Picnic Worthy Baked Beans

I'm going to a picnic and I'm bringing.........

A- Almond Joy Pie








B- Baked Beans, but not just any Baked Beans. The kind of baked beans that have people going back for seconds and thirds. Thanks to Louise for hosting this fabulous Picnic.



I promise once you try them you will never go back to the "old beans." Perhaps the only weird thing about this recipe is the mental debate I had on Ketchup vs Catsup. Why the different spellings?





Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 large onion chopped
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dry mustard
2/3 cup Ketchup
1 can red kidney beans
1 16oz pork and beans
3 TBS brown sugar
Cooked and chopped bacon (optional)

Directions:
Cook meat and onion till browned. Mix with remaining ingredients and pour into casserole dish and bake one hour at 350 degrees.

Say Happy Thanksgiving with this delicious corn!

I made this recipe a few years ago and it is now the favorite of all the dishes. It is no wonder it is so delicious. How can you go wrong with cream cheese, butter, and sugar!

Ingredients:

2 bags of frozen sweet corn
1 8 oz. cream cheese
1 stick of butter
4 Tbs. sugar
1 Tsp salt (or to taste)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in crock pot on medium or low depending on how long you want it to take. Serve and enjoy when all ingredients are melted into a delicious side dish.

Ruth's Diner Macaroni and Cheese

It is so good you don't need a picture! (Plus I ate it up and forgot to take one)

Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked macaroni noodles
1 cup diced onion
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 cups milk
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs paprika
2 tsp salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar
2 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack
1 cup cottage cheese

For the topping:
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions

Cook macaroni, drain do not rinse.
In a large saute pan, saute the onions in butter. Add the flour to make a roux and cook for one minute. Add the milk, bay leaves, paprika, salt and pepper. Brink to a simmer, stirring often. Mix the 2 cheeses together in a small bowl. Once the mixture is at a simmer, add 3 cups of cheese mixture and the cottage cheese. Stir well, remove from heat, and remove bay leaves from mixture. Add macaroni noodles to milk mixture, mix well.

Pour 1/2 of macaroni mixture into a 2 quart baking dish, cover with 1/2 of the remaining grated cheese, add remaining macaroni mixture and cover with the remaining grated cheese mixture.

In small bowl mix together the topping ingredients and top the macaroni. Place into the oven and bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.

As always, serve and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups cooked sweet potatos

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 cup chopped pecan

1/2 cup butter

Cream butter and sugar. Mash sweet potatos and add butter to sugar. Add eggs vanilla and milk. Stir until smooth. Pour into a buttered casserole dish.

For topping: Cream butter, sugar, and add flour. Add pecans. Drop in small pieces over mixture until covered. Cook at 350 for 45 minutes.