Sweet Potato Pecan Casserole

I have always loved Sweet Potato Casserole since I was a little girl!  My husband on the other hand had not cared for it much until I started making this recipe.  He loves the pecan topping on this one!  I don't remember where I got this recipe from but have been making it for about five years.  It doesn't matter if we stay home for Thanksgiving or travel back to our parents I usually end up making this every year.  This year we stayed home and I only cooked a few things with this being one of them! 

Filling
4 lg. sweet potatoes
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 eggs

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into slightly big chunks.  Place in pot and boil until fork inserts smoothly, making some chunks fall apart.  Drain off water and add remaining ingredients mixing together well.  Pour into a casserole dish.

Topping
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup flour
1 to 2 cups pecans, chopped

Mix all ingredients together well and place on top of sweet potatoes filling.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Avocado Tomato Salad

This makes a great side dish and it's fast!  When I went to open this recipe from pinterest it could not be found.  So I did what the description had in the pin while adding some extra of this and that to it!

Ingredients
2 large avocados, chopped
2 roma tomatoes, chopped with seeds discarded
Salt
Garlic & Herb Seasoning
Fine Red & Black Pepper Seasoning
Olive Oil

Mix all ingredients, being careful not to blend so much that your avocados blend all together.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

*Next time I plan to refrigerate my avocados before slicing to try and prevent them from blending together so much.  They are suppose to look like whole little pieces not like guacamole.

Chili Roasted Corn on the Cob

This past Saturday we were able to be at home and when that happens it's usually a cooking day.  I had planned on trying this Amazing Oven Roasted Corn for a side to go with our meal.  As I started thinking about the seasonings I wanted to use I remembered having some Chili Lime Roasted Corn at Disneyland that was very good and knew right then that's what was going on this corn.  I had some Garlic butter spread I knew would be good on it, and had the limes but didn't use them this time.  The corn turned out great and I would even say our favorite next to grilling it!

Ingredients
4-6 Tbsp garlic butter
2-3 tsp chili powder
Salt
Pepper
3 lg corn on cobs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Line a baking pan with foil, and coat with nonstick spray.
Place cobs on baking pan.
Melt butter in microwave safe bowl.
Brush a good coat over all sides of corn, and lightly sprinkle salt and pepper on all sides.
Mix chili powder with remaining butter, and brush generously over all sides of corn.
Bake 45 minutes or until starting to brown.
Rotate corn about every 15 minutes and lightly brush with any remaining butter/chili mixture.

Jalapeno Bacon Mac N' Cheese

My husband and I went to Kirby's Steakhouse for our anniversary and had some of the best Mac N' Cheese with jalapenos and bacon in it.  So I found a recipe to try for something similar to what we had.  As usual I did not follow the recipe exactly and did some of my own things.  The kids didn't care for this but it really is good.  I hope to get it  a little more creamy next time I make it and add more jalapenos for flavor.  All in all a good side dish though!

Ingredients
12 oz large elbow pasta
4 Tbsp salted butter
4 jalapenos, seedless & diced
1/2 cup crumbled bacon
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 oz cream cheese softened
Paula Dean Seasonings
Panko Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Boil elbow pasta as directed, rinse and drain.  In same saucepan melt butter on medium heat.  Add diced jalapenos and cook 2-4 minutes.  Add crumbled bacon stirring in about 1 minute.  Whisk in flour and cook about 1 minute.  Add milk, pepper jack cheese, and cream cheese cooking and stirring until melted and blended.  Mix in Paula Dean Seasonings and stir well.  Stir in pasta and mix all together.  Pour pasta in 2qt baking dish.  Sprinkle Panko bread crumbs on top and lightly drizzle olive oil over them.  Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees, and then turn broiler on and broil about 3 minutes or until top is browned.

Seasoned Roasted Potatoes

I always make these to go with burgers!  They are a favorite in my house, even the kids love them!

Ingredients

8-10 medium potatoes
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup olive oil
Lawry's seasoned pepper
Lawry's seasoned salt

Preparation

Preheat over to 425 degrees.
Wash potatoes very thoroughly if leaving the skin on them.  Then cu them into chunks.  Place in pot with water and boil about 3-5 minutes.  Be sure to not over boil.  They are not suppose to be mushy.
In small dish melt butter and mix in olive oil.
Drain water from potatoes and place on baking sheet.
Using pasting brush cover all potatoes with butter/olive oil mixture coating potatoes well.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until start to brown.