Printable Recipe

Heat a pot of water until it's boiling.
Peel and chop however many potatoes you need.
Add them to the already boiling water.
Cook until the potatoes are done...15 minutes maybe?
Drain the potatoes.
Return the potatoes to the pot and place back on the burner. Stir the potatoes for a minute or until all remaining water is gone.
Heat a good-sized chunk of butter (not margarine, because margarine is yucky) and a splash of real whipping cream (not milk, not water, not half and half: real whipping cream, preferably heavy whipping cream) together until the cream is warm and the butter melted.
Add the butter/cream mixture to the potatoes and mash it all together with a potato masher.

Place it in a bowl, and serve. Preferably with a yummy gravy.

Holly's Note:
By adding the potatoes to the already boiling water, they absorb less water. By returning them to the hot pot after draining, you heat away any remaining water. Trust me when I tell you that this makes a big difference in taste and texture. When you heat the butter and cream before adding it to the potatoes, you don't cool them down and again, trust me when I tell you that it makes a difference. The cream alone makes a much better, much creamier mashed potato.

Printable Recipe

1/2-1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb bacon, diced
1 cup chopped onions
2 cans (31 oz) pork and beans
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, drained
1 cup catsup
1 can (16 oz) butter beans, drained
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T. liquid smoke
3 T. white vinegar
1 t. salt
dash of pepper

Brown ground beef, drain. Put in crock pot. Brown bacon and onions, drain. Add to crock pot along with remaining ingredients. Stir well. Cook on low for 5-9 hours.

Holly's Note:
This recipe came from a dear friend of mine and are named for her. They're delicious.

Do you ever need a really good, really easy side dish? This one is about as easy as they come.

Rice Pilaf.

It's easy and versatile. You can use beef or chicken broth and bouillon, depending on the main course. It simmers on the stove top and is simply delicious. Pair it with a Roast Chicken for the perfect complement.

Printable Recipe

2 bunches broccoli (parboiled for 1 minute)
1 small red onion, chopped
1 c. sunflower seeds
½ c. raisins
12 slices bacon, cooked and diced

Mix together:
1 c. mayonnaise
½ c. sugar
2 T. white vinegar

Toss the sauce with the rest of the salad. Chill and serve.

Holly’s Note:
I hate this salad. It absolutely repulses me. But, Alan loves it and so does much of the rest of the extended family. Somehow it fell to me to be the one to always make it. This and the baked beans. They are the recipes that I am asked to bring to family gatherings. The beans I can handle. The salad I do because I love everyone else!

Printable Recipe

1 pkg. Rice-A-Roni chicken flavor
2 c. water
1 t. basil
1 c. chopped tomatoes
1 lb. chicken pieces
Some cheddar cheese

Saute the rice and vermicelli as directed. Add water, basil and seasoings. Place chicken on top of rice. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes. Top with tomato. Cover and cook for 5 minutes longer. Stir in some cheese and serve.

Cheap and easy.

Printable Recipe Here
Makes about 24 breadsticks


1 1/2 c. warm water
1 T. sugar
1 T. yeast
1/2 t. salt
3 - 4 1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl (I used my mixer), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for about 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, I used about 4 1/2) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

Grease a bowl with shortening and place dough in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for ~45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. I couldn't let it go that long.

Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Roll into a rectangle and cut into strips with a pizza cutter.

You can then roll each piece of dough into a twist or just leave it as a stick, which is what I did. Place on a greased baking sheet.

Cover and let the dough to rise for about another 30 minutes. When there's about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the garlic seasoning of your choice or Parmesan Cheese and garlic salt. 

Holly's Note:
I made Stuffed Meat Shells the other night and wanted a bread roll recipe that was easy, inexpensive and didn't make oodles of rolls.  I adapted this recipe from Our Best Bites, which is an awesome cooking blog. It's one of my favorites.

It sounds like it takes a long time, but it really didn't. I started them about 4:00 (I hadn't planned to do bread ahead of time) and wanted dinner on the table by 6. It was perfect. I think they'd be very forgiving if you couldn't let them rise the whole time. I actually got almost 24 breadsticks.

I sprinkled some with cinnamon and sugar which my son absolutely loved. I sprinkled some with my Carrabba's Blend and they were good, but we actually preferred them plain.

Printable Recipe

1 package frozen hash browns (I like the shredded style)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 to 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 small onion, chopped

Mix everything together. Dump into a 9 x 13 dish.

Top with the following:
2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted

Mix it together and spread over the top of the casserole. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until bubbly.

Holly’s Note:
Here in Idaho, these are called Funeral Potatoes. I refuse to call them that, but I do get asked quite often to bring them to funeral luncheons! The original recipe that I have came from my great-aunt. I realize that there are tons of recipes like this out there, but I like to think that it is a family recipe because I copied it from her a gazillion years ago. Her original recipe said to cook the potatoes and shred them. I buy frozen hash browns.

This also freezes well. It's the perfect accompaniment to ham or as a side dish for barbeque. We often have it alone as a meatless meal.

3 T. oil
1 c. uncooked rice
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
¼ c. chopped onion
1 can beef broth
1 small can green chiles
½ cup tomato sauce or 1 5 oz can of spicy V8 juice

Saute rice in oil for several minutes. Add onions and saute some more. Stir in spices, tomato sauce/V8, broth and green chiles. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is done. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Holly's Note:
This is actually a very mild rice dish. It goes really well with Beef Enchiladas, Chicken and Bean Burritos and Enchilada Pie.

2 1/4 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
6 T (3/4 stick) butter
3 T honey
1 t. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Arrange sweet potatoes in 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish. Melt butter, honey, and lemon juice together over medium heat until smooth. Pour butter mixture over sweet potatoes; toss to coat. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake sweet potatoes until tender when pierced with skewer, stirring and turning occasionally, about 50 minutes.

Holly's Note:
My girlfriend sent me this recipe from Epicurious. Normally I hate mushy sweet potato casserole like you get at Christmas and Thanksgiving. But, she swears by this way of cooking sweet potatoes, and as I'm really wanting to venture out in my vegetable cooking, I am going to try this. Perhaps putting it on my blog will push me to actually do so. If you try it first, leave a comment!

It's cold. It's fall. Do you want a warm, comforting meal when it's cold outside? I do! How about if that warm, comforting meal was easy too? If you agree, then try this one:

Baked Beans.

This is our favorite side dish for barbeque, but it also makes a delicious, almost meatless, meal on its own. Serve it with some cornbread and enjoy! Hearty and filling and delicious.

Printable Recipe

1 large can pork and beans
1 small can mushrooms
5-6 bacon slices, cooked and diced
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup onions (or you can use a couple tablespoons of dried onion instead)

Mix it all together. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Holly's Note:
This is an old family recipe that came from my aunt. She made them for a recent family reunion and my husband thought I'd made them! It's an awesome side dish for barbeque. We can't have burgers unless we have beans too.

This also makes a delicious, almost meatless meal on its own. Serve it with cornbread for a comforting, down-home dinner!