Scalloped Pineapple and Easy Pie

A Southern Easter dinner table will be filled with ham, potato salad, deviled eggs, fresh green beans and/or asparagus and my personal favorite, Scalloped Pineapple. And don't forget the homemade crescent rolls and desserts..... yuuummmmmm! Of COURSE you KNOW there are absolutely NO calories on this table! It's the leftovers that are calorie laden! HA! HA!

Try these recipes ( both can be made ahead). Scalloped Pineapple is best served at room temperature.... and the Easy Pie IS easy as pie!

Scalloped Pineapple

4 cups French bread cubes

1 (20oz) can pineapple chunks

2 cups sugar

1 stick butter, melted

3 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss bread cubes with pineapple. Place in a greased 2-qt baking dish. Combine sugar, melted butter and eggs; pour over bread mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. 

This pie is so easy and versatile, I just call it Easy Pie! If you love cheesecake, you will love this, too!

Top with your favorite fresh fruit ( raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, a combination of all or even canned cherry pie filling ). 

Easy Pie

Graham Cracker Crust

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups fresh berries

Combine cream cheese, lemon juice and sugar in mixer bowl and cream until fluffy. Stir in sour cream. Spoon into graham cracker crust. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Before serving, top with fresh fruit. If desired, brush with a glaze of melted jelly - raspberry, apple or apricot. 

Reuben Casserole

If you are a fan of Reuben sandwiches, this casserole will be perfect for you! My friend, Marsha Elliot, shared it with me and declares it a winner. The original comes from 12 Tomatoes.com and is "borrowed" from there.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

REUBEN CASSEROLE

6 slices rye bread, divided
1 pound pastrami or corned beef, thinly sliced or shaved
1 (14.5 oz.) can sauerkraut
4 cups Swiss Cheese, shredded
1 cup dill pickles, chopped
1 cup milk
1/3 cup Thousand Island dressing
1/4 cup mustard
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons caraway seeds

Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease a 9×11-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
Take four pieces of rye bread and cut them into cubes. Place remaining bread in food processor, pulse until you’ve got fine breadcrumbs and set aside.
Spread cubed bread out along the bottom of your baking dish, then cover with 1/2 of pastrami. Top beef with sauerkraut, pickles, half of caraway seeds and 2 cups cheese.
Cover with remaining beef, caraway seeds and cheese.
In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, salad dressing and mustard, then beat in eggs until combined.
Pour wet ingredients evenly over the casserole, then top with breadcrumbs
Place baking dish in oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until mixture is bubbly, top is browned and center is set.


Remove from oven and serve hot.

Savory Sausage Muffins and Sticky Bun Biscuits

Do you sometimes get the "breakfast blahs"? I eat cereal most mornings but sometimes just get a taste for something warm and gooey or savory. Both of these recipes use convenience foods (OH! Did I REALLY say that?) and are Quick and Easy! You can make variations of both - just let your imagination and taste buds be your guide! 

Savory Sausage-Swiss Muffins

½ lb. spicy ground sausage, cooked and crumbled

1 ¾ cups Bisquick

¾ teaspoons ground sage

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

½ cup grated Swiss cheese

1 large egg, beaten

½ cup milk

Combine all ingredients. Stir just to moisten. Spoon batter into greased muffin pans, filling 2/3 full. Bake at 375 for 22 minutes. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 1 dozen

Sticky Bun Biscuits

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

¾ cup butter or margarine

½ cup light corn syrup

1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans

18 frozen biscuits

Combine first 3 ingredients in a saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13-inch pan; sprinkle with pecans. Top with biscuits. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 -22 minutes or until done.

Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Invert onto serving platter; remove pan. Spoon additional brown sugar glaze over biscuits. Serve immediately. Yield: 1 ½ doz.