Recipes by MDBren

Quick and Easy Pasta Dish

½ lb of bacon (diced and fried crispy, drain)
2-3 chicken breast diced into bite sized pieces
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 sm onion
1 sm green pepper
Note: You can get the canned tomatoes with onions, pepper mixed and skip the fresh ones.
2 cans of chicken broth
1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese

Cook, drain the bacon. Keep about 4 T. of the grease. Cook chicken. Cook onions, peppers till onions are translucent. (Skip if using mixed tomatoes.) Add broth and tomatoes. Simmer and bring to boil. Add pasta. Cook 'til tender. Remove from heat and add cream cheese, in pieces. Stir to melt and incorporate. Stir in bacon. Top with Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve with garlic bread!!!

This is light and yummy!!

Red Velvet Cake and Frosting

My mom makes this cake for me every birthday!!!
It is absolutely fabulous.
When I make it I add 2 T. of sour cream to the batter before I add the vinegar and soda.

Cake

2 oz. red food coloring
3 T. chocolate Quik mix
Mix these together and set aside.
½ c. shortening
1½ c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk (You can use 1 c. of milk and 2 T. of vinegar as a substitute.)
2½ c. cake flour -- Sifted 3 times
Note: MUST use cake flour and sift it (Use a strainer if you don't have a sifter.) All-purpose flour is too heavy!
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the shortening and sugar. Add eggs and food coloring paste. Beat 10 minutes with mixer. Add milk. Slowly add flour, salt and vanilla. Then by hand add and mix lightly vinegar and soda with a spoon. (If you want to add the sour cream mix with spoon by hand, then add vinegar and soda.)
Bake at 350° F for 30-35 min. Makes a 9x13 or 2–8" rounds.

Frosting

1 stick of butter
½ c. shortening
1 c. sugar
4 T. flour
⅔ c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and shortening and sugar. Add the flour 1 T. at a time. Add the milk slowly and the vanilla.
Beat 12 minutes with mixer. It will look runny when first beating!! Don't worry!!!

This is a light, sweet frosting and FABULOUS!

Cut this recipe in half if frosting a 9x13 cake.

Enjoy!!

Spaghetti Casserole

You can do all in one day or make the sauce ahead:

Use or substitute what you like in sauce:

1 small package of short ribs
1 small package Italian sausage (hot or mild)
1 small package hamburger
1 small package sausage
1 small stick of pepperoni chopped into small chunks
2 cans crushed tomatoes
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 small/med onion chopped
1 small green pepper chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
Herbs to taste, oregano, basil, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt/pepper, 1 T. sugar!
Mozzarella cheese to taste

In skillet brown hamburger and sausage. Broil or grill short ribs and Italian sausage. Drain on paper towel. Add onion, garlic, pepper, celery to hamburger. Drain grease put it all into large pan, add short ribs, and sausage, tomatoes, sauce, paste and herbs and seasonings. Cook on slow.

Prepare spaghetti noodles like normal ... Leave slightly underdone. Drain and toss with lots of sauce ... Put in baking dish ... Add more sauce to top, put pepperoni on top, cover with shredded Mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350° 'til cheese is bubbly and slightly brown.

YUMMY!!

Really good if sauce made the day before and sits overnight in the fridge!