I have a dessert one...my husband's late grandmother taught me how to make this and it's a favorite of our family.

CLOUD NINE

8oz package of cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp white sugar
small can crushed pineapple
2 envelopes Dream Whip, prepared according to package directions
1/2 cup Maraschino cherries
1 cup chopped pecans.

Drain crushed pineapple, reserving 1/4 cup of the juice. Mix softened cream cheese, sugar, and reserved juice together (add the juice slowly or else you'll end up with 'curdled' cheese mixture). Quarter the cherries and add them and the drained crushed pineapple to the cream cheese mix. Slowly fold in the dream whip and then transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle the top with the chopped pecans, and refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.

It's fattening, but soooooo good! A batch usually lasts less than a day in our house..!

Hearty Taco Dip ( it's really a main course )

Fry up one or two pounds of ground meat (turkey, beef, pork, whatever) drain grease

Add Taco seasoning packet and two cans of refried beans

Put this mixture in a large glass baking dish...

Now mix ( blend) together equally sour cream, cream cheese, and salsa ( mild to wild, your choice )and pour this over the bean/meat mixture

Grate a hunk of Cheddar over top of the cream mixture, garnish ( hehe, I said garnish ) with jalapeno rings

and bake for 30 minutes @ 375 ( you can make this ahead of time, and then toss in the Church oven before it's time to dig in cause it's just not as good if the cheese ain't gooey )

Serve with sturdy dipping Nacho's or my favorite Frito dippers.....I personally guarantee you'll bring home an empty dish ( the ultimate compliment of any Pot Luck affair )

No fair trying to figure Carbs or Fat content.......

Yet another all-time favorite mass quantity feeding freenzy food;

Baked Beans

In a large pot add the following;

6 cans of good ol' Pork and Beans

1 Onion diced

1/2 Lb bacon - fried and crumbled

1/4 cup of Ketchup

1/4 cup of Yellow Mustard

1/4 cup Apple Butter

1/4 cup Brown Sugar or Mollasses ( just depends )

Heat over Medium til bubbly and onions are clear

( You can serve this now, but for the right thickness pour
the pot 'o beans into a crockery dish or baking pan and bake
at 350 for as long as you can, or at least an hour )

Who don't like baked beans???

Fried Spam:

yum!

CLOUD NINE

This sounds familiar. I'm thinking it's the same recipe that my friend makes all the time. I'll have to try it and see if it is. Thanks Dharma.

Hearty Taco Dip

This sounds fantastic! I love anything that resembles Mexican food. I'm definately going to make this. Thanks Dyno!!

No fair trying to figure Carbs or Fat content.......

I promise not to.

Who don't like baked beans???

My 7 yr old daughter, for reasons still unknown. I was thinking about this actually but I think my mother-in-law is taking some. But thanks for the recipe dyno. I've never thought to put apple butter in baked beans. I'll try it next time I make them.

Fried Spam: yum!

if you say so mano.

CLOUD NINE

This sounds familiar. I'm thinking it's the same recipe that my friend makes all the time. I'll have to try it and see if it is. Thanks Dharma.

Hearty Taco Dip

This sounds fantastic! I love anything that resembles Mexican food. I'm definately going to make this. Thanks Dyno!!

No fair trying to figure Carbs or Fat content.......

I promise not to.

Who don't like baked beans???

My 7 yr old daughter, for reasons still unknown. I was thinking about this actually but I think my mother-in-law is taking some. But thanks for the recipe dyno. I've never thought to put apple butter in baked beans. I'll try it next time I make them.

Fried Spam: yum!

if you say so mano.

No offense meant to LW but that's not how Gumbo is done, at least in Louisiana. Close but not quite.

Sonnier's Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

1 Whole Chicken cut up and skin removed (I always use a fryer instead of buying cut up chicken - when boiling the chicken it makes a better stock)
Package Andouille Sausage Link (any sausage will do Andouille is spicier than most - if you can't get that regular sausage and a little pork tasso works well)
The trinity - Large onion, Celery (I don't generally use because I don't like the texture it adds), Bell pepper
3/4 flour
2/3 cup vegetable oil
Seasonings to taste (salt, pepper, garlic powder, Tony Chacheres Link, Tabasco, Bay leaf - I don't use it)

Chicken
In a large stock pot put a couple of table spoons of oil and heat to medium high
Put chicken parts in the oil and season well (you are making the base for the stock)
Brown Chicken thoroughly (I don't put the back in until I start boiling the chicken) - should take 10-15 minutes
Pour in 3/4 gallon of water
Boil until chicken is tender and almost falling off of the bones

Roux
Cut onion, celery, and bell pepper
Cut sausage into slices
(I always throw them in the freezer for a few minutes once I have them chopped. When you are making the roux it is important to stop the browning process and this will help do that)
Put oil and flower in a flat bottomed pot that is large enough to hold all of your vegetables and sausage (you need to be able to stir this and keep it off the bottom)
Cook over medium high heat stirring constantly (if you don't stir constantly the roux will burn and you will have to start over)
You will see the consistency change as it cooks and browns. It will thicken as it cooks.
A good rule of thumb for telling when the roux is done is it will be the color of milk chocolate.
When your roux is done remove it from the heat and toss in the sausage and vegetables and stir until well mixed.
These flavors will mix together and all of the vegetables and sausage will cook
Set aside

Optional
De-bone the chicken (I like to do this because ... who really wants to reach into a soup and dig out a bone?)

The big finish
Put the chicken back into the stock and bring to a boil
Put the roux mixture in the pot and stir in till it is well mixed
Let simmer 30 minutes or more (I like to make it a day ahead of time and reheat. It is always better the next day)
Taste for seasoning add salt and pepper to taste and just a little Tabasco (you can always add more heat to it but you can't take it away)
Server over rice (Zatarain makes great rice for gumbo if you can find it in your area, but any rice will do.)

Table side condiments
Tabasco
Filé gumbo Link(dried sassafras leaves)
I generally serve potato salad along with the gumbo. Strange Cajuns like me even like to toss a scoop right in the bowl.


Wow! I've never written this down. This is my own version of Gumbo. Some people make it a little different down here by adding tomatoes, eggs and all sorts of other things. I have never made a Gumbo where anyone went away hungry.

--enjoy--

Man! I haven't had any good Andouille Sausage in ages! Being originally from Louisiana does spoil you for certain foods.

Sonnier's Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Wow john. That sound delicious. My husband would go nuts for that. I'm definately going to try this when I get a chance. Thanks!!

Here is a recipe for all the other chocoholics out there:
Better Than Sex Cake
INGREDIENTS:
1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups hot fudge topping or Carmel topping {which ever you prefer}
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
4 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered English toffee

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DIRECTIONS:
Bake German chocolate cake mix according to package directions.
While cake is still very warm poke holes in top of cake with the end of a wooden spoon, poor sweetened condensed milk over top. Let cake cool. Pour hot fudge topping over top of cake and let set. Spread on whipped topping and garnish with crushed Heath ™ Bars (toffee crumbles).

I love this cake. A friend of mine gave me this recipe about 8 yrs ago when I was in high school. He made it and brought it to a potluck lunch we had in our Senior English class. Everyone loved it. It's now a family favorite.
I just thought I'd share it since everyone is passing on their favorite recipes to me. Thanks again everyone!

Here's an easy grill thing i do all the time.

thatoneguyinslc's Hollywood Chicken & Stuffed Anaheim Peppers

6 boneless chicken breasts
1 bottle Newman's Own Balsamic Vinegrette salad dressing
6-12 Anaheim peppers
1/2 lb mozarella cheese
1/2lb of your favorite kind of sausage
Olive oil
Oregano (to taste)
Garlic (same as above)

Marinate chicken breasts in a large bowl with at least 8 oz of the Newmans overnight in the fridge.

Fire up your grill to med-high

slice peppers open with a slit, rinse ALL of the seeds out and get all the white stuff out.
Brush peppers with olive oil, put on grill to blacken outside and soften inside.
Remove from grill. let cool for 5 min
stuff peppers with cheese, sausage (i prefer andoule or linguisa, but whatever you like is good).
spice with garlic and oregano
brush with olive oil again and wrap peppers with aluminum foil. seal.

Grill chicken breasts until cooked. Put peppers back on grill for 5-10 minutes to melt cheese.

Damn tasty and real easy. Recipe can be adjusted to size of group.

Neb,
I'm so honored that my lil ol' Taco mess impressed you *blushes*
But, I'd check your daughter for signs of alien body snatching, 'cause I've never met a child who didn't like
baked Beans....

BTW, I left you an Oreo Recipe over on LW's thread....

thatoneguyinslc's Hollywood Chicken & Stuffed Anaheim Peppers

That does sounds good and we grill alot during the summer. Thanks.

But, I'd check your daughter for signs of alien body snatching, 'cause I've never met a child who didn't like baked Beans....

I know. I have yet to figure out why. My other two kids love them. She has a thing against all green foods and beans of anykind.

BTW, I left you an Oreo Recipe over on LW's thread....

I saw it, thanks. We make dirt cake probably once a month or so. It's a favorite around here.

Well, if nothing else this thread proves a lot of us like to eat

Doesn't like baked beans??? That's just not right!

Well, if nothing else this thread proves a lot of us like to eat

That's becoming really obvious.

No offense taken, and I've made gumbo that took me a full day in the kitchen to complete, too! I was thinking more towards ease of preparation--thus, the 30 minute variety.

Sometimes all that time in the kitchen is really worth it though.