70. Hot Roast Beef Party Sandwiches

From 2007 Southern Living Annual Recipes

So...I could picture the type of rolls that this recipe called for, but neither of the two stores by my house had them. But, I knew it was important that the rolls be "connected," so I just used Sister Schubert rolls that I thawed.

These rolls had EVERYTHING going on...salty from the roast beef, sweet from the preserves, crunchy from the nuts, and creamy from the mayo/mustard.

They don't photograph that "pretty," and they're a little messy...but they're absolutely delicious!

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

2 (9.25-oz.) packages dinner rolls
2/3 cup peach preserves
1/2 cup mustard-mayonnaise blend
3/4 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef, chopped
1/2 pound thinly sliced Havarti cheese
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)


Heat walnuts in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly toasted.


Remove rolls from packages. (Do not separate rolls.) Cut rolls in half horizontally, creating 1 top and 1 bottom per package. Spread preserves on cut sides of top of rolls; sprinkle with walnuts. Spread mustard-mayonnaise blend on cut sides of bottom of rolls; top with beef and cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Cover with top halves of rolls, preserves sides down, and wrap in aluminum foil.


Bake at 325° for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Slice into individual sandwiches.

69. Chicken-and-Wild-Rice Soup

From 2004 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I love having a pot of soup cooking on the stove on Halloween, and it's usually the first time in the South when it's actually cold enough to break out the soup & stew recipes.

This has tons of flavor and comes together quickly. It's creamy (but not rich) and packed with lots of veggies. Most of the reviews I read on SL's site suggested using broth instead of the water for additional flavor...I used a four-cup container of chicken broth along with one cup of water.

1 small onion, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
5 cups water
1 (6.2-ounce) package fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 (8-ounce) loaf pasteurized prepared cheese product, cubed
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, undiluted


Sauté onion and carrots in a lightly greased Dutch oven over medium heat 5 minutes. Add 5 cups water, seasoning packet from rice, broccoli, and chicken. Bring to a boil, and stir in rice; reduce heat, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Add cheese and soup; cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

68. Snappy Reuben Rolls

From 2002 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I felt like having snacks for dinner tonight, so I went through my appetizer file and found this recipe.

I love anything wrapped in crescent rolls...sweet, flaky goodness. This had all of the flavor of a Reuben sandwich in a neat, little package. The sauerkraut-Thousand Island mixture had tons of tang.

I was concerned that the cheese in the filling would melt out during baking and make a mess, but these stayed together nicely. Perfect football food!!

1 (8-ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (10-ounce) can sauerkraut, drained
2 tablespoons Thousand Island salad dressing
1 teaspoon dry mustard
8 (1/2-ounce) thinly sliced deli corned beef slices
2 Swiss cheese slices, cut into 16 (1/2-inch) strips

Unroll crescent rolls, and separate into 8 triangles. Roll each dough portion into a 7-inch triangle.

Stir together sauerkraut, salad dressing, and mustard. Place 1 corned beef slice across wide side of 1 triangle, folding to fit, if necessary.

Spread 2 tablespoons sauerkraut mixture over corned beef, and top with 2 cheese strips. Roll up, beginning with wide end of triangle. Repeat with remaining triangles, sauerkraut mixture, corned beef, and cheese. Place rolls, point sides down, on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake rolls at 375° for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. 



67. Marzetti's Spaghetti

From 1999 Southern Living Annual Recipes

I know it's been awhile since my last post...I've taken a little (unintentional) cooking hiatus. BUT, I'm back, and I'm determined to finish out the last 33 recipes by the end of the year. (Yikes!)

So, I remember my mother making "mezzetti" as a casserole when I was a kid, and when I saw this variation of the recipe, I figured the flavors would be the same.

This is absolute comfort food. It's creamy and cheesy, but not too rich. There's plenty of tomato flavor, but it's definitely an untraditional topping for spaghetti.

It's a little on the thin side, and I was surprised the Velveeta didn't thicken it up more.

The recipe makes 12 servings, so I "thirded" it...and it still made quite a lot.

3 pounds ground beef

3 large onions, chopped

3 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

3 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 (46-ounce) can tomato juice

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 (16-ounce) loaf process cheese spread, cubed
1 (8-ounce) loaf process cheese spread, cubed
16 ounces spaghetti, cooked


Cook ground beef and onion in a stockpot over medium heat, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in process cheese spread until melted. Serve over spaghetti.