Creamy tomato soup

This is a favorite taken from TASTE OF HOME'S QUICK COOKING magazine March/April 2000 issue. I don't care much for tomato soup but this one is yummy!

INGREDIENTS

* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
* 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
* 2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup, undiluted
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed


DIRECTIONS

1. In a saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in tomatoes, soup, milk, sugar, basil, paprika and garlic powder.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Serve immediately.

Beef and Cheddar Potpie

I got this recipe from my September issue of Rachael Ray! I like it, I think if you would like to spice it up you could substitute diced tomatoes with chilies for the regular diced tomatoes.

Beef and Cheddar Potpie

6 tablespoons butter, chilled
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup beef broth
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
1/2 cup milk



1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease an 8-by-12-inch baking dish and set aside. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with the back of a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and beef broth and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has cooked off, about 20 minutes. Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, blend in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and the cheese until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir quickly with a fork to form a dry, shaggy dough. Gather the dough together and knead lightly in the bowl. Transfer to a floured work surface and roll or pat into a large, 1/2-inch-thick round. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out 8 biscuits. Gather the scraps of dough, form into a new round and cut out more biscuits. Continue until all the dough has been used.

3. Place the biscuits on top of the beef mixture as close together as possible and bake until lightly browned, about 35 minutes.

My favorite Lemon Bars!

Lemon Bars

4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Hot shortbread base, recipe follows
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until combined well and stir in lemon juice and flour. Pour lemon mixture over hot shortbread. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. And bake in middle of oven until set, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan and cut into 24 bars. Bar cookies keep, covered and chilled, 3 days. Sift confectioners' sugar over bars before serving.

Shortbread Base:
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut butter into 1/2-inch pieces. In a food processor process all ingredients until mixture begins to form small lumps. Sprinkle mixture into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan and with a metal spatula press evenly onto bottom. Bake shortbread in middle of oven until golden, about 20 minutes. While shortbread is baking, prepare topping.

BBQ Meatballs straight from my MOPS meetings!

BBQ Meatballs
**Not the exact meatballs


Meatballs:
3 lbs. ground beef
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup cracker crumbs
2 eggs
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. chili powder
Sauce:
2 cups ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup onion, chopped

Combine all meatball ingredients and shape into meatballs. Place in a 9x13" pan. Then combine all sauce ingredients and stir until the sugar dissolves. Pour over meatballs. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Serve over rice. (freezes great!)

Variations:
*Spaghetti & Meatballs
*Add to Minestrone Soup

Creamy Chicken Casserole

This is a very rich and buttery dish. It's a great way to use up those Ritz crackers! Taken from my Southern Living--Our Best Easiest Weeknight Meals.

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

3 cups cooked chopped chicken
1 (10.75-ounce) can of cream of chicken soup (undiluted)
1 (8-oz) carton sour cream
1 Tble poppy seeds
1.5 cups crushed Ritz Crackers (around 40)
1/4 cup melted butter

Combine first 4 ingredients; spoon into lightly greased 11x7x1.5-inch baking dish. Combine crushed crackers & butter--sprinkle over chicken mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Two Breakfast Favorites

Here's a recipe straight from Betty Crocker. It's not the healthiest--but it's good! :) I usually omit the nutmeg, I don't care much for the taste.

French Breakfast Puffs

Get ready for "oohs" and "aahs" when you serve these heavenly rolls. Coated with cinnamon and sugar, these quick-fix breakfast puffs are a favorite in Betty's Kitchens.

Prep Time:10 min
Start to Finish:35 min
Makes:15 puffs
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease 15 medium muffin cups, 2 1/2x1 1/4 inches.
2. Mix shortening, 1/2 cup sugar and the egg throughly in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg alternately with milk. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll hot muffins immediately in melted butter, then in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Serve hot.

Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake


We love this coffee cake in our house! My mom even stole the recipe and it's my dad's favorite. We have the larger blueberries here in Oregon but I'm sure it would be tasty with the small ones too.


2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 c shortening
3/4 c milk
1 egg
2 c fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) blueberries
Crumb Topping (below)
Glaze (below)

CRUMB TOPPING
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 c margarine or butter, melted

GLAZE
1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 to 2 tsp hot water




1. Heat oven to 375°. Grease square pan, 9 x 9 x 2 inches, or round pan, 9 x 1 1/2 inches.

2. Blend flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, shortening, milk and egg; beat 30 seconds. Carefully stir in blueberries. Spread butter in pan; sprinkle with Crumb Topping.

3. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Drizzle with Glaze. Serve warm.

For Crumb Topping
Mix all ingredients until crumbly.

For Glaze
Mix all ingredients until drizzling consistency.


From "Betty Crocker's Best-Loved Recipes." Text Copyright 1998 General Mills.

Three-envelope Crockpot Chicken

1. 2 lbs boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2. 1 dry envelope Ranch Dressing Mix
3. 1 dry envelope Italian Dressing Mix
4. 1 dry envelope Chicken Gravy Mix
5. 1 cup Water


Line or spray/grease crockpot. Add chicken. Mix the three dry envelopes with 1 cup of water. Pour over chicken and cook on low for 7-8 hours. I usually just throw the chicken in frozen.