Tuna Noodle Casserole

Always a favorite of mine growing up, this is my mom's recipe and I haven't changed a thing!

Ingredients:

• 2 small cans of albacore tuna
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1/2 - 3/4 bag of egg noodles
• 3/4 - 1 cup miracle whip
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Saute vegetables in butter or olive oil until starting to soften and onions turning translucent.  

Cook egg noodles according to package, then drain,  Heat soup and milk in medium sauce pan then add in the miracle whip and shredded cheddar until cheese is melted.  Take off the heat and stir in tuna.  

Mix everything together and pour into casserole dish.  Top with more cheese if desired.  

Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and edges get golden brown.

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

Like fall in cookie form!!  I took these to a fall get together and they were extremely well received and everyone wanted the recipe, so that's saying something!  Wonderful dipped in hot cider or tea, or warmed in the microwave before eating.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix (10 pkts in box, I used 8 of them)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 14 oz bag kraft chewy caramels (I bought the wrong ones, the caramel bits.  They worked alright but the chewy caramels would melt and spread in the cookie better I'm sure)
• 1/2 TBS Torani sugar free brown sugar cinnamon syrup (optional)**

Preheat oven to 350.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper so the caramel doesn't stick to them.

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
With an electric mixer cream together the butter, sugar, salt, and packets of cider drink mix powder until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Gradually add flour mixture in and mix until combined.
**At this point I added a little of the torani syrup because the consistency was too thick.  If you don't have anything like that to add either use a little less flour, or add 1/2 TBS milk or water to the dough if you think it's too thick.

Scoop out cookie dough balls about 2 TBS sized.  Flatten the ball and add in the caramel in the center of dough then seal the dough around it, covering it completely.  Reshape into a ball if necessary.  Place cookies about 3 inches apart as they will spread.

Bake 11-14 minutes or until very lightly browned around edges, they may not look quite done in the center but that's ok.  Carefully slide parchment paper off cookie sheet and onto counter for cookies to cool.  When cookies are cool enough to handle carefully twist off parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down on a cookie rack or else some caramel may drizzle out of the bottom!

Crock Pot Apricot Pineapple Stuffing and Chicken

Easy crock pot meal for the family...  Serves 4, or double it to serve 8 like I did when the whole family was on vacation together!

Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter, divided in halves
• 1 box of cornbread stuffing mix
• 4 boneless, skinless ckicken breasts
• 6-8 oz. jar of apricot pineapple preserves (I usually find these at Walmart, Great Value brand. Otherwise just apricot is fine)
• 8 oz can of pineapple tidbits, drained

In a mixing bowl, make stuffing with 1/2 stick of the butter and the amount of water called for on box. Place chicken on bottom of slow cooker.  Spoon stuffing over top of chicken.  Melt remaining 1/2 stick of butter with the preserves in microwave or on stove top and stir, then stir in pineapples.  Pour over chicken and stuffing.
Cover and cook on high for 2 hours or low for 31/2 hours.

Pumpkin Spiced Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Has anyone guessed yet that I love cookies... particularly anything with chocolate chips in it??  These are very fall-ish tasting, pumpkin spiced and chocolately and oh so soft in the middle.  This recipe made 16 big cookies.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup honey
2 TBS pumpkin pie spice
1 TBS vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine the butter, sugar and egg in a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.  

Add in honey, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla and beat o medium speed until smooth.

Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined.  Add in chocolate chips and mix with wooden spoon to combine.

 Using a medium cookie scoop drop cookies on baking sheets 2 inches apart.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  Original recipe said warm dough will result in thin flat cookies...

Remove from refrigerator and allow to sit while you preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are set.

Hazelnut Brown Butter Sauce

One of our favorite things from Trader Joe's is the Honey Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli.  I literally stocked up an entire shelf of my freezer at the end of fall last year because I didn't want to be without them all year!  The first few times we ate them we had an alfredo sauce with them, which was good, but then I discovered this Hazelnut Brown Butter Sauce recipe and we absolutely LOVE it.  It's such a wonderful and different combination of flavors!  I want to try this with other pastas as well, I'm sure it would work well with butternut squash ravioli or even cheese ravioli/ tortellini.

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin Ravioli or any kind of pasta you want
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
• 2 1/2 TBS light butter spread
• salt & pepper
• 1 1/2 TBS good quality balsamic vinegar
• Freshly grated parmesan reggiano or another cheese you like

Heat oven to 350.
Spread hazelnuts on baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes.  Give them a shake or stir every few minutes to prevent burning.

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat, then add hazelnuts and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Watch for the butter to turn a golden brown, but don't let it burn.  Once this happens take pan off heat and salt & pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Make pasta according to package directions.

Stir cooked pasta in with butter sauce...

Glaze with balsamic vinegar....

Top with cheese to serve.

Monica's Tangy Guacamole

This recipe is from my Aunt Monica and it's always delicious!

Ingredients:

• 3-4 ripe avocados, mashed
• juice from 3 small limes
• juice from 2 lemons
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• ground pepper to taste
• chopped parsley optional

Mix all ingredients together at least a half hour before you want to eat this and refrigerate.  If you keep the avocado pit in the middle it helps the guacamole not to brown in the fridge.  

Enjoy with chips or on burritos or quesadillas... any way you want!