Crack Queso

16 oz of cream Cheese

1 Roll of Hot Breakfast sausage

1 can rotel

Salt and pepper to taste 

Brown the Sausage….Then melt the Cheese in the pan with the sausage.   DO NOT STRAIN the Grease.  Pour in the Rotel and bring to a simmer…. Ready to go!!!  Serve with torilla chips or Frito Scoops

Oven Cooking Bags

I love oven cooking bags just as much as the crockpot liners! I always lose the cooking guide.  If you've not tried them you should.  This is the way I have done turkey for the last 25+
years!!

http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/tips/oven-bag-cooking-guide/

How many cups are in a tub of COOL WHIP Whipped Topping?

Size of Tub -- Yield
8 oz. -- 3 cups
12 ounce -- 4 1/2 cups
16 ounce -- 6 1/2 cups for REGULAR, 6 3/4 cups for LITE*

http://able2know.org/topic/180798-1

Dried to canned beans conversion

 Found this at: Be it ever so humble  just in time for soup season!        

            Dried to canned beans conversion

Here is a conversion chart that I compiled to help me use more dry beans. All numbers are approximate, of course, but they've worked for me so far.

A standard can of beans is 15 ounces. Small bags of beans you get at the store are usually 1 pound, but sometimes 2.

---

1 15-ounce can of beans equals

• 1/2 cup dry beans, before cooking
• 1 1/2 cups beans, after cooking

1 pound dry beans equals

• 2 cups dry beans, before cooking
• 6 cups beans, after cooking
• 4 15-ounce cans of beans

1 part dry beans equals

• 3 parts cooked beans

ReaLemon/ReaLime Equivalents

How much ReaLemon/ReaLime juice is equal to 1 medium fruit?

1/4 cup ReaLemon = 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (do not dilute)

1/4 cup ReaLime = 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (do not dilute)

3 tablespoons ReaLemon = the juice of 1 medium lemon (do not dilute)

2-3 tablespoons ReaLime = the juice of 1 medium lime (do not dilute)

Again - this is one of those equivalents you can't find when you need it!

Bacon Bit Equivalents

I can never remember what website this is on - so I decided to post here!

These are the measurements for Hormel Bacon Bits.  I imagine they would be the same for each brand

1 Tablespoon = 1 1/2 strips of bacon

1 3-oz jar = 1 1/2 LBS of bacon

7 grams = 1 Tablespoon

3/4 cup = NOT PACKED = equal approx 1 pound of bacon

I've been using the Aldi brand bacon bits lately and they measure out to 1 cup.  Who doesn't love a little extra bacon!

Tony's Texas Slaw

1/2 c sugar
1/4 c white vinegar
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 lb bag coleslaw mix
1 c thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 c thinly sliced green bell pepper
1 med onion thinly sliced
1 carrot coarsely shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk sugar, vinegar and oil in large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients toss to combine.  Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours tossing occasionally.  Makes 8 servings.  SLAW CHEAT:  - make dressing add to all ingredients in gallon ziplock.  Place in refrigerator and turn a couple of times.  Makes for easy transport.

This comes from a family friend - he always goes home with a empty bowl!  Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Gumbo

Quick and Easy Gumbo 

2 c chicken, cooked, diced

16 oz frozen gumbo-style vegetables (corn, onions, okra, onions)

1 cans diced tomatoes, with juice

1 c raw rice

2 TBS oil

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 c chicken broth

1/8 tsp creole seasoning

1 dash crushed red pepper flakes

Saute frozen veggies in oil in a dutch oven until tender, adding all spices. Stir occasionally.  Add broth, tomatoes, chicken and rice to vegetable mixture and simmer for at least 20 minutes, or until rice and veggies are done. Enjoy.

This was very good!  It was liked by all!  

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

2 cans Artichoke hearts drained and roughly chopped

1 small box of frozen spinach, cooked and squeezed dry

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 green onion diced

1/2 c mayo or Greek yogurt

1/2 c sour cream

1 c Parmesan cheese

1 c pepper jack cheese

Spray your casserole dish with non-stick spray.  In a bowl, mix all ingredients except pepper jack cheese, pour into casserole dish and top with pepper jack cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with pita chips or tortilla chips.

***This came from Facebook - so I can't take credit.  The first time I made this I followed the directions, as this cools the cheese forms a crust on top that is hard to break through.  The second time I made this I added the cheese to the dish, it stayed cream and "dippable" even after it cooled.  I will continue to add the cheese to the dish.

WW Potato Soup for the Crockpot

I didn't mark where I got this from off  Facebook (sorry).  I made this soup this  summer for work and they scraped the crock-pot clean! This is a keeper and will be made again (actually was just requested - prompting this post)

1 26-30 oz frozen hash browns/Potatoes O'Brien/Country potatoes

2 cans chicken broth

1  can fat free cream of chicken soup

1/4 c chopped onion

1/4 tsp pepper

8 oz low-fat cream cheese

1 c milk

Add first 5 ingredients to crock-pot and cook on high for an hour.  Stir and then turn to low for another hour.  Add cream cheese, and cook another 1/2 hour or until cheese can be stirred into mixture. Add milk and cook 10 - 15 minutes longer.  Optional: Garnish with chopped green onion and bacon bits. (Add 1 pt for garnish).  Makes 8-10 cup servings   WW Points+:  2 pt no garnish - 3.5 per cup with garnish.

OK, so once again I can't follow a recipe.  I added the hash browns to the broth, soup, and onion, and cooked until tender on the stovetop.  I used my immersion blender and "blended" a small amount.  Then I added the cream cheese and milk, I added this to the crock-pot the next day for work and it was hot when we were ready to eat!