Snickers Salad

The first time I tasted this was at a church picnic and I absolutely loved the combination of the crunchy apples and the bits of chopped Snickers bars together. I have had other versions of this recipe that also add a box of instant pudding mix in with the Cool Whip, but for us it's far to sweet and totally masks the yummy apple flavor, so this is our favorite version of this salad. Yes, I realize this isn't the healthiest of salads, but with so many apples it almost balances it out. At least that's what I keep telling myself anytime I make it:)

Snickers Salad

2 (6.98 oz.) pkgs. Fun Size Snickers bars (about 24 fun size bars)
1 (16 oz.) tub Cool Whip, thawed
7-9 Fuji apples

Unwrap and chop the Snickers bars into about 8 pieces for each fun size bar and place into a large bowl. Core and chop the unpeeled apples into bite size pieces. Add the apples to the large bowl with the Snickers. Add the whipped topping and stir to thoroughly mix the ingredients. Cover and chill until ready to serve. This salad is best if served/eaten the same day it's made. The next day it will be a little bit soupy at the bottom, but is still good, just some of the liquid from the apples pieces has been pulled out.

Roasted Baby Carrots

A quick and easy favorite vegetable side at our house. So good!

Roasted Baby Carrots

2 lbs. baby carrots
2-4 TBSP. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400* F. In a large bowl, combine the carrots and enough olive oil to coat them. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over top and toss to evenly distribute. Place in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 30-45 minutes, turning the carrots once while cooking about halfway through.

Tater Tot Casserole

It has taken me this long to realize I just don't like vegetables baked into my tater tot casserole, but I do like them plentiful, just on the side. So this recipe is my go-to for a quick, easy and delicious Tater Tot casserole. We especially love it served with Roasted Baby Carrots.

Tater Tot Casserole

4 cups cooked ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 - 2 1/2 lbs. frozen tater tots

Preheat oven 400* F. Place the cooked beef in the bottom of a greased 11x15-inch baking dish. Sprinkle salt & pepper over top as desired. In a separate bowl, mix together the sour cream and soup. Spread evenly over top of the seasoned beef. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese over top. Place the tater tots evenly over top of the cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes, uncovered. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top of the tater tots. Bake for another 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese. Serves 8-10.

Ham Salad Sandwich Spread

After much searching and several failed recipe attempts, I have finally found the best Ham Salad recipe! The original recipe is here, but I made a few adjustments to suit our taste and what I had on hand in my pantry. This is just so good on bread as a sandwich, on split rolls, or on crackers. My kids are wild for it and so am I.

Ham Salad Sandwich Spread

1 lb. good quality ham, trimmed of fat and diced
1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced celery
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dill pickle relish
2 tsp. prepared yellow mustard
1 TBSP. brown sugar
ground black pepper to taste

In a food processor, combine the ham, onion and celery. In short bursts, pulse 25 time or so, stopping to push the sides down once or twice, making sure to mince everything. In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, dill pickle relish, mustard, and brown sugar. Mix well. Add the minced ham mixture and pepper to taste and mix well. Cover and chill until serving.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

This is an easy and simple Taco Seasoning mix that you can easily whip up and keep in your pantry to use anytime. This version is fairly mild as we prefer less heat, so if you prefer it hotter, adjust the pepper and crushed red pepper flakes accordingly to your preference.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup cumin
2 1/2 TBSP. sea salt
1 1/2 TSP. paprika
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper (or more to taste)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

Mix ingredients all together. Store in an airtight container in your pantry. Makes about 1 1/2 cups mix.


To Use: Brown 1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey. Stir in 2-3 TBSP. Taco Seasoning Mix and 1/2 cup water into the browned meat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe turned out quite creamy, with lots of cheesy flavor, and yet you use less shredded cheese than called for in most other recipes like this. Which is a bonus for me since we love macaroni and cheese, but cheese is expensive, so a recipe that doesn't skimp on that great cheesy flavor, but uses less cheese is a clear winner in my book. We loved it and it was a quick and easy meal to prepare and get on the table for lunch on a Sunday afternoon.

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

1 lb. elbow macaroni or small shells
3 TBSP. butter
3 TBSP. flour
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
3 cups milk (2% or whole)
3 - 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook and stir for 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the salt, pepper and milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is hot, bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in the cream cheese and cheddar cheese, stirring until smooth. Stir in the hot cooked pasta, mixing well. Serve immediately.
Makes about 6-8 servings.

Creamy Fruit Dip

This dip was incredibly creamy, light, and a perfect topping for fresh fruit! It makes a fairly large amount, but with our large numbers we had no problem finishing it off.

Creamy Fruit Dip

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened (or strawberry flavor)
1 (7 oz.) tub marshmallow creme
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 (8 oz.) tub Cool Whip, thawed
fresh fruit: strawberries, cubed pineapple, apple slices, banana chunks, etc.

In a large bowl cream together the cream cheese and marshmallow creme. Mix in the yogurt and Cool Whip. Mix well. Cover and chill until time to serve. Serve dip with fresh fruit of choice.

Pineapple Cake

I came across this recipe randomly in an email from a cooking site and tried it on a whim. I was curious as to how it would turn out since the cream cheese frosting is spread onto the still warm cake. As it turns out we all loved it! I loved it even more the second day, it was moist and tasty, with the perfect amount of pineapple taste. A definite keeper and one that I will be making again.

Pineapple Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
  frosting:
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup chopped pecan (optional)

Cake: Preheat oven to 350* F. Grease either a 9x13-inch or 10x14-inch baking pan (both sizes work great). In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Mix well. Add the eggs, baking soda, vanilla, salt and pineapple and mix well. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake @ 350* F for 35-40 minutes until the top is light golden brown and the top springs back when lightly touched. Place on wire rack to cool. Frosting: In a mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Spread the frosting over top of the still warm cake. Let the cake cool on the wire rack until completely cooled. Store in fridge until ready to serve as well as any leftovers.

Cheeseburger French Bread Pizza

This was the most popular pizza I have ever made. Everyone loved it and had tons of fun making ketchup and mustard mixtures on their plates to dip their pizza into. This pizza was easy to put together and so very tasty! It would also be a snap to prepare ahead of time and freeze, just omit the diced tomatoes until the day of cooking as fresh tomatoes, once frozen, thaw into a watery mess.

Cheeseburger French Bread Pizza

2 loaves French bread
Ragu Spaghetti Sauce
3-4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb. ground beef, cooked & drained
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 - 1/2 cup ketchup
2 tsp. prepared yellow mustard
1- 2 tsp. dried minced onion
2 - 3 cups diced Roma tomatoes
3-4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Ketchup & Mustard

Preheat oven 400* F. Split both loaves of French bread horizontally, lengthwise and lay 2 halves each, cut side up, on 2 cookie sheets. Sparingly spread Ragu sauce on each cut side, just enough to barely cover each one. Keep it sparse. Lightly sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese over top of the Ragu on each pizza. Meanwhile, in a skillet, combine the cooked beef, ketchup, mustard, dried onion, salt and pepper. Mix and stir over medium heat until well mixed and heated through. Divide the meat mixture evenly between the 4 halves, spreading the meat mixture evenly over top of each pizza. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over top of all 4 halves again. Top each pizza with diced tomato. Finally, sprinkle each pizza generously with cheddar cheese. Place in oven and bake @ 400* F for 15 minutes, until cheeses are melted and everything is heated through. Cut into pieces and serve. Can use the Ketchup and Mustard to drizzle over top of the pizza before serving if desired, or let everyone dip their pizza into the topping of their choice.
Makes about 10-12 servings.

Creamed Beef on Toast

This was a surprise hit at the table a few nights ago. I couldn't believe it when my pickiest eater begged for seconds, it was a miracle! I also love that the ingredients are all pantry staples and by serving it on toast you have a seriously fast and easy meal to toss onto the table, just add a side of cooked veggies. If you want you could always make some buttermilk biscuits to serve it over instead, but I love the ease of toast. I bake bread slices on a cookie sheet in the oven for quick and easy toasting of the bread.

Creamed Beef on Toast

4-5 TBSP. butter
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drippings drained
2 TBSP. beef drippings reserved (opt.)
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp. beef bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
Toast cut in half in triangles

In a large skillet, melt butter. Add the beef (and drippings if using) and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the chicken bouillon, beef bouillon, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the flour and stir until well mixed and the beef is coated. Cook for 2-3 minutes to cook the flour taste out. Whisk in the milk, stirring constantly, cooking until the sauce is thickened and bubbly.. Cook for 2 minutes more. Serve over top of toast triangles.
Makes about 8-10 servings