Recipes
Build Your Own Casserole
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Choose one sauce maker:
10.75 oz tomato soup
10.75 oz Cream of Celery soup
10.75 oz Cream of Potato soup
10.75 oz Cream of Chicken soup
10.75 oz Cream of Mushroom soup
10.75 oz Cream of Broccoli soup
29 oz Italian-style diced tomatoes
Choose one frozen vegetable:
10 oz broccoli
10 oz corn
10 oz peas
10 oz beans
10 oz spinach
16 oz yellow squash
16 oz mixed veggie blend
Choose one pasta/rice:
4 cups egg noodles, uncooked
3 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
3 cups shells, uncooked
1 cup rice, uncooked
Choose one fish/meat/poultry:
2 cans tuna, drained & flaked
1 lb ground beef, browned & drained
1 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled
2 cups ham, cooked & chopped
2 cups chicken, cooked & chopped
2 cups turkey, cooked & chopped
Choose one or more extras:
1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup black olives, sliced & drained
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4-1/2 oz can green chilies, chopped
3 oz can mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 pkg taco seasoning mix or homemade version
Choose one or more toppings:
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup crushed cereal
1/2 cup French-fried onion rings
1/2 cup crushed buttery round crackers
1/2 cup cheddar, shredded
1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan, grated
1/2 cup Swiss, shredded
Direction:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 13×9 baking dish.
Combine sour cream, milk, water, salt, and pepper with sauce maker
(omit sour cream and milk when using tomatoes).
Stir in frozen vegetable, pasta/rice, fish/meat/poultry, and extra(s).
Spoon into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with topping(s).
Bake, covered, for 45 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.
Chicken Marsala
oil
2 Tablespoons of butter
1lb Boneless skinless chicken breast
flour for dredging
salt and pepper
1 large clove of garlic
1 4oz can of sliced mushrooms or 1 cup of fresh mushrooms
1 cup of chicken stock or chicken broth (I use water and chicken base to make my own stock)
1/2 cup of marsala wine*
fresh or dried parsley
1/4 water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
To prep your chicken breasts, cut them lengthwise to make thinner cutlets. This will greatly reduce the cooking time. Sometimes I cut mine into three cutlets because they are so thick. I want my chicken to be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Pat the chicken dry. Add salt and pepper to the flour and dredge your chicken. Cover it well but shake off the excess. Heat some oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt with the oil. Adding the butter will give it good flavor, but the oil will keep the butter from burning. Add the chicken. You may need to do this in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Cook the chicken until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the pan as finished. Add your mushrooms now and your garlic. I like to grate my garlic with a Microplane Grater
* Don’t purchase cooking wine at the grocery store. Cooking wine tastes pretty terrible and has a ton of sodium. Always use wine you’d drink when cooking. It doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, I’ve found that per liter, the stuff at the grocery store is more expensive than buying an inexpensive table wine. Marsala wine can be found at most liquor stores and is pretty inexpensive. Trust me on this one.
Easy Chicken Parm
This recipe is so easy. If you time everything right, you can have it done in less than 30 minutes of active cooking time.
2 small or 1 large breaded chicken breast per person (I use Perdue or Tyson)
a can or jar of spaghetti sauce
shredded or sliced mozzarella cheese
pasta (I like spaghetti or ziti)
Fill a large pot with water and get it covered and on the stove. Make sure you cover it; it’ll boil A LOT faster. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil and grease it with oil, nonstick spray or shortening (whatever you have on hand really). Place chicken on the sheet and get it into the oven. If the oven isn’t exactly 450 yet, it’s okay. I cook my chicken for about 20 minutes, turning in the middle of baking. I like mine crispy though so I like the extra heat and time. You can bake it for as little as 12 minutes. Check the package directions.
When the water boils, add some kosher salt (it flavors the pasta nicely) and your pasta. When the chicken is done, spoon some of your sauce onto the chicken and top with cheese. Put it back into the oven until the cheese is melted. I’m not the biggest fan of red sauce so I just top mine with cheese and put a little sauce on at the end. My husband likes the sauce under the cheese and that’s the way it’s served at most restaurants. Drain the pasta when it’s finished. I serve my chicken on top of the serving of pasta and add more sauce.
Shepard’s Pie
This is a modified family recipe. I’ve been eating shepard’s pie since I was itty-bitty. It’s one of my favorite comfort foods. The way I make it, it’s super quick. It take a bit to bake but you can be off doing other things while baking. You can make this with instant potatoes, but it’s just not as good. You can also use leftover mashed potatoes, just add a bit of milk or water to thin them before baking.
3 or 4 large potatoes or 6 or 7 smaller potatoes
dry milk powder
butter, salt and pepper to taste
1 lb ground beef
worchester sauce
dijon mustard
1 envelope of brown gravy mix
1/2 of beer or water
frozen corn
Peal and cut potatoes. Put in a pot with cold water and a bit of salt. Cook until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid. Return potatoes to the stove, on medium heat to cook off any remaining water. I like to dry out my potatoes a bit which makes them fluffier.
Add the dry milk powder and a few tablespoons of butter. Mash with a potato masher or a hand mixer. Add some of the reserve cooking water until desired consistancy. Remember that you are going to bake these so I usually add a bit more liquid that I would for normal mashed potatoes.
While the potatoes are boiling, cook the ground beef in a skillet. When no longer pink, add salt and pepper, a splash of worchester and a squeeze of dijon. Add the gravy mix. Stir the mixture together. Add the beer or water and stir again.
While the potatoes and beef are cooking, microwave the corn for 3 minutes.
Add the beef mixture to a caserole dish. I use a round or square casserole dish. Spread it out to make the layer level. Add corn on top of the beef mixture then top with potatoes. If your casserole is really full, you may want to put it on a sheet pan covered with foil so there are no messes in the oven. Bake at 350 for 30 to 45 minutes. I bake it for 45 because I like my potatoes a little crisp on top.
Spaetzle Noodles
I came up with this recipe after making spaetzle at home, which was a complete pain-in-the-skillet. This tastes just like spaetzle but is so much easier.
1 bag of egg noodles (I use the widest ones I can find)
olive oil
butter
salt and pepper
nutmeg
Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and place the empty pot back on the stove. With the heat on medium, add a bit of olive oil and a few tablespoons of butter. Once the butter is melted, add a pinch of salt, pepper and some freshly grated nutmeg. Stir together, then add the noodles. Mix everything together and cook for a few minutes. If the noodles look a little dry, add a bit more butter.
Swedish Meatballs
This is one of my husband’s favorites. There are two different ways to make this depending on how much time you have. You can make this in the crockpot or on the stove. It is so much better in the crockpot, if you have the time. It’s also much less work intensive if you make it in the crockpot.
1.5 to 2 lbs of swedish style meatballs.
2 cans of beef broth
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
hot cooked egg noodles
Add the meatballs, broth, salt, pepper and nutmeg to a crockpot or large skillet. In the crockpot, cook on low for at least 4 hours, but you can cook it all day. Some of the broth will be absorbed into the meatballs. If using the skillet, simmer the meatballs, covered until about half the liquid has been absorbed by the meatballs. This can take up to an hour. Make sure you watch it closely.
When you are ready to eat, stir in the soup and cook until heated through. Serve over noodles.
Sweet and Sour Popcorn Chicken
I can’t tell you how much I love this recipe. It cures my cravings for take out, plus it’s so easy. You need to try this one. I know some of the ingredients in the sauce look strange but I swear this looks and tastes just like sweet and sour chicken.
2 cups cubed veggies (I use green pepper, onions and carrots but
you can use anything you want)
20 oz can of pineapple chunks with juice
3 cups popcorn chicken
2 T brown sugar
1 cube chicken bullion
1 T white vinegar
2 T ketchup
1/2 t garlic powder or granulated garlic
1 T cornstarch
oil for cooking
hot cooked rice
If you have a rice cooker, start the rice first. It takes longer to make the rice than to cook the rest of the meal. Cook the popcorn chicken according to package directions. I like my chicken really crispy so I cook it at 425 for 15 minutes, flipping it midway, then cook at 450 for another few minutes till crispy. You can fry the chicken but it’s a pain and less healthy than baking it.
While the chicken is cooking, preheat a bit of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the veggies and cook till tender-crisp. You want the veggies to have a little bite left. Drain the pineapple juice into a measuring cup. Add enough water so you have a total of 1 and 1/4 cups of liquid. Add the brown sugar, bullion, vinegar, ketchup and garlic powder. Stir to combine and add to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Combine the cornstarch with 1/2 cup of cold water. Add to the skillet and simmer until thick. Add half the can of pineapple (save the rest for a snack) and the chicken. Stir to combine and serve over rice.
Tortellini Soup
I’ve been eating this for as long as I can remember. My husband had never had tortellini soup until I made it for him the first time. Now it’s one of his favorites.
1/4 cup onion, small dice
2 to 4 cloves of garlic, depending on preference
2 stalks of celery, sliced
2 good sized carrots, sliced
1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken, optional
1 box chicken broth
1 bag frozen cheese or chicken tortellini
dried or fresh parsley
In a heavy bottom pot, add a bit of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the onions and the garlic. I use my Microplane Grater
