The Cookie Jar Recipe

This recipe originally came from my sister Abby.

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup Parkay spread sticks (I usually use butter)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat Parkay and sugars in large bowl until fluffy. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture, beat until blended. Stir in chocolate chips (or other variations).
Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets.
Variations:
1/2 cup peanut butter (decrease butter amount by 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa with flour (decrease flour amount by 1/2 cup)

Bubble Pizza

This recipe originally came from my college roommate Becky.

1 lb. hamburger
14 oz. spaghetti or pizza sauce
2 tubes buttermilk biscuits, cut into 4 pieces each
2 cups mozzerella cheese

Brown hamburger; drain grease. Add spaghetti/pizza sauce. Add quartered biscuits. Mix together. Bake in 9 x 13 greased pan for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Add cheese over top, baking for 10 more minutes.

Mexican Hotdish

I'm not sure where I originally got this recipe, but it's been in my file for awhile now.

1 pound hamburger
1 medium onion
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 lb. cheddar cheese (1 lb. seems like a lot; I used an 8 oz. package)
Flour tortillas

Brown hamburger and onion. Add stewed tomatoes and taco seasoning and simmer for 10 minutes. Layer meat, tortillas and cheese 2-3 times in 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour, uncovered.

S'more Cookie Bars

The Wit's End Bakery and Corner Store next to our office makes the best s'more cookies, so I was looking to duplicate their recipe. I didn't find a cookie recipe, but I did find this bar recipe at bakingbites.com.

S’More Cookie Bars
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs*
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s) (I used chocolate chips)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows) (I used regular marshmallows)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.
Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick.
Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff.
Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cool completely before cutting into bars.

I put all the dough in the pan and baked about 25 minutes. Then I added a layer of marshmallows and baked an additional 5-10 minutes until they were puffy and lightly brown. I took them out of the oven, sprinkled with chocolate chips and let them melt, and then spread the chocolate chips over top.

Makes 16 cookie bars.

*Note: 3/4 cup crumbs is approx 7 full-sized graham cracker sheets, whizzed in the food processor until fine. (I put the crackers in a plastic bag and crush with my rolling pin.)

Sloppy Joes

I found this recipe at allrecipes.com. I don't like Manwich, I think it's the green peppers in it, and this recipe did not call for them. I've been using this recipe for over two years now.

2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery (I don't use a full cup, usually 1 stalk)
1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup ketchup
1 T. white vinegar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
8 hamburger buns

Place ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until evenly browned, stirring to crumble. Add onion and celery, cover the pan, and cook until tender and transparent, about 5 minutes. Drain off any grease.

Stir the tomato soup (undiluted), ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce into the beef mixture. Season with salt and garlic powder. Heat to a simmer over low heat, and cook until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning on the bottom.

Spoon the hot beef mixture onto buns, which may be toasted first, and serve.