Cheeseburger Soup

When I first heard about this soup I had my doubts!  Cheeseburger soup with ketchup and mustard?  What?  But I have to say, it's actually delicious!  It's crazy how it really does taste similar to a cheeseburger!  It's a hearty soup with a yummy flavor!  You have to try it!

1 lb hamburger
1 cup onion, diced
3/4 cup celery, diced
3/4 cup carrots, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups potatoes, peeled, diced
1 teaspoon basil
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup featherlight flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard
salt & pepper to taste

Brown hamburger, onion, celery, carrots and garlic.  Season with a little salt & pepper.  Stir in broth, potatoes and basil.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 - 12 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through.  In a separate saucepan melt butter.  Whisk in flour and heat through.  Add the milk and stir until smooth. Add the milk mixture to the soup and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer.  Add cheese, ketchup, and mustard, stirring until the cheese is melted.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  You can serve this with chopped pickles, or relish!

Note:  I just make my chicken broth with water and 3 chicken bouillon cubes.

Carrot Cake

I love carrot cake!  It's so moist and delicious - especially with the cream cheese frosting!  Yum!

1 1/2 cups featherlight flour
1/2 cup gluten free flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups finely shredded carrot
1 cup cooking oil
4 eggs

In a bowl combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Add carrot, oil, and eggs  Beat with an electric mixer till combined.

Pour into 2 greased and floured round baking pans.  Bake at 350º for 25 to 30 minutes or till a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean.  Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Remove cakes from pans.  Cool thoroughly on racks.  Frost with cream cheese frosting.


Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup butter (softened)
about 1 pound powdered sugar (maybe a little more)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend cream cheese and butter well.  Beat in powdered sugar.  And vanilla and beat.

Rocky Road Fudge

This is my mom's fudge recipe!  I love the nuts and marshmallows in it!  I like it best with milk chocolate chips, but my mom prefers semi-sweet.  It makes a very large batch that can be cut into many pieces.  This is one of the candies that go in our Christmas candy boxes.  When I cut it into individual pieces, I wrap it in saran wrap so it doesn't dry out.  If you're going to serve it right away, you don't need to wrap it.

If you want the fudge to be less firm, boil it for 7 minutes instead of 9.  (I prefer 9!)  I usually do 30 ounces (2 1/2 bags) chocolate chips, to also make it a little more firm, but 2 bags is sufficient. 

40 large marshmallows
2 cups chopped nuts
24 - 30 ounces chocolate chips

2 cubes butter
12 ounce can evaporated milk
4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla


Cut 20 large marshmallows into pieces and freeze for about an hour.  Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan.  Have nuts ready chopped ready to go.

When marshmallows are frozen begin making fudge by putting chocolate chips in a very large bowl.  Thinly slice the 2 cubes of butter and put in the bowl with the chocolate chips.

In a very large saucepan combine the evaporated milk, sugar and the other 20 marshmallows.  Stir constantly and bring to a full boil.  Boil 9 minutes (UT).  Start timing when it reaches a full boil.  Turn the heat down but keep it boiling.  Stir constantly.

Pour over chocolate chips and butter.  Do NOT scrape the syrup out of the pan!  Stir fudge until it thickens and loses it's gloss, about 1 - 5 minutes.  Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, chopped nuts and frozen marshmallow pieces.  Stir until combined.  Pour into buttered 9 x 13 inch pan.  Let set.  Makes 5 pounds.

White Fudge

This white fudge is super easy and has a great taste!  The recipe comes from Dottie Collard.

4 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 pint sour cream
7 ounces marshmallow cream
2 cups chopped nuts
2 lbs white chocolate
1 tablespoon vanilla

In a large sauce pan bring the sugar, butter and sour cream to a full boil.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Take off the heat and add marshmallow cream, nuts, white chocolate and vanilla.  Stir until ingredients are combined and melted.  Pour into a buttered cookie sheet, or 9 x 13 inch pan if you want it thicker.

Note:  I used Vanilla A'peels for the white chocolate.  They worked great!

Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Pie

Wow!  This pie is delicious!  It's certainly not low-fat, but it tastes fabulous!
It's a nice twist on Pecan Pie.

Unbaked GF pie crust
1 8 ounce pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
1 jar (12 1/4 ounces) caramel ice cream topping

Prepare the pie crust.  In a small bowl beat the cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and vanilla until smooth.  Spread into pastry shell.  Sprinkle with pecans.

In a small bowl whisk remaining eggs.  Gradually whisk in caramel topping until blended.  Pour slowly over pecans.

Bake at 375º for 35 - 40 minutes or until lightly browned.  (Loosely cover edges with foil after 20 minutes if pie browns too quickly.)  Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before slicing.

Note:  I used Smucker's Caramel ice cream topping.

Lemon Cream Cheese Pie

I made this pie for Thanksgiving this year and my husband said it was his favorite!  Certainly a keeper!  First, prepare a GF baked pie crust and cool.

Cream Cheese filling:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup powdered sugar

Lemon filling:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons featherlight flour
3 tablespoons corn starch
dash of salt
1 1/2 cups water
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons lemon peel
1/3 cup lemon juice

Beat cream cheese filling ingredients until light and fluffy.  Spread into the bottom of GF baked pie crust.  Refrigerate to set.

In a large saucepan mix sugar, gf flour, cornstarch, and salt.  Gradually stir in water.  Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat and set aside.  In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks with a fork.  Gradually stir 1 cup of hot filling into egg yolks.  Return to saucepan, stir and bring to a gently boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon peel and butter.  Stir in lemon juice and cool.  When cooled, spread filling over cream cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.  Serve with whipped cream.

Note:  I used 1 lemon for the peel and the juice.  It's not enough juice for 1/3 of a cup, so I used as much fresh and I could squeeze out, and added lemon juice concentrate for the rest.  It worked great!

Zesty Barbecue Chicken Crockpot Sandwiches

My family loves these delicious chicken barbecue sandwiches!  It's even better that is a quick and easy crock pot recipe!

5 - 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 18-oz bottle GF barbecue sauce
1/2 cup GF Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons GF Worcestershire sauce

Place frozen chicken in crock pot.  In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, salad dressing, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce.  Pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then on low for 6 - 8 hours.  Take chicken out of the crock pot and shred.  Take out 1 - 2 cups sauce.  Put chicken back in crock pot and stir together.  Add back in enough sauce to make it as saucy as you'd like.

Serve on toasted gluten free bread, or gluten free buns.

Fresh Peach Pie

This is one of my all time favorite pies!  It's a recipe that my mother-in-law has made for years!  It has almond extract in it which gives it a great flavor and highlights the peaches!  This recipe makes 1 pie.  It's easily doubled if you want to make 2 pies.

6 - 10 fresh peaches
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons butter
9-inch baked gluten free pie crust

Peel, core and mash 2 - 3 peaches (depending on size) into a large saucepan.  Stir in sugar, corn starch and water.  Cook on medium high heat stirring frequently until it comes to a boil.  Boil and stir for about 1 minute, until sauce is thickened.  Take off the heat and add almond extract and butter.  Stir and combine.  Let filling cool to room temperature.

Peel, core and slice 3 - 6 peaches (depending on size) into the baked pie crust.  You want the peaches to almost fill the pie shell.  When filling is cool, pour it over the fresh peaches.  Move the peaches around a little so the sauce trickles down throughout the peaches.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Serve with whipped cream!

Apple Crisp

This is a delightful fall recipe!  There's nothing quite like warm apple crisp and vanilla ice cream!  Yum!

8 apples
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla


Topping:
1 cup gf oatmeal
1/4 cup featherlight flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened

Preheat oven to 375º.  Peel, core, and slice apples.  In a medium bowl mix together apples, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg.  Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  In a separate bowl combine the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.  Add butter and mix until it's combined well.  I like to use my hands.  Sprinkle the topping all over the apples.  Bake for about 30 minutes.  Cool slightly and serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

Zucchini Bread

I love this zucchini bread recipe.  It is an adaptation of a Lion House recipe.  It's moist and delicious!

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups shredded raw zucchini
3 cups featherlight flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Combine oil, applesauce, sugar, and eggs in large mixer bowl.  Beat well.  Blend in vanilla and zucchini.  Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.  Add to oil mixture and blend well.  Add nuts, and stir.

Pour batter into 2 loaf pans (8x4x3), well greased and lightly floured.  Bake at 350º for 50 - 55 minutes, or until loaves test done.  Let stand in pans for ten minutes, then turn out on racks to cool.