Potato Salad

 Grandma Jan's Potato Salad

4-6 large red potatoes (or golden), boiled or baked until tender
4-6 large eggs, hard boiled
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 - 1/2 large onion
2-4 Tablespoons relish
1-2 - 1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 - 1 cup mayo
1-2 Tablespoons vinegar
Pepper, salt, paprika to taste

Peel still-warm potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces. Peel and chop eggs, reserving a few slices for top decoration, if desired.  Combine dressing ingredients in medium bowl.  Test taste and adjust relish, mustard, mayo, vinegar, and spices.  Pour dressing over potatoes eggs, celery, and onion and stir.  Finish with egg slices and paprika.
I don’t use russet potatoes, because they are too mushy after cooking to hold any shape.

French Toast Casserole

 French Toast Casserole

10 - 12 servings        350'        1 - 1.5 hours

1 loaf bread: white, italian, brioche, french, stale cinnamon roles

12 eggs

@6 C milk

1/4 C sugar - white or brown

1 TBSP cinnamon

optional - banana slices, blueberries, chopped apples

Slice and cube bread to fill a 9x13 casserole dish (non stick spray applied)

Combine eggs, milk, sugar, and cinnamon

Pour over bread cubes

Either put in oven now, or can let sit in fridge overnight

If bread has soaked up milk, add a bit until casserole is soupy

Bake 1 hour. Check- if getting browned but middle still raw, cover with foil. Bake another 20-30 minutes, usually.

Cheesy Potatoes

 Cheesy Taters

5 servings if Jake is present     350'     60+ minutes

1 bag frozen hashbrowns, thawed

1 8oz or 1 C sour cream

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

2 C shredded cheese- cheddar, cojack, whatever preference

1-1.5 TBSP Fox Point Seasoning*

1 tsp ground pepper

1 C Panko bread crumbs or crushed ritz crackers

1/2 stick of butter

Preheat oven to 350

Combing hashbrowns, sour cream, can of soup, 1 C shredded cheese, and fox point

Mix thoroughly

Spread in non stick sprayed 9x13 casserole dish

Sprinkle remaining C of cheese on top

Sprinkle bread crumbs

Pour melted butter across the top

Bake +/- hour until bubbly and edges browned. 

Heirloom Sugar Cookies

 Heirloom Sugar Cookies

4 doz    425'     8 - 10 mins

1 C butter, room temp

1 C sugar

1.5 tsp Vanilla

3 eggs

3.75 C flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Cream of Tartar

1/2 tsp Salt (opt?)

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy

Add eggs and vanilla; mixing thoroughly

Combine dry ingredients and mix just until combined- don't overmix

Chill completely

Preheat oven to 425

Roll in portions on silicone mat- use a 50/50 mix of flour and powdered sugar to prevent sticking

Once 1/4" thick, cut with cutters

Bake on parchment lined cookie sheets for 8-10 mins until dough looks dry, SLIGHT bit of golden brown edges ok, don't want to over bake.

Once cool, decorate with Decorator Icing

Company Cheesecake

 Grandma Jan's Company Cheesecake

10 - 12 servings in a normal household, 6-8 in ours    350' / 300'    10 mins / 1 hour

Base:

1.25 C crushed graham cracker crumbs

2 TBSP sugar

3 TBSP melted butter

Filling:

3 8oz bricks of cream cheese, room temp/softened

1 C sugar

2 tsp grated lemon peel

1/4 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

Topping:

1 C sour cream

1 can cherry pie filling

Stir together base and press into bottom of 9" springform pan and bake at 350' for 10 mins

Mix cream cheese in mixing bowl until stirred

Add sugar and beat until fluffy

Add lemon peel and vanilla

Add eggs one at a time to combine; beat until smooth

Pour over crumb crust

Bake at 300 for one hour or until center is firm

Allow to cool on counter, then can chill in fridge

Spread top with sour cream and top with cherries

Cream Puff Dessert

 Cream Puff Dessert

9 - 12 servings  400'    40 mins

Base:

1/2 butter

1 c water

1 c flour

4 eggs

Filling:

1 6oz package instant pudding mix

3 cups milk

1 pkg cream cheese

Topping:

Cool Whip

or 2 cups heavy whipping cream + 1/4C powdered sugar +1tsp vanilla

Add water and butter to saucepan; bring to a boil. 

Stir in flour with a whisk; will become a blob

Remove from heat; add eggs beating in one at a time

Spread into 9x13 casserole dish

Bake 40 mins - set aside to cool

Mix filling ingredients and chill while puff base is baking/cooling

Pour cooled filling over base

Spread cool whip (or whipped cream) over pudding

Before serving, drizzle with chocolate syrup

Orange Pecan Delights

 Orange Pecan Delights

5 dozen     375'     10-14 mins

Cookies:

3/4 C Butter

1 C brown sugar

2 eggs

1 TBSP grate Orange Peel

1/2 C Sour Cream

3 C flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 C chopped pecans

Icing:

2 C powdered sugar

2 Tsp grated orange peel

2-3 TBSP Orange Juice until preferred consistency

Sift together dry ingredients

Combing butter, gradually add sugars. Mix well. 

Add eggs and orange peel

Add in sour cream. 

Gradually add dry ingredients

Stir in nuts last

Drop by rounded spoon or small scoopful onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets

Bake 10-14 mins until lightly browned edges

Allow to cool slightly, ice while warm.

Shakshuka

 Shakshuka with Crusty Bread if possible!

1 red pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1 large can crushed tomatoes

6 eggs (can do 8)

4-6 oz fresh spinach

lemon juice

fresh parsley, basil or cilantro

diced green onions

parm or feta cheese

In a heavy skillet, cast iron preferred

1 - 2 TBSP Olive Oil

Sautee' red pepper and onion until soft

Squeeze half a lemon worth of juice and stir

Add crushed tomatoes; stir/cook until hot

Add spinach

1+ TBSP Turkish seasoning or use combo of these:

1 tsp each Garlic powder, Cumin, Pepper, Oregano, Paprika, 

opt 1/4 tsp of these Sumac and Cayenne

Turn heat down to med and allow to simmer 5 mins

Using spoon, "dig" a little well in the the sauce

Break egg into well. Leave whole or stir with a fork IN WELL to break up yolk

Do this 5-7 more times; allow to simmer another 10 mins

I usually cover with a piece of foil

Once eggs cooked, sprinkle with

chopped fresh herbs, gr onions, and the cheese

Serve alone or with crusty bread.

Family Dressing

 Family Dressing for Thanksgiving

1 loaf of sandwich bread, torn into chunks
1 carton turkey or chicken broth
1 onion diced
4-5 celery stalks diced
1+ sticks of butter
3 eggs

1 TBSP poultry seasoning
Heat oven to 350

Large pot:
Mix butter, onions and celery- cook until getting soft

Pour in 3/4 broth

Add poultry seasoning. Optional: garlic,chives, seasoning blends.

Heat til light boil, simmer 5 or so mins, turn heat low

Add bread and stir while adding one egg at a time.
Stir so eggs don't scramble

Add rest of broth if needed, I usually do. Should be heavy, soupy concoction

Spray 9x13 pan
Dump stuffing into pan, spread evenly
Cover with foil, set timer 30 mins

After timer
Cut 6-8 Pat's of butter for top
Set timer for 15-20 mins til done

Bake 45-60 mins total until edges brown and middle firm

Mac and Cheese Crab Optional

Mac n cheese

Macaroni, covered with water plus 1-2" in instapot 6 mins
In skillet, make roux:
Half stick butter, melt
Add 1/4 c flour, stir and cook a minute or 2
Add @1/4 milk. Stir til smooth and thickens
Add 1 c milk, stir til smooth
Add garlic and onion powders, pinch each of cayenne and nutmeg
Add more milk...cup-ish, stir, turn off heat

Drain water from macaroni

Pour roux over noodles
Add choice of cheeses
Maybe a half brick of cream cheese if ya got it

Optional: 1pkg chopped fake crab + 1 cheap canned crab with juice

Serve from instapot or
Put in greased casserole

Optional: bread crumbs

Clam Chowder

Clam Chowder

4-6 potatoes

3 stalks celery

1/2 onion

1/2 stick of butter

1 box seafood broth (or 1 box chicken and a bottle of clam juice)

2 cans chopped clams

1/4 c heavy whipping cream

1/2 c milk

garlic powder

old bay or other seafood seasoning

pepper

Instapot or crock pot

Dice 4-6 potatoes

Cover with water by @1"

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

Set for 8 minutes

Dump in colander to drain/set aside

Instapot or crockpot

1/2 stick butter

3 stalks celery, diced

1/2 onion, diced

Sautee until onions start to look translucent

Add 1/4 flour and stir until pasty

Allow to cook 1 - 3 minutes to cook flour taste out

Slowly add broth, stirring smooth. 

Slowly add cream and milk

Add 2 tsp Old Bay

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

Add potatoes from colander; rinse colander

Open and drain cans of clams; then add to chowder

Set to slow cook setting for 2 hours

Instapot Jambalaya

Instapot Jambalaya

1.5 c chicken broth

1tsp tomato paste
1 bag frozen riced cauliflower or *see note at bottom
1/2 white onion diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 red and 1 green pepper, diced
2 frozen chicken breasts
1 can diced tomatoes + green chilies
4 bay leaves
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp oregano/thyme if no old bay
1 tap garlic powder
2tsp liquid smoke
Pepper, as desired
Set for 8 mins, high pressure
Remove chicken and dice and
Put back in pot
Add 1 lb shrimp (frozen, raw deveined, tail off)
Add 1 pkg polska kielbasa, sliced
*note Add 1.5- 2 cups cooked rice if not using cauli rice
Set for 1 minute, high pressure
Can add Cajun or red pepper for heat, or use an andouille sausage

We always have tons of rice leftover from takeout. A little leftover meat, a couple eggs, and fried rice for lunch or dinner!

Day old+  takeout rice (long grain white)

2 tbsp Sesame oil
3-4 eggs
Soy sauce
1 tsp Ground or fresh ginger 
1/4 tsp White pepper
2 pats Butter
1 bag Frozen peas n carrots
Leftover pork,steak, chicken, or ham diced. Imitation crab or leftover shrimp works too.

Heat 2tbsp sesame oil
Add rice, stir until hot, browning a little
Add frozen vegs.
Drizzle soy sauce to taste
Add ginger and white pepper
Make a well in rice, add 3-4 eggs, stir to scramble
Once eggs cooked, stir everything up
Add butter pat
Serve with teriyaki, Sriracha, bulgogi sauce

Pork Enchiladas

Meat:

2 pork tenderloin (Aldi 2 pack)

1 cup water
1 TBSP cumin or Mexican/southwest seasoning
1 tsp Chipotle powder opt
2 tsp Garlic powder
Tsp liquid smoke recommended
Cook on high pressure 35 mins
Could use chicken or beef, adjust times accordingly
Could use crockpot, adjust times

Preheat oven to 350

Remove meat from instapot, shred
Remove but save juice/broth @4 cups, if less, you'll need more broth or water

Prepare Sauce

Turn instapot to saute (or use saucepan)

Melt 3 TBSP butter
Add and whisk 3 TBSP flour
Add @1 cup broth, keep whisking til thicker
Add 1 small can tomato sauce, keep whisking til thicker
Add remaining broth, whisk
1 - 2 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP Cumin
1 TBSP garlic powder
2 tsp oregano, Mexican if you have it
Could probably use chili powder plus Mexican/southwest blend

Smear some sauce in each tortilla, add shredded meat, roll. I had 10 in my 9x13. I could have squeezed in 12.
Pour remaining sauce over tortilla rolls
Bake 30 mins

Finely dice onion and cilantro, squeeze juice of 1/2 lime and set aside

Remove to sprinkle cheese over
Bake another 10 mins

Serve with lime/onion/cilantro, sour cream or Greek yogurt, salsa

Shepherd's Pie

Recipe

2lbs+/- gr beef browned (can do this in advance)

1 small or 1/2 large bag mixed vegetables

4-6 potatoes- boiled or steamed, peeled or not and mashed (can do this in advance)

1 pkg brown gravy mix

shredded cheddar cheese

Spices:

    2 TBSP Worchestershire sauce

    1 TBSP garlic powder, split

    1 tsp Pepper

    1 TBSP Penzey's Fox Point Seasoning (preferred blend)

Preheat oven to 350

Layer warm/hot ground beef into casserole dish

Sprinkle gravy mix over and stir in along with worchestershire, 1/2 TBSP garlic powder, and 

Fox Point or other seasoning blend.

Heat frozen veggies for 5 mins in microwave, add pepper and other half of garlic powder

Layer onto ground beef in casserole dish

Heat mashed potatoes if cold; layer onto veggies in casserole dish

Sprinkle with 1/2 C cheddar cheese

Bake, uncovered for 40 mins. Add extra time if not bubbling hot. I used an oval casserole, but a large rectangle 9x13 would be thinner and 40 mins might be enough

Lori's Decorator Icing and Cake Mix Hacks

Decorator Icing:

Standard, large batch of decorator's icing:

2 large bags of powd sugar

2 cup of Crisco. Use generic at your own risk. If it's WHITE, it's probably

ok. If it is translucent, it'll suck.

2 tsp vanilla and 2 tsp almond- preferably CLEAR vanilla

2 tsp clear butter extract (optional)

water... 1/4 to half cup... do NOT add at once.

Start with half bag of powdered sugar and shortening

Slowly alternate adding Sweetened condensed milk and powd sugar until

1.5 bags of powdered sugar, the shortening, and milk are combined

Mix this at a 2 or 3 on mixer until starts looking creamy

add 1/4 cup water and mix on low

add  remaining powdered sugar and or water until creamy- mix on 2,3 for 5-10 mins

using a spoon or spatula, test thickness. Do you want to squeeze that 

through a bag or build houses with it?  Add water, tbsp at a time,

until right consistency for your project. 

You could halve ingredients for smaller batch, using half a can or using

all water. You could start with half a cup of water, and increase as needed if not using sw condensed milk. This icing also saves, in the fridge, for valentines day cookies, st pat's...

Cake Mix Hacks:

Always:

Substitute melted butter for the oil

Substitute milk for the water

Add 1 extra egg

Add 2 tsp vanilla extract

Add 1/4 C sour cream 

Options:

Substitute 1/4 c alcohol with the milk

Substitute milk with coconut milk, pineapple juice, orange juice

Instapot Chili

 Instapot Chili

In instapot (can be done in advance)
3/4 cup red beans
1/4 c black
1/2 c pinto
Cover with water +1"
Add
2 bay leaves
Set on beans/chili

Once beans done, dump in colander, set aside

2+/-lb ground beef (can be done in advance)
1/2 diced onion
1 lg or 2 15oz can flame roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 diced onion
1 cup beef broth or water
3 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp mexican or regular oregano
1/2 tsp ground chipotle
1tsp liquid smoke (opt)

Set instapot for 10 mins

After timer, mash ground beef w potato masher
Add other half diced onion and cooked beans
Might need tsp salt

Instapot Preps and Time Savers

Part of menu planning and prepping is not doing the same steps over and over. If you buy a 5lb bag of gr beef, you know you get can get 2 - 4 meals with leftovers from it. It's no secret we love our leftovers... and the instapot.  Leftovers are for Lunches

Batch of ground beef:

5 lbs ground beef

1 C water

1 TBSP garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

1 TBSP onion powder (opt)

Instapot for 12 mins, let off steam

Pour off excess liquid

Click off and then Saute

Stir/break up using mashed potato masher until batch is cooked through

Divvy up into bags or containers in fridge or freezer for tacos, shepherd's pie, sloppy joes, pasta sauce, chili, stuffed pepper soup....

Mashed potatoes

4-6 potatoes

1 cup water

use steamer rack

Set for 22 mins

Steam release

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

Either drain water or remove potatoes to a separate bowl

Using potato masher or submersible blender and

Add a couple of pats of butter and milk and mashe until consistency desired

Can serve as mashed potatoes as a side, or topping for shepherd's pie

Dried Beans - instapot

1lb bag dried beans

Water to cover beans by @1" 

1 tsp liquid smoke

2 tsp garlic powder (opt)

2 tsp onion powder (opt)

Set instapot to Beans setting

Allow natural pressure to drop

Divvy beans into containers or bags for fridge or freezer. Beans seems to last about a week in the fridge, and freezer burn after a month. Cook and Divvy accordingly

Vegetable Beef Soup

 Vegetable Beef Soup

1lb round steak diced small
Start searing in instapot
Then add
1 onion diced
2 potatoes diced small
Sautee a few minutes
Add
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 box beef broth

1 envelope french onion soup mix or beef bouillon cube/tsp
2 bay leaves
Instapot 10 mins
Then add
1 box broth
1/2 bag each: cut green beans, corn, peas n carrots (or 1 bag mixed veggies)
2 tbsp foxpoint penzeys
(Garlic, shallots, chives, salt, onion, pepper)
1 tsp ground pepper
Crock pot setting 4 hours