Homesteaders Casserole

I got this recipe out of a magazine about 30 years ago, it's from Kraft.  It's an all-in-one casserole dish made with mashed potatoes, breakfast sausage links, green beans, onions, pimientos, and Velveeta cheese.  This is really good comfort food!



Homesteaders Casserole 

1 (9-oz.) pkg. frozen cut green beans, cooked & drained

2 Tablespoons finely chopped onions

1 (2-oz.) jar diced pimiento, drained

4 cups hot cooked mashed potatoes

1 lb. pork sausage links, cooked & drained (See *Note)

8-oz. Velveeta Cheese Spread, sliced & divided

1.)  Combine the green beans, onions and pimiento.

2.)  In a 2-1/2 quart casserole baking dish, add the mashed potatoes.

3,)  Put half of the cheese slices on top the potatoes.


4.)  Place the green bean mixture over the cheese slices.

5.)  Top with the cooked pork sausage links.

6.)  Cover the casserole, and bake for 30 minutes in a 350º oven.

7.)  Top with the remaining cheese slices, and continue baking until the cheese melts, then serve. Be careful when eating, as this dish is quite hot (temp-wise).

8.)  Yields: 4-5 servings

9.) *Note: You could substitute fresh cooked green beans for the frozen-cooked green beans.  I cooked my fresh green beans with a 1/2 cup of water, and sprinkled them with a bit of salt & pepper, and cooked them in a 900 watt microwave oven for 13 minutes (stirring the beans half way through the cooking time).  Also, when cooking the potatoes, I added a few cloves of fresh garlic to the pot of water, and when the potatoes were done cooking and drained, I added several pats of butter, a bit of half-and-half cream, plus I sprinkled the mashed taters with freshly cracked black pepper, and added some Mrs Dash Table Blend Seasoning.  Also...  for the sausages, you can use Swift Premium Brown 'N Serve Sausages, as shown in photo above.

Homesteaders Casserole | Just A Pinch Recipes

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Sweet Lime Iced Tea

During the Summer I make several gallons of this iced tea.  I never thought adding lime juice to iced tea, could taste sooo good!  It's a nice change from the sweetened lemon iced tea I usually make.

Sweet Lime Iced Tea 

6 cups boiling water

7 tea bags (I used orange pekoe & black)

3/4 cup sugar, plus 2-1/2 tablespoons of sugar

2 limes (Plus half of one lime, see *Note)

1.)  In a (2-quart) heat-proof glass pitcher, add the tea bags to it.  (If the tea bags have strings attached, be sure to remove them first.)

2.)  Pour boiling water over tea bags in the pitcher.  Cover the pitcher, and allow the tea to steep for 45 minutes.  (I covered the pitcher with Saran Wrap.) 

3.)  After the has steeped for 45 minutes, remove tea bags from the pitcher, and discard them.

4.)  To the pitcher, add the 3/4 cup of sugar, plus the 2-1/2 tablespoons of sugar; stir thoroughly to dissolve the sugar.

5.)  Add the juice of 2 limes to the pitcher, and stir.  (For more lime flavor, add the juice from half of a lime as well.)

6.)  Let the tea cool to room temperature, then place tea in the refrigerator to chill.

7.)  Pour chilled tea into glasses filled with ice.  Serve tea immediately.

8.)  Yields: About 55 ounces

9.) *Note: For more lime flavor, add the juice of 2 and a 1/2 limes.  Also, I usually double this recipe, and make the tea in a gallon size glass jar.  Then I'll use 12 cups of boiling water, 14 tea bags, 1-1/2 cups of sugar, plus a 1/3 cup of sugar, and the juice of 4 limes (possibly 4-1/2 limes).  This makes: 13-1/2 cups of tea (or) 105-ounces.  One more thing I wanted to mention, if using a gallon size glass jar to make the tea, I'll cover the jar with an 8-1/2 inch glass dinner plate, while the tea is steeping.  Below is a photo of the gallon size jar I used to make the iced tea.

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Here's an additional photo of the Sweet Lime Iced Tea served in a glass.

Sweet Lime Iced Tea | Just A Pinch Recipes

Sugar Free Strawberry Iced Tea 🍓

This is a delicious sugar free strawberry flavored iced tea. 🍓             The ingredients I used to make this tea were... orange pekoe and black tea, and 1 packet of Walmart's Great Value Sugar Free Strawberry Flavored Drink Mix.

Sugar Free Strawberry Iced Tea 

9 regular size tea bags (orange pekoe & black tea)
8 cups water, divided
1 packet sugar free strawberry flavored powdered drink mix
.......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........

1.)  Place tea bags in a 2-quart size glass pitcher.

2.)  In a medium size saucepan, bring 4 cups of water all most to a boil.  Remove pan from heat as soon as you see bubbles start to come to the surface.

2.)  Pour the hot water over the tea bags in the glass pitcher.  Cover pitcher with a plastic wrap, and let tea steep for 1 hour.

3.)  After one hour; carefully squeeze the tea/water from the tea bags into the pitcher; stir, then discard the tea bags.  Cover the pitcher, then let sit until the tea has cooled down a bit more.

4.)  Once the tea has cooled; add the packet of sugar free strawberry flavored drink mix, and the 4 cups of cold water into the pitcher, and stir.

5.)  Refrigerate the tea until it's chilled.

6.)  Serve tea in a glass filled with ice.

7.)  Yields: 2-quarts

Additional photos of Sugar Free Strawberry Iced Tea, and ingredients I used when preparing this beverage.  When it came to the tea bags, I used 9 orange pekoe & black tea bags.

 

Sugar Free Strawberry Iced Tea | Just A Pinch Recipes

Vanilla Mocha Iced Coffee

This Vanilla Mocha Iced Coffee is delicious topped with whipped cream. But, I also make two versions of this coffee.  While the 1st coffee is made with the ingredients I've mentioned, the 2nd coffee I make, I use less coffee, less chocolate syrup, plus I omit the sugar and whipped topping all together.  Before making this coffee, just be sure to read the note following the recipe.


(The photo shown on the left, was topped with Reddi Wip,
and the photo on the right, is without the whipped topping.)


Vanilla-Mocha Iced Coffee

1 cup cold water
1 Tablespoon instant coffee granules
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons French Vanilla Liquid Coffee Creamer
2 teaspoons Hershey's Chocolate Syrup
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
ice cubes
Reddi Wip Dairy Whipped Topping, optional

1.)  In a coffee cup, add the cold water and instant coffee.

2.)  Place coffee cup in microwave and heat the coffee through.

3.)  When done heating, stir coffee, and place cup in the refrigerator to chill the coffee.

4.)  Once the coffee has chilled, add it to a blender, along with the liquid coffee creamer, chocolate syrup, sugar, and ice cream.  Blend everything together in your blender.

5.)  Add ice cubes to a tall beverage glass.

6.)  Pour blended coffee mixture over the ice cubes, and serve.

7.)  If desired, garnish iced coffee with a dollop of Reddi Wip.

8.)  Yields: 1 serving

9.) Note: To make the iced coffee using less coffee and less chocolate... only add 1-1/2 tablespoons of the instant coffee, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of the chocolate syrup, but omit the sugar.  Add the other ingredients listed above, and mix according to thee above directions.

Vanilla Mocha Iced Coffee | Just A Pinch Recipes

Iced Mocha Coffee

(The photo shown on the left, was topped with Cool Whip,
and the photo on the right, is without the whipped topping.)


Iced Mocha Coffee

8 ounces cold water

1 Tablespoon instant coffee

3 Tablespoons chocolate syrup

4 Tablespoons half-and-half cream

1 to 2 individual packets of Splenda No Calorie Sweetener

ice cubes

Cool Whip (optional ingredient)

1.)  In a large coffee cup or coffee mug, add the water and instant coffee.  (I added the ingredients to one 16-ounce coffee mug.)  Place coffee cup or mug in a microwave, and microwave until coffee is heated through.

2.)  Stir the coffee, and place cup or mug in the refrigerator for 30 minutes; to chill.

3.)  To the cup or mug, add the chocolate syrup, half-and-half cream, plus 1-2 packets of Splenda; (I used 1-1/2 packets) stir to mix.

4.)  Add ice cubes to a tall beverage glass.  Pour coffee over the ice cubes, and top it with a dollop or two of Cool Whip or Reddi Wip.

5.)  This makes: One serving (1-1/3 cups, or 11-ounces)

6.)  *Note: When making this coffee beverage, I've also used a Decaf Instant Coffee, such as Maxwell House or Folgers. The chocolate syrup I use is Hershey's Lite Chocolate Syrup, which has 50% Less Sugar, Carbs, and Calories, than regular Hershey's Chocolate Syrup.  Also, on occasions I have used 2 Tablespoons of Heavy Whipping Cream, plus 2 Tablespoons of 2% milk, instead of half-and-half cream. 

Iced Mocha Coffee | Just A Pinch Recipes