigerate. To serve, top with chocolate-dipped cherries. Serves 8.

To make gobs: make batter as above. Line baking pan with parchment paper. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto pan and bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes until cake springs back when lightly touched. Place rounded tablespoon of frosting between 2 cakes.

Cherry Frosting

In large mixing bowl combine one 8 ounce carton sour cream, 1 cup whipping cream, 2 cups powdered sugar, and 6 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice. Beat on medium-high until fluffy. I beat the whipping cream separately on high for 2 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients.

Chocolate-Dipped Cherries

Drain 16 maraschino cherries with stems; pat dry with paper towels. In small microwave-safe bowl combine 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate pieces and 1 teaspoon shortening. Cook on 50% power (medium) 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Dip cherries in chocolate; place on waxed paper until set. Store, covered, up to 24 hours.

To make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare recipe for above cake batter. Line sixteen 2 1/2 inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. Fill each cup with two slightly rounded tablespoons of cake batter. Bake 18 minutes or until top springs back. Cool completely on wire rack. To assemble, top each cupcake with cherry or chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

In large mixing bowl combine one 8 ounce carton sour cream, 1 cup whipping cream, 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, and 1/4 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder. Beat on medium-high until fluffy.

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

I have modified this old favorite recipe that I first found in college when living at Clovia. This was a house favorite recipe that we would often have on Sunday lunch.

Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole

2 pounds hash browns, defrosted
1/2 cup pureed cauliflower
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
2 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 cups crushed corn flakes

Mix above ingredients together except for corn flakes and put in a greased 9x13 pan. Place corn flakes on top of potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Dirt Dessert

I believe I got this recipe from foods class in high school. It's a dessert I've been making for years because of how delicious it is. I bet it's a dessert that will disappear just as quick in your house as it does in mine!

Dirt Cake

1 large package cream filled chocolate cookies (aka Oreos)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 (9 ounce) container whipped topping

3 cups milk

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

2 (3 1/2 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding

1 teaspoon vanilla

Crush cookies and put half in 9x13 inch pan. Mix cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix powdered sugar. Fold in whipped topping. Mix pudding, milk, and vanilla. Fold these two mixtures together and pour over crumb crust. Top with remaining crumbs. Keep refrigerated.

Mustard Green Beans

This recipe comes from the Wallace side of my family. At every holiday meal we always have mustard green beans. If you like mustard & green beans, I think this recipe will become a family favorite of yours too.

Mustard Green Beans

4 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

2 Tablespoons yellow mustard

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

Bring above sauce ingredients to a boil for 1 minute. Pour sauce over 2 cans French style green beans that have been heated and drained.

Bistro Chicken Twist

This recipe comes from The Pampered Chef All the Best cookbook. I highly recommend this cookbook since it has a nice variety of recipes & shows creative ways to "shape" your food. If you're familiar with Pampered Chef recipes, then you're probably already aware that they have recipes that shape your main dish into a ring, wreath, or braid. This cookbook shows all 3 shapes & a variety of ways to use them.

Bistro Chicken Twist

1 cup chopped cooked chicken (as always, I threw some frozen chicken breast in the crock pot the night before)

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (I had frozen leftover from the garden & used that rather than buying fresh in the middle of winter)

1/4 cup snipped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise (I used low fat & it worked fine)

1 garlic clove, pressed (I use minced garlic in a jar, either works)

2 packages (11 ounces each) refrigerated French bread dough (I made 2 braids, the other I used dough made in my bread machine, it worked pretty well)

1 egg white, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 375. Combine chicken, bell pepper, basil, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise and garlic; mix well. I let mine sit covered over night in the refrigerator so that it wouldn't take as much time to make the next day, it worked very well doing this.

Place bread dough, seam sides up, on cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice each loaf lengthwise, end to end, cutting halfway through to center of loaf; spread open flat. Lightly sprinkle flour evenly over dough. Roll dough crosswise to a 4-inch width, creating a well down the center of each loaf.

Spoon half of the mixture of the chicken down the center of each loaf. (see picture below) Gather up edges over filling, pinching firmly to seal. Place loaves, seam sides down, in an "X" pattern on baking sheet. Crisscross ends of dough to form a large figure "8," keeping ends of dough 1 inch from edge of baking sheet and leaving two 1 1/2-inch openings in center of twist.

Combine egg white and seasoning mix; lightly brush over dough. Cut 3-inch slit in each of the top sections of the twist to reveal filling. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over loaf.

Bake 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes.

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Variation: Pepperoni Pizza Twist

For filling, combine 1 package (3.5 ounces) pepperoni slices, diced

1 can (3.25 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained & chopped

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 pressed garlic clove

Continue as recipe above directs starting with cutting the French bread. Sprinkle the loaf with 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese before baking.

Ham Chowder

I found this recipe on the internet when trying to come up with an idea to somehow use the leftover ham we had from a previous dinner. I also happened to have some leftover carrots, celery, & potatoes to use too. To see the original recipe, click here.

Ham Chowder

Ingredients

• 5 potatoes, cubed
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 cups ham, diced
• 3 stalks celery, chopped

• 1 (15 1/4 ounce) can whole kernel corn, undrained (I had frozen on hand so that's what I used instead)
• 2 tablespoons butter (or margarine)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper (adjust to taste)
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 cups approx water (enough to cover)

• 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk

Directions

In slow cooker place the potatoes, onions, ham, celery, corn, butter or margarine and salt and pepper. Add water to cover and add two bouillon cubes.

Cook on low setting for 8 - 9 hours. Stir in the evaporated milk, and continue to cook for 30 more minutes.