Smashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 lbs. Country Crock Homestyle Mashed Potatoes
1 cup sour cream divided into 1/2 cups
2 tsp. Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning and Salad Dressing mix
About 1/2 cup Mexican cheese blend (mild cheddar & Monterey Jack)
About 1/3 cup Hormel Real Bacon Pieces
About 1/3 cup finely sliced green onion including some green.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325° if serving immediately.

Prepare mashed potatoes according to package directions.

Mix 1/2 cup sour cream with ranch dressing mix.

Distribute cooked potatoes evenly in 9 1/4 x 7 inch pan or the equivalent. If too full remove 1/4 to 1/2 cup of potatoes.

Poke holes in potatoes every one to two inches and spread sour cream mix over top and into holes.

Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top.

If making ahead, refrigerate now.  To serve later bake cold potatoes at 325° for 20 to 30 minutes and add remaining ingredients as directed.

If serving immediately, bake until cheese melts slightly.  (Or try the microwave to melt the cheese.  Please let me know how well it works.)

Sprinkle evenly with bacon pieces and green onions.

Put remaining sour cream in a Zip lock bag. Cut a tiny hole in one corner.  Squeeze/pipe sour cream dollops all over the top.

Serves 10 for a meal or 20 for a potluck.

ENJOY!

Squashed Sausage Soup

This recipe is the result of a happy accident.  My dear husband made the pasta mix, but added salt.  It was MUCH too salty, but we ate half the package anyway.  Rather that eat more of the same, the next night I started rummaging through the frig for something to use to make the remainder into soup so the excess salt would be diluted.

The result was so tasty I just had to share it.


Ingredients

1 pkg Pasta Roni Angel Hair Pasta and Herb mix (it might be a good idea to break the noodles in half)
2  boxes Swanson Chicken Broth
2 onions (Vidalia preferred)
2 yellow squash, sliced thick and quartered
2 small zuchinni, sliced thick and halved
2 Keilbasa sliced evenly
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Make Pasta per package directions (microwave is fine)
Add broth and onions to large pot and cook over medium high heat
When onions are translucent add squash, zuchinni and keilbasa.
Continue boiling until vegetables barely begin to soften.
Remove from heat
Add salt and pepper to taste (go easy on the salt ;-)

(Serves 8)