Spinach Apple Salad

Ok so everything I post is yummy. I know I say it every time. This salad is so good, that I ate 5 helpings (rather large ones) of this in a days time. Yeah, its that good. Its a good thing that its salad, and not something like doughnuts. I got this recipe from my aunt. Honestly, I am shocked that I haven't posted this one yet. Then again... It never stays around long enough to take a picture.

Spinach Apple Salad

Spinach Apple Salad  

1 (10-oz) bag fresh baby spinach

1 med. Granny Smith apple, cored, and thinly sliced

1/2 lb. crumbled, fried bacon

3/4 C toasted, slivered almonds

Dressing:

1/4 C granulated sugar

1/3 C oil

1/4 tsp. salt

3T. cider vinegar

1/8 small red onion

For dressing, place ingredients in blender. Blend until onion is very fine and mixture is well blended. 

30 Minute Cheesy Ham Casserole

My dear friend over at Pickle Boat Recipes served us this for dinner once upon a time. Oh boy oh boy was it good. There is something so comforting about ham and potatoes. Even when it is a thousand degrees outside!

30 Minute Cheesy Ham Casserole

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste

2 cups (about 8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese - separated 

4 cups milk

4-5 medium peeled, cooked potatoes (steamed, boiled al dente, baked, microwaved...)
2 cups ham, cut into bite size pieces

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat.

Pour milk into pot, mixing quickly with a whisk. Return pot to stove and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat. Quickly add 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese, stirring until melted. 

Grease 9x13" baking pan. Place ham, potatoes, and cheese sauce in baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. At this point you can cover and freeze, cover and refrigerate to eat later, or bake in 375 degree oven about 15 minutes - until casserole is bubbly and cheese is very lightly browned. 

*some tips - if you bake your potatoes in the oven earlier in the day, they'll be cool to the touch and easy to hand-peel the skins off by the time you're ready to cook dinner. Also, ham lunch meat makes an easy substitution if you don't have a leftover holiday ham
* Alterations- I skipped the oven step this time. I just tossed in all of the cheese at once, then stirred in the ham and potatoes and served. Both ways are yummy!

Sloppy Joes

Before you run away... Hear me out... Sloppy Joes are no longer just for the kids. They have now become a high class dish. Didn't you get the memo? Well, you are getting it now. These are absolutely fabulous. No more opening a can of sauce and tossing in the ground beef. This brings things up to a whole new level. Try it, you will love it. Oh yeah, by the way... This recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman.

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2-½ pounds Ground Beef
• ½ whole Large Onion, Diced
• 1 whole Large Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1-½ cup Ketchup
• 1 cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder (more To Taste)
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• ½ teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes (more To Taste)
• Worcestershire Sauce, To Taste 
• 2 TablespoonsTomato Paste 
• Tabasco Sauce (optional; To Taste)
• Salt To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Kaiser Rolls
• Butter

Preparation Instructions

Add butter to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain most of the fat and discard.

Add onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until vegetables begin to get soft.

Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard, and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Also add tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Tabasco if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Spread rolls with butter and brown on a griddle or skillet. Spoon meat mixture over the rolls. Serve immediately.  

Fluffy and Crispy Waffles

Holy waffles batman! These are so yummy.  My friend shared this recipe with me. It's a new family favorite. We froze the extras for another day, they were so good, my kids ate them the next morning! I guess i am going to have to tripple it next time. Enjoy!

Fluffy and Crispy Waffles from Grandma's Kitchen:

• 3 1/2 C. flour,

• 2 t. baking powder,

• 1/2 t. salt,

• 4 egg yolks,

• 3 1/2 C. milk,

• 1 C. oil,

• 4 egg whites.

Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together. In another bowl mix together egg yolks, milk, and oil. Mix dry and wet ingredients together, mixture should be slightly lumpy and runny. In another bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into batter carefully. Do not over-mix. There should be large chunks of egg whites in the batter still. Pour about 3/4 c. batter into a waffle iron. I like to brush both sides of the waffle iron with some cooking oil prior to each waffle made as to avoid sticking. I also like to use fresh ground wheat flour. Suggestion: Double the recipe and freeze some for later.

Fiesta Salsa

This item is on our 4th of July menu tomorrow! It is a huge hit in our family. My Mother-in-law loves to add diced avocado and imitation crab to this dish. Me, I like it just the way it is. I love how refreshing it is!

Fiesta Salsa

3 (14.5 oz.) cans petite diced tomatoes, drained well

1/2 red bell pepper chopped

1 green bell pepper chopped

1/3-1/2 C. Chopped cilantro 

1/3 C. Shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 purple onion chopped

1-2 cans pinto beans, drained (I use 2)

1 C. Catalina dressing

Combine all ingredients into a medium sized bowl. Serve with corn chips. (I like the big scoops ones.)

Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.