Cream Cheese Potato Pie

1 egg, beaten
1 10 oz package cream cheese, softened
3 cups mashed potatoes
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons sweet basil
3/4 Teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Stir egg and cream cheese together until well mixed.  Cream potatoes and milk together.
Add both these mixtures to the same bowl, along with bread crumbs and spices.  Mix
until creamy and smooth.  Turn into greased 8-inch pie pan and smooth out evenly.  You can also
choose to make a nice pie crust to line the pan with, but it's just as good without the crust.  Bake
at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until pie puffs up a little and starts to brown slightly.  Remove from
oven, top with shredded cheese, and allow to cool before serving.  Very filling, and kids love it!
 

Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

2 cups mashed pumpkin
1 10 oz package cream cheese
1/2 cup milk or vanilla soymilk or ricemilk
3/4 cup chopped pecans
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup rum (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Combine all ingredients, pour into graham cracker crust.  Bake at 325 degree for one hour, or
until a knife inserted in middle comes out clean.
 

Harvest Surprise Buns

1 cup warm water
1 package active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine the water, yeast, and unbleached white flour in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the whole-wheat flour, oil, and salt. With hands or a large wooden spoon, work the ingredients together until the dough holds its shape. You may need a bit less flour, so add the whole-wheat flour gradually. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until it is smooth and elastic, 5 minutes. If the dough becomes sticky while you are kneading it, sprinkle a bit more all-purpose flour over it. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled 2-quart bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and let the dough rest until it has doubled in size, 1 hour. When the dough has risen, place it on a lightly floured surface, divide it into a dozen or parts, and roll them into balls. Cover them with a towel and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. The dough is now ready to be shaped, stuffed and cooked.

Roll out little balls of dough.  Fill the center of each one with your choice of the following:

Two large broccoli tops and two small cheese cubes
1/3 cup mixture of chopped mushrooms, peppers, onions, and tomato sauce with garlic and basil
1/3 cup mixture of shredded cabbage, carrots, onions, soy sauce and water chestnuts
1/3 cup mixture of macaroni & cheese with tiny bits of chopped tomato
1/3 cup mixture of apples, pineapple chunks, chopped pecans and one small cheese cube
1/3 cup pinto beans, 1 tablespoon salsa, 1 small cube cheese

Really, you can put anything in there you want to, depending upon what your family likes.

After depositing your "surprise" in the center, pull all sides of the circular piece of dough up and scrunch together.  It should look like a paper sack that's been scrunched together at the top.  Then use string to tie around the top to hold it together while cooking.

Cook in 325 oven for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on how brown you want the bread to be when you are done.   Remove from oven, let cool, tie colorful ribbons around the top where the string was.  The "surprise" is, your diners never know what they are getting inside until they bite into it.
 

Spicy Breaded Tofu Bites

1 pound firm tofu, cut into small cubes
1 quart Celestial Seasonings Mandarin Orange Spice Tea
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup butter

Soak tofu cubes in spice tea overnight.  The next day, heat butter in skillet.  Drain cubes well, place in bowl with flour and garlic salt.  Toss to coat cubes.  Brown cubes in butter over medium heat.  Cook until slightly crispy, then remove from heat.  Eat alone, or served with ranch dressing as a dipping sauce, or doused with soy sauce.
 

Succulent Squash & Green Bean Casserole

4-5 cups yellow squash, peeled and cubed
2 cups frozen green beans
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 egg, beaten
1 cup chopped tomato bits
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon sweet basil
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Boil squash until tender.  Drain and mash.  Steam green beans until just barely tender.  Combine squash and green beans with all other ingredients.  Spread into greased casserole dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Top with a little extra cheese for presentation.
 

Baked Stuffed Apples

4 cups whole wheat bread, dried and cubed
1 cup celery, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped pecans
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup apple juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 whole apples, cored
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Toss together all ingredients except 1/2 stick butter and whole apples.  Place whole apples into baking dish.
Stuff apples with bread mixture.  Douse top of each apple with 1 tablespoon liquid butter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven; top each apple with just a little shredded cheese and allow to melt.  Delicious served warm, but good at room temperature also.
 

Harvest Scalloped Corn

2 cups whole kernal corn, frozen
2 cups potato chunks, peeled
2 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup Italian bread crums
1 1/2 cups sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup shredded carrots
sea salt to taste

Combine corn, potatoes, broccoli and celery.  Pour into greased rectangular baking pan.  Sprinkle bread crumbs over vegetables.  Beat eggs, sour cream, milk and garlic together.  Pour over vegetable mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, until set in the center.
 

Rice, Mushroom and Cheese Croquettes

RICE MIXTURE

1/4 cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup minced mushrooms
2 cups cooked rice
3 tablespoons minced celery
2 tablespoons minced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon grated carrots
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese or other cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley -- (optional)
OR
1 teaspoon dried thyme -- (optional)
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper or pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 egg

ROLLING MIXTURE

2 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 eggs
oil for frying

Sauté onions and mushrooms in oil until onions are light golden and
translucent. Combine all ingredients except rolling mixture. Chill rice
mixture. Beat the eggs from the rolling mixture and roll croquettes in
beaten egg and then breadcrumbs. Fry, turning so all sides brown.
Serve with ranch dressing, country gravy, or honey-mustard dressing.
Or, any sauce or dressing you like.
 

Apple Burritos with Cider Butter Sauce

APPLE FILLING

12 Granny Smith apples or any tart variety
1 lemon
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Fresh ground nutmeg

CIDER BUTTER SAUCE

1 leek
1 (1/2-inch) cinnamon stick
1 quart apple cider
1 pound butter
1 leek
12 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 tablespoons butter
Whipping cream (optional)

PREPARATION: For the filling, peel and core apples and cut into 1-inch pieces. Squeeze juice from lemon. Melt the butter in a large, nonreactive frying pan. Add the apples, lemon juice, sugar, and nutmeg to taste and cookover medium heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft but not mushy, about 15 minutes. For the Cider Butter Sauce, cut both leeks for the sauce and for the garnish into thin julienne strips, reserving 1/2 for garnish. Break cinnamon stick into pieces. Put the cider, 1/2 of leeks, and cinnamon stick in a pot, bring to a boil, and reduce by 2/3, about 20 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. Recipe can be made to this point a day ahead. COOKING AND SERVING: Heat oven to 350ºF. Wrap tortillas in foil and warm in preheated oven, about 10 minutes. Reheat apple filling and sauce. Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan and sauté the remaining leek over medium heat, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Over the lowest possible heat, add the 1 pound of cold butter to the sauce, about a tablespoon at a time, adding another piece as each is almost incorporated. Butter should not melt completely but should soften to form a creamy sauce. If the sauce gets too hot and butter starts to melt, remove it from the heat and continue adding butter. Put an equal amount of apple filling on each tortilla and roll it up. Put a burrito on each plate. Top with Cider Butter Sauce and sprinkle with sautéed leek. Top with a dollop of whipped cream if you like. Yield: 12 servings.
 
 

Crock Pot Zuccini Casserole

1 red onion, sliced
1 green pepper sliced in thin strips
4 medium zucchini, unpeeled, sliced
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 TBS
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients except butter and cheese. Place in a slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours. Dot casserole with butter and sprinkle on cheese. Cook for 1-1/2 more hours on low.