Ham and Cheese Fondue, my way

As usual, I've taken the original recipe and changed it to suit our tastes/ what I had on hand. We enjoyed this dip here at home during the Superbowl.

Ham & Cheese Fondue, Amy's Way

1 8oz. brick cream cheese, cubed

1 bunch green onions, chopped (I actually used dried chives)

1 container light sour cream

1 cup diced ham

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients in mini crockpot and cook on low for about half an hour.

Stir well, turn heat down to low, and serve warm.

We used Ritz crackers, Fritos, and celery sticks for dipping. Yum! The original recipe called for baking this in a bread bowl and serving it with the bread cubes, and I'm sure that's good, too- I plan to try it that way some day! ;)

My Mom's BBQ Ribs

My mom's BBQ Ribs:
3-5 lbs boneless spare ribs
1 bottle favorite BBQ sauce (we like the spicy Kroger brand)
salt & pepper, to taste
Place ribs in crockpot, season to taste. Cook on low all day (do not add any liquids). About an hour before serving time, drain liquid that has accumulated, and pour in BBQ sauce.

This is my family's favorite way to have ribs-- so easy and tasty!

Menu Plan Monday 2/25

SUNDAY: We had a corn/potato/bacon chowder and ham roll-ups. I'll have to post the recipe later... I started out with one, but I added & changed a lot by the time it was done! ;)

MONDAY: *family favorite* Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, homemade baked fries

* We'll be topping the sandwiches with some of the leftover Blue Cheese Spread from Saturday, when I had a Stampin' Up party. The spread was really good on celery & crackers, and I think it will be perfect on these sandwiches!

TUESDAY:*new recipe* Chicken Casserole , biscuits

WEDNESDAY: bratwurst, potato salad, baked apples

THURSDAY: *new recipe* Sour Cream Casserole and peas

FRIDAY: Crockpot BBQ Ribs, corn

My mom's BBQ Ribs:

3-5 lbs boneless spare ribs

1 bottle favorite BBQ sauce (we like Bold & Spicy by KC Masterpiece)

salt & pepper, to taste

Place ribs in crockpot, season to taste. Cook on low all day (do not add any liquids). About an hour before serving time, drain liquid that has accumulated, and pour in BBQ sauce.

Head on over to I'm An Organizing Junkie to share your menu
or see what others are eating this week!

Bacon Biscuit Puffs

These always go over well at parties. I served them yesterday at my Stampin' Up party and had several requests for the recipe, so I thought I'd share it here.

BACON BISCUIT PUFFS

*You will need mini muffin pans.

1-2 tubes flaky layers biscuits

2 cups shredded swiss cheese

1/2 cup mayo (I always use fat-free.)

2 TBSP sugar

5 drops hot sauce (I use whatever's on hand- buffalo sauce, red hot sauce, etc.)

8 slices cooked, crumbled bacon (I use precooked bacon crumbles.)

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped onion (I have used both yellow and green onions, either one works.)

1/2 TBSP garlic powder

Spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray. Peel the biscuit layers apart- I usually get two or three from each biscuit. Place each biscuit piece in a muffin pan and gently press down the center. Combine remaining ingredients to make filling. Place a spoonfull of filling into the center of each biscuit. Bake at 375 for 8-11 minutes, or until biscuits are golden. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Note: I usually have more biscuits and filling than will fit into my two mini muffin pans. We like to save these, and make full-sized biscuit versions the next morning for breakfast. :)

Sausage Pizzaiola Subs- my way

Last Sunday, I wanted to make this Sausage Pizzaiola Subs recipe, but I didn't have the right ingredients on hand. So, I improvised, and we really enjoyed the results. Here's the recipe, done my way:

Amy's Sausage Pizzaiola Subs

1 lb. hot and spicy ground pork sausage

1 can diced tomatoes with peppers and onions (undrained)

1 large onion, sliced into rings

canned jalapeno pepper slices, to taste

hoagie buns= I got four large sandwiches out of this, using 8" buns

two slices provolone cheese per sandwich

• Brown sausage in skillet & drain grease. When browned, add in canned tomatoes/ pepper/ onions with juice and seasonings. Simmer until thickened.

• In another small skillet, saute onion rings with a small amount of olive oil. Season to taste with garlic-pepper and salt. Cook until onions become translucent and remove from heat.

• Meanwhile, toast buns under broiler. (I spritz mine with a bit of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray before toasting.) Top toasted buns with sausage mixture, then cheese, and pop back under the broiler for a few minutes to melt cheese. Finish off sandwiches with sauted onions and jalapeno slices. Enjoy!

I think this might also be good with some pepperoni or mushrooms added in. At any rate, it was easy and tasty!

Crockpot Ham & Hash Browns- my way

I had a couple of different recipes for ham/hash brown casseroles that I was considering yesterday. Then I decided it would simplify things if I just threw something into my crockpot. I didn't have a recipe for exactly what I wanted, so this is what I came up with:

Amy's Crockpot Ham & Hash Browns

1 28oz bag diced hash browns with peppers & onions
1 1-lb. package diced ham (fully cooked)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tsp. garlic pepper
1 tsp. onion powder

Stir everything together in crockpot and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

That's it! It was easy to throw together. It could have used some more seasoning, or maybe some more chopped onions... but at any rate, it was good comfort food. My husband had ketchup on his (ick!) and then topped it with jalapeno peppers.

This blog is PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness month!

Sunday dinner: Pork Chops

Parmesan Baked Pork Chops (8pts),

with mashed potatoes (2pts), and steamed broccoli (0pts)

This is one of my favorite meals!

What's cooking at your house tonight?

P.S. This is my photo... you'll also see it posted on RecipeZaar with the chops recipe!