Texas Hash

Megan's Granola

1 . Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil.

2 . Combine the oats, wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, and walnuts in a large bowl. Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets.

3 . Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes. Stir once halfway through. Cool, then stir in the raisins or cranberries before storing in an airtight container. Alberta Rose

Cajun Red Beans

1 . Place the pinto beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water. Soak beans 15 minutes; drain and rinse.

2 . Heat bacon grease in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir salt pork in hot grease for 1 minute. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, black pepper, and chipotle powder to salt pork; cook and stir until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes.

3 . Stir smoked sausage, bay leaves, parsley, and thyme into salt pork mixture; cook and stir until sausage is browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

4 . Stir beans into sausage mixture and add enough water to cover the beans. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and transfer beans mixture to a slow cooker.

5 . Cook on High for 1 hour. Reduce to Low and cook until beans are tender, adding water as necessary, about 6 hours more.

6 . Mash about 1/4 the beans against the side of the slow cooker crock with the back of a heavy spoon. Continue cooking on Low until beans are tender and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove bay leaves.

Sausage, Cranberry, and Biscuit Breakfast Bake

1 . Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2 . Add sausage to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir with a spatula, breaking apart the sausage until cooked, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

3 . Whisk milk, water, and gravy mix together in the same saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the gravy reaches a boil and thickens, about 8 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the crumbled sausage.

4 . Tear biscuits into pieces. Spread 1/2 of the biscuit pieces in an even layer in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour the sausage and gravy mixture over the biscuits. Place the remaining biscuit pieces evenly on top. Sprinkle the dried cranberries over the top.

5 . Bake in the preheated oven until the biscuits are golden, about 20 minutes.

Vanilla Cupcake

1 . Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line cups with paper liners.

2 . Beat sugar and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Stir in flour just until mixed; spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.

3 . Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool in the tin briefly before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sweet and Sassy Hash Browns

1 . Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place shredded sweet potatoes and onion in the pan; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are tender and onion is translucent, about 10 minutes.

2 . Stir in the chipotle chile powder, garlic powder, and brown sugar. Cook, uncovered, until potatoes are golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn and allow the potatoes to brown on the other side.

Milk Chocolate Cheesecake

1 . Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan.

2 . For filling, combine contents of cocoa packet from mix, 1/4 cup cake mix, cream cheese and melted chocolate in large bowl. Beat at high speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Add eggs and cream. Beat at high speed for 1 minute. Set aside.

3 . For crust, stir remaining cake mix and melted butter in medium bowl. Mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle mixture into pan. Pour filling over mixture.

4 . Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan. Refrigerate until chilled. Garnish individual servings with dollops of whipped cream and strawberries.

Great Mustard Relish

1 . Place pickle slices in a food processor; pulse until pickles resemble relish. Transfer relish into a bowl and set aside.

2 . Rinse and dry the food processor bowl. Add onion and pulse until it is the same size as relish. Stir onion and mustard into relish until well-blended.

Caribbean Carrot-Ginger Soup

1 . Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add carrots and ginger; cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in broth and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until carrots are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

2 . Puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy, or let cool slightly and blend in a blender, working in batches as needed. Return to heat and add more broth as needed for desired consistency; soup should be thick. Season with pepper and additional salt if needed.

3 . Ladle soup into 4 bowls. Swirl 2 tablespoons coconut milk into each bowl.

Garlic Butter Rice Casserole

1 . Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt butter in an oven-proof dish in the oven while it preheats, about 10 minutes.

2 . Remove dish from the oven and add rice, garlic, and salt. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.

3 . Dissolve bouillon cubes in the boiling water, then add to the rice mixture. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

White Bean, Spinach, and Barley Stew

1 . Bring the barley and water to a boil in a pot. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 30 minutes, or until tender.

2 . Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic until tender. Season with rosemary. Mix the mushrooms, yellow bell pepper, and wine into the pot, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked barley, beans, tomatoes, and spinach. Season with red pepper flakes. Continue cooking 10 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

Lemon Poppy Seed Quick Cake

1 . Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.

2 . In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and poppy seeds. Make a well in the center and pour in yogurt, water, oil, sugar, eggs and lemon juice. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3 . Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Warm Salad Intrigue

1 . Chop the mushrooms finely and fry them together with the onion, also finely chopped, with a little salt

2 . Put the mushrooms in a salad bowl, add finely chopped boiled breast, nuts. If necessary, add salt, pepper, oil and lemon juice, mix gently.

3 . Put the mushrooms in a salad bowl, add finely chopped boiled breast, nuts. If necessary, add salt, pepper, oil and lemon juice, mix gently.