Green Bean Casserole

Here is another staple from Lee's family. His mom and grandma really have the best recipes! This is one of my favorites that I make year round. This is one I can't have just at Thanksgiving.

I can't believe I'm giving this secret away.... It is always a hit and I get asked "what is different about this green bean casserole?!" Well lady and gents... it's all in the cheese. Libby made this one time and I've made this way ever since. I like to make it when we have steak, chicken, or any dish. Not just during thanksgiving. I don't think I could go all year without this one.

2-3 cans of green beans
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1/2 of a small pkg of Velveeta pepper jack cheese
Milk (I don't usually measure so I'd say 2/3 a cup.... You want a thick soupy mixture)
Few splashes of Worcestershire
garlic salt
pepper
Fried onions

In a saucepan, melt cheese, soup, milk, Worcestershire, garlic salt, and pepper. Pour drained beans into a casserole dish. Pour melted mixture over top of beans. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Add fried onions and cook until browned.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Here is another one of Lee's family recipes. His grandma, Meme, has tons of great recipes and this is one that we ALL love!

OK now really folks..... I can't tell you how many people are scared of yams. Either it's just the name or something your great aunt used to make that made you resent them for life. It is time to get over your fears... and it can be done with this dish!!! The picture really doesn't do it justice! A little true life story for you.... My dad and sister have NEVER EVER eaten sweet potato casserole at thanksgiving. I would b/c my aunt made the one with the big marshmallows and I loved that. I made this last year for my family. Laura and dad were the first to go back for seconds on this one. The ones who HATE yams! Yeah... so that should tell you a little something about this dish. And let me tell you... the topping of this dish is the best kept secret. It is crunchy pecan sugar heaven. Just try it. 

3 cups of sweet potatoes, mashed
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs beaten
1/3 cup milk
1 t vanilla

Mix the above ingredients together and put in a casserole dish.

Topping:
1/3 c butter, softened
1 c light brown sugar
1/2 c flour
1 c chopped pecans (optional)

Mix and sprinkle on top of sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Can be made ahead and frozen. 

Broccoli and Rice Casserole

This is a recipe from Lee's family. They do not have a gathering during the holidays without it.

This is my go to dish when it comes to gatherings during the holidays. If it's at work or friends house, this is ALWAYS a hit!! I had to write this recipe down and make 6 or 7 copies last year. It's just good. You can always add chicken to it and make it your main course. When I'm in a hurry sometimes I'll use seasoning blend for the veggies and it's just as good.

1 stick of butter
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 pkg of frozen chopped broccoli
1 can cream of chicken
1 cup of grated cheese or 1 small jar of cheese whiz (I use the cheese whiz)
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (I use 2 boil in the bags)
Tabasco to taste
salt/pepper to taste
bread crumbs


Preheat oven to 350. Start the boiling process of rice. In a large skillet, saute the onions and celery in butter until the vegetables are clear. Cook broccoli according to pkg; drain well. Mix broccoli with soup and cheese; add to celery and onions. Stir in rice; season and mix well. Put into a greased casserole dish; top with bread crumbs. Bake 45 minutes. Can be mixed ahead and frozen.

Bean Dip

Here is another good dip from Pinterest!!

Ingredients:

2 cans (16 Oz) Refried Beans

1 can (10.5 Oz) Diced Tomatoes (see notes)

1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning

4 cups Shredded Colby-jack Cheese (see notes)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F degrees.

Drain excess juice from tomatoes.

In a medium bowl, combine refried beans, drained tomatoes, taco seasoning and 2 cups of cheese.

Spray an 8×8 baking dish with nonstick spray. Pour combined ingredients into dish and spread around evenly.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until thoroughly heated through. Add remaining cheese on top of dip and bake for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Serve warm with your favorite tortilla chips.

Cook’s Note: This is the basic recipe but you can definitely turn up the heat and flair with this. Use a can of tomatoes with diced green chiles (like Rotel) to turn up the heat or try using Pepper Jack cheese. Also, try spreading an 8 ounce block of softened cream cheese on the bottom of the dish first before spreading the bean dip on top. Throw in a small can of diced olives and you have a warm dip that is similar to a 7 layer dip. This dip still tastes great when it has cooled.