Holidays
I recently made these sausage stars for a small group of friends and realized they are not on the blog! I don’t know how in the world that happened as these are one of our families most favorite appetizers! They are always one of the first dishes to go whenever I make them. If we are holding a big party I will usually make the sausage mixture and the wontons the day before. Then on party day put the sausage mixture in the wontons and bake until warmed through. If you have not made these before, we highly recommend this family favorite!
INGREDIENTS
1 pound of Jimmy Dean “hot” sausage
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 package (not prepared) Hidden Valley Ranch dry salad dressing
1/2 cup diced pickled jalapeños
1 red pepper, diced
1 package wonton wrappers
DIRECTIONS
In a large non-stick fry pan crumble and cook the sausage until almost cooked through. Add the cheeses, the salad dressing, jalapeños and diced red pepper mixing until well combined and the sausage is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two muffin tins (I usually make two batches, or 4 dozen) with non-stick spray. Press one wonton wrapper into each cup. Keeping an opening in the center that will be filled with the sausage mixture. Bake the unfilled shells for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and place the shells on a baking sheet. Fill the shells with the sausage mixture and place back in the oven until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm.
Enjoy!
I made this dish specifically for my Dad as he saw a picture of the recipe I gave you on Tuesday and said he wanted that, but without the pasta. Well, when Dad wants a dish, I make it! This dish is cooked similar to Tuesday’s dish as the seafood is all cooked separately then put together at the end. When I was looking at recipes similar to this all of the recipes put raw seafood together and cook it all together. I really, really did not like that idea as all of the seafood are different sized and have a different cook time and if I cooked them separately, I could season each layer as I cook, because of that this dish does take extra effort and time. I can promise you it’s well worth it. No one at my Easter table was disappointed with this dish. In fact, there was almost none left and I served it as a side dish!
NOTE – this dish is easily made gluten-free by using crushed gluten-free crackers (I used gluten-free Cheese Itz type cracker for Robby) for the topping. I made Robby a smaller dish just for him!
This dish was made in a large round casserole dish for the rest of us.
This picture is just my dads first helping of the buttery seafood casserole. Note the cute bunny plate!
INGREDIENTS
1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails off
4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
12 large scallops
1 Tablespoon butter for scallops
4 lobster tails, steamed, shell removed and chopped into large pieces
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Zest of 1/2 lemon
3 Tablespoons white wine
Salt
Pepper
1 to 1 1/2 sleeves of Ritz crackers, crushed
1 1/2 sticks of butter, melted for topping
DIRECTIONS
For shrimp – place the shrimp on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix to combine. Place the shrimp in the oven with the oven set to broil keeping the oven door open slightly. Roast the shrimp just until the shrimp turn pink. Remove from oven and set aside with your already prepared lobster meat.
For the scallops- heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan along with 1 tablespoon of butter. Dry the scallops with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot add the scallops to the pan seasoned side down. Season the top side of scallops with salt and pepper. When the scallops have seared on one side, turn them over and sear the second side.
When the scallops have cooked, add the lobster and shrimp to the pan to warm through.
Meanwhile in a bowl, add the melted butter, garlic, wine, lemon juice and the zest of half a lemon, mixing well. Place all of the seafood into a greased baking dish. Add the desired amount of crushed crackers. We used the full sleeve and a half of the crackers. Drizzle the melted butter mixture over the crackers and place in a 400 degree oven to brown the top of the crackers. This just takes a few minutes, so watch closely! Remove from oven and serve warm.
Enjoy!
We all know what time of year it is and that means making some cookies to share with all your family and friends! Although I do bake it’s not my favorite thing to do but these sugar cookies from Taste Of Home made it simple. After reading some of the reviews of this recipe I made a few small changes. The original recipe calls for vanilla extract. I wanted something just a little different so I used lemon extract and I also added lemon zest to the batter. This recipe can be made as a drop cookie or rolled into balls. Flatten with the bottom of a glass that has sugar on the bottom of it so it leaves a nice light coating of sugar on top of the cookies. Needless to say, this recipe is easily adaptable and it makes a lot. This made almost five dozen!
Because it made so many I was able to send some with my husband while he was flying with the Army National Guard. During his travels, he stopped at an Air Force base where our dear friend Adam (our niece Becky’s significant other, who we love) was working and could come out and enjoy a cookie or two! Needless to say, there were some happy military people today!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of confectioners sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or if making lemon, I used 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract)
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
NOTE– if making the lemon version you will need 3 small lemons. I zested two of the lemons into the batter and zested 1 lemon into 1/2 cup of granulated sugar I used for the top.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl beat the butter, oil, and sugars. Beat in the eggs until well blended. Add the vanilla or lemon extract. In another large bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine. If making the lemon version add the zest of two lemons and mix until combined.
If making drop cookies simply drop about a tablespoon of the dough on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until they are lightly browned. Mine took 8 minutes.
If you want to flatten them and add the sugar on the top, place about 1/2 cup of granulated sugar onto a plate, add the zest of one lemon into the sugar and mix. Roll the dough into balls about a tablespoon or so and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass coat the bottom of the glass lightly with the sugar mixture and lightly press the dough balls down to your desired thickness. This will leave a light coating of sugar on the top of the cookie. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
I have made this cake twice in just a two-week time span, both for two groups of people. The first time I made it we were camping with family and friends and I was in charge of dessert. I actually made two desserts that night but I’ll tell you about the second one another time. Everyone loved this dish, it went fast! The second time was for a friend that works with my husband. I had a very nice message from Greg that it was enjoyed by all and an empty dish came home. so you don’t only have my thoughts, but many others!
INGREDIENTS
1 package chocolate cake mix – I used devils food cake mix
1 jar (17 ounces)butterscotch – caramel ice cream topping, I used only caramel sauce
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 health bars, chopped – can also the toffee bits found in the baking aisle.
DIRECTIONS
Prepare and bake the cake according to the package directions using a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Cool on a wire rack.
Using the handle of a wooden spoon or just a fork, poke holes in the cake. Pour 3/4 cup of caramel (or a little more?) over the top of the cake letting it soak into the cake. Top with whipped topping and sprinkle with candy bits. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.
Enjoy!
This week I have a couple recipes for your Fourth of July barbecue or any of your summer gatherings! The first one is this berry/Lime crostini. So easy and easily can make a couple dozen depending on how thick you slice the bread. The bread can be toasted in your oven or lightly grilled. I used a combination of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, but these would be great with strawberries too, or any combination your family likes. These take no time to make and should be served immediately.
INGREDIENTS
1 French baguette, sliced on a diagonal 1/4 – 1/2 inch
Whipped cream cheese, about 1 Tablespoon per bread slice
Raspberries, blueberries, blackberries – or your choice of berries
Honey to drizzle
Zest of 2 limes
DIRECTIONS
Place your bread slices on a baking sheet and place in the oven on broil, keeping the oven cracked open slightly, DO NOT WALK AWAY…these toast up very quickly! Or place the bread slices on your grill and lightly toast one side. Remove from oven or grill. Top each slice with about 1 Tablespoon of the whipped cream cheese covering the bread slice, top with berries, drizzle lightly with honey and zest lime over the top. Do this for each slice and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
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