Ham and Beans

I have been making this recipe for many years. I like that it isn't a soup, it's just warm and filling. I like to serve this with corn bread. -Sarah

1# dried Great Northern beans
1# diced ham
1/4 cup brown sugar
small onion, diced
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. salt
pepper

• Soak beans overnight.
• When ready to cook, combine all ingredients in a large pot and cover with water. 
• Cook until beans are tender, 3-4 hours adding more water if needed. Adjust seasonings. 

Creamy Tomato Soup

Warm tomato soup is so delicious on a cold day. I love how quickly this recipe comes together and it's very rich and creamy. -Sarah

1 onion, chopped
2 T. butter
32 oz crushed tomatoes
2, 10 1/2 oz cans condensed tomato soup, undiluted
1 1/2 cups half and half or milk
8 oz. cream cheese
1 t. salt
1/2 t. basil
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. garlic powder

• Cook onions in butter until softened. Add cream cheese and half and half cooking on low and whisking until mixture is smooth. 
• Add remaining ingredients and heat through. 

Alfredo, Beef & Broccoli Sauce

I got the idea for this recipe from a friend. She was using a jar of Alfredo sauce which would work but I prefer this homemade version. It's delicious served over rice or pasta. -Sarah

1# ground beef
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. Lawrys
1/2 cup butter
8 oz. cream cheese
2 t. garlic powder
2 cups half and half
6 oz. Parmesan cheese
16 oz. frozen broccoli, cooked and chopped

• Cook and drain beef, season with onion powder and Lawrys. Set beef aside. 
• In another pan melt butter, add cream cheese and cook on low whisking until mixture is smooth. Add garlic powder, half and half and Parmesan. Heat through. 
• Combine all ingredients with the Alfredo sauce. 

Hamburger Cabbage Soup

I played with this recipe a few times until I got it where I wanted it. I love the flavors and it makes quite a big batch. Perfect for leftovers! -Sarah

1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onions
6 cups chopped cabbage
10 oz. frozen corn
6 cups beef broth
15 oz. tomato sauce
32 oz. diced tomatoes
1 t. Lawrys
1 t. Italian seasoning

• Brown beef with garlic, drain.
• Add remaining ingredients and simmer until veggies are cooked. About 1 1/2-2 hours. 

Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese

This tastes very similar to our homemade mac and cheese recipe and that's probably why I think it's so good! It's very convenient for a potluck because it stays warm in the crock if you need to have it sit out for awhile. I doubled it and put it in my larger crock pot, it was perfect for a crowd. -Sarah

12 oz. macaroni noodles 

4 T. butter, cubed 

12 oz. evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups half and half

12 oz. shredded sharp cheddar 

8 oz. Velveeta, cubed

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

• Spray crock pot with cooking spray. (3 1/2-4 quart for single batch & 6 quart for double batch) 
• Cook pasta to al dente, drain and place in crock. Add butter and stir until melted. 
• Add evaporated milk, half and half, most of the cheese (leaving some out for top), Velveeta, salt and pepper. Stir all together.
• Cover and cook on low 2-3 hours. Stir to combine all together, sprinkle with remaining cheese and melt. 
• Turn crock pot to warm so it doesn't overcook. 

Kristin's Baked Oatmeal

It's kind of funny that Kristin isn't the one posting this recipe, but she made this up years ago and I wrote it down with that name. I've made it a lot since then but never put it on the blog. I love it warm with some vanilla yogurt on top! -Sarah

4 1/2 cups oats
2 t. baking powder
2 t. salt
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
frozen blueberries or other fruit

• Line bottom of a greased 9x13 pan with a single layer of blueberries or other fruit.
• Combine oats with baking powder and salt.
• Mix the melted coconut oil with the honey, whisking till well combined. Add to oat mixture and stir in eggs and milk. 
• Pour oat mixture over the blueberries and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.