Hamburger Pie

This is a recipe that my stepmom made when I was growing up.

Ingredients
1 med onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 lb lean ground beef ( I used turkey italian  sausage)
salt/pepper
1/2 lb cooked green beans or 1 1/2 to 2 cups canned
1 10 1/2 ounce condensed tomato soup
5 to 6 med potatoes, cooked/mashed (prepare your favorite)
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated 

Heat oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat, cook chopped onion until tender and browned.  Add meat and seasonings; brown, stirring to break up. Drain off excess fat. Stir in beans and soup; transfer to a greased 9inch square baking dish.  Spoon mashed potatoes in mounds over the beef mixture. Top with cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6

Ryan's Favorite Chicken Tenders

This recipe is from Hellman's back in 2001. 
My son loved this, and I loved them because they are baked not fried.

Ingredients
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup Hellman's Light Mayo
1 1/4 cups Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs

1. Cut chicken into strips
2. Brush chicken with mayo
3. Shake chicken and bread crumbs in a bag
4. Bake in 425 degree oven 15 minutes until golden brown and juice runs clear when pierced with a fork.

www.mayo.com

"Pizza Stuff" Baked Penne with Italian Sausage

Ryan's favorite

Ingredients
1 (12 oz) pkg dry penne pasta ( I use Barilla Protein Penne Pasta)
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb italian sausage
1 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with garlic
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add pasta and cook per the directions (8 to 10 minutes)
3. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Place sausage and onion in the skillet. Cook over med high heat until evenly brown.  Drain excess fat. Pour in wine. Cook for 1 minute, stirring to deglaze the pan. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Toss with cooked pasta. Place in a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle top with mozzarella. (I add it into the pasta as well)
4. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Misty's Lemonade Cake

Cake:
11/3 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp grated lemon rind
3 tbsp thawed lemonade concentrate
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Frosting:
2 tbsp butter, softened
2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tsp thawed lemonade concentrate
1/2 tsp vanilla
8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, cold
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions
1. Place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, beat with mixer at med speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time beating well after each addition.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda stir w/ whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk, alternately to sugar mixture, beat well after each addition.
3. Pour batter into 2 (9 inch) cake pans coated with cooking spray, sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes clean.  Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack, remove from pan, cool completely on wire tracks.

To Prepare Frosting:
1. Combine all ingredients but powdered sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer @ high speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat @ low speed just until blended (do not over beat) Chill 1 hour.
2. Place 1 cake layer on plate, spread with 1/2 c frosting. Place the 2nd cake layer on top.  Frost rest of cake. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

Note: you may prepare the frosting before starting the cake since it has to chill for a hour

Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Okra Poppers

I love jalapeno poppers with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. 

Love this play on them with okra. 

I did not make them as I have a chef currently staying in my house.  

 

This is an easy recipe that doesn't really require measurements as it depends on the number of okra you have.  You can make 2 or you can make 20. 

  

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the okra in half - lengthwise. 

Scoop out the membranes and seeds.  

Using your favorite pimento cheese recipe, fill each okra with as much as you like.    

(We used Palmetto's Jalapeno Pimento Cheese because it was in the fridge) 

Wrap each okra popper with your favorite deli ham

(We used black forest)

Bake until okra are tender about 10 minutes