Black Bean Burgers

This recipe is made with things I keep on hand, it mixes up quickly, and you can make it either mild tasting (like I did) or spicy (as the original recipe indicated) just by the kind of salsa you use.  I use mild salsa all the time, it is one of the pantry items I always try to keep well stocked.

Black Bean Burger

• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed (or 2 cups cooked dry beans)
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup flour (I used all purpose but they suggest oat flour or gluten free if necessary)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons salsa
• 1 tablespoon oil for pan (I needed more than that)

Mash black beans in a bowl with fork or potato masher (I used a ground beef masher).  Add the remaining ingredients except the oil and stir (or use your hands to mix like I did).  You may need to add more salsa if too dry and flour if it isn't holding together firmly (1 tablespoon at a time).

Form into 4 patties and brown in a skillet with oil on medium heat about five minutes the first side and three to four minutes the second side.  Black bean burgers burn easily so you do need to keep an eye on them.  

I served them without a bun, topped with extra salsa and chopped onions.  However, I have served black bean burgers I used to make from a mix as regular burgers and putting cheese on top.

These were delicious and while we do not eat vegan, your vegan friends will probably like them without any added dairy.  They are also gluten free if using the right flour and making certain the oats are gluten free (not processed where any gluten products are also processed).

The original recipe is from Jenn Sebestyen of the Veggie Inspired blog (and other social media).

Noodleables

This is my very favorite food to eat at The Feast of the Hunter's Moon!   It looks like a lot of ingredients but it is really very easy to make.

The story they tell is "when pioneers traveled through the Midwest, they carried dried or salted pork and dried noodles with them as they didn't spoil.  They would forage or trade for vegetables to add to these items to make their meal".

At the Feast, they leave out the meat and make the dish vegetarian by using vegetable oil.  Also, they use Reames' frozen noodles which I also found to work best in the recipe if you are not using homemade dried noodles.

Since there are only two of us at home, I used about half as much of everything as it called for and I had plenty of leftovers for a meal the next day.

I cooked the entire package of frozen noodles at once but only needed half of them, so the remainder went into a covered dish in the refrigerator to be used for a recipe a few days later.  Also, one doesn't have to use every vegetable called for if you don't have it.

This is one of those recipes you can make your own using various vegetables and seasonings. To be honest, I don't exactly measure vegetables!

Read my Note about the seasonings before mixing them together.

Noodleables

• 2 cups carrots, sliced into 1/4" pieces
• 3 cups celery, sliced into 1/4" pieces
• 2 cups onion, cut into thin wedges (I chop them)
• 2 cups cut broccoli, flowers & stems
• 2 cups cut cauliflower pieces
• 1 cup chopped red cabbage (I don't use)
• 1 cup chopped green cabbage (I use 2 cups green cabbage)
• 3 cups homemade or frozen noodles, cooked
• 1/2 lb. diced bacon (they substitute 1/2 cup vegetable oil at the Feast)
• 3 Tablespoons mixed seasonings*

Mixed Seasonings (Mix and store in container)
Read my note below before mixing!

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup dill weed
• 1/8 cup paprika
• 1/8 cup course ground pepper
• 1/4 cup salt

Fry bacon until crisp or heat oil.  Add carrots and cook until slightly tender.

Add seasonings, celery, onions, cauliflower, and broccoli,  Stir and cook until broccoli is warm.

Add cabbage and cooked noodles.

Continue cooking, stirring once in awhile, until all the vegetables are cooked and the noodles are hot.  This makes a yummy one dish meal and we found leftovers warmed the next day were great.

Sprinkle with additional seasonings to taste, if desired.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

*REGARDING SEASONINGS:

After mixing the ingredients and then not using all of them a couple of times, I now sprinkle a little sugar and approximately 1/4th teaspoon dill weed, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper directly on the food as it cooks.

Adjust seasonings to your taste (for instance, my husband is not fond of dill so I don't use much of it).

If you decide to make the recipe in large amounts and more often, it is then worth mixing and storing the seasonings as they do for the Feast.

Cowboy Casserole

This is one of my oldest recipes and one I put together long ago.  Although, I've seen very similar recipes in cookbooks and online.  This recipe is the mother ship and I've added to it and taken away through the years, according to what I had in the pantry.

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion chopped
1 large can baked beans or two smaller cans pork & beans
2 teaspoons worchestershire sauce (more or less to taste)
2 teaspoons onion powder (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (ditto)
salt and pepper (to taste)
3 or 4 tablespoons ketchup (to taste if necessary, mainly if you use pork & beans)

Note:  I have started using about a teaspoon of smoked paprika in this regularly, too.

Brown the ground beef, drain grease if necessary (mainly when using cheap ground beef), add onions and continue sauteing until onion is softened. Add baked beans or pork & beans, worcestershire sauce, and seasonings.  Saute another few minutes and add ketchup if you need it.  This is primarily to sweeten it if you haven't used a can of baked beans (which are already seasoned)

Then take a potato masher and mash the mixture a bit, which is only necessary if you have a son who hates beans like I do.  He likes mashed beans... go figure.

Sometimes I pop the skillet in the oven for about 15 min. at 350.  Sometimes I pour the mixture into a casserole dish and bake about 15 min. at 350.  Depends on if I want to dish it up from a casserole dish at the table or not.  You can even eat it as is without baking if you so desire.

Variations over the years:

• ground turkey instead of ground beef
• chopped green peppers added at the same time as the onions
• one can of pork & beans and one can of tomato bisque soup... when that was what the pantry offered
• one can of pork & beans and one can of cream of tomato soup... (ditto)
• one can of chilis added when I felt wild and crazy
• a sprinkling of Tony Chachere's creole seasoning (ditto)
• a couple handfuls of cheddar or co-jack cheese sprinkled on top of mixture
• I'm sure there were others I have forgotten along the way

We like it made with a large can of baked beans the very best.
This can easily be doubled and tripled... the amounts mention serves 3-4 with no leftovers whatsoever.

Picture added the next time I think of it...  ;)

Butterflied chicken

I can't believe I haven't tried this before but after seeing it on The Food Network a few times, I decided to bake butterflied chicken last night instead of roasting a whole chicken as usual.

I like a crispy skin on chicken and this way of baking gives the entire chicken a nice crispness as well as cutting the baking time to one hour.

I just cut the backbone from the chicken, using kitchen shears and pressed it down as flat as I could get it.  (As you can see, mine is not even or really flat but it worked.)  You just have to be careful since the scissors get slippery and I can just imagine what it would do to my chef's knife.

I spread butter on the skin and then drizzled oil on top, sprinkled sea salt and lemon pepper on the entire chicken (I use Mrs. Dash lemon pepper on fish and chicken a lot).

I popped it into a preheated 400 degree oven for 25 minutes, then reduced the oven to 325 for another 35 minutes.  It turned out nice and juicy but the next time I'll only reduce the temp to 375 for an even crispier skin.

The small amount of prep time gives a lovely chicken!  Next time I'll bake it in the larger roasting pan with quartered potatoes and carrots and perhaps place it on a "bed" of sliced onions and/or lemons.  I think I can see rosemary and thyme in the future, too...

I had no desire to work with raw chicken and a camera at the same time.  However, if you but Google butterflied chicken... you will find lots of videos available.

Whole chickens go on sale really cheap and this makes it a quite uptown... even if your chicken turns out lopsided like mine.  :-)

Very easy and yummy lasagna

A family member needed this recipe so I thought I'd share it here at the same time.  I will add a picture the next time I make it.

This is the recipe I’ve used for over twenty years.  It is SO easy.  You do not boil the noodles ahead of time.

Besides time to assemble, it needs 1 hour for baking covered, 15-20 minutes to bake uncovered, and an additional 20 minutes to set before cutting.

I normally make sauce “from scratch” but in this recipe, you don’t notice the difference... so using store bought spaghetti sauce you have in your pantry makes it come together very fast.

In addition to the groceries listed, you will need aluminum foil.

Lasagna

• 1 large jar (at least 26 oz.) spaghetti sauce (or 2 smaller cans)*
• 15 oz. cottage cheese or ricotta
• 8 oz. plain yogurt
• ½ lb. lasagna noodles – uncooked
• ½ Cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 ½ lb. ground beef, browned
• 1 Cup water
• 16 oz. grated mozzarella or Italian Style cheese (2 cups) (More if you love a lot of cheese)

*While 26 oz. will give you three cups of sauce, you may want even more so you don't have to be so careful with measurements or if you like a "saucier" lasagna.

Okay, so you don’t forget it, put 1 cup of water in your line of sight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 9 x 13 dish

Mix ricotta and yogurt.

Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce in bottom of pan.

Layer 1/3^rd dry lasagna noodles on sauce, breaking to make them fit if necessary.

Layer 1 cup sauce, ½ the ground beef, 1/2 ricotta mixture, ¼ cup of mozz., sprinkle with Parm. cheese.

Layer 1/3^rd dry lasagna noodles on top of this mixture, breaking if necessary.

Layer 1 cup sauce, ½ the ground beef, ½ ricotta mixture, ¼ cup of mozz., sprinkle with Parm cheese.

Layer 1/3^rd dry lasagna noodles on top, breaking to make fit if necessary (you will not use entire box of noodles).

Pour  remaining sauce on top.

Pour water around the inside of pan.  Seal with alum. foil tightly.

Bake 350 for one hour.

 Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining mozz. cheese and bake 15-20 min. until noodles are tender.  (Check after 15 minutes, leaving in an additional five minutes if necessary.)

Cover loosely with foil (like a tent) and let set 20 min. before serving.

Oriental chicken spareribs

I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine.  It has been tweaked just a bit (as indicated in recipe).

I served this with orzo but it would be great with rice or noodles, too.  Made for excellent leftovers (I mixed the leftover orzo with the main dish and stored them together in frig).

Oriental Chicken Spareribs

• 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs (about 8) (I used deboned thighs as that is what I had in freezer)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup water
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2/3 cup soy sauce (I used 1/2)
• 1/2 cup apple juice (I used 2/3 cup orange juice instead)
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I used 1/2 t. but will use 1 t. next time)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (I used flour)
• 2 tablespoons cold water (more if using flour)

In dutch oven or large skillet with lid, brown chicken over medium heat in oil (in batches if necessary) on both sides, drain.

In large bowl, combine water, brown sugar, soy sauce, juice, ketchup, vinegar, garlic, pepper flakes, and ginger.  Pour over browned chicken.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Remove chicken, combine cornstarch or flour and water, add to cooking juices and stir until thickened.  Add chicken back to pan to combine with sauce or just pour the sauce over the chicken on a platter.

This sauce recipe would be great with other meats, too!

* Since I used deboned chicken thighs, I slightly shredded the meat and added it back to the sauce.  You could do the same with bone in chicken thighs, too.  It would easily serve 8 instead of the original 4 people the recipe indicated.

Salmon Patties

This is the quintessential pantry dish. If you've tried other recipes and hated salmon patties (as was the case with hubby), give this one a try. He actually ASKS me to make them once a week now.

I'll add a picture when I remember to take one before they are inhaled at dinner.

I buy canned wild Alaskan salmon when possible, it is not much more expensive than pink salmon and I've read it has more nutrition.

Also, if you leave the bones in by smashing them a bit when mixing the ingredients, these are also a great source of calcium. My husband didn't know I kept the bones in them until he was told.

When I serve them to my picky eater (aka: son), I just add a slice of cheese on top or pour cheese sauce over them.... he eats just about anything with cheese.

Salmon Patties

• 15 oz. can salmon (reserve liquid)
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• Lemon pepper to taste (optional, I added this to the recipe)
• Oil for skillet

Drain the salmon, reserve 2 Tablespoons of the liquid in a small bowl.

In larger bowl, combine salmon, egg, and chopped onion. Stir in the flour and any seasonings you want to add.

Stir the baking powder into the reserved salmon liquid and watch it fizz! This is the secret of this recipe and what makes it so light.

Add the liquid to the salmon mixture and mix just until combined.

Form into patties (I make five from this recipe) and place into a medium hot skillet which has oil to cover the bottom. Brown one side and then turn, frying until other side is brown. I start with medium high and then turn it down to medium as soon as I add the patties to keep the outside from browning too fast before the inside is cooked completely.

I'd say about four minutes on each side.

Recipe was from: Favorite Recipes From Quilters

Note:  Sometimes I form them into very small patties (about a heaping tablespoon each) and then dip them into flour before adding to skillet.  They become a little crispier and I find the guys like them much better when cooked like this. Just be sure to pat off all excess flour because it burns and turns your oil black (ask me how I know).  ;)

Baked Chicken & Stuffing

As soon as I saw this recipe in a small recipe booklet (purchased for $2.99 at a restaurant from Lancaster County, I think it was in Bird-In-Hand), I knew I'd love it. It has all the flavors I like... almost like Thanksgiving without turkey and sage. :)

I made it almost as the recipe directed but "tweaked" it as I didn't need quite as much meat. Christopher and I both loved it but hubby doesn't care for dressing, even at Thanksgiving so he tolerated it. I might try different herbs & spices some day.

Plain & Fancy Restaurant's
Baked Chicken & Stuffing

Ingredients:

4 cups diced, cooked chicken
(I used three rather large, cooked chicken breasts, which was two cups)

1 cup margarine (butter here)
(I used one stick of butter to begin with and then melted 1/2 a stick and poured it over everything after one hour of baking)

1 Cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk

20 slices white bread, cubed (I just tore it into pieces)
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper (always more pepper here)

1 cup chicken broth (a little more reserved if needed)

Melt butter in sauce pan with onion and celery, saute. Do not brown.

Combine milk, eggs, onions, celery and bread cubes in large bowl and mix until moistened. (I knew I was going to make this so I purchased a bag of white bread at the surplus bread store.)

In greased roasting pan (I used a 9 x 13 dish), place half of filling, then the chicken, and then the rest of the filling. When finished layering, pour broth on top.

Place in a preheated 325 degrees oven and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Add a little more broth if needed while baking. I checked it after one hour, added a little melted butter for additional flavoring (but you could probably get by without that, cutting your butter consumption in half). I baked it another twenty minutes or so. Baking it in a 9 x 13 dish shortens the baking time a bit.

When finished, remove from oven and serve hot with chicken gravy (obviously only if you have made chicken gravy).

The booklet said the Amish call this "Roast" and it is often served at weddings and other large gatherings.

Jean's Sweet "N" Sour Chicken (Easy)

This is a favorite of my oldest sister.

Sweet "N" Sour Chicken

1 cut up chicken (raw)
1/2 cup Russian dressing (red)
1/2 envelope onion soup mix (dry)
3/4 cup pineapple-apricot jam or preserves; (or can use peach preserves)
1 tsp. dry mustard

Mix all ingredients except chicken. Place chicken in shallow baking pan and pour mixture over, covering chicken well. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until chicken is tender.

My favorite Crock Pot recipe

This is the recipe I made for our Valentine's Day dinner. It may be the guy's favorite main dish.

Easy Crock Pot Beef and Gravy Meal

1 beef roast (I like a round rump roast but I also use chuck roasts when available, anything is good as long as it isn't too fatty)
1 onion, sliced in half
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup (store brand is fine)*
1 or 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
About 1/4th a soup can of water*
Salt and Pepper to taste (I use lots of pepper)

*Two cans of soup and 1/2 can of water can be used for with a large beef roast to serve more people.

Place the roast and onion halves in the Crock Pot. (The onion will break up as it slow cooks.) Pour the Worcestershire sauce over the roast. Using a knife or spoon, remove Cream of Mushroom soup and pour it into the Crock Pot. Salt and pepper the beef (you shouldn't need much salt if you are using regular canned soup).

Swish out the soup can with just a little water, perhaps 1/4th of the can, add to Crock Pot. Cover and start on high. Check after about an hour and spoon some of the liquid over the roast.
I like to turn the roast over after a couple of hours and then turn the Crock Pot to medium for a few more hours.

About half an hour before serving, remove the roast to a plate and let sit at least twenty minutes before slicing the rump roast (a chuck roast may fall apart on its own). Scoop out most of the gravy, leaving most of the onion in the Crock Pot, and place the gravy in a saucepan to simmer until thickened (watch closely).

Pour about half a cup of water into the Crock Pot with the remaining soup mixture and onions, place sliced beef back into the Crock Pot and "stir" a bit until the beef is covered with the soup mixture.

The gravy made from this is just the BEST, wonderful over mashed potatoes.

Cooking time increases the larger the roast.

Slow cooked chicken sandwich

I made this today, trying to think of something I could slow cook while taking a Benedryl induced nap. It worked great and I will add this to my monthly menus.

1 package deboned chicken thighs
1 can Cream of Chicken soup (or similar homemade cream sauce)
1/2 soup can of water
Mrs. Dash to taste
Pinch or two of salt

If I were serving this over potatoes or noodles, I'd add sliced mushrooms.

Place deboned chicken thighs baking dish, with a cover (or 9 x 11 dish and cover with foil).

Pour soup and water on top of chicken and add seasonings. No need to stir before baking.

Cover and slow bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Serve in sandwiches.

This would also be good with a little sour cream added at the end and served over biscuits, mashed potatoes or noodles.

Recipe easily doubled and I expect it would work perfectly in a slow cooker.

Chicken Special

This recipe was originally posted on my main blog. It is from Gladys Taber's book called Still Meadow Cookbook.

Chicken Special

4 split chicken breasts
(I’m sure this would work with deboned chicken breasts, reducing cooking time)
butter
1 pkg. cream of leek soup
1 1/2 cups of milk or half and half (may need more later)
1 can mushrooms (optional)

Brown chicken in butter just until golden. In a saucepan, combine soup and milk, just until boiling, stir constantly. Pour over chicken.

Simmer 30 minutes

Add the mushrooms, liquid and all. If not using mushrooms, you may need to add another 1/2 cup milk or half and half. Simmer another 15 minutes.

She said the chicken should be "butter tender".

Sunday Dinner -- Cold weather favorites

It's going to be warm in the Midwest today but cool weather is just around the corner. I had to blink a couple of times when I saw our end-of-the-week forecast. It's almost sweater time! Here are a few of my favorite meals for cooler weather.

Most of these recipes came from friends and they are made often in the Winter. I make a "hearty" meal like these two or three times a week and I serve soup for dinner at least twice. Since we usually have cereal or oatmeal for breakfast, I'll also serve breakfast-for-dinner once in awhile.

Strombolis

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 to 1 stick butter
Paprika and/or Lawry's seasoned salt

Mix together and set aside.

1 lb. or more Hamburger (according to how many you have to feed)
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon fennel
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or simply basil, oregano, etc.)
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese

4 - 6 buns to serve three or four people. Recipe can very easily be increased.

Brown meat. Add onion, tomato sauce, ketchup, parm. cheese, and sices. Cook approx. 20 minutes. Brush buns with the garlic butter mix. Spoon meat onto buns. Sprinkle with cheese. Wrap each bun with foil. (They can be frozen at this point and baked later.) If you want to make ahead to serve later that day, just be sure to spread garlic butter mix on both buns to keep them from getting soggy.

If not frozen, heat 15 min. in 350 degree oven.

Peek-A-Boo Stew
(former called No Peek Stew but young daughter changed it)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

1 - 2 pounds of round steak, cut into cubes (or buy stew meat)
3 - 4 potatoes sliced (I wash them and leave the skin on for nutrients)
3 - 4 sliced carrots
2 sliced celery stocks
1 - 2 sliced onions
Tomato juice to cover (I often use a large can of Italian style tomatoes instead)
2 - 3 Tablespoons Minute Tapioca (original recipe called for this but I rarely have it in the pantry)

Oil or butter a 9 x 13 dish. Layer the ingredients in order given, starting with the meat. Cover with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 2 - 3 hours. After two hours, I usually turn the oven down to 300 if I'm keeping it in a full three hours. I have also baked this for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

Chicken Pot Pie

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cooked chicken, shredded
1 large package of frozen mixed vegetables
1 - 2 potatoes, cooked and sliced (this was not in the original recipe but I always add them)
1 small can chicken broth (or one pint homemade chicken broth)
Flour, butter, salt, ground coriander, garlic powder, onion powder
1 pie crust, homemade or Pillsbury

Defrost vegetables completely (I leave in frig all day) or cook them, drain any water completely. Make a roux with butter, flour, spices and broth by melting butter, stir in flour and spices, when they thicken, add broth and whisk until lumps are gone.

It's hard to know exact measurements but I'll guess at 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 stick butter, 1/4 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon salt if using unsalted broth (don't add any salt at this time if using salted broth), 1 teaspoon garlic powder and one teaspoon onion powder. After you make it the first time, you can adjust ingredients. I actually use slightly more coriander because I like the taste. It was in the original recipe.

In deep pie pan or 9" deep cake pan (I have also used a round casserole dish), layer chicken, then cooked potatoes (they must be cooked ahead or they won't be done by baking time), and the vegetables. Press down if they are too near the top. Pour liquid mixture over these ingredients. Place pie crust on top and press edge onto side of cooking pan to keep it from shrinking. Poke top a few times with sharp knife to let out steam when baking.

Bake 45 minutes to one hour. Watch that crust does not get burned. Let set a little before serving to cool (about ten to fifteen minutes). There are never any leftovers when I make this.

Chicken Chimichanga

Preheat oven to 475 degrees

2 1/2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (approx.)
1/2 cup taco sauce
1/2 cup chopped onions (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 flour tortillas
1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Combine chicken, taco sauce, onion and salt. Simmer five minutes.

Brush one side of tortilla with butter. Spoon about 1/8th meat mixture onto unbuttered side. Roll up after putting cheese on mixture. Plate seam side down in 9 x 13 dish (well greased)

Bake 10 to 13 minutes. Serve with sides you would use for taco dishes.

Yes, your hands will get messy putting this together but it's a delicious dish. You can add other items like green chilis, too. This was given to me by a former pastor's wife who took it to pot lucks.

Chicken Tacos

3 pounds chicken or turkey, cooked and shredded*
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons onion owder
1 package taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups broth (water can be used but it's not as tasty)
Taco shells
Cheese, lettuce, chopped tomatoes, taco sauce

Combine meat, salt, onion powder, taco seasoning together. Then add the broth. Simmer about half an hour.

Serve in taco shells with cheese and veggies to taste.

*My friend who gave this recipe to me is married to a Hispanic man and had a big family. She would simmer a whole chicken to use for this recipe. When turkeys are inexpensive, she'd simmer a turkey in her stock pot instead. It's also a good way to use up extra turkey already baked.

Chicken Enchiladas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 whole chicken, cooked (or 4 chicken breasts, cooked) and meat shredded
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 small jar taco sauce
10 - 13 flour tortillas
12 oz. package shredded cheese (cheddar, colby, jack, whatever you like)

Combine cooked chicken, soup, sour cream and taco sauce in a pan. Heat until warm, blend well.

The original recipe calls for quick frying shells to make them hot and soft, drain. I have used them without cooking but quick frying does gives a better taste and texture. It just takes more time and has more fat. It's worth it once in awhile, though.

Fille middle of each tortilla with mixture, roll up.

Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 dish. Pour remaining sauce over them. Top with cheese. Bake until heatd through and cheese is melted. (I'd say 15 to 20 minutes)

This is another recipe given to me by a friend who took it to pot lucks we attended.

Cheesy Brat Stew and Oatmeal/Cherry/Toffee Cookies

Here are two more of my recipes transferred from my regular blog. The cheesy brat stew is one of my son's favorite meals. He burns off all calories! The cookie recipe is a former Martha Stewart "Cookie of the Week". I used to make it only at Christmas but now I make it more often (dried cherries are cheaper than they used to be).

Cheesy Brat Stew

1 1-lb. Polish Sausage
I use Polish Sausage but original recipe was 6 fully cooked Brats
4 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed
1 16-ounce can cut green beans, drained
1 103/4-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
I have also used an 8 oz. pkg. of Velveeta when I was out of cheese
1 small onion, chopped

Combine everything and place in a 3 quart casserole. If I'm substituting Velveeta, I combine it first with the soup and then add the remaining ingredients.

Bake covered in a 350 oven for about 45 minutes or untill heated through.

Makes 8 servings unless you are serving my guys.

Honest, I usually do cook healthier meals but this is one of their comfort foods.


Oatmeal/Cherry/Toffee Cookies

1 1/2 C. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 C. butter, room temperature
3/4 C. granulated white sugar
3/4 C. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 C. each: dried cherries, chocolate chips, Skor's toffee bits
1 1/2 C. oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift flour and baking soda. Cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Combine with flour mixture.
Add oatmeal, then dried cherries, chocolate chips and toffee.

Drop by teapoons on cookie sheet and bake 8-10 min.*

*The original recipe called for the dough to be divided into three logs, rolled in plastic wrap, chilled, then sliced and baked. I found this caused the cookies to crumble but it did make it easy to freeze and bake later.

Sunday Dinner -- Casseroles

Both of these casserole recipes are family favorites from my mother-in-law.  The Holiday Spaghetti gets its' name from the red (tomatoes) and green (green peppers) colors.

 The Holiday Spaghetti, just before popping in the oven to melt additional cheese

Holiday Spaghetti

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 C. mushroom slices (fresh or use 1 can sliced mushrooms)
1 lb. ground beef
1 t. salt
1 t. sugar
3 1/2 C. tomatoes (large can, I like diced or stewed Italian style)
8 oz. spaghetti -- boiled, drained (whole wheat holds up well here)
1 or 2 C. grated cheese

Brown the ground beef and drain. Add onions, green peppers and mushrooms. Add tomatoes, salt, sugar and spaghetti. I fold in one cup of grated cheddar cheese at this time and then sprinkle some more cheese on top of the hot casserole before serving. My mother-in-law only sprinkled one cup of cheese on top of the casserole before baking. Either way, it's good.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Stella's Chicken Casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 Pkg. Uncle Ben's original long grain & wild rice
Small amount of regular white rice (optional)
1 envelope onion soup
1 can each: Cream of Chicken, Cream of Celery, Cream of Mushroom soup
3/4 can water (soup can)
1/4 C. melted butter
Chicken pieces (either a cut up fryer or all chicken breasts on the bone)

Add enough white rice to Uncle Ben's mix to make one cup (if necessary). I have used only the Uncle Ben's if I didn't have extra rice. I have also used only two soups although I think it is better with the three soups.

Mix first six ingredients and pour into greased 9 x 13 dish. Place chicken on top. Sprinkle chicken with salt/pepper. Pour melted butter over chicken. Cover with foil. Bake one hour. Take foil off, bake until chicken is browned (15 - 30 min).

This is not a diet dish! However, it's a great dish to serve company or to serve on Sunday Dinner.