Italian Shell Pasta Soup

Italian Shell Pasta Soup combines Italian sausage, diced tomatoes, hearty vegetables, and tender pasta shells.  Perfect for a cold weeknight comfort meal. Italian Sausage and Baby Pasta Shell Soup This Italian Sausage Pasta soup is surprisingly easy to make with ingredients you have on hand or in your pantry and freezer.  The perfectly seasoned sausage brings this soup together with little seasoning, and the star ingredient is the baby pasta shells.  This hearty pasta soup is easy to make and perfect for weeknight comfort food.   I took my  Hamburger Soup  recipe and swapped the hamburger for bulk Italian sausage and the potatoes for mini shells ( Conchiglie Pasta Shells ). I added Italian seasonings, a generous amount of diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce,  The shells cook right in the rich tomato broth, so you don't have to boil them or drain them.  A true one-pot soup. The Italian sausage has fennel, garlic, and other Italian seasonings, giv...

Pumpkin Roll Cake Recipe

Pumpkin Roll Cake is a classic fall dessert.  A soft, tender pumpkin chiffon cake filled with pillowy cream cheese filling, then rolled up in a jelly roll fashion and chilled before slicing.    Old Fashioned Pumpkin Roll Recipe Take advantage of serving this eye catching, gorgeous dessert at your next Thanksgiving gathering. The recipe has few ingredients and is simple to make. Pumpkin Roll Cake is one of my favorite pumpkin desserts.  Although I have not made many, I have eaten plenty.  If they are served for dessert, I make sure that I a enjoy a slice.   While Pumpkin Roll Cake may seem challenging, I can guarantee it's effortless,  so be confident. I can share a tip that has improved how you roll the pumpkin roll.   Roll the pumpkin roll in parchment paper instead of a cool cloth towel dusted with powdered sugar.  I used to do it years ago, and the new way is much easier.

Best Southern Coleslaw Equals The Best Coleslaw Dressing

Southern style coleslaw is  a quick, easy side dish served up with a lot of Southern dishes, fried chicken, catfish, and delicious BBQ.  A few simple ingredients– cabbage, carrots, and the perfect dressing are all you need. Classic Southern Coleslaw The best coleslaw recipe balances the tangy and the sweet in the dressing.   Plus the crunchy and creamy textures.  And don't forget the salt and pepper, which is what makes the magic happen. This recipe brings back memories of my Mother shredding her cabbage and carrots in one of those Stainless Steel Saladmaster Food Processors that were popular in the 60s and 70s.  It took no time, and she would have her Southern Style Coleslaw made and on the table for our meal.

Super Crispy Whole Okra Fries

Super Crispy Whole Okra Fries are a delightful spin on an old Southern classic.  Coated with a mixture of self-rising cornmeal and all-purpose flour, drizzled with a little buttermilk, and seasoned with garlic powder and Old Bay.  Then they are fried in a skillet of hot oil.  Generously sprinkle with salt and serve with a dipping sauce.   Whole Okra Fried Or Baked Baked Whole Okra Fries are a healthier twist on the fried version.  For the coating, I like to use a combination of rice flour and cornstarch, then toss it with beaten egg and buttermilk, seasoned with garlic powder, and a little bit of Old Bay.  Baked them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  Generously sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve with a dipping sauce. Okra grows well here in Texas.  It is in season right now and bountiful in backyard gardens, farmers' markets, and produce stands. I spotted a few recipes for whole okra fries coming across the social media I follo...

Ham and Dill Pickle Roll Ups

  Ham and Dill Pickle Roll Ups, featuring sliced ham, whole dill pickles, and cream cheese, are an easy, healthy snack or appetizer. Ham Roll Ups Ham Rolls are a childhood favorite we had at any holiday celebration.  Many times, they didn't make it to the table.   At Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other special occasions, you will probably see these on our table.  The recipe came from my mother in the 60s, when she worked at a tea room.  Today, there are so many variations on the recipe. Some people make them with other vegetables, such as asparagus and green onions, and some use a sweet pickle instead of dill.   I have to say, hands down, the ham roll recipe my mother handed down to me is still my favorite, and it is the one with just ham, cream cheese, and whole dill pickles. These Ham Rolls are easy to make with a few ingredients. I can promise you that a tray of these mouth-watering Ham Rolls is sure to put a smile on everyone's face at your nex...

Old Fashioned Banana Bread

Old-fashioned banana bread is a versatile quick bread that has been around for years, served for breakfast and as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee, or as a dessert. Simply Moist Banana Bread When it comes to making simply moist Banana Bread, three rules of thumb come to mind.  To make the best moist banana bread, use blackened ripe bananas, use oil instead of butter, and avoid overbaking.   Growing up in the 60s, my mother made my favorite after-school snack, Banana Bread. It seemed to taste even better after a few days of baking. Don't get me wrong, I love a slice with butter slathered on it, fresh out of the oven.   Here are a few fun facts about Banana Bread.  Banana Bread is the most searched bread recipe on the internet.  It was the first tropical fruit imported to the United States, specifically New Orleans, in the 1800s.    But as bananas gained popularity throughout the South, banana bread began appearing during the Gr...

Easy Peach Sweet Rolls

Easy Peach Sweet Rolls are a delicious peach twist on a cinnamon roll, made with a simple, soft, homemade dough filled with peach preserves, brown sugar, and vanilla, and iced with rich vanilla icing. Gooey Butter Peach Sweet Rolls Peach Sweet Rolls elevate the breakfast sweet roll to a new level. They have all the indulgence of a bakery-style texture, right down to the creamy vanilla icing.  My Cinnamon Rolls and Sweet Rolls are a favorite wherever I take them. This past weekend, I had a brunch meeting at the church and signed up to bring cinnamon rolls.   The only difference between the cinnamon roll and the sweet rolls is that I use vanilla instead of cinnamon in the sweet rolls. I had been wanting to make a peach sweet roll for some time, so I thought this was the perfect time.   I decided to make the sweet roll version using the soft dough recipe I use for my cinnamon rolls. To keep them simple, I used peach preserves, brown sugar, and vanilla in the filli...

Cherry Cordial Brownies

Cherry Cordial Brownies are rich, fudgy, and decadent, bursting with cherry cordials.  These are perfect for any Christmas cookie tray. Chocolate Cherry Cordial Bars If you are a fan of cherry cordial candy around the holidays, then you are going to love these brownies.  Especially since they only take three ingredients.   I am a big fan of the cherry and chocolate combination, so I decided to make some chocolate cherry brownies.    For the recipe, I used my favorite box brownie mix  and a box of the popular  Queen Anne Cordial Cherries .  Then, to make it rich and decadent, I poured a  chocolate ganache  over the top. Don't worry that these brownies are so easy to make and use few ingredients, that these Cherry Cordial Brownies are less than exciting.    They are the ultimate decadent brownie recipe, capturing the flavors of a classic chocolate-and-cherry dessert, the Black Forest Cake, with all the richness of chocolate ...

Simplest and Best Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Brussels sprouts are the best of two worlds, giving a perfect balance of salty and sweet. Ina Garten's Balsamic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts This Brussels sprouts recipe comes together in 30 minutes and is the perfect side dish for your Thanksgiving meal, oven-roasted with panchetta and drizzled with a thick balsamic glaze   Brussels sprouts have become a favorite side dish for our Thanksgiving meal.  One thing we like most about this recipe is the simple method of preparation. Most of the time, it's the prep work that takes so much time, and then you have to cook them.  With this recipe, after the prep, all that's left is roasting them in the oven, which allows you to have time for other dishes. Some of our family members enjoy the balsamic drizzle, while others prefer not to have it.  You can serve it on the side when this happens, or serve it in two dishes separately.

One Pot Tortellini, Cabbage and Kielbasa

  One-pot tortellini with cabbage and kielbasa is one of our favorite recipes. You only need one pot and a few simple ingredients to create layers of flavor for a delicious weeknight dinner. Stovetop Tortellini Casserole If you're searching for the easiest, fastest comfort meal, you'll love this recipe. My family enjoys it not just on weeknights but on any night of the week. The recipe for Tortellini Cabbage and Kielbasa was created while I was preparing the classic fried cabbage and onions for my college-aged grandson.  I had some tortellini in the refrigerator from SAM's and thought that adding it to the fried cabbage would make the dish more filling and comforting.   Boy, was I right.  So much so that it has become a favorite meal around our house, often. You start creating layers of flavor by caramelizing the onions and cabbage, then adding the chopped kielbasa and the tortellini.  The key is to add the tortellini last so they are tender yet sturdy. Sin...