Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

Delicious and satisfying, this makes a super dinner. Serve it alone or with fruit or a green salad.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion (or onion powder to taste)
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup Bisquick biscuit mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Cook beef and onion until beef is browned. Drain and stir in salt. Spread into a pie pan and sprinkle with cheese. Stir together remaining ingredients in separate bowl until blended. Pour over beef, onion, and cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Try this one tonight! You're going to love it.

VARIATIONS: Instead of ground beef, try diced smoked sausage or finely diced ham. Toss in a little crumbled bacon if you like. It's delicious that way, too!

5 Cup Salad

This is one you may already be familiar with, but I'm including it here because I love it so much. It's even better on the second or third day, assuming it lasts that long!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup pineapple chunks
1 cup mandarin oranges
1 cup Angel flake coconut
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup sour cream

Mix all together and chill at least 12 hours before serving.

7-Up Salad

I wonder if everyone has as many "mostly on holiday" dishes as my family does. Hmm. Anyway, here's another one. Fix this for any family dinner or dinner party and I know everyone will love it!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of 7-Up
¼ pound (4 oz) miniature marshmallows
1 package lime jello
1 3 oz packages cream cheese
1 large can crushed pineapple
1 cup crushed walnuts
1 small carton (2 cups) Cool Whip
2/3 cup mayo

Melt together 7-Up and marshmallows. Remove from heat and add jello, then pour mixture over softened cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add undrained pineapple and walnuts and pour into 9" X 13" glass dish. Refrigerate until nearly set. Stir together Cool Whip and Mayo and fold into pineapple mixture. Refrigerate again until set. The entire process takes about 1 ½ hours but is WELL worth the time.

Zesty Ground Beef Patties

My sister Joyce has been making these for years. She makes them just like her meatloaf, but she adds Worchester Sauce to give the meat a little extra Zing! They're wonderful! Served with baked potatoes and a salad, they make a wonderful meal fit for company!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worchester Sauce
2 tsps onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 slices bread, crumbled or torn into small bits
2 eggs
1 tablespoon oil

Mix together the first 7 ingredients (all except the eggs and oil) in a large mixing pan. Add both eggs and knead thoroughly. Shape into 6 or 8 thick, rounded patties. In a skillet, heat oil. Add patties and cook until just slightly pink in center and well browned on the outside. NOTE: the patties will be soft and might fall apart somewhat during cooking. Take care when turning them.

Variation: Make the patties thinner and serve them between hamburger buns. They're delicious this way, too! Want more zing? Add more Worchester Sauce!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yum! This is one of my absolute favorites for breakfast. We always make these on Christmas morning (in addition to other times of the year) because they're so rich and filling that they tide everyone's appetite over until supper.
INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup mini chocolate chips
1 egg, well beaten
¾ cup milk
1/3 cup oil

Mix together first 5 ingredients, add beaten egg, milk and oil. Bake in well greased cupcake tins at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 12 big muffins.

Easy Mashed Potato Cakes

Here's something wonderful to do with left over mashed potatoes. If you don't have any, instant mashed potatoes work just as well!

Coat the bottom of a skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. Meanwhile, shape chilled mashed potatoes into patties, about the size of the palm of your hand. When the oil is hot, drop the patties into the skillet. When one side gets toasty brown and slightly crunchy, turn them over and let the other side brown. Yes, they still taste like mashed potatoes, but the crunch adds an entirely different and completely wonderful texture! And, no one will even notice that there's no gravy!

VARIATION: I like to sprinkle mine with a bit of McCormick's Steak Seasoning. Also, before shaping into patties, you can stir in some bacon bits for some extra yum.

Easy Cheesy Queso Dip

This is one of my sister's favorite dishes. Make it up and serve it over your favorite tortilla chips for a great game-day snack or a satisfying lunch or dinner. They've been showing a version of this on TV lately, in the Rotel commercials. We add the can of tomatoes, though, to make it extra tasty!

Ingredients:

Approximately 16 oz of Velvetta cheese, diced
½ package sausage, mild
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel (Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies), mild

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage and drain. Then, add diced Velvetta and both cans of tomatoes, undrained. Stir frequently until cheese melts and it gets bubbly. If you want it thicker, simply turn the heat down a bit and let it simmer until it suits you.

Layer the bottom of a soup bowl with tortilla chips and drench them with this delicious dip. Messy? Sure! But that's half the fun of it! And, you can increase the spiciness by using medium or hot sausage and spicier Rotel.

This would also make a great topping or dip for veggies! And, as the TV commercial shows, you can also serve it over pasta and chicken. Bet that would be great, too