My Beef Concoction (I will think of name for this later)

Last night I was too late putting a meatloaf together. I threw a bunch of things in a skillet and created this tasty dish.

2 pounds ground beef
2-8 ounce cans of tomato sauce (spaghetti sauce would also work and omit Italian seasoning)
1-8 ounce can sliced mushrooms
2 boxes mac and cheese
1 Tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 Tbsp paprika
1/2 Tbsp seasoning salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup of mayo or salad dressing (miracle whip)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Brown the beef and drain. Add the sauce and drained mushrooms. Add seasonings and mayo and simmer. Cook the macaroni and drain. Add butter that you would put in mac and cheese. Mix cheese powder with milk and stir. Add mac to skillet and pour cheese over and stir well. Let simmer a couple more minutes and stir cheese in. Serve. My crowd liked it and I hope yours will too.

My Aunt's Homemade Tea Rolls

1 cake yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup mashed potatoes
2 eggs well beaten
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk, scalded
7-8 cups flour

Dissolve yeast and salt in water. Scald the milk and melt the shortening in the milk with sugar. Cool. Add the potatoes and milk to yeast mixture. Add flour for sticky dough. Refrigerate overnight. Make into rolls (I do 2, 3 or 4 to a muffin tin), put in greased muffin tin. Let rise and bake 10 minutes at 425-450.

More Casserole

This makes 2 casseroles. I usually freeze one.

1 Tbsp. fat
2 onions, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 pounds ground beef
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
3 cloves garlic

Melt fat and add rest of ingredients. Cook til light brown. Add:

1 can tomatoes (2-1/2 cups)
3 Tbsp. chili powder
1 cup water (liquid)
1 can mushrooms
1 package frozen peas, cooked 35 minutes
1 cup corn
16 oz. cooked spaghetti

Add all to first ingredients. Fill 2 large greased baking dishes with 1/2 of mix. Cover both with grated sharp cheddar cheese. Add balance of mixture and cover with cheese. (2 cups plus of cheese, total) Bake 30 minutes at 350.

My Mother-In-Law's Meatball Appetizers

1 pound ground sausage
1 pound ground beef
1 cup minced onion
3/4 cup bread crumbs
3 eggs
12 oz apricot preserves
1/2 bottle regular barbecue sauce

Mix into balls and brown. Mix and barbecue sauce and pour over. Bake 30 minutes at 350.

Sweet Onion Gravy

In a frying pan, place 4 Tbsp. butter, melt over medium heat. Add 2 thinly sliced sweet onions and saute until transparent. Add 2 cups of chicken broth, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Bring to a boil. In 1/4 cup cold water, dissolve 2 Tbsp. cornstarch, add some gravy from the pan and stir to mix well. Add cornstarch mixture to gravy, stirring to prevent lumps. Bring to boil, stirring until thickened. Refrigerate any leftovers. This is good with biscuits or even on bread.

Smothered Pork Chops

4-1 inch center cut chops
1 large garlic clove, halved
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced
1-1/2 cup water

Rub the chops on both sides with the cut sides of the garlic. Mix the salt, pepper, basil, thyme and rosemary together. Generously sprinkle both sides of the chops with the herb mixture, pressing it into the meat. Cover loosely with waxed paper or plastic wrap and let stand in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Remove and dredge the chops in flour. Heat the oil in a skillet large enough to hold all the chops. Brown on both sides, approximately 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chops to a warmed platter. Add the onion and bell pepper to the skillet and cook until soft, approximately 2 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp. of flour used for dredging and the water. Stir until the flour is completely dissolved. Return the chops to the pan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes. The pork will be very tender and the gravy delicious. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.

Pecan Pie

unbaked 9" shell
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. melted butter or margarine
1 cup coarsely broken pecans

Preheat oven to 400. Mix eggs with syrup, salt, vanilla, sugar, butter. Add pecans and pour into shell. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, reduce to 350 and bake an additional 30-35 minutes. Cool. YUM!