Hot Pineapple Casserole

Hollie and Matt Helper

• 20 oz can pineapple chunks, reserve 3 tbsp juice and drain
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/2 cup butter
• crushed Ritz crackers

Combine sugar, flour, and pineapple juice. Add cheese and pineapple chunks, and mix well. Spoon into a one-quart casserole dish. Melt butter, and toss with cracker crumbs; sprinkle this over the fruit mixture. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Fresh Cranberry Casserole

Audra Browning, Jacque, Alex

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup quick oatmeal (uncooked)
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
• 2 medium apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 stick butter

Combine sugar, oatmeal, flour, and cinnamon; toss well with fruits. Spread in casserole dish. Dice or grate butter; top fruit mixture. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Paella Salad

Jan McElroy

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 lb unpeeled, fresh medium shrimp
• 5 oz package yellow rice mix
• 1/4 cup tarragon vinegar
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp curry powder
• 1/8 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 2 oz jar diced pimento, drained
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• 2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
• 1 medium tomato, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup frozen English peas, thawed and drained
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced celery
• Lettuce leaves for serving
• Sliced lemons for garnish

Bring water to a boil; add shrimp and cook 3 - 5 minutes. Drain well, rinse in cold water, and chill. Peel and de-vein shrimp. Prepare rice according to package directions, omitting butter. Blend together vinegar, oil, curry powder, dry mustard, and pepper; add to rice, stirring well. Toss in shrimp, chicken, peas, celery, onion, and pimento. Cover and chill, serve on lettuce leaves with lemon slice garnish.

Armenian Pilaf

Laurie Zakarian

• 1 stick butter
• 3 handfuls coil vermicelli
• 1 cup rice
• 1 can clear chicken broth
• 7 - 8 oz water (about half the broth can)
• salt to taste
• Optional: chopped dates, raisins, or almonds

Melt half the butter in a small frying pan. Crush the vermicelli and toast in the butter until a light golden brown; set aside. In a separate saucepan, place the chicken broth and water; bring to a boil. Add to the saucepan the rest of the butter, the vermicelli, optional ingredients, and the rice. Cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Broccoli Casserole

Phyllis Kubler, Robin Bagnasco, Haley Stephens, Tanya Lambert

• 3 packages frozen broccoli
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• Crushed crackers for topping

Cook broccoli and drain. Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish and bake at 350 F for 30 - 40 minutes; crumble crackers on top and serve.

Braised Sweet-and-Sour Cabbage

Debby Guertin

Editor's Note: This seems like it would be a one-way ticket to blowing up a microwave. Use with caution.

• 2 tablespoons butter or bacon grease
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• head of red cabbage, shredded
• 2 tart apples, cored and sliced, but not peeled
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Cook onion in the butter until tender; stir all other ingredients in, and place in a microwave safe dish. Cover tightly and cook on HIGH for 10 minutes and stir. Cover again, and cook on MEDIUM for 30 - 40 minutes, until cabbage is tender. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Squash Casserole

Julie Lynott

• 1 lb squash, cooked and drained
• 1/2 stick butter, melted
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• Bread crumbs for topping

Combine all ingredients and place in a greased casserole dish. Bake covered at 350 F for 30 minutes. Uncover, and top with bread crumbs; bake at 350 F for an additional 15 minutes uncovered.

Sweet Potato Treat

Gayle West

• 3 cups cooked sweet potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 stick butter, melted
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Mix together in an electric mixer the sweet potatoes, white sugar, eggs, milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, and half the butter. Put in the oven for 35 minutes at 300 F. Stir together in a separate container the other half the butter, brown sugar, pecans, and coconut. Spread the nut mixture on top of the potato mixture and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Baked Beans

Nanci Foster

• 4 slices bacon
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 32 oz canned pork and beans in tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp prepared mustard

Cook bacon; crumble, and set aside. Cook onion in bacon grease until tender. Combine all ingredients except set-aside bacon in a casserole dish, and bake, uncovered at 350 F for 1 1/2 hours. Stir, and top with bacon. Let stand a few minutes before serving hot.

Spicy Baked Beans

Julia Steele

• 42 oz canned pork and beans
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 dashes hot sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Drain pork and beans completely. Combine with all other ingredients and stir well. Cook at 375 F for 45 minutes. Goes will with "chow-chow" relish.

Escalloped Corn

Lynn and Lauren Taylor

• 10 oz package frozen corn, thawed and drained
• 8 oz shredded sharp cheddar
• 3 slices Monterrey jack cheese, cut into quarters
• 6 slices white bread, stale, cut into cubes
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper

Separate into two parts the corn, cheese, and bread; layer parts into a casserole dish in the order of corn, shredded cheese, bread, and sliced cheese. In a separate container, combine eggs, milk, salt, and pepper; pour this mixture over ingredients. Press lightly to ensure all bread is softened. Dice or grate butter, and dot bits over the top. Bake at 350 F for 1 1/2 hours or until puffed and golden.

Creole Green Beans

Candace Starling and Zachary

• 4 slices bacon
• 2 lb canned cut green beans, drained
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 medium onion, chopped

Fry bacon. Cook onion until tender in grease. Add all ingredients into a greased casserole dish and bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 30 minutes.

Spinach Stuffed Acorn Squash

Sara Paulk and Charles

• 2 medium acorn squash
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 12 oz frozen spinach souffle
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Cut squash in halves. Remove strings and seeds, brush with butter, and arrange cut side down in a large baking dish. Add water to cover the bottom of the dish, and bake at 375 F for 20 minutes. Turn squash cut side up, spoon spinach souffle into cavities, and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake an additional 40 minutes until squash is tender; add more water if necessary.

Spinach Pie

Eve Tubman

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 lb shredded cheddar
• 2 packs frozen spinach, thawed
• butter to grease pan

Preheat oven to 350 F. Thaw spinach, and squeeze dry. Beat eggs, add milk, and beat additionally. Add flour, baking powder, cheese, and spinach, mixing well after each. Butter two 9 x 13 pans, pour mixture in, and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.