Easy Enchilada Sauce

3 Tbs vegetable or olive oil
1 Tbs all purpose flour
¼ cup chili powder
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
10 oz tomato paste
1 tsp oregano (Mexican if available)
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp garlic powder

In a medium sauce pan heat the oil, add flour and stir with a wooden spoon to smooth. Cook 1 minute. Add chili powder, cook and stir 30 seconds. Add stock, tomato paste, oregano, cumin, salt, cinnamon and garlic powder. Stir to combine, bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.

The sauce will thicken and smooth out. Serve over enchiladas. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator in a tightly closed container for up to a week and it freezes well too.

Stacey's Easy Mac and Cheese

1 qt milk
1 stick of butter (melted)
1 lb penne pasta
8 oz parmesan cheese
8 eggs
Dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Par cook the pasta for 5 minutes and drain. Beat eggs and milk in bowl place ½ of the pasta in a 9” X 13” pan, sprinkle ½ of the parmesan cheese then drizzle ½ the butter and ½ the egg mixture and a dash of salt. Repeat process for a second layer.

Bake for 45 minute to 1 hour.

Yummy Eggplant Parm

To start you will want to sweat the eggplant. Use kosher salt when salting the eggplant. The coarse grains don't dissolve as readily as the fine grains of regular table salt, so any excess can be easily wiped away. To be time-efficient, use the 30 to 45 minutes during which the salted eggplant sits to prepare the breading, cheeses, and sauce.


INGREDIENTS:

2 medium eggplants cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

2 1/4 Tbs kosher salt

2 cups seasoned bread

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup flour

2 tsp salt and ground pepper

4 large eggs

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 jars tomato sauce

2 cups whole milk mozzerella shredded or 8 ounces sliced

Fresh basil leaves torn, for garnish

1. FOR THE EGGPLANT: Toss eggplant slices and kosher salt in large bowl until combined; transfer salted eggplant to large colander set over bowl. Let stand until eggplant releases about 2 tablespoons liquid, 30 to 45 minutes. Arrange eggplant slices on triple layer paper towels; cover with another triple layer paper towels. Firmly press each slice to remove as much liquid as possible, then wipe off excess salt.


2. While eggplant is draining, adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions, place rimmed baking sheet on each rack, and heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the bread crumbs with 1 cup Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; set aside.

3. Combine flour and 1 teaspoon pepper in large zipper-lock bag; shake to combine. Beat eggs in second pie plate. Place 8 to 10 eggplant slices in bag with flour; seal bag and shake to coat eggplant. Remove eggplant slices, shaking off excess flour, dip in eggs, let excess egg run off, then coat evenly with bread crumb mixture; set breaded slices on wire rack set over baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggplant.

4. Remove preheated baking sheets from oven; add 3 tablespoons oil to each sheet, tilting to coat evenly with oil. Place half of breaded eggplant on each sheet in single layer; bake until eggplant is well browned and crisp, about 30 minutes, switching and rotating baking sheets after 10 minutes, and flipping eggplant slices with wide spatula after 20 minutes. Do not turn off oven.

TO ASSEMBLE: Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Layer in half of eggplant slices, overlapping slices to fit; distribute 1 cup sauce over eggplant; sprinkle with half of mozzarella. Layer in remaining eggplant and dot with 1 cup sauce, leaving majority of eggplant exposed so it will remain crisp; sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella.

Bake until bubbling and cheese is browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; scatter basil over top, and serve, passing remaining tomato sauce separately.

Mom's Apple Crisp

8 tart apples
1 cup flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter

Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together thoroughly. Core, peel and slice the apples then toss with 1/2 of the brown sugar mixture. Put into 9 inch greased baking pan and set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder, granulated sugar and egg. Mix as if pastry dough and clings together. Spread over apples covering completely. Top with remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture and pour melted butter over the whole thing. Bake at 350 degrees a=for approximately 40 minutes unitl nicely browned and bubbly.

Is it time to go apple picking yet??

French Toast Strata

1 loaf french bread (cubed into 1 inch pieces)
8 large eggs
8 oz cream cheese
2 1/2 cups half & half
8 Tbs butter (melted)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon

Grease a 13 inch by 9 inch pan. Arrange 1/2 the cubed bread in bottom of the pan. Cut up cream cheese into 1/2 inch cubes and layer over the bread. Top with remaining bread.

In a large blender or mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour over bread and cover casserole with plastic wrap. Refridgerate 2-24 hours.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until top and edges are browned. Serve warm with maple syrup. great with breakfast sausage links!

These are the BEST mashed potatoes EVER! And they are so user-friendly because you can make them the night before. I never take these anywhere without people begging me for the recipe. You can also use this recipe to create a twice baked potato too.

8 medium potatoes

1 cup sour cream

8 oz sour cream & chive cream cheese (softened)

4 Tbs butter

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

2 cloves garlic - crushed

2 tsp onion powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

paprika

bacon bits or crumbles (optional)

Boil potatoes until tender. Beat cream cheeseand sour cream in mixing bowl. Add hot (and drained) potatoes - beat until smooth adding small amounts of milk if necessary.

Add butter, chives and onion powder - mix well then add salt and pepper to taste.

Place in casserole dish and sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree F oven. If you like you can sprinkle with bacon bits or additional chopped chive before serving. (Personally I prefer the chives)

This is great because you can make ahead and bake whenever or if you bake it ahead it reheats perfectly!!

To quote another upstate New York girl - YUMMO!

7 Layer Casserole

Good as a side dish or main entree - not sure where I got it but it is great in a pinch!

3 cups cooked egg noodles
1 1/2 cups broccoli - cooked/chopped
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken diced (grilled/baked/broiled)
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar
1/2 cup sauted mushrooms
1/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter - melted
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.

In a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole layer noodles, chicken, mushrooms and broccoli. In a seperate bowl combine soup, cheese and milk and spread over the casserole layers.

Suate crumbs in butter and set aside. Bake for 20 minutes, pull out and add crumbs to the top bake 15 minutes longer at same temperature until golden and bubbly.

Broccoli Casserole

This recipe is from Louise Clausen a childhood friend and wonderful person. She won the Girl Scout cook off with it (or was that the 4-H cookoff?) and our family has been enjoying it for years! It's great by itself and wonderful with beef chicken or pork.

broccoli - 20 oz frozen/chopped (you can use fresh too!)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1 large egg - beaten
1 cup mayonaise (Helmann's is best)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 melted butter

Preheat oven ot 400 degrees F. Cook and cool broccoli and place in bottom of a medium sized casserole dish - set aside.

In a bowl beat the egg well and add the mayo, soup, onion and cheese. Mix thouroughly.

Pour mixture over the broccoli and spread evenly. Combine the melted butter and bread crumbs and sprinkle over the entire dish.

Bake for 20 minutes and it is golden and bubbly.

This is a great make ahead side dish and you can double it if you are feeding a crowd. Thanks Louise!!!!!