Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

Sweet Potato Mixture:

2 cans (29 ounces each) Bruce's Cut Sweet Potatoes (Yams), well drained

2 eggs, well beaten

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, melted

Pecan Topping:

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, mash sweet potatoes. Add rest of ingredients for sweet potato mixture. Spread evenly in prepared dish.

In a medium bowl, combine pecan topping ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over sweet potato mixture.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until topping is browned. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Variation: Can replace pecan topping with 2 cups miniature marshmallows (or just pile them on top!)

Adapted from the Bruce's Yams label

Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie

1 can (15 ounces, or 2 cups) Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin

1 can (12 ounces, or 1 ½ cups) Carnation Evaporated Milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; or, 
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell

Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin, sugar, and spices. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into the pie shell.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degree F. Bake for 30-40 minutes (40-50 minutes) or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Original recipe here.

*Cook's Country states that the filling should be baked until filling reaches 165 degrees F. for the perfect pie

Old Fashioned Banana Pudding

• 1 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 cups milk
• 4 beaten egg yolks (reserve whites for another use)
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine (stick)
• 1 tablespoons vanilla extract

• 1 (10-11 ounces) bag or box of vanilla wafers
• 2 medium bananas

In a Dutch oven, stir together sugar and cornstarch with a wire whisk. Add milk and egg yolks and mix thoroughly. Over medium-low heat, stir mixture frequently, paying attention to bottom and "corners" of the pan. Do not be tempted to use higher heat: your milk will scorch easily! After mixture comes to a bubble, cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter and stir until melted. Add vanilla and stir until combined.

In a 9x9 inch pan, put down a single layer of vanilla wafers. Spoon (I use a soup ladle) just under half of the pudding mixture over the wafers. Thinly slice 1 banana and put on top of the pudding. Add another layer of wafers. Thinly slice another banana and place on top of wafers. Add rest of pudding. Place wafers around edge of dish and on top of pudding. Refrigerate until time to serve.



The pudding recipe is adapted from Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook.

Egg Freshness Chart

This is a great visual to check the freshness of your eggs. I do not own the rights to this image.

Baked Oatmeal Cups

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 3 cups old fashioned (rolled) oats
• 2 teaspoons baking soda

Mix all ingredients; allow mixuture to rest for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray. Place 1/4 cup of mixture in each well. Bake for 30 minutes.

1/2 batch ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 fluid ounces (3/8 cup) unsweetened apple sauce
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups old fashioned (rolled) oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

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.

Melissa's Pico De Gallo

• 6 Roma (Plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 lime, juice of
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (I used jarred)
• 2 jalapeno peppers, diced (remove stems, seeds and membranes if you don't want heat)
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl;add cilantro and salt to taste. Place in refrigerator and allow to set for several hours. Serve with your favorite foods or chips.

This is not from anyone else's recipe.

Applesauce Cake

• 1 package white cake mix (needs to be moist or pudding in the mix type)
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• Whipped topping or cream

1. Combine all ingredients, except whipped topping, in a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed with an electric hand mixer until smooth.
2. Pour into a greased 11 x 7 cake pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
4. Serve with a dollop of whipped topping or whipped cream on top.

Adapted from 365 Quick, Easy & Inexpensive Dinner Menus by Penny E. Stone.

Buy this cookbook on Amazon here. (Not an affiliate link)

Mamaw Mobley's Chocolate Gravy

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• 2 tablespoons margarine, to add at the end

1. Stir together sugar and cocoa in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir in milk.
2. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture come to a boil.
3. Mixture will "puff up" in the pan, but should not boil over. It will eventually boil back down, about 2 minutes or so. When it has done this, boil for about 30 seconds longer, until you are happy with the consistency.
4. Stir in margarine and serve over fried eggs and biscuits.

*This is a passed down family recipe.

Basic Deviled Eggs

• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise 
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon dill pickle relish
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Boil eggs in water for approximately 10 minutes. Peel, rinse, slice each egg lengthwise, and place yolks in another bowl. Mash yolks thoroughly with fork.
2. Mix all the other ingredients. Spoon or pipe yolk mixture back into the eggs. Garnish with a sliced green olive or a sprinkle of paprika.

Cook's notes: This is a basic recipe so feel free to dress these yummy treats up to suit your tastes!  

My Basic Tuna Salad

• 2 (5 ounce) cans tuna, drained
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, diced
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 3 tablespoons dill relish
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash black pepper

1. Mix all ingredients together. Enjoy!

Breakfast Bowls & Burritos

I cannot get enough of these...

• A roll of your favorite breakfast sausage, sausage links or patties, bacon or ham; browned, drained (if needed), cut into bite sized pieces
• A bag of frozen, diced hash brown potatoes (I use the potatoes "O'Brien", with the peppers and onions)
• Oil or butter
• Sliced cheese or shredded mild Cheddar cheese
• Scrambled eggs
• Soft Taco sized flour tortillas
• Diced Tomatoes or Salsa

1. Slowly brown the hash browns in a skillet with the oil or butter. If they get too brown before the potatoes are soft, just put them in the microwave for a couple of minutes to soften!
2. Everything else is cooked, so if you want a Breakfast Bowl, place the ingredients you like best in your bowl and enjoy!
3. For Breakfast Burritos, warm a tortilla in the microwave then layer the ingredients you like best, making sure you can roll it up when you are done!

Cook's notes: Others say to wrap the burritos in foil and freeze them. When ready to thaw them, just warm them in the oven for a few minutes.