Christmas Breakfast Casserole

I can’t remember where I saw this recipe but I have had it saved on my computer for a while. I decided to make it Christmas morning and it turned out SO yummy! I made one half with sausage and one half with leftover ham diced up from Christmas Eve Dinner. (the kiddos don’t love sausage). 

2 lbs. ground sausage (or cooked, crumbled bacon or diced and browned ham)
1 lb. frozen hashbrowns

14 eggs

3/4 c. milk

1 onion, chopped fine
fresh mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

1 green pepper, diced

3 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
Chopped tomato to garnish
Salsa to garnish if desired

Brown sausage in large frying pan. Remove from heat once cooked through and drain excess drippings. Saute chopped onion and hashbrowns in same frying pan (I wiped out drippings from sausage with a paper towel but left just enough to flavor). Meanwhile, beat eggs and milk until combined. Add mushrooms, green pepper and cheese to egg mixture and season with salt and pepper. Spread cooked hashbrowns and then sausage (bacon or ham) in 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with egg mixture. Top with more cheese. Bake uncovered at 375F until eggs are cooked through. Garnish with fresh diced tomato and salsa if desired.  I also served with biscuits. Merry Christmas! 

PW Caramel Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake

This was SO yum...I made it for Thanksgiving...here's the link to the recipe from Pioneer Woman. The only thing I would change (and she suggested it on her blog) is skipping the caramel on the bottom of the crust before adding the cream cheese mixture. It made the gingersnap crust a little hard. But it was still edible, just a little chewy and WAY good! Mine cracked on the top but tasted so good! I would make this again...but only once a year....it's pretty rich and I'm sure I gained a few pounds just from this cheesecake! :)

Banana Cream Pie

This is my Grandma Smith's recipe that she made almost every Christmas and Thanksgiving. This is also my very first pie I have made...Grandma would be proud! :)

1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
3 egg yolks
2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar and cornstarch together in sauce pan.  Separate eggs. Place yolks into bowl and discard whites;  beat yolks with whisk.  Add milk and vanilla to egg yolks and mix thoroughly. Pour egg mixture through strainer into sauce pan to remove any remnants of egg white or chalaza .  Whisk together and bring to boil. Start on high heat until starts to bubble then reduce heat to medium and stir/whisk until pudding is thickened. Remove from heat and cover. When cooled (not to room temperature but not HOT) pour into a baked crust and cover pudding completely with waxed or parchment paper. (Smooth over pudding until it almost looks sealed as to not have a "skin" from the milk on top of pie.) Refrigerate until cold. Top with sliced bananas and whipped cream.

Marshmallow Fudge

1 10-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 10 oz. packages semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. miniature marshmallows

In sauce pan, melt chocolate chips slowly on medium heat, stirring often. When melted, add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla, blend until smooth. Add marshmallows, fold in until partially melted. Pour into 9 x 13 dish sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Refrigerate for about 2 hours. Cut into small squares.

Children's Gingerbread House

I found this on Allrecipes.com, I can't wait to try it!

3/4 cup butter
7/8 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground allspice
6 egg whites
4 (16 ounce) packages confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions:

First cut out in thin cardboard: a side wall, 4 1/2 x 8 inches; an end wall, 4 1/2x5 inches; a triangular gable, 4 1/2x3x3 inches; and a roof rectangle, 4 1/2x9 inches. Tape the rectangular end wall piece to the triangular gable piece: match the long side of the triangle, 4 1/2 inches, to one of the 4 1/2 inch sides of the end wall.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and molasses. Gradually beat in 2 eggs. Sift the flour, baking powder, and spices together; stir into creamed mixture. Wrap dough in parchment paper, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 6 portions, 2 slightly larger than the others. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the 4 smaller pieces to approximately the size of the side wall and the end wall with gable templates; cut out two of each. Roll out remaining dough, and cut into two rectangular roof pieces. Transfer gingerbread onto greased baking trays.

In a preheated 375 degree F (190 degrees C) oven, bake gingerbread for 10 minutes, or until crisp. When removing from the oven, leave the gingerbread on the baking trays for a few minutes to set, then transfer to wire racks. Leave out overnight to harden.

In a large bowl, lightly whisk 2 egg whites. Gradually beat in approximately 5 cups confectioners' sugar. The icing should be smooth and stand in firm peaks. Spread or pipe a 9 inch line of icing onto a cake board, and press in one of the side walls so that it sticks firmly and stands upright. If necessary, spread or pipe a little extra icing along either side to help support it. Take an end wall and ice both the side edges. Spread or pipe a line of icing on the board at a right angle to the first wall, and press the end wall into position. Repeat this process with the other two walls until they are all in position. Leave the walls to harden together for at least two hours before putting on the roof. Spread or pipe a thick layer of icing on top of all the walls, and fix the roof pieces in position; the roof should overlap the walls to make the eaves. Pipe or spread a little icing along the crest of the roof to hold the two pieces firmly together. Leave overnight to set firmly.

When ready to decorate, make the remaining icing. In a large bowl, lightly whisk 4 egg whites, and mix in remaining confectioners' sugar as before. Use this to make snow on the roof, and to stick various candies for decoration. Finish with a fine dusting of sifted confectioners' sugar.

Wassail

Bring to boil in large pot:
2 c. sugar
2 quarts water

In a piece of cheese cloth add the following:
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
Close with string or elastic band and place in sugar water. Leave bag in water for 2-3 hours on low heat.

Add:
2 quarts orange juice
1 gallon apple cider
1/2 c. lemon juice

Remove spice bag, stir gently and enjoy! Keep pot on low heat or transfer to crock pot to keep drink warm. Add slices of oranges and/or lemons and small cinnamon sticks to decorate if serving at a party.

Green Bean Casserole

I got this one of course on the back of the French's Fried Onions container. It is SO yummy, I make it mainly at Thanksgiving  and Christmas time.

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
dash ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans or
2 cans french cut style green beans
1 1/3 cups French's French Fried Onions

Mix soup, milk, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in 1 1/2-qt. casserole. Bake at 350°F. for 25 min. or until hot. Stir, then sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 min.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

This has got to be one of my favorite things to eat at Thanksgiving!

6 medium sweet potatoes or yams
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
3 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
3 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. salt
10 large marshmallows

Bring potatoes or yams to a boil, cover and reduce heat to med-high. Boil 30-35 minutes or until tender. Slip off skins and slice into 1/2 inch slices. Heat remaining ingredients in sauce pan until smooth. Pour over potatoes in a baking dish. Cover and bake for about 20 minutes. When there is about 5 minutes left, remove from oven, place large marshmallows over potatoes and place back in oven until marshmallows are melted and browned on top.

Augratin Potatoes

A.K.A. Funeral potatoes and cheesy potatoes

1 1/2 lb. frozen hash browns (I prefer cubed) (I usually buy 2 1-lb. bags but don't use all of the 2nd bag)
16 oz. sour cream
1 1/2 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. milk
3 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 c. corn flakes, crushed
1 tbsp. melted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except corn flakes and melted butter. Place mixture in 9 x 13 baking pan and bake at 350F for 1 hour covered. Last 10 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle corn flake crumbs mixed with melted butter over potatoes. Continue baking 10 more minutes uncovered.

Cookie Fruit Salad

This is a favorite of ours for Thanksgiving and Christmas! It's so good!

2 3-oz or 1 8-oz. instant vanilla pudding mix
2 c. buttermilk
16 oz Cool Whip
1 20-oz can pineapple tidbits, drained well
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained well
1 bunch purple seedless grapes
1 package Keebler Fudge Stripped Cookies

Mix vanilla pudding mix using buttermilk instead of following directions on box. Fold in Cool Whip. Add drained fruit. Crush up Keebler Cookies into salad right before serving, saving about 5 cookies to place on top of salad.

Grandma's Yeast Rolls

From the kitchen of DS

2 c. milk, scalded, then cooled
4 tbsp. shortening or vegetable oil
4 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. yeast, dissolved in:
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 beaten eggs
6 c. sifted flour

Scald milk, let cool to lukewarm. Combine liquids and add sugar, salt, and oil. Add flour one cup at a time with mixer. May have to hand mix in last cup or two of flour. Raise until double in size twice. Roll dough our flat and use round glass to cut dough into circles, dip in melted butter and fold in half onto greased jellyroll pan. You also can roll dough out into large circle, spread melted butter onto it, cut with pizza cutter into several triangles and roll them into croissants. Let raise again. Bake at 400F for 10-15 minutes.

Ham Cheese Ball

From the kitchen of PT (aunt)

1 small can deviled ham
1 8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 tsp. worcester sauce

grated onion if desired
sliced olives (optional)

crushed pecans

Mix all ingredients except pecans together to form ball and roll in crushed pecans. Chill and serve with assorted crackers.

Scents of the Season (Simmering Potpourri)

This is just a fun one that I got from my sister-in-law. She makes this and give it as gifts for her neighbors at Christmas. You can use food dehydrator or dry in the oven. Just place dried ingredients a small sauce pan and simmer potpourri for days on low, it lasts a while! Just keep adding water! (Or use potpourri crockpot) It makes your house smell so festive!

1-2 oranges, sliced
2 lemons, sliced
1-3 cinnamon sticks
1/2 c. cloves
1-2 Bay leaves
1/3 c. fresh cranberries

Add one quart water and simmer on low heat. Add water as necessary!