Jeanie's Feed a Crowd Pancakes

Every year, my family has an Easter brunch. This year, my sister, Jeanie, made a pancake casserole. As with everything My Jeanie makes, it was amazing. No, wait, it wasn't amazing. It was out of this world! Since then, many people have asked her for the recipe. So, ladies and gentleman, for the first time on any stage, in her own words, I give you Jeanie's Feed a Crowd Pancakes!

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup maple syrup (I actually used the real thing)

2 cups flour
2 tbs, sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
3 tbs. melted butter
2 cups buttermilk
fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 350. Combine brown sugar, butter and syrup (you could heat first but I didn't) and pour into 13 x 9 pan. Beat remaining ingredients until blended.

Pour over syrup mixture.

Sprinkle blueberries over batter. (They will sink to bottom anyway, but I put them on top.) Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes or until top springs back when touched in center. Cut into squares.


Tips:
Jeanie: Remember, my measurements are merely "guidelines." You can take it from there. Enjoy!

Joey: In my opinion, you can never have too many blueberries, so I added some on the bottom, and then threw some more on the top too!!! I was also VERY generous with the syrup and brown sugar, because, well, more is more.
And since I can never leave a recipe alone without thinking up variations, I think this would be FABULOUS if you added bananas or peaches. yum!
THANX My Jeanie!!

Hot Artichoke Dip

Only a few ingredients, check. Easy to prepare, check. Easy to serve, check. EVERYONE LOVES IT, check! I'm not gonna lie, sometimes I feel a little guilty when everyone makes such a fuss about this dish. It couldn't be simpler to make, but everyone thinks you went to a lot of trouble! Make it the next time you're having friends over for cocktails, and be sure to tell them you slaved all day in the kitchen.

2 14 oz. cans artichoke hearts(packed in water, NOT in oil)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 350.
Coarsely chop artichoke hearts. Stir together with mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese. Place in a shallow casserole dish or pie plate. Sprinkle top with a little extra cheese. Bake until bubbly and slightly golden, about 30-40 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite crackers.


Tip:
I like to serve this with a hearty multi grain cracker. The crunchy texture is perfect with the creaminess of the dip.

Honey Chicken

Many, many years ago, our good friend, Roz, was taking a class in ceramics. They had a class Christmas party where they served Honey Dipped Chicken. She liked it so much she asked for the recipe, and it immediately became every one's favorite dish. Every bridal shower, baby shower, surprise birthday party, and any other family event had Honey Dipped Chicken on the menu. Seriously, EVERYONE made it for EVERY event. Eventually, we sort of moved on to newer exciting and delicious things to cook and this was sort of pushed to the back of the recipe box.
Last year I catered a retirement party for one of my coworkers and I decided to make it because I remembered how it was always a huge hit. Let me just say, it was a big success! Everyone LOVED it, once again, just as everyone loved it so many years ago! This one is definitely worth bringing back! Thanx Roz!!


8 pieces of chicken, skin on
1 tbs. granulated chicken bouillon
salt and pepper
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter, melted
a little squeeze of lemon juice


Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Arrange pieces of chicken in a baking dish. Sprinkle with granulated bouillon, salt and pepper. Place in oven and bake for one hour. Combine honey, melted butter, and lemon juice. Pour some of the honey mixture over the chicken and bake for another hour, basting periodically with the rest of the honey mixture.


Tip:
I like to use legs and thighs for this recipe, mainly because that's what was served the first time I tasted it. Yes, I leave the skin on because it gets nice and crispy and helps keep the chicken unbelievably moist. Of course, you have the option of discarding the skin after it's baked, but are you kidding? That's the best part!
The original recipe used the same ingredients, but a slightly different cooking method. It also required baking at a higher temperature for a shorter amount of time. I prefer to go the 'low and slow' route. When you taste how moist and delicious the final result is, you'll see that it's totally worth the wait!

Hershey's Black Magic Cake

This is, without a doubt, my favorite chocolate cake recipe. I've tried several. This one wins. I think the key to it is the coffee. It adds a depth of flavor that sets it apart from all others. Whenever I make it, I always make the coffee a little stronger than the recipe requires. I also like to double the amount of vanilla extract. And no, I didn't bake the cake in the picture and I have no idea how to make the chocolate butterflies that are on top. hee hee

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract



1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Yields 10 to 12 servings.


Tip:
To make buttermilk, use 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice plus milk to equal 1 cup. Microwave for 15 seconds. The milk will curdle which is exactly what you want. If you don't have a microwave, you can just let it stand until the milk curdles. you'll get the same result. The microwave just speeds the process.

Joey's Favorite Meatloaf

One of the most under rated dishes in the world is meatloaf. Why is that? Everyody loves it, right? It's delicious, it's comfort food, it always hits the spot. Serve it up with some mashed potatoes and a green veggie and you're good to go. I say it's time to bring meatloaf back! Who's with me?!?!?!?

2 lbs. ground beef
1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
1 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1/2 cup ketchup, plus extra

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large bowl, combine all ingredients. In a 13x9x2 casserole dish, shape into a loaf. Spread extra ketchup over the top and sides.
Bake one hour, or until done. Let stand 10 minutes.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

The great thing about this recipe is that it requires minimal prep work. You can throw it together in literally about 15 minutes before you go to bed at night, then turn it on before you go to work in the morning. When you get home, dinner's ready!

1-2 lbs. beef cubes
1 lb baby carrots
4 red potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 18 oz jar beef gravy
1 cup red wine
1 tsp. thyme leaves
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, over medium high heat, brown beef cubes in a little bit of oil. Meanwhile add all of the remaining ingredients to the crock pot. Add the beef to the pot and give it a good stir. Deglaze the pan with a little water (or a little more red wine, if desired) and add liquid to the pot. Replace lid. Cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. Remove lid for the last half hour so it will thicken slightly. Serve with your favorite crusty bread. YUM!

Tip:
Be sure to use baby carrots so that you don't have to do any peeling or slicing. I like to leave the potato skins on, so again, no peeling. Just cut them into small pieces or even use baby red potatoes and just cut them in half. For a little variation, you can also add frozen peas and/or corn.

Kickass Tuna Casserole

My oldest nephew's name is Dan, but to me he'll always be Daniel Boone. I made this recipe for him several years ago. After his first bite, he declared that this was KICKASS! Could this be one of the reasons he calls me Uncle Favorite? (or just Favey, for short). This one's for you, Daniel Boone!


1 lb. wide egg noodles
1 onion, diced
1 lb baby carrots
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1 can white albacore tuna, packed in water, drained well
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
milk to fill up one soup can
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles until al dente. In the meantime, saute vegetables until slightly softened. In a large bowl, mix tuna, soups, milk, and shredded cheese. Drain cooked noodles and add to bowl, along with sauteed vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until everything is evenly coated with sauce. Pour everything into a large casserole dish. Bake for about 30 minutes or until veggies are tender and everything is bubbly.


Tip:
This is another one of those recipes that can be changed and varied depending on what ingredients you might have on hand. You can substitute cooked cubed chicken for the tuna, and vary the vegetables to your heart's content. And again, it's the Cass Quaile School of Cooking. The amounts are just guidelines. "Do you like a lot of carrots? Add a lot of carrots. Do you like a lot of mushrooms? Add a lot of mushrooms."