Chunky Macadamia Nut White Chocolate Cookies

From: Southern Living cookbook 1992

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup (6 oz) vanilla-milk morsels or 1 6-oz package white chocolate-flavored baking bars, cut into chunks
1 7-oz jar macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Beat butter at a medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in morsels and nuts; drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

What I did differently:
I used only a 4-oz bag of macadamia nuts and it was more than enough.

Verdict:
Well, these weren't terrible, but they didn't taste store-bought. In my opinion, they weren't moist enough and they weren't as sweet as I expected they would be. Honestly, if I were going to make them again (or if you are going to make them), I would double the recipe for the dough, and use the suggested amount of chips and nuts.

Hearty Hamburger Soup

From: Food.com

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
1 white onion, peeled and diced
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp dry basil
1/4 tsp seasoning salt
1 envelope onion soup mix
6 cups water, more to desired consistency
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15-oz can corn, drained
1 cup celery, sliced
1/4 cup celery leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup fresh carrot, sliced
1 cup white potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
garlic salt, to taste
parmesan cheese, to serve
sour cream, to serve

• Brown ground beef and onion in a large pot. Drain if needed.
• Add spices and onion soup mix.

• Stir in water, tomato sauce and soy sauce. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

• Add the rest of the ingredients up to the potatoes; bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer uncovered until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 30 minutes. (Add more water if needed).

• Season to taste with garlic salt.

• Serve with shredded parmesan cheese and sour cream.

What I did differently:

I left out the onion soup mix because they were out at the store the day I went. I didn't do the celery leaves because I bought pre-cut celery sticks (convenience, hello!) Other than that, I didn't change a thing.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! Oh yeah, this was a GREAT soup, and so easy to make! The flavors blended perfectly. I love a good vegetable beef soup and this one did not disappoint!

Honey Grilled Tenderloins

From: Southern Living cookbook 1992

Ingredients:
2 pork tenderloins (about 3/4-lb each)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
5 cloves garlic, halved
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp honey
2 tsp dark sesame oil

Trim fat from tenderloins. Butterfly tenderloins by making a lengthwise cut in each, cutting to within 1/4 inch of other side. Place in a shallow container or large, heavy-duty, zip-top plastic bag. Combine soy sauce, ginger and garlic; pour over tenderloins. Cover or seal, and refrigerate at least 3 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove tenderloins from marinade. Combine sugar, honey and oil in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves.

Coat grill rack with cooking spray; place on grill over medium heat (about 350 degrees). Place tenderloins on rack, and brush with honey mixture. Cook 20 minutes or until the inside registers 165 degrees. Turn once while cooking and baste with honey mixture. (Note: the honey mixture will thicken as it cools, but should thin out really quickly when reheated).

What I did differently:
I didn't have time to marinate these. I thawed them yesterday but I wasn't home today with time to let them sit. So they sat for maybe 15 minutes in the garlic mixture. Honestly, it was FINE. I'm sure letting them sit in the marinade longer will also be delicious! Also, I didn't use tenderloins. We had some pork chop ends from the pig we bought last year, so I just sliced those up. I didn't grill them, either. I just popped them in the oven, on a grill rack, for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees, flipping them a couple of times and continuing to baste them.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I liked this a lot - everyone did, actually. This is a really thick cut of ham so I was afraid it would be a little dry and bland, but it wasn't. The flavor was great. I like a sweet flavor of marinade, so I definitely wouldn't mind letting them sit longer next time before I cook them, or even having a dipping sauce made from the honey/sugar mix. I will DEFINITELY make this again because it was so easy to make and it was a hit with everyone (which is tough!)

Appetizer Cheese Bake

From: Southern Living cookbook 1992

Ingredients:
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup mayonnaise
1/8 tsp pepper
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped onion

Combine first 3 ingredients; stir in cheese and onion. Spoon into a 1-quart souffle dish. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve immediately with crackers.

What I did differently:
I only used half of the onion.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! If you like things like a quiche, or souffle, you will like this dip. It doesn't have a "dip" texture. The egg pulls everything together like a quiche. I could see how you could actually make this into a really good breakfast bake - toss in some crumbled sausage, or peppers, ham, bacon, etc. Anyway, it was REALLY easy and I liked the flavor a lot, especially with the crackers. It's not my favorite I've had but it's one I'd make again.

Mexican Casserole

From: Southern Living 1992 cookbook

Ingredients:

1 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 15-oz can Mexican-style chili beans, undrained
1 10-oz can enchilada sauce
2-3 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup corn chips, crushed

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet until meat is browned, stirring to crumble meat; drain well.

Stir in macaroni, chili beans, and next 4 ingredients; spoon into a greased 2-quart casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes; sprinkle with cheese, and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Sprinkle corn chips on top.

What we did differently:
I didn't put the entire can of beans in, or the enchilada sauce, or the full amount of chili powder. I know my family doesn't do too much spicy, so I didn't want to blow them out of the water! I also only did Fritos on half the casserole, as you can see. Two of us like Fritos, and the others wanted plain casserole with a side of tortilla chips.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I will admit I didn't LOVE the macaroni texture, but my husband did. I did love the mix of flavors and it wasn't too spicy at all. I ate the leftovers today and it was actually tastier today than last night, I think. I would make this again but maybe even sprinkle on some shredded lettuce and pico de gallo at the very end.

Sausage Gravy

From: Southern Living 1992 cookbook

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground pork sausage
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup flour
3 1/4 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 sp Italian seasoning

What I changed:
I put almost an entire pound of sausage in, just because that's what we already had in the freezer. I put less milk than what it called for - probably closer to 2 1/2 cups - and I really don't think it made a huge difference.  Your mileage may vary!

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I love biscuits and gravy but I've never made my own gravy that was edible. It was very good. This particular sausage was a little spicy for me but at least I know the recipe works!

Quick and Easy Chili

From: Southern Living 1992 cookbook

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 16-oz can tomatoes, undrained and chopped
2 15-oz cans red kidney beans, undrained
1 10-oz can tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 1/2 cups water
1 envelope chili seasoning mix
1 envelope instant onion soup mix

Cook ground beef in a Dutch oven until meat is browned, stirring until it crumbles; drain.

Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

What I did differently:
I didn't use the whole can of diced tomatoes because we aren't really fans of tomatoes. I only used one can of kidney beans, and I did drain them, even though the recipe said not to. I also left out the envelope of onion soup mix.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! It wasn't too spicy and it could easily be spiced up as much as you want. I liked it because it was so fast to make. I do love chili in a crockpot but I felt like the flavor of this was great, and the family liked it. Winning!

Brown Sugar Ham Steak

From: Taste of Home

Ingredients:

1 8-oz fully cooked ham steak
5 Tbsp butter, cubed
5 Tbsp brown sugar

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown steak on both sides. Remove ham.

In the same skillet, melt the butter; stir in brown sugar. Return ham to skillet, cook until heated through, turning often.

Verdict:

Thumbs up! This glaze was very juicy and not too sweet. It added a great flavor to the ham. I actually made a little extra glaze and poured it over the top just as I served it. Really easy and fast! I'll be making this again!

Old-Fashioned Skillet Country Ham Steak

From: Montana Happy

Ingredients:

1 lb ham slice
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp paprika

Melt butter in skillet and add ham, cooking until brown on both sides approximately 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove ham steak from pan and keep warm.

Add remaining ingredients (water, dijon mustard, brown sugar and paprika) to the pan, and cook until sugar is dissolved, about five minutes.

Place ham steak back in the skillet and cook approximately five more minutes with caramelized glaze.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! It was a little dry, but not bad. The flavor was really good, particularly if you do like classic country ham. I'm a big fan of easy recipes and this is about as simple as it gets.

Chocolate Chess Pie

From: Southern Living Cookbook

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Brianna made this pie the other night and it was very easy. The taste was great. The middle is cooked but still a little gooey and soft, but the top part gets a little crisp to it. It's very sweet, so keep that in mind! Would definitely make again, especially if I need something last minute.