Matt's Spinach Artichoke Dip

Here's another recipe I can't claim as my own, but I wanted to share it here. My brother-in-law Matt gave me this recipe for spinach artichoke dip. I love spinach artichoke dip, so I'm really excited to try this. Once I make this recipe, I'll be sure to add some pictures and my review of it.

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a small baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, garlic, basil, garlic salt, salt and pepper. 
3. Gently stir in artichoke hearts and spinach.
4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. 
5. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned. 

Mom's Pecan Pie

I can't take any credit for this recipe, because I don't like pecan pie so I never make it. But my mom sent me her recipe, and it's pretty simple, so I wanted to record this here...

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup Karo syrup light
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 - 1 ½ cups of pecans
• 9" pie crust 

In large bowl, stir first 5 ingredients until blended.
Stir in pecans.
Pour into crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
Cool.

Super Simple Cheesecake

A friend was in the mood for cheesecake, so I offered to share my mom's recipe. Considering the Christmas season is a great time for cheesecake, I thought I'd post it here and share it with anyone who wants it. It is so freaking delicious and shockingly easy to make. I love, love, love this cheesecake.



Oh, and in the spirit of full disclosure, I think my mom got this recipe from an old neighbor, but my mom made it for us all the time and then shared the recipe with me, so I consider it "Mom's" Cheesecake.

Ham Steak

Probably the easiest thing I cook, a ham steak is a simple and inexpensive meat to prepare for dinner, and goes great with macaroni and cheese, so it's popular with kids.

1. Take ham steak out of package and place in a glass baking dish. 
2. Sprinkle brown sugar on both sides. 
3. Bake in a 400 degree oven for ~15 minutes.
4. Serve!

Parmesan Oven Fries

This is a super-easy method of making delicious oven fries, without all the fat in french fries, courtesy of my grandmother.

1. Cut up potatoes into small cubes/chunks. 
2. Pour ~2 TB of olive oil into a jelly roll (or similar) pan, and spread it around.
3. Mix ~1/2 cup of flour and ~1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese in a bowl. (Use more for larger batches.)
4. Put potato chunks in bowl, about a handful at a time, and mix them around in the flour/cheese, then put them in the pan, spread around in one layer.
5. Bake in a 375 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes, checking and "tossing" potatoes periodically, to make sure they are cooked evenly.
6. Sprinkle remaining cheese/flour mixture on the top, and bake for 10 more minutes.

My daughter goes nuts over these, and my very picky husband likes them a lot too!

Salmon Croquettes

This is a Southern favorite, simplified for my Midwestern taste buds. ;-)

1. Drain 1 can salmon (soup can size) and mix in a bowl with 1 egg and some cracker crumbs. (We use crushed Saltines with unsalted tops.)
2. Shape salmon mixture into 4-5 patties.
3. Bread patties by dipping into egg, and then cracker crumbs.
4. Fry on medium heat for approx. 5 minutes each side, until patties are golden brown. 
5. Place patties on paper towels and blot to remove excess oil.

This goes great with mac and cheese (see recipe) or potatoes of any kind.

It's also tasty cold, so it makes a great leftover to pack in school lunches.

Super-easy Creamy Mac Cheese

Okay, so it's probably not any better for you than Kraft Mac & Cheese, but it's just as easy and it sure tastes a heck of a lot better. Nobody would guess it has only 3 ingredients. :-) And my almost 2-year-old just announced that it's "delicious!"

1. Prepare 1/2 box of your desired noodles according to package directions. (You can leave them a little firmer than usual, since they will be going in the oven still.)
   TIP: Regular elbow macaroni, rotini, and shells are all good choices, but you can use whatever you like of course. 
2. Put cooked noodles, 1 small jar of Cheez Whiz, and 1 jar of milk (I recommend 2% or whole) in a casserole dish and cover with a lid or aluminum foil. 
3. Bake in a 350° oven for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   TIP: I usually leave it covered almost the whole time, but you can leave the cover off for the last 10 minutes or so if you prefer a more baked look to the top.

This goes great with ham steak, salmon croquettes, or chicken fingers, among other things.

Even quicker/easier method!
If you are really in a rush, you can mix the noodles, Cheez Whiz, and milk in the same saucepan that you boiled the noodles in on the stove, at a Low-Med temperature, stirring frequently. This somehow isn't quite as good as baking it, but it will work.