1 medium onion, sliced 1 medium green pepper sliced ½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ¼ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 8 slices sourdough bread 16 slices Colby-Monterey Jack or Swiss cheese, divided 8 slices deli roast beef ½ cup butter or margarine, softened Garlic salt, optional
In a large skillet, sauté the onion, green pepper, mushrooms and garlic in oil until tender; sprinkle with salt and pepper. On four slices of bread, layer two slices of cheese, two slices of beef and a fourth of the vegetable mixture. Top with the remaining cheese and bread.
Butter outsides of bread; sprinkle with garlic salt if desired. On a hot griddle, toast sandwiches for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

CALGARY STAMPEDE RIBS (From Taste of Home)

Ingredients:
4 pounds pork back ribs, cut into serving-size pieces 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon paprika 2 teaspoons each salt, pepper, chili powder and ground cumin
BARBECUE SAUCE:
1 small onion, finely chopped 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup ketchup 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 3 tablespoons lemon juice 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1-1/2 teaspoons ground mustard 1 teaspoon celery seed 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions:
Rub ribs with garlic; place in a shallow roasting pan. Cover and bake at 325° for 2 hours. Cool slightly. Combine the seasonings and rub over ribs. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
In a small saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside 3/4 cup. Brush ribs with some of the remaining sauce.
Grill, covered, over medium heat for 12 minutes, turning and basting with sauce. Serve with reserved sauce. Yield: 4 servings.

BREAKFAST
Blueberry French Toast Casserole

1 loaf French bread, crust removed, cut into 1 inch cubes 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese 1 c blueberries (fresh or frozen) 12 eggs 2 c milk 1/3 c maple syrup Blueberry sauce (recipe below)

Place half the bread cubes into greased 13×9×2 dish. Cut cream cheese into cubes and place over bread. Top with blueberries and remaining bread cubes. In a large bowl, beat eggs, add milk and syrup. Mix well and pour over bread mixtures. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover; bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 25-30 minutes longer or until the center is set.

Blueberry Sauce 1 c sugar 2 T cornstarch 1 c water 1 c blueberries 1 T butter

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium head and cook, stirring often for 3 minutes. Stir in blueberries and reduce heat. Simmer for 8 -10 minutes until berries have burst. Stir in butter until melted.
OR

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIES WITH MACADAMIAS

Makes: 24 brownies Time to prepare: 20 minutes Time to cook: 35 minutes Maddy says: “Don’t even think about the calorie count!” You will need: 8oz (250g) unsalted butter, chopped 4oz (125g) good quality dark or bittersweet cooking chocolate, (around 60% cocoa content is best) chopped 14oz (500g) superfine (caster) sugar 4 medium size eggs 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract 8oz (250g) all purpose (plain) flour 1oz (30g) cocoa powder Pinch salt 4oz (125g) macadamias, chopped 4oz (125g) white chocolate chips 8oz (250g) good quality milk chocolate for topping, cut into small chunks Powdered confectioners sugar (icing sugar) to decorate

Method: Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C) or 325F (170C) for fan-assisted ovens. Spray the bottom of a rectangular cake pan, 13 x 9 x 2in (33 x 23 x 5cm) with cooking spray oil, then line with parchment paper (baking paper) so paper hangs over edges of pan. Heat butter in medium saucepan on very low heat until butter is half melted. Add chopped dark chocolate. Take off heat when chocolate is half melted, stir until completely melted and combine. Keep saucepan off the heat. Stir in sugar. Then add eggs, one at a time, and stir mixture until it is glossy. Stir in vanilla. Sift flour and cocoa together and add to saucepan. Mix until blended. Stir in nuts and white chocolate morsels. Pour mixture into prepared cake pan. Bake approximately 35 minute until a toothpick or skewer comes out clean. Take out of oven. Randomly sprinkle surface with chopped milk chocolate chunks and lightly press down. Return to oven for one minute. Take out of oven for the final time. Cool brownies in pan. Using edges of parchment paper, lift onto board. Cut into small squares and sprinkle with confectioners sugar to serve.

Maddy’s tip no.1: Pecans or walnuts also taste great instead of the macadamias. Maddy’s tip no.2: You can use milk chocolate chips for the topping instead of chopped chocolate. Maddy’s tip no.3: The brownies freeze well, but wait until they’re defrosted before sprinkling with the icing sugar.

HOLIDAY MASHED POTATOES

Ingredients: 6 medium to large potatoes, peeled 1/4 cup butter, melted 1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, cut into cubes 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup sliced green onions 1 1/2 cups sour cream 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 slices cooked, crumbled bacon
Preparation Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain. Mash potatoes with remaining ingredients, except bacon. Spoon into greased, 2 quart casserole. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon. Serves 6. Can be prepared 24 hours ahead and refrigerated. Do not bake until serving time.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT PECAN BROWNIES
First,you take a regular brownie mix and prepare the batter according to package instructions. Pour half the mixture into a 9X9 inch baking pan. Next–and here’s where the magic really happens–you spread a generous helping of Duncan Hines Coconut Pecan Cake Frosting over your first layer of brownie batter. (It helps if you warm it in the microwave first.) And then you simply top it with the rest of the brownie batter and bake it at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Ooey-Gooey Turtle Bars from Pillsbury.com

Ingredients

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookies 1 bag (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups) 3 cups Fisher Chef’s Naturals Chopped Pecans 1/2 cup LAND O LAKES Butter 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 1 jar (12.25 oz) SMUCKER’s Carmamel Ice Cream Topping 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (16 squares)

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 for dark or nonstick pan). Press cookie dough evenly in bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch pan.
2. Sprinkle 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups of the pecans over dough; lightly press into dough. Set aside.
3. In a 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Stir in brown sugar, caramel topping and graham cracker crumbs. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Pour over crust in pan; spread evenly.
4. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups pecans.
5. Bake 25 to 32 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown and pecans are lightly toasted.
Cool on cooling rack 30 minutes; loosen sides from pan, but DO NOT CUT. Cool completely, about 3 HOURS LONGER. (For firmer bars, let stand an additional 2 hours.) For bars, cut into six rows by four rows.
High Altitute (3500-6500 feet): Bake 27-34 minutes. Found at Pillsbury.com

Porch Swing French Toast

This recipe won First Place in the State of Wyoming Bed & Breakfast Recipe Contest.
Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons butter, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup cream, 1 8-oz. can crushed pineapple, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 Tablespoon grated orange zest, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch slices, 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Topping:

1/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 Tablespoon light corn syrup 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Directions:

The night before, melt butter in a 9 x 13-inch pan and place bread in pan. Combine all ingredients and pour over bread. Combine topping ingredients, except for nuts. Spread topping over bread and sprinkle with nuts. Cover and refrigerate. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 F and bake 40 minutes or until golden. Serves 6.
Courtesy of Carole Eppler of Porch Swing Bed & Breakfast, Cheyenne, Wyoming.

1. Grilled salmon + asparagus. Get wild salmon hopefully from Costco, about 1.75 times as much as you’d typically buy. You can grill it plain, or marinate it with soy sauce, garlic, lime, bourbon, brown sugar, or store-bought teriyaki. Grill it on a gas or charcoal grill (or better yet get Alpha Man to grill it) along with twice as many asparagus as you’ll want. Also acquire fresh dinner rolls or bread. First night, serve grilled salmon, asparagus, and rolls hot. I usually add sliced fresh tomatoes and cottage cheese but I’m weird that way.

Then, second night, boil some pasta. I always use whole wheat and prefer fusilli. Flake the salmon and chop the leftover asparagus, then warm in pan. Add either julienned sun-dried tomatoes or pesto sauce plus Parmesan cheese (the real kind, NOT Kraft). Pour over drained pasta. Makes a lovely meal that doesn’t seem like leftovers.

2. My favorite easy winter dish is baked chicken with veggies. Put small potatoes, whole small mushrooms (trimmed and wiped), cubed onion, those easy cleaned mini carrots, and anything else that sounds good (I use chopped fennel or parsnips or bacon or turnips or all of these) in the bottom of a 13 x 9″ pan (I use glass). Drizzle very generously with olive oil (and I add that garlic that you can buy pre-grated but the stuff from California not the stuff from China). Put four chicken breasts, or two breasts and two thighs, atop your lovely veggie collection, skin side up. Cook at 350 degrees for about an hour. Makes the whole house smell good. Sometimes I make biscuits to go with this meal, and sometimes apple pie.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts (1 per person, or 2-3 if they eat like my hubby)
Teryaki marinade
Blue Cheese
Cherry Tomatoes

Cut a slit into the chicken breasts to make a pocket then put in a bag and pour the marinade in the bag and let the chicken hang out for a few hours or overnight.

When you are ready to cook, take the out of the marinade and stuff them with the blue cheese, then throw them on the grill until they are done. While the chickens are cooking, cut the cherry tomoatoes in half. Spray a pan with cooking spray, and throw in the tomatoes and cook them over medium-low heat until they are soft. Add a little salt and pepper. When the chicken is done, add the tomatoes on top.

Good eatin!

Chicken parts – your choice (I use boneless thighs)
1 large jar of salsa/picante – your choice mild/med./hot
I can corn (drained)
1 can black beans – drained.

Place all in a crock pot, and cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken is done.

I serve it with cornbread but you can use brown rice (even the instant kind) or cous-cous, pasta, whatever.

The sauce makes a great soup if you take the left over chicken pieces and chop them up, stir in and serve with corn chips.

1 pound of elbow macaroni (cooked)
1 large can of tuna fish
green olives; chopped (as many as you desire to taste)
chopped celery
mayonnaise (as much as you desire)
Salt and pepper to taste

It’s quick and easy. Hope you enjoy it.

Slow Cooker Chicken & Ham Gumbo
1 1/2 LB Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs
1 TBSP. Oil
1/2 Cup Long Grain Rice
10 oz. PKG Frozen Okra
1/2 LB Smoked Ham (Cut into small pieces)
1 1/2 Cup coarsley chopped Onion and Green Peppers
2 or 3 10 oz cans Cannellini beans, drained (I used kidney and Black Beans)
6 cups chicken broth
2 10 oz cans diced tomatoes with green chiles (if you don’t like spicy use one regular diced and one with chiles)
2 TBSP fresh cilantro

1. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Cook in oil in skillet until no longer pink. (I also cooked it in garlic, seasoned meat tenderizer and parsley) 2. Run hot water over Okra until pieces separate easily. 3. Combine all ingredients except cilantro in Slow Cooker. (Also, I added garlic, parsley and pepper to the whole pot.) 4. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Stir cilantro before serving.

It sounds like alot. But it isn’t at all! Just make sure you buy the chicken already skinless and boneless! LOL

Here is mine for Garlic Chicken
1 whole chicken cut up (you can double, triple the recipe as needed)

4 cloves of garlic chopped small or smashed in a garlic press which I am sure you have, Jill.

1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp oregano

Mix all ingredients but chicken and hold aside.
Put chicken in oven at 375 and cook til well browned.

Then pour over garlic mixture and scrape bottom of pan to get all the nice brown stuff mixed with it. Cook for about 20 mins more. Juice should be nice and brown. Serve.

Wendy

Mix together:
Cooked macaroni – elbows, ditalini or whatever smaller version you like

a little mayo or ranch dressing – just enuf to coat and give some flavor

cut up cooked chicken pieces – Perdue or whatever brand is availabe in your area is great if you dont have any leftover

sliced black olives

some dried cranberriesa

a little bit of corn