Neeley's Dirty Rice with Smoked Sausage

We love this dish and it works great as a side dish or a full meal. One thing that we do is add cheese to the top because we are cheese heads in our house. It makes a lot so be prepared to have left overs.

Ingredients:

2 cups Long Grain Rice (white is traditionally called for but we have had whole grain and it is equally great)
5 cups Chicken Stock, divided
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 lb Smoked Pork Sausage, sliced
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 lrg Onion, chopped
1 stalk Celery, chopped
1 med Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1/4 tbsp Cayenne (if you are sensitive to heat start with less and work your way up to this amount, you can always add but it is not so easy to take out)
1/4 cup Chopped Fresh Parsley Leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
Shredded Cheese for topping (optional)

Make the rice in a medium saucepan combine the rice and chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until all the stock is absorbed into the rice (approximately 20 min).
Meanwhile heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat. Brown sausage, once browned add garlic, onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook until softened and add salt and pepper. Add 1 cup chicken stock and cayenne and cook till stock reduces by 1/2. Add cooked rice and parsley and stir thoroughly.
As I said above we top with shredded cheese when we serve.

Haystacks Candy

YAY! Some of you have been waiting for me to post this recipe so that you could make this yummy treat. This treat is always a croud pleaser and lasts forever in the freezer once made.

Ingredients:

1 cup Peanut Butter (crunchy or smooth, the choice is yours)
6 oz Chow Mein Noodles (crunchy asian noodles)
12 oz Butterscotch Morsels

Melt peanut butter and morsels over medium heat in a large pot. Stir often to prevent burning, once melted remove from heat and add noodles. Fold together till noodles are covered with mixture. Spoon onto wax paper and chill till formed.

Green Bean Casserole

This is the classic recipe and I just love it for family/holiday dinners. Quick, easy and not a lot to worry about doing wrong.

Ingredients:

2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup Milk
2 tsp Soy Sauce
1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
8 cups Cooked Cut Green Beans
1 can French's French Fried Onions (2 2/3 cups)

Stir soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 1 1/3 cups onions in 3 qt casserole dish
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 min or until hot. Stir
Top with remaining onions and bake for 5 min more.

Tuna Noodle Casserole

What can I say about this classic dish. I just love this for three reasons. One it is quick and easy to put together, two it is healthy and three I can get some meat into my boys without them really knowing it is there. Truly one of a mother's must haves in their recipe book.

Ingredients:
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup Milk
2 tbsp Chopped Pimentos (optional)
2 cups Frozen Peas or Mixed Veggies
2 cans Tuna, Drained and Flaked
4 cups Hot Cooked Medium Egg Noodles
4 tbsp Dried Bread Crumbs
2 tbsp Butter or Margarine

Mix soup, milk, pimento, peas, tuna and noodles in 1 1/2 qt casserole. Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 min or until hot. Stir.
Mix bread crumbs with butter and sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake 5 min.

Ham & Swiss Puff Pastry

This recipe is one of my faves... I got it from either Ina Garten or Giada on Food Network but I don't think I do it exactly how they did. I joke and call this "A Cuban Done My Way". I love this recipe for a carefree picnic or even a party. This recipe should yield 9 good sized sandwiches.

Ingredients:

2 sheets Puff Pastry
1 Egg, Beaten with a splash of water
2-3 tablespoons Mustard
10-12 slices Deli Cheese (Swiss)
10-20 slices Deli Meat (Ham)
Pickle wedges

First step is to thaw your two sheets of puff pastry completely, frozen puff pastry is difficult to work with on this recipe. Once you are ready to work with the puff pastry dust the counter or other flat surface lightly with flour so that the pastry does not stick. Unfold the pastry and with a rolling pin that has also been dusted in flour roll out the pastry dough to approximately 1/8 inch thick. Note: do not get to aggressive with the dough or it will tear or stretch in odd shapes and we want it to stay fairly rectangle in shape. Transfer your first rolled out sheet of puff pastry to an un-greased cookie or baking sheet. Next take your favorite mustard (mine honey Dijon) and spread an even layer on the puff pastry on the pan leaving a 1" border (you will need between 2-3 table spoons) Next cover the mustard with your favorite cheese (I use Swiss... Yeah I know not surprising) make sure to get a good layer without going into that 1" border. Next take your favorite lunch meat or thinly sliced deli meat and layer on top of the cheese ( I have been known to add another layer of meat between the cheese and mustard to make the sandwich extra meaty). Roll the second sheet of puff pastry just as you did the first and carefully lay on top of the meat. Trim any extra dough and use a fork to crimp the edges together. Next take a pairing knife and make a couple slits in the top dough as to let out the steam that will build up inside during baking. Using an egg wash brush the top of the pastry so you will receive a golden crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes, depending on your oven you may need to adjust the baking time. Cut and serve with pickle wedges. Yummy Enjoy!