Deep Dish Pizza Casserole

A recipe from my early married days. Velveeta Shells & Cheese was a staple. I made every recipe from the boxes and this was the hands-down favorite.

1 box Velveeta Shells & Cheese
1 lb. ground beef
1 med. onion
1 med. bell pepper
1 sm. can sliced black olives
1 can (8oz) pizza sauce
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Prepare the Velveeta as directed on box. Meanwhile, brown meat along with chopped onion and green pepper. Drain and stir in pizza sauce and olives. In a greased 8x8 dish, spoon Velveeta into the bottom, top with meat mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Thumbprint Cookies

Awesome! I think I found the recipe. I went back in the archives- and yes, it was a kid's magazine that held my special recipe... but they have since changed it in the archives to a no-bake recipe. Nooooo! So I think this is it. I remember using shortening. Yummy!

1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. shortening
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tea. vanilla
1 egg
1 c. flour
1/4 tea. salt
jam- raspberry is my favorite

Mix brown sugar, shortening, butter, vanilla & egg in a bowl. Stir in flour and salt until dough holds together.

Shape dough into 1 in. balls. Place on un-greased cookie sheet and press thumb deeply into the center of each cookie.

Bake at 350 about 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool on a rack about 30 minutes. Fill thumbprints with jelly.

Makes about 3 dozen (so give some to your neighbors!)

Sugar Cookie Jamwiches

This recipe brings me back to the days of my famous jam cookies when I was a kid. I had found a recipe in a magazine, and they were amazing. Of course, I never wrote said recipe down! So it's lost! This is pretty close to it, though! Ah, the memories!

2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. butter/margarine
1 c. sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
raspberry, strawberry, or apricot jam

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat butter sticks with sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mix on low speed. Form dough into a ball & divide in half. Roll each dough half between wax paper about 1/4 in. thick. (Chill dough for easier rolling!) Cut out cookies with 2 1/2 in. round cookie cutter. Cut out center of half of the cookies with 1 in. round cutter. Arrange on un-greased cookie sheets.

Bake 9 minutes at 350- or until edges are slightly golden. Remove cookies to wire rack and cool. Just before serving, spread small amount of jam on each whole cookie then top with cut-out cookies. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar (optional).

Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen