Many of you have been blessed with a three-day weekend.  Why not add something special to the Easter festivities?  Total family bonding time making these!


2 packages (1/4 ounce each) quick-rise yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
2 teaspoons honey
1-1/2 cups warm 2% milk (110° to 115°)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons salt
7-1/2 to 8 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Dash salt
1/2 cup butter, softened

VANILLA ICING:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup 2% milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Dash salt


In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and honey. In a large bowl, combine milk, sugar, butter, potatoes, eggs, salt, yeast mixture and 4 cups flour; beat on medium speed until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky). Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased large bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

For filling, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, flour and salt. Punch down dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 24x12-in. rectangle. Spread butter to within 1/2 in. of edges; sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut into 12 slices.

Place in 2 greased 13x9-in. baking pans (6 slices per pan), cut side down. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°. Bake until lightly browned, 25-30 minutes, covering loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking. Cool in pan 30 minutes. In a small bowl, mix icing ingredients; drizzle over rolls.

Waffles are fun to make, so I decided to make this waffle omelette recipe! They are topped with browned sausage, onions, peppers and a chunky cheesy sauce. They are the perfect choice when you want to have breakfast for dinner.

• 1 pound bulk pork sausage
• 1/2 pound whole fresh mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups half-and-half cream, divided
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt, divided
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 8 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Preheat waffle maker. In a large skillet, cook sausage, mushrooms, onion and red pepper over medium heat until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes, breaking up sausage into crumbles; drain. Remove from heat and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, whisk flour, 1-3/4 cups cream and 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt until smooth. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Stir in cheese and 1 cup sausage mixture until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and keep warm.
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In a large bowl, whisk eggs and the remaining 1/4 cup cream and 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt until blended. Bake in a well-greased waffle maker until golden brown, 2-3 minutes. Serve with sausage mixture and cheese sauce; sprinkle with parsley.

If you have a chicken pot pie lover in your family then this treat is going to lighten the load.  Made with all the special ingredients in a traditional pot pie, it can be put together without the fuss of a pie crust.


1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (10-1/2 ounces) condensed chicken broth, undiluted
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
2 cups frozen peas and carrots or mixed vegetables, thawed
1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, quartered



Preheat oven to 400°. Melt butter in a 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, 2-3 minutes.
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In a small bowl, mix flour, broth, milk and pepper until smooth; stir into pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken and peas and carrots; heat through. Arrange biscuits over stew. Bake until biscuits are golden brown, 15-20 minutes.

This is an old coveted recipe handed down from many generations.  The tangy molasses works delightfully coupled with the sweet coconut topping.  A real winner!


1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup dark molasses
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1/4 cup 2% milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1 frozen deep-dish pie crust (9 inches)
Whipped cream, optional

​Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. Stir in coconut. Pour into crust; cover edges loosely with foil. Bake until center is set, 45-55 minutes. Remove foil; cool on a wire rack. If desired, serve with whipped cream.

I bought an air fryer oven about six months ago, after seeing it on television. We have used it at least twice a week and love how delicious the food has been. The chicken recipes that we have tried are especially good because of how moist it remains. We started a low-carb diet and did not want to use bread crumbs so we tried the chicken with almonds and it is a favorite now.

• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup slivered almonds, finely chopped
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

Preheat air fryer to 350°. In a shallow bowl, whisk egg, buttermilk, garlic salt and pepper. Place almonds in another shallow bowl. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then into almonds, patting to help coating adhere.
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Place chicken in a single layer on greased tray in air-fryer basket; spritz with cooking spray. Cook until a thermometer inserted in chicken reads at least 165°, 15-18 minutes. If desired, serve with ranch dressing, barbecue sauce or mustard.

A light vanilla cake is baked in a pie crust, with a fudgy chocolate layer that sinks from the top to settle below the cake as it bakes. It’s a curious kind of dessert, for sure, but with charming simplicity.

For the crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold shortening, cubed
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
6 to 8 Tbsp. ice water

For the cake layer:
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup whole milk

For the chocolate layer:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

This recipe makes two pies, so enjoy one and give one to a friend (along with the recipe).

Step 1: Make Your Pastry Dough

In a large bowl, mix flour and salt; cut in shortening and butter until crumbly. Gradually add ice water, tossing with a fork until dough holds together when pressed. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk. Wrap; refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight.
If you like, you can use a premade pie crust to cut down on prep time.

Step 2: Roll It Out

On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough to an eighth-inch-thick circle; transfer to a nine-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim crust to a half-inch beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Repeat with remaining dough. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Step 3: Make Your Cake Batter

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, beat shortening and sugar until crumbly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Divide batter between pie plates.

Step 4: Pour on the Chocolate

For the chocolate layer, in a small bowl, combine sugar and cocoa. Whisk in boiling water and vanilla until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cake layers.

Step 5: Bake It Up!

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.
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When you pull it from the oven, you’ll see the chocolate layer has “flipped” to the bottom! How fun is that? The result is a fluffy cake with just a hint of sweetness sitting atop a rich, chocolatey layer and a flaky, golden crust. Slice it up and share your own sweet memories.

My Great-Aunt Gladys was from a small mining town in England where pasties were popular. I loved to watch her craft each Cornish pasty, as she made them in different sizes depending on who was eating. Serve with a green salad to make a wonderful meal.


3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup shortening
8 to 10 tablespoons ice water

FILLING:
1 pound beef top round steak, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1-1/2 cups cubed peeled potatoes (1/2-inch cubes)
1-1/2 cups chopped peeled turnips (1/2-inch cubes)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk, optional
Ketchup

​In a large bowl, mix flour, salt and baking powder; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°. In another large bowl, combine beef, onion, potatoes, turnips, salt and pepper. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion into a 9-in. circle. Mound 1-1/2 cups filling on half of circle; dot with 1 tablespoon butter. Moisten edges with water; fold dough over filling and press edges with a fork to seal.

Place on a parchment-lined rimmed 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Repeat with remaining dough, filling and butter. Cut slits in tops of pasties. Bake 30 minutes. If desired, pour milk into slits. Bake until golden brown, 20-30 minutes longer. Serve with ketchup.

I knew this ham soup recipe was a keeper when my mother-in-law asked for it! The hearty soup—chock-full of leftover ham, veggies and cheese—is creamy and comforting. And even though the recipe makes enough to feed a crowd, don’t expect it to last more than one meal! 


2 cups diced peeled potatoes
2 cups water
1/2 cup sliced carrot
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% milk
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1-1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 cup frozen peas


In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, water, carrot and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook until tender, 10-15 minutes.
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Meanwhile, in another saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add the milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in cheese until melted. Stir into undrained potato mixture. Add ham and peas; heat through.

I felt so proud when I created this recipe, which my husband loved! Leftover ham, convenient cooking creme and garlic-herb seasoning make this pasta toss so delicious.


8 ounces uncooked wide egg noodles
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 carton (8 ounces) spreadable cream cheese
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons 2% milk
1/2 teaspoon garlic-herb seasoning blend
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cubed fully cooked ham
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese


Preheat oven to 350°. Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine soup, cream cheese, milk and seasonings; add ham. Drain noodles. Add to ham mixture and mix well.
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Transfer to a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, until heated through, 20-25 minutes.

Entertaining doesn't get much easier than serving this tasty five-ingredient ham from the slow cooker. And the leftovers are delicious in casseroles! 


1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup cola, divided
1 fully cooked boneless ham (5 to 6 pounds), cut in half

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• In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard, horseradish and 2 tablespoons cola. Rub over ham. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; add remaining cola to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until a thermometer reads 140°, 6-8 hours.