Kathee's Special Balls

This is my most requested Thanksgiving dish I make, and every year I have to look through all my cookbooks for several hours to find it. Not any more, now it will be here, safe and sound!! So here it is, the famous recipe of my amazing balls!!

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
12 large marshmallows
3/4 cup finely crushed cornflakes (I use frosted cuz I'm crazy like that)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. milk
1/4 cup butter

Mold a spoonful of the sweet potatoes around each marshmallow; roll in cornflake crumbs. Place in a shallow baking dish. In a saucepan, bring brown sugar, milk and butter to a boil; pour over the balls. Bake uncovered at 350 for 15 minutes. You may want to double this, or people may be screaming for more balls. I'm just saying....... it's happened before!!!!

Garlic Green Beans

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh green beans
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. bacon grease (you do save this in the fridge don't you? yumminess)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 ground black pepper

Cut the ends off the green beans. Meanwhile, melt the bacon grease in pan on medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the beans and cook for a minute or so until beans turn bright green. Add the chicken broth, salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low and put a lid on the pan. Let simmer for 25 minutes.

Grandma's Cucumbers

Thom used to have these at his Grandma's all the time when he was young. The taste and smell gave him such good memories.

Ingredients:

3 large cucumbers
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup white sugar
1/8 cup water
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

Peel the cucumbers and slice wafer thin. Sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes, then squeeze cucumbers to release moisture.
In a medium size bowl mix sugar, water, and vinegar. Add cucumbers to mixture. Mix well. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Crash Hot Potatoes

I love these potatoes because they are easy, just a few ingredients, but taste amazing!! Make sure they get crispy enough in the oven, that's what makes them yum yum.

Ingredients:

New potatoes
Olive oil
Kosher Salt
Black pepper
Rosemary (or desired herbs)

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork tender. On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato. With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil. Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available). Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Recipe courtesy of the Pioneer Woman.

Vikki's Spanish Rice

I got this recipe from Vikki Garcia, who runs that famous restaurant by the lake!!! I love this rice, I could eat this by itself for a meal!!!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1-1 /2 cups long grain rice
8 oz. tomato sauce
4 cups water
2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. mexican oregano

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Cook rice in oil about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until rice is golden brown. Turn heat down to medium low. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. Keep covered, do not peek (that's the secret)!!

Recipe courtesy of Vikki Garcia.

Kathee's Baked Beans

Once upon a time, Kathee Crocker found the best recipe for baked beans ever in her life. Everyone loved them, they disappeared first every time she took them to a potluck. Then, one tragic day, Kathee went to get her recipe for "the beans" as they had become known by then, and alas, it was gone!!! She had to re-create it, FROM HER MEMORY. That should alarm you folks, because we all know she's got some issues there (ahem). This is very close to the yummy beans, and if anyone (Corn) might have the bean recipe, please share it with Kathee again. The end.

Ingredients:

2 cans (16 oz.) Bush's baked beans
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 bottle chili sauce
2 tbsp. molasses
1 green pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. prepared mustard
2 tsp. cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder

Cook the bacon, set aside to crumble. Saute the pepper and onion in the bacon grease. Combine the rest of the ingredients, plus the bacon, pepper and onion in an ovensafe container. Cook at 350 for 40 minutes. Don't get mad at me if this isn't as good as it used to be, I'm "special", I can't 'member things anymore!!

Roasted Veggies

I use this recipe as a base, I add whatever veggies I feel like adding that day. This is so so yum.

Ingredients:
1 small butternut squash, cubed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1 red onion, quartered
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (I used dried!!)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (dried again!!)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Separate the red onion quarters into pieces, and add them to the mixture.
In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.
Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

Recipe from Allrecipes.

Diane's Colcannon

Delicious!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 slices bacon
1/2 small head cabbage, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter, melted

Place potatoes in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender.
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving drippings, crumble and set aside. In the reserved drippings, saute the cabbage and onion until soft and translucent. Putting a lid on the pan helps the vegetables cook faster.
Drain the cooked potatoes, mash with milk and season with salt and pepper. Fold in the bacon, cabbage, and onions, then transfer the mixture to a large serving bowl. Make a well in the center, and pour in the melted butter. Serve immediately. Then do an Irish jig!! Or Lord of the Dance, whatever floats your boat....