Welcome

Welcome to Cusack Orthodontics, located in both in both Peoria and Pekin, IL. At Cusack Orthodontics you’re not just a patient, you’re a part of our family! We commit ourselves to offer not only the finest quality orthodontic treatment, but to make the process as enjoyable as possible, every step of the way. We aim to provide superior service and individualized care for each patient, at a reasonable fee, in a family like atmosphere that is enjoyable, caring, friendly and fun.

Meet the Doctor

Meet the Staff

Meet the Staff

At Cusack Orthodontics we treat you with respect and sensitivity. Our amazing team gives their work the attention it needs to be of the highest quality, but where we stand out is the attention we give our patients. Everyone who walks in our doors will feel the passion, the experience, and the dedication to our patients that Cusack Orthodontics is known for.

Jennie

Brooke

Lisa

Melissa

Lori

Becky

Natalie

Tiffany

Michelle

Joanna

Megan

Kristine

Maygan

Tricia

Karessa

Julie

Brittany

Mission Statement

Mission Statement

With innovation, passion, and excellence, our mission is to build lasting relationships as well as provide each individual person a truly outstanding orthodontic experience. The process of orthodontics is a journey, and Dr. Cusack and his staff are excited to get to know you along the way, from your initial consultation to the last retainer check. We are committed to guiding you to a beautiful, healthy smile.

Testimonials

Our Patients Love Us!

Everyone in the office is very pleasant, kind and passionate about their jobs. It seems like a great work environment. Treatment was thoroughly discussed and understood. I also never felt judged for asking questions!! I highly recommend this office for children and adults alike. Anyone looking to improve your smile, they will remind you just how WORTH IT you are!!

- Natasha Lacy

Cannot say enough good things about Dr. Cusack and his staff!! Both of my boys have beautiful smiles now! Everyone is so nice and friendly, monthly payments made braces affordable for both my kids…Can’t thank you all enough for everything and I would definitely recommend this office to anyone needing orthodontic care!!

- Tonya Alexander

Dr. Cusack is the greatest and his staff is excellent. He fixed the smiles on both my girls and now I am ready for my son to start the process. It was a breeze with the first two and they both have the most AMAZING smiles…Thank you Dr. Cusack and staff

- Erin Olsen

Nothing but the best from start to finish! Great attention to the patient and keeping the parent up to date at every visit!!

- Molly Legaspi

After three years and jaw surgery, I got my braces off!! I’d just like to say if anyone knows someone who wants braces I highly recommend Dr. Cusack and his wonderful staff!! They are really awesome and really care about each individual person who comes to them! So for anyone that needs braces, go to Dr. Cusack because my teeth (and jaw) used to be horrible and now I love them!

- Amelia DeCeanne

Always enjoyed my times going here and my teeth look beautiful to this day. Thanks Pat and team!

- Andrew Kistner

Had a wonderful experience with Dr. Cusack and his team for my Invisalign. The entire staff is very friendly and accommodating, worked well around my schedule, and there were very short wait times when I arrived for each appointment. In and out quickly which was awesome. They worked with my financial situation as far as payments, and the whole process was definitely worth it. Very satisfied with the end result. The funny thing is I’d been to a different orthodontist in the Peoria area before who told me Invisalign was not an option for my teeth, which was really disheartening since at my age I really didn’t want to do braces. They said I’d have to get braces or eventually have a tooth removed!! Clearly they were wrong, so I’m very glad my dentist recommended this place. Thank you so much Dr. Cusack and team!!

- Mary Spengler

Best, best, best place by far…love my smile!! Plus, everyone there is very sweet and nice!

- Katy Metzger

Sarah’s smile is beautiful!!! Thank you Dr. Cusack and staff!!! Everyone there is so nice and professional!!

- Posie Bretchtel Heuermann

Dr. Cusack and his staff are the best!!!

- Kevin Streitmatter

Dr. Cusack and staff are awesome! Everyone is so friendly and helpful. As an adult getting Invisalign they have made me feel so comfortable and relaxed. I would recommend to everyone!

- Rebecca Taylor

We love Dr. Cusacks office. The staff is always so nice and professional. Great work! Very much recommended!!

- Jaylee & Jenny Wernowsky

I have been very pleased with Dr. Cusack and his staff. They made our children feel safe and always welcomed! So far, we have had 2 of our 3 children go to Cusack Orthodontics for braces. Their teeth turned are beautiful!! We are very pleased with his work! His staff is very friendly. They have always been accommodating to our schedule needs. I would highly recommend Dr. Pat Cusack for orthodontic services!! We will be using him again for our third child!! Thank you!!!

- Jenni Gustafson

Very impressed! Friendly staff, clean efficient office, and very good with after braces are off with teeth looking great & staying that way!! Good job to all employees!!!

- Sue Haussmann

When I noticed my teeth were moving about two years ago, I drug my feet to find an orthodontist. After the problem began to make me self-conscious I asked friends and family for a recommendation. Dr. Pat Cusack was the overwhelming response, so I made an appointment to see him. It was one of my best decisions. From the moment I stepped foot in his office I felt comfortable. For starters, the office is clean and modern and the staff is wonderful. Then there is Dr. Cusack himself. He has one of the nicest smiles I’ve ever seen, which is very reassuring when you’re going to him to fix your smile. It is obvious by his smile, and those who work for him, that he knows what he is doing.

My problem was subtle to others but significant to me. I had braces when I was 13 and since then my bite had shifted and it affected the way my smile looked. I was a news anchor, on television each night, and I worried the thousands of viewers would notice. Dr. Cusack suggested I try Invisalign. He promised people wouldn’t notice as the clear, invisible retainers corrected my smile. He was right. Unless I told someone, they really were not noticeable. One night I even anchored the news in them (by accident) and not one person detected a difference.

My experience with Dr. Cusack and his staff was impeccable. I would recommend him to anyone. He is an honest doctor and he made my experience not only easy, but almost fun. I have honestly never been happier with my smile than I am now because of Dr. Cusack

- Ashlee McNamee

We have a long standing relationship with Cusack Orthodontics with 3 sons out of braces and 1 currently going through treatment. The results are outstanding and the boys' teeth never looked better!!! Dr. Cusack and his staff are always very friendly and accommodating. The office is very parent and patient friendly with fun things for the patients to do while in the waiting room and even monthly trivia questions with the winners receiving gift cards. I would highly recommend Cusack Orthodontics to anyone who would love to see their smile be the best that it can be!!!!

- Lori Donlan

I bought my daughter to Cusack orthodontics for her initial appointment. Dr. Cusack suggested partial braces. The process from start to finish was a great experience. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly!! My daughter loves her new smile! Big thanks to Dr. Cusack and staff for boosting her self-esteem!!

- Tiffany Kamrath

I love this office. Friendly atmosphere. Everyone is very professional and efficient.

- Janelle Boyer

Absolutely love Cusack Orthodontics! I remember dreading these appointments when I was a kid but my daughter actually looks forward to her office visits! The doctor and staff are outstanding and the office environment is professional and pleasant.

- Colleen Ryan

Cusack Cares

At Cusack Orthodontics, we love to invest in our community. Peoria and the surrounding communities are home to our staff and our patients and the towns where we live, work, and play. We put our time and money into making the Central Illinois area a wonderful place to be. As a small business, our role is to be a caring and supportive corporate citizen. We have made connections to many local concerns through our staff, patients, family, and friends.

Here are just a few of the many ways that Cusack Orthodontics works with area residents and their endeavors:

• Sponsoring athletic programs
• Donating orthodontic treatment to school fundraising auctions
• Acting as a major sponsor to both the Children’s Hospital of Illinois “Sunny Day” event and the Riverfront Museum including the Halloween scavenger hunt
• Supporting community theater
• Funding countless student activities.

Benefits

Straight teeth look great, function better, are easier to clean, and are more likely to last your lifetime. Orthodontic treatment is a wonderful investment with life-long returns.

Health

A Straight Smile is a Healthy Smile!

Straight teeth and jaws that align properly mean that the rest of the mouth and face can grow proportionally, ensuring good oral health. Correcting an abnormal bite can also help ward off oral health problems such as tooth decay, gum disease, and abnormal wear of tooth enamel.

Confidence

Beautiful Smiles Build Confidence!

Crooked, crowded, unevenly-spaced teeth present obstacles for the confidence level of both children and adults. Straight, healthy, clean teeth build pride and comfort when interacting with others – from making new friends, to participating in class, to sharing photos, to going on job interviews. Many patients complain of being teased for how their teeth look. A beautiful smile paves the way for easier socialization at school, in groups, during extracurricular activities, and at work.

Comfort

Comfort

Headaches, toothaches, sinus problems, dry mouth, snoring, drooling, bad breath, and insomnia are all symptoms of a smile that isn’t straight, jaws that aren’t aligned, or teeth that are too close together – or not quite close enough. Oftentimes, however, the mouth is the last place we check for signs of discomfort, lossof sleep, or even a simple headache.

If your child’s pediatrician can’t figure out why he or she isn’t sleeping well or experiencing headaches or other problems for which there seems to be no cause, a simple 30-minute exam in our office could answer many of those questions and begin a road to resolution.

Proper Development

Proper Development

The mouth is like a giant puzzle and all of the pieces slowly come together during growth and development. But what happens when the pieces of the puzzle don’t fit together properly?

The result can be a series of orthodontic problems that cause pain and discomfort. For example, a narrow upper jaw will often produce a shift in the lower jaw to one side when your child bites down because it is “more comfortable” that way. This shift creates a cross bite that can wear down back teeth prematurely and also grow the lower jaw asymmetrically, shifting the dental midlines. If not corrected, this condition can eventually lead to problems in the joints of the jaws. Early treatment appliances such as an orthodontic expander at the proper time of development can correct these conditions.

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  Click for video on Proper Development

Invisalign

Choosing to straighten your teeth is a big decision that affects not only your appearance, but your lifestyle as well.

As an adult, you may be looking to improve your smile for business and social reasons, or even for a special occasion like your wedding day. Or perhaps you're a teen or the parent of a teen looking for an effective yet modern-day solution. Either way, Invisalign® and Invisalign Teen® can provide a simple way to accomplish this without having to put your life on hold. Take a moment to learn more about the Invisalign treatment process and how it can help you.

Invisalign Teen

Let’s face it. With school, sports, dating, and hanging out with friends, getting metal braces might not be at the top of your list of favorite things to do. Guess what? With Invisalign Teen®, you can straighten your teeth without metal wires and brackets getting in the way. You’re free to enjoy the things that make these the best times of your life.

NO ONE NEEDS TO KNOW

Invisalign Teen aligners are made of a smooth, clear plastic that is virtually invisible!

Your friends probably won’t even know you’re wearing them. Enjoy the confidence of showing your smile every day while moving your teeth at the same time! That can make for a better social life overall.

EAT WITH FREEDOM

With Invisalign Teen, the aligners are completely removable, allowing you to eat all of your favorite foods whenever you want. This also means you can easily keep brushing and flossing as you normally would for proper oral hygiene.

KEEP DOING WHAT YOU LOVE

Whether you play sports or a musical instrument, a mouth full of metal can hold you back from enjoying the things you want to. It’s hard to perform at your best knowing you could get hit in the mouth with a ball, or cut your lip trying to hit that note on the trumpet. Invisalign Teen helps you focus on doing what you do best—being a teen.

Itero Scanner

Itero Scanner

How It Works

How It Works

KEEP DOING WHAT YOU LOVE

• Talk to Dr. Cusack about Invisalign
• A customized treatment plan is created for you
• Receive your custom aligners
• Wear a new aligner every two weeks
• Reveal your new smile & keep it looking great

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  How Invisalign Works

Getting Started

The road to a beautiful and healthy smile starts right here with some information about our office and policies.

The Initial Visit

Financial Information

Insurance

Insurance

There are many different agreements between insurance carriers and their subscribers, and each contract provides a different benefit. For your convenience, our office gladly assists you in calling your insurance company to get an estimate of the amount of your coverage.

Our treatment coordinators are experienced in dealing with most local orthodontic insurers. Once your insurance carrier verifies your orthodontic benefits, we can determine your anticipated balance and arrange a workable payment plan. We also submit insurance claim forms on your behalf. And, we accept assignment of insurance benefits; therefore, your payment plan is usually only for the patient portion of the fee, not including the insurance portion.

Forms

Forms

Want to save time at your first appointment? Just download, print, and complete the appropriate form below. You can also fill out this form online by calling our office at 309-693-3200 and we will email a link to you.

The Bonding Appointment

The Bonding Appointment

Dr. Cusack will put the braces on at the bonding appointment. This one-time appointment takes about an hour. Brackets are placed on the teeth with special orthodontic glue. A carefully selected metal archwire is then placed over the brackets. Tiny elastic loops attach the wire to each bracket. The pressure from the wire gradually works to straighten the teeth. There are different options for bracket materials and a rainbow of fun color choices for elastic bands (which are changed at every adjustment appointment) for a unique and colorful smile. You will be sent home with a “Cusack Orthodontics Survival Kit” with everything you need to get started taking care of your new braces.

Adjustment Appointments

Adjustment Appointments

After the bonding appointment, the patient comes back for regular adjustments at four- to six-week intervals. These adjustment appointments typically last about thirty minutes. At each adjustment appointment, the previous elastic bands will be removed, new archwires may be placed, and different colored elastics can be chosen.

Our Office

Our Office

At Cusack Orthodontics, we believe an orthodontic office should be modern, clean, and conveniently located.

The waiting room features complimentary WiFi, bottled water, a 70" TV for some Wii U games, and a large variety of Keurig fresh-brewed coffee.

Safety and cleanliness is a priority in our practice. We meet or exceed the standards set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administrators (OSHA) and we follow the State of Illinois Infection Control Guidelines. Our goal is to provide the highest level of safety for us and for all our patients.

Our office is conveniently located in the middle of Peoria near Richwoods High School and St. Vincent's Middle School.  That means great orthodontic care is only a few minutes from your home, work, or school.

Treatments

The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children have their first orthodontic screening by the age of seven or sooner if there are concerns or questions about their bite. This is not necessarily to start treatment but to evaluate the need for intervention by looking at jaw growth or the lack of room for permanent teeth. An orthodontist can carefully monitor growth and development and begin treatment when it is ideal. Please don’t wait until all the baby teeth are lost. There are great advantages to starting treatment early.

Early or Inceptive Treatment

Early or Inceptive Treatment

This phase of treatment is for the orthopedic correction of the jaws and alignment of the front teeth to facilitate in the eruption of the remaining permanent teeth. Appliances are sometimes placed on the upper and/or lower permanent teeth.

Treatment usually begins after the four upper front teeth have erupted (around the ages of seven to nine.) The patient may wear space maintainers or expanders, which bring the teeth into a more ideal biting position. Interceptive treatment can be used to enhance the growth pattern in children to help create more room for the eruption of permanent teeth. Treatment can be accomplished within 12 months with a “holding” pattern (i.e. retainers.)

Advantages of Interceptive Treatment

• Improves the relationship of the upper and lower jaws.
• Utilizes the maximum advantage of the child’s growth.
• The bone is more pliable and teeth move more easily.
• Moves protruding teeth back so that they will be less susceptible to injury.
• Improves facial appearance and self-esteem.
• Patient is cooperative and enthusiastic at this age.
• Helps reduce chance of removing permanent teeth later.
• Reduce length of time wearing full braces.
• Could possibly eliminate the need for full braces later.

Comprehensive Treatment

Comprehensive Treatment

Comprehensive treatment is commonly known as full braces or complete braces. This phase of treatment concerns all of the permanent teeth and establishes the proper final occlusion. Orthodontic retention is the only phase remaining after this phase.

Orthognathic Surgery

Adult Treatment

Common Orthodontic Problems

Common Orthodontic Problems

The appearance and function of your teeth are impacted by this type of bite. It is characterized by the upper teeth extending too far forward or the lower teeth not extending far enough forward.

The upper front teeth extend out over the lower front teeth, sometimes causing the lower front teeth to bite into the roof of the mouth.

The upper teeth sit inside the lower teeth, which may cause tooth stratification and misaligned jaw growth.

Proper chewing is impacted by this type of bite, in which the upper and lower front teeth do not overlap. Openbite may cause a number of unwanted habits, such as tongue thrusting.

Crowding occurs when teeth have insufficient room to erupt from the gum. Crowding can often be corrected by expansion, and many times, tooth removal can be avoided.

Spacing problems may be caused by missing teeth, or they may only be a cosmetic or aesthetic issue.

This type of problem is caused when the back bite does not fit and match appropriately, which may negatively impact jaw and proper dental function.

This common habit will flare the top teeth forward, tip the lower teeth back, and create a narrow upper jaw shape that can put the back teeth into a crossbite.

Normally the tongue pushes against the roof of the mouth when a person swallows. Sometimes, however, a person can develop a habit in which the tongue pushes forward against the back of the front teeth when they swallow. This undesired habit will create an open bite in the front.

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  Click the video icon to learn about Poor Bite Examples.

Types of Braces

Types of Braces

Traditional metal braces are the most common type of braces and are more comfortable today than ever before. Made of high-grade stainless steel, metal braces straighten your teeth using metal brackets and archwires. With metal braces, you have the option of adding colored elastics (rubber bands) for a more unique and colorful smile.

Ceramic braces are made of clear materials and are therefore less visible on your teeth than metal braces. For this reason, ceramic braces are used mainly on older teenagers and adult patients who have cosmetic concerns. While they are visually less prominent, they do require more attention to oral hygiene as ceramic braces are larger and more brittle than their metal counterparts. For these reasons, ceramic braces tend to be used more on upper front teeth than on lower teeth.

Invisalign® uses a series of invisible, removable, and comfortable aligners to straighten your teeth. Not only are the aligners invisible, they are removable, so you can eat and drink what you want while in treatment. Plus, brushing and flossing are less of a hassle. The aligners are comfortable and have no metal to cause mouth abrasions during treatment.

Self-ligation is a system of braces that can potentially shorten treatment time, be more hygienic, and allow for decreased tenderness during treatment. It is made from stainless steel or ceramic for stability and is smaller in size for aesthetics (great for our adult patients.) The rounded structure improves patient comfort while maintaining overall performance. Self-ligation uses lighter wires and lower friction brackets to move teeth, resulting in slightly faster treatment times due to its sliding mechanism designed to maximize tooth movement speed and efficiency.

Retention

Retention

Once the active orthodontic appliances are removed, the patient will receive retainers to stabilize the dental correction. Because the bone and soft tissues surrounding the teeth are stabilizing for several months after braces are removed, it is imperative that the retainers are worn as instructed. Failure to wear the retainers may result in undesirable movement of the teeth, which could necessitate re-treatment. Braces Peoria IL invisalign.

Our goal is to help your smile stay beautiful and healthy for a lifetime. Your cooperation is essential in order to achieve this goal.

Your New Braces

Congratulations! You’ve taken the first step in an amazing and life changing experience, so now what? Here are some helpful tips.

Brushing

Brushing With Braces

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  Click the video icon to learn about brushing!

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  Poor brushing causes permanent stains.

Flossing

Parts

Emergencies

Emergencies

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  Click on the video icon to the left to watch our Emergencies video

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  Click on the video icon to the left to watch our Orthodontic Wax Video

Food

Foods to Avoid

Sports

Sports

For some contact sports, we recommend using a mouth guard that allows tooth movement to continue while protecting the skin tissue from getting impinged in the braces from hits to the head.  Never use the boil and bite mouth guards with braces as your braces may get stuck when you bite into the mouth guard. Dr. Cusack has mouth guards at his office or you can buy them at sports stores.

Musical Instruments

Musical Instruments

Dr. Cusack informs his instrument-playing patients that woodwind players may have slightly more difficulty than brass instrument players. Every musician seems to adapt very well to playing with braces after a week or two of practice. Some of them find that placing wax on the brackets is helpful during the initial adjustment period. If a patient is a “First Chair” player, some extra practice will ensure that they are conditioned to playing with braces and maintain that high level.

Retainers

Retainers

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  Click on the icon to the left to watch a video on clear retainers

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  Click on the icon to the left to watch a video on Hawley retainers

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  Click on the icon to the left to watch a video on lingual retainers

Color Picker

Orthodontic Recipes

Brooke’s Impossibly Easy Taco Pie

• 3½ pound ground beef
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Crust:

• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 T cornmeal
• ½ cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown beef and chop into fine crumble then drain. Mix in diced tomatoes and chopped onion. Add taco seasoning and water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup cheddar cheese.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk a whisk, beat together the eggs, flour, salt, milk and ½ cheddar cheese. Grease a 9” pie pan. Pour mixture into the pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. Spoon the meat mixture into the center of the batter, keeping it one inch from the edge.

Bake at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until crust is lightly browned.

Variations: Serve with extra sour cream, salsa, black olives, and green onions.

Lisa’s Heavenly Ham And Potato Bake

• 1 (5.5 ounce) pkg. scalloped potato mix
• 2 cups boiling water
• ½ cup milk
• 2 cups fully cooked ham
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Directions:

In an ungreased baking dish, combine potatoes with sauce mix, boiling water and butter. Stir in milk and ham. Bake uncovered 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes longer.

Variations: mix in corn or broccoli before baking.

Ashley’s Tangy Tuna Fish Casserole

• 2 ½ cups egg noodles
• 2 6oz cans tuna drained
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• ½ cup miracle whip
• Optional: 1/3 cup onion diced, 1 cup frozen peas thawed
• Personalize with your choice of topping: crumbled Ritz crackers or classic favorite crushed potato chips!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large pot, boil water and cook noodles until not quite tender. Mix miracle whip and cream of mushroom soup together. Grease casserole dish and stir in noodles, tuna, (peas and onions) and soup mixture. Sprinkle with topping of choice. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly on top.

Joanna’s Breakfast Bake

• 3 cups frozen shredded hash browns
• ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup cooked ham diced or crumbled sausage
• 4 eggs beaten
• 1 12(oz.) can evaporated milk
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 2 quart casserole dish. Spoon shredded potatoes, then top with cheese and ham or sausage. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, and evaporated milk. Pour egg mixture over potatoes.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes

Tricia’s Tantalizing Tuna Cakes with Sour Cream Dill Sauce

• 12 cans (6oz each) water packed tuna, drained
• Picture 7 10 saltines crackers
• Eggs
• 1 to 2 tablespoons dried chives or 1 green onion finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Sour cream dill sauce
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
• 1 tsp. dried dill weed

Directions:

By hand, crumble the crackers into a bowl, breaking them into pea-sized pieces; stir the tuna, crackers, eggs and chives together thoroughly so that no egg is showing. Shape mixture into 4 4-inch patties.

Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties in oil 2 to 3 minutes. Turning once, until light golden brown. Serve with sauce.

Megan’s Hamburger Crumbles

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• ½ cup water
• Optional: 1 tablespoon ketchup and mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large frying pan, brown the beef chopping it to a fine crumble, drain if necessary. Add soup mix, water and ketchup and mustard, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer just to heat through. Serve on hamburger buns.

Jennie’s ‘Jam’min Thumbprint Cookies

• ½ cup margarine, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup jam of your choice (works better than jelly because it is thicker)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine margarine, sugar, salt, egg and vanilla, using an electric mixer blend until smooth. Mix in flour.

Drop by tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet. Press a thumbprint into the center of each ball, about ½-inch deep. Fill each indentation with about 1 tsp jam. Bake for 9 minutes.

Makes about two dozen.

Patrick’s Perfectly Easy Apple Crisp

• 3 cups apples peeled, cored, and sliced (avoid Delicious apples)
• ¼ cup water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, chopped into small bits

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange apple slices evenly in prepared baking dish. Sift flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture becomes fine crumbs. Sprinkle crumb topping over apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, depending on how dark you like the crumbs. Cool slightly before serving.

Karessa’s Pumpkin Muffins

• 1 (15 oz. can of pumpkin)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 T plus 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce (or vegetable oil)
• 3 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Paper-line or grease 12 muffin cups.

Combine flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Combine pumpkin puree, eggs, oil or applesauce in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture; stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Kinsey’s Sausage and Corn Bake

• 1 pound pork sausage
• 1 (16 oz.) pkg. dry corn bread mix
• 1 (15 oz.) can cream style corn
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. shredded cheddar Monterey jack cheese blend
• Optional: jalapenos diced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

Cook sausage and onion over medium high heat until brown. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix corn bread mix, cream style corn and water.

Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with about ½ in. of the corn bread mixture. Layer with sausage and onion mixture followed by optional diced jalapenos. Cover with cheese. Top with remaining corn bread mixture.

Bake 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Michelle’s Baked French Toast

• 5 cups bread cubes (use soft bread)
• 4 eggs
• 1 ½ cups milk
• ¼ cup white sugar, divided
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 T butter softened
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease an 8x8 in. baking pan.

Line bottom of pan with bread. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, 2 T sugar, salt and vanilla. Pour egg mixture over bread. Dot with butter; let stand for 10 minutes.

Combine remaining 2 T sugar with cinnamon and nutmeg and sprinkle over the top.

Bake for 45-50 minutes until top is golden.

Tiffany’s Easy Baked Spaghetti

• 16 oz. spaghetti noodles
• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 (16 oz.) meatless spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce; set aside.

Mix together pasta, meat mixture, and cheddar cheese, pour into 9x13 pan. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

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