Cattleman's Salad Dressing

My sweet nephew is a huge fan of Cattleman's Steakhouse in Oklahoma City.  If you give him the choice of where he wants for eat for dinner, that's his number one pick.  Why?  Well aside from fabulous steaks, they are quite famous for their salad dressing.  The restaurant has been located in the Oklahoma City Stockyards as long as I can remember.  It's an icon to our area.  And yes, my nephew is right, the salad dressing is awesome.  Of course, because I'm his favorite aunt, I had to figure out a way to make it for him at home.  In huge quantities.  So he can have it whenever he is away from the OKC area!

Similar to the dressing at the famous
Cattleman's Steakhouse in OKC
my nephew's very favorite!

Tex Mex Mini-Meat Loaves

I'm pretty sure I've told you before, my mom has a twin sister.  My "Aunt Sissie."  She's Sissie for two reasons:  She's my mom's sissy, and her name is Cecilia.  So Sissie for a nickname.  I'm even named after her (for a middle name.)  Ask my mom and my husband and they would agree that Aunt Sissie and I are a lot alike.  Except when it comes to cooking.  She hates it, I love it.  Now she has a jillion cookbooks and cooking magazines, which she loves to look at.  She just doesn't want to cook.  I usually handle that department and send her on her way with a tasty care package.  One of the things she DOES cook though is Tex Mex Mini Meatloaves.  (Our love of Mexican food is another thing we share!)

One of my favorite "family" recipes!

The Line-Up

Combine beef with salsa and onion.



Add crushed chips, egg, cumin and salt.

Mix well.  (You may need to add additional crushed chips
if it's too moist.  You want a moist meatloaf, but not
too sticky.)

Shape into 6 equal-sized portions. 
Bake for approximately 25 minutes.

Top with reserved salsa and
sprinkle with cheese.

Slow Cooker Pizza Casserole

I think I ate enough pizza in college to last a lifetime.  Without revealing my age, let's just say it's been awhile since I've had pizza or ramen noodles as meals on a regular basis.  However, it still remains something I'm kind of burned out on.  If we're going to break down and have pizza, it either has to be homemade or something really, really good topped with quality ingredients like fresh basil or feta cheese.  That being said, I'm a sucker for anything in the slow cooker because it's easy-peasy and fortunately the rest of the family is not opposed to pizza as often as I am.  This casserole tastes exactly like a pizza, only easy and in one pot.  Great on a busy day.  It makes a TON, so if you have a big family, you're in luck.  If you don't, you're still in luck because you'll have great leftovers!

Tastes just like a pizza!
Only the ease of the slow cooker!

The Line-Up
Don't worry, you're just layering ingredients.
It's easy!

Brown ground beef and sausage together...

Combine uncooked pasta with marinara sauce.
Season with oregano.

Begin layering ingredients in the slow cooker:
First pasta mixture, then beef mixture.

Next is onions, green peppers
and mushrooms.

Add shredded cheese and a layer of pepperoni.
Repeat layers.

Enjoy!
Just like the old "pizza in college days"
only way better!

Banana Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Lately I've taken to calling Mr. Devilish Dish "Monkey Man".  I don't know why.  Forever and ever I've called him Daddy.  Not because we're weird and gross, but because when Little Devil was little, she would hear me call him by his first name and then she would repeat it.   He was not a fan of being called Greg by his toddler.   I said Daddy, so she would call him Daddy.  And it stuck.  Except now that we are "older" everyone that hears me say it thinks I'm nuts.  I've made an effort not to say Daddy as much.  Far be it from me to call him anything normal, like say his First Name, so Monkey Man has been the nickname of late.  It's a perfect fit.  His feet look like monkey feet.  (Well I think so because I hate feet.  I like to tell him he could scale a coconut tree with those things.)  AND he loves ANYTHING with bananas in it.  And since I love my Monkey Man so much, I came up with some yummy banana cupcakes with chocolate frosting to satisfy his banana craving.

Perfect for Monkey Man!

The Line-Up
(includes the frosting ingredients)

For the cupcakes:
Cream together butter and sugar.

Add eggs, one at a time.
Beat well after each.

Sift dry ingredients together.

Combine bananas and buttermilk.

Begin adding flour mixture to butter mixture.

Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk mixture.
Begin and end with flour mixture.

Fill cupcake liners.

Bake until light golden brown.
Approximately 18 minutes.
Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
Sift together powdered sugar and cocoa.

Cream butter until smooth.

Alternate adding the powdered sugar mixture

With the evaporated milk.
Add the vanilla.

Beat until light and fluffy.

Frost cooled cupcakes with frosting.
I even garnished them with a tiny Reese's cup.

Serve to the Monkey Man in your life.