Bacon Chicken Dumpling

(the ultimate in comfort food....PLUS it had a 6/6 rating, well, one didn't like the dumplings, but thats just crazy so we pretend not to notice)

3 slices bacon
3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - diced
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
3 cups half-and-half
1 1/2 cups biscuit mix
1 cup milk
Directions
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside; reserve bacon drippings in skillet.
Add potatoes, onion and chicken to bacon drippings and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour in chicken broth; season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir in corn, and simmer all together for 15 minutes.
Pour in half-and-half and bring to a boil; add crumbled bacon. In a medium bowl, combine biscuit mix with milk and mix well (dough should be thick). Drop tablespoon sizes of dough into boiling mixture; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes uncovered, then another 10 minutes covered. (Note: Do not stir while simmering, or dumplings will break apart). Serve hot.

Baked Potato Soup

2 potatoes
3 tablespoons margarine
2 cups chopped white onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups instant mashed potato flakes
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
8 ounces bacon - cooked and crumbled
2 green onions, chopped


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake potatoes for 1 hour, or until done. Set aside to cool.
Melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions until tender and golden brown. Stir in flour, and cook 5 minutes to make a roux. Pour in chicken stock and water. Add cornstarch and mashed potato flakes. Season with salt, pepper, basil and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the skin from the cooled potatoes, and discard. Dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes, and stir into soup, along with the half-and-half. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thick. Spoon into bowls, and garnish with shredded cheese, bacon and chopped green onion.

I admit that when I make soup, the specific amts on the ingrediant list is more of a suggestion. And I omit at will. Like the potato flakes. I find these to be gross.....so I just added more potatos....I also used 2% milk, and it had to keep warm on the stove for a good while as practice ran 45 minutes long (such is life) this allowed the potato to cook down even more, making a thicker soup. Regardless, most of the crew here ate it. Well, 4 out of 6 and 3 of those LOVED it. Not bad for this house.

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie
12 oz. spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained
4 T butter
1 c. Parmesan cheese
4 eggs, beaten well
1 c. cottage cheese

Stir butter into cooked noodles. Then stir in Parmesan cheese and eggs. Divide this mixture into 2 pie plates that have been sprayed with cooking spray and form into crust shape. Top each pie with 1 cup cottage cheese.

Filling:
1 lb. hamburger
1 sweet Vidalia onion, chopped
1 (26 oz.) jar of spaghetti sauce
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Brown hamburger and onion. Drain and add spaghetti sauce. Divide and spread evenly on top of the two pasta crusts. Top each with 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees about 25 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Remove foil and bake additional 5 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. This dish can be frozen before baking. When ready to use, thaw first, or allow longer baking time.

Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan
In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin; beat until smooth. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves.
Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.

Frost with cream cheese frosting.

1 pkg. cream cheese
1 stick of butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 c powder sugar

Mix until smooth, frost bars and enjoy! Store leftovers (if your family who only had a "little bit" leave any)

Chocolate Pear Bread

I got this recipe out of the newspaper! SOOOO yummy!!

1c buttermilk

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 c butter, softened

1 c sugar

2 large eggs

1 3/4 c all purpose flour

1/2 c coco

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

1 riped peeled, core removed pear chopped

1/2 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan and set aside. Measure buttermilk into small bowl and stir in baking soda. Set aside.

Cream 1/2 c butter in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Stir in buttermilk and soda mixture. Sift coco, cinnamon, baking pwerder adn salt. Add to creamed mixture in bowl blending well. Fold in pears and walnuts.

Turn batter into pan and bake for 1 hour. Remove from pan after cooling for 15 minutes.

****TIPS****

* set timer for 45 minutes and begin checking for doneness then

* toasted nuts are great in this

* a large apple makes a great substitute

* SUPER yummy served with chocolate honey butter!

Chocolate Honey Butter

1/2 c butter softened

2 T chocolate syrup

2 T honey

1/4 c powdered sugar

Combine all ingrediants in bowl and beat until light and fluffy

Camille's Tater Tot Mexican Hotdish

1lb hamburger
taco seasoning
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can nacho chedder cheese soup
1 pkg tater tots


Brown beef and season as package dictates. Drain black beans and corn. Mix with seasoned beef. Spray non stick cooking spray in a 9x13 pan, spoon in beef mixture. Spread cheese over top, layer with tater tots.

Bake 350 degrees for 1/2 hour

Gina's Frosting

4c powder sugar
3/4 c crisco
2T water
1/4 t salt
1/2 t almond or 1 t vanilla flavoring

Place half of powder sugar in bowl. Add shortening, salt, flavoring. Beat on medium speed until fluffy. Add remaining powder surgar powder surgar, mix until blended....add coloring until desired hue is acquired. Frost and decorate away! Keeps serveral weeks