German Chocolate Cake

Bake a German Cake as directed on box. I did two rounds.

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Cook butter, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla until thickened, about 12-15 minutes. Then add coconut and pecans. Stir until thick enough to spread.

Frosting the sides is difficult and I found that it requires a pat and hold technique to keep it on the sides. Maybe let the frosting cool a bit before frosting. I've also read that you should frost between layers and top. Frosting the sides is just for a pretty look, not part of the TRUE German Chocolate Cake.

You can save a ton of money if you buy the nuts and crack and chop them yourself.

Pumpkin Soup

1/2 pound hot sausage, diced
1/4 cup butter
4 green onions
1 teaspoon dried thyme
30 oz canned pumpkin

1/4 cup maple syrup
5-7 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/8 cup heavy cream

Cook diced sausage in skillet with 2 tablespoons butter for 5 minutes.
Add onion and cook until soft. Add thyme and pumpkin OR sweet potatoes and cook 5 minutes.
Add syrup, broth, and brown sugar. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, or until pumpkin OR potatoes are tender.
In blender puree soup in batches. Return to pan and stir in cream and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Warm but do not boil. Serve immediately with a dollop of whip cream or sour cream.

*******You have to puree. . . make sure you do NOT skip this step. I also have tried this with regular sausage, but the hot sausage is so much better.

Dinner Rolls

1 cup margarine
4 cups milk
1 cup sugar (1/2 – ¾ for rolls)
1 tbsp salt
5 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 pkg yeast dissolved in ½ cup water
1 ½ cup potato flakes
14 cups flour (about)

Mix margarine in hot milk. Add sugar, salt, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in flakes and 2 or 3 cups flour to make smooth batter. Add dissolved yeast and rest of flour a little at a time and knead to make a soft dough. Let rise until double in bulk. Shape and let rise again on lightly greased baking pan. Bake @ 375 for 12-15 minutes.


***Remember to be gentle with dough for rolls (use your fingertips when kneading.) Keep dough ball soft, not sticky. I cut the circles with the lid to my cooking spray. I also use BREAD flour, but they taste good if you use regular flour too.

This is the recipe I make the most. I can do it by hand because it’s more manageable(or in my bread machine on the dough cycle) and serves my family for dinner (about 1 ½ to 2 dozen rolls). I also use this recipe for making cinnamon rolls.

¼ cup margarine
1 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tbsp salt
2 eggs
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 pkg yeast
6 tbsp potato flakes
3 1/2 cups flour

Creamy Corn and Broccoli Chowder

1 tbsp margarine or butter
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
3 cups water
1 ¼ cups Betty Crocker Potato Buds mashed potatoes (dry)
2 cups frozen broccoli flowerets
1 ½ cups frozen corn
¼ tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup half and half

Melt margarine in 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir about 3 minutes. Stir in water. Heat to boiling. Stir in potatoes; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broccoli, corn, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 minutes more), stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Stir in half-and-half. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through. 4 servings.

Potato and Ham Chowder

1 package (5 oz) Better Crocker scalloped potatoes
1 cup diced, fully cooked ham
4 cups chicken broth
2 medium stalks celery, chopped (1 cup)
1 mdium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups half-and-half
1/3 cup flour

Mix potatoes, sauce mix, ham, broth, celery, onion, and pepper in crock-pot. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours. Mix half-and-half and flour. Gradually stir in half-and-half mixture into chowder until blended. Cover and cook on low for an additional hour, stirring occasionally, unt6il thickened and vegetables are tender.
**I've used au gratin potatoes instead of scalloped.
**I use regular milk if I don't have half-and-half.

Lasagna-Style Casserole

1 lb bulk Italian pork sausage
1 cup tomato pasta sauce

1 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 cup Bisquick mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

Heat oven to 400°F. In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink; drain. Stir in pasta sauce. Spoon into 8-inch square glass baking dish. In small bowl, stir ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and 1 egg until mixed. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto sausage mixture. In small bowl, stir Bisquick mix, milk and 1 egg with fork until blended. Pour over cheese and sausage mixtures. Spray sheet of foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray. Place sprayed side down on dish; seal tightly.

Bake 23 to 28 minutes or until light golden brown. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Pumpkin Squares

4 Eggs
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 27-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8 - ounce package cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
Hot water, as needed (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs in a large bowl until light and foamy, beat in sugar and oil. Add pumpkin and stir until well mixed. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda; add to pumpkin mixture and stir well. Pour into two ungreased 9x13-inch pans or one 13x18-inch sheet cake pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool. Beat cream cheese and butter or margarine until very soft. Add powdered sugar and beat on Medium speed until well creamed and fluffy. If frosting is not spreadable, add hot water 1 teaspoon at a time until frosting is soft enough to spread. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. Makes 20 squares

**I made half a batch, but soon realized I should have made more. They are delicious and would be wonderful to give to a friend.