In the early ’80s, I lived in Texas. I had eaten chili before, but nothing like the Texan variety. Wow, was I ever hooked. I learned to embrace all things Tex Mex. Before then, my favorite ethnic food was Italian, but Tex Mex has taken the number two slot of favorites. This recipe is easy to prepare and freezes beautifully. Give it a try and let me know if you like it. Be advised, this one is spicy. If you aren’t a hot and spicy fan, tone down the peppers to suit you.

It’s tailgating time. This is one of our favorite recipes for football parties. These are easy to make and you can make them ahead of time and refrigerate until you need them.You can find a storage container designed specifically for deviled eggs so that you can stack them in one container and not lose the shape. It would be a shame to spend all of that time to pipe them and dust with Paprika and have to stack them with waxed paper in between layers and ruin their visual appeal.

This dish is served in the South with meals, parties, picnics and anything else you can think of. If you are serving them outside, just remember to keep them on ice. I even keep them on a "chiller" platter when serving inside. I use the chiller platter for dips, cheese trays and anything else that will be best kept cool during an event. It has a base that you put in the freezer for a few hours ahead of time and a high domed cover, so you can serve just about anything on it.

Serving Size  : 24

   24 Eggs, Boiled and Peeled
   1 1/3  Cups Celery, Finely Minced
   8 Dill Pickle Slices, Finely Minced
   1 1/3  Cups Onion, Finely Minced
   1 1/3  Cups Mayonnaise
   4 Tbsp. Mustard, Yellow
   1 Tbsp. Jane’s Krazy Mixed Up Salt
   Salt and Pepper To Taste
   Hot Hungarian Paprika

1. Slice eggs in half lengthwise. Remove the yolks and put them in a mixing bowl. Put the eggs on a serving platter.

   
The rice cooker is a marvel of technology. Yes, it cooks perfect rice, but, with a little imagination, you can also use it to cook just about anything else you can think of. This  is a recipe that I adapted to make in the rice cooker. Before, you had to use three cooking utensils to make this dish. You had a pot for the pasta, a pot with a steamer for the broccoli, and a saute pan for the sausage.  The rice cooker is ONE pot.

I use the Wolfgang Puck rice cooker (s). I have three and absolutely love  them. They come with the steamer inserts. You can get one at HSN. They sell out of these sometimes, but they always get them back in stock. They usually have different sizes. They come in 5 cup, 7 cup and 10 cup capacities.  I have two 7 cups and one 10 cup and that covers most of what I need. Just be sure to check the capacity to make sure you get  the size that’s best for you.

Quick, hearty and easy are the words to describe this recipe.

8 Ounces Pasta   
5.3 Ounces  Beef Polish Kielbasa, Cut In 2" Pieces   
2 Cups Broccoli Flowerettes   
1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream   
1/2 CupWater
 
1 Put the pasta, water and heavy cream in the rice cooker and press the start button.
2 While the pasta is cooking, put the Kielbasa pieces in the steamer basket on top of the pasta.
3 Cook until the pasta is done. Time will vary according to pasta type. I usually use fettuccine, shells or penne.
4 Add the broccoli flowerettes to the sausage and steam for 2 more minutes or just until they turn bright green.
5 When the pasta is done, add the Kielbasa and broccoli to the pasta and toss to coat them with the cream.
 
Servings: 4
 
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 serving
Percent daily values based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.
           
Amount Per Serving       
Calories   491.06   
Calories From Fat (46%)   223.76   
    % Daily Value
Total Fat 25.13g   39%   
Saturated Fat 11.65g   58%   
Cholesterol 92.87mg   31%   
Sodium 915.31mg   38%   
Potassium 229.64mg   7%   
Carbohydrates 47.93g   16%   
Dietary Fiber 1.36g   5%   
Sugar 0.03g       
Sugar Alcohols 0.00g       
Net Carbohydrates 46.57g       
Protein 18.63g   37%   
MyPoints 11.6
       
Cooking Tips
Make sure the sausage is the fully cooked variety. You can use any type of sausage you prefer.

 

Before we know it, fall will be here. A time of great scenery, football games, football parties, holidays and family get togethers. If you’re like me, everyone always seems to wind up at our house.

That’s not a problem, actually, I love it! I love to cook and I love to cook for a crowd.  A lot of my recipes are designed to serve 10 or more people, and this is one of them.

I know that when you take your first look at the ingredient list, you’re going to say "YUCK", but, I promise you, that you will be pleasantly surprised by the wonderful flavor of this soup.  That’s why I named this one "Soup Surprise", because it is.
                           Soup Surprise

Serving Size  : 16
  Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
   2      Lbs.            Ground Beef
   1      Medium     Onion, diced
   2      Cups          Carrots, Grated
  48      Ounces     V-8 Juice
  30      Ounces     Cream of Celery Soup
  32      Ounces     Luck’s Pinto Beans with Liquid
   1      tsp.              Lawry’s Garlic Salt
   1      tsp.             Jane’s Krazy Mixed Up Salt
                               Salt and Pepper to Taste

1. Heat a large stockpot on medium heat and brown the ground beef. Drain the ground beef well to remove all of the fat.

2. Add onions and lightly sauté.

3. Combine remaining ingredients with the ground beef and onion in the stockpot.

4. Cover and simmer on low for 2 hours.

Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
———————————————-
 Calories: 583
 Calories From Fat: 243
 Total Fat: 27.5g
 Cholesterol: 73.1mg
 Sodium: 4798.6mg
 Potassium: 1045.5mg
 Carbohydrates: 61.6g
 Fiber: 9.8g
 Sugar: 11.8g
 Protein: 25.6g
 My Points: 13.5

Cooking Tip: This makes a large pot of soup and is better the second day than the first, if that is imaginable. Freeze the leftovers if you have any.

Comments: These ingredients sound a little bit strange but,  I promise you, this will taste like one of your prized Chili recipes.

This recipe was given to me by a friend that was spending the weekend with us. She knew I enjoyed cooking and wanted to give me a new recipe to try. I have to be perfectly honest and say that had she not been there and insisted that I try it, this recipe would have just gone into my collection file. Boy, am I ever glad that she insisted that I try it. It is now one of our family favorites. Thanks, Dana!

Serve this with crackers or cornbread to round it out. You won’t be disappointed.

This is one of our best recipes for appetizers. My favorite way to serve this is in the shape of a ball, like a cheese ball. Once the overnight refrigeration has been done, cover the salmon ball with freshly minced parsley. It makes a beautiful centerpiece and the parsley is a nice contrast for this creamy appetizer. Just follow the recipe below.

This one really is tops on our list of make ahead appetizers. You can make this in any shape your wish. I have made this in the form of a salmon loaf recipe, just use a square container instead of the rounded container. Add the parsley just as you would on the rounded version. This can also be used as a salmon dip. Leave it in your container and serve with crackers.

You just can’t have too many appetizer recipes and a salmon appetizer recipe can jazz up your party. Everyone gets tired of the same old cheese ball at every gathering. This adds a little imagination to the mix. Finally, a salmon recipe with a kick.
 
                            Salmon Ball

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
  16      Ounces        Salmon, Fully Cooked, Pieced and Chilled
   8      Ounces         Cream Cheese, Softened
   4      Tbs                Lemon Juice
   4      Tsp               Onion, Grated
   2      Tsp               Horseradish, Grated
   1/8    Tsp              Worcestershire Sauce
   1/8    Tsp              Liquid Smoke
   1 1/2  Cups          Parsley, Fresh, Minced

1. Mix all ingredients, except the parsley, together in a mixing bowl.

2. Line a rounded storage bowl with plastic wrap and pour the mixture into the bowl. Press mixture firmly into the bowl and use a spatula to smooth the top to make a solid base.

3. Refrigerate overnight.

4. Just before serving, mince the parsley. Lift the salmon ball from the storage bowl and put it flat side down on your serving platter. Cover the ball with the parsley, pressing it all around the sides and the top to make it stick to the ball.

Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
———————————————-
 Calories: 154
 Calories From Fat: 102
 Total Fat: 11.3g
 Cholesterol: 44.9mg
 Sodium: 110.9mg
 Potassium: 260.1mg
 Carbohydrates: 2g
 Fiber: <1g
 Sugar: <1g
 Protein: 11.3g
 My Points: 3.95

Cooking Tip: You can use canned salmon instead of fresh if you wish. Make sure you drain the salmon and remove the skin and bones.

Cooking Tip: Serve this with your favorite crackers.

Comments: Attractive enough to be used as a centerpiece.

We’re having meatloaf for dinner tonight. Now, some of you may be thinking "meatloaf, yuk". But, you haven’t seen my recipe. It stars ground beef, tomato sauce, vegetables, all of the necessary ingredients to produce a perfect meatloaf and, ah yes, CHEESE. Cheese is that secret, soul comforting, ingredient that moves meatloaf out of the mundane category and into the "Can we have meatloaf tonight?" category. Without further ado, here’s the recipe and I added my video below the recipe to show you step by step how to make it.

Spicy and stuffed with cheese. The way meatloaf should be.

3 Lbs.         Ground Chuck   
6 ounces    Cheddar Cheese, Shredded   
2 slices       Bread, Toasted and Pulled Apart   
1/2 Cup      Green Bell Pepper, Diced   
1/2 Cup      Celery, Chopped   
1    Onion,  Diced   
2    Eggs,   Beaten   
6 ounces   Tomato Sauce   
 
1 Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all ingredients except the Cheddar Cheese in a bowl large enough to mix the ingredients together, approximately a 4 quart size. Use a spoon to mix with so the heat from your hands will not warm the mixture. It is easier to work with if it is as cool as possible.

2 Line a drip pan with foil and use a rack over the pan so the drippings can drip through.

3 Place half of the mixture on the rack and shape into a rectangle. Press on the edges to form a ridge all the way around, similar to making a pie crust.

4 When the base is formed, evenly spread the shredded cheese over the flat part of the base.

5 Place the remaining meatloaf mixture in flattened sections over the cheese. Use your hands to spread the mixture to a thin layer, covering the whole base.

6 Press all the way around to seal the cheese inside the meatloaf so that it doesn’t come out while the meatloaf is cooking.

7 Bake in the preheated oven for one and a half hours.

8 Remove from oven and let stand for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
  
Servings: 8
 
 Cooking Tips
If you want this to be an Italian Meat Loaf, add some Italian seasoning to the mixture and substitute Mozzarella Cheese instead of Cheddar Cheese.
 
 Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 serving
Percent daily values based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.
           
Amount Per Serving       
Calories   395.94   
Calories From Fat (51%)   201.59   
    % Daily Value
Total Fat 22.08g   34%   
Saturated Fat 9.09g   45%   
Cholesterol 177.26mg   59%   
Sodium 401.96mg   17%   
Potassium 726.61mg   21%   
Carbohydrates 6.92g   2%   
Dietary Fiber 1.07g   4%   
Sugar 2.38g       
Sugar Alcohols 0.00g       
Net Carbohydrates 5.85g       
Protein 40.40g   81%   
MyPoints 9.5

The video shows you step by step how to make the meatloaf.

Who doesn’t love potato salad? This is a cool and creamy homemade potato salad recipe  that has been in my family for decades. It is a mandatory part of family get togethers. It really is best if you make this in advance. The day before is best, but if that’s not possible, at least 5 hours before serving will do. This is a Southern recipe that we are proud of.

Serving Size  : 8     

 Amo unt  Measure       Ingredient — Preparation Method
——–  ————  ——————————–
   8                          Potatoes, Cubed and Cooked
   4                          Eggs, Boiled and Peeled
   1/2    Cup           Onion, Minced
   1/3    Cup           Green Bell Pepper, Chopped
   1/3    Cup           Celery, Chopped
   1/2    Cup            Dill Pickles, Chopped
   1 1/2  Cups         Mayonnaise
   3/4    Cup            Sour Cream
   3      Tbs              Mustard, Yellow Prepared
   2      Tbs              Liquid from Pickles
   1      Tbs             Jane’s Krazy Mixed Up Salt
   1      Tbs              Paprika
                               Salt and Pepper To Taste

1. Mix the potatoes, onion, bell pepper, celery, dill pickles and eggs
together in a serving bowl or refrigerator storage container.

2. Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard and spices together.

3. Combine mayonnaise mixture with the vegetables and stir to thoroughly blend.

4. This is best made at least 5 hours in advance of serving.

5. Lightly dust with additional Paprika to garnish.

Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
———————————————-
 Calories: 384
 Calories From Fat: 184
 Total Fat: 20.8g
 Cholesterol: 140.9mg
 Sodium: 687.5mg
 Potassium: 992.3mg
 Carbohydrates: 43.7g
 Fiber: 3g
 Sugar: 4.5g
 Protein: 8.2g

My Points:8.82

No picnic would be complete without this. Just be sure to keep this under refrigeration and chilled, especially if it is an outdoor picnic.