Green Bean Casserole

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 qt. green beans, drained
1 small can fried onion

In 1 1/2 qt. casserole, mix soup, milk, and pepper. Stir in beans and 1/2 can onions. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through; stir. Top with remaining 1/2 can onions. Bake 5 minutes or until onions are golden.

Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

4 potatoes, sliced into 1/4" slices
1 onion, sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400°. Butter a 1 quart casserole dish. Layer 1/2 of potatoes into bottom of prepared casserole dish. Top with onion slices, and add remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in flour and salt, and stir constantly for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30-60 seconds. Pour cheese over potatoes, adn cover with foil. Bake 1 1/2 hours.

Scalloped Potatoes

2 lbs. potatoes
3 T. butter or margarine
3 T. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 T. butter or margarine

Heat oven to 350°. Wash potatoes; pare thinly. Cut into slices to measure about 4 cups. Melt 3 T. butter in saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour and seasonings. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. In greased 2 1/2 quart casserole, arrange potatoes in 2 layers, topping each with half and onion and 1/3 of the white sauce. Top with remaining potatoes and sauce. Dot with 1 T. butter. Cover; bake 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 70-80 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

**Recipe from Mom

**Be sure to check your potatoes frequently! Different shaped baking dishes will require different baking times!

Bean Symphony

2 medium tomatoes
1/2 lb. yellow beans, trimmed and snapped in half
1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
2-3 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of red pepper flakes
1-2 T. white wine
salt and pepper
juice of one lemon

Bring a medium-large pot of salted water to boil. Carefully lower the two tomatoes in with a slotted spoon and cook for one minute. Leave the water boiling while you drop them into a bath of ice water, peel them and then set them aside.

Meanwhile, lower the yellow beans in the water for 2 to 3 minutes, until lightly cooked but still firm. Remove them from the boiling water with a large slotted spoon or tongs and plunge them in the ice bath to stop cooking them. Drain them in a colander and then spread them out on a kitchen towel to dry.

Repeat this process with the green beans, but only cook them for one minute.

Dump the water out of the pot, dry it, and heat the olive oil to medium-high. Once the oil is heated, add the minced garlic and stir it around with a wooden spoon until lightly cooked but not brown, one minute or so. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, and then the two peeled tomatoes that you have set aside. Break them up into chunks with your spoon, and simmer this into sauciness for about 5 minutes. Add the white wine, and simmer for one more minute.

Dump the drained and dried beans into the tomato sauce, and mix it around until combined and heated through. Salt and pepper to taste. Put the salad in a serving bowl and squeeze the lemon juice all over it, tossing it lightly. Serve immediately.

**Recipe from smittenkitchen.com

Garlic Bread Sticks

3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 T. parsley
1 T. baking powder
1 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine
1 more tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)

Stir together flour, salt, garlic powder, parsley, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add milk; stir until you have a ball of dough that leaves the sides of the bowl. Gently knead the dough in the bowl 5-6 times. Place dough on lightly floured surface. Roll dough out into rectangular shape, approximately 9"x13".

Meanwhile, place the margarine in a 9x13 baking dish. Place in 425° oven. Allow pan to preheat and margarine to melt. When margarine is melted, sprinkle the 2nd tsp. garlic powder and 1/2 tsp. of salt into pan. Very carefully lay the dough into the pan. Cut the rectangle into narrow strips with a pizza cutter. Return to 425° oven and bake 20 minutes. Serve with warm sauce.

**recipe adapted from hillbillyhousewife.com

Herbed Green Bean Casserole

2 14 oz. cans green beans, drained
3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs, divided
2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350°. Drain beans and place in bowl. Mix all dry ingredients and toss together. Mix dry ingredients and oil into green beans, reserving 2 T. of crumb mixture for the top. Place in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake for about 30 minutes or until top is golden and crispy.

**This is a fabulously unhealthy way to eat your vegetables!!

**Recipe from allrecipes.com

Roasted Carrots

1 lb. baby carrots or sliced carrots
1 T. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Toss carrots with olive oil and salt and pepper and place on rimmed baking sheet. Roast at 450°, stirring twice while roasting. Roasting time: 20 minutes or until tender.

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I found this recipe on a blog this morning and failed to write down where I saw it. I apologize profusely to the original poster for not crediting you!

We tried this recipe for dinner tonight (Oct. 1, 2007). They were good, but I found that 35 minutes was definitely too long. We'll try them again, but maybe only 20 minutes next time. Nice simple fall flavor, doesn't overwhelm the taste buds.