Penne Rustica

My mom found the TopSecretRecipes version of Macaroni Grill's Penne Rustica. Instead of making it in individual servings, she layered the pasta, meat and sauce in a large casserole dish.

It makes a hearty and very yummy dish. Click the link above to find the recipe.

Skillet Cabbage and Ham

2 T. olive oil
1/2 lg head cabbage thinly sliced
2 lg carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 c. white wine
10 oz. ham steak, cut into bite size pieces
1 lg apple, cored and diced
1 T. cider vinegar
1 1/2 t. caraway seeds
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper

Heat oil in a lg nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add cabbage and carrot and cook, covered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in wine and simmer for 1 minute. Add ham, apple, vinegar, caraway, salt and pepper. Simmer on med heat for 5 minutes, uncovered, stirring, until cabbage and apples are tender and most of the liquid has cooked off.

Cover and let stand a few minutes before serving.

Lemon "Poke" Cake

1 lemon supreme cake mix (can also use a yellow butter recipe cake mix)
1 pkg instant lemon pudding
4 eggs
3/4 c. oil
3/4 c. water

Beat together until well mixed. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until done in a 9X13 greased pan.

When cake is done, poke holes in cake with fork and spread icing evenly while cake is hot. Put back in oven for 5 minutes.

Icing:

Mix:
1 small can frozen lemonade
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Green Chili Auction Special

12 corn tortillas
1 lb. hamburger meat
1 onion, chopped
1 can crm chicken soup
1 can Pet milk
4 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 can chopped green chilis

Brown hamburger meat with onions.
In a bowl, combine cream of chicken soup and Pet milk.
Fry tortillas just long enough to soften them. Line 9X13 baking dish.
Spread layer of hamburger, green chilis and grated cheese.
Cover with half of soup mixture.
Spread another layer of fried tortillas, the remaining hamburger, green chilis and soup mixture.
Cover with remaining cheese.
Bake 30-45 minutes at 375 or until cooked through.

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins

These yummy muffins are a wonderful breakfast food. They also make the perfect snack for a crisp fall afternoon.

1 c. canned or cooked pumpkin

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. milk

2 eggs

1/4 c. butter melted

2 c. all purpose flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 t. ground ginger

1 c. chopped walnuts

1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries

Beat pumpkin, sugar, milk, eggs and butter.

Combine dry ingredients; stir into pumpkin mixture.

Fold in walnuts and cranberries.

Pour into greased muffin tins.

Cook at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until done.

Allow to cool. (makes 24 muffins)

Cinnamon Rolls To Die For!

I have been making Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls for more than a year now. I really think this is the best cinnamon roll recipe ever. They are fairly easy to make and have become my favorite thing to bake for other people.

Not too long ago, Pioneer Woman featured on her blog a variation of her rolls: Orange Marmalade Rolls! That was all it took to get the wheels in my brain to turning. I started thinking of other variations that might be tasty.

This past summer when the Georgia peaches were in season, I decided to try a peach variation. And most recently, I used the fall apples in an apple roll!

To make these rolls, use Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Roll recipe to make a batch of dough. After rolling out the dough, instead of using cinnamon and sugar, substitute with one of the fillings below. (When the recipe called for 1/2 c. of melted butter to be poured on the dough before the filling, I reduced that about to 2 T.)

PEACH ROLLS

In a large saucepan, combine

about 5 chopped fresh peaches
1/3 c. sugar
dash cinnamon
1 t. butter
1 c. peach nectar (can be found in cans on juice aisle)

Cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken.

Allow to cool completely before using on roll dough.

After the rolls are cooked and are still hot, generously pour the peach glaze over them.

PEACH GLAZE

2 lb. powdered sugar
2 t. vanilla
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4 c. peach nectar
1/8 t. salt

Stir all ingredients together until smooth.


APPLE ROLLS

In large saucepan, combine

2 large cooking apples, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
and 1/4 cup butter or margarine

Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly until thick.

Stir in 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg.
Allow to cool completely before using on roll dough.

After the rolls are cooked and are still hot, generously pour the apple glaze over them.

APPLE GLAZE

2 lb. powdered sugar
2 t. vanilla
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. melted butter
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. salt

Stir all ingredients together until smooth.

Thanks, Pioneer Woman for the inspiration!

Praline-Apple Bread

My friend, Judy, recently made this bread and posted a picture of it on Facebook. It looks sooo delicious and I can't wait to bake it myself. Posting it here is the easiest way to keep up with it, so here it is:

Judy modified the recipe a little, so be sure to check out her modifications at the bottom of the post.

• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided
• 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples (about 3/4 lb.)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 1/2 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 4 minutes.

Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until blended.

Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to sour cream mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in apples and 1/2 cup toasted pecans. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chopped pecans; lightly press pecans into batter.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, shielding with aluminum foil after 50 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.

Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a 1-qt. heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, and spoon over top of bread; let cool completely (about 1 hour).

Note: To freeze, cool bread completely; wrap in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Recipe from Debbie Grusska, Hobart, Indian

This recipe can be found here

Judy modified the recipe by using light sour cream. She also substitued 1 1/3 AP flour + 2/3 cup whole wheat flour for the 2 c. AP flour.