ROASTED BALSAMIC ASPARAGUS

Ingredients:

2 Bunches Fresh Asparagus, ends trimmed

EVOO

Sea Salt

3 T Butter (not margarine!)

3 T Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 420°. While oven heats, trim asparagus. Place on rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, rolling them around on the pan about halfway through.

While the asparagus bake, brown the butter. Put butter in small skillet and cook until nutty and brown. Add balsamic vinegar and cook a bit until fully blended.

Remove asparagus from oven, put in/on serving dish and drizzle with brown butter balsamic glaze.

SQUASH ALABAMA

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs. Yellow Squash, cut in circles 
1 Onion, chopped
1 Cubanelle Pepper, diced (or any other type sweet pepper)
1/2 Stick Butter
1 C Mayonnaise
2 Eggs
2 C Shredded Cheese
1 Sleeve Ritz Crackers, crushed
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Boil squash in water with a little salt. While the squash is boiling, saute onion and pepper in butter. In large mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise and eggs and mix together. Add cheese. Drain squash and add to mayonnaise mixture. Add onion and pepper mixture. Combine completely and put in casserole dish.

Bake approximately 20 minutes (until bubbly). Remove from oven and top with Ritz crackers. Return to oven and bake another 10-15 minutes until crackers have browned.

Recipe Notes:
Recipe by Brenda Gantt (https://www.facebook.com/cookingwithbrendagantt/videos/855607451586683). I posted the recipe here so I could easily find the ingredients - it is delicious!! I strongly encourage you to watch the video as Ms. Brenda is absolutely precious!

LOW-CARB LOADED CAULIFLOWER

Ingredients:
1 Head Cauliflower
4 oz. Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
4 T Butter
1/2 C Half & Half or Heavy Whipping Cream
1 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Bacon Bits, to taste
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Cut cauliflower from stem and rough chop (pieces can be large). Cook in large pot of boiling water until soft. Drain and return to pot (I keep my pot on the stove eye that is turned off, but still gets the heat). Mash the cauliflower with a potato masher until fine. Add remaining ingredients and stir.

Option: You can place into a baking dish, add cheese and bake in a 350° oven until cheese is bubbly for a "twice baked" cauliflower dish.

Recipe Notes:
I have seen variations of this recipe on the internet and have tweaked to make my own. Every time I serve this dish, everyone is surprised to learn I used cauliflower instead of potatoes! Great low-carb dish!

MARINATED CHERRY TOMATOES

Ingredients:
4 C Cherry Tomatoes, halved

Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 T Apple Cider Vinegar
1-1/2 tsp Splenda (or sugar if you prefer)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and whisk together. Pour over tomatoes and chill for several hours (preferably overnight) before serving. Mix well prior to serving.

Recipe Notes:

This recipe was created out of necessity because of the abundance of tomatoes we produced this year! Very tasty!

CROCK POT MAC & CHEESE

Ingredients:
8 oz. Elbow Macaroni, cooked and drained
12 oz. Can Evaporated Milk
1 1/2 C Whole Milk
2 Lg. Eggs, beaten
1/4 C Butter, melted
1 tsp Salt
Dash Pepper
5 C Grated Cheddar Cheese
Dash Paprika

Directions:
In large crock pot sprayed with cooking spray, mix the macaroni, milk, eggs, butter, salt, pepper and all but 1/2 C of the grated cheese. Sprinkle the reserved cheese on top and sprinkle with Paprika. Cook on low for 3 hours, 15 minutes. Turn off the crock pot, stir the mixture, and serve.

*Note: Depending on your crock pot, could be done in as little as 2 hours. You may need to adjust cooking time to suit your crock pot.

Recipe Notes:

Recipe shared by Mommy's Kitchen blog (http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2011/03/trishas-crockpot-macaroni-cheese.html) and is a recipe by Trisha Yearwood. I highly recommend both of Trisha's cookbooks! I made this several times around the holidays and it is well loved!

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Ingredients:
3 C Cooked/Mashed Sweet Potatoes
1 C Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Stick Butter, melted

Cream all together and spread in baking dish.

Topping:
1 C Brown Sugar
1/3 C Butter, melted
1/3 C Flour
1 C Coconut
1 C Chopped Pecans

Mix topping ingredients together and spread over potatoes. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Recipe Notes:

Recipe shared by my mother-in-law, Judy Caldwell. This is one of Rick's favorite Thanksgiving foods!

CROCK POT CREAMED CORN

Ingredients:
(2) 1 lb. Bags Frozen Corn
1 Can Cream Style Corn
2 T Sugar
1/4 C Milk or Cream
4 T Butter
8 oz. Pkg. Cream Cheese, cut into chunks
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:
Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients together in crock pot and cook on low for approximately one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

PAULA DEEN'S FRIED OKRA SALAD

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. Breaded Frozen Okra
Vegetable Oil for Frying
2 lg. Tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 Bunch Green Onions, diced
6 Slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 C Vegetable Oil (I will use less next time)
1/4 C Sugar
1/4 C Distilled White Vinegar

Directions:
Fry okra in vegetable oil according to package directions, drain on paper towels. In a medium bowl, combine okra, tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions and bacon. In a small saucepan, combine oil, sugar and vinegar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves. Pour over okra mixture, tossing gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Recipe from Cooking with Paula Deen, May/June 2008

PARMESAN BAKED POTATOES

Ingredients:
6 T. Butter or Margarine, melted
3 T. Grated Parmesan Cheese
8 Medium Unpeeled Red Potatoes (about 2-3/4 pounds), halved lengthwise

Directions:
Pour butter into a 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over butter. Place potatoes with cut side down over cheese. Bake uncovered, at 400° for 40-45 minutes or until tender. Yield: 8 servings.

This recipe came from Taste of Home magazine.

ZUCCHINI MARIANE

Ingredients:
3 zucchini, quartered
3 tomatoes, quartered
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
8 oz Parmesan cheese (or more to taste)
8 oz mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Mix all in 2 quart casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°. Add mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 15 minutes.

Recipe shared by Debby Jo Buschermohle.

TWICE BAKED POTATO CASSEROLE

Ingredients:
6 medium unpeeled potatoes, baked
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 C (24 ounces) sour cream
2 C (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 C (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions, chopped

Cut baked potatoes into 1-in. cubes. Place half in a greased 13x9x2 baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the salt, pepper and bacon. Top with half of the sour cream and cheeses. Repeat layers. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with onions. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Recipe found in Taste of Home magazine.