Dr Pepper Brownies

Ingredients
1 c. butter
1 c. Dr Pepper
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
4 Tbs. cocoa
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. soda
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions
Heat the butter and Dr Pepper until melted.  Do not boil.
Mix dry ingredients.
Combine buttermilk, soda and vanilla.
Add milk mixture to the dry ingredients.  Then add Dr Pepper mixture.
Bake in greased 18X12 ban for 2530 minutes at 350 degrees.

Frosting (optional)
Bring to boil 1/2 cup butter, 6 Tbs. Dr Pepper and 3 Tbs. cocoa.  Add 1 box powdered sugar.  Spread on warm brownies and cut into squares when cool.

Jeri's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1/2 c. chortening
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sifted flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soda
1 c. chocolate chips

Directions
Cream the shortening, sugars, egg and vanilla until light and fluffy.
Stir the flour, salt and soda into the cream mixture.
Add 1c. chocolate chips.
Bake at 375 degrees 10-12 minutes.

Macaroni & Cheese - Pioneer Woman Style!

Ingredients

4 cups dried macaroni
1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 4 tablespoons) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 heaping teaspoons dry mustard (more if desired)
1 egg, beaten
1 pound cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
*Optional spices: cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme

Directions:

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.
In a small bowl, beat egg.
In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.
Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.
Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.
Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.
Add in cheese and stir to melt.
Add salts and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.
Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.

Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Lemon Poppy Seed Chicken

OK... my original recipe called for 2 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup. When I made this the other day I was out of Cream of Mushroom, so I subbed 1 can Cream of Chicken and 1 cup of heavy cream for the two cans of Cream of Mushroom soup. I love it so much better and my kids didn't complain about the little mushroom pieces in it! Either way, it's yummy!!!

Ingredients:

4-6 large chicken breasts

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

juice from 1 lemon

1/2 to 1 cup of heavy cream

1 cup chicken broth

2 packages (sleeves) of Ritz crackers

1 T. poppy seeds

1 stick real salted butter, melted

Directions:

Boil the chicken breasts slowly for about 30-40 minutes so they will be nice and tender. (Sometimes I boil them in water and add a couple of chicken bouillon cubes for more flavor. Or I boil them in a couple of cans of chicken broth and enough water to keep 'em covered.)

While the chicken is cooking, mix together in a bowl: the soup, the sour cream, and the lemon juice. (Use the whole lemon for some zing or just use half the juice and add more to taste.) Now add the cream. About a half of a cup ought to do it, but I like mine really juicy and creamy so I use a whole cup. (This is especially good if you like to serve this casserole over rice!) Stir it all well and set it aside.

When the chicken is done, chop it up (or shred it) and spread it out in the bottom of a 9"X13" casserole dish. Use about a cup of the broth to pour on top of the chopped up chicken.

Now add your creamy mixture to the top of the chicken and spread it around to cover it up nicely. Crumble the Ritz crackers right on top of the creamy part, then sprinkle the poppy seeds over the cracker crumbs.

Drizzle the melted butter on top of the whole thing and pop it in a 350 oven for about 35 minutes. The crackers will get nice and golden and the creamy part will be bubbling along the edges! Enjoy!!!

*** This freezes well, but wait until you are ready to cook it before you add the crackers, poppy seeds and butter. Don't want those cracker crumbs to get soggy! Even better the next day!

Poppy Seed Wine Cake

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup oil
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup sherry
1 package instant vanilla pudding
1/4 cup poppy seeds

Directions:
Combine ingredients in order listed. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan or tube pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Cool. After cake cools, sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Will stay fresh and moist for about a week. Freezes well.

Miller's Favorite Meat Loaf

I got this recipe from my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook (see below), but I did make some minor adjustments that allowed it to pass the doopie test. If you want to do it like mine you MUST follow my rules!
Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream
(original recipe called for 3/4 cup milk, but why use milk when you can use cream, right? And 1/2 cup was all I had left, thus my version)
2/3 cup Progresso Garlic & Herb Bread Crumbs (again, you must use this kind or I can not vouch for the final product!) See the picture below.
1/2 Tbs. onion powder (I used this in place of 1/4 cup chopped onion - yuck!)
1 Tbs. parsley
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon basil and/or oregano (I used a mixture of both - heavier on the basil)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb. lean (90-10) ground sirloin
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
2 Tbs. packed brown sugar

Directions :
In a medium bowl combine eggs and milk; stir in bread crumbs, onion powder, parsley, salt, basil/oregano and pepper. Add ground meat; mix well. Lightly pat mixture into an 8X4X2-inch loaf pan.

Bake in a 350 oven for 1 hour or until internal temp. registers 160 degrees. Spoon off any fat (there was none since I used 90%-10% ground sirloin). In a small bowl combine ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard; spread over meat. Bake for 10 minutes more. Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting into eight slices.
Serve with mashed taters and green beans. Yum!

Adam's Dr Pepper Ribs

Beef or pork spareribs (7-8 lbs.)
1 liter of Dr Pepper
2 tsp. liquid smoke
4 or more garlic cloves, smashed
1 onion, quartered
your favorite BBQ sauce

Put spareribs in large pot or Dutch oven. Cover with Dr Pepper, so that all ribs are completely covered. Add liquid smoke (a few shakes), garlic cloves to taste, and onion. Bring to boil, then simmer until ribs are tender. (About 1 hour.)

Take ribs out of liquid and place in shallow pan, pour BBQ sauce over all the ribs.
Place in a 350 oven and bake until desired degree of doneness. (About 1 hour.)

The Dr Pepper adds a sweet taste to the ribs and they are very moist and tender. This recipe can also be used for ribs on the grill. Doubles well.