Velveeta Sausage Dip

 I have to have this dip at every get-together, party or event. It's the kids' favorite! This is a big batch that can be cut in half, but it never lasts. If I have any left over at all, someone wants to take it home! 

2 pounds Velveeta (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
1 (14.5 ounce) can Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies (undrained)
1 pound Pork Sausage (cooked, drained) *

1. Mix Velveeta, Ro-Tel, and cooked pork sausage together in a crock pot/slow cooker. Set on low and let the dip heat up, stirring occasionally. 

*If using medium heat sausage, you can use diced tomatoes instead of tomatoes and chilies. (unless you like the extra heat) 

Greek Shrimp and Rice

I was looking through Mama's cookbooks looking for something different. I found an old fund raiser cookbook from 1975 called Santee Supper ~ A Book Of Recipes From The South Carolina Lowcountry. I found this seafood recipe, and I had everything on hand! I added Cavender's Greek Seasoning, of course!

Greek Shrimp and Rice 

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1 ½ cups cooked rice

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ cup Feta cheese crumbles

1 can petite diced tomatoes with juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon Cavender’s Greek Seasoning

Sprinkle of dill weed 

Salt and Pepper, to taste*

Sauté onions in butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, garlic and Greek Seasoning to onions. Add shrimp and cook until pink. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp.

Lower heat to medium. Add rice and stir until rice is heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Feta cheese and dill weed.

I added kalamata olives to my plate,

 because the hubby doesn't care for them in his. 

Lemonade Pie

When I fix this, most people think it's cheesecake. It's so good and so easy! Great for summertime desserts!

1/2 cup cold water
1/3 cup lemonade drink mix
2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
1 (8oz) pkg cream cheese
1 tub (8 oz.) whipped cream, thawed
1 graham cracker pie crust

Add water to drink mix in large bowl; stir until mix is dissolved. Add cream cheese. Beat with mixer until well blended. Add ice cream and blend. Spoon in whipped cream. Freeze, if necessary, until mixture is thick enough to mound. Spoon into crust. Freeze for 4 hours or until firm. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving. Let stand at room temperature until pie can easily be cut.

Simple Pasta Salad

I usually use rotini pasta, but I only had shells. Also, I was out of corn that I always put in my salad. Proof that anything works in this pasta salad! 

1 lb Rotini or You Favorite Pasta, cooked and drained

6 oz can Black Olives, sliced

1 cucumber, diced

1 tomato, diced
6 oz can Southwestern-Style Corn, drained
8 oz (or more) Zesty Italian Dressing*
1/4 cup Collby Jack or Parmesan Cheese, shredded 

Combine the ingredients and toss. If refrigerating to serve later, reserve some of the dressing. The longer the pasta sits, the more dressing it absorbs.

*Some people add pimento, but if you are using the Zesty Italian, it already has the pimento in it.

Easter Egg Potato Salad

This is a fun recipe to make with the kids! Boil eggs and peel them before you dye them. It makes a pretty potato salad when added to it! Here is the process and the complete recipe for a smaller batch is at the bottom of the post. 

First, I made up the dye for the eggs...

Then I added the eggs... 

I used clear glasses so you could see them in the dye.

These turned pretty, but the yellow is a waste of time. 

I didn't think about it blending in with the salad, 

so I didn't have enough color!

For even more color, cut the eggs in half and remove the

yolks before dyeing them.

Not so pretty ones...

I chopped up the eggs. 

They are pretty enough by themselves!

I added mayo, sour cream, a tiny bit of spicy mustard,

lemon, basil, garlic, sweet pickle cubes, and S&P.

I would have added the red, yellow and green 

bell peppers and sweet onion, but my crowd won't eat it!

The result... a big ole 20 lb bowl of

Easter Egg Potato Salad!

6 potatoes, boiled, peeled and cubed
4 eggs, boiled and peeled1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish*
pinch of salt
fresh ground black pepper

Cut eggs in half and remove yolks and place. Chop egg whites and place in a large bowl with the cubed potatoes. Mash yolks with fork then stir in mayonnaise, mustard, pickle and salt and pepper. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the potatoes and eggs. Stir all ingredients together well. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

* If you don't like the bits of pickle in the potato salad, or if you have a little one that doesn't like pickle, just add 1 tsp of sweet pickle juice from the relish jar. They will never know. I do this for my church crowd, and they always tell me that they love it! Onion is also optional. If you like the flavor, but not chunks of onion, grate the onion and add about a teaspoon to the salad.