Creamy Chicken & Rice Casserole

Tried a chicken recipe the day before that wasn't so great. So, to use leftovers, tried the chicken recipe on a Carnation Evaporated Milk can (had been making Pumpkin Pie at the time). This turned out to be OH so delicious using the leftover chicken from the night before!! It is fairly rich.

I had to do some substitutions. I used a fresh vegetable broccoli medley, rather than frozen and precooked it in the microwave. Also, the original recipe uses instant white rice. I can't stand that crap, so my directions reflect regular Uncle Ben's white rice.

Creamy Chicken & Rice

1 can (12 fl. oz) Nestle Carnation Evaporated Milk
1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 can (10 3/4 fl. oz) cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1 bag (16 0z.) frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot medley, thawed
2 cups cubed, precooked chicken
1 1/2 cups cooked rice (see note below)
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease a 2 quart casserole.

COMBINE evaporated milk and cream cheese in baking dish with wire whisk until smooth. Add soup, water, garlic powder and pepper; mix well. Add vegetables, chicken and rice. Put cover on.

BAKE for 35 minutes. Uncover; top with cheese. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

RICE: Use 1/3 cup less water than needed. After most of water absorbed, turn heat off, cover and let rice absorb remaining water.

FOR FREEZE AHEAD:
PREPARE as above; do not bake. Do not top with cheddar cheese. Cover; freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator.

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

BAKE, covered, for 45 to 55 minutes. Uncover; top with cheddar cheese. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Link to original recipe:
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=106198

Chili!

No new recipes recently until today. I think this is a great chili recipe. Has beans, so no, folks, not a true Texas chili. Worked great in a crock pot. Used pork chop and beef stew meat instead of the listed ground beef, chuck steak or Italian sausage. Great chili! If you use a crock pot, it will come out really juicy, so consider taking the lid off for the last 1/2 hour or so to cook off some of that fluid. The recipe is from an employee Cookbook from Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, MN in the mid-80s. Note: I used the New Mexico Light blend of chili powder from Pendery's (http://www.penderys.com).

Best Ever Chili

By Betty Erickson, EKG
Savory Creations Vol II, Health One Mercy Hospital Employee Association Cookbook

6 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
2 lbs. ground beef, chuck steak or Italian sausage
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
4 cups tomatoes
1/4 cup sherry
1/4 tsp. oregano
4 cups beef broth
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cumin
3 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper
3 cans kidney beans or chili beans

Cook bacon until crisp, drain and crumble. In same pan saute meat of your choice with onion, green pepper, garlic. Add tomatoes, broth, and seasonings, simmer on low heat for 1-2 hours. Add beans, simmer 1/2 hour longer. Serves 10. Excellent served with corn bread.

Stir Fry Veggies

Haven't posted in a while because the new recipes I have been trying haven't been that great. This one was fabulous and really easy to make. Served with hamburgers. The book also suggests sprinkling Italian seasoning on this and serve with Italian sausages (heck, you could slice them up and included them if you precooked them).

Squash and Pepper Skillet

Taste of Home's Weeknight Cooking Made Easy 2006

1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 medium zucchini, sliced
3 medium yellow summer squash, sliced
1 small sweet red or green pepper, julienned
1 garlic clove, minced
salt and pepper to taste

In a skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, red pepper and garlic; stir fry for 12-15 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper. 8 servings.

Yummy Skillet Dinner

This was very yummy and easy to fix. I used smoked kielbasa in this, but you could go spicier if you like. This recipe was featured in Taste of Home's Simple and Delicious July/August 2007 issue.

Cabbage Kielbasa Skillet

Shona Germino of Casa Grande, AZ

1 large red onion, sliced
1 large green pepper, julienned
1 large sweet red pepper, julienned
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1 inch slices
1 package (16 oz) coleslaw mix
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet, saute onion and peppers in butter until tender. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook and stir for 6-8 minutes or until heated through. Yield 4 servings

If you can't get coleslaw mix, here is a link on how to make it yourself. Most of the store mixes combine green and red cabbage and carrots.
http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/ingredients/2008/04/coleslaw_mix

Blueberry Pie!

My Dad wanted Blueberry Pie for Father's Day, so I did a practice run over a week ago and then made another on Sunday. Both were yummy, yummy, yummy. I had never made a fresh blueberry pie (always frozen or canned) and wow, this is a winner. I learned after the first pie to put a pie ring over the crust once it is browned. If you don't have a pie ring, use foil. I had more berry juice leakage with the first pie - not sure why because it didn't happen the second time. My recipe comes from AllRecipes.com, but reprint it here since links don't always work. 1 tablespoon of lemon juice will bring out more flavor, but isn't absolutely required if you don't have it.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Blueberry-Pie/Detail.aspx?strb=1

Blueberry Pie

3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or orange)
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon and mix with blueberries. Add lemon juice.  Mix. Line pie dish with one pie crust. Pour berry mixture into the crust and dot with butter. Cut remaining pastry into 1/2 - 3/4 inch wide strips and make lattice top. Crimp and flute edges. Bake pie on lower shelf of oven for about 50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Note: I added a pie ring after about 25 minutes to prevent crust edge from burning.

Yummy Bars

A treat that is bar none (pun intended) competely free of nutrition. Yum though. This recipe came from Health One Mercy Hospital Employee Association Cookbook entitled Savory Creations Vol 2. which was put out in the 80s.

Special K Bars

From Jeri Arendt, Short Stay

1 cup sugar
1 cup Karo white syrup
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
8 cups special K cereal
1 12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips
1 12 oz. pkg. butterscotch chips

Bring to boil in large glass bowl in microwave, sugar and syrup, 4-5 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Add peanut butter stir in well. Add cereal. Pat into 9x13 pan or cookie sheet. Mix chips in glass bowl, microwave 3-5 minutes on 70% power (7 on most microwaves) and mix until smooth. Cover cereal mixture.

Note: original recipe used 6 oz. packages of chips. I didn't think it provided enough coverage, but easily, a total of 18 oz. of chips would be ideal.

Holiday Winter Drinks

Clearing some cookbooks out, but needed to keep these recipes. They are delicious. Both recipes come from Betty Crocker. Grape juice can be substituted for the wine. Add some ginger ale or sugar free Sprite if too sweet.

Wassail

1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine (about 3 cups)
2 cups apple juice
1/4 to 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
10 whole cloves
Apple wedges

Mix all ingredients except apple in 2 quart microwavable measure. Cover tightly and microwave on high 11 to 13 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes until boiling. Garnish each serving with apple wedge. 10 servings (1/2 cup each)
For non-alcoholic version, I find a half and half with white and purple grape juice works well.

Glogg

10 whole cloves
7 cardamom pods, crushed
2 sticks cinnamon
1 piece gingerroot, about 1/2 inch, if desired
2 cups water
10 whole blanched almonds, cut lengthwise into halves
1 3/4 cups raisins
1 cup pitted large prunes
1 orange, cut into 4ths
2 bottles (750 ml each) dry red wine
1 3/4 cups brandy
1 3/4 cups vodka
1/3 cup sugar

Tie cloves, cardamom pods and sees, cinnamon and gingerroot in cheesecloth bag. Heat spice bag, water, almonds, raisins, prunes and orange to boiling in Dutch oven; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 45 minutes. Remove spice bag, prunes and orange (Reserve prunes for eating if desired). Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and heat until mixture begins begins to bubble. Ladle almond half and a few raisins into each cup before filling with Hot Glogg.

24 servings (1/2 cup each).

Demise of the Dough Boy

Back in the 80s, a British consortium bought out Pillsbury. This joke thing did the rounds given the weird stuff they were doing to the doughboy with their slick (and rather scummy) advertising. Thankfully, they returned to the old doughboy after many complaints. Enjoy.

It is with the saddest heart that I pass on the following. Please join me in remembering a great icon. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and complications from repeated pokes in the belly. Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, Hostess Twinkies and Captain Crunch. The grave was piled high with flours as long-time friend, Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy, describing Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he even still, as a crusty old man, was considered a roll model for millions. Toward the end it was thought that he would rise again, but alas, he was no tart. Doughboy is survived by his wife, Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart. The funeral was held at 3:50 for about twenty minutes.

Swedish Pea Soup

No postings in awhile. Today, I will focus on listing some of my favorite childhood recipes from Swedish neighbors who moved to US after WW1. Pete and Hannah were pseudo-grandparents who lived right next door. Pete passed away in his late 80s only weeks after I graduated high school. Hannah passed away at 105 back in the 90s. Pretty much anybody who grew up in Minnesota prior to the 90s have had these recipes due to the high Swedish/Norwegian population. If you didn't have it at home, you had it at a friend's or neighbors home. Virtually unheard of outside of areas of Swedish dominance, these recipes were things that folks just made; few ever wrote down. I'm sure many simple (and not so simple) recipes were lost during the 80s when so many women stopped cooking from scratch and turned to convenience foods. Growing up, the Swedish accent could be heard frequently in MN. Now, I rarely hear it as the original immigrants have mostly passed on.

Swedish Pea Soup

1 ham bone
3 quarts water
1 onion, cut up
1 1/2 cups celery (or carrots)
1 package whole or split yellow or green peas

Peas must be soaked overnight.
Drain and put all ingredients in a Soup Kettle.
Bring to a boil and cook at least 2 hours on low heat.

Note: I prefer to shred carrots and very finely chop celery. That way, you don't have to go through the extra step of putting this stuff through a blender after cooking.

Hannah Bloom's Chicken Hotdish

1 big Chicken (4-5 pounds)
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced potatoes
1 can peas
1 small onion
1 cup diced celery
salt and pepper to taste

Cook chicken until done; Bone and dice it.
Use broth to make gravy.
Put all in layers in hotdish casserole with a sprinkle of flour between layers. Add broth last and a little cream and bake (350 F). This is an old recipe so you can make changes and substitute other things.

Hotdish With Eggs

2 cups boiled spuds, cubed
1 cup peas
1 tablespoon cut pimiento
5 hard-cooked eggs, cut
1 tablespoon fine-sliced onion
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups white sauce (more if you like)

Place in buttered hotdish bowl and top with grated cheese. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. You can add celery and other stuff if you want.

Glorified Hash

Leftover meat, potatoes, peas, onion, cut up finely
1 cup bread or cracker crumbs
Leftover gravy or milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. catsup

Mix these together and mold into balls or patties. Pan fry or bake in a moderate oven (350 F) for 45 minutes.

Spam Hotdish (from 1960s cookbook)

1 can spam, cubed
1 small can peas
1 small onion, chopped
1 can chow mein noodles
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 can mushroom soup
1 green pepper, chopped
Pepper; no salt

Cook celery; brown Spam, onion and green pepper.
Grease hotdish bowl.
Combine peas, celery, Spam, onion and green pepper. Alternate this with layers of noodles and mushroom soup that has been thinned with liquid from can of peas.
Bake at 350 degrees until it's done.

Creamed Peas on Toast

Used to make this for afterschool snacks.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a pan. Stir in 2 level tablespoons of flour. Add 1 cup whole milk and bring to a boil. Add the cooked peas (about 1 cup). Salt and pepper to taste. If too thick, add more milk. Serve over toast.