Connie's Babaganoush

Ingredients:

• 3 medium eggplants
• Parsley
• Garlic
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive oil
•  Lemon juice

Directions:

1. Cut slits in eggplants. Put on baking sheet and roast in 300℉ oven for 2 hours. Let cool completely.
2.  Cut open eggplant and scrape pulp off the skin. Throw away the skin.
3. Finely chop the eggplant, garlic and parsley. Mix together.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add equal amounts olive oil and lemon juice. Mix well.
6. Serve with crackers.

Submitted by Rachel Muchin Young

Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. spaghetti (about 3 cups cooked)
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 15 oz. can chopped tomatoes
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 3 cloves chopped fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Cook spaghetti noodles and drain. Stir in butter, cheese, and eggs. Make a crust and put into a 9x13 inch greased pan. 
2. Cook beef and onion. Salt and pepper the meat according to taste. Pour the meat mixture over the noodles. 
3. Stir the undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, and garlic together. Pour on top of meat. Bake at 350℉ for 30-35 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven. Top with the remaining cheese and bake 5 more minutes

SPEEDY WAY

1.  Make the noodle crust. Cook the beef and onion. Pour over crust. Open a jar of prepared spaghetti sauce and pour over top of meat. Bake fore 30-35 minutes at 350℉. Add the remaining cheese the last 5 minutes.

Submitted by Marie Weber

Classic Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1 (8 oz.) can unsweetened crushed pineapple
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting

•  2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

1.  Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons juice (discard remaining juice or save for another use). In a large bowl, beat the carrots, eggs, sugars, oil, pineapple and reserved juice until well blended. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually beat into pineapple mixture until blended. Stir in walnuts.
2. Transfer to a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Bake at 350℉ for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
3. For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over cake.

Serves: 12

Submitted by Bill Stoecker from Taste of Home 

The Pioneer Woman--February 2, 2017

This month's Recipe Club theme was The Pioneer Woman! And the food was delicious, as always. Club members cooked a variety of her recipes and brought them to sample and share. It's fun to try new things, especially if it's a recipe you wouldn't normally make.  Some members weren't as familiar with The Pioneer Woman--Ree Drummond as others, but they were up to the challenge, and the results tasted great!

Hearty Chicken and Rosemary Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 large onion
• 3 medium carrots, peeled
• 8 oz. whole mushrooms
• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375℉. Cut potatoes into chunks and dice onion. Cut carrots diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Cut mushrooms into quarters. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. Combine potatoes, onion, carrots, mushrooms, chicken, rosemary, pressed garlic, salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Mix together. Set aside.
2. Whisk together broth, wine, tomato paste and cornstarch in a bowl until cornstarch is dissolved. Pour into mixing bowl; mix well. Pour chicken mixture into deep covered baker. Bake, covered, 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until potatoes are tender, stirring after 45 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, zest lemon using a zester to measure 1 tsp. Remove baker from oven. Stir in zest and chopped parsley, if desired. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes or until stew is thickened.

Servings: 8

Submitted by Sue Stoecker from Dinner in Your Deep Covered Baker by The Pampered Chef

Almond Crunch Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 4-1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp.salt
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar
• 2 cups coarsely chopped almonds
• 1 (8 oz.) package English toffee bits (not chocolate covered)
• Granulated sugar for dipping

Directions:

1. Cream butter with sugars. Mix in oil, eggs, and almond extract.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar. Add to creamed mixture. Stir in almonds and toffee bits.
3. Drop tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. With fork dipped in sugar, flatten each cookie in criss-cross pattern. 
4. Bake at 350℉ for 10-13 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute, then transfer to cooling racks.

Submitted by Trudy Cleaver

Italian Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. oregano, divided
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1. Mix together ground beef, bread crumbs, half of the tomato sauce, egg, 1/2 tsp. oregano, salt, and pepper.
2. On waxed paper, pat meat mixture into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.
3. Roll up starting with the short side. Seal edges and place in a glass loaf pan.
4. Microwave on high for 9 minutes, rotating after half the cooking time.
5. Reduce power to 50% and microwave for 11-14 minutes, again rotating after half the cooking time. Drain off the grease/juices.
6. Combine remaining tomato sauce and 1/2 tsp. oregano. Pour over meatloaf. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Microwave 2 minutes more. Let stand 5 minutes.

Submitted by Jan Luepke