Potatoes Extraordinaire

Ingredients:
5 pounds potatoes, peeled
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup butter
1 Tbsp onion salt (or powder)
salt and pepper to taste
paprika

Directions:
Peel and cook potatoes, drain and mash well. Add in cream cheese and butter in pieces. Let sit for a few minutes to melt/soften. Add remaining ingredients. Beat with mixer until smooth and fluffy. Scrape into 2 quart casserole dish. Top with pieces of butter here and there and sprinkle with paprika. Cover and cook at 350 until heated through.

Can be prepared in advance and refrigerated. It is rumoured to freeze okay, but I haven't tried it yet!

This is another recipe from my mother-in-law. Yummy!

"Grandma's" Casserole

Ingredients:
1 package egg noodles
1 lb ground beef (I rarely use this much)
1 chopped onion (I never add this)
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
garlic powder, onion powder (if not using real onion), seasoned salt, italian seasonings to taste

1 cup sour cream
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Cook egg noodles and place in bottom of 9x13 pan. I usually mix with a bit of the tomato mixture for better flavour.
Cook together ground beef and onion until brown and drain fat. Add in tomato sauce and spices. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Pour over noodles. Spread the sour cream, then cottage cheese, then sprinkle with cheddar.
Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is slightly browned.

Enjoy! This is a recipe I got from my husband's mother. It is so tasty! Apparently his grandma made it once and it has forever been labeled "Grandma's Casserole."

It freezes well but can become a bit watery.

Cucumber Spread

2 medium cucumbers
11 ounces cream cheese, softened (1 8oz pkg. + 1 3oz pkg.)
3 green onions, chopped (green and white parts both)
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 t. garlic salt 1 t. dried chives (optional)
1/2 t. seasoned black pepper
1/4 t. hot pepper sauce
Thinly sliced bread and/or party crackers

Peel cucumbers, slice in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon. Grate by hand or with food processor. Squeeze by hand, then place between layers of paper towels and press hard to get out all moisture. Combine cream cheese with rest of ingredients in a food processor or mixer and mix well. Carefully stir in the cucumbers. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days.

The secret to this recipe is to squeeze out all the moisture out of the cucumbers before adding them to the other ingredients. I first fell in love with cucumber sandwiches in South Africa where they were served with tea. There they usually slice the cucumbers very thinly, lay on paper towels to press out the water. Then they spread cream cheese on one side of the thinly sliced bread and then on the other slice of bread they spread butter. They were delicious.
This particular recipe comes from Darlene Warden of "As You Like It Catering" .