Chewy Coconut Almond Squares

This original recipe called for graham cracker crumbs. I decided to use cookie mix and the oatmeal chocolate chunk sounded good. You can actually use any flavor you want. You can also change the nuts from almonds to pecans or walnuts. This would probably even be good with peanuts. I like using the large shaved coconut that is unsweetened which I find at the health food stores in bulk.
Find the full recipe by going to Martha's Recipe Cabinet

Poppy Seed Chicken

This dish came from a site called The Girl Who Ate Everything
It's called Poppy Seed Chicken and this one is a perfect, easy to make, delicious casserole that you must try!  I made this and served it to my drop-in company and they loved it enough to ask for some to take home.  It's that good!  So here it is.

5 cups chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (I used 3 large split breasts)
1 cup sour cream
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cps crushed Ritz crackers (about 1 1/2 rolls of crackers)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place cubed chicken in a 9 X 13 casserole dish.  Stir together the condensed soup and sour cream.  Pour over chicken.  In a separate bowl stir together crushed crackers, poppy seeds and melted butter.  Sprinkle over chicken and sauce.  Bake 30 minutes, until the top of the casserole is browned and the sauce is bubbly.  Serve plain or over rice. 

Additional ingredients can be added when mixing soup and sour cream:
1 tsp. Worchestire sauce
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. pepper

Comments - I made only 1 change when making my dish.  I used 1 can of cream of chicken and 1 can of cream of mushroom soup.  I might try adding broccoli, maybe a sprinkle of cheese in with the crackers and near the end of baking maybe some French fried onions.  But believe me, this dish needs no additions. 

Hash Brown Quiche

Got leftover ham?  This is wonderful way to use some it up. 

What I came out with wasn't what I originally had in mind but this turned out to be simply wonderful!  If you like ham, cheese, hash browns, peppers and onions, you'll love this dish.

1 pkg (20 oz.) Hash Browns with peppers and onions
4 eggs, whisked
1 cup chopped ham
1 cup shredded cheese (your choice of flavor)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together.  Line muffin pans with paper liners sprayed with non-stick spray.   Spoon mixture into liners.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until egg is set and slightly browned.  Makes about 1 1/2 dozen.

Comments - This is perfect for leftover ham but is also great with sausage or bacon.  They are perfect for a Brunch, breakfast and can be eaten on the go.  You can't help but love these.  Think With Your Taste Buds and come up with even more variations.

Cube Steak Catatorie

This is a simple and simply delicious dish.  My recipe on Martha's Recipe Cabinet serves 2 but you can easily double the recipe for more.  This dish is made with Ro-Tel's new "Zesty Tomato & Green Chili Sauce."  For my comments on this product visit my site The Good, The Bad, The Maybe.

Satisfying Spaghetti Bolognese

From time to time my friend Angelina Foster from the UK will be doing a guest post.  This is her 1st and I must say it looks and sounds delicious!

Satisfying Spaghetti Bolognese

You may think a spaghetti Bolognese is the choice for students on a budget as it’s easy to make, but it doesn’t mean this meal isn’t delicious and you can’t enjoy it as well. 

I like to add different vegetables into the mixture because not only does it taste great, it helps make the meal more interesting and healthier. To make a homemade spaghetti Bolognese that everyone can enjoy you’ll need the following ingredients-

Ingredients to serve 4

·         1lb/450g lean beef mince

·         2 tbsp vegetable oil

·         2 garlic cloves, chopped

·         1 onion, finely chopped

·         150g/5oz mushrooms, sliced

·         1 green pepper, finely chopped

·         1 red pepper, finely chopped

·         200g/7z tomato puree

·         400g/14oz chopped tomatoes

·         2 bay leaves

·         Salt and pepper (to taste)

·         A dash of thyme, parsley and oregano (optional)

·         400g/14oz spaghetti to serve, cooked according to instructions

·         Parmesan to serve, finely grated

Method – Prep time 20-30 min, cooking time 45 min to 1 hour

1.     Over a medium heat, heat up the vegetable oil in a large pan.

2.     Add the mince and cook until slightly browned, then drain the excess water.

3.     Add the onion for 3 minutes, and then add the garlic, mushrooms, green and red peppers for an extra 5 minutes until lightly coloured and softened.

4.     Next, add the bay leaves and tomato puree and leave to cook for another 5 minutes.

5.     Then add the tomatoes and bring to the boil.

6.     Turn the heat down and simmer for around 20-30 minutes.

7. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly pepper.
8. Add the thyme, parsley and oregano and stir well to combine (optional).
9. The Bolognese is ready to be served. Place equal portions of cooked spaghetti into four serving bowls (or maybe a little bit extra for yourself).
10. To serve, place equal portions of cooked spaghetti into four serving bowls. Spoon equal amounts of Bolognese sauce over each portion and sprinkle with finely grated parmesan.

I also like to add tinned sweet corn into the Bolognese. Other vegetable ideas for the dish include courgettes, carrots or even peas. Spaghetti Bolognese is easy to make at home and can be more tasty and satisfying than eating the same dish in an expensive restaurant with commercial restaurant insurance.

Smores and More

This one came to me while walking through a variety store of all places.  The store has a food section and I spotted marshmallows and decided to come up with a new recipe using them.  So here is what I did.

I used (1) 1 lb. pkg of coconut cookies, these I placed in a plastic bag and pounded them until they were crumbs.  I melted 1 stick of butter and mixed it in with the cookie crumbs.  I pressed the crumbs into the bottom of (2) 9 x 13 baking dishes (I planned on taking them to a cookout so I needed a lot).  I had (2) 7oz. bags of chocolate covered peanuts and sprinkled them over my cookie crumbs.  Then I sprinkled everything with chocolate chips (picture on left).  And topped everything with mini-marshmallows.  The only thing left was to bake in a 350 degree oven until the marshmallows melted and browned.  The picture on the right is the finished product.  I think most of you know that I don't like chocolate but even I liked these.

Changes - change the cookie - chocolate cookies, sugar cookies, etc.  Change the chips to maybe caramel or butterscotch.  Just get creative.

Croutons & Almond Chicken

This is another version of my Potato Chip Chicken.  With this one I used crushed herb seasoned croutons instead of the potato chips.  For my original recipe go to Martha's Recipe Cabinet and look up Potato Chip Chicken and simply change out the 2 ingredients.

Italian Sausage Patties over Spaghetti

This one is so simple you'll wonder why you didn't think of it yourself...maybe you did.  I used 1/2 lb of Italian Sausage and 1/2 lb. of lean ground beef.  Mix the two together and form into patties.  The number of patties will depend on the size you make them.  I made 5 out of mine and pressed them thin.  In a large fry pan fry on med. heat until done.  I covered mine to make sure they cooked through without browning.  Remove from pan.  Pour off drippings.  I even wiped my pan out to get out as much grease as possible.  Place patties back into your pan in a single layer.  Top with a heafty amount of cheese.  I used an Italian blend.  Spoon a jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce over your patties and cheese.  Cut heat down to medium and cover.  Cook until cheese melts.  Serve over spaghetti noodles.

These are SOOOO good.  Changes can include adding mushrooms, bell peppers, black olives, etc.

Taco Casserole

This is a simple casserole that uses Rotel and taco seasoning.  You can heat this up by using the hot Rotel and/or hot taco seasoning.  I used the mild.  You can use just about any type of paste that you want.  I used elbow mac.  You can also use any cheese you want.  I used a Mexican blend.  The leftovers, if you have any, heat up quite well in the microwave and it also freezes well so you can double the recipe and freeze one. To view the full recipe go to Martha's Recipe Cabinet.