Cheesy Garlic Bread

We actually had these the night we had the green beans and spaghetti (box of vermicelli & Prego-ha!), but I didn't have the time to post both recipes. Anyway, the trio is one of our favorite meals. They all make yummy leftovers.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Ingredients:
French Bread
Real butter (1 stick or less)
Garlic salt
Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Slice the French bread and put on a cookie sheet. Melt the butter and spoon onto each slice of bread, enough to cover the top of each slice. Sprinkle with garlic salt, as desired. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese. Broil about 3 minutes or until desired doneness.

Serving: 1 loaf
Recipe Given By: my friend, Cecily Shay

Sautéed Green Beans

These are the most amazing green beans I have ever eaten! My whole family loves them and half of us don't even like green beans. They are really good with pasta.

Sautéed Green Beans

Ingredients:
2 T. olive oil
6 strips of bacon or pancetta
Freshly ground black pepper
5-6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 T. basil pesto
Fresh green beans (@ 4 C)

Heat large pan of water to blanche the green beans for 3 minutes. When they are done, dry with paper towels. In a large frying pan add olive oil and bacon. (Heavily pepper bacon while it cooks to mimic pancetta.) When done cooking crisply, drain off all but 1 T. fat. Add the garlic and cook until just turning golden. Then add 2 squirts of basil pesto and the green beans. Combine all ingredients and cook down until beans start to wilt.

Serving: 6
Recipe Given By: our friend, Chef Daniel Roberts

Hints: I usually toss the pesto and green beans in at the same time as the garlic.

Let's Try It Together

I rarely make hot dogs, but when I do I usually make mac & cheese on the stove top as a side dish. During a recent lunch my son thought he would put the mac & cheese on the hot dog..."since it's all going to the same place anyway." The girls and I didn't know if we should be intrigued or grossed out. He said it wasn't bad, but he didn't repeat it on hot dog # 2.

PS. That's a line of ketchup across the top, in case you couldn't tell.

Sausage Wonton Stars

My daughter (away at college) came home last week and this is her favorite appetizer. I made it the afternoon she returned to school so she could take some back with her for snacks.

Sausage Wonton Stars

Ingredients:
4 boxes of small wonton cups
1 lb. bulk pork sausage
2 C (8 oz.) shredded Colby cheese
½ med. green pepper, chopped
½ med. red pepper, chopped
2 bunches green onions, sliced
½ C ranch salad dressing

Set wonton cups on a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in cheese, peppers, onions and salad dressing. Spoon a rounded spoonful into each wonton cup. Bake for 6-7 min or until heated through.

Serving: 4 dozen
Recipe Given By: Quick Cooking N/D ’01, p. 30

Rice Pilaf

Rice Pilaf
Ingredients:

2 coils of vermicelli (about 1/3 box)
½ stick of butter/margarine
2 boxes Uncle Bens rice pilaf
1 can chicken broth
2-3 C water
1 chicken bouillon
fresh garlic crushed to taste (I use 1 clove)
seasoning packets from UB pilaf
parsley, optional

Melt butter and brown vermicelli in an electric skillet or deep fry pan. Add all other ingredients and let simmer covered, stirring occasionally for 20-25 min. After the water seems absorbed (about 10-12 minutes) I taste the rice and see if it's tender. If not, I add a little more water and continue to simmer. By doing it this way, I usually end up using 3 C of water.

Recipe Given By: My recipe based upon my friend, Regina's recipe

Hints: I use this as a side dish or in our tortillas when making fajitas.

Ranch Fajitas

Ranch Fajitas
Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken or flank steak
1 C red and green pepper strips
1 Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
2 T water
flour tortillas

Cut chicken or steak into 2” x ¼” strips. Brown in a non-stick skillet 3-5 min, stir in 1 C red & green pepper strips and cook 1-2 more min. Stir in Dressing Mix and 2 T water, cook 1 min., and serve in warm tortillas.

Serving: 4
Recipe Given By: Hidden Valley

Hint: serve with rice pilaf, beans, sour cream & cheese

(made with chicken)

Golden Honey Bread

This is one of my favorite breads from the bread machine. I prefer this recipe when I have to use the delayed baking option. I bake it a lot on Sunday morning while I'm also cooking a crock pot meal and then we come home after church to a warm meal with fresh homemade bread.

Golden Honey Bread
Ingredients:
1 C plus 2 T water (70-80 degrees)
2 T honey
2 T vegetable oil
1 ½ t sugar
1 t salt
3 ½ C bread flour
2 t active dry yeast

In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size if available. Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 min of mixing; add 1-2 T of water or flour if needed.)

Serving: 1 loaf, 16 slices
Recipe Given By: Quick Cooking M/J 1999 p. 33