Hearty Twice Baked Potatoes

This is from Taste of Home Quick Cooking and was a 4th place winner. We really loved them. We used it as a main dish but are a great side, too.
8 large baking potatoes
1/2 pound bulk pork sausage (I used some pre-cooked patties and broke them up and browned them.)
1/4 C margarine, softened
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C diced fulley cooked ham
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 C (8 ounces) sour cream
1/2 C Italian salad dressing
Salt and pepper to taste

Scrub and pierce potatoes. Bake at 400 for 45-60 minutes or microwave, uncovered, on high for 12-14 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile in a skillet cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, drain.
When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4 in shell. In a large mixing bowl, mash the pulp with butter. Stir in the sausage, cheese, ham, bacon, sour cream salad dressing salt and pepper.
spoon into potato shells. Place on two ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until golden brown. ( We were in a hurry so I popped them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until the cheese was melted and they were hot.) Yield 16 servings.

Easy to cut down. Example for 3 potatoes, I used one sausage patty, 4 strips of bacon, 1/3 C chopped ham, about 1/2 C cheese, a scoop of sour cream and about 2 T Italian dressing. I mixed these all together in a bowl and then added it all to the mashed potatoes and then filled the shells. Yummy.

Grandma Linda

Chow Mein Chicken (or Pork)

This is easy and quite tasty. Works with either chicken or pork. You could probably substitute beef broth and hamburger or left over roast beef or use cut up and browned steak.

2 celery ribs, chopped ( I used 4-6)
1 medium onion, chopped (I did slices and cut them in quarters)
1/4 C butter
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 C chicken broth (I used closer to a cup since I used more celery)
1 Tbs soy sauce (I used 2-3 T)
3 C cubed cooked chicken (I didn't measure & used what I had left over)
1/2 C sliced fresh mushrooms (not me, no way!!)
1 3 0z can chow mein noodles
1/3 C salted cashew halves

In large sauce pan or frying pan, saute celery and onion in butter until tender. Stir in soup, broth and soy sauce. Add the meat (and mushrooms should you choose to). Heat through. Let it simmer down if it is too juicy.

Transfer to a greased 2 qt + baking dish. sprinkle with chow mein noodles and cashews. Bake uncovered at 350 for 15-20 min or until heated through. Serves 4. (What I made served 8)

I also cooked up a big pot of white rice and we served it over the rice. Good extender.

Grandma Linda (Taste of Home, The Best of Country Cooking)

Snickerdoodles

1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2-3 c. flour

Cream the butter, sugar, and eggs. Mix in cream of tartar, baking soda, vanilla, and salt, then mix in flour. Start with 2 1/2 c., but I usually add about 1/4 c. more to get the dough a little stiffer. However, it should still be somewhat soft; don't get carried away. Form a teaspoonful into ball and roll in sugar and cinnamon. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Do not flatten cookies. They will spread out as they bake. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Note: I must give credit where credit is due. I found this recipe on http://wickeworld.blogspot.com/ I came across her blog from a friend and have gotten the biggest kick out of her posts. So I have no clue who she is, but she’s really COOL and should you need a day brightener, check out her posts J
~Jody

Chicken a la Can Can

This is a really quick, easy meal. I got this recipe not long after we got married.
Make it on top of your stove in a large frying pan or similar pan.

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 soup can water
1 1/2 soup can Minute Rice (or use 3 C cooked regular rice)[recipe calls for one can, but not enough to suit me!]
2 cans or 1 1/2 C cooked chicken (boned) or tuna or turkey

Mix together and simmer 10 minutes (might take a little more till it thickens up). Stir occasionally.
Top with French fried onions to serve.

Grandma Linda

Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce

8 medium tart apples, peeled and quartered
1 Cup water
1 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup red-hot candies

Place apples and water in a 5 qt. saucepan. Cover and cook over medium low heat for 20 minutes or until tender. Mash the apples. Add sugar and candies. Cook, uncovered, until sugar and candies are dissolved. Remove from the heat; cool. Refrigerate until serving. Yields 6 Cups.

This is so easy and delicious. You can leave out the red-hots if you want.

Kim Eastman

Wowie Maui Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 1/2 C chicken broth
1 1/2 C canned pineapple tidbits, undrained
1 1/2 C uncooked long grain white rice
3/4 C finely chopped carrots
1/2 C ketchup
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C chopped green onion
1/2 C red or green pepper
2 T each of brown sugar, soy sauce, and white vinegar

In a large skillet, cook chicken over medium high heat until no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients to skillet, except green onions. Stir well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, until rice is tender. Stir in green onions during last 5 minutes of cooking time.

Chicken Pot Pie

Filling:
4-5 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (or shredded)
Carrots (use canned or frozen)
Peas (1 C frozen)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 C (1 can) chicken broth

Crust:
2 C buttermilk (buy the powdered kind that you keep in fridge and mix some up)
1 C butter, melted
2 C self-rising flour (or use regular flour and add 1/2 t salt and 1t baking powder for every cup of flour)

9x13 pan Put filling in then pour over crust mixture. Bake for 30 minutes at 425 degrees.

Kim Eastman