Spanish Rice

Serves 6

1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 14½-oz. can chopped tomatoes
1½ cups water
1½ cups rice
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon black pepper
dash hot pepper sauce
olives, sliced
shredded cheese
sour cream

After frying bacon, remove from grease and set aside. In grease fry onion and green pepper. When tender, add tomatoes, water, rice, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, chili powder, black pepper and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook for 30 minutes. Garnish with olives, cheese, bacon and sour cream.

Manicotti

Serves 7

Oven 400°
1 lb. ground beef
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
4 cups cottage cheese
4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon parsley
½ teaspoon pepper
3½ cups spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1 package (14 pieces) manicotti, uncooked

Brown ground beef and add tomato sauce. Combine meat mixture with cottage, mozzarella and paremsan cheeses, eggs, salt, parsley and pepper. Set aside. In a saucepan, combine spaghetti sauce and water and heat through. Pour one cup of the sauce in the bottom of a glass 9" x 13" baking dish. Stuff the uncooked manicotti shells with the meat and cheese mixture and lay on top of sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over manicotti. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 400° for 50 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 10 more minutes.

Potato Bacon Chowder

1 lb. bacon, cut up
2 cups chopped onion
4 cups frozen hash browns
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
   pepper
2 10¾-oz. cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
3½ cups milk
1 tablespoon dried parsley

Cook bacon. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Drain off grease. Add hash browns, water, salt and pepper. Cook until tender. Stir in soup, sour cream and milk and heat until warm. DO NOT BOIL! Sprinkle parsley on top.

Chicken Mushroom Risotto

Makes 6 to 8 servings

2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
1½ cups uncooked regular long-grain rice
1 medium carrot or small sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cups chicken broth
1 10¾-oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup
⅛ tsp. black pepper
½ cup frozen peas

In a 10-inch skillet or 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, in 1 tablespoon hot margarine, cook chicken until browned, stirring often. Remove; set aside. Reduce heat to medium. In same saucepan, in remaining 1 tablespoon hot margarine, cook rice, chopped carrot and onion until rice is browned, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, soup and black pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in peas and reserved chicken. Cover; cook 5 minutes more or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.

Macaroni Cheese

(adapted from a recipe of Roxanne's)

1 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Blend in flour and salt to make a smooth paste. Add milk all at once and stir well using a wire whisk to get the lumps out. Allow to thicken. Stir cheese into hot white sauce until melted. Combine cheese sauce and cooked macaroni in 1½-quart casserole dish. Toss lightly to mix. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

Oven 400°

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked
1 6-oz. box chicken Stove-Top Stuffing, prepared
1 12-oz. jar classic chicken gravy

Cut cooked chicken into 1-inch cubes. Stir in stuffing and gravy and mix well. Turn into a 3-qt. casserole dish and bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Peppermint Pattie Brownies

Use the brownie recipe already posted. Instead of frosting, place unwrapped York Peppermint Patties on hot, baked brownie and return to oven until melted. Remove from oven and spread until even.

Mother Lode Brownies

Use the brownie recipe already posted. Instead of frosting, use the topping below.

Oven 325°

Caramel Layer
1½ cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons water
½ cup heavy cream, scalded
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Toppings
2 cups coarsely copped macadamia nuts
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups milk chocolate chips

In a small heavy saucepan, dissolve the sugar in the water over low heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then let boil without stirring until the syrup turns a deep amber. While the syrup is boiling, brush down the sides of the pan from time to time with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the hot cream (be careful, it will bubble rapidly). Continue stirring, over low heat if necessary, until all of the caramel is dissolved into the cream. Stir in the butter until smooth. Set the caramel aside until it has cooled slightly but is still spreadable. (Note: once you pour the caramel onto the brownie, it cools very rapidly so don't wait too long or you won't be able to spread it.)

Preheat the oven to 325°. Spread the caramel over the cooled brownie. Sprinkle the toppings--macadamia nuts, semisweet chips, and milk chocolate chips--over the caramel layer and place the brownies in the oven for 5 minutes to set the topping (do not let the chips melt completely). Set on a wire rack to cool, then cut into squares.

Reese's Brownies

Use the brownie recipe already posted. Instead of frosting, place unwrapped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups on hot, baked brownie and return to oven until melted. Remove from oven and spread until even.

Macaroni Cheese and Hamburger Casserole

I

(My mom created this recipe--it has to be our family's all-time favorite dinner.)

1 lb. ground beef
½ onion, chopped
1 teaspoon parsley
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Brown ground beef and onion; add spices as meat is browning. Add tomato sauce and heat through. Combined cooked macaroni, meat sauce and 1½ cups of the cheese and mix well. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and allow to melt.