Buca Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs red skin potatoes, about 8 med (do not peel)
1/4c. chopped garlic
1 tbsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1c. romano cheese
1c. butter, softened
Wash potatoes and place in a large sauce pan.
Cover with cold water.
Over medium heat bring water to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and continue cooking until potatoes are very soft.
Transfer potatoes to a large mixing bowl and add garlic, oregano, salt, cheese, and butter.
Mash until potatoes and all ingredients are incorporated.
makes 6-8 servings.
Recipe from Melanie

Franks and Beans Casserole

2-3 Tbsp extra- virgin olive oil
3 pkg of fat ballpark style, all beef hot dogs, sliced slight angle (you also use
turkey, or the dogs, whatever you like)
1 med onion , chopped
2 Tbsp molasses
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce (15 -ounce can)
4 16-ounce can or 1 family size can baked beans
2 8/12 ounces boxes corn muffin mix,such as jiffy brand
2 eggs
4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) butter Melted
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 cup chopped or snipped chives
2 cups shredded cheddar Cheese
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 F
Place a large oven safe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add olive oil.
Add the sliced hot dogs to the pan & brown about 6-8 minutes.
Add the chopped onion & cook for about 3-4 minutes.
Add the baked beans & bring up to a simmer.
While the hot dog mixture is coming up to simmer, mix the two pkg of muffin mix together with eggs, melted butter, milk, chili powder, chives, & the cheese.
Pour the mix over the top of the hot mixture in skillet.
Place skillet, in the oven & bake until cornbread is golden in color,12-15 minutes.
If your skillet is not oven safe just place it in a oven safe dish before you put the muffin mixture on top.
Yield 6 to 9 serving

Barbecue Meatloaf

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup fresh bread crumbs (I have never used fresh)
1 onion, diced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
3 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (mustard powder is what I normally use)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water, to thin sauce if necessary (I have never needed the water)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix together the beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Form this mixture into a loaf and place it in a shallow pan.
Stir together the remaining tomato sauce, vinegar, sugar, mustard, Worcestershire and the water (if too thick).
Pour this sauce over the meatloaf.
Bake for 1 hour

Always a big hit easy to make the recipe bigger too.

Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup

This is a great soup! It's fast and really good! If making for the kids, you might want to go easy on the red pepper flakes. It's a little on the spicy side for them. I think its a great lunch or dinner, it's got protein, starch, and a little veggie.

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce, use your fav. (I use one with a little basil in it!)
2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.
Add the carrots and onion, saute until soft about 5 mins. then and garlic , about 1 minutes.
Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and serve.

Hamburger/Vegetable Soup

2 lb hamburger
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 box (2 envelopes)
Lipton onion soup mix
6 cup water
2 cups celery sliced
2 cups carrots sliced
1/2 package of mixed vegetables
1 cup small pasta
28 oz can pureed tomatoes
2 cans tomato soup undiluted
salt and pepper to taste

Brown hamburger with onion
Combine 6 cups water, Lipton soup mix, celery and carrots, and slowly simmer until tender
Precook mixed vegetables and pasta (drain)
Then add meat, pasta and veggies, canned tomatoes, and tomato soup to simmering pot.
Add salt and pepper to taste
Simmer 10 minutes and serve.
Makes alot is great for freezing!
When thawing and heating you should add another can of tomato soup for more soupy consistency.
This soup always gets RAVE reviews!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Mint Buttercream frosting

Chocolate Cupcakes

24 regular cupcakes 350 degree oven

200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cocoa (any good brand will do)
3 sticks butter
2-1/4 cups sugar
8 eggs1-1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt

1. chop chocolate and transfer into the bowl of a standing mixer.

2. add butter to the chocolate and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. stir until chocolate melts and butter is combined.

3. remove from heat and stir in sugar. let mixture cool for 10 minutes.

4. beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.

5. add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each

6. sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.

7. scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Mint Butter cream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon all natural peppermint extract

1. beat butter until creamy, scrape bowl.

2. add 4 cups of sifted powdered sugar, milk, and peppermint extract, beat until combined.

3. add more powdered sugar as needed to get piping consistency.

Note: I tried to keep the mint flavor subtle and not too overpowering. I recommend starting on the light side with 1/8 teaspoon or less and tasting to get the flavor you want.

It is a all or nothing recipe lol..but the end results are worth it! I promise
Michelle S.

Apple Pie

Ingredients:

6 apples

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp flour

3 tbsp butter

2-3 tbsp red cinnamon candies

Peel and slice apples, set aside

Combine the sugar, cinnamon, flour, candies

Pour over apples and mix

Add half your butter cut small into mixture

Pour into pie dish

drop rest of butter over the filling and cover with your top layer of pie crust.

I spread some butter over top of pie crust and sprinkled with sugar for color and a sweet crunch.

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes

Buffalo Baked Chicken with Blue Cheese and Celery Slaw
Rachel Ray recipe

6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) butter
3/4 cup hot sauce such as Frank's Red Hot
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, halved crosswise
4 chicken drumsticks
salt & Pepper
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
Juice of 2 lemons
1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise
6 to 8 celery ribs from the heart with green thinly sliced on an angle
2 cups shredded carrots
6 scallion white & green parts thinly sliced
1/2 heat of red cabbage, cored & shredded
3 cups salad croutons, ground into crumbs in a food processor
1/4 cup fresh flat -leaf parsley leaves , leave a generous handful finely chopped

Directions:Preheat the oven to 400 F
Melt the butter over low heat in a small pot & combine with the hot sauce.
Place chicken in a large bowl season with salt & pepper.
Toss to coat in the buffalo sauce let stand for 10 minutes.
In a bowl combine the blue cheese,lemon juice,mayonnaise,salt & pepper.
Add the celery,shredded carrots, scallions & red cabbage.
toss to combine.
Arrange the crushed croutons in a shallow dish , add the parsley, mix with your fingers to combine.
Press the sauce-coated chicken into the bread-crumbs mixture to cat evenly, and set onto a nonstick baking sheet.
Bake the chicken for 40 minutes or until cooked through & golden brown.
Remove the chicken from the oven & serve alongside the blue cheese ,celery & carrot slaw

Lazy Taco Soup

Start with a crockpot.
Throw a frozen hunk of uncooked low fat ground beef in it.
One pound works.
Add some frozen corn.
One or two cans of beans, any kind.
One or two cans of chicken stock
One or two cans of chopped tomatoes (blended or not)
Tiny can of chopped green chilies.
1/2 A jar of salsa.
T's and t's of cumin, red pepper, garlic seasoning and chili powder.
If your chicken stock isn't salted then you will need to add salt.
Cook on low, breaking up the hamburger as it thaws, until you're ready to eat.
Serve with corn chips, grated cheese, sour cream.

Very easy and very yummy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 cups water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup salsa
1/2 -1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans, rinsed
1-2 cups chicken, shredded
cumin powder
chili powder
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 cup cold waterfresh cilantro,torn
tortilla chips
1 fresh lime
grated cheese
Saute garlic, green pepper and onion in a tablespoon of olive oil until soft.
Add water, bouillon, cream, salsa, corn, chicken, and spices until boiling.
Stir corn starch into cold water and add to soup slowly.
After it's thickened add fresh cilantro and lime juice. Serve hot with tortilla chips and grated cheese.

Oven Chicken Fingers

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese (I always use a little more)
1 garlic clove minced (baby spoon size already minced from store)
6 boneless chicken breasts
In large plastic bag combine bread crumbs and cheese
In small bowl combine garlic and oil
Cut chicken into strips
Dip strips into oil then place in bag a coat
Place on greased (or lined with tinfoil) cookie sheet
Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes

Peanut Butter Banana Cupcakes

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, very soft
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 large eggs
1 cup ripe banana, mashed (2 large)

Preheat oven to 350F.
Line 16 holes of a cupcake tin with muffin liners.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter until fluffy.
Beat in peanut butter.
Add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the bananas.
With the mixer on low speed, beat in the flour mixture until just combined.
Evenly distribute batter into 16 muffin cups. (fill about 3/4 full)
Bake for 16-18 minutes, just until a tester comes out clean.

The cupcakes will be very lightly browned.Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
Makes 16 cupcakes.

This recipe came out so good I can hardly believe it!I am so glad that it worked I played around with two different recipes to come up with this one and I love it! The banana and peanut butter really work well together and neither is overpowering. They are nice and dense and hold together nicely. Alone with a cup of coffee they would be delicious...but you know me I need to make them even sweeter so I am going to try a cream cheese frosting and I will update this post later to let you know if it worked.

UPDATE: The cream cheese frosting was a perfect touch of sweet to these cupcakes.
The recipe I used follows:
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar.
Store in the refrigerator after use.

Smore's Cookie Bars

1/2 cup butter (soft)
3/ cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanila
1 1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 sp baking powder
4 Hershey's milk chocolate bars
1 cup marshmellow creme

Heat oven to 350
Grease an 8in. baking dish
In bowl bat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes)
Add egg and vanilla beat well
Stir together flour, graham crumbs, baking powder and salt.
Add to butter and sugar mixture
Beat until blended
Press half of dough into the bottom of the pan
Arrange chocolate bars over dough completely covering the dough
Spread the marshmallow creme over
carefully scatter remaining batter over the creme pressing gently to form a top layer
Bake for 3 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned
Cool and cut

P.S. These bars came out DIVINE!!
they taste exactly like Smore's
ENJOY