Slow Cooker Hash Brown Casserole **

(luckymommytoboys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar)

1 (2 lb) bag frozen hash brown potatoes
2 cups of shredded cheese
1 pint sour cream
1 (32 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon seasoned garlic pepper seasoning
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Mix together in very large mixing bowl.
Place in a slow cooker (crock pot).
Cover and cook on low 5-6 hours or until potatoes are tender.
Recipe Note: This is great to take to a carry-in dinner.

Jumbo Shrimp Parmesan **

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar)

24 jumbo shrimp (10 to 12 per lb)
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper
1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 medium lemon, cut in wedges

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact.
Mix together olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper in a bowl.
Add shrimp and toss lightly to coat.
Refrigerate 30 minutes to an hour.
In shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
Place each shrimp in bread crumb mixture and turn them to lightly coat both sides.
Arrange shrimp so that they aren't touching each other in a ungreased 9 x 13 pan.
Drizzle with melted butter.
Place pan on the center rack of oven and bake for 5-10 minutes or until done.
Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Cabbage Lasagna ***

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy)

1 head cabbage
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp basil
32 oz spaghetti sauce
1/3 cup brown rice
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cut cabbage into quarters. Peel, boil for 3 minutes, and drain.
Brown turkey with onion and drain. Mix with garlic powder, oregano, and basil.
Put 1/3 of cabbage leaves into bottom of crockpot. Cover with 1/3 of meat mixture, 1/3 of rice, 1/3 of spaghetti sauce, and 1 cup of cheese.
Repeat layers two more times.
Cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Sarasota's Foil Pouch Oven-Roasted Asparagus **

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar)

1 lb asparagus (cut the bottom 1-1 1/2-inch off, the tough woody stems)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (the juice from one of those little plastic lemons will work ok for this if you do not have a fresh l)
2 slices lemons (optional)
salt
pepper

Foil Pouch -- About 24-30" long piece of foil.
Asparagus -- I base this on thick asparagus. Sometimes during the year you can buy the pencil thin asparagus, so make sure that you cut down the cooking time down and the amount of oil and seasoning as this cooks much faster and to me doesn't need as much seasoning or oil.
I place all the asparagus in the center of the foil pouch and spread the spears out slightly, alternating the tip and stem end so they all cook evenly. Drizzle on the olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and a couple of slices of lemon if you have them.
Bake -- Fold up the pouch making sure the majority of the asparagus sits flat and seal tightly. I pick it up and shake it a couple of times which really just distributes all the oil and seasoning throughout the pouch.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes on the middle shelf.

Crockpot Cheeseburgers **

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar)

2 lbs lean ground beef
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons milk
2-3 tablespoons pickle relish
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, put through press
8 sandwich buns
lettuce (optional)
tomato (optional)

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef with green pepper, onion and black pepper until beef is cooked through.
Drain off excess fat and transfer beef to a 3 1/2 to 5-quart crock pot.
Add all other ingredients except Hamburger buns, Lettuce and tomato.
Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 7 hours.
Serve the beef on toasted sandwich buns with an assortment of condiments.
** I want to change this to a skillet dish.

Cheddar-Pecan Green Bean Casserole

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Cooking Light)

Buttermilk White Sauce (see recipe below)
1 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers, finely chopped
1 cup (4 oz.) freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
Simple Blanched Green Beans (see recipe below)
1 cup French fried onions, crushed
1/2 cup panko
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine Buttermilk White Sauce, peppers, and 1/2 cup cheese in a large bowl; add green beans, tossing gently to combine. Place in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch or 3-qt. baking dish.
Combine French fried onions, Japanese breadcrumbs, chopped pecans, and remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and sprinkle over green bean mixture.
Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve immediately.
(Simple Pecan-Green Bean Casserole: Omit shredded sharp Cheddar cheese. Preheat oven to 350°. Place French fried onions, Japanese breadcrumbs, and chopped pecans in an even layer in a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted, stirring after 5 minutes. Prepare Buttermilk White Sauce and Simple Blanched Green Beans as directed. (Do not plunge beans into ice water.) Gently toss together green beans and roasted red bell peppers, and spoon onto a serving platter. Top with Buttermilk White Sauce, and sprinkle with toasted pecan mixture. Makes 6 to 8 servings; Prep: 10 min., Bake: 10 min.)

BUTTERMILK WHITE SAUCE
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Cooking Light)

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon Ranch dressing mix
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Melt butter in a medium-size heavy saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups milk; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat, and whisk in buttermilk and remaining ingredients.
Note: Sauce can be made up to two days ahead. Prepare recipe as directed; cover and chill in an airtight container. Whisk in 2 Tbsp. milk, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute, stirring at 30-second intervals.

SIMPLE BLANCHED GREEN BEANS
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Cooking Light)

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

Cook fresh green beans, trimmed, in boiling salted water to cover 4 to 6 minutes or to desired degree of doneness; drain. Use immediately, or plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain and pat dry. Store in a zip-top plastic bag in refrigerator up to 2 days.

Rachel Ray's Portobello Mushroom "Fries" ****

Photo courtesy of Recipezaar.com

RACHEL RAY'S PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM "FRIES"
(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ FoodNetwork)

4 large Portobello mushroom caps
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus ¼ cup
Steak seasoning blend, such as Montreal Steak Seasoning, or coarse salt and black pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded or grated Parmesan

Preheat a grill pan over medium high to high heat.
Scrape the gills off the underside of Portobello mushroom caps with a spoon. Brush caps gently with a damp cloth to clean them. Drizzle caps with oil to keep them from sticking to the grill pan and season the caps with steak seasoning or salt and black pepper.
Grill mushrooms 3 or 4 minutes on each side under a loose tin foil tent until just tender. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
Slice grilled caps into 1/2-inch strips. Turn strips in egg, then coat in mixture of parsley, bread crumbs and cheese. Cook "fries" over medium high heat in enough extra-virgin olive oil to coat a nonstick skillet in a thin layer, about 1/4 cup. "Fries" will brown in 2 or 3 minutes on each side.

Garlic Shrimp with Asparagus ***

(luckymommyto2boys ~ Amy ~ Recipezaar)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups sliced asparagus
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Heat oil in saute pan, add asparagus, garlic, and spices, cook for 5 minutes add shrimp, cook until shrimp turns pink.
Stir in wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil, remove from heat and serve.
*Amy's notes: I used no-sugar-added apple juice in place of the white wine and will do that from now on.