Pressure Cooker Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

My pressure cooker has made my favorite, already easy to make potato salad even easier! Hooray!

Wash and scrub as many red potatoes as you would like,

Cut them into large bite-sized chunks.

Place them in pressure cooker with 1 cup water. Cook on veggie setting for 3 minutes.

Quick release and drain in colander.

Place potatoes immediately into a large mixing/serving bowl. While the potatoes are still hot stir in ranch salad dressing, frozen peas and black pepper to taste. Mix well.

Chill salad in fridge until cold.

At this point you may want to stir in more ranch dressing so it isn't too dry. But you can also just leave it as it is. Just depends on how wet you like your potato salad.

Stir in crumbled cooked bacon pieces just before serving.

Maple Pumpkin Butter

I decided to tackle the pile of pumpkins sitting on the hot tub today!

First step was to get them all baked and pureed. Super easy using this oven method!

Before I knew it, I had 25 cups of pumpkin! Fifteen cups went into the freezer and the other 10 got made into pumpkin butter. I’d never made it before, but from the recipes I saw on-line it didn’t seem too difficult. So, I made it up as I went along and am pretty darn pleased with the results!

spiced bourbon orange, pumpkin pie & maple

My mind is reeling with all kinds of ideas to do with them! If they work, I’ll post them here. But first, the Maple Pumpkin Butter recipe:

3 cups pumpkin puree (see recipe HERE)

1/4 cup apple cider (I used our homemade cider)

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 Tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon maple extract

pinch salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine pumpkin, cider, sugar and syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered, still stirring often, until it reduces down and gets thick. You can make it as thin or thick as you want.

Remove from heat and stir in extracts,, salt and lemon juice.

Let cool in fridge. Pour into jars or freezer containers. Store in fridge for up to 3 weeks or in freezer up to a year.

Bacon Jalapeno Biscuits

I needed something to go along with the pot of chorizo chili for supper and had just chopped up the last of the jalapenos from the garden. So here is the result…

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup shortening or lard

1/4 cup crumbled bacon

2 Tablespoons minced fresh jalapeno

1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

1 cup milk

Mix together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening or lard with a pastry cutter. Stir in bacon, jalapenos and cheese. Add milk and stir until just combined.

Drop onto greased baking sheet and bake at 450 for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve hot with butter.

Pineapple Casserole

This recipe came from the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog. I have to admit that I was very skeptical about it. But it was a huge hit at Easter dinner! It’s already been requested for Christmas… It was perfect with ham and no would guessed there was cheese in it!  It was even good warmed up in the oven for dinner the next day. This is also yummy enough to double as a dessert. :o)  Bonus!

Here is a link to the original recipe: Pineapple Casserole

I made only two changes. Here’s what I did:

I used 2 full sleeves of Ritz crackers for the topping.

I also used mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar.

No, it’s not the only thing I ate… I just took the pic before I loaded up my plate. ;o)

Cheesy Ham & Scalloped Potatoes

We usually end up having this every holiday because we usually end up with leftover ham… It’s pretty easy and for me, one of those comfort foods I just love!

First I really thinly slice about 6-8 medium potatoes with my PC slicer. I just slice them right into my greased 9x13 baking pan.

Toss in some cut up ham.

Then mix in about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese with the potatoes and ham.

Then you need to make your white sauce.

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook 1/4 cup finely chopped onion in the butter for about 1 minute.

Add 1 heaping Tablespoon of flour and salt & pepper to taste. Whisk together and quickly stir in 2 cups of milk. Whisk until smooth.

Heat until thick and bubbly and then continue to cook for 1 minute.

Pour over potatoes.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 1 hour.

While potatoes are baking, make breadcrumbs for the top. (You can also use store bought breadcrumbs.)

I just take a cooled piece of toast and run them in my food processor until fine crumbs.

     Mix 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar in with the bread crumbs.

After potatoes have cooked for 1 hour, remove the foil and top with breadcrumbs and sprinkle with paprika.

Place back in oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Pineapple Salsa

Having 5 fresh pineapples this week (they were $1 each), meant thinking of new ways to eat pineapple. I had a fish taco once years ago that had pineapple salsa on it… I’ve often thought about that fish taco and figured this was the perfect time to make me one!

So I grilled up some tilapia and made up a batch of fresh pineapple salsa. I also threw in some white rice in the tortillas… I think these were even better than the ones in my memory banks! ;o)

Such a cool refreshing meal on a hot summer evening!

Here’s the recipe for the salsa…

1 small pineapple, peeled, cored and finely chopped

1 red pepper, finely chopped

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1 whole jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (you can seed it and use less for a milder salsa)

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

juice from 1 lime

Mix and then chill for a few hours to let flavors combine. Serve with tortilla chips or with fish or chicken tacos.

Cuban-Style Pork and Black Beans

I had no idea I liked Cuban food. Not that I was surprised, but I hadn’t ever had it before. Now I don’t know how authentic my improvised and make-due-with-what-I-have Cuban food is, but it sure was delicious! Served with white rice and mix all three together… Awesome!  All it needed was a mojito…

Pork Roast

1-2 pounds of pork roast

5 limes, juiced

1 orange, juiced

3 heads (not cloves, whole heads) garlic, peeled and chopped

1 onion, rough chopped

salt

ground black pepper

Place roast, juices, garlic, and onion in your crock pot. Season with salt and pepper. Turn on high and cook for 4-7 hours, or until roast shreds easily with fork.

Shred the pork with a fork and stir into the liquid it cooked in.

Black Beans

1 can black beans, undrained

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3-6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup green pepper, finely chopped

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1-2 Tablespoons ketchup

cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté garlic, onion and green pepper until tender.

Place beans, ketchup and seasonings in a saucepan. Stir in sautéed veggies. Heat, over med-high heat until they are thoroughly heated.

Serve the pork and beans with white rice.

Easy Corn Pudding

This is one of our family’s absolute favorite side dishes! We first had in on Christmas Eve at the Erickson’s while we were in seminary. Moist, delicious, filling and super simple, it is perfect when you need something fast! Yummy with or without sour cream, it is easy to whip up anytime…

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 can corn, drained

1 can creamed corn

1 cube butter, melted

1/4 cup sour cream, optional

Mix all ingredients together. Pour into greased 9” glass baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Fall in Love with Your Crock Pot

Fall is the ideal time to cook with your crock pot! This meal was just what I needed on a day full of canning and errands, not much time to cook.

First I made a batch of Slow Cooker Beef & Mushrooms from Sweet Anna’s.

Then came a big pot of mashed potatoes from our garden!

For those of us that like squash, I baked up two acorn squash with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and a bit of hot chili powder. The sweet hot combination was fantastic!

The green beans were for those who wouldn’t eat the really delicious acorn squash.

Remember, some of the best comfort foods come from your slow cooker…

7-Up Salad

This was one of my favorites growing up and still is. I especially enjoy it on hot summer days! My mom always made it with lime Jello, but I like it with just about any flavor…

1 1/2 cups applesauce

1 small box of Jello

1 cup 7-Up (or any lemon-lime soda)

Heat applesauce until hot and bubbly. Dissolve Jello in applesauce. Pour into bowl and let cool. Stir in 1 cup 7-up. Chill until set.

Cranberry Christmas Salad

I love this jello salad my mom made for both our Christmas open house and our church’s Christmas party. I also had quite a few requests for the recipe, so here it is…

1 lg. box strawberry Jello

1 c. boiling water

1 10 oz box frozen strawberries thawed or 1 c. fresh sliced

1 can jellied cranberry sauce

Dissolve jello in boiling water.  Add cranberry sauce and mix well.  (use a wire whip or rotary beater)  Add strawberries. 

Strawberry Spinach Salad

I should call this my "Award Winning Strawberry Spinach Salad"...I don't even remember when or where I got this recipe but it is one of my favorite salads ever! It is perfect for summer time lunches with chicken or as a side dish at a BBQ! I took it to a friend's BBQ Cook-Off Contest and everyone placed their votes for their favorite dish and this salad won! It was kind of embarrassing since it wasn't even one of the entries, only a side dish... But it is really good! ;o)

Me, Andy & my prize-winning salad

2 bunches or 1 bag of fresh spinach

2 cups sliced strawberries

1/2 cup roasted sunflower seeds

Dressing:

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 Tbsp poppy seeds

1 1/2 Tbsp minced red or white onion

1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup oil

1/4 cup cider vinegar (or white vinegar with a little apple juice in it)

Combine dressing and toss with spinach, strawberries and sunflower seeds just before serving.

Jello Eggs

These are a favorite Easter tradition at our house! It doesn't seem like Easter without Jello eggs! I even made them into "dino eggs" for Zack's birthday one year.

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 large or 2 small boxes of jello

Dissolve jello in water for 2 minutes, stirring constantly in a pouring container. Pour into closed egg mold sprayed with cooking spray. Chill at least 3 hours. Pry mold open with butter knife and carefully remove eggs by running finger along the edge of the mold to loosen eggs.

2-Tone eggs

Use 2 different small boxes of jello. Dissolve one box in 2/3 cup boiling water. Pour in one color, filling each egg mold halfway. Chill 1 hour. Dissolve second box of jello in 2/3 cup boiling water and pour on top of first color. Let chill at least 3 hours before removing.

Sunshine Carrots

This recipe came from my mom. We love these carrots. I often make them for Easter dinner. There was a period of time when these were one of the 4 things Zack would eat, along with saltines, canned peaches and milk.

Cut up and cook 5 carrots.

Combine: 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch, less than 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground ginger. Add 1/4 cup orange juice. Stir constantly over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 2 Tbsp butter. Pour over carrots.

Cranberry Sauce

While we lived in Fergus Falls, we spent a Thanksgiving with our friends the Undseths. Lois made this wonderful cranberry sauce that I have made every Thanksgiving and Christmas since.

12 oz fresh cranberries

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/3 cup cranberry juice

finely grated zest of one orange

3/4 cup dried cherries or cran-cherries

Pick through cranberries. Rinse and drain well. Combine cranberries, sugar, juices and zest. Place over medium heat. Boil slowly until berries burst, about 10 minutes. Skim foam off surface with metal spoon. Stir in cherries. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refridgerate. Will last up to one month.

Southern Peach Yam Bake

This is one of the BEST Thanksgiving recipes I have ever had or made. My mom has made it since I was a kid and now I carry on the tradition. It's pretty sweet, so it's more like a dessert you get to eat for dinner. :o) Sometimes I think it is even better than pumpkin pie.

2 large cans yams, drained well
1 large can peaches, drained well

Pour into glass baking dish.

1/2 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Mix first 3 ingredients. Cut in butter. Add nuts. Sprinkle over yams and peaches.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.


Remove from oven and turn to broil.


Sprinkle top with 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows.


Broil until marshmallows are a light golden brown.