Homemade Pizza

A family favorite as long as I can remember! This pizza is so easy to make and a sure hit for your family. This is a fun dish to involve the kids in making, too.

from the kitchen of

Jan Rhoades

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Dough Ingredients

1 c. flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp oregano

1/8 tsp pepper

2 eggs

2/3 c. milk

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Other Ingredients

1 standard size jar or can of pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce

8 oz package of mozzarella cheese

desired pizza toppings

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Directions

1. Combine the dough ingredients together with a whisk. Spread the dough over a greased 9x13 pan.
2. Top dough with sauce and desired toppings (except for the cheese). Bake 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees.
3. Take the pizza out of the oven and sprinkle the cheese over it. Put back in the oven and melt.

* This is a thin crust pizza. To make it a little thicker I make the dough recipe as a 1 1/2 batch or even a double batch instead of a single batch. It makes the crust just enough thicker and we like it the best this way.

*** This pizza is also fun to make in a round cake pan for the round look!

* For the pizza shown above we used canned pineapple chunks that I cut in half, and then Oscar Mayer canadian bacon slices. It was so good!

Fried Chicken

Picture this: It's a Sunday evening in the winter and you're at home with your family eating homemade fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. Doesn't that sound great? You can make it happen! This is one of those recipes that tastes great without a lot of work, and not a lot of ingredients. Thanks to my mom for this yummy recipe!

from the kitchen of

Rhonda O'Connor

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Ingredients

desired amount of chicken (wings, thighs, a mix, boneless skinless...)

flour

salt and pepper

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Directions

1. Pour olive oil in a large saute pan so it covers the bottom. Put the heat on medium.
2. Prepare chicken according to the type. I like using boneless skinless chicken breasts and cutting them into strips (as shown above). The other types might not need any prep except to put them on a plate.
3. Pour some flour in the bottom of a separate shallow dish, enough to coat each piece of chicken.
4. Salt and pepper each piece of chicken, front and back. Place each piece of chicken in the flour and coat on both sides, then place them in the saute pan.
5. When all chicken is in the pan (or when the pan is full of chicken) turn the heat up to high to get the chicken nice and brown. Keep checking it to make sure you don't burn it. But you'll want a nice brown color so it crisps.
6. When the chicken is brown, turn them all over to brown the other sides. Then turn the heat down to low to allow the chicken to cook the rest of the way.
7. Depending on how thin or thick the chicken is, it will take about 15 - 45 minutes to cook. The strips I made took 15 minutes. You'll want to let them cook slowly so the chicken is moist. So good!
   

* Want a quick and easy recipe for country gravy to go with your chicken? Click here!

** For a little flavor, sometimes Mom uses seasoned salt. It adds a little zest!

Homemade Brownies

Homemade brownies are not only simple to make but they're much better for you than the ones that come from a box. These moist and delicious brownies are great for a dinner dessert or a Sunday treat!

from the kitchen of

Luann Egan

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Ingredients

2 c. sugar

4 eggs

1 c. butter

6 T. cocoa

2 c. flour

2 tsp vanilla

1 c. nuts (optional)

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Directions

1. Combine all ingredients with a hand or standing mixer.
2. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees in a greased 9 x 13 pan.
   

*Remember that apple sauce can be substituted for the butter for a healthier version! And it tastes the same. Can't beat that!

** These brownies are great alone, but here are some more options: sprinkle with powdered sugar, serve with a scoop of ice cream, frost, etc.

Taco Soup

This soup is one of my favorites during the fall. It's quick, easy, and delicious!

from the kitchen of

Tyson Miller

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Ingredients

1/2 - 3/4 lb ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans

1 can whole kernel corn

1 small can chopped green chiles

grated cheddar cheese (or any of your choice)

1 regular-sized bag of Fritos or corn chips

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Directions

1. Brown the ground beef in a saute pan. Add about 1/3 of the taco seasoning packet to the beef and mix.
2. In a large pot, combine all the other ingredients (except for cheese and chips). This also includes the rest of the taco seasoning.
3. Add the ground beef to the pot mixture and stir well. To serve, add chips to the bottom of bowls and pour soup over them. Sprinkle cheese over the soup and enjoy!

* This soup is good with other vegetables added to it! There are many yummy options for this soup.

** None of the ingredients need straining. Just pour everything right in!

Banana Bread

Don't you just love the smell of fresh-baked banana bread? This recipe is sure to fill your home with that classic aroma that we all know and love. And it tastes great, too!

from the kitchen of

Rhonda O'Connor

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Ingredients

1/2 c. butter

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 or 3 bananas

2 c. flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 c. sour milk (milk with a little lemon juice)

1/2 c. walnuts (optional)

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Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Bake in a greased and floured bread pan for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

* Extra ripe bananas work better than yellow bananas. They are more mushy and mix better.

**This recipe makes one large loaf or four small loaves.

***For a crispier crust don't flour the pan(s), just grease.
***Baking time may need to be longer, depending on the oven. Pull the oven rack out a little bit without having to remove the bread from the oven or the bread will sink. Test the bread by inserting a butter knife into the center. If it comes out with batter on it you'll want to keep it in for longer.

Fruit Crumble

This refreshing fruit dessert is great for any occasion! The fruit combinations are endless with this light and tasty treat.

from the kitchen of

Ina Garten

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Topping Ingredients

1/4 lb (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold and diced

1 c. flour

1/3 c. sugar

1/4 c. light brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

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Topping Directions

1. Combine all ingredients but the butter in a mixer.
2. Add the diced butter and blend till the butter chunks are the size of peas..
3. Press the mixture between your fingers to mix the rest of the way. Set aside.
   

Fruit Mixture Ingredients

10 peaches

1 small package of blueberries

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. flour

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Directions

1. Boil the peaches for one minute in a large pot (poaching). Place them in a bowl of ice water so the peels will come off easier.
2. Remove the peels and slice the peaches in eight wedges each into a separate bowl. Squeeze lemon juice over the peaches.
3. Add the blueberries with the peaches and gently mix together. Then add the sugar and flour. Gently mix.
4. Place fruit mix in a 9 x 13 pan or six large ramikens. (If using a metal pan, be sure to spray it with nonstick spray.) Sprinkle crumble over the fruit to cover.
5. Bake 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

*Remember that you can do this with any kind of fruit you want! Strawberries and bananas go great together. A good fall combination would be apples, pears, and cranberries.

**This dish can be pretty liquidy. Add a little more flour if desired, or put the fruit in individual ramikens as suggested above.

Homemade Meatballs

These meatballs are great on top of spaghetti! They even work well as an appetizer or snack at a party with teriyaki or sweet 'n sour sauce.

from the kitchen of

Linda Larsen

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Ingredients

(this recipe makes about 25 meatballs)

1 lb lean ground beef
1 egg

2 Tbsp water

1/2 c. bread crumbs

1/4 c. minced onion

1 clove of garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

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Directions

1. In a large bowl combine egg, water, bread crumbs, onion, salt, and pepper. Add ground beef in chunks and mush with your hands to combine.
2. Form into meatballs about 1" in diameter and place on a broiler pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle.
3. If not using immediately, cool and freeze.

*Instead of a broiler pan, I sprayed a cookie cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray on a cookie sheet and baked the meatballs on that.

**I didn't have any minced onion on hand so I sprinkled a little onion salt.

Marshmallow Dream Bars

This gooey chocolate brownie is the perfect way to satisfy a chocolate craving. Great for parties and family get-togethers!

from the kitchen of

Peggy Briggs

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Brownie Ingredients

2 cubes butter

2 c. white sugar

1/3 c. cocoa

4 eggs

1 1/2 c. flour

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 bag mini marshmallows

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Icing Ingredients

1 cube butter

1/3 c. milk

1/4 c. cocoa

1-2 c. powdered sugar

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Brownie Directions

1. Cream butter and sugar; add cocoa and 1 egg at a time.
2. Add vanilla and flour; beat well.
3. Spread on a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.
4. Take out. Spread on mini marshmallows and put back in the oven just long enough for the marshmallows to melt (about 3 minutes).
5. Allow to cool before frosting.

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Icing Directions

1. Heat butter, milk, and cocoa to a boil.
2. Add the powdered sugar, stirring well.
3. Pour over cooled brownies

*These bars can be cut into regular-sized brownies. But just to warn you, they are rich!