Taco Bake

1 8 ounce package shell macaroni
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup water
1 1.25 ounce package taco seasoning
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 4 ounce can chopped green chilies
2 cups or 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Cook the macaroni until al dente (still slightly firm). Brown the beef with the onion. When cooked, add the water and taco seasoning. Cook until thickened.

Layer half of the beef in a greased casserole dish, then a layer of half the macaroni, cover with half the tomato sauce, then a layer of half the cheese. Cover with the chilies, then repeat the layers.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Melissa’s Note: The layering instructions are a complete guess based solely on the cheese being divided. Follow your instincts! 🙂

Chocolate Coconut Candies

Center
3/4 cup mashed potatoes
1 16 ounce package powdered sugar
4 cups flaked coconut
1 teaspoon almond extract

Coating
2 tablespoons soft butter or margarine
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons corn syrup
7 oz* dry Chocolate Fudge Frosting Mix

Mix the ingredients for the centers. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Roll into balls. Chill for 30 minutes to an hour.

After they are chilled, prepare the coating. In a double boiler, melt the butter with the corn syrup and water. Stir in the dry frosting mix until smooth. Heat over rapidly boiling water for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat, but keep the temperature high enough to keep the water hot. Dip the balls to coat and allow them to set.

*Betty Crocker apparently only makes the Fluffy White frosting mix at this point, and I can’t find how many ounces the Chocolate Fudge one was. The Fluffy White is 7 oz, so your results may vary.
I did find that there are several companies making dry frosting mix including King Arthur, Jiffy and Trader Joe’s.

Hush Puppies

1 1/2 cup white corn meal
1/2 cup sifted flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup milk
1 beaten egg
3 tablespoons oil

Heat oil in a shallow pan. Mix dry ingredients. Add the onion, milk, and egg and mix until combined. Drop by tablespoons into the hot oil. Cook for 2-3 minutes, turning when each side becomes golden brown.

Melissa’s note: This is an incredibly small amount of oil for deep frying, so I would bet these are actually going to take about 2-3 minutes per side.

Shoo Fly Pie

Lou

1 unbaked pie shell

Filling:
1 cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cinnamon
1 cup boiling water

Topping:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°.

Combine molasses, baking soda, and cinnamon. Pour boiling water over molasses mixture until melted. Pour into bottom of the pie crust.

Mix together the flour, shortening, sugar, and cinnamon until they resemble coarse crumbs and sprinkle over the top of the pie.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Melissa’s Note: I actually have made this one. It was surprisingly tasty, but apparently I couldn’t take a clear picture of it to save my life. Maybe next time.