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!

YUMMY BANANA BREAD

Ingredients:
2-3 Ripe Bananas, roughly mashed
4 T Butter, softened
1/4 C Applesauce
1/2 C Pumpkin
2 Eggs
2 T Milk
1/4 C Brown Sugar
1-3/4 C Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
3/4 C White Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl, combine bananas, butter, applesauce, pumpkin, eggs, milk and brown sugar with hand mixer. In a separate bowl, shift dry ingredients then add to banana mixture and stir gently with spoon. After combined, add white chocolate chips. 

Spray loaf pan with cooking spray and pour in batter. Bake until center tests done, or about 1 hour.

Recipe Notes:

This recipe originally came from Brown Thumb Mama on Tasty Kitchen (http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/breads/chocolate-chip-brown-sugar-banana-bread/). My variations are included in the recipe above. This bread is well-loved in our home, especially by Cameron!

BEST CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE - THIS SIDE OF HEAVEN

Ingredients:
1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix
1 Small Box Instant Chocolate Pudding
8 oz. Sour Cream
1/2 C Water
1/2 C Vegetable Oil
4 Eggs
1 Bag Mini Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Mix everything together, adding chocolate chips last. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350º until done (40-50 minutes). Once cooled, invert onto cake plate.

Icing:
Melt 8 squares of baking chocolate in saucepan. Stir in 3 cups Cool Whip. Drizzle over top of cake. Can add nuts, raspberries, strawberries, etc.

Recipe Notes:

Recipe shared by Helen Spradlin. She brought it to our firm luncheon and it quickly became my favorite cake. She used sugar-free pudding mix and fat-free sour cream (but y'all know I'm not doing that!).

Helen didn't have a name for the cake so I gave it what I thought of...Best Chocolate Pound Cake This Side of Heaven! Enjoy!!!

FRITO CORN SALAD

Ingredients:
2 Cans Whole Kernel Yellow Corn, drained
1 Green Pepper, chopped
1/2 C Purple Onion, chopped
1 C Mayonnaise
1 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
5 oz. Bag Chili-Cheese Fritos

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except Fritos. Add Fritos just before serving or they will get soggy.

Recipe Notes:

Recipe shared by Tracy Miller-Davis. She brought this to our November SCBMC dinner and it was well loved! 

Her variation - she omitted the green pepper and onion, and added 1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained. 

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!

COPYCAT KENNY ROGERS ROASTERS' CORN MUFFINS

Ingredients:
1/2 C Butter, softened
2/3 C Sugar
1/4 C Honey
2 Eggs
1 1/2 C All-Purpose Flour
3/4 C Cornmeal
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 C Milk
3/4 C Frozen Yellow Corn

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400° and spray 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, honey and eggs. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt and blend thoroughly. Add milk and mix. Add corn and mix by hand until blended. Fill muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until browned on top.

Recipe Notes:

This recipe was found in various forms on several internet sites. It has been years since Knoxville had a Kenny Rogers Roasters, but I remember these muffins well and this recipe is very close.