Spinach & Artichoke Dip

This is one of my favorite appetizers. Matt and I always order it in restaurants and I decided I needed to find a good recipe. I found a few different recipes and modified those into this recipe. I made this for the first time for dinner with Jane and her family. It got rave reviews and is now a favorite in our house.

8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste
14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a small baking dish. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt, pepper and mozzarella cheese. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips, pita chips or sliced French bread. Enjoy!

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.

Shepherd's Pie

So I'm sure you've all made this at some point or another, but I make it A LOT and feel compelled to share. This is total comfort food for my family. And the way to make your husband love you forever!

1 1/2 lb. ground beef

ketchup

(just a few big squirts)

1 egg

1 slice of white bread

(broken into small pieces)

splash of milk

dash of hot sauce

salt

pepper

1/2 bottle beer

Combine all of the above ingredients. Pat into 8x8 glass dish. Pour the other 1/2 of beer over top to prevent burning. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. Drain most of the liquid.

Top with mashed potatoes - be generous here. I would love to share my own mashed potatoes recipe but I'm convinced they'll make me famous one day, so until then, make whatever kind you'd like :)

Top with 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese. Your dish will runneth over. Some people don't even add cheese. I don't understand them. Jane and I don't always agree on politics, but we do agree that everything is better with cheddar.

Pop in the oven for about 10 minutes until cheese is all melted.

Remove and serve warm.

* I know some people put vegetables in their shepherd's pie (actually, I think you're supposed to), but we don't really roll like that. Sometimes I do hide veggies in my meatloaf, but for this - I just serve them on the side. Enjoy!

Milky Way Rice Krispy Treats

This recipe comes all the way from across the pond. My friend Kirsty, who is from England, brought this delicious treat to the Gov's office one day. Her cute "mum" made them for her growing up. This might actually be my favorite dessert of all time. You won't regret it if you make them.

4 (regular-sized) Milky Way bars

4 oz. butter

4 oz. Rice Krispies (just eyeball it)

1 Hershey's Symphony Bar
Splash heavy cream

Line 9x9 pan with lightly greased parchment paper. Melt together Milky Way bars with butter. Stir in Rice Krispies. Pour mixture into pan and refrigerate to set. Once cool, melt Symphony bar and stir in heavy cream. Cover the rice crispie treat with the chocolate topping and put back in fridge to set. Bring back to room temp before cutting and serving.

Baked Beans

These might sound weird, especially with the pineapple, but they're a hit every time. They're kind of sweet and sour with a little kick. I served them for the first time at Ellie's Baptism celebration, and since then they've shown up at our family parties no matter who is hosting. We just had them at my brother-in-law's 40th birthday party. I saw this recipe on Paula Deen's show (Tammy!) and on the Food Network Web site it has rave reviews.

4 (16-ounce) cans baked beans (I drain these part way, my sister doesn't)

1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup molasses

1 cup BBQ sauce

2 tablespoon yellow or brown mustard (I use spicy ground mustard)

5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

1 (6-ounce) can french-fried onions, crushed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, mix together beans, pineapple, molasses, BBQ sauce, mustard, bacon, and a third of the onions. Add some salt and pepper, to taste. Pour beans in 9 by 13-inch casserole dish and sprinkle remaining crushed onions and bacon on top. Cook in oven for 1 hour or until beans brown and bubble. Serve warm.

I've also done these in the crockpot all day and they're wonderful. YUM!

Tammy's Toasted Ravioli

Okay, so I didn't invent this, but I've certainly perfected it (if I must say so myself!). Chris and the kids love toasted ravioli and if you make enough, it will fill you up fast. I think it was intended to be an appetizer, but in our house, this turns into a meal some nights.

2 eggs
splash of milk
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
parsley - chopped or fresh
fresh cheese ravioli - about a pound
(you can use frozen too, just make sure they're thawed)
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Beat eggs and milk with salt and pepper. In a second dish, combine bread crumbs with cheese and parsley. Coat the pasta in egg mixture then bread crumbs. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet then toast the ravioli until deep golden brown, about five minutes on each side.

Serve with your favorite marinara sauce.

* WARNING: these suckers can be deceptively hot - the filling inside is much warmer than the crunchy outside.

Maid-Rite Sandwiches

When you visit the heartland, as I did this past weekend, you eat some darn tasty grub. This recipe is an Iowa favorite. My sister (who lives just over the border in Omaha) is married to an Iowa native... and has mastered the art that is the Maid-Rite. Maid-Rite is actually a fast food restaurant chain in Iowa that specializes in loose-meat sandwiches. But many families out there also make their own. The sandwich gets its name because it is just "made right." And it's true. YUM!

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, chopped fine (my sister doesn't always use onion, but my brother-in-law's 88-year-old adorable Grandma told me that it's a must)

1 can chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef and onion together. Drain. Return beef to pan and pour chicken broth over. Turn on high and bring to a boil. Let cook until all the liquid cooks off. Salt and pepper to taste. That's it!

Serve on hamburger buns. I put cheese on mine, but that is an Iowa no-no. They serve them with mustard and pickles. Ketchup is also, apparently, strictly off limits. I've been known to put ketchup on, too. Hey, I'm an Marylander-Ohioan... sue me!