Deb's Recipe Box

This is the best sloppy joe recipe I have ever tried.  It is excellent made in larger quantities in a crock pot, and is even better as left-overs!

1 lb. of ground beef

1 packet of McCormick Sloppy Joe Seasoning

1 1/4 cups of water

1 small can of tomato paste

1 can of diced tomatoes with oregano, garlic, and basil

1 small onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, diced

Brown the ground beef, drain the fat, and then add the peppers and onions.  Allow them to saute and then add the diced tomatoes, seasoning packet, tomato paste, and water.  Bring to a boil, and reduce heat.  Cook for at least 10 minutes longer.  Serve on rolls.

Source:  Alice Riley

This is my new favorite cake!  It is amazing.  I would recommend doubling the recipe and putting it into a 9 X 13 pan, because one batch is never enought!

Cake:

1/2 cup quick cooking oatmeal

3/4 cups boiling water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2/3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1/4 cup of shortening

Mix the oatmeal with the boiling water, stir and cover. Mix the remaining ingredients then stir in the oatmeal mixture. Grease and flour a 9×9 pan. Pour batter into pan and bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes.

Coconut Pecan Frosting:

3 tbsp melted butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped nuts

2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Carefully spread frosting over the top of the cooled cake.

Broil until coconut is just brown. Watch very closely – it doesn’t take long. Cool, slice and serve. Enjoy.

Sources:  For the Love of Cooking who gives credit to Coleen Nelson and Julia

2 cans of Campbell's Cheddar Cheese soup

1 can of milk

2 cans of diced potatoes, drained

bacon bits

green onion, sliced

Combine the milk and the cheese soup.  Drain the potatoes and add to the soup.  Add as many bacon bits as desired.  Heat thoroughly and add sliced green onion when ready to serve.  

Notes:

* I've never tried using fresh potatoes, but I'm sure you could with a longer cook time.

* This soup does very well in larger quantities in the crock pot.

Source:  Deb Riley

These delicious brownies are from scratch, and once you make them, you will never want brownies from a box again!

3/4 cup of melted butter

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup cocoa powder

2 1/4 cups sugar

Directions:

Mix melted butter and eggs together. Add all of the dry ingredients listed above. Mix thoroughly. Spread batter evenly in a 9"X13" greased baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool completely in pan before cutting into 2" squares.

Source:  Terri Thompson

1 can of mandarin oranges

1 can chunk pineapple

1 quart strawberries

2 bananas

1 box of lemon pudding

Mix the fruit juice from the can fruits above with the pudding mix.

(Do not make the pudding as described on the box.)

Add everything else.

If using frozen strawberries, add them frozen or it changes the color of the pudding.

You can also add blueberries, fruit cocktail, cherries, or any other kind of fresh and/or canned fruit you want.  You have to have some canned fruits to be able to dissolve the pudding mix.

Source:  Becky Robb via Taste of Home

2 sleeves of Ritz Crackers

1 stick of butter

2 boxes of instant pudding (flavor of your choice)

1 1/2 cups of milk

1/2 gallon of ice cream (flavor of your choice)

Small container of Kool-Whip

Soften the ice cream for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Crush the ritz crackers and reserve one cup for later. Put the ritz crackers in the bottom of a 9 X 13 cake pan. Pour melted butter over the top and pat down.

Beat the milk and pudding together. Add and beat in the softened ice cream.

Pour on top of the cracker crumbs and spread evenly. Top with Kool-whip and reserved cracker crumbs. Refrigerate for several hours before cutting.

You can also pour the mixture into 2 graham cracker pie crusts and top with Kool-whip and graham cracker crumbs.

Our favorite combo is coconut pudding and vanilla ice cream. I've also done oreo pudding, chocolate fudge swirl ice cream, and a chocolate cookie crumb crust.

Sources:  Sandy Norris and Mary Utley

1 lg. box of instant vanilla pudding

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

2 pints of strawberries, sliced

1 bag of mini chocolate chips

1 box of vanilla wafers

2 cups of heavy whipping cream, whipped

1 1/2 c. cold water

Mix water, pudding, and sweetened cond. milk. Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes and then mix with heavy cream. Layer pudding, wafers, strawberries, and chocolate chips and continue until top of bowl. Garnish with chips and/or strawberries and refrigerate for several hours.

My notes: I have used frozen sliced strawberries and included the juice instead of fresh strawberries. I have also substituted a small container of kool-whip in place of the whipping cream. It does not take a whole box of wafers nor a whole bag of chocolate chips.

Source:  Penny Powell

Cake:

2 1/4 cups of flour

1 2/3 cups of sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

2/3 cup of shortening

2/3 cup of buttermilk (I mix 2/3 cup of milk with 2/3 Tablespoon of vinegar and let sit for 10 minutes)

3 eggs

3 or 4 mashed bananas

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9 X 13 pan. Blend all ingredients together on low for 30 seconds and then on high for 3 minutes. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

Frosting:

1 pound of powdered sugar

3/4 cup of shortening

1 Tablespoon of vanilla

1/4 cup of milk

Pinch of salt

Blend sugar, shortening, and vanilla. Then add milk and salt. Mix until creamy and smooth. Spread on cooled cake. For best results, keep cake refrigerated after frosting.

NOTE: If you like a lot of frosting on your cake, double the frosting recipe.

Sources:  Penny Powell and Shirley Gongloff

Ingredients:

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 loaf Texas toast

1 small container of cream cheese - you can choose plain or any flavor...I use honey nut.

4 eggs

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

1 1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cinnamon and sugar, mixed for sprinkling

2 tablespoons of melted butter

Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Melt 1/2 c. of butter in a glass 9 X 13 pan in the microwave.  Stir in the brown sugar and spread over the bottom of the pan.  Spread cream cheese, on slices of texas toast and layer on top of the brown sugar mixture in the bottom of the pan, cream cheese side up, covering the entire bottom of the pan.  Put another layer of texas toast on top of the cream cheese, like a sandwich.  Mix the eggs, 1 Tbsp of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together and pour over the bread.  Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar.  Cover and refrigerate over night.  In the moring, pour 2 Tbsp. of melted butter over the top to help it brown in the oven.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes covered, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.  Allow to cool slightly and sprinkle with powdered sugar on top and cut as desired.  I cut each slice into 1/3's.  Serve warm with maple or pancake syrup, if desired.  I found it was sweet and moist enough without the syrup.

Sources:  This recipe was combined and created from two recipes at Rach's Blog and Just a Pinch Recipes.

Oatmeal Cream Sandwich Cookies

Cookies:

2 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. Crisco

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

3 T. boiling water

1 tsp. baking soda

2 1/2 c. flour

2 c. oatmeal

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream sugar and shortening.  Add eggs, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder.  Dissolve baking soda in hot water, and add to mixture.  Gradually add flour and oatmeal.  Add vanilla.

Drop by spoonful onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Yield:  18 pies

Filling:

2 egg whites

1 tsp. vanilla

4 T. flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. Crisco

4 T milk - more if needed

2 lbs. powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together until fluffy.  Put filling between two cooled cookies and wrap individual cookies in plastic wrap.  

NOTES:

* The filling recipe makes enough for two batches of cookies.  You might want to double the cookie recipe or refrigerate half the filling and make a second batch a day or so later.

* Sandwich cookies can be frozen.

* I baked for exactly 10 minutes and allowed the cookies to cool completely on the cookie sheets before I removed them.

* These cookies resemble whoopie pies, but have the consistency of sandwich cookies.

Source:  Sally Mann