Tasty Dishes for your Labor Day "Last Hurrah"

Here's a great lineup of sides and desserts you could make for the last big BBQ of the season!  Enjoy each scrumptious bite!

Homemade Copycat KFC Coleslaw

Fritos Corn Salad

All taste testers will go wild over these baked beans.  They are simple and are the bomb-diggety when it comes to bean dishes!  YOWZA!! 

Winning Baked Beans

Tasty Three Bean Salad (make ahead)

Tasty Deviled Eggs

Kansas Cucumber Salad

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Brookies (Cookie topped Brownies)

Special Sugar Cookies

No Bake Payday Bars (Sugar free option)

Simple (Garlic) Ranch Pretzels - Addictive!

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Easy Peasy Slaw Salad (quick & easy)

Summer is just around the corner!

This is a wonderful salad that's full of flavor, and color too.  Perfect for

making ahead or making and serving right away. 

And it's ready in minutes!!!! 

It's a Taste of Home recipe so you know it's gotta be good. 

I love that it uses pre-packaged slaw mix (I used tri-color for more pop!). 

It's beautiful and so delicious. It fulfills my need for C-R-U-N-C-H too!  I enjoyed a BIG bowlful soon after I made it. 

EASY PEASY SLAW SALAD 

1 - 1# bag frozen peas, thawed

(about 4 cups)

1 bag (14 ozs.) coleslaw mix

4 - 5 green onions, chopped

1 c. poppyseed dressing

1 c. (honey roasted) peanuts

Place peas, coleslaw mix, and onions in large bowl.  Stir in poppyseed

dressing.  May refrigerate until ready to serve or serve immediately. Stir in peanuts just before serving or just sprinkle over the top. 

Yield: 10 - 12 servings

Linked to 
Meal Plan Monday

You may also enjoy these...

Best Broccoli Salad

Simple & Creamy Pea Salad

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Flashback Friday - Simply Delicious Holiday Side Dishes

Layers of corn, tomatoes, beans, ranch dressing and more...over cornbread.
Keeps well - can be made ahead....and gets better the longer it sets.  Perfect for your next potluck or gathering. 

Kansas Cornbread Salad

This light, fluffy and fruity dish is so easy the kids can make it! 

Ambrosia Salad

This simple dish 'dresses up' pork 'n' beans with onion, bacon,

brown sugar and more!  Trust me, it really IS a winner!! 

Winning Baked Beans

This is a delightful dish that folks will surely dive into.

Buttermilk helps give it a bit of tang. SO tasty. 

Copycat KFC Coleslaw

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Leader Enterprise - March 15. 2017 - Crockpot Recipes

Crockpot Cabbage Casserole

Crock pots are a good way to cook food without having to devote constant attention to a cooking appliance. People use crock pots to cook meals such as pot roasts, chicken dishes, stews, breakfast AND desserts! When your busy day allows you more time for preparation in the morning than in the afternoon, that's a good time to throw together a crockpot meal to enjoy later in the day with no fuss.

As oven temperatures vary, so do crockpot temps, so be sure to check before alloted time is up.

These first two recipes are ones that cook ALL DAY LONG so you can come home at the end of the day with dinner ready for you to enjoy. 

                                  

Crockpot Cinnamon Roll Casserole

                                                 

CROCKPOT ROOT BEER BBQ HOAGIES 

3.4 - 4.5 lb. pork loin

2 liter bottle root beer

1 (18 ozs) bottle BBQ sauce

12 - 15 hoagie buns, split

Additional BBQ sauce and Ranch dressing, optional

Place pork loin in your crock pot. Pour enough root beer over loin to cover it (save the rest to enjoy as a tasty drink!) Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours, when pork is very tender, it is done. Remove loin from your crock pot (discard root beer) and shred with two forks or mixer. Stir in 18 ozs. bottle of BBQ sauce until all pork is well coated. Serve on hoagie buns with additional BBQ sauce and ranch dressing, if desired.

PERFECT CROCK POT BEEF ROAST

2 - 3 lb. beef roast

5 - 6 potatoes, peeled and sliced into wedges

1 bag of baby carrots

2 medium onions, sliced in half

1 envelope dry Ranch dressing mix

1 envelope brown gravy mix

(or use 2 envelopes brown gravy mix)

2 c. water, divided

Spray crock pot with non stick cooking spray. Place roast in crock pot. Place potatoes, onions and carrots around the roast. Mix together dry Ranch mix with 1 cup of cold water. Pour over your roast and veggies. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours (total). An hour before serving, combine brown gravy mix with 1 cup cold water, stirring until blended. Pour over roast and veggies. Cover again for the last hour of cooking. Serve with biscuits for a perfect meal. 

CROCKPOT CABBAGE CASSEROLE 

1/2 head cabbage, chopped

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained

1 med. onion, chopped

1 (18 ozs) jar spaghetti sauce 

(I substitute part salsa for sauce)

1 c. water

salt, pepper, herbs, garlic powder, etc. to taste

In 4 - 5 qt. slow cooker, place 1/2 the chopped cabbage.  Top with half the onions, half the beef and half the spaghetti sauce. Repeat, adding seasonings as you prefer (or you may add them after). Pour water around the sides into the slow cooker.  Cover and place on low for 5 - 6 hours or on high for 3 - 4 hours. Serve over rice if desired, or just as it is. 

My family enjoyed this luscious dish for brunch during the holidays last year. MMM! 

CROCK POT CINNAMON ROLL CASSEROLE

2 - 12 oz tubes of cinnamon rolls, cut into quarters-divided

4 eggs

1/2 c. whipping cream

3 Tb. (pure) maple syrup

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Place a layer of cut cinnamon roll pieces to cover the bottom of your slow cooker completely. (Reserve icing packets). Beat eggs, cream, maple syrup, vanilla and spices until blended well. Pour evenly over the rolls in the slow cooker. Place remaining roll pieces on top and spoon one packet of icing evenly over rolls. Cover and cook on low for 2-1/2 to 3 hours or until sides are golden and rolls are set. Drizzle remaining icing over top and serve warm.

Audrey Hepburn has said "Nothing is IMPOSSIBLE, the words itself say I'M POSSIBLE". 

Flashback Friday - Crockpot Main Courses

WELCOME TO THE BETTER BAKER'S FIRST FLASHBACK FRIDAY!!

So tickled you joined us here...

A quick and easy meal prepared in minutes - can enjoy later after you're done running errands!

Crockpot Pasta Pizza

Use deli or leftover turkey to have a lot of delicious sandwiches ready to enjoy...
great for a crowd!

Crockpot Cheesey Turkey Sandwiches

Only 4 simple ingredients...plus water and seasonings...and you'll be enjoying this tasty meal...and asking for seconds!

Crockpot Cabbage Casserole

3 Easy "Green" Recipes {Blast from the Past}

We love the shakes at McD's but they are loaded with calories.
This recipe cuts the calories by more than 1/2.  Enjoy every sip!

Skinny Shamrock Shake

Whips up in minutes....uses yogurt for added creaminess..

Healthier Watergate Salad

Such a delicious & simple way to dress up yummy cabbage! 

Cheese Scalloped Cabbage

Leader Enterprise - December 2, 2015 - Cabbage

Copycat KFC Coleslaw

When considering a holiday side dish, you may not think about cabbage right away, but you would do well to serve a lucious dish of it in one form or another. 

This food is very low in saturated fat and cholesterol and is a very good source of fiber. At only 13 calories per cup of cooked cabbage, it's a great way to fill you up with few calories. Try adding cabbage into a mixed green salad. It will help make you feel full and keep you regular.

Cabbage is a good source of Vitamins C and K. Vitamin C helps the body resist infectious agents and free radicals. Enough Vitamin K makes your bone stronger, healthier and delays osteoporosis. Cancer prevention tops all other areas of health research with regard to cabbage and its outstanding benefits. For maximum nutritional value, don't overcook. 

I've received raves and requests for this copycat side dish. 

COPYCAT KFC COLESLAW

1 (1 lb.) package pre-shredded coleslaw mix with cabbage and carrots 

2 TB. minced onion

1/3 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 c. milk

1/2 c. mayo

1/4 c. buttermilk

1-1/2 TBS white vinegar

2-1/2 TB. lemon juice

Dried Parsley Flakes 

Place coleslaw mix in a large bowl. Add onions. Mix well. (Place mix in a food processor and pulse to shred a little finer if you desire the same texture as KFC serves.)

In a medium bowl combine buttermilk, milk, mayo, sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar, and lemon juice. Whisk well. Pour over cabbage mix. Stir well. Sprinkle with dried parsley. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.

This is the cabbage dish I make repeatedly. So cheesey and so easy too. 

CHEESE-SCALLOPED CABBAGE

About 8 cups chopped raw cabbage

chopped onion, if desired

About 4 ozs. Velveeta cheese, chunked or sliced

About 15 ritz crackers, crushed

Boil cabbage (and onion) in salted water until el dente. Drain well. Squeeze out most of the water if necessary. 

In Pam-sprayed casserole dish, sprinkle about 5 crackers, crumbled.

Make a layer of cabbage (I ended up with 3 layers total)

then lay as much cheese on top as you'd like, but don't cover it totally.  

Sprinkle with a few more crumbs, then do it all again two more times, ending with cheese and then topped with crumbs.

Bake uncovered in preheated 350 oven for about 20 - 25 minutes, or until bubbly around edges.

Be careful not to use too many crackers as the casserole will be too dry.  You want just a light coating between all layers.

I love that I can make as much, or as little, of this recipe as I'd like...you can fix 4 servings or 14.

I recently made this tasty soup and we were so pleased with how flavorful it was. Makes the kitchen smell great too. 

Slow Cooker Cabbage & Kielbasa Soup

SLOW COOKER CABBAGE & KIELBASA SOUP 

1# pkg. (turkey) kielbasa sausage                                      

1 Tb. olive oil

1 med. onion, chopped

2 chopped garlic cloves) 

6 c. chicken broth

4 c. shredded cabbage

(Adding 2 Tb. cider vinegar will give it a sweet n sour flavor), optional

1 large bay leaf

1⁄2 tsp. black pepper

Slice kielbasa into bite sized pieces.  In large skillet, add oil and kielbasa. Over med-high heat, brown well, stirring often. When meat is nearly browned, add chopped onions and garlic. Cook just until onions soften.

Add sausage and onion mixture to slow cooker.  Add some chicken broth to skillet to scrape the glaze from bottom of pan. Pour over mixture in slow cooker, then add remaining chicken broth. 

Transfer kielbasa and onions to a slow cooker set to low. Add some of the chicken broth to the skillet the kielbasa was cooked in and use a spatula to scrape the bottom, breaking up any glaze the kielbasa may have left in the pan. Pour over kielbasa and onions in slow cooker, and then pour in remaining chicken broth.

Add the cabbage, bay leaf, and black pepper to the cooker and stir all to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Remove bay leaf and serve. 

Don't miss my next column, full of holiday recipe ideas!

"Christmas is not as much about opening our presents as opening our hearts.”  – Janice Maeditere