Six Layer Casserole

This is one of the recipes that I got from my Mom years ago and I pulled it out of my family cookbook the other day to fix sometime soon.  Sometime soon is today, but we will be eating a late supper.  This has to cook an hour and a half. I really like it because it is simple, good food.  I also took this as an opportunity to use some of my food storage items--the celery and the bell pepper.  I have both of these in my pantry in dehydrated form, so after re-hydrating according to the package directions, I was able to use them in my casserole.  I substituted Mixed Bell Peppers for the minced green pepper.  I will just give you the basic ingredient list so that you can make this the first time from fresh vegetables.

Ingredients:
2 cups sliced raw potatoes (I used red potatoes, unpeeled, to save time)
2 cups chopped celery 
1 lb. lean ground beef, browned
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 cup minced green pepper
2 cups cooked tomatoes, drained
2 tsp. salt
  pepper, to taste

1.  Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
2.  Layer potatoes, celery, beef, onion, and green pepper.
3.  Combine tomatoes, salt, and pepper and spoon over top.
4.  Cover and bake about 1 1/2 hours at 350 F.

Source: Pat Brew, Greenville, NC.

Bacon and Corn Griddle Cakes

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 c. finely chopped sweet onion
1 c. flour
2 T. chopped fresh chives
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
2/3 c. milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 c. fresh, frozen or canned corn
1 T. oil
1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
warm maple syrup, for serving

Directions:

1.  In a medium skillet, cook the bacon pieces until they begin to brown.  Add the onion and continue to cook until the bacon is crisp and the onion is softened.  Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the bacon mixture for topping the griddle cakes upon serving and set it aside.

2.  While the bacon is cooking, combine the flour, chives, baking powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Stir in the milk, egg and oil, just until moistened.  Stir in the bacon mixture, corn and cheese.  The mixture will be thick.  If you'd like the griddle cakes to be slightly thinner, add a little more milk to thin out the batter.

3.  Heat and grease a griddle or large skillet.  Pour a heaping 1/4 c. of the batter onto the griddle and cook until it is golden brown, 3-4 minutes per side.  Repeat with the remaining batter.

4.  Serve stacks of griddle cakes topped with a sprinkle of the reserved bacon/onion and a good dose of warm maple syrup.

Source:  RecipeGirl.com

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

I was thinking of giving you a recipe for a diet soup that I love, but then I thought that everyone should know how to make a delicious homemade pot pie for those days that you need a little comfort food! The diet soup can wait for another day!

I make these in batches of 4 and freeze them, and then I have something quick to pull out of the oven for dinner on a busy day. My kids LOVE these! People ask me how many one will feed, and here is my answer: It will feed me 7-8 servings, but it will feed my son Curtis, who is 16, only 2 servings. It would definitely feed 4 really hungry normal people who are not teenage boys.  (smile).

Homemade Chicken Pot Pies

Ingredients:

4 frozen pie shells (or you can make homemade crust)

4 cups cooked, diced chicken

1 large can cream of chicken soup (or 2 small cans - about 20 oz)

1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups baby carrots cut into slices

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup (or more) diced onions

4 cups potatoes, diced 

1 can of corn (or some frozen corn)

2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 1 if you like less salt)

2 boxes of roll out top crust (This will give you 4 top crusts) I recommend Pillsbury brand - or you can make homemade

1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp of Poultry Seasoning (or  a little Thyme, Oregano and Sage)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put the diced potatoes, carrots and onions in a pot. Cover with water. Add the bouillon cube and some salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are done...but not mushy and falling apart.

2. In a small bowl, add 1/2 cup flour to 1/2 cup of water and mix with a fork until smooth. Pour this slowly into boiling pot of vegetables while stirring briskly. This will thicken the water that the vegetables are cooking in. Turn off heat and let it cool down a bit.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth with a hand mixer. Add in the cream of chicken soup and poultry seasoning. Mix until well blended. Add the chicken, corn, peas, and the cooked potato/carrot/onion mixture. Mix all ingredients together until well blended.

4. Add this delicious mixture to the pie shells, dividing mixture evenly between the 4 pie shells.

5. Roll out your crust onto the counter. (Cut a heart in the center for a vent hole if you would like - it's so cute!) Place the crust on top of the pie. Fold under the extra crust as neatly as possible around the edges. Then pinch the edge of the crust to seal. If you have no idea how to to that, look up a tutorial. It is so hard to explain in words. But it is easy to do, and everyone has their own way of making their crust edge pretty. 

6. If you did not cut a heart into the center of the crust, cut a few vent holes into the top crust. Just take a knife and make a few small cuts.

7. At this point, I put a square of wax paper on top of the pie, then cover with foil and put in the freezer. I suppose you could skip the wax paper if you don't have any.

8. If you want to bake one right away, bake it at 375 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes, depending on how dark you like your crust.

9. When baking from frozen, bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THESE CHICKEN POT PIES!

Notes: 

1. Kids love to help make these! And they love eating them too!

2. These are perfect to have on hand when you need to take someone a dinner, or when you forgot to plan dinner for your own family.

3. We made these for a fund raiser at church to help earn money for girls camp. We sold LOTS of them and people liked them very much!

Source: Adapted from my friend Becky Robinson, Rock Hill, SC.

Boston Cream Poke Cake

 I love easy desserts that taste great. I also loooove Boston Cream Pies. (and Boston Cream donuts, who am kidding?!) This is one that is sure to impress, but is super easy to make.

How simple are these ingredients? I'm sure you have these in your pantry...

Simply make the yellow cake according to the directions. Once cool, take one of your wooden spoons (since I'm a southerner - I have a few!!) and take the handle and poke the cake, make sure there are plenty of pokes - so that each piece will have some pudding goodness.

Take the pudding (that you prepared and chilled while the cake was baking) and pour onto cake, making sure that it gets into the pokes. Spread evenly. 

Then, warm up your tub icing in the microwave until pour-able. Then pour that yummy goodness over the cake. 

Spread the icing evenly over the cake... then enjoy!

Boston Cream Poke Cake

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
2 small boxes of vanilla pudding
1 tub chocolate icing

Directions:
1. Prepare yellow cake according to the directions on the box. Allow to cool. Poke cake with the end of the wooden spoon.
2. While cake is baking, prepare pudding and allow to chill in the refrigerator.
3. After cake is cool, spread pudding over cake, making sure it gets into the pokes.
4. Microwave the icing in 30 second increments until it is soft and pour-able. Pour over cake and smooth out.
5. Serve and enjoy!

Because this cake has pudding, make sure to refrigerate any leftovers.

**Also, if you are trying to watch your calorie, carb, or sugar intake, I've made this with all sugar-free ingredients (cake mix, pudding, icing) and it tasted great!


Source: My mom!!

No-Bake Cheesecake Bites

Recently I had some ladies over to my house for a little get together and I wanted to serve something that looked pretty and tasted good but was super easy to make.  I searched the internet and finally decided to try these tasty little morsels.  I'm glad I did.  They were a success, and I'll be using this recipe again for sure!  These are perfect for parties and showers.  You can make the filling ahead of time and fill the cups just before your guests arrive.  Definitely a keeper!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar

1/4 cup. sour cream

1/4 tsp. vanilla

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream

15 mini phyllo tart shells (1 package)

berries for garnish

1.  In a mixing bowl, beat the brown sugar, sour cream, and vanilla together until well blended.  Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth.  Add the whipping cream and beat until light and fluffy.

2.  If serving right away, simply spoon some of the mix into each tart shell.  If you want to chill it until later, spoon the mix into a zip-top bag, seal, and place in the fridge till you are ready.  Then take the bag out, snip one corner with scissors, and squeeze the mixture through the hole into the tart shells.

3.  Garnish with berries.

Source:  Kitchen Treaty (although that recipe adds 1 heaping teaspoon of lemon zest, which I omitted)

Mustard Dip

There's a reason I don't make this very often.  Once I start popping this stuff in my mouth, I can't seem to stop!  It's one of my favorite party-type foods to serve and I always get asked for the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup mayo
1 cup yellow mustard
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dried minced onion
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 Tbsp. prepared horseradish sauce

1.  Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until well-combined.  Chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld (a few hours is better).
2.  Serve with sourdough pretzel nuggets.

Makes about 3 1/2  cups of dip, enough for 2 bags of pretzel nuggets (I use Snyder's brand)

Source:  my sister, Amy....a fellow Maven

Artichoke....my favorite Veggie!

Every time I buy Artichokes at the store the cashier has no idea what it is.  They are missing out!  At our home it is a special treat that would be chosen over desert any day (seriously it is my kids favorite).  So I decided that you all needed to know just how to prepare an artichoke!

 I first cut off the tip.

 I then cut off the tips of each leaf.  This isn't necessary but some of the tips are prickly and since my kids are eating them I like to cut them off. 

 I like to wash the Artichoke, again this isn't necessary but sometimes there is a little dirt in there that I like to get out. 

 Place in a pan and steam in salted water for 30-40 min.  You will know they are done when you can pull off one of the top outside leaves easily.

 While the artichoke is steaming mix together about 1/2 cup mayonnaise, juice from 1/2 a lemon, and salt to taste. (You can tweak this to your tastes).

 When the artichokes are done take one leaf off at a time, dip into the mayonnaise/lemon sauce and scrap off the meat of the leaf with your bottom teeth.  As you get deeper into the artichoke more and more of the leaf will be easily scrapped off.

Now this is the best part,  the heart.  Once you get to center scrape out the hair like leaves at the center (do not eat these).  Once they are scraped out spread the sauce on the heart and enjoy!!!