Sausage Zucchini Skillet

1 lb. hot or sweet bulk Italian sausage
2-3 medium sized sliced zucchini, depending on how many people you are feeding
1/2 onion, sliced
salt & pepper to taste
1 c. shredded cheese

Cook sausage in large frying pan. Drain. Add zucchini slices, onion, salt & pepper. Cover & cook until tender. Drain if needed. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese & cover until melted. Yum. Even the kids like this one.

Crustless Bacon & Cheese Quiche

5 green onions, chopped
1 tomato, seeded & chopped
3/4 lb. bacon
1 C. sliced fresh mushrooms
12 eggs
1/3 C. sour cream
1 C. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 C. mozzarella, shredded

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 T drippings in skillet. chop bacon. Add mushrooms & cook until tender. Remove from heat. Add onions, tomatoes & chopped bacon. Mix well. In large bowl, beat eggs & sour cream until blended. Add bacon & veggie mixture to eggs. Pour into greased 9X13 pan and Bake for 30 minutes or until set. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting to serve.

Crustless Mushroom & Spinach Quiche

1 T. butter
8oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped fine
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed & drained
5 eggs
1/2 C. heavy cream
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large skillet, saute' the mushrooms & onions in butter until tender. Remove from the heat & stir in the spinach. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in the cream, salt & pepper. Add the mushroom mixture  & stir well. Stir in the cheese. Pour everything into a greased 10" pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until set & lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

*Can be cut into slices & frozen. To serve, cook slices in microwave 1 minute.

Rodeo Breakfast

3 T. oil
2 pkg. refrigerated diced potatoes ( or dice them yourself)
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1/4" slices
1 medium onion, diced
1 pepper (any color), diced
salt & pepper
2 C. cheddar cheese, shredded
6 eggs, beaten

Heat oil in large skillet. Fry potatoes until just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add smoked sausage, onions & peppers. Continue to cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add beaten eggs. Cook until done. Sprinkle cheese over top, cover, remove from heat. Serve with Salsa if desired.

Baked Penne & Smoked Sausage

My kids really liked this. Craig never got any, it was all gone by the time he got home. It's comfort food, that's for sure!! Not low-fat, but really yummy!

16 oz smoked sausage
1 can  cream of mushroom soup
2 1/2 C. milk
8 oz uncooked penne pasta
1 1/2 C. french fried onions, divided
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 C. frozen peas

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut sausage into 1/4" slices. Cook sausage in pan until lightly browned. Combine soup & milk in a 9X13 pan. Stir in uncooked pasta, sausage, 1/2 c. fried onions, 1/2 C. cheese , sausage & peas. Cover baking dish tightly with foil.
Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil & top with remaining onions & cheese. Bake for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Zucchini Pie

3 C. zucchini, diced
1 onion, chopped
4 eggs, beaten
1 C. bisquick
1/2 T. dried parsley
1/2 C. oil
1/2 C. parmesan cheese
1/2 t. dried marjoram
pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12" pie plate. Combine ingredient. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until browned & set.

Baked Ziti

1/2 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar (26-30 oz) spaghetti sauce
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 t. dried oregano
1 lb. ziti pasta, cooked 7 minutes & drained
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
2 C. shredded mozzarella, divided
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Cook beef, onion & garlic until browned, stirring frequently. Drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce & oregano. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Combine 1 C. sauce with ziti. Spoon half into 9X13 pan.
Combine ricotta & 1 C. mozzarella cheese.
Spread cheese mixture in pan on top of pasta.
Pour 1 C. sauce over cheese, followed by the remaining pasta & the rest of the sauce.
Cover & bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle with remaining 1 C. mozzarella & parmesan cheese.
Bake uncovered 10 minutes longer or until heated through.

I made this last night for our Cub Scout Blue & Gold Banquet. My dish was empty at the end of the night. Someone else brought a pasta dish & it only had a few scoops taken out of it!!!I felt pretty bad, so we took some of hers home with us.
This is great with garlic bread & a green salad!

Garden Veggie Pizza

1 tube of crescent roll dough
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 T. ranch dressing mix or 1 packet
1/2 c. carrots, finely chopped
1/2 c. chopped each green & red bell peppers
1/2 c. broccoli, chopped fine
1/2 c. green onion, chopped
1 c. shredded cheese
1-2 tomatoes, seeded & chopped fine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough onto baking sheet. Stretch & flatten to form a single rectangle shape on the baking sheet. Bake 11-13 min. Allow to cool.
Mix cream cheese & ranch mix in a medium bowl. Spread over cooled crust. Arrange veggies on top. Chill for 1 hour. Cut into bite-size squares.

Chicken Shish Kabobs

1 Bottle of Kraft Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
Chicken, cubed
pineapple, cubed
bell peppers, in chunks
mushrooms, halved
whole cherry tomatoes
Sometimes we add Kielbasa chunks too

Prepare all fruit, veggies & chicken. Marinate veggies & chicken in Balsamic dressing in separate Ziploc bags for 3-4 hrs. I don't marinate the pineapple. Thread veggies, fruit & chicken onto skewers (if using wooden skewers, let them soak in water for 30 minutes prior to using). Grill on medium-high heat until done, turning as needed.

We like to serve these with salt potatoes & a green salad. Yummy & healthy!

Biscuits & Gravy

This is one of Craig's favorite breakfasts. Actually, he would eat it for any meal.

Biscuits:
2 c. flour
4 t. baking powder
1 T. sugar
3/4 t. salt
1/4 c. shortening
7/8 c. milk-not sure why this amount, but it is between 3/4 & 1c. on my glass measuring cup.

Mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Add shortening. Cut into flour mixture until crumbly. Add milk. Stir with fork. Gently knead 10 times. Pat out to 3/4" thick. Cut out, place on ungreased cookie sheet. Close together for soft sides, Further apart for crunchier sides. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until brown. Yield: 9 biscuits

Gravy:
1 lb breakfast sausage
3/4 c. flour
3 c. milk
salt & pepper, if needed

Cook sausage in a pan, sprinkle flour over top & stir. Slowly add milk. Stir until thickened. Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve over biscuits.

*We always use our venison breakfast sausage & never add salt or pepper, but you may need to if using a different sausage.

Li'l Cheddar Meatloaves

1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1 c. cheese, grated
1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 t. salt
1 lb. lean ground beef
2/3 c. ketchup
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 t. mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, beat the egg & milk. Stir in cheese, oats, onion & salt. Add beef & mix well. Shape into eight loaves; Place in greased 9x13 pan. Combine ketchup, brown sugar & mustard; spoon over loaves. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink & a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Yield: 8 servings. Great served with Cheesy Potato Casserole.

Chicken Azteca

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, drained
2 c. frozen corn
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
2 c. chunky salsa, divided
10 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, cubed
cooked rice
shredded cheddar chees
Tortillas (optional)

Combine beans, corn, garlic, cumin & half of salsa in crockpot. Arrange chicken pieces over top. Pour remaining salsa over top. Cover, cook on high 2-3 hours or low 4-6 hours. Remove chicken & shred. Return to slow cooker. Stir in cream cheese. Cook on high until cream cheese melts. Spoon chicken & sauce over cooked rice. Top with shredded cheese. Or put in a tortilla with cheese & spinach leaves if desired. You can also put rice in the burrito too. This makes a lot. I usually halve the recipe & it feeds our family of 6 with leftovers.

Olive Garden Alfredo Pasta

1/2 c. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. heavy cream
1/8 t. black pepper
pinch of salt
1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 (12 oz.) box fettuccine pasta

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add garlic, cream, pepper & salt. Bring to a simmer. If it starts to boil, turn the heat down. Add the cheese & continue to simmer for 8 minutes until thick. While sauce cooks, cook pasta for 12 minutes. Drain pasta. Spoon pasta onto serving plates & ladle sauce over the top. Yield: 2-3 large servings.

Chicken Parmesan

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
7 ounces seasoned bread crumbs
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
12 ounces pasta sauce
6 slices Monterey Jack cheese or mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pour beaten eggs into a shallow dish or bowl. In another shallow dish or bowl, mix together the grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Dip chicken breasts into beaten egg, then into bread crumb mixture to coat.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add coated chicken and saute for about 4 to 6 minutes, or until chicken is browned. Chicken will finish cooking in the oven.
Pour pasta sauce into a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Add chicken, then place a slice of Monterey Jack cheese over each breast, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is completely melted & chicken is cooked through. Serve with pasta & additional sauce.

Chicken n' Ritz

3-4 boneless chicken breasts, cut in strips
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 tube ritz crackers, crushed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in one bowl, crush crackers in another. Dip each piece of chicken in butter & roll in crumbs. Place in 9x13 pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with rice & cream of chicken gravy. We like these with BBQ sauce too.

Corn Dogs

1 c. cornmeal
1 c. flour
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
1/4 c. sugar
4 t. baking powder
1 egg
1 c. milk
oil for frying
2 pkg hot dogs
16 wooden skewers

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, sugar & baking powder. Stir in egg & milk. Preheat oil to 350 degrees. Insert wooden sticks into hot dogs. Roll in batter until well coated. Fry 2 or 3 at a time for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen spinach, thawed & drained
5 eggs
2 c. shredded sharp cheese
1/2 t. onion powder
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9" pie plate. In medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Pour into pie plate. Bake for 30 minutes or until eggs have set. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Company Chicken

6-8 chicken breasts
1 jar apricot jam
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 jar catalina dressing

Place chicken in greased 9x13 pan. Mix together sauce ingredients & pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes (depending how small chicken pieces are. I sometimes cut the chicken pieces smaller to make it cook faster.) Serve over brown rice. Yield: 6-8 servings

Chicken Stroganoff

4 bacon strips- diced
1 lb. chicken breast- cut into 1/4" strips
1 onion, chopped
1 8oz package mushrooms-sliced
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. paprika
pepper to taste
2 T. flour
1 C. sour cream
Hot cooked noodles

Cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 2 T. of drippings in pan. In drippings, cook chicken, mushrooms & onions until chicken is done. Add broth, garlic, salt, paprika, pepper & bacon. Cover & simmer 10 minutes. Combine flour & sour cream. Add to skillet, bring to a boil & cook 2 minutes or until thick. Serve over noodles or rice. Sprinkle with additional paprika.

Scones or Navajo Tacos

4 c. flour
2 T. yeast
3 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 quart buttermilk
2 T. oil
4 T. honey
2 eggs, beaten
Mix all ingredients thoroughly then add:
4 more c. flour
Cover bowl, let rise until double, about 35-45 minutes
Heat oil to 375 degrees
Separate dough into 4-6 balls. Roll ball into circle, 1/2" thick
Cut with knife or pizza cutter into squares or triangles
Cover cut dough, let rise a few minutes.
Place a few at a time in the oil. Let cook until lightly brown (30-60 seconds)
Poke bubbles with fork, turn over once.

Serve as a scone with butter, jam, peanut butter, honey or honey butter
Serve as a Navajo Taco with taco meat or chili, grated cheese, diced tomatoes, diced avacadoes, diced olives, shredded lettuce, ranch dressing, sour cream & salsa.