Baked Custard

Baked custard seems like it might be a time-consuming endeavour to take on, but this recipe is so simple that you can have it in the oven within 5-10 minutes. I like to put whipped topping, caramel or fruit on top before serving.

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
4 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. In a blender, combine all ingredients; cover and process until smooth.
2. Pour into a greased 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
4. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour; refrigerate until serving.

Honey-Mustard Baked Chicken

Honey-mustard baked chicken is an easy way to bake chicken breasts. While it does require an hour of cooking in the oven, the marinade preparation will only take 10 minutes. This goes great with creamy Italian noodles: http://homecookedgourmet.blogspot.com/2012/10/creamy-italian-noodles.html

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Place chicken in a large shallow baking pan.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter; stir in remaining ingredients and heat through
3. Brush glaze over chicken.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or 1 1/4 hours or until the chicken is golden brown.

5. Baste chicken frequently with sauce while baking. There may be some burnt sauce around the edges of the pan.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet potato casserole is a nice vegetable side dish alternative to corn, green beans, broccoli and mashed potatoes. It goes well with most types of meat and kids will be more apt to like it with the bit of sweeter flavor.

Sweet Potato Casserole
10-12 servings

Ingredients;
4 cups of mashed sweet potatoes ( I usually buy canned yams and drain and mash them)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
Dash of salt
1/3 stick of butter (melted)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter (melted)

Directions:
1. Mix filling ingredients and pour into a greased casserole dish.
2. Combine the topping ingredients and crumble over the potato mixture.
3. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.     

Slow Cooked Lasagna

I love using my crockpot and finding simple yet delicious recipes to use in the slow cooker. This lasagna recipe is easy to prepare, let cook all day and have a delicious dinner.

Slow Cooker Lasagna
8 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup diced onion
1 can (15 ozs.) tomato sauce
1 can (14 1/2 ozs.) Italian diced tomatoes
1 can (15 ozs.) spaghetti sauce
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 container (15 ozs.) ricotta cheese
12 uncooked lasagna noodles

Directions:
1. Cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink.
2. Mix together tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, basil, garlic powder and salt.
3. Add meat/onion to sauce mixture.
4. Add together 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and ricotta cheese.
5. Spoon 1/4 of the beef/sauce mix into a 5-6 qt. slow cooker; top with 4 noodles broken into pieces to fit.
6. Spread with half of the cheese mixture and another 1/4 of the beef/sauce mix.
7. Top with 4 more noodles, the remaining cheese mixture and then 1/4 more of the beef/sauce.
8. Top with the remaining 4 noodles and the remaining sauce mixture.
9. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until the noodles are tender.
10. Sprinkle the top of lasagna with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover again and let stand for about 15 additional minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Easy Cheese Bread

This easy bread goes well with most dishes, particularly spaghetti and lasagna. Buy a freshly baked loaf of French bread and dress it up with a few ingredients.

Cheese Bread
4 servings

Ingredients:
1 unsliced loaf (about 1/2 to 1 pound) French bread
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1. Slice the bread lengthwise; place the cut side up on a baking sheet.
2. Pour the melted butter on the cut surfaces; sprinkle with half of the Italian seasoning.
3. Top with the mozzarella cheese and remaining Italian seasoning.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and cut into slices.

Homemade Stuffing

I have become a snob when it comes to my stuffing/dressing choices in that I will pretty much only eat homemade. I know, so picky!! In the past, I thought it would have been a difficult thing to make, but in reality it is quite easy. I found this recipe a while back in an old cookbook and usually half it unless we are having more people.

Homemade Stuffing
8 servings

Ingredients:
30 slices white bread, lightly toasted
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons rubbed sage
1 teaspoon garlic powder
dash of salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Toast the bread and allow it to sit for half a day to harden.
2. Crush the bread crumbs with a rolling pin and place in a large bowl.
3. Melt the butter in a skillet and stir in the onion and celery, cooking until both are soft.
4. Mix the eggs and chicken broth in with the bread crumbs. At this point, the consistency of the mixture should be moist, but not mushy. If needed, use a little bit of water at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
5. Mix in the onion, celery, rubbed sage, garlic powder, and salt/pepper.
6. Press the mix into a greased 9X13 inch baking pan.
7. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until the top is brown and crisp.

M&M Cookies

I love these cookies and have been making them forever. When I was little, my mom always made them and let me help and now I enjoy making these cookies for my own kids. It is so easy to coordinate them to whatever holiday is around the corner with the various holiday-colored M&Ms.

M&M Cookies
Makes about 5-6 dozen

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups M&Ms
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

Directions:
1. Blend shortening and sugars in a large bowl.
2. Beat in the vanilla and eggs.
3. Mix together the dry ingredients.
4. Add to the sugar mixture, blending well.
5. Stir in 2 cups of candies.
6. Drop by teaspoon on an ungreased baking sheet.
7. Decorate the tops with the remaining candy.
8. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees or until golden brown.