Reesie's Sausage & Apple egg bake

2 large apples (the kind you like), peeled and chopped
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
8 large eggs
1/4 onion, diced finely
3 C. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
8 C. French bread, cut in cubes and dry (you can dry in the oven at 200 degrees for 10 min.)
1 lb. breakfast sausage
2 C. gouda cheese, shredded
1/3 C. cheddar jack cheese, shredded
1/2 C. bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cook your sausage until no longer pink in a large pan on the stove.
Add onion to the pan with the sausage and cook until soft. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, mix apples with the cinnamon and sugar. 

In another bowl, whisk eggs with milk and vanilla until well combined. Put apple mixture, bread cubes and cooked sausage in with egg mixture and stir to combine. Add in 1 1/2 C. shredded gouda. 

Spray 9x13 pan with a cooking spray. Add egg mixture into pan. Sprinkled with bread crumbs and rest of your cheese. 

Cook in oven 40-45 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving. 

Serving suggestions:
1. Serve with toast or english muffins.
2. Serve as part of a brunch with some fruit, muffins, hash browns and mimosa. 
3. Serve with maple syrup. 

Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or chocolate!

Reesie's spilt pea soup

2 T butter 
1/2 large onion, small diced 
2 stalks celery, small diced
2 carrots, small diced
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1/2 C. chopped parsley 
1 tsp thyme 
1/2 C. frozen peas 
2 1/2 tsp ham base 
1/2 lb dried split peas 
5 C. chicken stock 
3 C. water 
1 pinch kosher salt 
1 tsp mrs. dash garlic & herb 
1 1/2 C. diced chicken, cooked 
1/4 tsp. tumeric 
1/4 tsp.fennel ground 
1/4 tsp. paprika 
2 T. half&half  

In a small sauce pan, bring 3 cups of stock to boil and add your dried peas. Simmer on low until peas are soft. In a large stock pan, melt butter. Add chopped vegetables. Add in parsley and thyme. Add 1/2 cup of the stock and let simmer for about 5 minutes until vegetables are soft. Add in rest of liquid and the ham base. Add in softened split peas and the remaining water in that pan. Add in frozen peas and chicken. Next add in all of your remaining spices. Stir until well combined. Simmered on medium low for about 10 minutes. Taste the soup as you go and then you can tell if it needs more salt or some pepper. At the end, add in the half & half. 

Serving Suggestions:

1. Serve with a grilled cheese. 
2. Serve with oyster crackers and sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese. 
3. Serve with some toasted baguette or french bread spread with a little fancy butter. Just whip your butter with some honey or some savory seasonings. 

Reesie's herb Beer Bread

3 C. self-rising flour 
1/2 C. sugar 
12 oz. beer
1/2 tsp. Sunny Paris penzeys spice,or any other spice blend 
1tsp. rosemary, cracked or ground 
1tsp. garlic & herb blend  
2 T butter, melted 
preheat oven at 375 degrees. 

Spray loaf pan, using whatever spray you have on hand like butter or olive oil. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, spices and beer. Your mixture will be sticky. Pour bread mixture into your prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes. Remove from oven and brush on butter with a pastry bush. Let stand for about 10 minutes before removing bread from the pan. 

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve along side with beef stew, or any other thick stews. 
• Serve with pasta since you have this great garlicky flavor in your bread. 

Reesie's Creamy tomato Basil soup

32 oz. can Italian style crushed tomatoes
16 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
10 fresh basil leaves, chifonade (fine shreds)
1/2 small onion, diced finely
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 medium yellow pepper, diced finely
1/2 c. V8 juice
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. half and half
1 T. cream cheese
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. Worcestershire
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. celery salt

In a large sauce pan, saute onion, garlic, pepper and basil in a small amount olive oil. Add tomatoes, V8, broth, balsamic, Worcestershire. Simmer on low heat for a bit. Add half and half and cream cheese. Mix until well combined or until cream cheese is well incorporated. Add salt and celery salt.

  
Homemade Croutons:

Use whatever bread you have on hand. I used leftover beer bread. Tear bread into pieces. On medium heat, in a small frying pan, warm up 1 cap full of olive oil. Once oil is up to temp, add your bread and lightly season with seasoning of your choice. I used Penzey's horseradish powder, Penzey's Sunny Paris, celery salt and a small dash of rosemary. Saute bread until golden brown on both sides. 

Sprinkle your bowl of soup with some croutons. Or serve with grilled cheese.   

Reesie's Meatloaf Panini

1 piece of leftover meatloaf, cut in half so it fits on bread
2 slices marble rye bread
2 handfuls of spinach
2 slices of swiss cheese
mustard, to taste

Microwave meatloaf slice for 1-2 minutes until warm.  In a medium frying pan, over medium low heat, put a small of butter and melt. Add bread to pan, top each slice with cheese. On the side of your bread, wilt your spinach and add to the top of your bread slices. Toast in the pan until lightly toasted and cheese is melted. Add meatloaf slices. Top with a dollop of mustard, or as much as you would like. Close sandwich and serve. 

Serving Suggestions:
- Add a slice of tomato right before you close your sandwich. 
- Serve with fries if eating for supper. 
- Serve with baked pita chips, or any kind of chip you like. 

Reeise's Rhubarb Saturday scones

1 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 C. flour
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
8 T. cold butter
2/3 C. heavy cream
1 egg
1/2 C. rhubarb, diced small
1/2 C. strawberries, diced small

Preheat 425 degrees. In a large food process, pulse together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and chunks of butter. Pulse until almost smooth. Add in egg and heavy cream. Pulse until a dough forms. 

Sprinkle flour on a large cutting board on your counter. Turn out your dough on board and add in the fruit until well combined. Sprinkle with more flour as needed. Once everything is combined, pat dough into a firm circle. Cut into 8 even triangles. 

Prepare large cookie sheet by spraying with cooking spray lightly and topping with a piece of parchment paper. Place triangles on pan. Bake for 15 minutes. You will know they are done once the scones are lightly brown all over. Cool on pan and store in a covered container. 

Serving Suggestions:
- Serve with butter on top.
- Serve with extra strawberries on top. Add a little whipped topping or ice cream and you have a wonderful dessert. 
- Serve on Saturday morning with your hot tea or coffee for breakfast. Your family will love you!

Reesie's havarti cheese omelette

2 large eggs
1 large slice havarti cheese
2 handfuls fresh spinach
salt & pepper to taste

In a small frying pan on the stovetop, saute spinach in olive oil spray. Keep spinach in pan and add in whisked eggs. Cook over medium low heat. Add cheese on the top of the eggs as they cook. Leave eggs alone until they look done and cheese is melted. Season with salt & pepper at this point if desired. Flip over 1/2 of the eggs on top of the other half. You are ready to eat!

Serving Suggestions:
 - 1 slice of toast (I prefer rye toast if I have it.)
 - Sliced fruit
 - Add on hash browns or even a side of pancakes if you are really hungry
 - Sausage or bacon

Reesie's Pork chili

2 C. pork, shredded (use leftover boston butt pork roast)
1 can chili beans, do not drain 
1/2 can Bush's baked beans (I used leftovers from a previous meal)
1 C. beef stock
2 cans diced tomatoes
1/3 C. onion, diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, diced (use any color you have on hand)
1 T. taco seasoning
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 pkt. Mrs. Dash Chili Seasoning
1 tsp. cream cheese, green olive flavored

In a medium pan on the stovetop, saute onions and pepper in a splash olive oil. Add in pork, beans, tomatoes, beef stock, and all the seasonings. Let simmer for 15 min. and then mix in the cream cheese. Stir in the cream cheese well. 

Serving Suggestions:
 - Top with shredded cheese and crushed nacho chips. 
 - Top with sour cream and black olives.
 - Top with chopped cilantro.

Reesie's Berry Bananarama Smoothie

12 oz. pkg. Frozen mixed berries
1/4 C. Orange juice
1/3 C. Plain Greek yogurt
1/3 - 1/2 C. Rice Dream milk (or Almond milk works too)
1 frozen banana
1 T. Honey

Add all the ingredients to a smoothie mixer (like a ninja or magic bullet). Start blending. If too thick, keep adding more milk or orange juice until your desired consistency.

Reesie's Quiche Cups

1/2 medium red pepper, small dice
1/4 medium green pepper, small dice
1/4 medium onion, small dice
1 1/2 C. spinach, chopped
2 sheets puff pastry
1 C. diced ham
Dash garlic powder
Dash celery salt
Dash Nature's Seasoning blend
4 eggs, divided use
1/3 C. Half and half
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese
1/4 C. Swiss cheese
2-3 larger cherry tomatoes, sliced into 18 slices
1 T. Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray cups in a muffin tin.

Sprinkle flour on your counter. Unfold puff pastry and roll out to a 12 inch square. Cut into 9 even squares. Press 1 square into each muffin cup making sure to have your points sticking up out of the tin.

Sauté vegetables in a pan over medium heat with 1 T. Olive oil. While sauting vegetables, put 4 pieces of ham in each pastry cup. When vegetables are soft, evenly distributed over the ham in each pastry cup.

Whisk together 3 eggs with half and half. Evenly distribute egg mixture across the cups. Sprinkle both cheeses evenly on top of egg mixture. Whisk last egg and using a pastry brush, brush on edges of pastry.


Bake for 18-20 minutes. At about 10 minutes, remove from oven and top with tomato slices. Place back in oven and bake until eggs are done.

Reesie's squash Apple soup

1 medium butternut squash, peeled & cubed

1 medium onion, quartered

1 large red pepper, seeded & cut in half

1/2 large green pepper, seeded

1 garlic bulb, left whole, will only 3 good sized cloves

3 carrots, peeled & cut in large chunks

3 celery stalks, cut in large chunks

2 C. Chicken broth

1/2 tsp. Chinese 5 spice blend

2 T. Honey bourbon whiskey

2 T. Olive oil

1/2 T of canola oil (or bacon grease if you have it)

Dash of salt & pepper for vegetables 

1/2 tsp. Salt for soup

1/4 tsp. Pepper for soup

2 T. Half & half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray. Place parchment paper on pan. Place squash on one pan. All other vegetables on other pan. Drizzle olive oil on all vegetables. Sprinkle salt & pepper over all vegetables. Put pans in oven and roast for about 45 minutes or until carmelized (brown) and tender. 

Put all your roasted vegetables in a Dutch oven (large soup pot) on medium heat on the stove with the canola oil or bacon grease. Add in chicken broth. Using an immersion blender, blend until slightly chunky. It should be a thicker soup-like texture. Stir in bourbon and spices. Stir in half & half. 

Serving Suggestions:

• Top with roasted walnuts or pecans
• Top with crumbled crispy bacon
• Serve with cornbread croutons

Reesie's Beef Pate

1/2 lb. leftover cooked roast beef 
1 stalk celery 
1/4 green pepper 
1/4 red pepper 
T. white onion 
1 green onion 
1 T. brown mustard 
1/4 C. mayonnaise 
1/2 tsp. horseradish seasoning 
1 T. dill relish 
dash pepper 
mrs. dash garlic& herb 

Chop vegetables in large pieces. Add to food processor and chop until finely chopped. This may take a couple of pulses. You can finely chop everything by hand if you don't have a food processor. Removed from food processor into a medium mixing bowl. Put your roast beef into the processor and chop on low for a bit until a small dice. Put the roast beef into the bowl with the vegetables and combine. Add the mayo, mustard, relish and spices. Fold until combined. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat. 

Serving Suggestions
 - Pate can be used as a sandwich spread. Spread onto a heartier bread, like pumpernickel, sourdough. Top with lettuce and tomatoes. You can even toast the bread if you prefer. A slice of swiss or provolone cheese would also taste good. Serve with a pickle on the side. 

 - Pate can be used as an appetizer. Serve with crackers, pita chips, or melba toasts. Could also serve in a bowl as a dip with fresh vegetables on the side. This would also look very nice with a larger platter with different cheeses, hummus, and various fruits. 

Reesie's Meat Lover's Lasagna

1 1/2 lbs. Mild Italian Sausage
1 lb. Ground Beef
1 small packet of pepperoni
2 cups Mozzarella, shredded
1 cup Parmesan, shredded
1 package of no pre-cook lasagna noodles
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced

Brown sausage and hamburger in a frying pan, drain if necessary. Mix together your sauce with your sausage/hamburger mixture. In a 9x13 pan, spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer with noodles, then cheese, then another layer of noodles. Spread on sauce, more cheese, another layer of noodles, sauce & cheese. On the 4th layer, place your noodles, any sauce you have remaining, last of your cheese and then a layer of pepperoni. Place a piece of parchment on top of the dish, then a piece of aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour - 1 1/2 hours. 

Can let the dish sit for a couple of minutes before serving. Serve with garlic toast and a side salad.