Stick to your ribs good food

With cooler weather comes the desire to heat up the oven and start cooking hearty meals again. The beans and sausage casserole is a big hit for cookouts or family get-togethers. – Pat

THICK AND ZESTY RIBS

4 pounds pork baby back ribs, cut into serving-size pieces

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup vinegar

1/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground mustard

1 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Place ribs in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Rub with garlic salt. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes; drain. Combine the remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour over ribs. Bake, uncovered, for 40-50 minutes or until ribs are tender, basting several times. Yield: 4 servings.

 

BEANS AND SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

1 pound fully cooked kielbasa or polish sausage, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup ketchup

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons prepared mustard

3 cans (15-1/2 oz each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained

 

In a saucepan, cook sausage and onion in boiling water for 2 minutes; drain. In a bowl, combine the ketchup, sugars, vinegar, molasses and mustard. Stir in the beans and sausage mixture. Transfer to a greased 2-1/2 qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1-1/2 hours or until beans mixture reaches desired thickness. Yield: 14-16 servings.

 

HOPPIN’ GOOD SALAD

1 package (8-oz) cream cheese, softened

1 package (3-oz) orange gelatin

1-1/2 cups boiling water

2 cans (15oz each) mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup whippping cream, whipped

1-1/2 cups miniature pastel marshmallows, divided

maraschino cherry, optional

 

In a bowl, beat cream cheese and gelatin powder. Stir in water until gelatin is dissolved. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until thickened, stirring frequently. Set aside 10-12 oranges for garnish. Fold whipped cream, 3/4 cup marshmallows and remaining oranges into gelatin mixture. Transfer to a 2-1/2 quart serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining marshmallows. Chill until firm. Garnish with reserved oranges and a maraschino cherry if desired. Yield: 8-10 servings.

 

FOOD FACTS

• Folding drained and chopped maraschino cherries into angel food cake batter  gives a colorful and flavorful change of pace.

• For a quick, always-on-hand coating for chicken, dip pieces in mayonnaise, then sprinkle with seasoned salt and paprika and bake.