Non traditional Thanksgiving

We did have a traditional Thanksgiving with my side of the family and I did not cook anything. My wonderful soul cooking Aunt Faye did and it was amazing!! On Friday night we got together with Casey's side of the family to watch the Arkansas vs. LSU game, family tradition. So since we had all eaten traditional food we decided to go casual and go more with tailgate kind of food. I made a pot of soup, chili cheese dip, chocolate cobbler and pumpkin dump cake. See, non-traditional. I wanted to share the recipes for the chili cheese dip and the pumpkin dump cake. I have previously shared the Bacon, Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup before, but I will post it on the bottom of this post as well.  Both of these recipes were Pinterest inspired!!

Chili Cheese Queso Dip

Here's what you'll need....
1 can of Hormel chili- No beans
16-ounce box Velveeta Cheese 
1 C. milk 
2 teaspoons paprika 
½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper 
4 tsp. chili powder 
1 tablespoon lime juice 
½ tsp. ground cumin

It's so simple. You can just dump it all in a crockpot and cook for about 4-6 hours OR if you are in a rush like me, just dump it all in large pot and melt on the stove top. It was a quick and easy hit.

                          For Dessert....Pumpkin Dump Cake

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz can Pumpkin Puree
• 1 10 oz can Evaporated Milk
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter melted
• 1 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers or pecans
• 1/2 cup toffee bits (optional)

How to Make

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spray a 9×13 baking pan lightly with cooking/baking spray
3. In a large bowl combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
4. Pour into your prepared pan.
5. Sprinkle your entire box of cake mix on top, followed by your nuts or graham crackers and toffee chips.
6. Pour your melted butter evenly on top.
7. Bake for 45-50 minutes until center is set and edges are lightly browned.

For an extra richness eat it with vanilla ice cream!! :)))

Bacon, mushroom and wild rice soup: This recipe is from my friend Lori :)

1 lb. bacon fried and crumbled

1 lg. onion sautéed in bacon drippings (optional)

2 c. wild rice, cooked

2 cans cream of potato soup

2 cans (lg.) mushrooms & juice

8 oz. american deli slices

1 pt. ½ & ½

1 pt. water

Mix all ingredients except cheese; heat thoroughly & slowly. Add cheese last.

Big Jim's Shrimp

Not the shrimp I made, but VERY similar. I hope to update soon with a picture that I took.

OH MY GOODNESS!!! This stuff is AMAZING! A hit anywhere I take them. I call them "Big Jim's" because I got the recipe from Big Jim!! About 5 years ago my sister-in-law, Tisha, and I went on a golf trip with Tisha's cousin, Ken. Ken had a house in Destin and every year he would take a beach trip with about 8-9 guys for a long weekend. They would play golf all day. After playing gold all day they did not want to go out to a restaurant to eat, that is where Tisha and I came in. He asked us to come along for a free beach trip, the only catch was make them dinner every night, DONE! It was So much fun! Big Jim was a friend of Ken's that came along. This was his "thing", making amazing shrimp. So of course it was requested every time for Jim to bring these shrimp. When I asked him what they were called, he didn't have a name, so we named them for him. The are de-lish. I did see a recipe not long a go, kind of similar to this and they called them pickled shrimp. I like Big Jim better :) You will not be disappointed. 

Large pot ¾ full of water

2lbs shrimp (with shells or all ready peeled and de-veined)

½ cup of salt

5 tbsp of shrimp/crab boil (Zataran's liquid is best)

Bring water a hard boil

Add shrimp cook for 5-7 minutes or until done (they will start to float to the top)

Drain, let cool, peel, de-vein, set aside

1 large red onion thinly sliced

8 bay leaves

1 cup veg. oil

1 cup white vinegar

2 tbsp capers un-drained

1 2/3 tsp celery seeds

1 tsp salt

1 1/3 tsp hot sauce

Place the shrimp in a 9x13 flat dish. Top with onion slices and bay leaves. Stir together oil and the next 5 ingredients. Pour over the shrimp. Cover and chill 4-8 hours. Stir occasionally. Remove bay leaves before serving.

If you don’t cook the shrimp in shrimp/crab boil they won’t be as flavorful.

Caramel Dip

It has been a while since I have posted, but we are coming up on fall and I wanted to pass this so good, so simple caramel dip recipe along. I think it is great with granny smith apples and vanilla ice cream, or just licking off a spoon!! No, really it is so good. I am sure you could think of lots of things to put it on :)

CARAMEL DIP/SAUCE:

1/2 cup butter 
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup Karo® Light Corn Syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon Spice Islands® 100% Pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in sugar, corn syrup and water.
2. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat. Add condensed milk, 
stirring constantly. Bring to a full boil for 3 minutes.

 3. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 
slow cooker or fondue pot.

**Recipe tip: Prepare ahead and reheat in microwave. If sauce seems too 
thick, stir in 1 tablespoon water or milk.

No Bake Banana Pudding

So my husband prefers the one you cook on the stove. I seem to mess that one up! :) I got this recipe from Mr. Tom at church about 7 years ago. I do not even like bananas but I love wafers and pudding, so I can pick around the banana chunks. If I ever make this for an occasion, it is always gone. Quick and Easy! Just how I do things.
4-6 Bananas, sliced (drizzle with lemon juice so they will not brown)
3 cups milk
1 box Nilla Wafers or Chessman Cookies (someone recommend this-haven't tried yet, but I am sure it's de-lish)
2 small boxed of instant vanilla pudding
8 oz. cream cheese
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz) container of Cool Whip ( I use the extra creamy when I can find it! )

Take both packets of instant pudding and mix with the milk.
In a separate bowl mix together cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Do this separately so your cream cheese doesn't lump together. Then fold in the Cool Whip. Add cream cheese mixture to the pudding and mix until well blended.

Mmmm...the final product

Layer your pan with wafers,bananas, and cream cheese pudding mixture. Add remaining wafers on top! I also like to crush them for the top layer.
Mmmmm... you will want to lick the bowl clean.
Enjoy!!!

1st layer the wafers

Layer the bananas over the wafers

Fruit Dip!! Mmmmm...

I love summer fruit. I had never been a fan of fruit dip until I had some of Mrs. Cindy's fruit dip. Mmm... it is SO good and so simple of course too!! So I had to share :) There are a lot of different fruit dips out there, but this is my favorite. I LOVE it with grapes the best, but I am also a weirdo who doesn't like strawberries, but I have not had a disappointed friend who eats it.
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 container of Cool Whip

Mix all together and serve!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large mashed banana
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Mix together the quick cooking oats, light brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt and ground cinnamon.

Add in the vanilla extract, milk and egg. Mix the ingredients together.

Then add in the mashed banana and peanut butter. Combine all of the ingredients.

Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 8 by 8 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. You may want to use a 9x13 pan for thinner bars. I actually prefer them that way.

Cut into squares and enjoy! Great for breakfast!

THE BEST CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE. EVER.

Mmmm....yummy! Cole gave his approval!

This recipe is from The Pioneer Woman. I found it from creative Nancy though (her link is below) and had to try it. Ok, so I know my title is "Its really easy I promise" and if you are totally new to cooking this may sound a little hard, but I promise it is not. If you just follow the recipe, which does not ask anything hard or crazy you will not be disappointed. It is not box and can frosting, but it is not much harder and SOOO good. Seriously, did you see the picture? Ohh Ahhh

Hope you enjoy!!!

CAKE:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 heaping Tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup boiling water
• ½ cup buttermilk (Or use this tip to make a buttermilk substitute: Place 1/2 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough regular milk to bring the liquid up to the 1/2 cup line. Let stand for 5 minutes, then use in the recipe.)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

FROSTING:

• 1 3/4 sticks butter
• 4 heaping Tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
• 6 Tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pound (minus 1/2 cup) powdered sugar (about 3 to 3 1/4 cups)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts, optional (I did not use them).
  

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

Melt butter in a saucepan and add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into 13 x 18″ sheet cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (if using a 10 x 15″ jelly roll pan, you may need to bake 22 to 23 minutes). NOTE: I greased my pan, but the Pioneer Woman’s recipe doesn’t say to do that, so I guess that’s optional.

While cake is baking, make the icing. If using nuts, chop them finely. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Stir together. Add the nuts, stir together, and pour over warm cake. (NOTE: if you follow these directions, you’ll notice your frosting is still a little lumpy. To make her frosting really nice and smooth, Jane simply cooked the frosting several minutes longer over low heat, stirring until the mixture was smooth; she also omitted the nuts. You could also leave the nuts out of the frosting mixture and sprinkle them on top of the icing instead). If you made your cake in a 13 x 18″ pan, pour on all the frosting–you may need to spread it a little so it covers the entire cake; if your cake is in a 10 x 15″ pan, just pour enough frosting on to cover the surface of the cake without going over the edges of the pan. You’ll probably have about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of frosting left over.

which I just warmed and had on the side for whoever wanted extra icing. :)

You can let the frosting cool and set before cutting into squares if you want, or cut into squares while it’s still warm and dig in! The frosting will start setting in about a half hour, but it needs between 1 and 2 hours to set more firmly; at 2 hours, it should be nice and firm.

http://nancycreative.com/2011/03/02/the-best-texas-chocolate-sheet-cake/