Crunchy Nacho Dogs

Source: Betty Crocker

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent rolls
• 4 slices American cheese
• 4 hot dogs
• 1 tablespoon milk (I omitted)
• 1/2 cup crushed nacho cheese-flavored tortilla chips (I used regular tortilla chips)

Directions: 

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°. Lightly grease cookie sheet, or cover sheet with tin foil.
2. Unroll crescent rolls. Separate dough into 4 rectangles (each rectangle will be 2 crescent rolls). Firmly press perforations to seal.
3. Place cheese slices on rectangles if you want.
4. Place hot dog close to the end of a rectangle and roll up the dough. Press edges to seal. 
5. Brush rolls with milk (I didn't do this.. they stuck fine without the milk). Roll in crushed tortilla chips.
6. Place the rolls, seam side down, on the cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 15-22 minutes or until a deep golden brown.

We only ate one hot dog each, and put the other two (already cooked) in the refrigerator. They were a great, easy lunch the next day and tasted just as good as the previous night.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Without Cheese

With Cheese and Sour Cream

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 8 Baking Potatoes
• 2 sticks of Unsalted Margarine
• 1 cup bacon bits (I used Hormel's Real Crumbled Bacon)
• 1 cup Sour Cream (I used 1/2 cup because only half of the potatoes had it)
• 1/4 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt (I used a Sicilian salt blend that I love) 
• 1 cup grated cheddar or jack cheese (I only used 1/2 cup, and used a Mexican blend  that had both cheddar and jack) 
• Green Onion (optional)
• Ground Black Pepper

Directions: 

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°. Wash potatoes and cut a small "x" in the top. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes, or until they are completely cooked. Pioneer Woman suggests baking them on a cookie sheet, which I had never done before, but worked pretty well.
2. Slice the sticks of butter into 1/4" thick pieces (you don't need to be exact), and throw them in a bowl.
3. Add the bacon bits and sour cream to the bowl. I used two separate bowls, one with sour cream and one without. Just split up the other ingredients between the two bowls.
4.  As soon as the potatoes come out of the oven, slice them in half lengthwise. Pioneer Woman suggested holding them with a towel because they're so hot and it worked perfectly.
5. Scoop out the insides of the potatoes into the bowl with the butter, bacon and sour cream. Be careful not to tear the potato skin, but if you do it will be okay. I left a little bit of potato behind, to give the shells a little bit of rigidity.  
6. Place the empty potato skins back on the cookie sheet.
7. Using a potato masher, mix all of the ingredients in the bowl. I usually use a mixer to make mashed potatoes, but for some reason these taste better when they're a little lumpy.
8. Add the seasoned salt and black pepper to the bowl, and continue mashing. You can also add a cup of the grated cheese or chopped green onion if you want.
9.  Fill the shells with the potato mixture. You don't need to be neat about it. I then sprinkled cheese on the tops of half of them.
10. Bake in a 350° oven for 15 to 20 minutes (I kept them in for 20 minutes because I like the tops a little crispy).
11. Apparently you can also freeze them in Ziploc bags. I haven't tried this, but I will next time because they're so delicious and would be perfect for nights I don't feel like cooking. Just take them out of the freezer and pop them in the oven. 

Lemonade

Source: Paula Deen

Makes: 1 gallon

Ingredients:

•  2 cups sugar
• 1 cup hot water
• 2 cups lemon juice
• 1 gallon cold water
• 1 lemon, sliced
• mint sprigs, for garnish

Directions: 

1. In a 1-gallon container, combine sugar and hot water. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Add the lemon juice and cold water until the liquid is up to the 1-gallon mark (you'll add a little less than 1 gallon of cold water).
3. Squeeze a lemon slice into each glass of lemonade, and garnish with a mint sprig.

Fruit Crisp

Source: Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook: Bridal Edition

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 5 cups sliced apples or peaches
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or cinnamon (nutmeg for peaches, cinnamon for apples)
• 1/4 cup unsalted margarine
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts or coconut (optional)

Directions: 

1. Apple Crisp: combine white sugar and cinnamon (in addition to the sugar and cinnamon listed above) with the sliced apples. Stir frequently, and let them sit until a syrup has formed. Don't do this if you're using peaches.
2. Place fruit in a large casserole pan (I usually use a 9x13 pan). Spread evenly.
3. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, except for the margarine. Cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly (I've found that using your hands is the easiest way to do this... just be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before).
4. Sprinkle the dry topping over the fruit.
5. Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes. We serve warm with vanilla frozen yogurt.

Green Beans Almandine

Source: Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook: Bridal Edition

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces green beans (or one 9 ounce package of frozen green beans
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 1 tablespoon unsalted margarine
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions: 

1. Cut fresh green beans into 1" pieces. Cook, covered, in a small amount of salted boiling water.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, cook and stir almonds into melted butter over medium heat.
3. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
4. Stir almond mixture into green beans.

Brown Sugar-Glazed Carrots

Source: Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook: Bridal Edition

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound medium carrots, peeled
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions: 

1. Cut the carrots into 1 1/2-2" pieces, then cut in half lengthwise.
2. In a medium saucepan, cook carrots covered in lightly salted boiling water.
3. Drain and remove from pan.
4. In the same saucepan combine butter, brown sugar and a dash of salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until well combined. Add the carrots and cook, uncovered, for about 2 minutes or until glazed, stirring frequently.