Favorites of 2015!!!!!!!

Karla’s Favorite Recipes of 2015

#1 Winner!!!  I've made this alot this year!!  It definitely earned its #1 spot!!

3 Cheese Ziti     

Meat Sauce:

1 lb. mild sausage or hamburger or both 

1 T. minced Garlic

1 chopped Onion

28 oz.  tomato puree

16 oz. diced tomatoes

8 oz. tomato paste

1 t. marjoram

1 t. basil

1 t. oregano

1 T. Parsley

1 t. thyme

2 T. sugar

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

If desired add....chopped bell peppers or grated zucchini

1 lb. box Ziti noodles

2 c. grated mozzarella cheese (for topping)

Alfredo Sauce:

1/4 c. butter

1 8-oz cream cheese

1 t. garlic

1/2 pint whipping cream

1/3 c. parmesan cheese

Brown meat with 1 T. minced garlic and chopped onion. Drain fat. Add tomato ingredients, all. Add marjoram, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, sugar, salt and pepper (add peppers or zucchini, if desired). Simmer about 20 minutes.

 Meanwhile, cook Ziti noodles in water with a little olive oil and salt. Drain and rinse.

Alfredo Sauce:

In pan, melt butter, cream cheese, and 1 tsp minced garlic. Add whipping cream and parmesan cheese and heat thru over medium heat.

Put Ziti noodles in baking pan sprayed with non-stick spray.  Makes 2- 8x8 inch pans or 1-9x13 inch pan.  Cover noodles with Alfredo Sauce mixture, spoon meat sauce mixture on top, cover with mozzarella cheese.  Cover with foil and bake @350 for 30-40 minutes or until bubbling on top. (remove foil last 10 min.)

NOTE:  This is a great dish to put in the freezer.  I make one to eat & one to freeze.  I like to use foil pans in the freezer.  Cover with foil and be sure to label with the cooking directions.  Thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and bake as directed above.  If frozen when baking it will take about 90 minutes to bake or more.  HINT:  Bake on a cookie sheet for more even baking and to catch any boil overs.  

Double Chocolate Z Muffins

My revised version........ Double Chocolate Z Muffins........because you must never speak the Z word or they won't eat them......and that would be sad because they eat these like crazy!!!!
Place in mixer bowl:
5 eggs
2/3 c. honey
1 c. oil
1 c. brown sugar
2 t. vanilla
Mix well and add:
2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
2/3 c. cocoa
3 1/3 c. flour
Mix well and add:
4 c. shredded zucchini
2 c. chocolate chips + some more for sprinkling on top
Mix and scoop into lined and sprayed muffin tins. Top each one with an additional sprinkle of chocolate chips.   Makes 36 muffins.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
NOTE:  This can be made in loaf pans too:  small loaf = 35 minutes  or  medium loaf = 45 minutes

My #1 Cookie for the year!!! 

Swig Cookies   (AKA: Kelsey's Wedding Cookies)        makes 4 dozen
6 c. flour

1 t. salt

½ t. baking soda

½ t. cream of tarter

1 c. butter, softened

¾ c. Vegetable Oil

1¼ c. sugar 

1 c. powdered sugar

2 T. water

2 eggs, room temp.

1 t. vanilla

Frosting:

½ c. butter, softened

1/3 c. sour cream

4 to 5 c. powdered sugar

1/4 t. salt

2 T. milk

1/4 t. vanilla 

Red Food Coloring or desired coloring

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, vegetable oil, sugar, powdered sugar for 2 minutes.  , and water. Add in eggs & vanilla .
Slowly add in flour mixture until combined. Use a medium sized cookie scoop and roll the dough into golf sized balls and place onto a non stick cookie sheet.
To give the cookies their signature rough edge, dip the bottom of a glass into sugar and press onto the cookie ball to flatten the cookie. You still want the cookie to be thicker so don't press them too thin.
Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.   The cookies stay soft so do not over bake.
To make the frosting: Cream together butter, sour cream, and salt. Add the powdered sugar. Add in the milk to the desired consistency.  Tint icing.   Spread over cooled cookies and let the icing set up. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Best served cold. 

Note: I’ve made them with lemon frosting and I used 1 t. lemon extract for one and a half batches of frosting.  I placed a small scoop of frosting on each cookie and then spread it.  This was enough frosting for 2 batches of cookies. 

We went Huckleberry picking. It was suggested that I make a Huckleberry Kuchen.  I learned that Kuchen is the German name for cake. After a bit of research I came up with this revised recipe.  I topped it off with my own version of huckleberry sauce.  I think this is better than huckleberry pie!!

Huckleberry Kuchen with Huckleberry Sauce  (AKA:  Huckleberry Cake) 

Cake
Cream together until light & fluffy:
1/2 c. butter, room temp.
2 t. lemon zest (1 large lemon)
7/8 c. sugar
Mix in:
2 eggs, room temp.
1 t. vanilla
Whisk together: 
1 3/4 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
Add to batter a little at a time, alternating with 1/2 c. buttermilk.
Toss 2 c. huckleberries with 1/4 c. flour & fold into batter.
Spray a 9 x 9 glass baking dish.  Pour in the batter.  Sprinkle with 1-2 T. sugar.  Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes. 
Huckleberry Sauce
Place in sauce pan:
2 c. huckleberries
1/3 c. sugar
2 T. lemon juice
1/4 c. water
Bring to boil and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.  Remove from heat. 
Mix together:
2 rounded T. Instant clear jel
2 T. sugar
Stir into berry mixture and stir in 1/2 c. water until desired consistency. 
Serve cake with ice cream and sauce.  Yummy!!!

Calico Baked Beans   
1 large can pork & beans or 2 small ones
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can butter beans, drained
1/2 lb. bacon, diced and cooked
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. hamburger (optional)
2 c, brown sugar
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/2 t. salt
2 T. apple cider vinegar
Brown hamburger with onion...if adding hamburger.  Otherwise just dump it all in the crock pot on High for 4 hours.  OR  put it all in a greased casserole dish and bake it for 1 hour at 350.

Cole Slaw                 

1 head green cabbage, finely shredded
2 large carrots, finely shredded
3/4 c. Best Foods mayonnaise
2 T. sour cream
2 T. grated  onion
2 T. sugar, or to taste
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. dry mustard
2 t. celery salt
1 t. salt

½ t. pepper
Combine the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery salt, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired.