#3274 - Frosted Caramel Apple Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

Batter: 1 1/2 cups canola oil; 2 cups white sugar; 3 eggs; 1 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. baking soda; 2 tsp. vanilla; 3 cups sifted flour (measure before sifting); 3 cups grated baking apples; 1 cup chopped pecans

Frosting: 1 stick butter; 1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar; 1/4 cup Carnation evaporated milk (room temperature); 1-2 tsp. vanilla

Wash, peel, core and grate baking apples until you have 3 cups of grated apples (use a cheese grater for grating). In a mixer add canola oil, white sugar and eggs--beat. Add salt, baking soda and 2 tsp. vanilla--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add grated apples and chopped pecans--stir until mixed. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-50 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool completely. Frosting: in a saucepan over low heat add butter and brown sugar--cook/stir until melted. Add evaporated milk--cook/stir until boiling (you may have to increase the heat slightly). As soon as mixture starts to boil, remove from heat and add 1-2 tsp. vanilla--stir quickly. Cool frosting to room temperature, then stir vigorously until spreading consistency. Frost the cooled cake. Optional: after frosting the cake, sprinkle more chopped pecans over the frosting.

#3273 - Creamy Tomato Sauce

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 14oz. can Italian diced tomatoes (do NOT drain)
2 TBSP olive oil
1 onion (chopped)
1 garlic cloves (minced--more if you wish)
1/2 to 1 TBSP dried basil leaves
3/4 tsp. white sugar
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 TBSP butter

In a large skillet over medium heat add olive oil, chopped onions and minced garlic--cook/stir until onions are tender. Add diced tomatoes--stir. Add basil, white sugar, oregano, salt and pepper--cook/stir until boiling. Once boiling, cook/stir until thickened. Slowly add heavy cream and butter--stir well. Tilt a lid on the skillet, turn heat back to simmer and cook 10-15 minutes longer or until thickened. Serve over pasta.

#3272 - Quick Pasta Sauce

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 - 14oz. cans Italian style crushed tomatoes (do NOT drain)
1 tsp. dried basil
3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 TBSP olive oil
salt
pepper
oregano

In a large skillet over medium heat add olive oil and minced garlic--cook/stir until garlic is tender. Add both cans crushed tomatoes--stir. Add basil--stir. Taste--add salt, pepper and oregano to your taste. Once you have the flavor you like, cook/stir until hot, then turn heat back to simmer. Tilt a lid on the skillet and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Serve over pasta.

#3271 - Homemade Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup olive oil
oregano flakes--optional

In a bowl add balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard--stir with a whisk until mixed. Add salt and pepper--stir with a whisk until mixed. Add olive oil--stir with a whisk until mixed. Optional--add some dried oregano flakes--stir with a whisk until mixed. If not using right away, stir well before drizzling over salad.

#3270 - Three Cheese Macaroni

(by Shirley McNevich)

16oz. raw elbow macaroni
6 slices bacon (more if you wish)
3 TBSP butter + 1 TBSP butter
1/2 cup chopped onions (optional)
3 TBSP flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Provolone cheese
1/3 cup  + 1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs

Cook the bacon and set aside. Cook and drain elbow macaroni in salted water according to box directions--drain but DO NOT rinse. In a saucepan over medium heat add 3 TBSP butter--melt. Add chopped onions--cook/stir until tender. Add flour, salt and fresh ground pepper while stirring--stir to mix. Slowly add milk while stirring--cook/stir until smooth. Add shredded cheddar cheese, shredded Provolone cheese, and 1/3 cup shredded Asiago cheese--cook/stir until melted into a cheese sauce. In a large bowl add drained macaroni and cheese sauce--stir to mix. Crumble the bacon and add to the macaroni--stir until mixed. Spoon the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Melt the 1 TBSP of butter. In a bowl add melted butter, all of the panko bread crumbs and 1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese--stir to mix. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture all over the top of the macaroni mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until top is well browned and heated through. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

#3269 - Baked Linguine

(by Shirley McNevich)

8oz. raw linguine
1 tsp. salt
2 cups bite sized cooked ham pieces (more if you wish)
1 - 10.75oz. can Campbell's cream of mushroom soup
2 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
8oz. Breakstone's sour cream
1 onion (chopped)
2 TBSP melted butter
4 slices buttered bread (broken into bite sized pieces)
ground black pepper (optional)

Break linguine in half, then cook it according to box directions with the 1 tsp. salt. Drain the linguine but DO NOT rinse. In a bowl add ham pieces, cream of mushroom soup, 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, sour cream, chopped onions and melted butter--stir to mix. Optional--add ground black pepper to your taste--stir to mix. Add drained linguine--stir to mix. Spread the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and take off/discard the foil. Spread the last 1/2 cup of shredded Swiss cheese over the top. Place the buttered bread pieces all over the top. Return to oven uncovered and bake until buttered bread is browned and crispy.

#3268 - Swiss Chicken

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 cups cooked bite sized chicken pieces
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups croutons (your choice of flavor)
2/3 cup mayo
1/2 cup milk
2-4 ribs celery (chopped)
1/4 cup chopped onions (more if you wish)

In a large bowl add shredded Swiss cheese, croutons, mayo, milk, celery and onions--stir well. Add chicken pieces--stir to coat. Spread the mixture into a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is hot. Optional: if using large croutons, you can break them into smaller pieces.

#3267 - Crushed Croutons and Sprouts

(by Shirley McNevich)

16oz. to 32oz. fresh Brussels sprouts (or use frozen ones if you wish)
1/3 cup crushed croutons (your choice of flavor)
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 to 1 TBSP black pepper (less if you wish)
1/2 tsp. salt

Place croutons in a Ziploc bag a few at a time--pound the outside with your fist until they are crushed. Repeat until you have 1/3 cup crushed croutons. In a bowl add crushed croutons, Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt--stir well with a fork until mixed. Cook Brussels sprouts in salted water until tender, then drain them. Slice a few Brussels sprouts in half and place them in a serving bowl--sprinkle some of the Parmesan cheese mixture over the top. Keep repeating with layers of halved Brussels sprouts and layers of sprinkled Parmesan cheese mixture. Optional: instead of boiling the sprouts in salted water, slice the raw sprouts in half, place them in a bowl with 1-2 TBSP olive oil, and toss to coat. Place the sprouts round side up on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until edges start to brown and sprouts are tender. Layer as above with the Parmesan cheese mixture.

#3266 - Stuffed Mushrooms and Bacon

(by Shirley McNevich)

12 large fresh whole mushrooms
1/2 of an 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
garlic powder (to your taste)
4 slices cooked bacon (crumbled)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 TBSP fresh chopped parsley

In a bowl add cream cheese--stir. Add crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped parsley and garlic powder (to your taste)--stir until well blended. Wash and drain the mushrooms. Cut and discard the stems from the mushrooms. Place the mushrooms cap side down on a greased baking sheet. Scoop the cheese mixture into each mushroom. Bake at 350 degrees for 16-20 minutes.

#3265 - Fried Onion Strings

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 large onion (more if you wish)
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 TBSP salt
1/2 to 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (more if you want them spicier)
canola oil

Thinly slice the onion and separate the rings. Place the rings in a glass baking dish and cover them completely with the buttermilk. Let the onions soak for about an hour. In a bowl add flour, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper--stir to mix. Fill a cast iron skillet halfway with canola oil--turn heat to medium and heat oil to 375 degrees. Using tongs, grab some of the onions from the buttermilk mixture and dip them in the flour mixture. Shake off any extra flour and then dump them in the hot oil. Fry the onions until browned, then use a slotted spoon to take them out of the hot oil and spread them on paper towels to soak up extra grease. Repeat with all onions.

#3264 - Tomato Onion Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 home grown tomatoes
1 sweet onion
1/4 cup olive oil
1 TBSP oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
shredded mozzarella cheese

Wash tomatoes and cut them into bite sized pieces. Place tomato pieces in a large bowl and sprinkle them with the garlic salt and black pepper. Cut the onion into rings, then cut each ring into four pieces. Add onion pieces, oregano and olive oil to the tomatoes--toss to mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. When ready to serve, carefully drain off any liquid that has formed. Add as much shredded mozzarella cheese as you wish--toss to mix.

#3263 - Baked Pumpkin Seeds

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups raw pumpkin seeds
4 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. Lawry's seasoning salt
2 tsp. garlic powder

After carving pumpkins, pick out the seeds away from the pulp/strings of the pumpkin. Place the seeds in a sieve and rinse pumpkin seeds until clean. Spread the damp pumpkin seeds on ungreased baking sheets and allow them to dry for a few hours. When they are bone dry, grease a jelly roll pan. In a bowl add dry pumpkin seeds and olive oil--stir to coat. Spread the pumpkin seeds in a single layer in the jelly roll pan. In a bowl add seasoning salt and garlic powder--stir to mix. Sprinkle the salt mixture all over the coated pumpkin seeds. Place the jelly roll pan on the top rack of your oven. Bake at 300 degrees for 30-40 minutes, gently shaking the pan every 10 minutes. Because the inside of the pumpkin seeds can burn even when the outside of the pumpkin seeds are not browned, taste a seed every 10 minutes while baking. Once the seeds are crispy on the outside, they are done. If you bake them too long, the inside of the seeds will burn.

#3262 - Cream Cheese Bean Dip

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
2 - 16oz. containers spicy black bean dip
2 - 8oz. shredded Mexican three cheese blend shredded cheese
green onions (sliced)
1 or 2 containers cherry OR grape tomatoes
sliced black olives (drained)
Tostitos scoop chips

In a bowl add cream cheese--mix with a spoon until spreadable. In a 9 x 13 glass baking dish make repeating layers of cream cheese, then bean dip, then shredded cheese. Once all ingredients have been used, sprinkle sliced green onions all over the top. Spread sliced black olives over the top. When ready to serve, cut each tomato into four pieces and spread the tomatoes all over the top. Serve with scoop chips.

#3261 - Amish Cinnamon Swirl Bread

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup softened butter
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
Topping: 2/3 cup white sugar; 2 tsp. cinnamon

In a mixer add butter and 2 cups white sugar--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add buttermilk and baking soda--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. In a bowl add 2/3 cup white sugar and the cinnamon--stir to mix. Grease 2 bread loaf pans. Divide the batter evenly into two bowls. Pour 1/2 of the batter from bowl 1 into pan 1; pour 1/2 of the batter from bowl 2 into pan 2. Divide the cinnamon mixture evenly into 2 bowls. Sprinkle 3/4 of the bowl 1 cinnamon mixture over the batter in pan 1; sprinkle 3/4 of the bowl 2 cinnamon mixture over the batter in pan 2. Sprinkle the remaining bowl 1 cinnamon mixture over the top of the batter in pan 1. Sprinkle the remaining bowl 2 cinnamon mixture over the batter in pan 2. Wet a bread knife. Stick the wet knife all the way to the bottom of pan 1 and carefully swirl the cinnamon mixture through the batter. Repeat with pan 2. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool the breads for 20 minutes, then loosen and remove from loaf pans.

#3260 - Frosted Pumpkin Bars

(by Shirley McNevich)

Batter: 4 eggs; 1 2/3 cups white sugar; 1 cup canola oil; 1 - 15oz. can Libby's canned pumpkin; 2 cups flour; 2 tsp. cinnamon; 2 tsp. baking powder; 1 tsp. baking soda; 1 tsp. salt; chopped walnuts (optional)

Frosting: 6oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened); 2 cups Domino's powdered sugar; 1/4 cup softened butter; 2 tsp. vanilla; milk as necessary

In a mixer add eggs, white sugar and canola oil--beat. Add pumpkin--beat. Add baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Pour batter into a greased 15" x 10" (by 1" deep) jelly roll pan. Slightly lift and drop the pan on to your counter to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely. Frosting: in a mixer add cream cheese--beat. Add butter and vanilla--beat. Slowly add powdered sugar--beat. If too thick, add 1 TBSP milk at a time and beat again. If too thin, add more powdered sugar and beat again. Frost the whole top of the cooled pumpkin mixture. Cut into squares or bars. Optional--sprinkle chopped walnuts all over the cream cheese frosting before cutting.

#3259 - Pickled Brussels Sprouts

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 - 10oz. boxes frozen Brussels sprouts (substitute fresh Brussels sprouts if desired)
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

Cook Brussels sprouts according to box directions, then drain them and let them cool to room temperature. Once cooled, slice each sprout in half. Repeat with all sprouts. Place all Brussels sprout halves in a quart glass jar. In a saucepan add cider vinegar, salt, dry mustard, oregano and fresh ground black pepper--cook/stir over medium heat until boiling. Once boiling, remove from heat and carefully pour the vinegar mixture over the Brussels sprouts. Cool to room temperature, then place the lid on the jar and refrigerate them overnight before eating. Drain before eating. Note: you most likely won't need all of the vinegar mixture depending on the size of the sprouts.

#3258 - Salmon Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups canned/cooked red salmon
1/2 rib of celery (chopped)--more or less as desired
2 hard boiled eggs (peeled and chopped)
1/3 of a cucumber (peeled and chopped)--more or less as desired
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped onions
mayo
salt and pepper (to your taste)

Into a bowl flake the cooked red salmon. Add the chopped celery, chopped eggs, chopped cucumber and chopped onions--stir to mix. Add 1 TBSP mayo at a time and stir. Keep adding mayo and stirring until salad is the consistency of tuna salad. Add salt and pepper to your taste--stir. Serve on rolls, on top of lettuce or with good quality crackers.

#3257 - Red Salmon Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

15oz. canned red salmon (drained well and broken into small pieces)
2 cups uncooked pasta (your choice of shape)
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
4 TBSP butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 TBSP flour
2 cups milk
2 TBSP lemon juice (OPTIONAL)
2 TBSP chopped parsley
3-4 slices buttered bread (cut into small pieces)

Cook pasta in salted water according to box directions--drain but do NOT rinse. In a skillet over medium heat add butter and chopped onions--cook/stir until onions are tender. Slowly add flour while stirring. Turn heat back to medium low--slowly add milk to onions--cook/stir until mixture thickens. Add lemon juice and chopped parsley--stir to mix, then remove from heat. Grease a casserole dish and spread drained pasta into the bottom. Arrange salmon pieces over the pasta. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the salmon. Pour all of the onion mixture over the cheese. Spread the rest of the cheese over the top. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and arrange buttered bread pieces over the whole top. Return to oven and bake until buttered bread pieces are brown and crispy.

#3256 - Cream Cheese Chocolate Mousse Pie

(by Becky Lynn Mohr - friend)

4oz. Baker's German sweet chocolate (broken into small pieces)
1/3 cup milk
2 TBSP white sugar
1 - 3oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1 - 8oz. Cool Whip (thawed)
1 ready-made graham cracker crust (regular OR chocolate)

In a saucepan over low heat add 2 TBSP of the milk and chocolate pieces--cook/stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside. In a mixer add cream cheese--beat. Add white sugar--beat. Add melted chocolate mixture--beat. Slowly add remaining milk--beat until smooth. Remove from mixer--add Cool Whip--stir until mixed. Spoon mixture into the graham cracker crust. Freeze pie overnight. Keep pie frozen.

#3255 - Bratwursts and Sauerkraut

(by Shirley McNevich)

12 bratwursts
1 large sweet onion (more if you wish)
1/2 stick butter
beer
1 bag sauerkraut
long rolls

Peel the onion, then cut and separate the onion into rings. In a Dutch oven add the bratwursts, onions and butter--keep pouring beer into the mixture until everything is covered. Turn heat to medium--cook (stirring occasionally) until mixture comes to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat back to simmer and cook (stirring occasionally) until bratwursts are completely cooked and onions are tender. Prepare sauerkraut according to bag directions. Use tongs to carefully remove the bratwursts from the beer mixture, then place them on your outdoor grill until the outsides of the bratwursts are well browned. Use a slotted spatula to remove the onions from the beer mixture. Serve bratwursts on long rolls with the sauerkraut and onions.