Green Bean Cassaroles

For the topping:
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Nonstick cooking spray

For beans and sauce:
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved (i just used the frozen organic beans from costco that I always have in my freezer)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 12 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (i didn't have freshly ground nutmeg, so I just used the ground nutmeg)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup half-and-half

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions 2 to 3 times during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees F.
While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring some water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an pot. Add the beans and blanch. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet (i just used a regular saute pan) set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

Sherbet Punch

1 bottle of Simply Lemonade (any flavor-not concentrate)
1 2-liter of Diet Sprite
1 half gallon of sherbet (any flavor)

Mix lemonade & sprite in punch bowl, scoop sherbet in small scoops onto the top. Serve with a ladel.

May 2010 (Arian's house)

Baked Cheddar Bacon Spread

8oz cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
1/2 pound bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
garlic powder to taste

Beat cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until smooth.  Saute onion in butter until onion is translucent.  Stir onion, bacon, garlic powder, and half of shredded cheese into cream cheese mixture.  Spread into a small baking dish.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Serve with your favorite cracker, bread, or chips.

Flourless Chocolate Cake - April 2010

This is a Paula Deen recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 sticks of butter
1 1/4 cups of sugar
6 eggs, separated

DIRECTIONS:
Place some parchment paper on the bottom of a 9" springform pan so it hangs over. Close the latch to hold the paper in place and secure the sides. You'll also want to spray the paper with some non-stick cooking spray just to be safe. After your pan is ready, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Separate 6 large eggs. Yolks in one bowl and egg whites in another. Set aside.Combine chocolate chips and 2 sticks of butter. Melt in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth. Whisk in 1 1/4 cups sugar until combined. Then add the six egg yolks to the chocolate and sugar mixture, one at a time, whisking after each addition. Now, in a medium bowl, beat the six egg whites on high with an electric mixer. Beat it for several minutes until stiff peaks form. Then, gently fold your egg white mixture into the melted chocolate mixture until combined. Pour it in your pan and bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees. It will rise pretty high in the oven, but when you take it out to cool, it will fall. And fall hard. Yay! Let it cool one hour on the counter and then for at least four hours in the refrigerator before you release it from the springform pan.

My dad's favorite "salad" - May at Ariane's house

1 can crushed pineapple, drain and reserve juice
Enough water added to the pineapple juice to equal 2 cups
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 c. sugar
2 3-oz. packages of lemon jello

Bring water/pineapple juice, pineapple, sugar, and lemon juice just to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in jello mix until it dissolves. Pour into a 9x13 pan and let set.

After it has set, cut it into small squares (these do not have to be perfect), then fold in 1 c. shredded cheese and 1 c. whipping cream, whipped (unsweetened; NOT Cool Whip). I just mix it in the 9x13 pan and then transfer it to a pretty bowl.

Spinach Cheese Dip

(April at Julie's house)

Spinach Cheese Dip
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 jar (16 oz) salsa
1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided.
Tortilla chips

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, spinach and 1 cup cheese blend. Spread into an ungreased 9-in. pie plate. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Serve with tortilla chips.

Cinnamon Rolls

(May at Ariane's house)

Cinnamon Rolls:
1/2 Cup warm water
2 pkgs dry yeast
2 Tbls. Sugar
3 1/2 oz. package vanilla instant pudding
1/2 Cup margarine; melted
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
6 Cups Flour

In a bowl combine water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved, set aside.
In a large bowl, make pudding mix according to package directions. Add margarine, eggs, and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture and blend.

Gradually add flour, knead until smooth. Place in greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down and let dough rise again.

Roll out on floured cupboard to 34 X 21 rectangle. Take 1 cup soft butter and spread over surface of dough. In bowl mix 2 cups brown sugar and 4 tsp. cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top. Roll up very tight. With a knife notch every 2 inches. Cut with thread or a knife (I used dental floss).

Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Lightly press down each roll with your hand. Cover and let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Remove when they turn golden brown. Don't over bake.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 Cup margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Cups powdered sugar
1 Tbls. milk

Mix all ingredients together until smooth

Symphony Brownies

(March at Jenna's house made by Marlana)
One box of brownie mix
2 large chocolate bars (I used Symphony with almonds and toffee!)

Mix brownie mix according to package directions. Pour half of the batter in an 8x8 pan. Place chocolate bars side by side in pan on top of batter. (I used Symphony bars this time but I have used other kinds of chocolate bars in the past.) Pour rest of batter on top of chocolate bars. Cook brownies according to package directions.

April 2010

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1 16oz pkg macaroni
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
1 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1 pound sharp cheddar, grated
Garlic powder and salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Cook macaroni to a little under al dente. Combine cheese soup, milk, sour cream, and half of the grated cheese. Stir into cooked noodles. Spread into a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake 30 minutes or cheese is brown and bubbly.