Cheesy Breakfast Casserole

12 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 (10 oz) can Rotel tomatoes
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb. sausage, cooked & drained
¼ cup butter, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs slightly. Add sour cream, Rotel tomatoes, cheddar cheese, cooked sausage and butter; mix well. Pour into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until eggs are set. Serves 6 to 8.
(I like to substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream - it just seems a tiny bit healthier)

Richard Swanigan- Pine Bluff, AR
from Smilemakers…In the Kitchen
Edited by Linda Adams, Morris Press Cookbooks, 2004.

Breakfast casserole

Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Ready In: 9 Hours 50 Minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
1 pound ground pork sausage
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
6 slices white bread, toasted and cut into cubes (I prefer garlic/cheddar croutons)
8 ounces mild Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
1. Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown; drain.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Cover, and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until set.

Grape Salad

2 lbs. green seedless grapes

2 lbs. red seedless grapes

8 ounces sour cream

8 ounces cream cheese softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar (more or less to taste)

1 cup crushed pecans

Directions:Wash and stem grapes. Set aside. Mix sour cream, cream cheese, white sugarand vanilla by hand until blended. Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in largeserving bowl. For topping: combine brown sugar, and crushed pecans. Sprinkleover top of grapes to cover completely. Chill overnight.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups oatmeal
6 oz chocolate chips
1/2 - 1 cup pecans, optional

Combine sugars and shortening. Add eggs. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add vanilla. Add oatmeal and chocolate chips.

Bake 350 degrees, 10-12 minutes. (My oven cooks them in 8 minutes) Makes about 4 or 5 dozen cookies.

Also, most of the time I make two batches, cook a dozen or so cookies and freeze the rest of the batter. Just roll the dough in wax paper (usually makes makes two or three rolls). Later you just pull out a roll, slice and bake!

p.s. I'm stoked about this blog =) Thanks, Bekah, for getting it set up!

Easy Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:
1 lg. pkg (5.85oz, I believe) instant chocolate pudding
2 1/4C milk (I had skim)
8 oz. extra creamy cool whip, thawed
1/2C semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Mix the pudding and milk. Fold in cool whip. Add chocolate chips. Chill in fridge (I waited overnight, but I bet it'd be good in an hour or so). Stir and serve! Garnish with chocolate chips, if desired.

The second time I made this, I used 16 oz. cool whip, which is what the original recipe calls for. It's not as thick or rich, but still good, and goes further at parties. I'd still go with 8 oz., but Jon recommends 16, hence this paragraph.

I bet this recipe could be good with some healthier ingredients, too--sugar free and low fat stuff.

Moores' Potato Soup

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 med. onion chopped finely
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1-2 inch chunks velveeta (however cheezy you want it....put that much in...)
1-2 dashes garlic
1/2--1 tsp. Parseley flakes
Salt & pepper to taste
5-6 potatoes, cubed

Brown the meat and onions together, drain. Cube & cook potatoes until tender. Combine all ingredients and simmer!