Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients
1 ½ C finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 (14 ½) can chicken soup
1 (15 oz.) can of canned pumpkin
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 C heavy whipping

Directions
1. In large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Remove from heat; stir in flour until smooth.
2. Gradually stir in broth, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, pepper and nutmeg; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cream; cook for 2 minutes or until heated through. 6 servings

Pecan Dreams

Ingredients
1 ½ C confectioners’ sugar
1 C flour
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temp
½ C butter, room temp
1 C chopped pecans

Topping
1 C heavy cream
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 C almond toffee bits

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 9-inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together sugar and flour. Using pastry cutter or fork, cut the cream cheese and butter into the flour mixture until crumbly. Press the mixture into the prepared pan evenly pour the nuts over, if using, over the dough and bake for 20 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool completely.
4. To make topping, whip the cream and sugar together until stiff. Fold in the toffee bits and spread over the cake.
Cut into squares and refrigerate,

Seven-Layer Salad

Ingredients
1 small head of lettuce, chopped
1 (8 oz.) can sliced water chestnuts
1 red onion, chopped
1 (10 oz.) package frozen peas, thawed
6 eggs, hard-boiled, sliced
6 slices bacon, fried crisp, crumbled
½ C Mayonnaise
1 (8 oz.) package shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions
1. Layer lettuce, water chestnuts, red onion, peas, eggs and bacon in bowl in order listed.
2. Spread mayonnaise over top of mixture, covered all of it. Top with mozzarella cheese. Refrigerate for 24 hours uncovered. Serves 6

Monkey Bread

Ingredients
2 cans flaky biscuits
½ C sugar
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 stick butter
½ C brown sugar
Nuts, optional

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut biscuits into fourths.
3. Mix white sugar and cinnamon and dust the cut biscuits. Drop biscuits evenly into ungreased tube or Bundt pan.
4. Melt butter and brown sugar together and pour over biscuits.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Turn onto plate while hot and pull apart.

Make Ahead Egg Casserole

Ingredients
4 C frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
1 C small cubed ham or 1 C diced cooked bacon
1 (4oz) can diced green chilies
½ C shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ C shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Salsa and sour cream for garnish

Directions
1. In a greased 8×8 baking dish, layer the hash browns, hams, green chilies and cheese. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and salt and pepper. Pour over the casserole. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
3. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Let stand for a moment before serving. Garnish with sour cream and salsa, optional.

Two or Four-Layer Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients
1 package yellow cake mix
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin, divided
½ C milk
1/3 C oil
4 eggs
1-1/2 tsp pumpkin spice, divided
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 C powdered sugar
1 (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed
¼ C caramel ice cream topping
¼ C chopped pecans, toasted

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 – 9-inch round cake pans.
2. Beat cake mix, 1 C pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp pumpkin spice in a large bowl and mix well.
3. Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes.
4. Remove pans from oven and cool 10 minutes. Remove cake from pans and finish cooling on wire racks.
5. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and pumpkin spice; mix well. Gently stir in Cool Whip.
6. For 4 layers, cut each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife; stack on serving plate, spread cream cheese between layer. (Do not frost top layer.)
7. For 2 layers, spread icing on one cake layer; top with other cake layer and ice the top layer also. I prefer this method as I can’t cut the cakes evenly!
8. Drizzle with caramel topping just before serving; top with nuts.
9. Refrigerate leftovers.

Lemon or Limeade Base

Ingredients
2 ½ C water
1 ¼ C sugar
½ tsp finely shredded lemon or lime peel
1 ¼ c lemon or lime juice
Ice cubes

Directions
1. For lemonade or limeade base, in a medium saucepan heat and stir water and sugar over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove form heat; cool 20 minutes, Add citrus peel and juice to sugar mixture.
2. Pour into a jar cover and chill up to 3 days.
3. For each glass of lemon or limeade, combine equal parts base and water and pour over ice.

Jello Pimento Salad

Susan Delisle

Ingredients
1 (3 oz.) package of lemon Jello
1 small jar of pimentos, undrained
1 small (6-8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 (16 oz.) container cottage cheese
1 ½ C frozen cool whip, thawed

Directions
1. Mix the pineapple and pimento in a saucepan large enough to eventually hold all the ingredients (but small enough to fit in the sink for cooling).
2. Heat pineapple and pimento to boiling. Remove from stove and stir in Jello until dissolved. Put the pan in cold water in the sink to cool (not too long or the mixture will begin to set)
3. Remove from sink and add cottage cheese and cool whip; mix well. Transfer to a bowl; cover and put in refrigerator so set.

Jambalaya

Ingredients
2 C diced smoked sausage
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
½ green pepper, seeded and diced
½ red pepper, seeded and diced
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried parsley
½ tsp. thyme
2 whole cloves
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 C raw long-grain converted rice
1-pound fresh or frozen shrimp, shelled and cleaned

Directions
1. Thoroughly mix all ingredients, except shrimp, in a crock pot,
cook on low for 8 – 10 hours.
2. One hour before serving, turn to high, stir in uncooked shrimp.
3. Cook until shrimp are pink and tender. It won’t take long, it’s very easy to overcook shrimp. Maybe 3-4 minutes.

“It’s Italian” Sausage Soup


Ingredients
1-pound Italian sausage (casings removed, if necessary)
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 medium-sized carrots, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 can (14 ½ oz.) diced tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp rosemary
½ tsp basil
¼ tsp thyme
¼ tsp fennel seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
3 cans (14 oz. each) low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup orzo pasta
Finely shredded parmesan cheese, optional

Directions
1. In large skillet, combine Italian sausage, onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until sausage is cooked through, stirring occasionally to break into bite-size pieces.
2. In a 4 ½ to 6-quart slow cooker, combine carrots and celery. Place sausage mixture on top of vegetables.
3. In medium-size bowl, combine tomatoes with their juices, and herbs. Pour over sausage mixture. Pour chicken broth over everything.
4. Cover slow cooker; cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
5. Raise temperature to high-heat setting. Stir in pasta. Cover slow cooker: cook for 20 minutes longer.
6. Remove and discard bay leaf, If desired, serve with parmesan cheese. Makes 8 servings.