Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

This is a new favorite Thanksgiving side dish at my house now! This is like a sweet potato souffle in a sweet potato skin. It is sweet and extra creamy! The little kids especially loved them. It was as if they were eating dessert for dinner! Yay!

4 sweet potatoes

¼ cup butter

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

¼ cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon*

½ teaspoon salt
1 pinch black pepper, or more to taste

Mini Marshmallows

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Lightly poke potatoes 2-3 times with a knife. Bake in the preheated oven until a sharp knife easily pierces the potato, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool sweet potatoes until easily handled, 10 to 15 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop insides into a large bowl. Add butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, salt, and black pepper. Mix using a stand mixer or hand mixer until smooth and creamy. Spoon mixture back into the sweet potato skins and top each with marshmallows. Place sweet potatoes back onto the baking sheet. Bake in the oven until warmed through and marshmallows are toasted, about 15-20 minutes.

* For an even better taste, substitute Pumpkin Pie Spice for the cinnamon!

Ben with his mouth wide open. More please!!! Good stuff!

Snickerdoodle Pinwheel Cookies

I know! Snickerdoodles are rolled in sugar and cinnamon. I made these inside-out. I covered the dough and then rolled them into pinwheels!

1 ½ cups sugar

½ cup butter or margarine, softened

½ cup shortening

2 eggs

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350ºF.

Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt.

Roll dough into a rectangle. Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle the dough with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll dough tightly into a log and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for a few hours or overnight. The dough can also be frozen until needed. Cut into rounds about ¼ inch think. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I usually try to do most of my cooking from scratch, but let's face it, we need a quick fix sometimes. I while back, I did a giveaway for Krusteaz. They have some of the best quality mixes available. The hubby found a pumpkin muffin mix and brought it home. It had an alternative recipe for cookies! I needed a little dessert for my boxed dinners tonight. It worked out perfect!

Krusteaz Pumpkin Muffin Mix
1 stick of Butter, softened
1 egg

In a medium size bowl, blend ingredients together. Using a cookie scoop or teaspoon drop mix on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 2 1/2 dozen!

Country Sausage Biscuit and Gravy Breakfast Casserole

I found a recipe for a biscuit and gravy breakfast casserole. It looked so good, but when I got into the recipe it was obvious that the recipe did NOT match the picture. That is the problem with some food sites. They take a picture from someone and just find a recipe with the same ingredients! That is why so many people get frustrated when their dishes look nothing like the pictures online! As I have said, "My food might not be pretty, but it usually tastes pretty good!" LOL

  

2 cups Sausage Gravy, recipe below
1 lb. pork breakfast sausage

1 cup Cheddar Cheese

6 eggs

½ cup milk

Salt and Pepper

1 can Pillsbury Grands Biscuits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 13X9 pan with non stick cooking spray.

Cut the biscuits into 1" pieces and line bottom of pan.

Brown the sausage and scatter over biscuits, reserving the grease for the gravy below. Sprinkle with Cheddar Cheese. Ladle in the sausage gravy.

Whisk eggs and milk with salt and pepper, and pour it over the pan.

Bake in the oven for about 30-45 minutes or until golden brown and set.

Sausage Gravy

1 lb. pork breakfast sausage* 
3 T grease rendered from the sausage 
1/3 cup all-purpose flour 
3 cups milk 
2 T black coffee OR 1 beef bouillon cube 
1 T Worcestershire sauce 
1/2 tsp salt 
1/4 tsp black pepper


Brown sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon leaving the drippings in the pan. Stir the flour into pan with 3 T of sausage drippings and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Gradually whisk milk into pan.

Cook until mixture begins to simmer, then add sausage*, coffee/bouillon, 
Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to pan. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened.

*When Making the Casserole, do not add the sausage to the gravy. Top the biscuits in the 13X9 pan with the sausage.

Mexican Pizza Casserole

1 pound Ground Beef

1 package Taco Seasoning, or use your own blend
4-8 lrg Flour Tortillas, torn into four pieces
1 can Black Beans
1 can Pinto Beans

1 can Diced Tomatoes

1 can Corn

1 can Green Chiles
Salsa (about a cup)*
2 cups Shredded Colby~Jack Cheese **

Possible Toppings... Lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, black olives and/or scallions

Brown hamburger, drain and season with a couple of teaspoons your favorite taco seasoning. Drain all the cans corn, tomato, chiles and beans. Combine with meat mixture, and add salsa. Season with more taco seasoning if needed. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.
In a 13X9 Casserole dish, layer meat mixture, cheese, tortillas and repeat ending with cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees or until cheese is melted and starting to get golden brown.

Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

* Add enough salsa to moisten the mixture, but not enough to make it soggy. I used about a cup, maybe a little less.

** I always use more cheese than called for. Use as much or as little as you want!





Shared on Meal Plan Monday 

BLT Recipes!

Who doesn't love a good BLT? Well, you can get that great flavor in a variety of ways, shapes and sizes! We have our favorites, but it also depends on the occasion. Salads are great for a dinner party. Dips are great for munching during the game. Sandwiches and wraps are great for sandwich night or a quick lunch! Check out these BLT recipes! All Pictures have a link to the recipes below!

 BLT Pasta Salad

 BLT Tacos

BLT Dip 

And as always, back to simple original
BLT Sandwich!