TACO SOUP

Taco Soup

• 1 (16oz.) can Ranch-Style Beans undrained
• 1 (16oz.) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (16oz.) can hominy, drained
• 3 (16oz.) cans of stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 package of dry taco seasoning mix
• 1 package of dry ranch dressing mix
• 2 lbs. of cooked and drained ground chuck or ground round
• 1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
• 1 small can of Rotelle
• 1-1/2 cups of water
• grated cheese (optional)
• green onions (optional)

Brown the meat and onion together. Add to a large pot with all the canned items. Add the water and dry package ingredients. Stir until well mixed over a medium heat. Cook on low about 30 minutes. Serve in soup bowls topped with chopped onion and grated cheese. Serve it with corn chips or do like we do and serve it with a pan of yellow cornbread. You'll soon replace your "special chili / and or veggie soup nights" with this yum-o soup!!!

Note: I got this recipe from my dear Aunt Erma in Oklahoma...she fixes it almost weekly and shares it with my cousin Jimmy's crew on the oil pipeline down there...she said they LOVE it when she cooks....well - Duh!

SAVORY "SUPERBOWL" SANDWICH RING

SAVORY "SUPERBOWL" SANDWICH RING

2 Packages (ll oz each) refrigerated French Bread Dough
3 Garlic Cloves, pressed
1/2 teaspoon each: Dried Oregano Leaves and Dried Basil Leaves
8 oz thinly sliced Deli Meat such as: hard salami, bologna, ham, turkey or roast beef
4 oz thinly sliced Cheese such as: Muenster, Swiss, or American
2 Cups Lettuce, chopped
6 tablespoons Italian dressing, divided
1 medium each: Onion, Green Bell Pepper, and Tomato
1/2 cup pitted Ripe Olives, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place dough, seams side down, on 15" Round Baking Stone. Join ends together to form 1 large ring - or, if this is for a football party, try shaping it into a football! Using a serrated bread knife, cut six to eight diagonal slashes (1/2 inch deep) on top of dough. Lightly spray oil with a kitchen spritzer or if you do not have one just use your hand. Use a garlic press on the garlic cloves and then press the garlic over dough spreading evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle with oregano and basil. Bake 26 - 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately remove from the stone to a cooling rack; cool completely. Chop lettuce into thin strands. Using a slicer, thinly slice onion, bell pepper, and tomato. Slice olives using an egg slicer. To assemble sandwich, cut bread in half horizontally using a serrated bread knife. Arrange meat and cheese evenly over bottom half of bread. top with lettuce. Drizzle 2 tablespoons dressing evenly over lettuce. Top with onion, bell pepper, and tomato slices; sprinkle with olives. Using a pastry brush, brush the cut side of bread top with remaining dressing; place over bottom half. Cut into wedges and serve.

Source The Pampered Chef, Ltd

Cooks notes: This sandwich is a HUGE hit among all ages...the presentation is only the beginning of the "WOW" factor and if you serve this sandwich at your Superbowl party I guarantee they will cheer louder for you than the game! I always use more meat and cheese on ours though...the guys in our family are true carnivores! Oh, and also more Italian dressing, unless you plan on serving some other kinds of dressing for your guest to put on individually. As always, enjoy! kath~

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES

• 12 Ounces Bittersweet or Semisweet Chocolate, Chopped
• 3/4 Cup (3/8 lb.) Butter, cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 3 Large Eggs
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 8 to 10 ounces coarsely chopped White Chocolate
• 1/2 Cup coarsely chopped Macadamia Nuts

1. In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (but make sure it doesn't touch the bottom of pan), stir bittersweet chocolate and butter until smooth, 5 minutes. Remove bowl from over water; whisk in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

2. In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to chocolate mixture and stir until well blended. Stir in white chocolate chunks and nuts. Cover and chill dough until firm, at least 1 hour.

3. Shape dough into 2-inch balls and place about 3 inches apart on a buttered 12- by 15-inch baking sheets.

4. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven until the edges cooked but still soft in the center, 12 to 15 minutes. If baking more than one pan at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.

5. Let cool for 5 minutes on sheets; transfer to racks to cool completely.
Makes about 30 cookies

SOUTHERN CORNBREAD RECIPES

SOUTHERN CORNBREAD RECIPES

• 10-12 Slices Oven-dried White Bread
• 8 tablespoons Butter
• 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 7 Cups Chicken Stock
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Sage (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Poultry Seasoning (optional)
• 5 Eggs, beaten
• 1/2 Cup chopped Pecans
• 2 Boxes Jiffy Cornbread/Muffin Mix - following directions on the box

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, crumble and combine cornbread and dried bread slices; set aside. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture over cornbread mixture. Add the stock, mix well, taste, and add salt, pepper to taste, sage, and poultry seasoning. Add beaten eggs and mix well. Pour mixture into a well greased pan and bake until dressing is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Serve with turkey as a side dish.

Cooks notes: Although we live in the midwest now, we still eat our Southern Cornbread Stuffing faithfully - bread dressing? pppthff! As my Uncle Jay B. would say in his slow drawal "Ya don't turn your back on your raisin's". He happened to say it at the dinner table one night when we were visiting them in Oklahoma, my husband, Damn Yankee that he is, didn't understand and started looking all around the table for a bowl of "raisins" to pass to him. The look on his face when he found out? Oh yeah, it was too, too funny my friend! Oh, by the way, my mom used to put the onion, celery, and sage in the cornbread mix then bake it - not me though, I like it above way better.

HEAVENLY CORN CASSEROLE

HEAVENLY CORN CASSEROLE

• 1 15 oz. Can Whole Corn (drained)
• 1 15 oz Can Cream Style Corn
• 8 oz. Sour Cream
• 1 Package Jiffy Cornbread Mix
• 2 Tbsp Sugar

Mix all together by hand until well blended. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Bake for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cooks notes: Be careful not to fill up on this...it tends to be pretty addictive! *big grin*

MOLDED CRANBERRY FRUIT SALAD

MOLDED CRANBERRY FRUIT SALAD

• 1 8-ounce can Crushed Pineapple, drained, reserving juice
• 1/2 cup Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Cocktail
• 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
• 1 3-ounce package Cherry-flavored Jello
• 1 16-ounce can Ocean Spray® Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
• 1/2 cup chopped Walnuts or Pecans

Combine reserved pineapple juice, cranberry juice cocktail and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add gelatin, stirring until it is completely dissolved. Break up cranberry sauce with a fork. Stir into gelatin mixture. Refrigerate until mixture begins to set. Stir in pineapple and nuts. Pour into a 4-cup mold. Chill until firm. Makes 8 servings.

Cooks notes: This recipe can easily be doubled for a larger crowd. Unfortunately, this isn't my original recipe I normally use...after looking for it for over two hours I've decided "it" has somehow fallen off the face of my kitchen - go figure.

AMAZIN' RAISIN CAKE

AMAZIN' RAISIN CAKE

• 3 Cups unsifted Flour
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 1 Cup Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
• 1/3 Cup Milk
• 2 Eggs
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3 Cups chopped peeled Apples
• 1 Cup Sun-Maid Seedless Raisins
• 1/2 Cup coarsely chopped Walnuts

Grease and flour 2 9" baking pans. In large bowl with mixer at low speed beat first 10 ingredients 2 minutes, scraping bowl frequently, or beat vigorously 300 strokes by hand. (batter will be very thick) With spoon stir in apples, raisins, and nuts. Spoon batter into pans. Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove; cool. Fill and frost with 2 cups Cool Whip.

Cooks notes: This is by FAR my all time favorite fall time cake. Fantastic cake recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I guaranteed if you bake it once...you'll fall in love 4 ever!