Every New Year's Day since I've been married (almost 29 years), this is the meal I make! It's comfort food at best and this meal is also supposed to bring prosperity in the New Year :)

NEW YEAR’S DAY LUNCH MENU:

RECIPES BY:  MELISSA FRIDAY

COCA COLA HAM, FIELD PEAS WITH SNAPS, APPLE-CHEESE BAKE, TANGY CABBAGE & CORNBREAD

(For the record, I use a box of Jiffy cornbread…my favorite!)

COCA COLA HAM

1 (3-lb.) boneless, fully cooked ham

8-ounces coca cola

½ cup yellow mustard

1 cup brown sugar

Mix brown sugar and just about 1 to 2 tablespoon coke until it makes a paste.  Place ham in a shallow baking dish and rub paste over ham.  Pour coke all around ham, cover with foil and bake 50 minutes.  

FIELD PEAS WITH SNAPS

2 lbs. fresh or frozen field peas with snaps

1 pound thick-sliced peppered bacon, chopped

1 onion

4 cups water

1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder

1 or 2 teaspoons Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning

In a heavy-duty pot, sauté the chopped bacon for about 8 minutes or until the bacon becomes crispy.  With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and place on a plate lined with paper towels.  Add the onion to the bacon drippings and sauté for about 8 minutes.  Add the peas, water and seasonings and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered on very low for about 45 minutes or until the peas are tender.  Feel free to add more seasonings to your liking.  Add the crisp bacon over the top of the peas.  This is so good with a roast, rice & gravy and cornbread or ham and cabbage for New Year’s Day J  Enjoy!

APPLE-CHEESE BAKE

3 cans drained pie apples or fried apples

1 cup sugar

¾ cup flour

8-ounces Velveeta cheese, shredded

1 stick butter, dice into small pieces

Place the drained apples in a 13x9 baking dish.  Combine the sugar, flour, cheese and butter with a fork or in a food processor.  Spoon the mixture evenly over the apples.  Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes or until browned. 

TANGY CABBAGE

1 head of cabbage, cleaned and chopped

1 tablespoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder

½ stick butter

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

Boil cabbage for 10 to 15 minutes or until soft.  Drain well and place the cabbage back into the pot.  Add the remaining ingredients and cook on low for about 10 minutes or until the butter is melted.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Sometimes you just need a good Sloppy Joe!

HOMEMADE SLOPPY JOES

2 tablespoons butter

2 lbs. ground sirloin

1 tablespoon flour

½ cup of chopped green or red bell pepper

½ cup chopped onion

1 cup Ketchup

1 tablespoon A-1 Steak sauce

½ cup water

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional

3 tablespoons tomato paste

Rolls

Spray a skillet with cooking spray and add the butter.  Heat over medium high heat for 1 minute and add the ground sirloin, bell pepper and onion.  Stir often for 8 to 10 minutes until browned.  Add the flour and the remaining ingredients.  Simmer on low for about 30 minutes.  Serve on fresh-baked buns from your local grocery store’s deli.

Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup, Sausage-Cheese Stuffed Pablano Peppers, Sprite Biscuits and Fruit Cocktail Dump Cake..Enjoy :)

STUFFED BELL PEPPER SOUP

SAUSAGE & CHEESE STUFFED PABLANO PEPPPERS

SPRITE BISCUITS

FRUIT COCKTAIL DUMP CAKE

STUFFED BELL PEPPER SOUP

4 bell peppers cut into bite-size pieces (I like to use one in each color)

2 Tablespoons each of olive oil and butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1 ½ lb. lean ground beef

½ cup onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

In a large soup pot, heat the oil and butter and brown the peppers for about 8 minutes.  Add the beef and onion and sauté’ until the meat is browned.  Add the garlic and stir; next, add the following ingredients to the meat mixture:

1 tablespoon flour

1 can beef broth

½ to ¾ cup brown sugar

1 can tomato soup+ 2 soup cans full of water

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

4 tablespoons beef granules or 3 beef bullion cubes

Salt and pepper to taste

Dash of cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s seasoning

2 bags cooked Success Rice

Stir well, bring to a soft boil then cover and simmer on low for one hour or as long as you would like.  I serve this with Sprite Biscuits, cornbread or garlic bread and a nice salad.  It’s delicious!

SPRITE BISCUITS

3 cups Bisquick

½ cup sour cream

½ cup Sprite or 7UP (not diet)

3 tablespoons sugar

8 tablespoons butter, melted and divided

Mix first 4 ingredients together with a fork.  Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll out just a little with a rolling pin.  (You want your biscuits to be thick).   Cut dough into squares with a knife.  Place 3 tablespoons melted butter in an 11x8 glass-baking dish.  Place cut biscuits on top of the melted butter.  Sprinkle with sugar and brush a little butter over each biscuit.  Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and brush each biscuit with a little more melted butter.  These are great with honey butter J

SAUSAGE & CREAM CHEESE STUFFED PABLANO PEPPERS

1 lb. pork sausage (I use Jimmy Dean)

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

12 Pablano peppers, cut in half, washed and remove seeds

Paprika

Chives, chopped (optional)

Place room temperature cream cheese in a medium-size bowl and set aside.  Cook sausage in a skillet.  Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and place in bowl with cream cheese.  Stir vigorously until cream cheese is melted and mix well with sausage.  Using a teaspoon or baby spoon, stuff each pepper.  Place them in a 13x9x2 ovenproof dish.  Sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Broil for 2 to 3 minutes (watching carefully) then remove them from the oven.  Transfer them to a serving dish and sprinkle chives over the tops.  So delicious and so easy! Enjoy J

FRUIT COCKTAIL DUMP CAKE

3 (15-ounce) can fruit cocktail

1 box yellow cake mix

1 ½ cups melted butter

½ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350.   Drain 2 of the cans of fruit cocktail.  Spray a 13x9x2-baking dish with cooking spray and dump the 2 drained cans of fruit cocktail plus the non-drained can into the baking dish.  Spread it evenly in the dish.  Next sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the fruit cocktail, drizzle evenly with melted butter and top with the pecans.  Bake for 50-55 minutes.

Recipes from this morning's show..Tamale Pie, Guacamole, Mexican Spinach Dip & Churro Dump Cake :) Enjoy!

TAMALE PIE

HOMEMADE GUACAMOLE

MEXICAN SPINACH DIP

CHURRO DUMP CAKE

TAMALE PIE

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 egg

½ cup sour cream

½ cup creamed corn

½ cup onion, chopped

1 T olive oil

1 t. each of cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. ground beef

1/3 cup red enchilada sauce

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400.  Spray an iron skillet (or oven-proof skillet) with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, whisk together first 4 ingredients.  Pour into the skillet and bake for 20 minutes.  Take out of the oven and let it cool.  While the cornbread is cooking,  heat oil in a skillet and add the remaining ingredients except for the cheese.  Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes or until the ground beef is browned.  Drain the excess grease.  Poke the cornbread with the end of a wooden spoon and pour the enchilada sauce in the holes.  Add the beef mixture and top with the cheeses.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake 5 minutes more or until the top is browned.

HOMEMADE GUACAMOLE

2 ripe avocados, peeled and diced

½ cup onion, chopped

½ cup fresh tomato, chopped

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, diced ( I remove the seeds)

1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, optional

In a bowl, use a fork to mash avocados, then add remaining ingredients and stir well.  Serve with chips or veggies.

MEXICAN SPINACH DIP

1 (16-ounce jar) of your favorite salsa

1 (10-ounce package) frozen, chopped spinach thawed and drained very well.

2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup evaporated milk

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium dish, mix all ingredients together very well.  Pour into an ovenproof dish and bake at 400 for 25 to 35 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips.

CHURRO DUMP CAKE

2 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal, crushed

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 box vanilla cake mix

¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and line a 13x9x2 pan with parchment paper, allowing about and inch or 2 of overhang.   Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.  Prepare the cake mix according to the directions then stir in 1 cup cereal.  Pour into prepared pan.  Sprinkle the cinnamon, sugar mix over the top and swirl into the batter.  Sprinkle the remaining crushed cereal on top.  Bake for 30 minutes or until inserted knife comes out clean.  Remove the cake from the pan.  Mix the chocolate and whipping cream together and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or until melted.  Drizzle over the top.