Roasted Vegetables

This really isn't a recipe.  But, it's something I like to have for dinner.  I use whatever veggies I have on hand and roast them in the oven with polish sausage.  So, feel free to experiment with your fall favorites.

Roasted Vegetables

1 pound polish sausage, sliced/quartered
1 pound small potatoes, quartered
1 medium onion, sliced
Brussels sprouts - about 12 - frozen is fine
1 zucchini, sliced
olive oil
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Mix all ingredients together - making sure to coat the vegetables well.  Use the salt, pepper, and garlic powder based on your personal taste.  Place on large baking pan or cookie sheet.  Bake at 450 for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are crisp.  Enjoy!

Halloween ' Boo' Bags

These little Halloween ‘Boo’ Bags are not only cute, but they are completely edible right down to the handle. The chocolate covered bars stand up to look like bags filled with Halloween treats.
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Halloween ‘Boo’ Bags

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Ingredients for the bars
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10 oz bag of large marshmallows
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
3 cups Trix cereal
1 cup Cheerios
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
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Butter an 8x8 pan and set aside. Combine Trix, Cheerios, pecans and cranberries in bowl and set aside. In a heavy sauce pan, over low heat, melt butter. Add marshmallows and stir until melted and blended with butter. Add cinnamon and vanilla. Stir well. Add cereal mixture. Pour into 8x8 pan. Smooth down top with the back of a buttered spoon on spatula. Allow to cool at room temperature.

When mixture is cooled, cut into 9 equal size bars. The bars will still be a little soft, so you can mold them, if needed, so they will stand up right. Place bars in the freezer for ten minutes.
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Ingredients for decorating the bars
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16 oz almond bark
Writing icing
Candy corn for decorating
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While bars are chilling, melt almond bark according to package directions. Remove bars from freezer. Dip each bar in the chocolate, leaving about half an inch uncovered, and stand upright on wax paper. Once chocolate is hardened, apply the handles. Coat the inside first inch of each licorice stick with the melted chocolate. Apply each end to the side of a bag and hold in place until the chocolate hardens, about 20 to 30 seconds. You can reinforce the handle by adding a little melted chocolate around the seams. 
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To make signs for your bags, put wax paper on a cutting board. Spread a thin layer of melted chocolate on wax paper. Make the area large enough to write all of the words you want on your bag. With writing icing, spell out the words you want, like RIP or Boo. You can even use names if you want. Leave enough room between each word to cut out signs. With a sharp knife, cut around your words. Lift the wax paper and remove each sign. Put a little melted chocolate on the back of the sign and place it on the front of the treat bag. The chocolate will harden and hold the sign in place. 
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Store in air tight container overnight. If you are not serving the bags the next day, refrigerate them until ready to serve.

Halloween Spider Candy

Halloween Spider Candy

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These spiders may look scary, but they taste delicious. Coconut tinted with black food coloring give the spiders their ‘hairy’ appearance. They make the perfect addition to your Halloween treat table! 

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Halloween Spider Candy
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1 cup Golden Graham cereal, crushed
8 oz package of chocolate almond bark
2 Tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
½ cup raisins
½ cup rolled oats.
1 cup coconut
Black food coloring
Miniature pretzels, about a half-cup
Writing icing, red
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In a glass bowl, mix coconut with a few drops of black food coloring. Stir until complete coated, adding more if needed. Set aside. Melt almond bark according to package directions. Mix in peanut butter and stir until smooth. Add cereal, raisins, and oats. Drop by tablespoonful onto wax paper, making the candy in an oblong shape. Before candy hardens, top each one with the tinted coconut.. Break pretzels into small pieces reserving the ones that are slightly curved to make your spider legs. Coat each pretzel ‘leg’ with melted chocolate and attach to the spiders side. Someone may be counting, so be sure to use four legs on each side. Reinforce the legs by drizzling a little melted chocolate on each side after they are attached. Sprinkle a little more coconut on top. Take the red writing icing and add two red dots on the front of each spider for eyes.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked chicken breast, cubed

1 pkg frozen Birds Eye Steamfresh broccoli florets (10.8 oz)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup evaporated milk
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1 can water-chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups cooked rice

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook broccoli according to package directions.
Combine onion, celery, water-chestnuts and butter in microwave safe dish.  Microwave on high approximately three minutes or until tender.  You can also saute on the stove top instead.
Remove from microwave and add mayo, milk, mushroom soup, cheese and pepper.  Mix well and microwave 2 minutes.  Stir well and add in chicken, broccoli and rice.  Mix and pour unto buttered casserole dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  If desired, top with crushed Ritz crackers and bake an additional 5 minutes.

O'Brien Sausage Casserole

O'Brien Sausage Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

1 package (28 oz) Great Value
Southern Style O'Brien Frozen
Hash Browns with Onions & Peppers

1 pound Tennessee Pride Sage Sausage

1/2 cup chopped ham

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup French's Onions

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown sausage, drain and set aside.

Combine soup, sour cream, and milk. Mix well.

Add sausage, French's Onions, cheese and pepper.

Stir in package of frozen hash browns.

Pour into 9 x 13 pan.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.

Top with cheese or additional French's Onions and brown another 5-10 minutes.

You can put this into smaller pans or muffin tins for individual servings.

Cornbread Chicken Casserole

Cornbread Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cups Martha White Buttermilk Cornmeal
1 cup evaporated milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup frozen broccoli florets
1 cup frozen cauliflower
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
salt to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat inside of round casserole dish with butter.  Mix cornmeal, pepper, sage, poultry seasoning, salt, milk and egg in casserole dish.  Stir in cheese and soup.  Add onion, broccoli and cauliflower and mix well.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Mom's Mac and Cheese Pasta Salad

Mom made this awesome salad a lot.  Somehow I lost the original recipe so I'm going on memory alone here.  

Mom's Mac and Cheese Pasta Salad

1 box elbow pasta
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 red pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 cups mild cheddar cheese (or American) in small cubes
1 cup Miracle Whip
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste

Prepare pasta according to package directions being careful not to overcook it.  Drain and rinse with cold water at least 3 times.  Pour a cup of vinegar over the pasta, toss to coat and set aside.  Let rest at least 15 minutes and then drain any remaining vinegar.

Mix the pasta, veggies and cheese together.  Prepare the dressing in a small bowl.  Combine the Miracle Whip, tablespoon of vinegar, sugar, pepper and salt.  Mix well.  Add about half to the pasta and toss.  Add more dressing as needed.  Chill two hours before serving.