Casseroles To Rock Your Winter Wonderland!

Casseroles are not just a throw back potluck staple from the 80's.  They are a fiscal way to feed your family and keep the 24 hours you have been granted budgeted too.  If you add some inventive ingredients and flavors to a tiny bit of prep and planning, you too can be the proud owner of a hot and easy meal ready to serve when you are.

Broccoli Rice Casserole

Did I mention casseroles are a friendly way to re-introduce vegetables to your family over the winter months.  Yes, fresh is best but if you or your grocer are short on attractive fresh vegetables, look to the frozen food section.

Chili Cheese Rice Casserole

And the casseroles freeze well too.  Make enough to fill two dishes.  Freeze one.  Bake one.  Easy-peasy rice and cheesy.  Now you have something delicious for dinner tonight and a few weeks from now, without too much extra work or thought.

English Beef Pot Pie

So, technically this last one is pot pie.  But...it looks a lot like a casserole to me, so I am including it as a less famous cousin to the casserole.  (This one is English from across the pond!)  Pot pies, too, are fairly easy to assemble, can be made in advance, frozen for a later date, and winter friendly!

Help yourself.  Save your money.  Build a casserole!

Remember, we love feedback and photos!

Savory Recipes for the First Week of 2012...

Happy 2012!  I hope this year finds you healthy and blessed and ready to try new recipes!  Since it is very cold outside where I live, I decided to focus on some hearty home-style recipes that will hopefully leave you nostalgic and satisfied!

Basic Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf: the great debate...some people love it, some people don't.  Here's my question: if you love it, what do you love about it? Simplicity? Taste? If you don't love it, what don't you love about it?

BBQ Chicken

And who doesn't like chicken?  It's versatile, easy to prepare, and easy to save and reuse.  I included the BBQ Chicken recipe to add a little pizzazz to the cold weather week!

Beef Carbonnade

I personally have not prepared the Beef Carbonnade recipe, but I am feeling adventurous and it looks delicious.  Savory is the word I am looking for.

Stay warm, be adventurous in your cooking, and as always we love feed back and photos!

New Year's Eve Ideas!

The idea of celebrating New Year's Eve out at some over-hyped, over-priced, overly loud party is not my idea of a good time, not to mention trying to find a sitter for that night is like trying to get your broken filling fixed on said holiday weekend...it's just not going to happen.

Cabbage Rolls

Rather than going out on the town New Year's Eve, we prefer to stay in, invite a few friends or family over, and celebrate the New Year in a much milder manner than most.  (Say that 5 times fast!)

Cheesy Sausage Muffins

I've included a few recipes here that looked especially appropriate to serve as appetizers and family fodder for our little New Year's Eve/Birthday Party come Saturday Night.  I have to keep the menu kid-friendly and adult-tempting as we will have plenty of both at our house.  (I think I nailed it.)

Crock Pot Italian Meat Balls

So if your ringing in the new year includes staying home and celebrating, I tempt you to try one of these recipes or hang out at Annie's Recipes for a bit because I know you will find something tasty to add to your New Year's Eve buffet.  We love feedback and pictures submitted of your recipe results.  Happy New Year!

New Year's Resolutions? Not Yet!

No need to set about making New Year's resolutions just yet...not with so many wonderful recipes to try at Annie's.  (Unless of course your New Year's resolution is to try 5 new recipes a week from our site.  Then I can deal with that!)

I've compiled a couple of recipes that would make great dishes to take to a New Year's Celebration or to have    for a quiet evening at home watching the ball drop in Times Square.  Whichever your partying capacity or speed, these tasty treats will ring in your New Year with a solid "YUM!"

Enjoy and submit pictures of your results if you try one of our recipes.  We love to see what's cookin' in your kitchen!

Zucchini Brownies

Two Layer Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Tomato Soup Cake

Angels We Have Heard...

On high...have brought some great recipes down to Earth for us to try!  We have plenty of heavenly recipes that will add an angelic taste to your holiday spread at Annie's Recipes.  Enjoy a little bit of melt-in-your-mouth delight and share them with your family, friends, loved ones and neighbors.

Earn your wings with these fluffly foods!  Happy Holidays!  (We'll all start running January 2nd!)

Angel Cream Biscuits

Angel Food Cake

Cashew Sugar Cookies

Here We Go A Wassailing...

And when we get home we want something yummy to eat!  If you know anything about wassailing (think caroling with a funny name and more chit-chat!) you know that it can be a chilly practice!

A fun and frolicking activity (and caroling's predecessor), wassailing has long been practiced among neighbors and kin alike as a means of giving blessings, hospitality and warm holiday wishes to each other in the form of singing and/or visiting.  (There's your fun Christmas fact for the day!)

So, whether you are 1. receiving wassailers, carolers or neighbors and need something to warm their throats and tummies or 2. busy wassailing to your favorite folks' homes and need a tasty treat waiting to warm you at home...these delicious Amish recipes maybe the answer to your cold weather wassailing wishes!

Enjoy!  Don't forget to submit a photo of your results to our site, as we love to see what's cooking in your kitchens!

Amish Bread Pudding

Amish Funnel Cake

Amish Sour Cream Apple Pie

More Ideas for Christmas Morning!

We haven't yet run out of delicious ideas to help you and your family celebrate Christmas morning.  Whether you have a house full of early risers or some late sleepers, one of our recipes is sure to be a crowd pleaser.  And, if you don't find something here at the blog that tempts your cooking creativity, head over to our site where we have plenty of holiday recipes just waiting for your kitchen.

So, whether you will be serving lumberjack breakfast at 6 A.M. or a casual Christmas brunch at 11 A.M., try adding one of our delectable eatables to your kitchen repertoire for the holidays.  Remember to submit a picture of your results to our site, because we love to see what's cookin' in your kitchen!

Raisin Bread French Toast

Pa Dutch Batter Fried Apples

Cranberry Streusel Muffins