Pork Pot Pie/ Yummy left overs

Our Sunday Pork Roast dinner left us with plenty of meat to make several different meals. I made extra gravy to use in the pie but got carried away making the mashed potatoes and forgot to leave some for the pie. So I peeled 3 large potatoes and cubed them in 1/2 inch cube sizes and cooked them.

While the potatoes cooked I diced a medium onion and minced a clove of garlic and sauteed them in butter until they turned translucent.
Once the potatoes are fork tender drain and mix with the onion and garlic.

I took half of the left over pork roast and cut into bite sized pieces, added 3/4 of a 16 oz. bag of frozen mixed vegetables and a 4 oz. can of mushrooms (drained) and 1 t. salt.

With some of the left over gravy I blended the vegetables and meat together

and turned into a prepared pie crust (use can use frozen ones too!)

topped it with another crust and cut air vents into it.

In a preheated 475 degree oven bake until golden brown about 20-25 minutes

Serve hot!

There was still enough meat to make Pork Enchiladas Verde (already published) and another undetermined meal. This roast was so good and great for the budget.

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.

Chicken a l'Orange

I watched the Next Food Network Star this past season and was very excited when "the Homemaker" won it. I was quite bothered by the housewife comments throughout the series like some of the best cooks come anywhere but out of the home. Watching her new show I thought this recipe sounded good and very easy. I had boneless, skinless chicken breasts in my freezer which made it a little different to begin with but I liked the recipe. I even made the potatoes that she made, I like them but would serve them with a different type of meal.

Crispy-Skinned Chicken a l'Orange
Recipe courtesy Melissa d'Arabian
Serves:
4 servings

Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 skin-on bone-in chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
4 tablespoons honey
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Liberally salt and pepper the chicken breast halves. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and sear the chicken, skin side only, until brown and beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the orange glaze: In a small saucepan, heat the orange juice concentrate, honey, and salt and pepper, to taste, over medium heat, and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Turn the chicken over and brush each piece with the glaze. Turn the chicken skin side up and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 160 to 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, brushing on more glaze halfway through, about 15 minutes in total. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board. Remove the chicken breast from the bone and slice the meat on the bias. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve.

This is how mine looked.

The chicken breasts were pretty big and so we only used half for this meal and we decided that they would be really good cut up and served over rice. Since I keep left over rice frozen to be used for quick and easy meals this was extra easy. We were right it was really good fixed this way and this is the way I will do it in the future. Two great meals from one. There was even enough left to make a frozen meal for my Mother-in-law.

Hams and Beans

One of the ways to stretch the grocery dollar is by planning several meals from one. We love to cook a large ham shank or a smoked picnic and serve it for a basic meal and then with the left over meat we make a variety of things. These cuts are great because they have the big bone which is great for making soups.

Ham and Beans

2-4 c. dry pinto beans, soaked over night
1 med. onion, chopped
ham bone and some of the meat
salt
pepper

Soak the beans over night, this helps the beans cook faster and eliminate some of the gas associated with dried beans. Place the bone, meat, onion, and beans in a large pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for several hours until the beans are tender (pull a small spoon full of beans from the pan and gently blow on them, if the skin pulls away the beans are done). Add salt and pepper to taste.

This is great served with warm Cornbread or soft rolls, and making a large batch allows you to freeze some for another meal.

(This was a meal that both my husband and I grew up having. My Grandfather would often eat this with milk and bread (together) and green onions. My Mother told me it was from his days during the great depression, and often the milk, bread and onions were the main meal with an occasional treat of ham and beans.)

Macaroni And Cheese/Comfort Food

When I was a little girl my mom and I would come to Utah to visit extended family. We would often go to Walgreen's across from Temple Square and have lunch. They had the best Macaroni and Cheese I had ever tasted. I have craved this comfort food recently and have tried to find recipe that might come close, this one was similar.

Macaroni and Cheese

4 T. butter
1/2 c. flour
3 c. milk
4 c. elbow macaroni, cooked
4 c. Cheddar Cheese
1 . Parmesan Cheese
2 c. breadcrumbs
1. 4 c. butter



Melt butter in a saucepan and add flour to thicken (a roux). Gradually add the milk to the roux and thicken to a Bechamel sauce, slowly add the cheese to melt. Add the cooked and drained macaroni to the sauce and mix well pour into a 9 x 13 pan. Melt the remaining butter and mix with the breadcrumbs and cover the the top of the macaroni. Bake at 350 for 30 mins. or until bubbly.



This can be made or a "Rainy Day." Simply freeze and the reheat at 375 for 50-55 minutes until heated through.

Herbed Chicken

In an effort to use some of my fresh herbs I decided to experiment with them a little. I felt this one turned out pretty well.

I took the chicken out the night before to thaw and then made the marinade in the morning and placed in the fridge, turning it throughout the day.
Herb Chicken Marinade

1/2 c. honey

1 lime, juiced

1 t. salt

2 t. fresh Rosemary, chopped

1 t. fresh Thyme

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 t. ground pepper

2 T. olive oil

Place all of the ingredients in a zippered bag and add 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (pounded to the same thickness). Place in the fridge and turn the bag several times. The chicken should be used with 4-6 hours. Fresh chicken could also be placed in the marinade and frozen, when thawed it will be ready to cook immediately.

Beef and Cheese Enchildas (with left over Beef)

After making a pot roast for dinner one Sunday I had quite a bit of really tender meat left over. I decided that I wanted to use the meat in a different way. My idea was to make Beef Enchilada's. I didn't want to use canned Enchilada Sauce and I remembered that my daughter had a recipe from a friend that she really liked so I decided to give it a try. I also made cheese enchilada's with the sauce. The end product was very successful.

Half cheese and half beef.
Freezer meals for my mother-in-law!
The end product!

Left over pot roast, chopped in food processor

2 4 oz. can diced green Chile's

12-14 corn tortillas (I love to buy them at the Tenochtitlan Market in Orem where they are made fresh daily!)

Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1/2-1 c. onion, chopped

Red Enchilada Sauce

¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
1 46 oz. can tomato juice
1 can El pato 7-¾ oz Mexican style hot sauce (yellow can)
1 tsp. Mexican oregano
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. vinegar

Combine butter and flour in a large pot over medium heat. Stir to make a
paste. Remove from stove and while stirring add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once boiling simmer on low until sauce thickens.

Place a small amount of the sauce in the bottom of the pan take the meat or cheese mixture place in the corn tortilla and roll, place seam side down. Fill the pan, cover and add more cheese on top. Cover with foil and place in a 350 oven for 25 mins. Take the foil off of the pan and cook for 5 more mins. until cheese is browned. Serve with refried beans, sour cream, and guacamole.

(these are very mild and could use some extra spice if desired)

Meatballs

Lauri’s Meatballs

1-2 lbs ground beef
1-2 lbs mild Italian sausage
1 c. bread crumbs, seasoned or plain
1-2 T. dried onion ( or ½ chopped fresh onion that has been sauteed)
2 eggs
1-2 T. Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste

Combine meats with bread crumbs, egg onions, and Worcestershire sauce. Roll in 1-1 ½ in balls and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
For freezing place cooked meatballs on another cooking sheet and place in a freezer until frozen, then place in a zipper bag in serving sizes and date.

Swedish Meatballs:

½ t. nutmeg or allspice
2 pkgs. brown gravy mix

Add the water to the skillet according to the package directions for the gravy. On medium heat stir gently until thickened, then add the cooked meatballs. Serve over rice or buttered noodles.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs:

½ c. packed brown sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1 13 oz. can pineapple chunks
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 small green pepper, chopped

Mix brown sugar and cornstarch in skillet. Stir in pineapple, including the syrup, vinegar, and soy sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Add cooked meatballs reduce heat, add green peppers and simmer until tender.

Saucy Meatballs:

1 10 ¾ can cream of chicken soup
1/3 c. milk
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
½ c. sour cream

Stir soup, milk and nutmeg into a large skillet. Heat to boiling, add cooked meatballs and reduce heat. Cover and simmer

10 minutes, stir in sour cream and heat through.

Marinara Sauce w/ Spaghetti ( my sauce is on the left column) or for a quick fix your favorite brand!

I love to make meatballs in large quantities and have them frozen for Rainy Days or for when I need to throw something together very quickly. I also love to buy my Italian Sausage from Harmon's here in Utah, I love the fresh grind they make.

Chicken Nuggets

When making Chicken Cordob Bleu I decided that I had made a big enough batch and used the last chicken breast to make Chicken Nuggets for my grandsons. I discovered these when my children were little and liked the idea that they were baked not fried. These can be made ahead and frozen. They are in the round pan in the picture.

Chicken Nuggets

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken tenders
3/4 c. milk
1 c. cornflake crumbs
1/3 grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. seasoned salt
1/4 t. black pepper

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Pour milk over chicken and set aside. Mix crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag and shake. Drop chicken pieces into the bag, shake to coat the pieces. (This may take several times to coat all of the chicken)
Spray a large cookie sheet with a vegetable spray, spread chicken evenly on the pan. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for 20-25 mins.

Honey Dip

1/2 c. honey
2 t. lemon juice
Microwave on high for 45-60 seconds, until hot

Barely Barbecue Dip

1/2 c. ketchup
½ c. barbecue sauce

Microwave on high for 1 min., stir. Microwave and additional 1 - 1 1/2 mins.

*** My last batch I pulled chicken out of the freezer and later discovered that I had pulled out chicken thighs instead of boneless chicken breasts. Since it was rapidly approaching dinner time I just breaded the thighs and cooked them at 350 for 30 minutes. They were so yummy and tender. A mistake that turned out delectable. I will definitely use this method again, as good as fried chicken without the frying and fat.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

One of the best tips that I can give is this: When you need to thin your chicken down place it in a zippered plastic bag and pound, I use my rolling pin because it has more surface area and it goes faster. The zippered bag keeps all of the meat inside and from spreading germs on other surfaces.

This is the same piece of chicken.

After the chicken is the size needed layer the ham and cheese on top. Roll from one edge to the other and secure with a toothpick.

Roll the chicken in the flour mixture and then into the egg wash. After the egg wash dredge the chicken into the cornflakes. (This is my new Pampered Chef tool that I really like, it makes much less of a mess)

Heat a skillet with olive oil and sear all sides of the chicken.

Place in a casserole pan and finish the Cordon Bleu. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

I can get two out of each chicken breast. It is easy to make extra of these and freeze them just before they are baked and used later. Just finish baking them off and serve on egg noodles. With this batch I made eighteen, I took some to one of my daughters who just had surgery, gave three to another daughter who stopped by as I was making them, froze two for my mother-in-law, froze five others for another time for our family stopped by and gave my son-in-law one, and finally made two for my daughter and I for tonight

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4-6 boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves, pressed thin
4-6 thin slices of cooked ham, can be smoked
4-6 thin slices of Swiss cheese, to cover the meats
flour
dash nutmeg
egg
¼ c. water
crushed cornflakes
olive oil

Place chicken in resealable plastic bag and pound to ¼ inch thickness throughout. Layer ham and cheese on top of the chicken and roll, secure with a toothpick or tie with butcher string. Dredge the roll in flour and nutmeg mixture then into the water and egg mixture. Finally place the roll into the cornflakes and cover well.

In a large frying pan heat the olive oil. Place the Cordon Bleu into the pan and brown on all sides. Place into a 9x13 pan and place in a 350 oven for 20-25 minutes. Serve over cooked and buttered egg noodles.
(These can be fixed ahead and frozen. After searing all sides, place into a container and freeze. Thaw out in the fridge and reheat to finish the cooking time. This is a great time saving method.

Make ahead meals-Ham

When we fix hams we like to fix a shank portion. With this we can get multiple meals from one cut of meat. First we bake it and serve it for a main meal. With the remaining meat we make several others.

Ham and Beans
Split Pea Soup
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Fried Rice
Ham and Biscuts
Briques....

Make Ahead Meals-Ground Beef Style

I like to do as much ahead as I can when it comes to meal preparation. One example is to buy ground beef in bulk and prepare it in as many ways as I can for future uses. I usually fry it with chopped onion and then place on paper towels to remove the extra grease. Next I measure into freezer bags according to recipe quantities, for added ease I can add the flavorings for things like Tacos or Sloppy Joes. Browned meat can be thawed and added to sauces to save time at a later date.

This is a large batch of ground beef, cooked, divided and then seasoned for Sloppy Joes, Tacos, and Sour Cream Enchiladas. This was for our daughter who just had a baby to have some quick and easy meals after we left.

Other ideas for the prepackaged meat

Lasagna

Shepherd Pie

Stroganoff

Manicotti w/ meat

Sour Ceam Enchiladas

Sloppy Joes

Tacos
Enchiladas

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.

Master Mixes

During the 80's I found the book called "Make A Mix" and later "More Make A Mix" I tried a lot of recipes but found only a few that I have loved in them. As a result of this book I have experimented with many of my personal favorite recipes and began making my own mixes. I have also found others over the years that have been added to my "Master Mix" file. I strongly believe in doing a lot of mixes at once rather than take time each time I use a specific recipe to measure out simple dry ingredients. When there are recipes that are used frequently making multiple mixes can save time in the long run. I have also learned to love dry buttermilk because it comes in handy when you are making mixes.



I have also received several mason jars that have been filled with different type of cookie or bread mixes over the last few years. That is a great gift and an easy way to store these type of mixes on your pantry shelf.

Ideas for mixes:

Focaccia Bread (published)
Applesauce Spice Cake (published on side bar)
Dill Dip (published)
Ranch dressing
Taco Spice Mix
Cornbread
Waffles (published)
Onion Soup Mix (published)
Barbecue Sauce
Brownies
Hot Roll Mix
Cocoa
Chicken Soup
Rubs and Season Mixes.............. use your imagination.

I line glasses with plastic bags and measure out the ingredients in each one. I have also used a vacuum sealer to package some of the mixes.

Making sure that the air is out of each bag I seal or twist the package up and place labels on each one with instructions for preparation.

I really like to make my own mixes because I know exactly what is in each package and when it was made. I also have the ability to use my own dried herbs.