broccoli casserole

1 bag chopped broccoli the kind you can microwave in the bag
2 cups cooked white rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 stick butter of margarine at room temp
8 oz Velveeta or cheese whiz
pepper to taste
french fried onions just enough to cover top of casserole

-preheat oven to 325 degrees
-microwave broccoli according to directions on package
-combine all but french fried onions stir until well blended
-transfer to a greased casserole dish and bake for about 30 minutes
-top with french fried onions bake another 5 minutes

spicy spinach dip

1 cup of water
1 medium sized diced red pepper
1 8oz package cream cheese
2 tbsp milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
pack of frozen spinach about 1/2 to 3/4 of it
crushed red pepper flakes
salt & pepper to taste
hot sauce

-boil water in a saucepan add red pepper & spinach bring the water back to a boil lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes
-drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible
-combine cream cheese & milk in the saucepan over medium heat until the cheese is hot and melty. stir in red peppers & spinach add Parmesan cheese and salt & pepper. Red pepper flakes the recipes called for 1/2 tsp I used more I don't exactly know how much probably at the very least 1 1/2 tbsp and a dash of hot sauce. The folks around my house tend to like things spicy and with a bit of a kick but you can doctor the spicing to your own tastes. Combine all of this and heat then serve.
-this sort of dip always looks great in a bread bowl

tortellini & pesto thingy

quick & easy appetizer I have added to my repertoire

1 10 oz package tortellini I used the green spinach kind personally
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup prepared pesto (according to taste I did not measure precisely)
garlic powder, kosher salt & pepper to taste
1 pint grape tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
toothpicks

-in a bowl combine mayo, pesto, cheese, garlic powder, salt & pepper then refrigerate for about an hour
-cook tortellini according to package directions, rinse in cold water, then toss with about 1 tbsp olive oil
-on toothpicks place 1 totellini & 1 tomato then put on a platter with dip in the middle

super yummy, super easy and it proved to be a huge hit at the New Years Eve party

bbq brisket

day one-
1 beef brisket (3-4 pounds)
3 tbsp Worcestshire sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp liquid smoke except I am pretty sure I used 1 TBSP it was early when I put this together
2 cloves minced garlic
-mix all of the ingredients above together and marinate in a plastic bag for at least 24 hours

day two-
you will need a can of cheap beer or beef broth will work too
dump it with the marinade & meat into a crock pot and cook on low7-8 hours
remove meat from crock pot and put into a baking dish smother with bbq sauce of your choosing, we really like Rendezvous sauce which I can happily buy at Target
cover then throw it in oven on 350 degrees for about an hour

the original recipes had a lovely homemade bbq sauce recipe and I had every intention of making it as well but come on who has time for their own bbq sauce? not me!

apple dump cake?

apple crumble? apple crisp? not really too sure how to label it but I can tell you it was damn good.

2 cans apple pie filling
1 box yellow cake mix
apple pie spice
1 stick of butter

-preheat oven to 350 degrees
-spray a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray
-empty cans of apples into pan
-sprinkle apple pie spice over apples as much or as little as you like
-dump cake mix over apples
-dot entire dish with butter
-bake uncovered for 50 minutes
super easy, stuff you most likely have on hand and while we bought ice cream to go on top it did not need it at all in my opinion.

first cookout of the season

applesauce spice cake

got this from a great bundt cake cookbook put out by Nordic ware

1 box yellow cake mix
1 (3.4 oz) package instant butterscotch or french vanilla pudding mix
1 cup applesauce-I prefer cinnamon applesauce but anything works
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp apple pie spice

-heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease & flour or just use the Pam spray for baking a Bundt pan
just use the regular normal sized pan the 12 cup. You can use the fancy smaller ones(10 cup) but that will leave you with extra batter that will make about 4 cupcakes.
-Mix all of the ingredients on medium speed for 2 minutes, pour into pan
-bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean
-cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan & cool completely on rack
-I prefer a dusting of powdered sugar but this can also be left plain or be glazed