Roasted Potato Soup

6 baking potatoes, cut into medium pieces
1 onion, sliced or chopped
6 gloves garlic or about 3Tbs. minced garlic from jar
3 Tbs. melted butter
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425. Place potatoes (I leave skins on) in shallow roasting pan or cookie sheet. Add the onions and garlic and then drizzle with melted butter. Pepper to taste. Roast in oven for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer potatoes to large saucepan. Add broth and water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer with lid for about 20 minutes. Mash potatoes to desired consistency. Add cream and cook another 10 minutes, stirring until desired consistency. Add salt as desired.

Serve with grated cheddar on top and cornbread.

*When I add the cream, I also add 1 can sweet whole kernal corn. Also, depending on how "soupy" or "thick" you like your soup, you can use less broth/water or add more if it gets too thick.

Eggplant Parmigiana

1 small eggplant
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbs. water
1/4 cup flour
2 Tbs. oil
1.2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Wash and peel eggplant; cut cross-wise into 1/2-inch slices. Combine egg and water; dip eggplant into mixture, then into the flour. Preheat oven to 400.

In skillet, cook eggplant in oil about 4-6 minutes.

Place eggplant in a baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Top with spaghetti sauce (use more if needed) and mozzarella. Bake 10-12 minutes. Serve with cooked spaghetti.

Apple & Walnut Tarts

This recipe makes 4 - its easy to double though for 8 . . .

1 8oz sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 apple, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Heat overn to 400. Cut pastry into 4 squares and place inside 4 rounds of a muffin pan. Mix together all other ingredients and fill each pastry with some of the mixture. Bake until crust is golden - about 20 or 25 minutes. Cool 10 minutes & remove from pan. Serve with whip cream is desired.

Mom's Great Mac & Cheese

Bring water to boil and cook maccaroni (I prefer the larger size).

In medium saucepan, melt 1 stick butter and 1/2 a brick of Velveeta cheese. Stir continuously so the cheese doesn't scorch. When melted together, add 3/4 cup shredded cheddar and stir until melted. Add 1/2 - 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream and stir until blended. (If it's too thick add more cream). Salt and pepper to taste.

Add cheese to drained maccaroni.

You can also use other cheeses - parmesan, Gouda, different cheddars, etc. The velveeta helps it have a really creamy texture.

Easy Shepherd's Pie

Recipe from Real Simple
1 lb. ground beef
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tsp. Worchestershire
8 oz. frozen mixed vegetables
1/4 cup shredded cheddar
1 16 oz. pkg refrigerated mashed potatoes (or make your own)

Heat oven to 400. Brown ground beef and drain any fat. Stir in ketchup and Worchestershire. Add vegetables and cook 1 minute. Spoon into baking dish. Mix cheese and potatoes together and then spread over beef/veggie mixture. Bake until heated - about 10 minutes.

Swiss and Bacon Dip

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

I love this as a dip, but also love to make little appetizers by mixing the ingredients and filling mini fillo dough cups with it - then bake for 10-12 minutes. (Kim made it this way at her Christmas party.)

1. 8 slices center cut bacon,chopped
2. 8 ounces softened cream cheese
3. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
4. 2 rounded teaspoons prepared Dijon style mustard
5. 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, available on dairy aisle
6. 3 scallions
7. chopped 1/2 cup smoked almonds, coarsely chopped
8. Baby carrots and a selection of spiced flat breads, cocktail sized pumpernickel or rye breads, or sliced whole grain baguettes, for dipping

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Brown bacon in nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Drain crisp bacon bits on paper towels.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon, Swiss and scallions with cooked bacon. Transfer to a shallow small casserole or baking dish and bake until golden and bubbly at edges, 15 to 18 minutes.
4. Top with chopped smoked almonds.
5. Place dip on a platter and surround warm casserole with breads and carrots for dipping.

Bacon Water Chestnut Rolls

Courtesy of Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, halved
1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut in half
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup tomato-based chili sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Wrap each water chestnut with a piece of bacon. Place the rolls seam-side down in a baking dish.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until bacon is crisp and cooked through. Drain off the grease. (I turned the "rolls" over about halfway through.)
4. In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, brown sugar and chili sauce; pour over the bacon-chestnut rolls. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes.

I used mostly whole water chestnuts (I bought two different brands and they were very different sized from one can to the other. The can of large water chestnuts, I cut in half. The other jar I left the water chestnuts whole.)