Onion Straws

This recipe is from the Pioneer woman, and it's awesome
1 large onion
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 scant tablespoon salt
Lots of black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Canola Oil
Directions:
Slice onion very thin. Place in a baking dish and cover with buttermilk for at least one hour.Combine dry ingredients and set aside.Heat oil to 375 degrees.Grab a handful of onions, throw into the flour mixture, tab to shake off excess, and PLUNGE into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes and remove as soon as golden brown.Repeat until onions are gone. 

Italian Lasagna

Tomato-Meat Sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 pound Ground Beef
• 1/2 Pound of sausage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained and discard liquid
  

Cheese Filling

• 15 ounces  ricotta cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese for top
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Rest of Ingredient

• 16 ounce whole-milk mozzarella, shredded (4 cups)
• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1/4 Parmesan cheese grated
  

For the Sauce: Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in meatloaf mix, salt, and pepper, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, breaking up any large pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add cream, bring to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and only rendered fat remains, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomato puree and drained diced tomatoes, bring to simmer, and cook until flavors meld, about 3 minutes. Set aside. (Sauce can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 2 days; reheat before assembling lasagna.)

For the Cheese Filling: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375F. Combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper in bowl.

To Assemble: Spread 1/4 cup of meat sauce evenly over bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish (avoiding large chunks of meat). Arrange 3 noodles in a single layer on top of sauce. Spread each noodle evenly with 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture and sprinkle entire layer with 1 cup mozzarella. Spoon 1-1/2 cups meat sauce over top. Repeat layers of noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce once more times. For final layer, arrange remaining 3 noodles on top and cover completely with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella, then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 Parmesan.

To Bake: Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with vegetable spray. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is spotty brown and edges are just bubbling, about 25 minutes longer. Cool lasagna for 15 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Bread

This is a very moist pumpkin bread, and it is a true and tried recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups canned pumpkin
3 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ teaspoon ground cloves

Steps:
1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, water, oil and eggs. Beat together until mixed well.Step
2: In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves.Step
3: Slowly mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients beating until smooth.
Step 4: Grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Pour the better into the 2 loaf pans evenly dividing the batter between the two. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow loafs to cool. 

Pioneer woman Apple dumplings

1 Granny Smith apple
1 can crescent roll
1 sticks butter
1/2 cup of white sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a  buttered baking pan. Melt butter, then add sugar, and cinnamon, and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour 3/4 of the can of Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, let cool. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Sour Cream Banana Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (2 medium)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour bottom only of a 9 X 5 loaf pan. In large bowl, beat together sugar and oil. Add eggs, bananas, sour cream and vanilla, blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off. Add flour, baking soda and salt, stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350F for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely. 

Pineapple coleslaw

1/2 Cup Shredded Carrots 
3 Cups shredded Cabbage
3/4 Cup Drained Crushed Pineapple (1 8oz Can)
2 Tbsp. Vinegar
2 tsp Sugar
2/3 Cup Mayonnaise
Black or White Pepper to taste

Directions: Combine all ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. Cover and chill through.

Mac and Cheese

World's Best Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 cup of penne or any small pasta
• 2 cups cheese sauce
  
• 2 ounce cheddar cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
• Fresh bread crumbs (2-slices)
• 1 TBL of melted butter
• 1 tomatoes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray Pam on a 8-inch baking dish; set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cook penne, according to package direction, for 2 minutes less than recommended on the package.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together cooked pasta and sauce gently but thoroughly. Pour pasta into prepared baking dish; sprinkle with cheeses and chile powder. Top with tomatoes slices, mix together butter and crumbs, and then cover pasta with bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

 Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/6 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 7 ounces cheddar cheese, preferably Flagship, grated (about 1 3/4 cups)
• 1 ounces Jack cheese, preferably Just Jack, grated (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle chili powder
• Directions

1. Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour. Continue whisking and cooking for 2 minutes.
2. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, salt, Chile powder, and garlic powder. Stir until cheese has melted and all ingredients are well incorporated, about 3 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days.

Mile High Biscuits

Mile High Biscuits

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 cups milk


Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add egg and milk; mix until dough forms a ball.
Turn dough out on a lightly floured surface and knead 10- 12 times, only.
Roll out to 3/4 inch, cut with floured cutter.
Place on lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake at 475 degrees for 12- 15 minutes or until light brown.

Knead dough as little as possible, or the biscuits will be tough.

Wacko's Chili

Wacko's Chili

1 pounds ground beef
one 15-ounce can tomato sauce
one 15-ounce can kidney beans (with liquid)
one 15-ounce can pinto beans (with liquid)
½  cup diced onion (1 medium onion)
1  small can diced green chili    
1/8 cup diced celery (1 stalk)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoons cumin powder
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoons salt
1 cup water  

1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain off the fat.

2. Crumble the cooked beef into pea-size pieces.

3. In a large pot, combine the beef plus all the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.


4. I blanch the tomatoes to get the skin off too

Makes about 6 servings.
This Chili is very mild, as my wife doesn't like spicy food.

Blueberry Muffins

2 Large eggs
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups all purpose flour (save a TSP for flouring berries)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

1 cup of blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together eggs,oil,sour cream, and sugar. Combine all the dry ingredients, mix well. Dust berries and gentle fold into batter. Put 12 muffin papers into pan and fill 3/4 full of batter, sprinkle top with some sugar. Bake for about 25 minutes or until done.

This recipe won first place at the local fair.