Copper Penny Salad

This is delicious and very colorful side dish. This makes a very large amount, so just half the recipe for a smaller crowd.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar (I use Splenda)
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 10 3/4 oz can tomato soup
2 lbs carrots, peeled & sliced into discs
1 large onion, sliced into rings
1 green bell pepper, chopped

Instructions:
Cook carrots until tender. I steam them in the microwave, but some people prefer to boil them. Don't overcook them, though. They should still be firm, but not crunchy. If you boil them, drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, vinegar, oil, Worc. sauce, salt and pepper, whisking until sugar or sweetener is dissolved. Slowly whisk in tomato soup. Mix for several minutes until smooth. Add carrots, onions, and peppers to dressing, stirring to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours - overnight is better. The longer the salad marinates, the better it is.

Corn-Jalapeno Pudding

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk *
3 eggs
3 TBS butter, melted
3 TBS baking mix (I used Hodgsen Mill) *
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)

1 TBS sugar

1/2 tsp garlic powder, optional

1/2 black pepper, optional

1 1/2 cups cheese

16 oz frozen corn, thawed (I used frozen, but use whatever you like - canned, fresh, frozen)

1/2 cup chopped jalapenos (I used the jarred ones) *

Instructions:
Whisk together milk, eggs, flour, butter and seasonings until well incorporated. Add corn, cheese and jalapenos last and stir well. Bake at 375 degrees in a greased casserole dish (9X13) for 50-60 minutes or until set in the middle*.

* A few notes:
Milk: I almost always use re-constituted powdered milk in recipes and it works beautifully and tastes just the same as using regular milk. It's much more cost-effective.

Baking mix: If you don't have any baking mix in the house, you can substitute 3 TBS all purpose flour and 1 tsp baking powder.

Jalapenos: This isn't overly spicy, but if you want a milder casserole, you can substitute a small can of diced green chilis.

Baking: You can also make this in the crock pot. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until set in the center. I haven't done it this way so cooking time may need to be adjusted.

Texas Caviar

I've read many, many recipes for this dish and here's what I decided to put in my version:

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black eyed peas, drained & rinsed
1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 (15 oz) can Mexican corn, drained
1 medium bell pepper, diced (I used green for the color)
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/4 cup pickled jalapenos, diced
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
hot sauce to taste
1 cup Italian dressing

Instructions:
Mix together in a medium/large glass or plastic bowl. Cover and chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours. Serve as a dip with corn chip scoops or serve as a side salad.

Mexican Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
6 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 - 1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 tsp salt
1/4-1/2 packet of taco seasoning mix

Instructions:
In a large bowl, pour oil onto potatoes and toss to coat. Add salt and taco seasoning and toss again. Place sweet potatoes in roasting pan. Bake at 425 degrees F for 40-50 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Onion Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled & diced
2 packages dry onion soup mix
1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil

Instructions:
In a large bowl, pour oil over potatoes and mix until well-coated. Pour in onion soup mix and toss until soup mix in distributed evenly over potatoes. Bake in a roasting pan at 425 degrees F for 40-50 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

If you prefer, substitute red-skinned potatoes here.

Tortellini Salad

Ingredients:
2 (9 oz) packages refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup Caesar salad dressing or Creamy Italian dressing
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3-4 oz turkey pepperoni, cut into quarters
2 (2 1/4 oz) cans sliced black olives, drained
4 green onions, chopped

Instructions:
Cook cheese tortellini according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to keep from sticking together.
Toss tortellini with remaining ingredients.

Hash Brown Casserole

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (2 lb) package refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes or frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 pint sour cream
2 (10.75 oz) cans condensed cream of celery soup (or cream of mushroom)
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 - 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 TBS hot pepper sauce, more if you like
3/4 cup french fried onions or crushed buttery crackers, optional

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 9x13 inch baking dish.
Over medium heat, cook the onion until soft.
In a large bowl, combine the onion, potatoes, sour cream, soup, cheese, pepper and hot sauce. Mix well and pour into baking dish. Bake 50 minutes.
Sprinkle french fried onions over casserole if desired or top with shredded cheese and and bake for 20-30 more minutes.

Garden Pea Salad

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can very young early peas (I use Lesueur)
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 boiled eggs, crumbled S
salt and pepper to taste
2 to 3 TBS mayonnaise
Chopped pimento, optional

Instructions:
Drain peas very well. Place drained peas in a medium bowl. Add the onions, crumbled eggs, and mayonnaise, tossing to combine and coat peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add pimento for color if you desire. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled.