Dads Brown Sugar Acorn squash

2 acorn squashes halved and seeded
8 T. butter
4T  brown sugar

Preheat oven 375

1. Place halved squash on cookie sheet.
2. Mix brown sugar and butter together
3. Place a dollop of it in each center, use it all up between the 4 halves.
4. Bake for an hour and half or until a knife can be easily inserted into center without force.
5. Serve! 

Chicken Noodle Casserole

1 bag of egg noodles such as No Yolk or store brand
2 cans of cream of celery
1 can cream of chicken
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 pack of Ritz crackers beaten until crumby
1 cup sour cream
3 cups of cut up chicken breasts
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350

1. Grease a casserole pan with margarine or butter
2. Get a big bowl out and mix dry noodles, chicken, 1 cup cheese,3 cans of soup undiluted!, sour cream and the milk together, it will be a clunky mess.
3. Pour in to casserole pan
4. Top with remaining cheese and crumbled crackers.
5. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes and then 10 minutes uncovered.

Homemade Veggie Soup

4 russet potatoes peeled and diced
3 carrots peeled and diced
1 cup cabbage chopped
1/2 an onion diced
2 stalks of celery cleaned and diced
4 cans of beef broth
1 15 ounce can of whole tomatoes broke apart with fingers

1. Add broth to the pot
2. Turn to medium
3. Add in veggies to the broth, and the canned tomatoes. Add in salt and pepper to taste as well.
4. Simmer for an hour or until veggies are tender.
5. Serve of course!

Oven Fries

4 potatoes scrubbed, dried and cut into 6 wedges per potato
4T. oil
1T. salt
1T. pepper
1t. paprika
1t. garlic powder
1t. onion powder
1T. steak seasoning

Preheat oven 425

1. In a large bowl add potatoes, then sprinkle all the spices over the potato bowl along with oil and mix with your hands until well incorporated.
2. Dump onto cookie sheet and place them flat and leave space between each, I personally make 2 rows facing the same direction.
3. After 15 minutes flip potatoes over and let other side cook. Cook another 15 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven and Serve!

**These are great with Ranch or nacho cheese**

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

1 box of Oven fry
2 eggs
2T. buttermilk or milk
dash of hot sauce
1 pound chicken tenders cut into half

Preheat oven 400

1. Dump out oven fry on a plate
2. Mix eggs, milk and hot sauce in a bowl
3. Grease lightly a cookie sheet
4. Dip chicken in eggwash then in crumbs and place on cookie sheet until all chicken is coated.
5. Make sure there is room between each piece of chicken so the chicken cooks evenly
6. Place in oven for 20 minutes
7. Serve

Perfect Pot Roast

2 pound eye of the round roast or whatever roast you choose
3T. flour
1T. pepper
1T. salt
1/2T. garlic powder
1/2t. onion powder
1/4 cup oil preheating in a pan on medium high
6 cups water
2 envelopes of onion soup mix

1. Take the flour, garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper and mix. Spread over the roast and place in hot pan. Sear on each side until its all browned up.
2. Place in crockpot or oven ready pan.
3. Rip open the onion soup packs and pour into pan along with 6 cups of water.
4. Crockpot on low 6-8 hours or on high 4-6 hours. In oven 300 for 6-8 hours or 325 4-6 hours.
5. Rest meat under a tinfoil tent and serve with some mashed potatoes and brown gravy.

**TRICK** For veggies add in 4 cut up and scrubbed potatoes and carrots as well as a few pieces of celery halfway through or they get super mooshy.

Country Gravy

2 cups milk
4T. flour
5T. butter or margarine
1T. pepper
1/2 T. salt

1. Melt butter over medium heat.
2. Add flour and whisk in butter for 1 full minute.
3. Add in milk and stir until lumps are gone.
4. Stir in salt and pepper, more or less to taste.
5. Remove from heat and serve.

Chicken Fried Steak

4 pieces of cube steak pounded out ( you can generally find thin pieces of steak beaten up in the meat case )
3 cups of flour
4 eggs
1.5 cup buttermilk
1T. salt
1T. pepper
1t. garlic powder
1t. onion powder
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup oil in a good fry pan (prefer cast iron) or I use a big skillet pan

1. Mix eggs and milk together and set aside for dredging station
2. Mix flour, and seasonings together
3. So take a piece of meat and dredge in flour, then in eggwash and then back in seasoned flour.
4. Place on cookie rack and rest 20 minutes.
5. In the meantime preheat the pan with the oil to mediumhigh want a good crust on pan so when you put steak in turn it down to medium as not to burn the crust.
6. When pan is up to temperature place the steak in, you should see it sizzle immediately! Brown on both sides. Good tip when you no longer see blood rising to top then the meat is usually down...this theory does not apply to frozen meat so use thawed meat. Remove and drain on paper towel.
7. Cook 2 at a time or 4 smaller ones so that it cooks evenly.

**SERVE with country gravy** yummy!! find the recipe on the blog!

Erins Manicotti

1 jar of spahettie sauce
1 pound ground beef browned and cooled
12 large seashell shaped pasta or 1 box of manicotti shells
2.5 cups of whole milk ricotta
1 egg
2 cloves garlic minced
1t. black pepper
1/2t. salt
1c. shredded parmesean
2c. shredded mozzerella

1. Preheat oven 350
2. Boil a big pot of water, once boil is acheived add 3T. salt then cook the noodle of choice for 5 minutes, drain and cool.
3. In a bowl mix ricotta,pepper,salt,egg beef, garlic, 1/2c. parmesean and 1 cup of mozzerella cheese. Also take half of the jarred sauce and smear on bottom of a baking dish. I use a 8*8
4. Take the cooled noodle and stuff it gently. Place in pan and keep stuffing until all are sitting in the pan.
5. Pour remaining of sauce on top of the noodles and rest of cheeses.
6. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
7. Rest 5 minutes and enjoy!

**TRICK** If using manicotti shells, place filling in a large ziplock bag, seal and cut off the end large enough to fill the shell. Gently fill or you may tear the noodle.
3. Spread half of the spahetti sauce on bottom of pan.

Amys Taco Salad

1 pound ground beef
1 can drained rinsed kidney beans
2 cups shredded cheese
1/2 head of lettuce shredded
2 tomatoes diced
1/2 red onion diced
1/2 bag of tortilla chips
1 pack of taco seasoning


Taco Salad Dressing
1 cup mayo
4T. Old El Paso Taco Sauce medium
2T. Ketchup
couple dashes of hot sauce ( I use Chalula)
Mix together and refridgerate until ready to use

1. Fry up the beef
2. Add a packet of taco seasoning and 2/3 cup water. Then add kidney beans cook on low for 5 minutes.
3. Place chips on bottom, then meat with beans, cheese, onions, lettuce, tomatoes,and then top with dressing we made earlier.
4. Eat!

**TRICK** You can make this in a casserole pan and serve it that way as 1 big dish or as individual.

Biscuits and Gravy

1 can of refridgerated biscuit dough made according to package
2 cups milk
1 pound of bulk sausage such as Jimmy Dean
4T. flour
2T. pepper
1/2T. salt

1. Fry and break up sausage in a pan.
2. After it is fully cooked, add the flour, salt and pepper to the sauage and mix for a minute.
3. Lower heat and add in the milk and whisk until thickened.
4. Once thickened pour open halved biscuits. Enjoy!

My Parents SOS

1 pound ground beef
1/2 an onion diced
3T. flour
1 can drained peas
1.5 cans evaporated milk
8 slices of toast ( sweetheart white I prefer)

1. Fry up the beef and onions.
2. Then add in the flour and coat the meat and cook it for 2 minutes.
3. Lower the heat and add the evaporated milk and whisk it until its smooth and thicken.
4. Add the peas and stir until well incorporated.
5. Toast the bread
6. Ladle the sauce over the toast and eat!

Hot Ham and Cheese

4 cornmeal hamburger buns ( Sweetheart ones are great for this )
12 slices of ham
6 slices of cheese ( Kraft singles )
4 pieces of tinfoil

Preheat oven 350

1. Lay tinfoil flat and place bottom of bun on place a slice of cheese on it, then 3 slices of ham and another half a slice of cheese on top. Place top bun on and wrap in tin foil.
2. Place all the sammies wrapped in tinfoil on a cookie sheet and place in oven 10 minutes.
3. Remove and enjoy!

Red Wine Vinegrette

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2T. dijon mustard
1/2t. garlic minced
1/2t  dried basil pressed between your fingers
salt and pepper
1/4 Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1. Mix all the ingredients together except for olive oil.
2. Then once it is mixed well, add slowly the EVOO or you can do this in the blender too!
3. Store in a air tight bottle or container and serve over your favorite greens!

My Mamas Augratin Potatoes

10 potatoes peeled, sliced,boiled and drained
4c. shredded cheddar cheese
4c. diced ham
1 onion diced
salt
pepper
6T. butter
2 cans evaporated milk

1. Make an assembly line. Potatoes in one bowl, ham in bowl, onion inanother bowl and lets get ready to assemble.
2. Grease a glass casserole pan with 3T of butter.
3. Place a third of the potatoes on bottom, top with a third of the ham and a third of the cheese, sprinkle some salt and pepper over the top and do that 3 more times.
4. Take The rest of butter and dab it on the top of the casserole, then pour the 2 cans of evaporated milk around top and edges of the casserole.
5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for an hour.

**TRICK** you can use raw poatoes but add 2 hours to cooking time.
**TRICK** I own that Rachel Ray Stoneware set and I love it!!!! for all my casseroles, stews and ovened yummies!

Crispity Crunchity Gooey Monte Cristo

8 slices of Texas Toast ( Sweetheart Brand Preferred )
8 slices of swiss cheese
4 slices of ham
4 slices of turkey
8 slices of tomato
4T. Thousand Island
1T. Dijon Mustard
1/2t. sour cream
8 eggs
1/2c. milk
3 cups panko bread crumbs

1. Mix in a bowl the dressing, sour cream and dijon mustard. Set aside.
2. Mix up the eggs and milk in a bowl big enough for dunking the sammies in.
3. Place panko in a pan big enough for dredging.
4. Lets assemble!
5. Smear the sauce on one slice of bread, then top with a slice a cheese, a piece of ham, a piece of turkey, 2 tomatoe slices, another slice of cheese and top with another slice a bread. Do that 3 more times.
6. Now that all the sammies are assembled dip in eggwash so its all wet. Then in panko and let rest on a cookie sheet topped with wax paper or plastic, it will stick!
7. You can refridgerate these overnight or you can make them immediately.
8. Preheat your fryer 350 and fry until golden brown.
9. Serve with jelly or syrup or personally me a little mayo!

**TRICK** These can be done in advance!