Aunt Marion's Chili

It's Peanut Butter Chili time!

1 can kidney bean dark red
1 can kidney bean light red
1 can pinto beans
1 can of whole tomatoes
1 pkg if McCormick chili seasoning
1 lb ground beef 85/15
1 green pepper
1 onion




In a frying pan, cook peppers and onions. Add the meat brown the meat. Drain the grease. Drain all the beans. In a pot, put in all the beans. Add 1 1/2 cups of water. Drain tomatoes, cut off ends. Add tomatoes. Add meat, peppers, and onions. Add 1 package of seasoning. Cook on medium/low for 1 1/2 hours. Check on every 1/2 hour, stir occasionally. If too watery, leave lid off and allow water to evaporate. While waiting, eat 1 TB of Peanut Butter.

Abracadabra, alakazam, hocus pocus, presto-chango, shazam, sim sala bim... CHILI!!! 

Champagne & Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Date Night...
3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
Pam Fat Free Olive Oil Spray
Thyme seasoning
Rosemary seasoning
Lemon cracked pepper seasoning
Salt
2 TB Flour
2 TB Eggbeaters
Desired amount of finger potatoes
1 can of cream of potato soup
1 can of unsalted cut green beans
2 TB of dried cranberries
Light Champagne Vinaigrette
Fat-Free Feta Cheese Crumbles

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Generously coat a roasting pan in Pam Olive Oil Spray. Sprinkle each side of the chicken breasts with salt, thyme, rosemary, and lemon pepper. Add 2 TB of Flour and 2 TB of Eggbeaters to the middle of the roasting pan and flip each side of the chicken breasts in the mixture. Bake for 10 minutes.

Add desired amount of finger potatoes continue baking for 20 minutes. Then add one can of cream of potato soup, one can of cut green beans, and 2 TB of dried cranberries along the sides on the pan –NOT covering the chicken breasts. Bake for 15 minutes and remove from oven.

Drizzle 1TB of Champagne Vinaigrette and 1 teaspoon of Feta cheese crumbles on each individual chicken breast when serving.

EGG PIZZA

The Breakfast of Superheroes...

1 Tube of refrigerated Pizza dough


8 eggs


1/4 cup milk


1 tablespoon butter

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

1/2 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

The Superhero Way:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease 12" pizza pan. Unroll dough onto pan. Press out dough to edge of pan. Sprinkle 1/2 cheddar and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese evenly over dough.

Combine eggs and milk salt and pepper, and butter in mixing bowl.

Pour egg mixture over crust and cheese. Sprinkle rest of cheese (1/2 cheddar and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese) evenly over pizza.

Bake for 10 minutes or until pizza is fluffy and lightly browned.

Cold Vegetable Pizza

Perfeccct Picnic Food!!
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls OR 1 tube of refrigerated pizza dough
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 TB mayonnaise
1 package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped cauliflower
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out the crescent roll dough onto a 9x13 inch baking sheet, and pinch together edges to form the pizza crust. Bake crust for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Once finished cooking, remove crust from oven and let cool 10 minutes without removing it from the baking sheet. 
 
In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo, and dry Ranch dressing. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange broccoli, tomato, green bell pepper, cauliflower, shredded carrots, and Cheddar cheese over the cream cheese layer. Chill for one hour or if you can’t wait that long –place in freezer for 15 minutes- slice and serve.

Whoopie Pies a.k.a. Gobs

I can best describe this delicious burger of sugar as a cake turned inside out with the icing in the middle.

As for how these pies got their name. Some people in my town say when men would open their lunch buckets and see their wife had packed them one of these delicious pies they would shout out "Whoopie!" Other people call them gobs though and say it comes from the men who worked in the coal mines calling the pies Gobs because lumps of coal refuse were called gob piles. Whichever name you prefer, people will still have no idea what you're talking about so call them what you will.

Gob Mix:

1 cake mix (any chocolate cake mix or devil's food chocolate cake mix)

1 (3-ounce) package of instant chocolate pudding

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease the cookie sheets. In a large bowl, prepare cake mix according to directions on box, but using 3/4 cup of water instead of listed amount. Beat 1 minute. Add instant chocolate pudding dry mix and beat 1 more minute. Drop 2 tablespoons  for each cake onto cookie sheet, leave approximately 1 inches between each cake. Bake for 5 minutes. Allow to cool and transfer onto waxed paper.

Filling:

5 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To make the filling, place flour into saucepan and slowly add milk, stirring until smooth. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring until very thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, butter, shortening, and vanilla using a mixer if you have one or just stir thoroughly. Add the cooled flour mixture and whip until fluffy.

When the cakes are completely cool, spread the flat side (bottom) of one chocolate cake with a generous amount of filling. Top with another cake, pressing down gently to distribute the filling evenly. Repeat with each gob.

Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator to preserve their moisture.

Baked Ziti

The Mafia Dinner 
1 pound dry ziti pasta

1 pound lean ground beef (I use 85/15)

2 jars spaghetti sauce -one jar of Prego Meat flavored, 
one jar of Prego tomato, onion & garlic flavored

1 small tub of ricotta cheese

12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

The Mafia Way:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook about 10 minutes until tender then drain. In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat. Drain grease. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.  Use a 9x13 inch baking pan. Layer as follows: 6 Tb of sauce mixture, thin layer of shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/2 of the ziti, entire  tub of ricotta cheese spread across, 1/2 remaining sauce mixture, remaining ziti, remaining sauce mixture, a thick layer of shredded mozzarella cheese. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. 
Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted.

PIZZA SANDWICHES

A pizza sandwich walks into a bar. The bartender says, "Sorry, we don't serve food here."
I love pizza sandwiches!! Great for any occasion.

12 oz. fresh mozzarella

1 package columbus sliced salami

1 package gourmet sliced pepperoni

1 tub of pesto

1 small jar Pizza Sauce

2 Sourdough/French baguettes
1 Package Fresh Basil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees for ten minutes. 

Cut each Sourdough/French baguette in 5 sub like pieces. After cutting both baguettes you should have ten pieces. Cut these ten pieces each in half like a sandwich. 

Slice your fresh mozzarella in thin slices.

Lay the sandwiches open faced on a cookie sheet. You'll need one cookie sheet per baguette or per 5 sandwiches. Spread a tablespoon of pizza sauce on one side of each sandwich, and 1 tablespoon of pesto on the opposite side of the sandwich. Place two pieces of salami on one side of each sandwich. 

Place two pieces of pepperoni on one side of each sandwich. Put a couple basil leaves on one side of each sandwich. Place two pieces of sliced mozzarella on one side of each sandwich.  Leave the sandwiches open faced and bake for 7 minutes at 350 degrees. Bread will harden if heated too long! After 7 minutes, take the sandwiches out of the oven and place the top half of the sandwiches on it's bottom half and enjoy! I love to dip these sandwiches in ranch dressing, but they're enjoyable either way.