Hot Ham & Swiss Braid

I got this idea from my good friend, Carrie. I was asking her what I should do with some swiss cheese I had in the fridge. This was a fun way to use it. My family really enjoyed this hot, buttery sandwich.

Hot Ham & Swiss Braid

1 can crescent rolls

mayonnaise

mustard

swiss cheese

sliced deli ham

On a greased cookie sheet, unroll the crescent rolls and seal the seams so it forms one big rectangle. Spread with mayo and mustard. Top with cheese and ham.

Using a pizza cutter, cut 1" strips about 1/3 of the way in on both long sides of the rectangle. Fold each one over until it looks kind of like a big braid.

Bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Cut into pieces and serve.

Enjoy!

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Here is yet another recipe from when I was little. It's easy, quick, and very tasty.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

1 lb. sausage

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 small onion, chopped

1 (8 oz.) package egg noodles, cooked

1 c. sour cream

1-2 c. grated cheese

In a large skillet, brown sausage and add onions. Cook until onions are tender.

Add tomato sauce and remove from heat.

Combine cooked noodles and sour cream.

In a greased 2 quart casserole dish, layer 1/2 noodle mixture, then 1/2 meat mixture. Repeat.

Top with grated cheese.

Bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes.

That's it! Pretty simple and it makes great leftovers.

Enjoy!

Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad

I have a bunch of leftover ham and boiled eggs from Easter so I decided to just mix it together with pasta for a fun salad.

Ham & Cheese Macaroni Salad

8 oz. dry macaroni, cooked and drained

1-2 c. ham, chopped

4-5 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 c. cheese, cubed or grated

3 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

3 green onions, chopped (or 1 t. onion powder)

1/2 c. (heaping) mayo or miracle whip

1 T. mustard

salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve immediately or store in the fridge.

Enjoy!

Shortcut Chile Verde

Whenever I make a pork roast we always have some leftover. Instead of just reheating it, I use it to make these simple chile verde burritos.

Shortcut Chile Verde

3 c. leftover pork roast, cubed

1 (10 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken)

1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles

1 t. onion powder

1 t. garlic powder

sprinkle black pepper

tortillas

sour cream

grated cheese

In a saucepan, combine leftover pork, soup, chiles, powders and pepper. Heat and stir until hot and pork is slightly shredded. Serve in tortillas with sour cream and grated cheese.

Sausage Rice Casserole

This is one of my favorite recipes! My mom made it all the time when I was younger and it's still one of my favorites.

Sausage Rice Casserole

1/2 c. dry rice

1 envelope Lipton Noodle Soup

2 1/2 c. water

1 lb. sausage

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1-2 c. grated cheese OR sliced almonds

Combine rice, noodle soup, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, brown sausage in a skillet. Once cooked through, add chopped veggies and cook until tender.

Add soup mixture (and about 1/2 c. water, if needed.)

Transfer mixture into a greased 1 qt. casserole dish (I used my 8x8" baking dish.) Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes.

Top with cheese or nuts and return to oven for another 10 minutes.

I can see why my mom made this casserole so much. IT'S DELICIOUS! Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers

I asked my mother-in-law for this recipe because my husband really likes them. He calls them Stuffed Monkey Heads and if you tell your kids that, they're guaranteed to want to eat them! :)

Stuffed Peppers

3-4 large bell peppers, any color

1/2 c. uncooked rice

1 lb. sausage

(the measurements aren't crucial for the following ingredients. Just eyeball it.)

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1 t. garlic, minced (about 3 cloves)

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 T. dry)

1/2 c. tomato sauce

2 c. grated cheese (or more)

First off, cook rice with 1 c. water. Set aside.

Prepare peppers by cutting them lengthwise and discarding seeds.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Simmer peppers for 5 minutes. Drain and arrange in a 9x13" pan and set aside.

In the same pot, brown sausage.

Once sausage is cooked through, add cooked rice, onion, garlic, and parsley. Stir and cook a few minutes.

Add tomato sauce and stir until mixture is combined.

Divide filling among the peppers.

Top with cheese.

Bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes.

Yum yum!

There's a lot of wiggle room in this recipe. You could adjust or omit ingredients and add others. I used country style sausage (which was great) but next time I think I'll try italian style sausage. If you want them spicy, just add some red pepper flakes or chipotle powder. Enjoy!

Pork: 2 Ways

Pork has got to be my favorite meat! This first recipe is so simple and it's perfect for a Sunday dinner or when you have company. The slow cooker does all the work and you end up with a complete meal. Yum!

Basic Pork Roast
1 pork roast, or boneless ribs (I use around 3-5 lb.)
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
3 c. baby carrots
salt & pepper
garlic powder

Place pork roast in a slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and garlic powder. Top with onions and carrots. Cover and cook on LOW for about 6 hours.

Now, if you don't eat the yummy roast in one night, save your leftovers to make Sweet BBQ Pork Sandwiches the next night.

Sweet BBQ Pork Sandwiches

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1/2 onion, finely minced

1 T. butter

3 T. molasses

3 T. brown sugar

2 T. prepared Dijon mustard

1 T. liquid smoke

1 T. worcestershire sauce

1/2 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. pepper

1/8 t. chipotle chile powder (if you want some heat)

leftover pork roast and veggies

4-6 slices bread

8-12 slices cheese

To make chunky bbq sauce, melt butter in a saucepan and add minced onion. Cook over medium heat until onion is translucent and tender.

Then add tomatoes, brown sugar, molasses, mustard, liquid smoke, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, pepper and chipotle powder. Mix well and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.Meanwhile, chop leftover pork roast, onion, and carrots. Heat over medium heat in a large skillet.
Once browned, add about half of the warm bbq sauce and mix together.
Melt 2 slices of cheese on each slice of bread.

Top each cheesy bread with bbq pork and dig in!

Save the rest of the bbq sauce in the fridge. It's very tasty on other meats as well. Enjoy!