Delicious Baked Acorn Squash

This is a great, easy way for yummy baked acorn squash.  This recipe is from Pioneer Woman Cooks. -Kristin

Acorn squash, halved and cleaned out
Salt
Butter
Brown sugar
Maple syrup

• Place acorn squash in a baking dish.
• Sprinkle the squash with salt.
• Place 1/2 T. butter in each half.
• Place 1/2 t. brown sugar in each half.
• Place 1/2 T. Maple syrup in each half.
• Place about 2 cups of water in the bottom of the baking dish and cover with foil.
• Bake at 400 for 30 minutes covered and 35 minutes uncovered.

Oatmeal Bread

Another great bread maker recipe. This turns out so dense and delicious! This recipe is for a 2 pound loaf. -Kristin

1 1/4 c. plus 2 T. water
2 T. butter, softened
4 c. bread flour (or regular white)
2/3 c. old-fashioned or quick cooking oats
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 T. dry milk
1 1/2 t. salt
2 t. bread machine or quick active dry yeast

• Place all the ingredients in bread machine pan in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
• Select Basic/White cycle. Use light crust color.
• Remove baked bread from pan, and cool on wire rack.

* An option is to add 2/3 c. raisins at the Raisin/Nut signal or 5-10 minutes before the last kneading cycle ends.

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

This is so much easier to make than you think. The directions are long, but not hard! This is the recipe my mom always made- it is the one off of a Libby's Pumpkin can. -Kristin

1/4 c. powdered sugar

3/4 c. flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. ground cloves

1/4 t. salt

3 eggs

1 c. sugar

2/3 c. canned pumpkin

FILLING:

1 package softened cream cheese

1 c. powdered sugar

6 T. softened butter

1 t. vanilla

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Grease a 15x10 jelly roll pan. Then line with wax paper and spray that well with non stick cooking spray; set aside.
• Spread out a clean dish towel that is larger than the jelly roll pan on the counter. Cover it generously with powdered sugar. This will be what the cake is inverted onto when it comes out of the oven.
• In a small bowl stir together the dry ingredients; set aside.
• In a different bowl beat together the eggs and sugar until thickened.
• Add the pumpkin and beat until well mixed.
• Stir in the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
• Spread the batter evenly into prepared pan.
• Bake for 13-15 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched.
• Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan. Place the prepared towel over top and invert the cake onto it.
• Peel off the wax paper.
• Roll up the cake in towel while hot, starting at the long end. Cool completely- it will take at least an hour.
• When the cake is ready, beat the filling ingredients together.
• Unroll the cake and spread filling evenly over.
• Roll the cake back up (without the towel).
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour.
• When ready to serve, unwrap cake and sprinkle powdered sugar over. Cut into slices.

Libby's Favorite Pumpkin Recipes

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I have tried many pumpkin seed recipes, this one is our favorite. The Worcestershire sauce adds great flavor! -Kristin

3 c. raw pumpkin seeds
2 T. butter
3/4 t. salt
1/4 t. garlic powder
2 t. Worcestershire sauce

• Rinse the raw pumpkin seeds and remove any extra liquid. Lightly dry with dish towel.
• Melt better in sauce pan. Add the remaining ingredients.
• Spread on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake the seeds at 275 for 60 minutes. Stir at 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes and again at 50 minutes.
• Let cool and then enjoy.

Now Foods Pumpkin Seed Raw, 1-pounds (Pack of 4)
- Raw Pumpkin Seeds - 2lb.

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

This is a fantastic, easy meal that your family will love...we sure did! This was super impressive to all my kids...they said it is one of their new favorites. I adapted this recipe from pioneerwoman.com -Kristin

2 c. cooked, diced chicken
2 cans cream of chicken
3 c. grated sharp cheese
1/4 c. finely diced green pepper
1/2 c. finely diced onion
1 (4 oz.) jar diced pimentos, drained
1 pound dry spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces
2 c. chicken broth
1 t. seasoned salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

• Cook spaghetti according to directions and drain.
• Combine all the rest of the ingredients except one cup of cheese.
• Place into a 9 x 13 baking dish.
• Sprinkle reserved cheese over.
• Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. (If the cheese starts to get too browned, cover with foil)

Butternut Squash Puree

This is another fabulous recipe off the Pioneer Woman's website. I love squash but getting my family to eat it is not so easy. I usually end up with it all to myself....I really don't mind- especially with this stuff. It is creamy deliciousness!!! -Kristin

1 Butternut Squash
1/2 stick butter
2-4 T. maple syrup
Dash of salt

• Slice the squash lengthwise and clean out the seeds.
• Place face down on a baking sheet and pour a cup of water on it.
• Bake at 350 for 30-50 minutes until a fork goes in easily.
• Remove from oven.
• Cut the butter into a bowl.
• Scrape the flesh out of the squash and place over the butter.
• Pour the maple syrup over.
• With a potato masher, mash the squash until large chunks are gone.
• Add a dash of salt.
• Place the mixture into a food processor or blender and puree.
• Taste and add more maple syrup if desired.

Pumpkin Bread

This has a wonderful fall flavor! You will get two beautiful pumpkin flavored loaves with this recipe.-Sarah

1 cup oil
4 eggs, beaten
15 oz. pumpkin
3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. salt
1/2 t. cloves
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. allspice
1 t. nutmeg

• Mix oil, eggs and pumpkin until well combined.
• Mix dry ingredients and add to wet. Combine well, the batter will be very thick.
• Spread into two greased loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.

Ham Loaf with Sauce

I've adapted this recipe from a cookbook and I am so excited! I grew up eating ham loaf with this sauce and I loved it! I never make it because the ham loaves that you buy are so expensive and never go on sale. This dish was just like I remembered, and my family loved it too!-Sarah

ham loaf (makes 2)
1 pound fully cooked ham, ground (4 cups)
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 t. ground mustard
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

ham loaf sauce
1 can cream of tomato soup
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 t. dry mustard
1/4 cup water

• For the ham loaves: mix all except the meat together in a bowl.
• Add the meat and mix well.
• Form into 2 loaves and place in a greased 9x13 pan.
• For the sauce: mix all ingredients together and pour over loaves.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 hours until meat is 160 degrees. Baste occasionally with sauce and serve with remaining sauce spooned over meat.

Mom's Quick Gravy

My Mom came up with this recipe and I've been using it for years. It comes together in a snap and tastes good every time.-Sarah

1 cup milk
1 1/2 t. chicken bouillon
2 T. flour or Wondra

• Mix all together and heat on the stove in a small saucepan until thickened.

Curry Chicken Casserole

My mother in law, Gail gave me this recipe before we got married, it was a favorite meal of my husband's growing up, and it's still delicious!-Sarah

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 large can chop suey vegetables, drained
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 t. curry pow. (I use a LOT more, we love curry!)
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 t. lemon juice
2 cups diced cooked chicken

rice, cooked
rice noodles

• Mix all in a casserole dish, stir in a little milk if you think it's too thick.
• Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
• Serve over rice with rice noodles on top.

Beef Barley Soup

A big thank you to my sister in law, Jasmine for passing along this recipe, it's absolutely delicious!-Sarah

1 1/2#'s ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup barley (quick cooking barley is fine)
4 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
28 oz. tomato sauce
3-10.5 oz. cans beef broth (I used 4 cups water with 4 t. beef bouillon)
3 bay leaves
2 cups water
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper (I also added Lawry's)

• Brown beef, onion, and garlic till no longer pink. Drain fat from meat.
• Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours.
• Or cook in a crock pot on high for 1 hour or on low 5-6 hours.

Apple Brownies

WARNING: Do not be alone in the house with these brownies...you might eat the whole pan without accountability there with you!!!! I love these...they are chewy, moist and delicious and so stinking hard to stay out of! This is another great recipe from tammyrecipes.com. I just upped the amount of cinnamon she recommended. -Kristin

2/3 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. cinnamon
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. chopped apples
1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional

powdered sugar, for dusting the top with

• Cream together the butter and brown sugar.
• Add in the eggs and vanilla; mix well.
• Sift together the dry ingredients and mix into the creamed mixture.
• Stir in apples and optional nuts.
• Spread into a greased 9x13 pan (the batter is thick) and bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes.
• Cool and the dust with powdered sugar.