Banana Almond Sandwiches

Doesn't get much easier than this!  Still, a little more prep than a PBJ, and nice enough you can serve it to company.  Great for picnics!

Banana Almond Sandwiches

2 Bananas
1/3 cup Almonds -- chopped
1/8 cup Honey

 Mash bananas with a fork. Mix with almonds and honey.  Spread both on bread.

Balsamic Roasted Sausage and Grapes with Linguini

One of our more unique pasta recipes!  

Balsamic Roasted Sausage and Grapes with Linguini

3/4 cup Sweet Italian sausage
3/4 cup Hot Italian sausage
3 cups Seedless red grapes
1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. Oil
2 tbsp. Water
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 lb. Linguini -- cooked according to package -- reserve 1/2 cup pasta water
1/2 cup Pesto
1 bag Spinach salad mix

Place the sausage and grapes in a greased 9 x 13 pan. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, oil, and water. Pour over sausages. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn sausages and bake for 10 more minutes. Allow sausages to cool, and then slice. In a large bowl, combine the linguini, pasta water, and pesto. Toss to coat. Add remaining ingredients, including pan juices.

Baked Turkey Sandwiches

A quick recipe for hot sandwiches.  Nothing fancy, but still tasty!

Baked Turkey Sandwiches

6 Hoagie Rolls -- split
8 oz. Smoked sliced turkey
1 Green Pepper -- sliced
1 small Onion -- sliced
1 can Spaghetti Sauce
6 oz. Velveeta -- sliced

 Spread roll halves with spaghetti sauce. Layer on remaining ingredients and close rolls. Wrap in foil and bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes.

Bedford Falls Cheese Ball

I got this recipe from an It's a Wonderful Life recipe book years and years ago -- I think I re-titled it myself.  It's the first cheese ball recipe we ever made, and even though we've branched out considerably of late, this is still my favorite.

Bedford Falls Cheese Ball

2 (8 oz) pkgs spreadable cream cheese -- softened
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 small onions -- finely chopped
2 slices ham -- finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp green bell pepper -- finely chopped
1 cup walnuts -- chopped

 In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except the walnuts; cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour. Form cheese mixture into ball and roll in walnuts. Serve with crackers or veggies.

Baked Spaghetti

Remember what I said about casseroles being comfort food?  This is like a meta-comfort food -- spaghetti turned into a casserole!

Baked Spaghetti

1 lb. Spaghetti – cooked according to package
1 lb. Ground beef
1 Green pepper – chopped
3/4  cup Onion – chopped
1 15 oz. can Tomato sauce
1 8 oz. can Tomato sauce
1 3 oz. package Pepperoni
1 can Mushrooms – drained
1 4 oz. can Sliced black olives – drained
1/2  tsp. Basil
1/2  tsp. Oregano
1/2  tsp. Garlic salt
1/2  tsp. Pepper
1/2  tsp. Salt
3 cups Shredded Mozzarella
1/2  cup Parmesan

Fry beef in a large skillet; drain fat. Add green pepper and onion; saute. Stir in tomato sauce, pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, and seasonings; heat through. Spoon 1 cup meat sauce into a 9 X 13 pan. Layer half of spaghetti and half of sauce; repeat layers. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Baked Veggie Chips

We all like potato chips.  We all know they're not good for us.  And yet, that crunchy, salty goodness lures us in.  Well, these are slightly better for you than store-bought potato chips, and you can adjust the mixture to have more of the veggies you want.  Please note that the amount of oil, cheese, and herbs here is per pound of veggies,not per kind of veggies.

Baked Veggie Chips

Per pound of veggies: 
1 tbsp. Oil
1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
1/4 tsp. Oregano
1/8 tsp. Pepper

Slice veggies 1/8" thick. Place in sealable container and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle on cheese and spices and toss to coat. Arrange in a single layer on a lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees, turning once.

Baking times are as follows:

Beets = 18 minutes per side
Sweet Potatoes = 16 minutes per side
Potatoes = 14 minutes per side
Parsnips = 12 minutes per side

Baked Rotini and Ham Casserole

Casseroles are the ultimate comfort food for Midwesterners like us.  Even though we don't live in the Midwest anymore, they conjure up long winter evenings spent indoors while the wind and snow howl outside, church potlucks, and family reunions.

Baked Rotini and Ham Casserole

1 can Cream of Celery soup
1 1/4 cups Milk
2 cups Rotini -- cooked according to package
1 1/2 cups Shredded mozzarella
2 cups French fried onions
1 cup Ham pieces
1 Roma tomato -- chopped
1/2 cup Frozen peas -- thawed

In a large bowl, combine soup and milk. Stir in pasta, 1 cup cheese, 1 cup onions, ham, tomato, and peas. Pour into a 2-quart casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with remaining onions and cheese. Bake until cheese is melted.

Deviled Eggs with Onions

A very traditional-tasting recipe for deviled eggs.  

6 Eggs -- hardboiled and peeled
3 tbsp. Mayo
1/2 tbsp. Onion soup mix
1/2 tbsp. Brown mustard
2 tbsp. Sour cream
2 tbsp. Green onions -- minced

Halve eggs lengthwise. Pop out yolks and mix with remaining ingredients in a ziplock bag until smooth. Snip off a corner and pipe into eggs.

Baked Monte Cristos

Because these are baked instead of fried, they are ever-so-slightly better for you than the usual Monte Cristo sandwiches.  And I admit it -- I mostly like these for the name.  The Count of Monte Cristo is my second-favorite book.

Baked Monte Cristos

12 Slices Bread
6 slices Ham
6 slices Turkey
6 slices Processed Swiss
3 Eggs -- beaten
3/4  cup Milk
1/4  tsp. Salt
3 cups Rice Krispies -- crushed
2/3 cup Sour cream
1/3 cup Strawberry Jam
Mayonnaise
Mustard

Spread mayo on six slices of bread; top with ham, cheese, and turkey. Spread mustard on remaining bread; place over turkey. In a shallow dish, combine eggs, milk, and salt. Dip each sandwich in egg mix and then in the cereal. Line a cookie sheet with greased tinfoil. Arrange sandwiches on cookie sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 7 minutes. Turn and bake 5 minutes more. Combine sour cream and jam; serve as a dipping sauce.

Bacon Bread

Mmmm, bacon!  Mmmm, bread!  Combine the two for a decidedly non-healthy treat.

Bacon Bread

12 slices Bacon -- cooked and crumbled
2 tubes (12 oz.) Buttermilk biscuits
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella
1 packet Italian dressing mix

Cut each biscuit into quarters. Place half of the pieces in a greased bundt pan. In a large bowl, mix bacon, mozzarella, and dressing mix. Spoon half of bacon mix over biscuit pieces. Top with remaining biscuits and cover with remaining bacon mix. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool for five minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.

Bacon and Tomato Penne

The easiest way to chop uncooked bacon is to cut it up with a scissors.  I thank the movie Dead Again and my best friend Deb for teaching me that!

Bacon and Tomato Penne

8 slices Bacon -- chopped
1 large Roma Tomato -- chunked
1 8 oz. tub Chive and Onion cream cheese
1 cup Milk
1/2  cup Parmesan
1 tsp. Salt
1 lb. Penne Rigate -- cooked according to package

Fry bacon in a large skillet until crisp; drain fat. Add tomatoes. Stir in all but pasta. Cook and stir until hot and bubbly. Stir in pasta.

Avocado Pasta Salad

It can be hard to pick a good avocado.  My rule is that it needs to be almost totally dark green, and if you squeeze it, it should give a little, but not be mushy under the skin.

Avocado Pasta Salad

1 lb. Penne rigate -- cooked and rinsed
1 cup Italian dressing
4 oz. Crumbled Feta
2 cups Chicken pieces
3 Green onions -- sliced
1 Apple -- chopped
2 Avocados -- peeled and sliced
3/4 cup Walnuts -- chopped

 Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl.

Aunt Mary's Chicken Casserole

My Aunt Mary gave me this recipe when we were first married.  It has such a rich, tasty sauce!  You could make some rice or noodles to go with this too if you wanted.

Aunt Mary's Chicken Casserole

3 Half chicken breasts – skinned and deboned
1/4 cup Butter
1 can Cream of chicken
3/4 cup White wine
1 can Mushrooms -- drained
1/4 cup Green pepper -- chopped
1 can Water chestnuts -- drained
1/4  tsp. Thyme
Salt
Pepper

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Brown in butter in a large skillet. Remove to a 2-quart casserole and place skin-side up. Slowly add soup to skillet. Keep stirring and add wine, mushrooms, thyme, green pepper, and water chestnuts. Heat to boiling and pour over chicken. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 to 35 minutes longer.

Larry's Asparagus Lasagna

My husband made up this recipe himself!  I just made this last night and stuck it in the freezer so I can take it to my brother and his wife when their new baby arrives.

Larry's Asparagus Lasagna

9 Lasagna Noodles - uncooked
1 can Cream of Mushroom
1 can Cream of Chicken (use another Cream of Mushroom instead to make this meatless)
2 cups Milk
8 oz. Sliced fresh mushrooms
1 bunch Asparagus - trimmed and cut 1" long
1 lb. Cottage cheese
2 cups Mozzarella
1/2 cup Parmesan
2 Eggs - beaten
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper

 Mix soups, milk, salt, and pepper in a medium pan. Cook and stir until smooth. Mix eggs, cottage cheese, and mozzarella in a medium bowl. Place 1 cup of soup mix in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Layer 3 noodles, 1/2 of cheese mix, asparagus, and 1/3 of soup mix. Repeat layers, using mushrooms instead of asparagus. Add final 3 noodles and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Cover and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Asian Chicken Stir Fry

Quick and easy, and a great way to use up leftover chicken.  One of those throw-it-together-after-a-long-day recipes.

Asian Chicken Stir Fry

1 tbsp. Oil
2 cups Chicken pieces
1 can Golden Mushroom Soup
3 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 lb. Frozen stir fry veggies -- thawed
2 cups Rice -- cooked

 Heat oil in skillet and stir fry chicken until browned. Add soup, soy sauce, and garlic. Heat to boiling, add vegetables and cook until tender-crisp. Serve over rice.