Orange Toffee Almond Sandies

This is another great Paula Deen recipe and it makes a ton of cookies!

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp orange extract
2 eggs
4 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
3 TBSP orange zest
2 cups sliced almonds
2 cups English toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, add butter, oil and sugars.  Beat until combined, then add extracts.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well each time.  Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt in separate bowl.  Gradually add to the creamed mixture.  Stir in orange zest, almonds and toffee bits.  Drop by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.  Cool on wire rack before serving.

(Recipe from Paul Deen.)

Cheesy Ham and Hash Brown Casserole

I made these hash browns for a brunch recently...delicious! This recipe can be prepared the night before so all you have to do in the morning is pop it in the oven.

1 (32 oz) pkg frozen hash browns (southern style type)
1/2 lb cooked, diced ham (I used Black Forest from the deli)
2 (10.75 oz) cans cream of potato soup
1 (16 oz) container sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated/shredded Parmesan cheese (I used the kind sold in a bag near all the other shredded cheeses)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 dish. In a large bowl, mix hash browns, ham, soup, sour cream and cheddar cheese. Spread evenly into prepared dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake approximately 1 hour in preheated oven until bubbly and lightly browned.

(Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com.)