Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
• 1 cup buttermilk (or 2 tablespoons vinegar added to 1 cup whole milk and let sit for 5 minutes)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, salt and cayenne pepper, if using.
3. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together buttermilk and butter. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist. Gently fold in cheese.
4. Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, scoop the batter evenly onto the prepared baking sheet. Place into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. For the topping, whisk together butter, parsley and garlic powder in a small bowl. Working one at a time, brush the tops of the biscuits with the butter mixture.
6. Serve immediately.

Original recipe here.

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was delicious! This is from a collection of recipes on Juliasalbum.com. Here is the link to the original post. I plan to check out her website soon and try more of her recipes!

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound fresh shrimp (10 big shrimp or 20 small shrimp) without shells, deveined (I used a 12 oz. bag of frozen cooked shrimp and pulled the tails off)
• 3 garlic cloves (I used 3 teaspoons jarred minced garlic)
• dried basil
• crushed red pepper flakes
• paprika
• 8 oz mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 cup half and half (I think whole milk will work too)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• cooked pasta water
• 8 oz fettuccine pasta (she suggests that gluten free pasta is delicious too) 

Heat a large skillet until hot--add 2 tablespoons olive oil and immediately add garlic and shrimp, cook on one side for about 1 minute until pink on one side, on medium-high heat. Flip the shrimp to the other side, sprinkle the top of the cooked side of shrimp with dry basil, paprika, and salt, cook for another 1-2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until shrimp is pink on both sides. Remove the shrimp from the skillet. If shrimp is a little under cooked-it’s okay because you will continue cooking it in the sauce.

To the same skillet add the sliced mushrooms. Add more olive oil if necessary. Cook on high heat for about 2 minutes, occasionally stirring, until mushrooms become soft and release juices. Salt midway through cooking.

To the skillet with mushrooms, add cooked shrimp. Immediately add 1 cup half and half and all of the the cheese. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, constantly stirring, until all the cheese melts. Cover with a lid and remove from heat.

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some of the pasta water. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water. Add pasta to the skillet with shrimp and mushroom cream sauce. Stir well, season with more salt and add more crushed red pepper flakes and basil, if desired.

If the cream sauce is too thick and you want it creamier, add some pasta water in small amounts until you reach the desired consistency.

Southern Milk Gravy

• 1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or butter, bacon grease)
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• generous pinch of black pepper

In a skillet, combine flour and oil. Over medium heat, stir for about 2 minutes until mixture is a very light tan color. Add milk and stir flour mixture to combine. Add salt and pepper. Stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes or until gravy is as thick as you prefer. Makes 1 cup.

Cook's notes: Once your gravy is cooking, there is not a good way to make it thicker but if you need it thinner add a little more milk. 

You can add cooked, drained sausage to this to make a sausage gravy.

Roasted Green Beans & Mushrooms

• 2 cups green beans, fresh or frozen (I used frozen)
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used less)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic (I used garlic powder)
• salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, coating vegetables well with the oil. Pour vegetables in a single layer into baking sheet. Bake for ? minutes, until mushrooms are browned and green beans are crisp-tender.

** I found this recipe on Pinterest but the link did not go back to a post so I don't know who to credit for this recipe.

Baked Chicken Fajitas

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2-3 breasts)
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced (or 1/2 red & 1/2 green)
• 1 can Ro-Tel
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 package taco seasoning

Slice chicken breasts into strips. Place all ingredients in a greased 13x9 inch casserole dish. Stir until all the ingredients are coated in oil and seasoning. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until chicken is cooked and vegetables are soft. Serve on warmed flour tortillas with choice of toppings.

Inspirational recipe here. 

Turkey Sausage

• 1 pound (16 ounces) Jennie-O ground turkey (in a roll)
• 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Crushed red pepper to tolerance (I used 1/4 teaspoon)

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Divide turkey sausage mixture into 8 portions. Patty out or roll into links, however you prefer.
3. In a non-stick skillet, cook until no longer pink in center.
4. Can be frozen if needed.

Nutrition information (per 2 oz. serving): 80 calories, 5.5 g fat, 195 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 10 g protein

*This is my own recipe!

Grandma Robbins' Boiled Oatmeal Cookies

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 stick oleo
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1/2 cup peanut butter

Combine sugar, cocoa, oleo and milk; bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, add vanilla and peanut butter. Mix until smooth. Add oatmeal and stir until mixed. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let cool until dry. Lift with spatula and store in a tightly closed container.

*A tip I learned from her is if the mixture is too dry add about a tablespoon of milk to the mixture while still in the pan and warm to loosen it up.

An alternative recipe:

2 cups sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1 stick oleo (margarine)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I omit, use crunchy peanut butter instead, if you wish)

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 to 2 1/2 cups minute oats

2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix together sugar, cocoa, milk and oleo. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter, then oats. Add vanilla and nuts. Drop onto waxed paper, 1 teaspoon at a time. Let cool until set.

Velveeta Mac & Cheese--My Way!

• 1 ½ cups small shells pasta, dry
• 4 ounces Velveeta cheese
• ⅓ cup milk

1. Boil pasta in salted water until soft; drain and return to pan.
2. Add cheese and milk, stirring constantly over very low heat.

Cucumber & Tomato Salad

• 2 cucumbers, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 Roma tomatoes, quartered and cut into small chunks
• 1/4 medium onion, slivered
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (I probably used a bit more)
• pinch of sugar if using out of season tomatoes
• salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss. Allow to set for several hours in the refrigerator so that veggies can absorb the flavors. 

Cooks notes: I just "eyeballed" the measurements for the oil and vinegar. This salad would also be fantastic with an avocado diced in!

Inspiration recipe here.

No Velveeta Creamy Macaroni & Cheese

This is a healthier version of a favorite food...

• 1 1/2 cups (1/2 pound) elbow macaroni, dry
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons butter
• pinch nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 cup (4 ounces) freshly grated Colby Jack cheese

Boil pasta in salted water until tender. Drain and return to pan.

Combine milk and egg in a saucepan. Whisk in cornstarch over medium heat and stir constantly until mixture boils and becomes thick. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and spices, until butter melts.

Stir in cheese until it melts.

Mix with pasta and enjoy!

Adapted from here.

Tater Tot Sausage Breakfast Casserole

• 2 pounds breakfast sausage
• 1 (30-32 ounces) package frozen tater tots
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. In a large skillet brown sausage until no longer pink and drain. 
3. In a large bowl, toss tater tots, cooked sausage and cheeses. Pour into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch dish.
4. Whisk together eggs, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and milk. Pour over tater tot mixture. *Cover and refrigerate at this point if baking later.*
5. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes, or until eggs are set.

Original recipe here.

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

• 1/2 package (8 ounces) spaghetti, broken in half (I used thin spaghetti)
• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 tablespoons real bacon bits
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 can mushrooms, drained
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
• 1/3 cup water

1. Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet, cook chicken until is no longer pink. Remove from skillet.
3. Melt remaining tablespoon of butter in skillet. Add real bacon bits and onion and cook until onion is soft. Add mushrooms; cook for a minute more.
4. Add soup, water, seasonings and chicken back to skillet and allow to simmer for a few minutes.

**I was part of a private dinner menu group and a version of this recipe appeared there. I have changed the dish according to my preferences.