Vegetarian Dressing

Crumbled cornbread
4-6 sliced crumbled loaf bread
vegetable broth
vegetable bouillon
diced celery
diced onions
sage
thyme
rosemary
salt & pepper
butter

Saute celery and onions in butter. Add bouillon.  In a large bowl, add cornbread, loaf bread, celery and onion mixture, seasonings to taste, and enough broth to moisten.  Spoon into large dish that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.  Add more broth over during cooking time if needed.

*I actually prefer this dressing over the regular southern dressing.

Sausage Gnocchi Soup

1 lb. ground sausage
1 small white onion, diced
4 cups broth
Red bell pepper, diced
Fresh spinach, chopped
1 lb. mini gnocchi (or cut in half the regular sized ones)
1 pint heavy cream
Salt and Pepper
Parm Cheese
Crumbled bacon

Brown sausage with onions and red peppers, drain.  Add broth and cream to soup pot and heat. Then add sausage mixture, salt & pepper. Cook on med/high until boiling then reduce temp. and add gnocchi & spinach.  Simmer on low for about 10-15 minutes. Garnish with parm and crumbled bacon.

Chex Party Mix

6 tbls. butter
2 tbls. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
4 cups Corn Chex cereal
4 cups Rice Chex cereal
1-2 cups Wheat chex cereal
1 cup cheese its
1 cup pretzels
large can of mixed nuts

Microwave butter then add Worcestershire and seasonings. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
In a large bowl, add cereals, cheese its, pretzels, and nuts. Pour butter sauce over and stir well to coat. Add mixture to 1 or 2 roasting pans sprayed with cooking oil.  Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

My nieces, years ago when they would spend the night and we would cook together.

Kim's Best Banana Bread

1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
2-3 ripe bananas (mashed with a fork)
2 cups self-rising flour
3 tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Beat oil and sugar.  Add eggs and bananas. Mix well with mixer.  Add flour, then milk and vanilla extract.  Stir in nuts.  Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Let cool before slicing.

Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 in. pieces
1/3 cup butter, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup flour
3 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp. reduced-sodium chicken bouillon granules
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground pepper
1 pkg. (16 oz.) potato gnocchi
1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, brown chicken in 2 tbsp butter.  Remove and keep warm.  In the same pan, saute the onion, carrot, celery and garlic in remaining butter until tender.
Whisk in flour until blended; gradually stir in the milk, cream, bouillon and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
Add the gnocchi and spinach; cook for 3-4 minutes or until spinach is wilted.  Add the chicken.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until heated through (do not boil). I add a little chicken broth during those last minutes of cooking.
*Look for the potato gnocchi in the pasta section.

**I use a rotisserie chicken and also double the recipe.

***DELICIOUS!

Cathy Richards Round Steak Casserole

2 lbs round steak, cut into pieces
1 med. Onion, chopped
1 can of mushrooms, drained
Green olives, sliced
1 can tomato sauce
Ketchup
Worcestershire sauce
Egg noodles
Cheddar cheese

Cook steak in covered pan. Drain. Add mushrooms, olives, tomato sauce, ketchup, & Worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook on low for 1 hour.  Cook and drain noodles. Pour noodles into greased baking dish.  Pour steak mixture over and top with cheese.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30 min.

*I have substituted with penne pasta, pizza sauce, and Colby cheddar cheese (that's what I had on hand) and it was still delicious! I also only cooked the sauce for 30 minutes instead of 1 hr.

Sausage Fried Rice

2 cups cooked white rice
1 lb. Sausage cooked with chopped onions and 3 crushed/chopped garlic cloves, + diced red pepper, drained and set aside.
Steamed carrots & peas, or steamed mixed vegetables-chopped
4 eggs
Sesame oil
Canola oil
Soy sauce

To a hot pan with 1 tbsp sesame oil and 1 tbsp. Canola oil, add the vegetables and fry/cook for a couple minutes while stirring. Push to edge of pan and scramble eggs in middle.  Then add sausage mixture and rice. Add 3 tbsp. Soy sauce and black pepper. Stir and fry/cook for 5 - 10 minutes.

*I do double this recipe when the boys are home and add a few extra eggs.
*You can also use cooked chicken or pork in place of the sausage.