Pasta Shells

This is one of the cookbooks I have collected over the years.  I chose this recipe because I literally had all of the ingredients in my pantry/fridge.  I only had the medium shells so it took longer to stuff them than it would have with the larger shells.  I also put the meat in with the cheese mixture and pulled some of my own homemade marinara sauce (recipe on the bottom of the blog as Lauri's Italian Sauce) out of the freezer.  What I realized is that the reason I chose this recipe on the fly is because I always have these ingredients in stock and it tasted much like my own. I would also use Sweet Italian Sausage rather than the ground beef in the future.  This is so close to the way I make my own Manicotti, not very risky but good flavors and seemed comfortable.

(From the Cookbook-Church Suppers)
 Stuffed Shells

25 jumbo shell
2 c. ricotta cheese
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 t. salt
1/8 t black pepper
1 t dried parsley
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 . ground beef
1 28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce.

Cook shells according to the package directions; drain.  In a large bowl, combine the cheeses, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and oregano.  Preheat the oven to 350. Fill each shell with 2 T of the mixture.  In a large skillet, brown the beef and mix with the spaghetti sauce.  Spread a thin layer of sauce in 3 qt. rectangular baking dish.  Place the shells 1 deep in the dish and cover with sauce.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Make 6 servings. 

Sheperd's Pie or Green Bean Casserole (Multitasking)

(individual portions for tonight and one for a freezer meal for another night, multitasking)

 

 

Shepherds’ Pie or Green Bean Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped
1 15 ½ oz. can green beans, drained
1 10 ¾ oz. can of tomato soup
3-4 medium potatoes
cheddar cheese, grated

Peel potatoes and cut into smaller pieces to speed up the cooking time, add to salted boiling water.  In a large frying pan brown the ground beef, add the onions when the meat is no longer pink.  When the onions become translucent, stir in the green beans and tomato soup, heat through.  Place the meat mixture into an oven safe casserole dish and top with the mashed potatoes and cheese.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly on top. 

Lion House Potatoes/Funeral Potatoes

I love these potatoes and in this area they have become famous for serving at luncheons for families after a funeral. There are quite a few variations for this recipe and so you can see a huge variety when one of these meals are served. When my daughters were much younger and they were attending the funeral of their Great-Grandmother this was the case. They did not know many of those attending the funeral because is was a rather large extended family so they made a game out of tasting the potatoes and rating them. They would take a taste of each pan of potatoes and then rate them from one to five based on taste and appearance... As I recently took Lion House Potatoes to a luncheon for a friend of mine I smiled as I saw the variety of "funeral potatoes" being served and thought of my girls. The following is my favorite variation. (Funny sideline is that you can give the same recipe to ten different women and get ten variations of the same recipe!)

I got these great Idaho potatoes from a friend this fall, this is actually my second fifty pound bag of them! I peel them and cut them into small cubes to cook faster and then they just have to be drained.
The recipe says not to mix the sour cream mixture into the potatoes but to just put on top, my variation is to mix it in a little bit to give flavor to the potatoes. Top with cheese mixture and bake.

Lion House Potato Casserole

5 Large Potatoes, cubed or shredded (if shredded, cook potatoes whole then shred)
3 TBSP butter, melted
1 can (10 ½ ounces) cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
3 TBSP finely chopped green onions (this makes the whole dish even better!)
¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
¾ cup cornflake crumbs or dry bread crumbs
2 TBSP Butter, melted
3 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese

Boil potatoes until tender and drain. Place in 2 or 3 quart casserole dish. Pour melted butter over potatoes (3 TBSP). Mix together soup, sour cream, milk, green onions and cheese. Pour evenly over potatoes. Do not mix. Toss crumbs with remaining melted butter and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Tamale Pie

Tamales are one of my favorite foods, good tamales. I think that comes from growing up in Southern Colorado, my brother tells me that we had some neighbors that made really, really good Mexican food. I also had a friend in Washington State that had me help her make these fabulous tamales one day. Since I am the only in my family who really loves tamales I have not been willing to take the time to make them since they are very labor intensive. Just after I got married I found this recipe in Betty Crocker and it is a fall back recipe for me, my family puts up with it once in awhile. I was craving tamales so I turned to this..

Tamale Pie

1 lb. lean ground beef
¼ lb. bulk pork sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 16 oz. can of whole tomatoes
1 16 oz. can of whole kernel corn, drained
1 16 oz. can pitted black olive, drained, save a few for the top
1 ½-3 t. chili powder (depending on how hot you like it)
1 tsp. salt
1 c. cornmeal
1 c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook and stir pork, hamburger, onion, and garlic until meat is browned. Add tomatoes, corn olives, chili powder, and salt. Heat thoroughly. Pour into a two quart casserole or a square baking pan.

Mix cornmeal, eggs, and milk; pour over the meat mixture. Top with the cheese. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish with sour cream and remaining olives.

Quick and Easy Chicken Casserole/Mexican Style

2-3 c. chicken, cooked and cubed
corn tortillas
15 oz can stewed tomatoes, diced
1 10 3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 10 3/4 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 4 oz. can chopped green Chile's
1 medium onion, chopped
2 c. Cheddar cheese or Monterrey Jack, or 1 c. each

Mix, soups, tomatoes, Chile's, and onion. Spray 9x13 pan with non stick spray and tear the tortillas to fit into the bottom of the pan. Spread half of the chicken on top of the tortillas and then half of the soup mixture and top with half of the cheese. Repeat layers. Bake in 350 oven for 1 hour. Serve with Avocado or guacamole and sour cream.

I had the chicken prepared and frozen for such a recipe, it was very easy to assemble and this could be made in advance and frozen for a Rainy Day.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Combine cooked chicken with soup, sour cream and poppy seeds

Top with the butter and Ritz Crackers, bake

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped into bite sized pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup
16 oz. sour cream
½ c. butter, melted
2 tubes of ”Ritz’ crackers, crushed
2 T. poppy seeds
1 stick butter, melted

Layer bottom of 9x13 pan with chicken. Mix together soup, sour cream and ½ c. butter.
Pour over the chicken. Combine crackers with remaining butter and spread over the soup mixture. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve over cooked rice or egg noodles.

Whole Chicken Limitless Possibilities

I check the grocery ads that come in my mail faithfully each week for good buys. With the ads I will plan out my menu and shopping list and head off to the store. I love to find whole chickens on sale. When they hit .79 a pound I usually try to stock up on a few of them to have in my freezer.

My favorite thing I love to do with these chickens is to cook them ahead of time, cut into cubes , measure them into portion sizes and freeze for another day. When two of my five daughters got married they wanted to have chicken salad sandwiches to serve at their wedding receptions. For a couple of months I cooked and froze chickens to have ready for their receptions. It was wonderful to be able to pull that chicken out and have it ready to go. Since then I keep it on hand for salads, casseroles, quick enchiladas, soups. It is such a time saver. This also allows you to mix the dark and light meat together for better flavor in meals.

I simply boil the chicken with salt, pepper, and chopped onion. I usually do two chickens at a time simply because it is just as easy to do two at a time and save time in the long run. When making Homemade Noodles or more specifically Chicken Noodle Soup I will add celery and carrots to the pot. You may want to add other spices if you like but I like to keep it simple and then add the flavorings to other dishes as I make them. It is important not to forget the salt though. You can never get that same flavor after the chickens have been cooked.

These chickens are also great for roasting - you can do your own rotisserie chickens. Fixing two this way is also quick and easy. Make one for dinner and another to debone and freeze for another day. Make one with Italian spices and another with Mexican. Tucking fresh herbs into the skin and basting with butter makes an excellent tasting bird.

* Deboning a chicken is easiest when it is still warm.

Limitless Possibilities

Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (recipe coming)
Chicken Salad
Quick Chicken Enchiladas (recipe coming)
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken and Noodles
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Zucchini soup
White Chicken Chili
Wild Rice and Turkey (Chicken) Soup
Creamy Turkey (Chicken) Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Orzo
Chicken Squares
Chicken and Rice (In a rice cooker)
Chicken A La King
Chicken Divan

Left Over Turkey Dinner Suggestions

While everyone knows that the next day turkey on a soft roll is the best way to have left overs even that can get old quickly so here are a few ideas to use up all of that turkey.

Turkey or Chicken a la king

½ c. margarine or butter
1 small green pepper, chopped
1 4 oz. can mushroom stem and pieces, drained (reserve liquid for later)
½ c. flour
½ t. salt
½ t. pepper
1½ c. milk
1¼ c. chicken broth
2 c. cut up cooked chicken or turkey
1 jar diced pimentos drained
Noodles, or hot cooked rice

Heat margarine in a 3 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Cook bell pepper and mushrooms in the margarine, stirring occasionally

Stir in flour, salt, and pepper.

Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until bubbly. Stir in milk, broth and reserved liquid. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute.

Stir in turkey and pimentos, heat until hot. Serve over rice or noodles This can also be done in the microwave for a super fast and easy meal.

Chicken Zucchini Soup (Turkey)

5 chicken tenders or 2 chicken breasts or 2 c. turkey
3 T. butter
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 zucchini sliced
1 can chicken broth
½ c. whipping cream
¼ c. flour

Fry chicken with small amount of oil. Brown and cook chicken, take chicken out of the pan and set aside. Add butter and chopped onion to pan. Cook until tender. Move zucchini and onions to sauce pan, add the can of chicken broth. Dice chicken and add to pan. In bowl mix flour and whipping cream add to sauce pan, heat on high until bubbling. Lower heat; simmer until soup thickens.

White Chicken Chili

1 med onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. olive oil
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
2 14 oz. cans chicken broth
1 4 oz. can chopped, green chilies
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. dried oregano
1½ t. cayenne pepper
3 14.5 oz. great northern beans, drained, mash third can to use for thickening
1 c. shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
jalapeno pepper, chopped

In a large saucepan cook onions and garlic in oil until translucent. Add chicken, chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper, bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low. With a potato masher mash one of the cans until smooth. Add to saucepan. Add remaining beans to saucepan. Simmer for 2-30 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Top each serving with cheese and jalapeno pepper, if desired.

Creamy Turkey Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Orzo

2 T. butter
1 med onion, chopped
½ t salt, plus more to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. flour
7 ½ c. homemade turkey stock or canned chicken stock
1 T. fresh thyme leaves
1 c. diced sweet potatoes
2/3 c. orzo pasta
1 c. cooked turkey meat, cubed
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
½ c. cream

In a large stock pot, heat the butter over med heat until melted. Add the onion and cook for three mins. until fragrant. Mix in the garlic, salt, and flour, and cook, stirring continuously, for another 6-7 mins. Pour in the stock and turn up heat to high. Bring liquid to a boil, then stir in the thyme, sweet potatoes, and orzo. Cook at a gentle boil for 8-10 mins., until the potatoes and the orzo are tender. When the pasta is nearly finished, add the turkey to the soup and warm through. Salt and Pepper to taste. Whisk in the cream just before serving.


Turkey or Chicken Squares

2 8 oz. cream cheese
½ t. salt
2-4 c. cooked turkey or chicken or 2 large cans chunk chicken
¼ t. pepper
2 8 oz. can crescent rolls

Blend cream cheese until softened. Add turkey, salt, pepper, onion, chives, and milk. Mix well. Separate the 2 cans of crescent rolls, into 8 squares. Firmly press perforations to seal. Spoon ½ c. of meat mixture into the center of each square. Draw the corners of the dough up and around the meat and twist to seal. Brush top with butter. Dip in seasoned bread crumbs or sesame seeds. Bake at 350’ on cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Good with gravy on top.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

3-4 c. cubed cooked chicken or turkey
2 c. cubed fully cooked ham
1 ½ lbs. Swiss cheese, grated
1 small onion, diced, sautéed to soften
4 T. butter
½ c. flour
2 c. half and half
Salt and pepper to taste
3 c. crushed corn flakes
½ cube butter
dash of nutmeg

Grease 9x13 pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 375. In a large mixing bowl, mix ham, chicken, and 1 pound of the cheese. In a sauté pan melt the butter, add flour, and whisk to mix. Pour in the half and half and thicken. Pour into the chicken mixture along with the onions. Mix well and out into a greased cake pan. In a small bowl melt the remaining butter and add the corn flake crumbs. Combine the remaining cheese and top the meat mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes until heated through.

The above recipe makes a large batch so I made a small one for dinner and then freeze another one for a "Rainy Day Meal"

Dave’s Chicken Casserole

3-4 c. bread crumbs, mix with a few T. melted butter
1 10 ¾ oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 10 ¾ oz. can cream of mushroom soup
cooked, diced chicken
broccoli, corn, or whatever vegetable you want

Layer the bottom of the pan with half of the breadcrumbs then pour on one of the cans of the soup, then a layer of chicken, then a layer of the vegetables, then another layer of the chicken, then the other soup and then the rest of the breadcrumbs. It works best if you can make it and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours. Bake at 400 for one hour.
(Our first Dave made this for our family as one of his favorite’s just after he married Jessica.)

Cameron's Chicken Divan

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks
1 bag frozen broccoli florets
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. curry powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
croutons or buttered bread crumbs

Just microwave the broccoli and line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with it, then cover with chicken pieces. Make a sauce from the other ingredients and smooth over chicken and broccoli. Sprinkle cheese on top and cover with croutons or bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and serve with rice.

Wild Rice and Turkey or Chicken Soup-already posted under fall soups

Chicken (Turkey) Pot Pie-already posted, this recipe is large enough to make two pies one for tonight and one for the freezer for a "Rainy Day!"