Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Cake Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 9 Tbsp. shortening
• 1 Cup sugar
• 2 eggs, well-beaten
• 1 Cup Milk
• 2 tsp. vanilla

Topping Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Pineapple Juice
• 6 Pineapple Rings

Directions:

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl.  In large bowl, cream shortening, add sugar gradually, cream until fluffy, then add eggs, then flour mixture. Beat until smooth, adding milk gradually. Add vanilla.

Topping: Melt butter in 10-inch cast iron skillet. Add brown sugar and pineapple juice. Stir until melted. Remove from heat and add pineapple rings around edges of skillet and one in center. Pour batter over topping.

Bake in iron skillet at 350° for 40 minutes. Loosen from side and bottom, carefully flip onto large plate.

Chili Con Carne

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. Chili Powder
• 1 Tbsp. Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 2 lbs. Lean Ground Beef
• 1 Medium Onion, chopped
• 8 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Pepper
• 1/8 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 1 28-ounce Can Diced Tomatoes in Juice
• 1 12-oz. Bottle Beer
• 1 15-ounce Can Pinto Beans, rinsed and drained

In a large crockpot, combine beer, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Turn on to low heat and let simmer while browning ground beef in skillet.

Brown and drain ground beef. Add ground beef and remaining ingredients into crock pot.

Cook on low for three hours before serving.

Triple-Layer Lemon Cake

Prep: 1 1/4 hours         Bake: 28 minutes       Oven: 350°F        Cool: 1 hour       Makes: 12 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
• 1/2 recipe Lemon Curd (below) or 1 cup purchased lemon curd
• 1 recipe Lemon-Cream Cheese frosting (below)

Directions:

1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour three 8 x 1 1/2-inch or 9 x 1 1/2-inch round cake pans; set pans aside. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, lemon peel, and lemon juice; beat until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Spread into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes for the 8-inch pans, 25 to 28 minutes for the 9-inch pans, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans. Cool thoroughly on wire racks.
4. To assemble, turn two layers bottom sides up; spread with Lemon Curd. Stack these layers on a cake plate. Place remaining cake layer on top, rounded (top) side up. Frost top and sides with Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting.
5. Cover and store cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

* add 1/4 tsp. of white vinegar to the amount of milk needed. Let it sit for a few minutes and you have buttermilk.

Lemon Curd

Prep: 5 minutes    Cook: 8 minutes   Chill: 1 hour   Makes: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbs. cornstarch
• 3 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
• 6 tbs. lemon juice
• 6 tbs. water
• 6 egg yolks, beaten
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, cut up

Directions:

1. In a saucepan stir together sugar and cornstarch. Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice, and water. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.
2. Stir half of the lemon mixture into the egg yolks. Return egg mixture to the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture comes to a gentle boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Add butter; stir until melted. Remove from heat. Cover surface with plastic wrap. Chill one hour.

Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting:

Directions:

Finely shred 1 teaspoon lemon peel; set aside.  In a medium mixing bowl combine two 3-ounce packages softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup softened butter, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Beat with electric mixer on low to medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add 4 1/2 to 4 3/4 cups powdered sugar, beating until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Stir in lemon peel.

Mama’s Meatballs

Note: This is a double sized recipe

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
• 2 lb. ground beef
• 1 pkg. sweet Italian sausage
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup fresh Parsley
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp. virgin olive oil

Directions:

Combine and mix all ingredients except olive oil by hand until well mixed.  From into golf-ball sized meatballs. The key to good meatballs is really working the meatballs with your hands.

Put olive oil in skillet. Add meatballs and cook through.  Drain meatballs and add to pot of Buca Marinara.

This recipe originally came from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

Buca de Beppo Marinara Sauce

Servings: 12 Cups

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 12 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
• salt to taste
• 6 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• shredded carrots to taste

Directions:

In a stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and salt. Bring to a boil, then cook over low heat for approximately 30 minutes, stirring often. Turn heat to simmer, add basil and Mama’s Meatballs. Heat through. Serve.

Note: This is a doubled recipe

Sloppy Joe Bake

Servings: 6                           Pre-heat oven: 375°

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 15-ounce can original sloppy joe sauce
• 2 cups original Bisquick
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tbsp. margarine or butter, softened
• 4 slices American cheese, cut diagonally, in half.

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°. Grease round baking dish, 9 x 1 1/2 inches. Make beef and sloppy joe sauce as directed on can. Stir Bisquick, milk,margarine and egg until soft dough forms. Spread dough in bottom and up side of pan to within 1/4 inch of rim. Spoon beef mixture evenly over dough. Bake, uncovered 25 minutes. Arrange cheese triangles on beef mixture. Bake about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 box Penne Pasta
• 1 can chicken
• 1 jar Pace Picante Salsa (16 oz.)
• 1 can Campbell’s Fiesta Chili Cheese Soup + 1/2 can milk
• 1 lb. (16 oz.) Velveeta Cheese – Cubed

Directions:

Boil Penne Pasta according to al dente instructions on box. Rinse chicken and put in 9 x 13 baking dish. Add Velveeta and salsa. Drain pasta and add immediately to chicken mixture. Pour chili cheese and milk over pasta and stir contents together until combined. Bake in 350° oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and stir again. Serve hot.

Corned Beef Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 bag egg noodles
• 1 can corned beef hash, chopped
• 1 lb. Monterrey Jack cheese
• 1 onion
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 can milk

Directions:

Cook noodles according to pkg. directions, al dente. Mix all ingredients and bake in casserole dish at 350° for one hour.

Top with dried onions in last 15 minutes of baking if you prefer.

Glazed Beef Loaf (Meat Loaf)

Beef Loaf

• 2 beaten eggs
• 2/3 cups milk
• 3 slices of bread (cubed)
• 2/3 cup shredded carrots
• 2 lbs. hamburger
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2/3 finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• Ritz Crackers

“Glaze”

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 Tbs. mustard

Directions:

Stir eggs, milk, salt, pepper & bread until gelatin consistency. Beat until bread is broken up. Add onions, carrots, cheese, meat (add ritz crackers, crumbled until mixture holds together). Mix well, put in loaf pan. Bake 350° for 1 hr. 15 min. Put glaze on top and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Favorite Chicken

Servings: 4            Oven Temp:   350°

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 can whole cranberry sauce
• 8 oz. jar French Dressing
• 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

Directions: Mix all ingredients (except chicken) together until combined. Pour half of mixture on bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish. Lay Chicken Breasts on mixture and pour remaining mixture over chicken breasts.

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes – 1 hr. or until chicken breasts are cooked through. Serve over a bed of white rice.

This recipe originally comes from The Pampered Chef