Macaroni Salad

1 cup uncooked macaroni noodles
1/2 cup mayo
2 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/3 cup green pepper; chopped
1/3 cup celery; chopped
1/3 red onion; chopped
2/3 cup ham; chopped
2 hard boiled eggs; chopped
Salt/Pepper
Paprika (for topping)

Cook macaroni noodles. Mix all ingredients (except paprika) in bowl. Sprinkle with paprika. Chill at least 1 hour.

Beef & Provolone Sandwiches

Here is a recipe that I use with the leftover roast beef, it's super quick!

Roast Beef; sliced (you can use leftover roast or deli roast beef)
Provolone cheese slices
Hoagie rolls
1 can French onion soup
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
Banana peppers; sliced (I used 3 peppers)

Heat oven to 400. Heat soup and worchestershire sauce in medium saucepan to boil. Add roast beef and heat through. Cut hoagie rolls in half and place on cookie sheet. Top each roll half with beef mixture and provolone cheese slice. Bake for 3 minutes or until cheese in melted. Top with banana peppers.

Roasted Potatoes

These potatoes are delicious! The ingredients are rough estimates because I don't measure for this recipe, add as much or as little as you want.

4 russet potatoes; peeled and diced (I use 1 potato per person)
1-2 tbsp oil
salt/pepper
1-2 tbsp Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning
1/2 tbsp Mrs. Dash Spicy seasoning

Heat oven to 450. Put potatoes in a bowl and drizzle them with oil, then add your seasonings. Toss to coat. Spray or lightly grease cookie sheet and pour on potatoes. Bake for 30 minutes, taking them out to stir every 10 minutes.

Crock Pot Beef Roast

Super simple recipe but one of our family favorites!

*2-4 lb beef roast (chuck roast, sirloin roast, etc)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup water
1 packet dry onion soup

GRAVY
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup flour

Place roast in crock pot. Mix together cream of mushroom soup, water and dry onion soup. Pour over roast. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours.

GRAVY
Mix together water and flour until well blended. Add to crock pot after you take the roast out, leaving all the liquids in crock pot. Turn crock pot on high and let cook for a few minutes.

*I usually buy a 2-4 lb roast and we are a family of 4. The larger you buy the more leftovers you have, I have lots of recipes for leftover roast beef :)

Macaroni and Cheese

One of our favorite things to eat is macaroni and cheese, so I am always trying different recipes for it. This recipe is our favorite. It's basically a few recipes combined and a few ideas of my own :)

2 rounded cups pasta (use any kind you want)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp worchestershire sauce
2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350. Cook pasta. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat, add flour, salt, ground mustard, pepper, garlic and onion powder and worchestershire sauce. Cook, stirring constantly until boils and thickens. Stir in milk, bring to boil. Turn off heat and add 2 cups cheese. Pour pasta and sauce into 8x8 baking dish, mix together. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 20-25 mins.

Chocolate Chunk Scones

These are so amazingly delicious!

2 cups flour (I used bread flour)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter; cold and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup milk or semi sweet chocolate chips or chunks
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg; beaten (for top)
1 tbsp milk (for top)
Powdered sugar (for top)

Preheat oven to 400. Make sure baking rack is in center row in oven. Line baking sheet with parchment paper (I didn't have parchment paper so I sprayed the baking sheet with cooking spray). In large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda and salt. Add butter and mix in. Stir in chocolate chips. Mix together buttermilk and vanilla and add to flour mixture. Transfer to lightly floured surface and knead 4-5 times. Pat into 7 inch circle. Cut in half then into 4 sections on each side (making 8 scones). Place on baking sheet. Mix together egg and milk, brush over top of scones. Bake 15-20 mins. Set oven to broil on high. Top scones with powdered sugar and place in oven (with door open) for about 30-45 seconds. Keep close eye on scones, sugar burns fast!

*Cinnamon Sugar variation:
Mix together
2 tbsp white sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

After brushing the scones with egg mixture, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Then follow recipe the rest of the way.

Not-Your-Average Mashed Potatoes

These potatoes don't need any gravy, they are delicious! The only trouble with this recipe is I don't measure any of the ingredients, I just throw stuff together. So you be the judge of how much you want to add of everything :)

Russet potatoes; peeled and diced (I use 1 potato per person)
Salt/Pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Dry dill weed
Cream Cheese (I use a heaping spoonful)
Sour cream (I use heaping spoonful)
Milk (just a tiny bit)
Butter (about 1/4 cup for 4 potatoes)

Bring saucepan full of water to boil, add potatoes and boil 20 mins (not longer, they will disintegrate). Drain water. Add all remaining ingredients and use potato masher to mash potatoes. I also whip them with an electric mixer.

Meatloaf

1 lb ground beef or turkey (*I have also used 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 lb italian sausage)
1 egg; beaten
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup onion; chopped
1/4 cup green pepper; chopped
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp bbq sauce (for topping)

Heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together (except bbq sauce). Pat into loaf pan. Bake for 50 mins. Top with bbq sauce.

Double Chocolate Cheesecake

I think I need a better picture :) This doesn't look like much, but it's great!

24 oreos finesly crushed (2 cups)
1/4 cup butter; melted
4 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese; softened
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 pkg (8 squares) semi sweet baking chocolate; melted
4 eggs

Heat oven to 325. Mix oreo crumbs and butter together and press into bottom of foil lined 13x9 baking dish. Bake 10 mins. Beat cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla with electric mixer. Add melted chocolate and mix. Add eggs, 1 at a time and mix well after each addition. Pour mixture over crust. Bake 45 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completly. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Chicken Tortellini Alfredo

This is a super easy recipe but it's so good!

1-2 tbsp vegetable oil

Tortellini (I use a 19oz bag of frozen cheese filled tortellini)

2-3 chicken breasts; cut into strips

1 rep pepper; chopped

Salt/Pepper
Garlic powder (however much you want)

Onion powder (however much you want)

1 jar sun dried tomato alfredo sauce

*Cook tortellini according to package. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet. Add chicken and red peppers. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Cook until chicken is done and peppers are soft. Add alfredo sauce and heat through. Serve sauce over cooked tortellini.

*Jona's tip: Cooking tortellini can be tricky. The package usually says to only cook for 3 minutes. I found that you should cook the tortellini until they are all floating on top of the water. If they are not floating, they probably aren't cooked all the way through.

Black and White Cookies

1 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup butter or margarine; softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 bag (12 oz) white chocolate chips (2 cups)

Heat oven to 325. In large bowl beat together brown sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Stir in white chocolate chips. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls (this makes some big cookies) on cookie sheet. Bake 13-16 mins.

Stuffed Peppers

4 bell peppers (I used green)

1 lb ground beef

1-2 garlic cloves; minced

1 small red onion; chopped

2 medium tomatoes; chopped

salt/pepper

cheese

Cut tops off peppers and place in large baking dish. Cover and microwave for 5 mins. Cook ground beef, onions and garlic. Add tomatoes and cook for 3-4 mins. You can either cut pepper in half or stuff them whole. Place in baking dish and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 10-15 mins.

Beef Stew

This picture looks gross but I promise, the stew is very yummy!

1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat
5 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp oil
1 lb small red potatoes; quartered
1 onion; chopped
1-16 oz pkg baby carrots
1 12 oz jar beef gravy
1 can (14-15 oz) diced tomatoes; undrained
1/4 cup cold water
3 tbsp flour

Toss meat with flour, salt and pepper. Fry in oil. Put potatoes, onions, carrots and meat into crockpot in layers. Sprinkle with remaining flour. Add gravy and tomatoes. Cook on low 8-10 hours. 10 mins before done, blend water and 3 tbsp flour, stir into crock pot.

Dorito Casserole

1 lb ground beef

3/4 regular size bad nacho doritos; broken up

1 small can evaporated milk

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 c sour cream
1 can kidney beans or black beans; drained
1-15 oz can diced tomatoes; drained
1-2 c cheddar cheese
1-2 c mozzerella cheese
1/3 c red onion; chopped
salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Cook beef and onion, sprinkle with salt/pepper. Drain grease, set aside. Mix together soups, sour cream and evaporated milk. Add drained beans, drained tomatoes, salt, pepper, meat 1 1/2 c cheddar cheese and 1 c mozzerella, mix well. Fold in doritos. Pour into greased 13x9 pan. Top with remaining 1/2 c cheddar and 1 c mozzerella. Bake 20-25 mins.