Cheddar Bacon Potato Salad

I have to admit I didn't used to like potato salad.

Eat cold potatoes?

Yuck!

Potatoes are supposed to be eaten

 piping hot with lots of melted butter.

Not cold.

That was before I tried my sister-in-law Sandra's version.

This potato salad...

was the motherload of all potato salad!

 It has crispy bacon, chunks of cheddar cheese, 

and red onions. 

Now you want to try some, don't you?

 This is our version of Sandra's potato salad.

Let's get started!

We used fresh dill because 

ours was calling out to us from the garden, 

but in the winter months we use dried.

We cut our bacon into one inch pieces

 before cooking it.

Drain well.

Try to cube your potatoes all the 

same size so they cook evenly.

We left some with the peel still on for some added color.

Cook in boiling water until done but not super soft so they will hold their shape.

Very, very important:

Let your potatoes cool completely before using them!

My mother (Dakota's grandma) once made potato salad and was in a hurry. She didn't let the potatoes cool all of the way before she stirred everything together.

So she ended up with MASHED potato salad! 

Yep...when she started to stir those potatoes just fell apart.

Lesson learned!

Let them cool.

 While your potatoes are cooling, chop up your 

celery, red onion, hard boiled eggs and dill.

Cube your cheddar cheese too.

To make the dressing for the potato salad mix together

mayo, mustard, dill, and a little sugar.

Combine everything in a big bowl.

Then add the dressing and mix.

Yummy potato salad!

 Cheddar Bacon Potato Salad

5 pounds potatoes

1 pound bacon 

5 stalks celery

4 eggs, hard boiled

1 large red onion

1/2 to 1 pound of cheddar cheese

3 cups mayonaisse

3 Tbsp yellow mustard

2 Tbsp fresh dill (or dried)

1 Tbsp sugar

Cube your potatoes and cooling in boiling water for about 25 minutes.

Drain and cool completely. 

Cut bacon into 1 inch pieces and cool until crispy then drain.

Dice the celery and onion. 

Cut the cheddar cheese into cubes.

Chop dill.

Dice the hard boiled eggs.

To make the dressing:

Mix together the mayo, mustard, 

dill, and sugar. 

Once the potatoes are cool combine them with the bacon, cheese, celery, 

onion, and eggs.

Add the dressing and mix well.

Chill for a couple of hours so 

all of the flavors combine.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Glaze Pie

Summertime

Summertime

Baseball games, going to the lake, 

playing in the sprinkler, the ice cream trucks,

 and cookouts.

But nothing says summer like 

homemade strawberry pie!

We have never met

a strawberry pie we haven't liked.

But let me tell you this one is different.

Instead of a "normal" pie crust, this crust

is almost like a cookie. 

Thanks to our friend, Liz A. we have made 

this version for the last 5 or 6 years.

In fact I think that first summer 

Dakota and Jamey made this one 

over and over....and over.

You start with the basic stuff on hand.

Flour, brown sugar, butter, cornstarch, 

and red food coloring.

Fresh strawberries.

We weren't able to make it to 

the local farmer's market so 

we bought some at the grocery store.

Mix together the flour, brown sugar,

 and melted butter for the crust. 

Press the crust into the pan with your fingertips.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

Cool.

Take some beautiful strawberries (okay...ours aren't really 

beautiful but they will do).

Wash, hull, and slice the strawberries.

Then to make the glaze crush 1 cup of 

 strawberries and cook them 

with 1 cup of water for about 3 minutes.

Then sieve them.

This mean to separate the liquid

 from the cooked strawberries.

The easiest way to do this is like shown above.

Place a colander on top of an empty bowl.

Pour the cooked strawberry and 

water mixture into the colander.

Let all of the strawberry "juice" drain into the bowl.

 Toss the yucky cooked strawberries

 that you end up with.

This is the lovely red strawberry juice that 

comes through the colander. Keep this.

Put the berry juice back in the pan.

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.

Stir the sugar/cornstarch mixture into the juice.

 Cook and stir until thickened.

Add a few drops of red food coloring.

Place half of the sliced strawberries

 into the cooled crust. 

Pour half of the glaze over them.

Repeat with the rest of the 

strawberries and glaze.

Chill.

This is the "naked" strawberry pie.

 Looks good.

But it would be even better 

all dressed up with whipped cream.

 Strawberry Glaze Pie

1 1/2 cups flour

4 Tbsp. brown sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

2 lbs. strawberries,washed, hulled, and sliced.

1 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

red food coloring

Whipped cream or Cool Whip

Crust:

Stir together the flour and brown sugar.

Mix in the melted butter.

Press this mixture evenly along the 

bottom and up the sides of a pie plate.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven

for about 10 minutes.

Do not over bake.

Cool.

Glaze:

Crush 1 cup of your strawberries.

Cook with 1 cup of water over 

medium heat for about 3 minutes.

Sieve.

Toss the yucky berries but keep the juice.

Combine 3/4 cup of sugar with 3 Tbsp. cornstarch.

Whisk into berry juice.

Cook and stir until thick and bubbly.

Add a few drops of red food coloring.

Place half of the remaining strawberries

 in the bottom of the pie crust.

Pour half of the glaze over the strawberries.

Add remaining strawberries and 

top with the rest of the glaze.

Chill.

Top with whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole

This is a delightful casserole

 to serve for breakfast or brunch. 

Add some fruit, maybe a toasted English muffin,

and you have breakfast. 

Add a small salad and a crusty roll
and you have brunch or lunch.

This recipe came from our Aunt Sharon.

(Debbie's aunt and Dakota's great aunt.)

She made it for some family members 

visiting her in Missouri and 

they loved it so much they passed it on.

We are glad they did. 

It has been a casserole that we have made 

for many a Christmas morning.

If you like you can make it the night before

 and refrigerate it.

Then pop it in the oven the next morning.

Start with eggs, cheese, milk, 

sausage, bread, 

and 

salt & pepper.

 Brown 1/2 pound of sausage.

Love that Mix 'N Chop tool from Pampered Chef!

 While the sausage is browning cube your bread.

You can use any kind of bread you like.

White, wheat, or mulit-grain. 

Whatever is your favorite.

Whisk your eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.

 Add the drained sausage and bread cubes 

to the egg mixture.

 Grate your cheese.

Gotta love that cheese.

Add it to the mixture.

Pour into a greased casserole dish.

We use a 9x9 inch square dish or 

this cute 6 x 10 inch casserole dish.

 Bake for about 50 minutes.

Yum...look at all that cheese!

 
Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole

2 slices bread

1/2 pound sausage

1 pound cheddar cheese, grated

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

(you can add 1/2 cup diced onions if desired)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown sausage.

Drain well.

Cube bread slices.

Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together.

Add bread crumbs.

Mix.

Add sausage.

Mix.

 Add grated cheese.

Mix.

Pour into a greased casserole dish.

(9x9 inch or 6x10 inch)

Bake for about 50 minutes 

in a 350 degree oven.

Remove and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Whoopie Pies with Buttercream Filling

Whooooopie!  

It's a whoopie pie!

A cake sandwich.

 Two delicious gobs of cake 

with a vanilla buttercream filling.  

We made regular ones and mini ones.

 

We rolled them in chocolate chips,

 

in chopped up Heath bar.

  and sprinkles!!!

We start with a few basic ingredients.
It is always nice to be able 
to make wonderful things with stuff
 that you already have on hand.

A quick tip: if you don't normally
 have buttermilk in your fridge,
you can cheat by making a simple substitute.
Put 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a measuring cup. 
Then add enough milk to measure 1 cup. 

The batter is ready to go.

We offset the mounds of batter
 so they have lots of room to spread out.

There are whoopie pies that are
 made with a marshmellow creme filling,
but we prefer a vanilla buttercream filling.

We have found the easiest way 
to fill the pies is with a cake decorating bag.
Fill the bag.

Snip off the end and your ready to fill!

 

Once your pies have cooled,

 line them up two by two.

Flip one over so it is the bottom.

 Pipe the filling onto the bottoms.

Add the tops 

and 

you have whoopie pies!

Whoopie Pies

Pies:  

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg.

Buttercream filling:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup white Crisco

1 tsp. vanilla

4 1/3 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. milk

To make the pies:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat together the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and beat until combined.

Combine the buttermilk and vanilla in separate bowl.

Combine the flours, cocoa, baking soda,

and salt in a separate bowl.

Slowly add the dry mixture and the buttermilk alternately.

Starting and ending with the flour.

Mix until smooth.

Spray cookie sheet with baking oil.

Scoop out mounds of dough (about 1/4 cup) on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Less dough for minis.

Bake about 8 to 10 minutes.

Check a little sooner for minis.

 Let cool.

Buttercream filling:

Beat together the butter and Crisco.

Add vanilla.

Mix.

Slowly add the powdered sugar.

Mix well.

Add the milk until you have

 the consistency that you want.

Put filling on one of the upside down pies

 and then top with the "lid". 

Finish with remaining cakes and you have Whoopie Pies.

Wrap each individually in plastic wrap 

for a great picnic dessert

Enjoy!