Recipe(tried): I was thinking maybe you could bake a ham - Broccoli Salad, Green Bean Casserole, Hash Brown Casserole, Pretty Pasta Salad, Jello Poke Cake

Hi Michelle,
I am so sorry about your friends Husband.
My first thought was to bake a ham and do any or all of the following side dishes and a cake.
They could use the ham and sides for a meal and then have sandwiches later and leftovers.

BROCOLLI SALAD

FOR THE SALAD:
1 bunch broccoli, use only the flowerets
1 head cauliflower, use only the flowerets*
1 pound bacon, diced and fried crisp
2 bunches green onions, sliced thin
1 cup golden raisins
FOR THE DRESSING;
2 cups Hellmanns mayonnaise
4 tsps. vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

Combine the ingredients for the salad; set aside.

Mix the ingredients for the dressing together and pour over the salad. (I don't pour it all on at once, because you don't want it soupy. Pour about half of it on first and then add more to your taste.)

Refrigerate for several hours or overnight, stir well and add more dressing if needed before serving.

*If you don't use the cauliflower, you probably don't need all the bacon. Or you could use two bunches of brocolli. Lots of possibilities.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

3/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can Cream of Mushroom soup
2 packages (9oz. each) frozen cut green beans, thawed, or 2 cans (14.5 oz. each) cut green beans, drained. I like to use french style.
1 1/3 cups French's French Fried Onions

In a 1 1/2 quart casserole, mix all ingredients, except 2/3 cup of the onions.

Bake in a 350F oven for 30 minutes, or until hot; Stir.

Top with the 2/3 cup of onions.

Bake 5 minutes or until onions are golden.

HASH BROWN CASSEROLE

1 package (1 1/2- 2 lbs) frozen hash brown potatoes
2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
1 stick butter or margarine, melted

Butter a 9x13 baking dish
Break up frozen hash browns and put into dish.
In a bowl, mix the sour cream, onion, cheese, soup, salt, pepper and butter or margarine.
Pour the mixture over the potatoes and mix well.
Bake in a 350 oven for 1 hour, or until lightly browned on the top.
May be assembled ahead and baked just before serving.

PRETTY PASTA SALAD

1 # package tri-colored corkscrew pasta
1 (16oz.) bottle Wishbone Robusto Italian salad dressing
Grated parmesan cheese
1/2 of a medium sized purple onion, thinly sliced
1/2 of a large sweet red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 of a large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 large stalks of celery, thinly sliced
1 cup of small broccoli florets
8 to 10 medium mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small can sliced ripe olives, drained and rinsed
2 small jars marinated artichokes, drained and quartered
12 small thin slices pepperoni, quartered and separated

Cook the pasta according to package directions and rinse with cold water, drain well.

Clean and prepare all the vegetables, combine with the pasta in a large bowl, add pepperoni.

Pour on about half of the bottle of dressing, and mix well.
Refrigerate for 24 hours, stirring a couple of times during this period and add more dressing as desired.

When ready to serve, add more dressing if needed, sprinkle on parmesan and mix well.

JELLO POKE CAKE

1 lg. box strawberry jello (This can also be made with any other flavor)
1 large container Cool Whip
1 Duncan Hines white cake mix prepared as directed

Prepare Jello as directed, but omit the cold water. DO NOT REFRIGERATE. Let set at room temperature. Bake cake, using a 9x13 inch pan. Let cool. Poke holes in cake with a large fork or the handle of a wooden spoon. Pour Jello over cake and refrigerate at least two hours. Frost with Cool Whip before serving