Creamy Italian Salad Dressing

Rising food prices and food choices are low.  In fact, some store shelves are completely empty of certain items. Maybe it is time to get back to basics. Start making some of the usual store bought processed food, at home, where you control the seasonings and everything that goes in.

Italian Salad dressing is one of those items you can make up at home. Chances are, once you start making your own salad dressing, you won't want to go back to the store bought bottled dressing.

Directions

1/2 c. olive oil
1/3 c. sour cream
3 Tbs. mayonnaise
3 Tbs.  Parmesan, freshly grated is best
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1 tsp. honey or sugar
3/4 tsp. garlic salt
3/4 tsp. dried parsley
3/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. dried oregano
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Black pepper, to taste

Directions

In a blender, add the olive oil, sour cream, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, red wine vinegar, whiter wine vinegar, prepared mustard, honey, garlic salt, parsley, basil, onion powder, oregano, red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste. Blend thoroughly. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

Pour into a large jar with a tight-fitting lid and place in the refrigerator. 

Shake well before using.

Garlic Chicken Marango 

At the moment, chicken is hard to find, and the price has gone up. If you have extra chicken in the freezer, this is a quick and easy recipe to serve for your family. Mushrooms, tomato sauce, and garlic gives this dish flavor and sets this meal apart.

Ingredients

2.5 to 3 lb. fryer, cut up
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tbs. oil
1/2 c. hot water
1 beef bouillon cube
13 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms, undrained
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce

Directions

In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper.

Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture.

In a heavy cast iron skillet, heat the oil. Brown chicken in the hot oil, turning to brown all sides.

Pour in the hot water, bouillon cube, garlic, mushrooms, and tomato sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is and tender and the internal temperature registers 165°.

Serve over a bed of chicken flavored rice. Add a tossed green salad and some bread sticks, and you have a complete meal.

Mock Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

Is it a pizza or a casserole? It's both. Instead of using the traditional pizza crust, this pizza uses noodles instead. It has all the flavors of a traditional pizza, but not all the time it takes to make the crust. 

You can use your favorite pizza toppings to make it the flavors that your family likes best. 

Ingredients

8 oz. egg noodles or choose your favorite shape pasta
1 lb. ground beef or spicy sausage or a combination of both
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1  (16 oz.) jar pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 (4 oz.) can mushroom stems and pieces drained
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
Pepperoni slices

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

In a large pot, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain.

In a heavy cast iron skillet, cook the ground beef and/or sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain.

Add spaghetti sauce and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Stir in the noodles.

Place in prepared baking pan or dish. Top with mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese and pepperoni.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through and cheeses have melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 4.

You can double this recipe if you are feeding a large family.

Applesauce Spice Bars With Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

We have a lot of applesauce that we canned ourselves. This is one of our favorite ways to make a delicious dessert and use up some of that applesauce. We hope you enjoy making and eating this cake as much as we do!

Ingredients

1 egg
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. applesauce
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 c. flour

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. softened butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 c. powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat egg, brown sugar and butter until smooth. 

Mix in the applesauce.

Stir in the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, salt, and baking soda.  

Add the flour, mixing until well blended.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake 30 to 40 minutes.

When cool, frost with Cream Cheese Icing

Combine cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Mix until creamy. 

Mix in the vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice.  

Gradually add in the powdered sugar, beating until fluffy and fully combined.  

Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cooled cake. Slice and serve.

Notes

If the frosting is too thick to spread on the cake, add a little bit of milk, about a teaspoon at a time, to thin it.  

If the frosting is too thin, then add more powdered sugar. Only add a little bit at a time until you get the right consistency.

Spicy Sausage Casserole

Sausage Casserole is a quick and easy dish to make.  Ii is perfect for those days when you don't have time to cook, or you just don't want to make a meal. With a few simple ingredients.  This is a recipe that my mother used to make, and the entire family loved it.

Ingredients

1 envelope dry onion soup mix
1 c. uncooked rice
2 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 lbs. bulk sausage, we use hot, spicy sausage
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 to 6 ribs celery, chopped fine

Directions

In a large pot, mix onion soup mix, rice, and water together. Cook according to the rice package directions until rice is tender and water is absorbed. You may need to add more (hot) water if the rice needs a longer cooking time.

In a heavy cast iron skillet, combine sausage, green pepper, onion, and celery. Crumble up the sausage into small pieces. Stir and fry until the sausage is cooked, and the vegetables are tender. Drain off excess grease.

Add the rice to the meat and mix in.  You can leave the meal in the cast iron skillet if it is ovenproof, or you can transfer the meat and rice to a casserole dish. 

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Easy Garlic Cheese Biscuits

This is a quick and easy meal idea if you don't have much time to prepare a meal. Garlic Cheese Biscuits are perfect as a side dish, or if you make gravy and add some meat, it can be served as a main meal.
 

Ingredients

2 c. flour
2 Tbsp. chives (optional)
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp. chives (optional)
3/4 c. cheddar cheese, grated finely (more or less to taste)
4 Tbsp. cold butter
1 cup milk *

Topping

3 Tbs. butter melted
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 /2 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

Mix flour, chives, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and cheddar cheese in a bowl. 

Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until it resembles cornmeal.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Pour the milk into the well that you made in the flour.  Stir just enough to combine ingredients. Do not over stir.

Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 425° to 450° for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 10 biscuits. 

While the biscuits are baking, make the topping.

Combine the melted butter, parsley, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Mix together and brush over the tops of the hot biscuits. 

Notes: 

You can use sour milk or buttermilk in place of the whole milk.

You could add bits of bacon or pepperoni to this recipe, too.

Better yet, make some gravy and pour that over the biscuits for a super yummy meal.

 

Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad is a quick and easy classic recipe that you can make ahead of time. You can use any kind of macaroni pasta shape that you like best. Add some delicious vegetables into the mix, then mix in some homemade salad dressing over the top for a flavorful side dish. 

Ingredients

8 oz macaroni, uncooked
1 tsp. olive oil
1 sweet bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced thin
1 onion, diced fine
1/4 c. sweet gherkins, finely diced (Optional)
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced fine (optional)
1/2 c. sweet peas

Salad Dressing

3/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
2 Tbs. sweet pickle juice
1 Tbs. vinegar
1 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. prepared mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)

Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil.  Add macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain. Place the macaroni in a bowl and add olive oil.  Gently stir the macaroni to distribute the olive oil evenly.

Add the sweet bell pepper, celery, onion, sweet gherkins, eggs and peas. Stir to combine.  Set aside to prepare the dressing.

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sweet pickle juice, vinegar, sugar, prepared mustard, salt pepper, garlic powder and crushed red pepper. Mix until smooth and creamy.   

Pour the dressing over the macaroni and vegetables. Stir to combine. 

Chill in the refrigerator for one hour before serving, if possible. It gives the ingredients a chance to blend together for a better flavor.

Creamy Garlic Salad Dressing

Creamy Garlic Salad Dressing

This salad dressing is so quick and easy to put together. It has a great garlic taste and is perfect to pour over salads or to use as a vegetable dip. 

Ingredients 

1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. whole milk
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. ground mustard powder
1/2 to 1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 green onions, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

In a bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, milk, lemon juice, vinegar, ground mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk thoroughly to blend the ingredients together.

Stir in the onions, and garlic.

Pour into a mason jar, or a used, clean salad dressing container. Cover with a tight-fitting lid.

Refrigerate for 1 hour or longer for the flavors to have a chance to blend together.

Shake the jar to mix the contents before pouring over salads, or using as a dip for vegetables. 

Notes

If the dressing seems too thick, pour in a little more milk, like a couple of teaspoons at a time.

If your dressing needs more sugar, garlic, lemon juice or other seasonings, only add about a 1/4 teaspoon at a time. You can always add more, but it is next to impossible to remove some after you have it mixed in.

Beef and Gravy

What could be better than beef served with gravy and mashed potatoes. This is comfort food! The recipe is so simple to make, and so delicious, that your family will request it often.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. beef roast, trim off fat, cut meat into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 to 1tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Gravy

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs. butter
2 c. beef broth
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1 beef bouillon cube
1/4 c. cold water
3 Tbs. flour

Direction

Place the cut up meat in a bowl.  

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, chili powder, and pepper. Mix the spices together. 

Sprinkle the spices over the meat.  Mix the meat to ensure the spices are distributed evenly.

Sprinkle the flour over the meat. Toss until well coated. 

In a large cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. 

Working in batches, add the meat.  Cook the meat for a couple of minutes on each side until all sides are browned. Place the meat on a platter.  Repeat the process until all the meat is browned.

Melt the butter in the skillet.  Sauté onions and cook for a couple of minutes until they are translucent.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Pour in beef broth.  Add the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, and beef bouillon cube.  Bring to a boil. 

In a cup, combine water and flour. Stir until well blended.  Slowly pour this into the gravy, whisking all the while.  Cook and stir until the mixture thickens. 

Reduce the heat down to a simmer.  Add the meat back into the skillet.  Simmer for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.