Miss Patti LaBelle's Mac and Cheese recipe, courtesy of the Oprah Winfrey Show:


1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pound (box) elbow macaroni
8 tbsp (1 stick) plus 1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Muenster cheese
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded mild Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups half and half
1 cup (8 oz) Velveeta, cut into small cubes
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2 quart casserole pan.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then the elbow macaroni and cook until macaroni is tender. (approx 7 mins) Do not overcook. Drain well and return to cooking pot.

In a small saucepan, melt the eight tablespoons of butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheeses. To the macaroni, add the half and half, 1 and 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, the cubed Velveeta and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and dot with the remaining one tablespoon of butter.

Bake until it's bubbling around the edges and browned lightly on top, about 35 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!

Chili Con Carne Pie

Serves 6

1/2 C chopped onion 3/4 C. cornmeal
1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 C. flour
1 1/2 pounds ground beef 1/2 t salt
1 8 oz can tomato sauce 1 1/2 t baking powder
1 20 oz can kidney beans, drained 1 egg
1 T. chili powder 1/4 C. vegetable oil
1 t. salt 1 T chopped parsley

Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Cook onion, garlic, and beef until beef is well browned. Drain excess fat if desired. Stir in tomato sauce, beans, chili powder, and salt. Simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sift together cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder. Add egg, oil, and parsley. Mix until blended but don't overmix.

Place meat mixture in baking dish and pour cornbread mix over top of meat, making sure cornbread touches the edges of the baking dish. (this is to make sure the meat juices don't come up over the top of the bread)

Bake at 425 about 15 to 18 minutes until cornbread is done.

Lisanne's Grandmoms Potatoes

1 small/medium bag Idaho russet potatoes
1 8 oz. container sour cream
1 package cream cheese
4 Tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Peel the potatoes, then boil them in a large stock pot
until tender. Place into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk
attachment. Mix until smooth. Add the sour cream gradually, then add the cream
cheese. Potatoes will be more on the thin side. If they're too thick,
then add a little bit of milk. Pour potatoes into a large Corningware
baking dish and dot with butter on top. Cover. You can refrigerate these
overnight and bake them the next day, or you can bake them right away.
Bake for about an hour at 350 degrees ~ the sides will be a little
golden brown. Mmm!