Week 3 - Tina's Choice

 Crock Pot Olive Garden Pasta and Fagioli Soup

      Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, shredded
• 1 c. celery, chopped
• 2 (28 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (16 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 (16 oz.) can white kidney beans, drained
• 4 cups beef stock
• 3 tsp. oregano
• 2 tsp. pepper
• 5 tsp. parsley
• 1 tsp. tabasco sauce
• 1 (20 oz.) jar Prego traditional spaghetti sauce
• 8 oz. pasta (I like using ditali pasta)

Instructions

• Brown ground beef in large skillet. Drain fat. Add beef and all ingredients except the pasta into a large crock pot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
• Before serving, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and add to soup

Week 2 - Mom's choice

Whipping Cream Biscuits (Tammy Algood: cookbook author)

Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour

1 cup whipping cream (I had heavy whipping cream on hand)

Preheat oven to 450 degreesF.  Combine flour and cream in a mixing bowl, stirring just until blended. (The dough will be a little stiff.) Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead 10 times.  Roll  to 1/2-inch thickness and cut with a 2-inch cutter.  Place biscuits close together on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake 10 minutes.  Makes 12 biscuits.

Southern Sausage Gravy

Serves 8

1 pound bulk pork sausage
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (2% or whole)
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Hot biscuits, for serving

Heat a large skillet over medium. Add the sausage and break into chunks with a spatula. Cook until the meat is crumbled and browned all the way through. Add the flour and cook until dissolved, about 1 minute. Stir in the milk. Cook, whisking frequently, until the gravy is very thick and bubbly (you can add more milk later if you need to thin). Season generously with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Serve with hot biscuits.

 Week 1 - Hilary's Choice

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Added by Heather on October 9, 2010 in Cakes, Desserts

Prep Time 20 Minutes Cook Time 35 Minutes

Servings 18

Difficulty Easy

• Ingredients
• ⅓ cups Water
• 1 can Pureed Pumpkin (15 Oz)
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 box Yellow Cake Mix (18 Ounce Box)
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 cup Brown Sugar, Divided
• ½ cups Flour
• ⅓ cups Walnuts, Chopped
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
• ¼ cups Granulated Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a large bowl mix together the water, pumpkin, eggs, 1 Tablespoon of vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. Add the cake mix and baking soda and mix until just combined.

Grease a 9×13 pan with butter and pour batter into pan.

In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, walnuts, and melted butter. Use fingers to sprinkle over the top of the cake. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

For the glaze, combine the other 1/2 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved.

When cake is finished baking, poke holes in the top with a toothpick. Pour glaze over the cake, making sure to cover all surfaces. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Happy Baking!