Texas Cheese Dip

1 lb ground Spicy Sausage
2 lbs Velveeta Cheese, cubed
2 cans Rotel, undrained
Tortilla Chips

In a skillet brown sausage, drain.  

In a slow cooker combine Velveeta, rotel, and sausage.  Cook on high for 30 minutes, then on low for an hour.  

Eat with chips.  

Grilled Cheese and Pepperoni Sandwich

1 1/2 cups Spaghetti Sauce
12 slices of Bread
1/4 cup Butter, softened
30 slices Pepperoni 
1 1/2 cups Mexican shredded cheese

In a small sauce pan warm up spaghetti sauce.

Heat griddle to 325.

Lightly spread one side of bread slices with softened butter.  I like to spread the butter on  the top side of the first piece and set it down non-butter side down on a paper towel.  Then flip the next slice and spread butter on the bottom side and lay it butter side down on top of the other slice that has the butter side up.  So butter sides together and non-butter sides on the outsides.  Do each set of sandwiches this way but separate the groups so there would be 6 sets of sandwiches laid out on paper towels.  I like to put at the most two sandwiches on one paper towel.  Then you can use the paper towel later as your plate.

Lay 5 slices of pepperoni on each set of sandwiches.  

When griddle is hot, lay the top slice of each sandwich butter side down on the hot griddle.  Sprinkle with about 2-3 Tablespoons of cheese.  Lay the remaining slices on top of the sandwich on the griddle.  Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of cheese.

After about 3-4 minutes, underside looks nice and toasted, flip trying not to fling the cheese on top that will not be on the bottom.  Cook 2 more minutes.  

Remove sandwiches and eat by dipping into spaghetti sauce served in individual bowls.

Texas Toast Pizza

6 slices Texas Toast frozen garlic bread
1/2 cup Spaghetti Sauce
30 slices Pepperoni, quartered
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Heat toaster oven to 425.

Arrange frozen toast on oven safe pan.  Bake for 6 minutes.

Spread 1 heaping Tablespoon of sauce over each slice.  Lay 6 slices (24 quarters) of pepperoni over each slice.  Sprinkle with a heaping Tablespoon of Cheese.  

Return to toaster oven and bake 5 more minutes.

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

1 bag Wide Egg Noodles
1/4 cup butter
1 large Onion, diced
4 Celery ribs, diced
1 1b. Carrots, diced
8 cups Chicken Broth
1/2 Rotisserie Chicken, diced or shredded
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Run under cold water to stop cooking and set aside.

In the same pot you cooked the spaghetti melt butter.  Saute onions, celery, and carrots for 5 minutes.  

Add chicken broth, chicken, salt and pepper to soup pot and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes.  

In individual bowls put desired amount of pasta and ladle soup over noodles.  This way you can make each bowl as soupy or hearty as you want and the noodles do not soak up all the liquid.

If too much left overs you can freeze soup by spreading out in muffin tins and put in freezer.  When frozen you can transfer to a zip lock bag.  Just make more pasta when you want soup.  Microwave frozen broth in individual bowl and add fresh pasta.  

Note:  If you think you need a big batch and will eat it all quickly, you can skip cooking the pasta separately.  Just add uncooked pasta after chicken and broth instructions.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  There will be very little broth, but a very hearty soup like pictured.

Sesame Chicken

To Serve:
1 3/4 cup Chicken Broth
1 Tablespoon Butter
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Jasmin Rice
Green Onions, chopped
Chicken:
3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons Flour 
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt
2 teaspoon Paprika
5 Tablespoons Oil
3 Chicken Breasts, chopped into bite size chunks
Sauce:
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Honey
2 Tablespoons Franks
3 Tablespoons Ketchup
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

Bring broth, butter, and salt to a boil until butter is melted.  Stir in rice.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat, uncover, and fluff with a fork.

Place the cornstarch in a shallow bowl and the egg in another shallow bowl.  Add the flour, salt, pepper, garlic salt, and paprika to another shallow bowl and mix together.

Heat oil in wok until hot.

Dredge the chicken in the cornstarch, then dip in the egg, and finally dredge it in the seasoned flour.  Add to wok and cook on high heat for 6-7 minutes, turning 2-3 times during cooking, until well browned.  Remove from pan and place in a bowl lined with kitchen towels.

Add all the sauce ingredients to the hot wok.  Stir and bubble on a high heat until the sauce reduces by about a third (~2-3 minutes).  Add the chicken back in and toss in the sauce to coat.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.  

Serve over rice and sprinkled with green onions.

Spaghetti Pizza

Crust:

     .75-1 lb. cooked Spaghetti
     1/3 cup of Milk
     1 egg
     1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
     1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
     1 cup Mexican Cheese, shredded
     1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Toppings:
     2 cups Spaghetti Sauce
     1 cup Mexican Cheese, shredded
     1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
     2 oz fresh spinach
     4-6 oz Pepperoni
          (Anything you like on your pizza!)

Heat oven to 400.  

If spaghetti is uncooked, cook it and drain it under some cold water, just quickly.  If spaghetti was cooked previously just run noodles over hot water to warm up.  

In a large bowl whisk milk, egg, garlic salt, garlic powder, and cheeses.  Add spaghetti and mix well.  

Spray a jelly roll pan with Pam.  Spread spaghetti mixture evenly on pan.  

Cook for 15 minutes.  

Lower oven temp to 350 and take pan out of oven.

Spread spaghetti sauce over noodles and top with desired pizza toppings.  

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  

Tomato, Spinach, & Feta Quiche

1 Pie Crust
1/3 Cup Feta crumbled
1 T Olive Oil
2-4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Cups packed fresh Spinach
4 Eggs
2 T minced Onion
1/3 Cup Milk, Heavy Cream, or Buttermilk
1/3 Cup Sour Cream
1/4 t Salt
1/4 t 6 Pepper Seasoning,
        or a mix of pepper and cayenne
1-2 Tomatoes sliced thin

Lay out pie crust in pie pan.

Sprinkle crumbled feta on bottom of pie.

Heat oil in a pan with garlic.  When heated add spinach and cook till wilted.

Spead spinach over feta.

Beat eggs, onions, milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

Pour over spinach.

Lay tomato slices on top of egg mixture.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Fruit Sparkling Punch

1 can (12 oz) frozen strawberry lemonade concentrate
2 - 64 oz bottle peach white grape juice
2 - 25.4 oz bottle Sparkling Apple Cider
1/2 bag ice

In a large punch bowl blend all drinks over ice and stir.

Let rest for 30 minutes.

Note: If you half the recipe still keep the lemonade at 1 can.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 (4oz) package cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoons lemon zest
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest together until smooth and fluffy.

Add confectioners' sugar.  Beat until creamy.

Add more sugar or juice as needed for easy spreading.

Note: I use this recipe with Homemade Lemon Cake Mix. I zest and juice 1 lemon. I use 1/2 the zest for the cake and 1/2 or the frosting. I use 1/3 of the juice for the cake and 2/3 juice for the frosting. However, if I am doing something with the frosting that will not use up the rest of the zest or lemon juice, then just add it all into the frosting.

Banana Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Buttermilk Syrup:

1 1/3 cup sugar
1 cup Buttermilk
2/3 cube butter
2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Baking Soda
Pancakes:

2 ripe bananas, or about 1 cup mashed
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 teaspoons vanilla 
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions for Syrup:

In a LARGE saucepan combine sugar, buttermilk, and butter. Stirring constantly with a whisk bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Add vanilla and cinnamon and stir. Add baking soda and remove from heat and stir. Let it set 30 minutes to an hour to dissolve the bubbles that form.

Directions for Pancakes:
In a large bowl mash bananas.

Whisk in the buttermilk, eggs, butter, and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, add the the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together to combine.

Pour the dry ingredients over the wet and mix just until incorporated. Do not overmix!

Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes. It should form bubbles and rise just a bit.

Heat griddle to 325. 

Melt a little butter on the cooking surface, spreading it evenly, if desired. Using a trigger-handled ice cream scoop, pour the batter onto the griddle.

Sprinkle with blueberries.

The pancakes are ready to flip when they look a little dry around the edges and start to form little bubbles (about 2 minutes per side). Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown and the cooked through.

Note: You can leave out the bananas or blueberries.  I priced this without the bananas on DaleLiciousFood because we normally don't use the blueberries.  Add $0.37 per serving if using blueberries.