Creamy Pumpkin Soup

My mother-in-law makes this every fall for me, because she's awesome. Absolutely heaven and perfect for this time of year!

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 (16 oz) can pumpkin puree
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt or more to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add onions and cook until soft. Add curry powder and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add chicken stock, pumpkin, cinnamon and salt and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat. Using an immersion blender, process until smooth. Add half-and-half. Stir until heated through. Top with extra cinnamon, a dollop of sour cream, and chopped parsley.

Maryland Steamed Shrimp with Homemade Cocktail Sauce

I made this for both Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve this year. My mom always made it on special occasions growing up, especially after we left the east coast and moved to Illinois. There is no other way to eat shrimp, in my opinion!

*2 lbs uncooked, deveined shrimp (works well with or without shells)
*2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning (no substitutes!)
*1 cup beer
*1 cup apple cider vinegar
*1 tsp salt

In a large pan or soup pot, combine Old Bay, beer, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil. Add shrimp. Cover and turn off heat. Wait until there all of the shrimp turns pink. (If your shrimp is too cold, you may need to turn the heat back on and return to a boil for a couple seconds.) Drain. Serve immediately or chill for several hours and serve cold. I prefer it cold.

For the cocktail sauce:
*Ketchup
*Pure Horseradish
*Lemon Juice
*Worchershire sauce

Combine all ingredients to taste. I like mine spicy, so I add lots of horseradish.

You could buy prepared cocktail sauce, but as a seafood snob, that goes against my beliefs. It tastes so much better when you make it yourself.

Use the directions for shrimp to make Maryland Shrimp Salad. Chill the shrimp, chop it into chunks, add mayo, chopped celery, a little lemon juice, pepper and more Old Bay to taste. Serve on wheat toast with lettuce and tomato. My favorite sandwich ever!

Banana Bread - Take 4,359

But by golly, I think I'm getting there. This is an adaptation of about 700 recipes I've tried over the last 5 years plus my own little tweaks.

-2 tbsp sugar
-1 tsp cinnamon
**
-1 1/2 cup sugar
-2 eggs
-4 very ripe bananas, mashed
-1 cup vanilla-flavored greek yogurt
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 1/2 tsp baking soda
-2 1/4 cups flour

Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray for baking. Mix 2 tbsp sugar with 1 tsp of cinnamon and dust the pans. Beat together butter and sugar until crumbly; add eggs 1 at a time. Add bananas, yogurt, vanilla & cinnamon and beat together. Mix flour, salt & baking soda together in a seperate bowl; add in batches to banana mixture. Mix until just incorporated. Add to loaf pans. Bake at 325 for about 1 hour.

'Smores Bars

Smores... without the campfire and the mess. :o)

3 cups graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup melted butter

1/3 cup sugar

3 cups mini marshmallows
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine graham crackers, sugar and melted butter. Grease a 13x9 pan and press graham cracker mixture. Top with marshmallows and chocolate chips. Bake at 357 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and press marshmallows and chocolate down with a spatula. Cool and cut into bars.

Cheesy Potatoes

Is there anything better, really? I don't think so. This recipe is tried and true. I've seen lots of different variations of it, most of which include melted butter in with the cheese mixture. I've made it that way before, but honestly, this recipe does not need any extra fat to taste good. It's got plenty even with my lower-fat version. :o) I use bread crumbs instead of corn flakes because I always have them on hand. So, here's how I roll:

-2 lbs frozen hash brown potatoes
-2 cups 2% cheddar cheese, shredded
-2 cans 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
-1 cup low fat sour cream
-1/2 small onion, chopped
-salt & pepper to taste
-2 tbsp butter, melted
-1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 425. Mix cheese, soup, sour cream, onion, salt and pepper together in a large bowl. Add frozen potatoes; mix well. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and add potatoes. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Toss melted butter together with seasoned bread crumbs and add to top of potatoes. Bake an additional 10 minutes until bread crumbs are browned and cheese is bubbly.

*I have to give a shoutout to my friend, Tonya, for inspiring me to make this tonight. She was serving cheesy potatoes with ham for her family tonight and upon hearing that, I had to make this for dinner. :o)

Gertrude's Cinnamon Rolls

Oh my, oh my! A sweet old lady at my mom and dad's church makes these for almost every church function. The first time I had them, I demanded the recipe. It makes A LOT of cinnamon rolls, but I just use the full recipe and freeze the ones we don't eat.

1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cup instant potatoes (yep)

1 1/2 cup scalded milk
3-4 packages dry yeast
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 cup vegetable oil
8 cups flour
cinnamon
softened butter

Whisk together the water and potato flakes.

Mix in the dry yeast and flour. Mix all the other ingredients together and add in. This requires a strong mixer!

Dust table with flour. Roll out dough. Spread butter on dough. Add sugar. Add cinnamon. Roll this sucker up and pop into the freezer to chill for about 10-15 minutes. I place mine on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 375.

Remove dough from freezer and cut into slices. Make them as thick or thin as you want. Bake 15-20 minutes on the parchment-lined cookie sheet.

* you could also add in raisins or walnuts

Pumpkin French Toast Bake

Fall is upon us and that means let the pumpkin recipes commence! I know most people are still stuck on grilling and summer fun, but fall is my favorite time of year to cook and bake. This breakfast bake is yummy... posting it for my sister so she can make it for her "Tears & Cheers" back-to-school moms-only breakfast party. Enjoy!

-12 oz brown sugar & honey breakfast sausage links (could also use crumbled sausage)
-12 eggs
-1 (30 oz) can pumpkin pie filling
-1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 tsp vanilla
-15 slices white bread, cubed
-confectioners' sugar
-maple syrup

Cook sausage according to package directions. Cool slightly; if using links, cut into 1/4 inch slices. In a very large bowl, whisk eggs, pie filling, milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Add sausage and bread, stir to coat. Transfer to a greased 13x9 baking dish. Bake uncovered at 35o for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve with syrup.

Makes 12 servings.

Carolina Pork BBQ

We're having these sandwiches for dinner tonight with corn on the cob and salad. The sauce is not tomato-based, and is spicy and sweet. The house smells yummy. The sauce is very vinegary, so if you're not a huge fan, cut the amount of vinegar a bit.

Pork:

-3-4 lb pork tenderloin roast

-2 tbsp minced garlic

-1 (15 oz.) can chicken broth

-fresh cracked pepper to taste

Stir together chicken broth and 1 tbsp garlic in the crockpot. Add roast. Top with the rest of the garlic and fresh cracked pepper. Cook on low 6-8 hours. When meat is done, remove from the crockpot and shred with two forks. Top with the BBQ sauce.

BBQ Sauce:

-1 (16 oz) bottle apple cider vinegar

-1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

-2 tbsp kosher salt

-1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper

-1/2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

-1/4 tbsp hot pepper sauce

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Let stand 3 hours so everything incorporates. Whisk well before pouring over shredded pork.

Blueberry Pancakes

Tried this recipe for the first time today and it was a hit! Ellie and I love blueberry pancakes. Rob likes his plain. So, I throw his on the griddle and then fold the blueberries into the rest of the batter. I served with bacon... a classic favorite!

-1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

-1 1/4 tsp baking powder

-1 1/2 tsp sugar

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/2 tbsp melted butter

-1 egg

-1 cup milk

-1/2 cup fresh blueberries (frozen would work, too, I guess)

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and sugar. In a small bowl, beat together egg and milk. Stir in to flour mixture. Add melted butter and stir until there are no lumps, being careful not to overbeat. Fold in blueberries and griddle 'em up!

Serve with warm maple syrup. Enjoy!

Italian Macaroni and Cheese

I make a lot of macaroni and cheese. But sometimes I get bored with the traditional stuff so this is a great alternative. The tri-color pasta is just for the color since its an Italian dish, but you could use whatever you like.

1 lb. tri-color pasta

1/2 pt. heavy cream

1 cup (4 oz.) freshly grated Parmesan

3/4 cup ricotta

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. white pepper

1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 cup melted butter

In a large pot bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Cook pasta 2-3 minutes less than package directions. Drain well.

Combine cream, 3 oz. of the Parmesan, ricotta cheese, salt and pepper. Toss with pasta to coat evenly. Place in sprayed 8x8 dish. Combine bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, remaining 1 oz. of Parmesan and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over pasta.

Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes, until the pasta is hot and bubbling and the edges begin to brown. Do not overbake or cheese sauce may begin to separate.

* I've done this with regular bread crumbs too - but the Panko work much better.

Sloppy Joe's

Ever since Gretchen posted on her blog that Cooper wouldn't eat his Sloppy Joe, I have had a craving. This is on the menu tonight. Here's the recipe I use. It's about as traditional as you can get. It's great with ground turkey, too.

1 lb lean ground beef

1 cup ketchup

3 tsp Worchestire sauce

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp yellow or spicy mustard

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp water - more if you need it to thin the sauce

I make the sauce up ahead of time to let the flavors blend together. When you're ready, brown the ground beef and drain. Pour sauce and let simmer about 30 minutes. Serve on sandwich buns.

Mini Pizza Meatloafs

These are perfect portion controlled pieces of heaven. Comfort food that won't blow the diet... my favorite kind of meal!

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey or beef
1 egg
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the egg, pizza sauce, bread crumbs, salt & pepper, and Italian seasoning. Add meat and mix well. Divide among greased muffin cups; press onto the bottom and up the sides. Fill the center with cheese.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until meat is cooked through. Serve with additional pizza sauce.

These also freeze great for a quick anytime dinner. YUM!

Shrimp & Wild Rice Casserole

This is on the menu tonight at our house. It's originally a Paula Deen recipe, modified by Dannie to my brother's tastes. As for my Rob, he's a self-proclaimed "shrimp eater" so I'm sure he'll love it. Dannie says the leftovers are fabulous and recommends doubling the recipe and using a 9x13 pan, so that's how we'll roll tonight.

We're watching our waistlines around here, so I plan on modifying this with low-fat ingredients and cutting out the butter. I know, I know... where's the fun in that? :o)

1 (8-ounce) package wild rice
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 (10 3/4-ounce can) condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
Salt and pepper

Cook the rice according to package directions minus 1/4 cup water. Drain and cool. Bring 2 cups water and 1/2 tablespoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook the shrimp for 1 minute. Drain immediately and set aside. Heat the butter in saucepan and saute the pepper and onion until soft, about 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the rice, soup, 1 1/2 cups of cheese, shrimp and vegetables. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well. Spray a 9-inch square aluminum cake pan or an 11 by 7-inch glass casserole dish with vegetable spray. Place the mixture in the pan and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Turkey Chili Mac

I found this recipe in one of my low-fat cookbooks and decided to give it a try. I modified it a bit to our tastes and Matt and I both enjoyed it. It's easy to make and great on a cold night when you want something hearty but don't want all the calories!

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

1 lb. ground turkey

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. coriander

1/4 tsp. salt

1 - 16 oz. can chili beans

1 - 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce

3/4 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese

Cook pasta and drain. While pasta cooks, heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add turkey and next seven ingredients. Cook until turkey is browned. Add cooked pasta, beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cook until heated through. Sprinkle evenly with cheese.

Tomato Basil Soup

It's such a cold, yucky day... and we're supposed to get snow. So I thought I'd make a big pot of homemade soup for lunch and to freeze. I just kind of threw this together using what I had on hand and it turned out really good, so I thought I'd share.

• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 tbsp dried onion
• 2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp freeze-dried basil*
• 1 bay leaf

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add crushed red pepper, garlic and dried onion. Sautee to infuse the oil with flavor. Add tomatoes, water, chicken bouillon granules, sugar and salt; bring to a gentle boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in basil and half & half.

*I use freeze-dried basil. It reconstitutes to "real" basil when added to liquid. I'm not sure how regular dried basil would be in this recipe; but fresh would be great.

Ham and Potato Soup

This is the perfect soup for all your leftover ham from the holidays. I just made a big pot of this and I put the ham bone in the soup while it simmered for extra flavor.


1 TBSP butter
1/3 cup celery
1/3 cup carrots
3 cups peeled and diced potatoes
3/4 cup diced, cooked ham
4 cups chicken broth or stock
salt and pepper to taste
5 TBSP butter
5 TBSP all-purpose flour
2 cups warm milk

In a large stockpot, melt 1 TBSP butter over medium heat. Add the celery and carrots, season with salt and pepper and saute for about 3 - 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and season again with salt and pepper. Add the ham and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Mash potatoes and veggies in stockpot with a potato masher.

In a small saucepan, melt 5 TBSP butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour, stirring constantly for about one minute. Slowly stir in the milk. Continue stirring until thick, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot and cook until soup is heated through.

Maryland Crab Soup

I'm proud to say Baltimore, Maryland is my hometown. I grew up eating steamed crabs and crab soup and truly believe that traces of Old Bay can be found coursing through my veins. The taste of real Maryland crab soup takes me right home. It's the ultimate comfort food. I will definitely be making a big pot after the holidays. This recipe is modified to my tastes from one of my mom's oldest cookbooks, The Chesapeake Collection. Traditional Eastern Shore crab soup doesn't call for worschestire sauce, but I add it, 'cuz that's how I roll.

4 cups water
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
5 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning*
1 tablespoon worschestire sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups frozen diced potatoes
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 pound backfin crabmeat, picked over for shells**
Salt and pepper to taste

*You can find Old Bay seasoning by the seafood counter.
**Get REAL crabmeat. Look for Phillips crabmeat in the refrigerated section of the seafood area.

Dissolve bouillon cubes in hot water. Add crushed tomatoes and bring to a low boil. Add vegetables and cook until tender. Add Old Bay and worschestire sauce. Reduce heat and add crabmeat. Heat through, but don't boil. (The crabmeat will shred.)

Serve with saltine crackers. Ever since I was little, I've crumbled them into my crab soup. My Uncle Fred showed me how to crumble crackers while they were still in the package, so that's my favorite way to eat it.

This freezes really well. Hope you try it and enjoy!

Cheesedog

I saw Rachael Ray make this about five years ago and it quickly became a Sawyer family favorite. I make it at least 2-3 times a month. And like any of the recipes I find, I've adapted it to my family's taste. The original recipe calls for onions, beer and spicy mustard, but I've found the version below works best for us.

1 lb. elbow macaroni
Salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 package hot dogs

(chopped into 1-inch pieces)
1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Pepper
1 rounded tablespoon mustard
2 rounded tablespoons ketchup
4 cups sharp Cheddar cheese

Boil a large pot of water for macaroni. Salt water and under cook macaroni, cook about 7-8 minutes until just under al dente in doneness.

Preheat broiler and set rack 12 inches from heat.

While pasta works, heat a large deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, then add hot dogs and brown on both sides, 4 minutes total.

Remove the dogs with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, and the butter. When butter melts, add flour and cook another minute. Whisk in milk and bring to a bubble, then season the sauce with salt and pepper and stir in the mustard and ketchup.

Lower heat and add 2 cups of the cheese. Stir to melt, 1 minute. Adjust mustard, ketchup, and salt and pepper, to your taste.

Drain pasta well. Combine pasta and hot dogs with sauce and coat evenly then pour into a large, sprayed casserole dish and top with remaining cheese.

Melt and brown cheese under broiler, 2 minutes.

White Chicken Chili

My friend, Beth, shared this recipe with me. This would be perfect on a cold, snowy night. Enjoy!

2-3 TBSP olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic minced
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried oregano
½ TBSP jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 cans northern beans
1 lb cooked chicken, diced
3-4 cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups white cheese, shredded
½ cup salsa

Saute first seven ingredients in olive oil for five minutes. Add beans and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add diced chicken, salsa and half of the cheese. Simmer until heated through.

When serving, sprinkle with remaining cheese and sour cream. Great with tortilla chips!

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Sometimes you just need good-for-the-soul chicken soup. I am not a huge fan of traditional chicken noodle soup, so this is my take on a classic. Perfect on a chilly evening... I just made a big pot tonight.

32 oz container chicken broth

4 cups water

1/2 cup very dry white wine (you can skip this and just add extra broth or water)

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (I use 98% reduced fat)

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I use rotisserie chicken breast)

1 (7oz) pkg frozen cheese tortellini

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup carrots

1 cup celery

2 tsp chicken boullion granules

2 garlic cloves, minced fine

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried thyme

fresh cracked pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, combine all ingredients except tortellini. Bring to a boil; add tortellini. Simmer 30 minutes.