Artichoke Chicken

and the best recipe is...

THIS ONE.

Mom's lasagna

Mom's first of nine children spent one of his college semesters in Italy and came back with some version of the following for her to replicate. So this is the basis of the lasagna I have made through the years (until Lynne Powell wowed us with hers; Susan: insert hers!). Grace is hoping to make this for her temporarily displaced inlaws tonight and asked for it. So here it is. Quantities are open for adjustment.

One box of lasagna noodles
1-2 pounds of ground beef or italian sausage or both
2 jars of Classico tomato sauce (or make your own)
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
10-20 oz. fresh or frozen spinach
nutmeg

Boil your noodles until tender and set aside, coating with oil or sitting in a cool water bath until you are ready to use them (so they don't stick together; if they do, then just rinse them again before use).

Brown your meat. Salt and pepper to taste.

In greased lasagna pan pour one jar of sauce and spread half your meat.

Layer one half of the lasagna noodles over the sauce.

Mix spinach with ricotta cheese with one cup of the mozzarella, 1/2 cup of the  parmesan, (an egg if you like--will add fluffiness?), and a touch of nutmeg and black pepper. Flatten handfuls and layer it on to the noodles in your baking dish.

Layer second half of noodles over spinach/cheese layer

Add remaining meat and sauce and top with remaining cheese.

Tightly cover with foil and bake for one hour at 375. Remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes (you can choose NOW to add the remaining cheese instead of before the hour bake if you like).

Let it sit for up to a half hour before serving/slicing.

Pecan French Toast

My friend, Doris Mason, served this to my mother in law and me back in 2006. The next morning the lovely Wendy James at the Kate Shepard House Bed & Breakfast served us another version: Praline Pecan French Toast. 

4 large eggs (she used six)
1 cup milk (she used 1/2 and 1/2)
1/4 sugar (she used Splenda)
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon or nutmeg
vegetable oil spray (which she used) or melted butter
1 loaf (8 oz) French bread, cut into 1" thick slices
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. butter melted

Place eggs, milk, sugar, spice and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Mist the bottom of a 12" by 8" glass casserole with vegetable spray or melted butter. Place the bread slices in a single layer in the pan. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, distributing it evenly. Turn the bread slices once. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Sprinkle the bread slices with pecans and drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the bread slices puff up and pecans are deep brown, but not burned. Serve warm with syrup. Makes 6 servings.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

My sister Marcia gave me this recipe and it says Catherine Marshall on the card. So there's my acknowledgment. Actually it seems to have been from Flo Price in Casseroles I Have Known, Word Books. Made this today and split it into two smaller casseroles to serve a family of four or five each. 

3/4 c regular rice
3/4 c wild or brown rice
salt to taste

1 lb. pork sausage
1/2 c bamboo shoots
1/2 c slanted-sliced celery
1/2 c slivered almonds
1/2 c fresh mushrooms or 1 4 oz. can
2 10.5 oz. cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 t salt
1 t Worchestershire sauce
1/2 c water
12 slices of chicken (or meat of one whole chicken)

1.5 c bread crumbs
1/4 c melted margarine

I used 2.5 chicken breasts and chunked them and mixed all together, instead of layering as her recipe stated. Not as elegant, but what are casseroles for?! And not using bread crumbs for topping but french fried onions. Maybe.

375 for 30 minutes. Serves 8-10

Phyllis Worsowicz' Matadores

Chris and Phyllis were some of our earliest newlywed friends. And one Sunday dinner she made these most delicious matadores for us:

1 dozen 12" flour tortillas
8 oz. jar Cheese Whiz (I substituted cheese salsa)
3 oz. can chopped chilis
1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 medium onion choped
2 c white sauce.

Brown meat and onion, add half of the chilis. Remove from heat. Place 2-3 T of meat mixture in 8-12 of the tortillas and roll up. Place seam side down in 9x13 pan. Make white sauce, melt cheese into sauce, and add rest of chilis. Pour over tortillas. Cover and bake 30 minutes at 350. Serve with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, scallions, and sour cream.

Betty Van Orden's Hot Chicken Salad

4 cups Chicken Breasts, cooked and cubed
(or 1 32-oz. bag Cookin' Good Chicken Tenders)
2 cups celery, sliced about 1/4 inch long
1 cup slivered almonds, optional
3 Tbsp. grated onion, optional
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups Hellmann’s mayonnaise

Mix together and spread in pan
Shred 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, and mix with 3/4 cup crushed potato chips. (Pringles are less greasy)
Sprinkle over chicken mixture.
Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes.

Tamale & Hominy Casserole

Several years ago I enjoyed this delicious casserole at Prescott Presbyterian Church while visiting Kilby. Today Mikyoung was wondering what she'd make for her prayer meeting supper tonight, and having remembered this and wanting to make it, I suggested it to her. She's taken the recipe, headed for the grocer, so I've finally copied it over from the handwritten copy I got from its creator.


9 x 13 baking dish
2 - 28 oz cans Hormel Tamales (unwrap tamales; save juice)
2 cans drained white (or yellow) hominy
16 oz. shredded cheese

Place 1 layer of hominy in dish, then layer of tamales, and a layer of cheese.
Another layer of hominy and cheese.
Pour juice from tamales over casserole.
Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Sweet Potato Casserole

So I was boiling sweet potatoes for use on the Super Food Salad which I was going to make for our lunch. But then I got doing Espanol con AJ y las olivde' and they boiled to mushy! Here's what I did. They're in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes and we'll see if it is good:

Mashed two medium large skinned sweet potatoes (bet there was a cup and a half to two of potato) with two tablespoons butter, 3 egg yolks, several shakes of sea salt, large shake of cinnamon (1/2 tsp?), medium shake (1/4 tsp?) of ginger, and small shake (1/8 tsp) of cloves.

Beat till peaked the three egg whites and stirred into potato mixture about a half cup of them. Then folded in till smooth half of what remained, then folded in the rest. Piled it in a 1.5 or 2 qt buttered baking dish.

Maybe I'll reheat Sunday's pork loin roast to go with a late lunch...

Potato-Carrot Casserole

My late friend, Ruth Lagasse, brought this recipe along with some delicious barbequed pork country style pork ribs 26 years ago when I was put to bed with my first pregnancy. I'm making it tonight again. A little labor-intensive, but well worth it.

4 large potatoes, peeled
4-6 large carrots, peeled

Cook until very soft.
Mash or sieve into a large bowl.

Beat until light and fluffy:
1 egg
1 c. sour cream
salt, pepper, dry mustard to taste

Combine potato-carrot mixture with egg mixture

Pile into buttered casserole dish. Top with Parmesan cheese and butter

Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

Marissa's Summer Tomato Pie

David and Leigh made this delicious main course pie for us the last night they were in town. Paul and Kilby enjoyed the leftovers for brunch the next day, served with a fried egg. It's a keeper which is why I post it here.

1 T sugar & water

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 c fresh basil, minced

3 oz. chevre cheese, crumbled

1 baked pie crust

2 lbs. fresh tomatoes, sliced (and maybe dried out in the oven for awhile)

1/2 c yellow pepper, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 375. Combine sugar, water, lemon juice. When sugar is dissolved, brush onto pie crust. Overlap tomatoes in pie crust, sprinkle with basil, yellow pepper, and goat cheese. Season with salt & pepper. Drizzle olive oil. Bake 25--30 minutes. Serves 8.

Corn Souffle

So Grace made this for us the other night to go with the chicken legs I baked with bacon:

1 can whole kernel corn, undrained

1 can cream style corn

3 beaten eggs

1/2 c melted butter

1 cup sour cream (She used Breakstone's new Jalapeno Sour Cream :-) )

1 pkg Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, 8 oz.

Mix and bake in 9 x 11 casserole 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Serve warm.

Basic Spoonbread

When Grace finishes the piano lesson she's giving, I'm going to teach her to make this recipe, one I found in the May/June 1983 COOKS Magazine that we enjoyed a number of times as newlyweds; a good supper meal.

6 T butter

3 c milk

1 c cornmeal

1-1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

4 large room temp eggs, separated

pinch salt

In preheated (350) oven, melt 1 T butter in a 2 qt. casserole for 2--3 minutes. Brush the sides and bottom of the casserole with the melted butter and set aside.

Pour milk into a heavy-bottomed 5 qt. saucepan and bring to almost a boil over medium heat. Gradually stir in the cornmeal with a wooden spoon or whisk. Stir until dissolved. Continue stirring over reduced heat for 2 minutes or until thick. Add remaining butter, salt, and pepper. Mix well and cook 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and add lightly beaten egg yolks; mix to incorporate all ingredients.

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff but not dry. Fold into yolk/meal mixture. Pour batter into casserole, spreading it evenly and smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes, until puffed and browned. Serve at once with butter, fresh tomato sauce, or a green chili sauce.

Karen Gonzalez’s Chicken Divan

Okay, Mikyoung, here is what we ate last night. Along with a focaccia made according to Becky's COOKS magazine.

Steam 4 heads broccoli
Spread on bottom of casserole dish
Boil 6 whole chicken breasts, chop
Top broccoli
Make sauce of 4 cans Cream of Chicken soup
two cups mayonnaise
juice of one lemon
Top chicken/broccoli with sauce
Top casserole with cheddar cheese and bread crumbs

Bake at 350 one half hour or until bubbly

Stroganoff Surprise

Prepare a box of Wild Rice and Long Grain Rice (I used Publix brand and added 1/3 c rice and an extra 2/3 c water to recommended amount)
Shape a pound and a half or two of ground beef into small meatballs and fry in 4 T butter.
Remove meatballs and place in greased casserole dish.
Sprinkle meatballs with chopped onion.
Add a cup of fresh, sliced mushrooms to butter and saute.
Add 1/4 c flour and make white sauce in the mushrooms and butter, adding 1 to 2 cup of liquids of milk, cream, white cooking wine, water to consistency of canned soup.
Add salt and pepper to taste and a healthy dash of nutmeg.
Mix this into the cooked or nearly cooked rice.
Pour over the meatballs which become hidden by the white sauce. That is the surprise.:-) Bake at 350 degrees for one half hour or until bubbly.

Serve with Orange Pepper Salad.

Chicken Spectacular

4 chicken breasts (3 cups cooked chicken), cut up

1 pkg. Uncle Ben's wild and white rice, cooked

1 can cream of celery soup

1 medium jar sliced pimiento

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cans french-style green beans, drained

1 c. Hellman's mayonnaise

1 can water chestnuts, drained

Salt & pepper to taste

Top with crushed Ritz or Club crackers and a melted stick of butter, or bake covered until last five minutes. Combine and dish into greased casserole. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Quiche

Debby,

I am glad you liked the quiche-here is the recipe. I believe you could substitute 1/2 and 1/2 for the heavy cream and I have also used evaporated milk before, as well. The texture is a bit different, but a lot less fattening. I adapted the one I made for you, using diced ham and a bit of sauteed broccoli. Usually, I pour the egg mixture over the cheese and other fillings because there is too much to use and it overflows. Make sure you bake it on a cookie sheet lined with foil.

Kimberly

pastry for 1 crust pie crust (I used a frozen deep dish crust)
1 T. butter
12 bacon slices
4 eggs
2 c. heavy or whipping cream
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 lb. natural Swiss cheese, shredded (Gruyere is yummy if you have it and cheddar works well with sausage. I also like to make it with leeks, shallots, mushrooms, colored bell peppers and asparagus. The veggies turn out better when I saute or even brown then a bit in butter, cool, then use.)

Prepare and roll out pastry; line one 9 inch pie plate. Spread crust evenly with softened butter, chill well.

In 10 inch skillet over medium heat, fry bacon slices until crisp and brown.

Drain bacon on paper towels and crumble. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spread crumbled bacon pieces in prepared pie crust.

With wire whisk, beat eggs, cream, salt and nutmeg. Stir in cheese. (you can also layer it on top of whatever meat/veggies you use, then pour the liquid ingredients over those.)

Pour egg mixture into crust. Bake 15 minutes, turn oven control to 325 degrees, bake 35 minutes.

Quiche is cooked when knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. (or cool on counter, then put in refrigerator or freezer for use later)

Black Bean Enchiladas

Served to my hungry young family at the end of an eight-hour journey to visit my sister, Marcia, many years ago, this general recipe has become a favorite staple. Peter was dismayed when he heard that we were having them last night. "Why?" "Because there is never enough!"

2 cans drained black beans

1 pint sour cream

1 package or 1/4 c. taco seasoning

1 c salsa

1 c shredded cheddar

10--12 flour tortillas

Mix ingredients and place a large spoonful in the middle of each tortilla. Roll up tortilla and place in greased baking dish. Top tortillas with enchilada sauce. Bake at 350 for a half hour or until hot through and bubbly.

Serve with more cheese, sour cream, chopped ice berg, salsa, whatever!

Long ago I misplaced the paper on which my sister wrote the recipe. This is a general approximation of how I do it. Last night we made 22 tortillas full of 2 larger cans of black beans...

White Cheddar Macaroni with Bacon and Thyme

This is what I invented one night when I wanted mac'n'cheese, but was feeling creative. It was pretty much amazing. And everyone who's tasted it since agrees.

Ingredients:
1 lb. mezze penne pasta
1 lb. thick sliced bacon
1/4 c. reserved bacon grease
1/4 c. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/3 c. flour
4 c. milk
1 tsp. whole dried thyme
3 c. extra sharp white cheddar cheese (+ extra for topping)
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese (+ extra for dusting)

fresh cracked pepper and sea salt to taste

Boil pasta, drain, and set aside. Cut bacon strips into 1/2 inch pieces, and cook on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/4 cup of the grease. In a medium sized sauce pan melt butter and bacon grease over high heat until sizzling, add onion and saute until tender. Slowly add flour, whisking rapidly until a thick roux forms. Reduce heat to medium and slowly add milk, stirring constantly. Add pepper, salt, and thyme and stir white sauce until thickened. Stir in cheddar and parmesan until smooth. Remove from heat. Grease a 9"x13" baking dish and dust with remaining parmesan cheese. Combine white sauce with penne, then gently mix in the cooked bacon pieces. Pour mixture into baking dish and top with remaining cheddar cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove foil and broil for 5 more minutes to crisp up the cheese on top.

Stanton Pea Casserole

Now, this probably should not be on this blog as it is not a favorite of everyone's, but I like it and I started this blog so here goes:

1 bag frozen peas

1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained

Saute:

1 stick butter

1 onion, chopped

1 stick celery, sliced

Mix together with one can cream of mushroom soup, peas, and water chestnuts and bake at 350 degrees until bubbly.

Cincinnati Chili

Susan just called for this. How could this recipe not already be on this blog as it is one of the chiefest favorites of all. Diane Gilcrest introduced me to Cincinnati chili when we were single girls in Chicago. She had grown up in Cincinnati and had "Skyline chili" all the time. Shortly after she served it to me from pre-made packets, we found the recipe in the newspaper. That is the recipe I have used ever since. Made it for a church chili supper one time in Arkansas (Covenant PCA, Fayetteville) and elder Mike Walsh recognized it for what it was and got very excited that someone had made Cincinnati chili. The Cincinnatians serve this over spaghetti noodles and topped with red kidney beans, chopped onions, shredded cheddar, and oyster crackers.

1 qt. beef broth (4 cubes bullion & 4 c. water)

2 lbs. ground beef

Boil water and add beef, stirring until meat separates into small pieces. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Add:

1/4 c. onion flakes (or 1 large minced onion)

4 T. chili powder

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. ground cumin

3/4 t. minced instant garlic (or 8 cloves minced fresh garlic)

1/2 t. salt (sometimes this is too much, depending on saltiness of broth and tomato sauce. So hold until end.)

1/4 t. ground allspice

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/16 t. red pepper

1 bay leaf

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 T. cider or white vinegar (cider vinegar is nicer)

1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (or 1-1/2 T cocoa powder)

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

Refrig. overnight and skim fat off before reheating. (This step can be done between broth/beef stage and spice stage if you like, which, I think, retains more spices.)