Sweet Breakfast Rolls

These have been a family favorite for years and years and years. It's a fun recipe, because you prepare it, let it rise overnight, and bake it first thing in the morning. And it's EASY.

I made these, like, twice a week when I was a freshman in college. And I was dumb and didn't put anything underneath it. When white glove check came around at the end of the school year, I had to use a knife and practically chisel off the baked remains. It took like four hours to do, seriously. I learned my lesson.

Sweet Breakfast Rolls

Grease a bundt pan. Arrange 18 frozen Rhoades rolls in the bottom of it. Melt one cube of butter and pour over the top of the frozen rolls. Sprinkle 1 pkg. of cook and serve butterscotch pudding on top of that. Sprinkle 1/2 cup brown sugar over that. Then sprinkle the desired amount of chopped pecans on top of that. Put a towel over the rolls and let them set overnight.

In the morning, set the oven to 350. Put a foil-covered cookie sheet with a lip around it under the bundt pan (the rolls will drip). Cook rolls 10 mins without any covering. Then cover with foil and cook for 25 more minutes.

When cooking time is done, take the cover off the rolls and flip them over on the foil-covered cookie sheet to serve.

Seven Layer Dip

Seven Layer Dip

On round tray, layer the following in order:
1 can Frito Lay bean dip
8 oz. sour cream mixed with 1 pkg. Ortega taco seasoning
frozen guacamole, thawed
chopped green onions
grated cheddar cheese
chopped tomatoes
chopped black olives, if desired

Serve with dip-sized Fritos.

Goulash

Last Ida H. recipe, I promise.

Goulash

1 lb ground beef
1 lg onion, chopped
1 lg can diced tomatoes
2 cups water
2 cups elbow macaroni
2 tsp chili powder
salt and pepper
grated cheddar cheese
1 diced green pepper

Brown hamburger with onion; drain. Add tomatoes, green pepper, and water. Bring to a boil and add macaroni. Reduce heat and cook until macaroni is tender, stirring occasionally. Season with chili powder and salt and pepper to taste and serve with cheese on top.

Klea's Chili

Speaking of Ida, here is one of my favorite recipes of hers, for chili. It's so easy, it's sinful. And it's amazing. I've tweaked it a little bit, but it's mainly the same.

And who is Klea? Um, I don't know.

Klea's Chili

1 lb. browned hamburger
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 can creamed corn
1 can kidney beans
1 can beef broth
1 can tomato sauce
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 small can chopped olives

Combine all of the above ingredients and simmer for one hour, stirring often.

*Note - sometimes, I don't simmer it for an hour. I just make sure it's heated through. Just depending on how hungry my kids are. :) And it's always been fine. Also, I love serving this with chopped cilantro, sour cream, and shredded cheese on top. Cilantro and I are in love. We're going to get married. It makes EVERYTHING better.

Veggie Dip

There's a well-known lady in our city named Ida H. She holds some kind of public office right now - I'm so un-political that I don't even know what she does. Sad. Anyways. Before she became County Such-and-Such Ida H, she was just my ward's Ida H. She was camp director when I was a teeny little Beehive. And she made sure we had the BEST food for camp. Everyone knows that Ida is a good cook.

She typed up some of her more-famous recipes into a book, and she gives copies of the book as wedding gifts. Best wedding gift I've ever gotten. This is her veggie dip recipe.

And, as a testimonial to how good it is, my mom brought it to my son's baptism party yesterday, and two people asked for the recipe. She wrote it down on paper towels for them, because I packed up all our paper. :)

I'm really naughty - I not only serve this with veggies, but I also love to dip potato chips in it. And sliced cheese. And pickles. So, when I dish some veggie dip up, I get a teeny bit of vegetables, and then TONS of potato chips, cheese, and pickles. Naughty Kar.

Ben once asked what was in my veggie dip. When I mentioned "Dill," he said, "I thought you hated dill."

"No, I like dill."

"Didn't you say that dill stinks?"

"No, that's cumin. It smells like B.O. But I still use it."

Then we looked up and saw my son, Dylan (Dyl) in the doorway, staring at us, agape. "You HATED me??? You think I stink??" he asked, staring at me with wet eyes.

I gave him dozens of hugs and kisses and told him that, no, I have never hated him. Ever. And that he doesn't stink. :)

Veggie Dip
1 cup mayo
8 oz sour cream
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1 tsp. dill weed
1 1/2 tsp. Bon Appetit (McCormick)

Mix all ingredients together and serve with veggies. Badda-bing, badda-boom.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

This is, hands-down, my kids' favorite meal. And I say "meal," and I'm planning to put it under "vegetarian main dishes," because this stuff is HEARTY. And it's so good that, if you serve it with anything else, the other things will sit on the plate and get cold while you dish up serving after serving of this stuff.

I went through my kids' backpacks a few days after their last day of school, and they both did these "All About Me"-type projects. There was always a page where they had to write about or draw their favorite foods, and guess what was featured? My homemade mac and cheese. Which is really my mom's homemade mac and cheese.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

2 3/4 c. macaroni
4 T. margarine
4 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cups milk
1/2 lb cheddar cheese, shredded

Boil macaroni in water. Drain. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Blend in flour, salt, and pepper. Add milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles. Mix noodles, cheese, and white sauce together in a casserole dish. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 mins.

Veggie Pizza

Oh baby. I love this recipe so very, very much. It's perfect for summer. And it's making my mouth water right now, just thinking about it. It's the Ranch. I am soooooooooo in love with Ranch dressing. I have it with everything.

Funny story about Ranch dressing. I went to England when I was 20 for a study abroad thingey for four months. Best time of my life. Loved it.

Didn't love the food so much.

Those people haven't even heard of Ranch dressing. Poor things. We went out to some restaurant a couple of weeks after we got there, and I ordered a pizza. I soooo wanted Ranch to go with my pizza. So I ask the waitress if I can have some Ranch dressing on the side.

She looked at me quizzically. "Fronch?"

"French? Uh, no. Ranch."

"Bah-beque?"

"No. Ranch. Ranch dressing."

"Sohlsa?"

"Salsa? No, no, no. It's white. It's.... normal. You put it on salads."

She had no idea what I was talking about. This happened at every restaurant. I learned to stop asking. And I had to go Ranch-less for four months. It was hard for me.

Um, I've had this recipe for so long, I don't even remember who I got it from. Hm.

Veggie Pizza

Grease a large cookie sheet. Thaw one loaf of frozen Rhoades bread. Flatten it out for the crust on the cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 13 mins.

Mix together:
1/2 cup mayo
8 oz cream cheese
2 tsp. dry ranch dressing mix
1 Tbsp. liquid ranch dressing

Spread this mixture on the cooled crust. Then add on top:
1 1/4 cups grated carrots
2 1/4 cups cut up broccoli.

Sprinkle the top with mozzarella cheese.

*Note - obviously, put on the veggies you like. This combo is just my favorite. My sis, Nat, puts on cauliflower. I have problems with cauliflower. The texture gives me the heebie-jeebies. I'm a picky foodie.