Apple Butter Bars

 Do y'all ever get those free magazines from electric companies and insurance companies? Don't just toss them. Some of those magazines contain recipes that you don't want to miss.

This recipe is listed as a cake but to me it's all about cutting it into bars before serving. You can certainly do either way.

I found it not long after my husband and I returned from the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, area. We had purchased Apple Butter from a local orchard and I wanted to use it in something. This recipe is that something.

It's easy and delicious. And don't worry. The Apple Butter you find at your local store will work just fine.

Apple Butter Bars

1 cup butter -- room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs -- room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup Apple Butter

2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with wax paper. Lightly spray the bottom and sides with PAM.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until blended in.

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder together. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Lastly, add the Apple Butter and vanilla flavoring.

Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely.

Apple Butter Frosting

1 8-ounce package cream cheese -- room temperature

1/4 cup butter -- room temperature

3 tablespoons Apple Butter

1 16-ounce box of powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 cups)

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add Apple Butter. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Mix well.

Spread over cooled Apple Butter Bars.

Cut into bars or, if you like, cut into larger pieces. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Lemon-Cream Cheese Pound Cake

 

I love the taste of lemons. I always have. I love lemon ice cream. I enjoy Lemon Icebox Pie. I adore Lemon Layer Cake. And now I have found a wonderful recipe for Lemon-Cream Cheese Pound Cake.

This wasn't the first Lemon Pound Cake recipe I have tried. The others were okay. I had high hopes for this one because it reminded me of the Pound Cake my Mother baked. It came from one of those old cookbooks compiled down in Chipley, Florida. I don't know Bobbie Smith but her recipe is divine!

It surpassed my expectations. It is moist and delicious. The lemon flavor isn't over-powering but is just right. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Lemon-Cream Cheese Pound Cake

6 large eggs -- at room temperature

1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks) -- room temperature

1 8-oz. package cream cheese -- room temperature

3 cups sugar

3 cups cake flour -- sifted once

1 tablespoon lemon flavoring

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Line a tube cake pan with wax paper. Lightly spray the bottom and sides with PAM.

Cream the butter until smooth. Add the cream cheese. Then add the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Slowly add the flour. Add the lemon flavoring last.

Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until it's done. I test the cake with a wooden toothpick. If it comes out clean, it's done. Remember that every oven is different.

When done, remove the cake from the pan. You can wait until it's cool or enjoy a slice while it's warm. YUM!

Cheesy Garlic Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/ 2 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 

Shredded Cheddar cheese 

Shredded mozzarella cheese 

One loaf French bread 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the French bread in half. Place on ungreased baking sheet. 

Combine softened butter, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Spread onto the bread. Top with Cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. I sprinkle it on the bread generously. 

Bake for 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy!

Banana Pound Cake

 

I discovered this recipe in a fit of desperation. I had numerous over-ripe bananas that needed to be used immediately. I wasn't thinking muffins or bread. I found this recipe in the 20th Anniversary Edition of the Southern Living Annual Recipes Cookbook. If you've never had one of the Southern Living Cookbooks, go get one. Now.

My husband was in love. His son joined the fan club. It's better than Banana Bread. It's just right.

I am particular about some of the products I use when baking. For example, only use REAL butter. No substitutes. You can taste the difference.

Another thing I'll mention is how to measure flour. I'm amazed at how many people don't know that you gently spoon the flour into the measure cup, then level off with a knife. You don't want to pack the flour because it will make your cake dry.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful recipe!

Banana Pound Cake

1 cup Crisco Shortening

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 cups sugar

5 large eggs

3 really ripe bananas, mashed

3 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Grease and flour a 10-inch pound cake pan. Use wax paper, greased and floured, to line the bottom.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine banana, milk and vanilla. Set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat shortening and butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the sugar. Add eggs, one at a time.

Add banana mixture and flour mixture alternately into the shortening mixture. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Blend until just mixed. Don't overbeat the batter.

Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 80 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove from cake pan and cool on a wire rack.

Yield: One cake

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

 

Do you love a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich as much as I do? Do you also have trouble getting a really good one? Here in the Deep South it can be a challenge.

 

I found this recipe in Gooseberry Patches Homestyle Family Favorites Cookbook. I, of course, have modified it slightly. Did you know you can get frozen steak strips at Sam’s? Just thaw them out and cut them in strips. It’s an easy, affordable way to make the sandwiches.

 

I also don’t purchase a clove of garlic. I keep McCormick’s Garlic Powder in the spice rack. It only takes ¼ teaspoon to get that garlic flavor and it’s so much easier.

 

This recipe makes 6 sandwiches. Since it’s usually just my husband and I, we make two and put the remainder of the steak mix in the refrigerator. We just pull it out, prepare the bread, add the cheese, and put it in the oven. It’s an easy way to use up the leftovers.

 

I hope you enjoy these Philly Cheesesteaks as much as we do!

 

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

 

2 tablespoons butter

1 lb. frozen steak strips

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 onion, sliced

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

1 lb. provolone cheese, sliced

6 six-inch baguettes, split

 

Melt butter in a skillet on medium heat. Add steak and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add onion and green pepper, stirring until meat is done and onion and pepper are tender. This should take 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

 

Place the provolone cheese on each bun. Top with steak mixture. Place additional cheese on top of that. Wrap each sandwich in aluminum foil and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

 

Makes 6 sandwiches.

Taco Hash Brown Casserole

 

This is my favorite Crock-Pot recipe. For a time, it was my only Crock-Pot recipe. I came to Crock-Pot cooking late in life. It was my husband’s specialty. I cooked and baked everything else.

 

Then came the season when I was craving this casserole and he kept making excuses. Anybody know what I’m talking about? So one day I just went into the kitchen and got it done. It tasted just like the one he made so I was hooked! But, many recipes later, this is still my favorite.

 

I did learn from my husband to ALWAYS use a plastic slow cooker liner in the Crock-Pot. And, yes, that’s the brand of slow cooker that we use. The liner makes cleanup quick and easy.

 

I get my ground beef at Wal-Mart. It’s 97 percent fat free. We’ve reached the age where that sort of thing matters.

 

I also use powdered garlic. It’s by McCormick. Just ¼ teaspoon per garlic and it’s so much easier than doing it the old-fashioned way. I’m all about easy and quick. I also use McCormick taco seasoning packets.

 

The Cheddar Cheese soup is by Campbell’s. The shredded hash browns are Wal-Mart’s Great Value brand. No need to thaw unless it's necessary to break the hash browns up so you can stir them into the other ingredients.

 

The shredded cheddar cheese – also a Wal-Mart brand – is a staple at our house.

 

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do. It’s quick, easy and yummy!

 

 

Taco Hash Brown Casserole

in the Crock-Pot

 

1 lb. ground beef

2 cloves garlic

1 taco seasoning packet (1 oz.)

1 can cheddar cheese soup (10.5 oz.)

1 bag frozen shredded hash browns (26 oz.)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

 

Brown the ground beef. Drain.

 

In a large bowl, mix ground beef with garlic, taco seasoning, cheddar cheese soup, frozen hash browns and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Stir together and pour into the Crock-pot. Smooth until it’s evenly distributed. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese on top.

 

Cook on HIGH for 2 hours.

 

Makes 4 generous servings.

Sausage Gravy

A Southern favorite, this recipe for sausage gravy pairs well with homemade biscuits. Just pop the biscuits in the oven, then make the gravy while they bake.

Serve as a breakfast side or as a meal.

 Sausage Gravy

1/4 cup plus 1/8 cup all-purpose flour

1 lb. bulk pork sausage

salt and pepper to taste

3 cups milk

biscuits

Brown the sausage and drain off any grease. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add flour and stir.

Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly until the gravy has thickened. This can take 10 minutes or so. Do not overcook.

Pour gravy over warm biscuits and serve.