Easy Christmas Cake

 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (8 ounce) containers candied cherries
• 1 (8 ounce) container candied mixed citrus peel
• 2 cups raisins
• 1 cup dried currants
• 1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
• 2 (2.25 ounce) packages blanched slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 3/4 cup apple juice

DIRECTIONS :
In a medium bowl, combine cherries, citrus peel, raisins, currants, dates, and almonds. Stir in brandy; let stand 2 hours, or overnight. Dredge soaked fruit with 1/2 cup flour.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease an 8x8x3 inch fruit cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together molasses and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately with flour mixture, making 4 dry and 3 liquid additions. Fold in floured fruit. Turn into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan, and lift off paper. Cool cake completely, and then wrap loosely in wax paper. Store in an airtight container.

Butternuts

 

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cbutter, room temperature + 1 Tbsp.
• 1/2 cpowdered sugar
• 1/4 tspsalt
• 1 3/4 call purpose flour
• 6 ozpackage butterscotch chips
• 1 cfinely chopped pecans
• RUM GLAZE
• 3 cpowdered sugar
• 1 tsprum extract
• 1/2 cchopped pecans
• 3 to 4 Tbsp milk or water

DIRECTIONS:
1-Cream butter with powdered sugar and salt til light and fluffy.

2-Blend in flour, mix well.

3-Add butterscotch chips and 1 cup finely chopped pecans.

4-Shape dough, a scant teaspoonful at a time, into balls.

5-Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

6-Bake in 325′ oven for 15 minutes or until firm but not brown.

7-Let cool on wire racks.

8-Make rum glaze. Mix the ingredients until smooth.

9-You can either dip the cookies in the glaze or use a spoon to pour over cookies. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

BISCUITS & GRAVY CASSEROLE

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound sausage
• 1 1/2 ounces pork gravy mix ( 1 package of Pioneer Brand Peppered Sausage Gravy Mix )
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• to taste salt
• to taste black pepper
• 1 Can (8 oz) biscuits ( 1 can Pillsbury Grands Biscuits )

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degree’s. Take a 9×13 pan and spray it with Pam or whatever you like to use. Then take the Biscuits and it into 1″ pieces and line bottom of pan. Brown Sausage and scatter over biscuits. Sprinkle with Cheddar Cheese. Whisk eggs and milk with a pinch of salt and pepper and pour it over the pan. Make Gravy mix per package directions and pour over. Bake in the oven for about 30-45 minutes

Comforting Chicken & Noodles Crock Pot

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 24 ounce package – frozen egg noodles
• 2 – 14.7 oz cans – cream of chicken soup – sometimes i use 1 can chicken and 1 can cream of celery
• 1 stick (1/2) cup butter – cut into pieces
• 1 – 32 oz chicken broth – may want extra to thin out, if too thick. the frozen noodles thicken the broth
• mixed vegetables – optional – i didn’t use this time
• Chicken buillon to taste – optional – i add about a teaspoon of better than buillion chicken flavored paste – for a richer chicken flavor
• 6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 4 large
• salt & pepper to taste – can add some parsley too if desire

HOW TO MAKE IT :
Salt & pepper chicken breasts and place in the bottom of crock pot. Spoon soup over the chicken. Cut butter into several pats and place pieces evenly over soup.
I whisk the bouillon with the broth and pour over soup.
Place lid on pot and turn to low. Cook for 6 hours.
Remove chicken and tear into pieces. Add back to pot.
Now add noodles and if adding veggies add now. Cook for another 2 hours or until noodles are desired tenderness. I stir a few times during last 2 hours. ( You may want to add more broth to thin out at the end of cooking, as the home made noodles thicken the broth, which we like. )
Sprinkle with parsley and mix in, if using at the end of cooking.
Salt & pepper if needed and Serve. Yum!

Oven Roasted Smoked Sausage and Potatoes

 

Ingredients

• 1 package of smoked sausage, sliced into rounds
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 5 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into ½ inch cubes
• olive oil
• fine sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• sweet paprika
• dried thyme
• a handful of greated strong cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400*F.

Line a large baking tray (with sides) with several sheets of foil, and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

Put the sausage rounds, onions, and potatoes into a large bowl. Drizzle with a couple TBS of olive oil and season to taste with salt, pepper, paprika and dried thyme. Toss together with your hands until everything is evenly distributed. Pour this out onto the baking tray, and spread it out as much as you can.

Place into the heated oven and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until the potatoes are golden brown and tender. Turn off the oven.

Scatter the cheese over top of the cooked meat and potatoes, Pop back into the oven a few minutes to melt the cheese.

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls Recipe

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 small cabbage, chopped
• 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) low sodium diced tomatoes
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

DIRECTIONS :
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion and cook, stirring, until ground beef is no longer pink and onion is tender.
Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
Add the chopped cabbage, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper, and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.
Yield: Serves 6 to 8. 3 WW Smartpts

MINI CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES

 

What You’ll Need

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup miracle whip
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3 1/2 cups finely diced cooked chicken
• 1 cup finely diced celery

12 mini rolls
How to Make It
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, miracle whip and salt.
Toss with the chicken, celery, in a medium bowl.
Serve on mini rolls.