Olive Garden Salad

This salad is made by the dressing. The dressing is AMAZING! You could really pair it with any kind of salad that you would like, but this is what we usually go with. Everytime I make this, people rant and rave and have to have the recipe!
Dressing:
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. white vinegar
1 t. vegetable oil
2 T. corn syrup
2 T. parmesan cheese
2 T. romano cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t. italian seasoning
1/2 t. parsley flakes (or fresh)
1 T. lemon juice
Mix together in blender until combined. Serve over salad made of Dole American blend salad mix, olives, tomatoes, sliced red onions, and homemade croutons.
Homemade croutons:
cubed up bread, cooked in a sauce pan over medium heat in melted butter, garlic salt, and parm cheese until crispy and light brown.

Honey Roasted Butternut Squash

We heart butternut squash in our house!! I made this recipe up one night and we loved it so much that we added it to our Thanksgiving menu this year!!! Hope you enjoy it too!

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

olive oil

2 T butter

1/4-1/2 c. honey

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle olive oil over squash and stir until covered. Season with Salt and Pepper. Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Cook in preheated oven for about 10-15 minutes until just starting to turn golden on top. Remove from oven. Melt butter in a saute pan over medium high heat. Add squash and saute for a couple minutes until soft. Add honey (amount to taste) and warm through. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or honey as needed.

Sesame Noodles

I love recipes like this, easy, fast, and oh so yummy!! This recipe is adapted from one I found on the Pioneer Woman website. It is a great go to side dish! Hope you enjoy!

Sesame Noodles:

12 oz thin noodles cooked and drained (I have used spaghetti noodles and angel hair noodles, you could be really authentic and use some from the asian food aisle, too).
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T. sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. rice vinegar
3 T. sesame oil
1/2 t. hot chile oil (found in the asian food section of your grocery store).
4 T. canola oil
2 T. hot water
4 green onions, sliced
1/4 c. shredded carrots

Cook and drain noodles. In a large mixing bowl, wisk together all the rest of ingredients except green onions and shredded carrots. Add warm noodles and mix. Add green onions and carrots and mix. Can serve hot or cold! (you can play with adding other veggies to taste: red peppers, snap peas, mushrooms, etc. and could even add some cooked chicken or edamame to make into a complete meal!!!)

Green Bean Bundles

This is an amazing side dish that I found on http://www.ourbestbites.com/. Soooo yummers! We love green beans at our house and I love to find different ways to make them. This was one of our Thanksgiving sides this year. You have got to try it!!!

1 lb. green beans, ends removed
8 slices bacon
3 T. real butter
1 T. rice vinegar
1 T. white sugar
1 T. minced red onion
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 t. Kosher salt

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. If you're using fresh green beans, wash and snip the ends off. When water is boiling, add the beans and blanch the beans for 2-3 minutes, or when the beans start turning bright green. Quickly drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process, until the beans have cooled.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a cookie sheet, divide the green beans evenly into 8 piles. Carefully bundle each pile of green beans with one slice of bacon and return to the baking sheet. When the oven is ready, place the pan in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp and sizzling. While the bundles are in the oven, melt the butter over medium high heat in a small saucepan. When the butter is bubble, add in the onions and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are softened a fragrant. Reduce heat to low and add in vinegar, sugar, and salt. Remove from heat and set aside. When ready to serve, place bean bundles on a serving platter and drizzle with sauce. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Fries

These fries are one of my favorite side dishes! They go with everything, are healthy, and the kids and hubby just gobble them up!!

3-4 sweet potato's, peeled, and cut into desired thickness (we like ours on the thicker side)

1-2 T olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. (I use my convection oven.) Cut the sweet potato's into "fry shape" and place in a large bowl. Pour in olive oil and salt and pepper, mix together. Place fries on a greased cookie sheet (I just spray mine with some Pam, or brush a little olive oil over it). Cook in preheated oven for 15-25 minutes until tops begin to brown slightly. Cooking time varies depending on size of fries. We like to dip ours in homemade "fry sauce", or a mixture of prepared horseradish, ketchup and mayo. Just plain ketchup works fine too!!

Brussel Sprouts: The underused Veggie.

My husband loves brussel sprouts. He is always begging me to make them. I have tried a lot of different ways and I finally fell in love with making them with bacon. They work really well together and even my kids will eat them this way!! (bonus!).

1/2 lb bacon, sliced into bite size pieces

1 bag brussel sprouts

1 c. chicken stock

salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste

Bring about 2 inches of water to boil in a large saute pan. When boiling add the brussel sprouts and boil for about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in cool water to stop cooking. Cook bacon in saute pan until crispy, drain off all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the brussel sprouts into the same pan with the bacon over medium high heat. Add salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste. Add chicken stock and cook until stock cooks out, stirring frequently.

Mac and Cheese topped with Breaded Chicken Parmesan

A couple of months ago, I asked for anyone who wanted to share some recipes for me and my family to try to email them to me. My friend Stacey immediately sent a couple over my way and I am finally getting around to posting about them!! Thanks for sharing Stace! Keep em coming!
"Martha Stewarts homemade Mac and Cheese". I don't know if my kids will ever enjoy mac and cheese out of the box again! I also added some breaded parmesan chicken strips for some protein.

Martha Stewarts Mac and Cheese

(from Stacey T.)

Her notes: "I am going to write out the recipe as Martha has it, BUT we found it to be too thick done that way. We prefer to cut the recipe in HALF and still put it in a 9x13 pan. Try it both ways and see what works for you".

4 T. butter, plus more for the baking dish

Salt and Pepper

3 c. Elbow Macaroni

Two 12 oz cans evaporated milk

1/3 c. skim milk

2 large eggs

1/2 t. seasoned salt

1/4 t. garlic powder

Two 8 oz packages extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

One 8 oz package Monterey Jack cheese, grated

Paprika for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a 9x13 glass baking dish; set aside. Bring a large pot of water to boil; add salt and macaroni. Cook until Al Dente according to package instructions. Drain, and return to pot. Add butter, and toss until pasta is coated and butter has melted; Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whick together evaporated milk, skim milk, and eggs. Add seasonings; set aside. In another medium bowl, combine cheeses; set aside.

3. Place 1/3 macaroni in an even layer in the bottom of prepared baking dish; cover evenly with 1/3 of cheese mixture. Repeat with remaining macaroni then cheese mixture. Pour milk mixture evenly over contents of baking dish. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake until the top layer is lightly browned, 35-45 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

**I had to use penne pasta because I didn't have macaroni at the time and it worked fine.**

Breaded Parmesan Chicken

boneless, skinless chicken strips

1-2 c. bread crumbs (depending on how much chicken you are making)

1/2 c grated parmesan cheese

1 T lemon zest

1 T lemon juice

3 egg whites

1 T. corn starch

Mix egg whites and lemon juice. and corn starch and wisk to combine; set aside. Mix bread crumbs, parm cheese, lemon zest. Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste; set aside.

Dip chicken first in egg mixture and then into crumb mixture to coat. Saute in a medium high saute pan in about 1 T olive oil until browned and chicken is cooked through. Serve over macaroni if you wish. (Or to make a different meal, serve over spaghetti with tomato sauce and cover with melted mozzarella cheese).

Creamy Peas, Potatoes, and Carrots. Can you say "Summertime"???

This is a summer favorite for us...as soon as the peas, new potatoe's and carrots start coming out of the garden, this is on the table almost every night!! Creamy, fresh, comfort food at it's finest!

8-10 new potatoes, cubed

2 cups fresh (can use frozen) peas

2 cups carrots, chopped

Add potatoes and carrots to a large sauce pan and just cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil, cook for about 15-20 minutes, until tender. Add the peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain.

6 T. butter

6 T. flour

3 c. milk

1 T. dill

1 chicken boullion cube

salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste

In a small saucepan, stir butter and flour together on low heat until combined and creamy. Add milk, dill, and chicken boullion cube and cook until thickened. Season to taste. Add to potatoes, peas, and carrots and gently combine. Serve immediately.

*Can use fresh dill if available*.

Steak Diane with Garlic Carrots and Green Beans.

This was a fun, kind of fancy meal that we all enjoyed the other night. We had eaten Steak Diane at Cheesecake Factory and loved it, so I searched the web and found the following recipe. The carrots and green beans are my creation. We love green beans and have them A LOT for a sidedish, so I experiment with them to come up with new ways to serve them. This is a keeper for sure! (and really fast and easy!)

2 (6 oz) Filet Mignons

salt and pepper

2 T butter

3 t Dijon mustard

2 T Shallots, minced

2 T Butter

2 T Lemon juice

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 T Fresh chives, minced

3-4 t Cognac

1 T Fresh parsley, minced

Season both sides of steak with salt and pepper. Melt 2 TB butter in a heavy skillet; add steaks and cook approximately 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare; about 2 minutes longer per side for medium. Remove steaks to serving plate and keep warm. Add into pan drippings, mustard and shallots. Sauté over medium heat 1 minute. Then 2 TB butter, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and chives. Cook for 2 minutes. Add brandy; pour sauce over steaks. Sprinkle parsley over the top.

**I doubled the recipe because I was serving 5, not 2, and I used red wine instead of Cognac because that's what I had on hand. It was very melt in your mouth good!!!

Garlic Carrots and Green Beans

A couple of cups of baby carrots

A couple handfuls of fresh green beans, washed and trimmed

(I just use however much I think my family will eat, exact measurements not needed!)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 T butter

1 T olive oil

grated parmesan cheese for sprinkling

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add carrots and cook for about 5 minutes, then add green beans. Boil for about 3-4 more minutes and drain. Add butter and olive oil to saute pan at medium high heat. When butter is melted, add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Add carrots and green beans back to the pan and saute for a couple more minutes until they are tendercrisp. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. (I also added some parsley this time because I had some extra already chopped from making the steaks).

Smashed Golden Potatoes

These potatoes are soooo yummy and soooo easy!!! I am always on the lookout for easy, different side dishes and this one is definitely a keeper!

2-3 lbs of small potatoes (red or golden or fingerling - and don't be shy, if your family will eat more, use more!)

salt to taste

pepper to taste

garlic salt to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Scrub potatoes, place in water in a large pot and bring to a boil (leave the skins on!). Cook for about 15 minutes until almost done, drain. Grease a large cookie sheet with olive oil and place cooked potatoes on the cookie sheet. Take a large glass and smash each potato slightly. Drizzle with a little more olive oil (or you could use melted butter...) and season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Place in oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes until tops are golden and crispy. I'm telling you: This one rocks. Try it.

Roasted Green Beans with Lemon, Pine nuts and Parmesan

This recipe came from The Recipe Girl. It was my new twist on green beans this year for Thanksgiving. It was a hit! Definitely a keeper!

1 1/4 lbs. green beans, rinsed, stems trimmed
1 small head of garlic, coarsley chopped ( I only ended up using about 5 cloves and it was perfect for our tastes)
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 T. finely grated lemon zest (1-2 medium lemons). DIVIDED.
1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 t. salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c. pine nuts, toasted
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 T. coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put beans in large mixing bowl. Add garlic, olive oil, and 1 T. lemon zest, salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread beans on a cookie sheet, and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes, stir with spatula, and continue roasting about 5 more minutes until the beans are lightly browned and tender throughout. Transfer the beans to a serving platter and add lemon juice, remaining lemon zest, parmesan and parsley, toss to coat. Can serve hot or at room temperature!!!

**Sorry no picture, my camera batteries died!!!!

Breaded, fried, delicious zucchini

Now, I know fried foods are taboo, but this is a worthy exception, at least once a summer. (We have it at least once a week when zucchini are fresh and delicious.) I promise it won't dissapoint! 1-2 zucchini's sliced thin
1-2 sleeves of ritz crackers
season salt, salt and pepper, and garlic salt to taste
1 egg
1 T. milk

Mix egg and milk together in a bowl. Crush up ritz crackers. Season the crumbs with season salt, salt and pepper, and garlic salt. (keep in mind the ritz are kind of salty so don't overdue the seasonings.) Dip each zucchini slice in the egg mixture and then in the ritz mixture. Heat a saute pan over medium high heat. Add 1-2 T of olive oil and 1-2 T of butter to pan and then add breaded zucchini and fry on both sides until golden brown and soft. Pop 5-10 in your mouth and enjoy!!!!

Grilled Italian-style Potato Salad

This is so yummy and so easy!!!!

2 lb. small red potatoes, halved
1/3 c. water
2 cloves garlic
1/4 c. kraft zesty italian dressing
1/4 c. real mayonnaise
4 slices bacon, cooked to a crisp and crumbled
4 green onions, thinly sliced

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place potatoes in 2 qt. microwaveable bowl. Add water; cover with lid. Microwave on high 8 min; drain. Add garlic and 2 T. of the dressing and toss to coat.
Spray large sheet of heavy-duty foil with cooking spray. Spoon potato mix onto center of foil. Bring up sides and make into a "packet" leaving room for heat circulation inside.
Grill 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender, turning packet over after 10 minutes. Mix may and remaining 2 T. of dressing in large bowl. Add potatoes, bacon, and onions and toss to coat. Serve warm.

***Those were the "book" instructions - These are my changes (which I like a lot better!)
First: I covered a sheet pan with olive oil, salted my potatoes and garlic and roasted them in a 420* oven for about 35 minutes. (I didn't microwave or put them on the grill). I mixed the other ingredients in a bowl and then tossed in the warm potatoes right out of the oven...yum!
Second: I doubled the "sauce" - so instead of 1/4 c. italian dressing and 1/4 c. mayo, I used 1/2 c. of each.

Ribbon Jello

I know, I know - a jello recipe you say??? This is the one and only one that I will ever post because it has a special place in my heart. It was made with love by either my mom or one of my aunt's for every thanksgiving that I can ever remember and I attempted it by myself this year. This is not a recipe for the impatient or the perfectionist. It takes hours to make and seconds to eat. But the presentation is amazing and it actually is good for jello!!!!

6 - 3oz pkgs jello (i like to make a rainbow so I get a red, orange, yellow, blue, green, and purple colored mix - you can use any flavors you want, but the different colors give an awesome look!)

For each package:
dissolve jello in 1 c. boiling water and then divide mixture evenly into 2 bowls.
Bowl 1: stir 1/3 c. sour cream. Pour into 9x13 baking dish. let set until firm in fridge.
Then top with:
Bowl 2: Stir in 3 T. cold h20, pour over set sour cream layer. Return to fridge and let set until firm.
Then repeat process with each new color/package of jello.
I promise you'll like it if you try it!

The best Thanksgiving stuffing EVER!!

I made this for Thanksgiving this last year and everyone raved!!!

1 1/2 c. cubed whole wheat bread
3 3/4 c. cubed white bread
1 lb. turkey sausage ( I used mild italian sausage and it was good!)
1 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. chopped celery
2 1/2 t. dried sage
1 1/2 t. dried rosemary
1/2 t. dried thyme
1 golden delicious apple, cored and chopped
3/4 c. dried cranberries
1/3 c. minced fresh parsley
1 cooked turkey liver, finely chopped ( if this grosses you out just leave it out!)
3/4 c. turkey stock ( i used canned chicken stock)
4 T. unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the white and whole wheat bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes, or until evenly toasted. Transfer into a large bowl.

In a large skillet, cook the sausage and onions over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until evenly browned. add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme, cook for 2 minutes to blend flavors.

Pour sausage into bread in bowl. Mix in chopped apples, dried cranberries, parsley, and liver. Drizzle with butter and turkey stock and mix lightly. Spoon into turkey to fill loosely. **I didn't stuff my turkey - i just put the stuffing back onto a cookie sheet and warmed it through and it was wonderful!**

Just Like Cafe Rio Rice

4 t. chicken bouillon
4 t. garlic minced
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 t. cumin
1 can green chilis
3/4 t. salt
1 T. butter
1/2 onion, chopped

Blend ingredients in blender then put in pan on the stove and add:
3 c. water and bring to a boil.
Then add:
3 c. rice ( not minute rice) and simmer for 30 minutes.

*( I have found that I have to add a little more liquid to my rice to make it nice and fluffy - just watch it closely and if it looks like the liquid is gone before the rice is all the way done, add more water 1 c. at a time.)

Cheesy Dutch Oven-style Potatoes

My father-in-law, Boyd, was the inspiration for this recipe! Everyone who tries it loves it! It goes great with the marinated flank steak!!!

1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 lb. bacon, chopped

Cook in big pot until onion is translucent and bacon is starting to crisp.
Add:

6-7 Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
9-10 baby carrots sliced thin

Stir and season to taste with the following:

season salt
onion salt
garlic salt
salt
pepper

Add:
1 liter sprite or 7-up ( i like sprite the best)
and enough water to just cover potatoes ( or you can add enough sprite to cover potatoes and forget about the water.) Cover and bring to a boil. simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender and most of the liquid has reduced. Cover with grated colby jack cheese and let melt ( about 3-5 more minutes). Dig in!

Best Baked Beans!

(from Tammy Houser)

1/2 lb. hamburger
1/2 lb. bacon
1 small onion, chopped
cook together until meat is browned.
add:
15 oz. can butter beans
15 oz. can kidney beans
15 oz can pork and beans
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. ketchup
1/2 t. dry mustard
bake together until warmed through and all the flavors mix together!!!