Beef Patty Melts..my mom made these when I was growing up, and I love it! Serve with a baked sweet potato and steamed brocolli and you have a perfect meal. It's also beautiful on the plate! :)

BEEF PATTY MELTS:

1 lb. ground sirloin        

1 lb. ground chuck

½ cup oatmeal or breadcrumbs

1 egg

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

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

½ cup whole milk

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

Chopped tomatoes

Chopped green onions

Sharp cheddar, grated

In a small pot, mix soup, milk and Cajun seasoning.   Let simmer on low while you make the patties and cook them.   Mix first 7 ingredients together and form into 6 or 7 patties.  Grill 5 minutes on each side on high heat.  Transfer patties to a platter and cover with foil for 10 minutes.  To assemble:  place a patty on a plate, spoon a generous amount of soup over patty, then sprinkle tomato, green onions and cheese over soup.  Delicious J

 

 

 

Super simple stuffed mushrooms...a last minute appetizer if you need it :) Merry Christmas!!

SIMPLE STUFFED MUSHROOMS

1 lb. pork sausage ( I use Jimmy Dean)

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

3 (8-ounce) cartons whole mushrooms, stems removed and scraped out

Paprika

Chives, chopped

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 mushroom.  Place them in a 13x9x2 oven-proof dish.  Sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350 for 20 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

 

Rolo-Chocolate Cookies....delicious!

ROLO-CHOCOLATE COOKIES

2 ¼ cups flour

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa

1 t. baking soda

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter, softened

2 t. vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup chopped pecans

1 (9-ounce) package Rolo candies

1 T. sugar

4 ounces vanilla-flavored almond bark

In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soda.  In another large bowl, beat sugars and butter until light and fluffy and then add vanilla and eggs, mixing well.  Gradually add flour mixture and ½ cup of the pecans.  For each cookie, with well-floured hands, shape 1 tablespoon of dough around each Rolo candy, covering completely.  In a small bowl, combine remaining ½ cup pecans and 1 tablespoon sugar.  Press one side of the cookie into the sugar mixture.  Place nut side up 2” apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 10 minutes.  Cool completely then place cookies on wax paper.  Melt the almond bark in a microwave and drizzle over cookies.

De-Tox Cabbage Soup...oh, so good!!

MY “DE-TOX” CABBAGE SOUP

This is my football season go-to “De-tox” recipe J  By this point, I’ve eaten so many fatty foods, and this soup is just what I need..Hearty, filling, low fat and full of good stuff for your body!

2 lbs. very lean ground turkey

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2  cans (14.5-ounces) chicken broth

1 can water

1 tablespoon chicken granules

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 small head cabbage, washed and chopped

1 (16-ounce) bag frozen carrots

2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1 small can tomato sauce

3 or 4 shakes of hot sauce (optional)

1 tablespoon each of salt, pepper and Greek seasoning (use more if you’d like)

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil for 2 minutes  and then add ground turkey and onion.  Cook for about 10 minutes then add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  As soon as the soup comes to a boil, reduce heat to very low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.  Enjoy J

 

 

Love in a dish :) My homemade chicken pie will comfort your heart and soul! Enjoy :)

Individual Homemade Chicken Pot Pies

Melissa Friday

 

4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

2 cans cream chicken soup

1 can cream celery soup

½ cup heavy whipping cream

1 ½ soup can full milk ((I use whole)

1 bag frozen peas & carrots

1 large baking potato, peeled, cubed and then boiled just until softened

Garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste (about 1T each)

1 t. Thyme

2 boxes of refrigerated pie crusts

10-12 individual casserole dishes

 

For Crust:

1 egg, beaten

1 t. water

 

Mix all the above ingredients except the egg, water and pie crust and simmer on low for about 20 minutes.  You may simmer up to an hour.  Turn one of the casserole dishes upside down and use a paring knife to cut the shape of each crust.  Pour mixture into each individually greased dish and place crust on top of each.  Poke a few holes in each crust with a fork then mix egg and water and brush on top of each crust.  Place casserole dishes on 2 large cookie sheets and bake them at 375 for about 25 minutes or until crust is light brown.  I like to broil mine for just a minute or two so the crust is nice and crisp.  Watch it closely if you broil the top!  Let them sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

 

 

If you love turnip greens, you will love my recipe for Turnip Green Soup :)

TURNIP GREEN SOUP WITH WHITE BEANS & HAM

Melissa Friday

 

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 (12-ounce) package cooked, diced ham (I use Hormel)

1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth

1 cup water

2 cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed well

1 (27-ounce) can turnip greens ( I use the Glory brand)

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

    (Use more seasonings if you like)

Heat oil and butter in a soup pot and add onions.  Cook onions for about 7 minutes, stirring often, then add the ham and cook for 2 more minutes.  Add remaining ingredients, cover  and simmer on low for 1 hour.  It’s great with hot sauce and cornbread on the side. J

 

This cheesy, chicken orzo bake is fantastic, and kids will LOVE it, too! Enjoy :)

CREAMY CHICKEN & CHEESE ORZO BAKE

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 small chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces

½ cup onion, chopped

1 ½ cups orzo (you can find this in a box on the pasta aisle)

1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, and garlic powder (add more if you like)

1 cup water

1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large pot, heat butter and olive oil.  Sauté’ chicken and onion on high heat for 8-10 minutes, or just until chicken is no longer pink.  Stir in dry orzo and all the remaining ingredients and stir well.  Spray a 2-quart oven-proof baking dish with cooking spray.  (I like to use a deep, round baking dish).  Pour orzo mixture into casserole, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour.  Turn oven off, but leave dish in the oven for one more hour.  Remove from oven, uncover and stir well.  Enjoy J Kids will rave over this!