Category: Starches

Casseroles · Chicken · Daily Thoughts · Meats · Starches

Chicken Florentine Manicotti Alfredo

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Received my new Southern Lady magazine. I have wiped off the drool from the front cover as it displayed a gorgeous pecan-date pie which is just divine and went quickly pass the desserts in search of a new dinner recipe. This one sounded like it was meant for today, since we woke up to 27 degrees and need something that will “stick to our bones”. Of course during the last 2 months we have found lots of recipes that have “stuck to our bones”. That is why we are shopping this week for new clothes…a size larger. Of course we always say that we are just going mall walking, but in reality, all we do is walk into the stores and see what is on sale. But it sounds great when friends call and ask what we have been up to. “oh just got back from our walking the mall.”

Makes 6-8 servings *This recipe also freezes very well

4 cups chopped cooked chicken

2 1/2 cups chopped fresh spinach

2 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup firmly chopped green onion

1 teas garlic powder

1 (8 oz) package manicotti, cooked according to package directions

1/4 cup butter

2 tables flour

1/2 teas salt

2 cups whole milk

1/4 teas ground white pepper (I am cheating and using black, do not want to go back to grocery store)

1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 tables Italian seasoning

1/2 teas ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, spinach, cream cheese, green onion, and garlic powder.

Beat at medium speed until well combined with hand mixer. Spoon chicken mixture into manicotti and place in prepared pan; set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add flour, salt and white pepper; cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Gradually add milk, continuing to whisk. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook for 4 min, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened.

Remove from heat and add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Spoon sauce over manicotti and sprinkle evenly with Italian seasoning and pepper.

Bake for 35 to 40 min or until bubbly and heated through.

*To make ahead and freeze you can completely make the casserole and just cover and freeze without baking. When ready to serve, thaw completely and bake in preheated 350 degree oven, uncovered for about 40 minutes or until bubbly hot.

Casseroles · Chicken · Meats · Starches

Enchiladas to Die For (well, maybe not die, but they are worth the calories)

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For the past 3 days,  I have been making casseroles that I sell each year. The two best sellers are Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas and Chicken Spaghetti. Having just finished about 30 of them, I had some of the sauce left over from the Chicken Spaghetti. Not enough for me to make a complete casserole but enough to not throw out. I began to think to myself that maybe if I added a can of green chile sauce to the mushroom spaghetti sauce I could whip up another pan of enchiladas. So I did and the results are so good that the next green chile enchiladas will be made with this sauce instead of what I usually use. OH MY GOSH!!!! Seriously good. Since I didn’t count on them being this good, I didn’t count out exact measurements but these measurements will get you the same results…had a few left over to keep for our dinner tonight (which will be in addition to the 2 I scarfed down “testing them” to see if they were good. So here is what I did.

8 corn tortillas

1 cup chopped chicken breast

1 small can of diced green chiles

1 cup of mild green chile enchilada sauce

1 regular size can of cream of mushroom soup

1 small can Rotel Tomatoes with Chiles (mild)

1/2 cup of chopped onions, 1/2 cup of green bell pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

About 1/2 to 1 cup of chicken broth

1 cup diced onion (in addition to the above 1/2 cup)

Garlic to taste

Seasoned Salt and Pepper to taste

Oil

First, in a large skillet, heat about 2 tables oil until hot. Add the chopped onions and bell peppers and cook until tender. Add the chopped chicken, 1/2 can of the diced green chiles, seasoned salt, pepper and garlic. Stir while cooking over medium heat for about 5 min.  Take up and place in a bowl and set aside.

Using the same skillet, heat another 1 tables of oil and add the 1 cup of diced onion, stirring until onion is clear. Add the mushroom soup, the can of Rotel Tomatoes and Chiles,  the rest of the diced green chiles,  can of mild green chile enchilada sauce and slowly add the chicken broth just enough to make it the consistency you like for pouring over the enchiladas. Season with more garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, adding chicken broth as needed to keep a nice thick pouring consistency. Set aside. Hang in there, we are almost done.

*If you like a more spicy flavor, get the hotter Rotel chile-tomatoes and the spicier enchilada sauce.

In another skillet, heat about 2 tables oil until sizzling. take the corn tortillas and fry them on each side in the hot oil for about 2 -3 seconds per side. Place on paper towel to soak up some of the oil. If you skip this step, the enchiladas will be soggy and tough.

Now, grease a baking dish that will hold 8 rolled enchiladas. Place about 1 full Tables of the sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.  Take one of the corn tortillas and place about a teaspoon full of the chicken-green chile mixture and place it in the middle of the tortilla. Sprinkle about 1 teas of shredded cheddar over the chicken mixture. Roll up the tortilla and place in the baking dish. Repeat until all 8 tortillas have been filled and placed in the dish. Sprinkle the top of the enchiladas with more cheese. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for about 20-25 min.

I did NOT say that these are good for you, I just said they were great tasting. Tomorrow you can go back to your health shake and salads.

 

 

Casseroles · Daily Thoughts · Starches

Rice & Lentil Casserole

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After scraping the pan this afternoon of the caramel banana pudding that I made for dessert tonight, I thought the least I could do would be to post something healthy to make myself feel like I have not completely gone to the dark side of life…..an all sugar diet.  This is one of the recipes that I told you about that I found while waiting in the Dr’s office in California. When you read the ingredients….well, even just the title, you can tell that it would come from a Dr’s office magazine and not a Southern Living Magazine, I think Lentil and Southern comfort food might even be an oxymoron. Anyway…for all you folks out there that  are on restricted  diets of no meat, no gluten or diary, this one is for you. But please at least end your meal with a cookie or Red Delicious apple, you can only go so long without sugar. At least that is what I tell myself around 4 every afternoon.

1 cup uncooked basmati rice

1 cup dried split green lentils

1 (10 oz) package chopped spinach (thawed and squeeze as much moisture as possible out of spinach)

1 teas salt

1/2 teas pepper

1 teas turmeric

1 teas ground cumin

1 Tables grated fresh ginger

Be sure to rinse lemtils before cooking.  In a large saucepan, add rice, lentils, salt & pepper, turmeric, cumin and ginger.

Bring mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, covered, cooking for 45 min, stirring occasionally. Cover the saucepan, continue cooking over low heat until all liquid is absorbed. Add more water if needed to be sure rice and lentils are completely done.

Makes 6 servings

Casseroles · Starches · Vegetables

Butternut Squash & Spinach Lasagna

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While on the road the past 3 weeks going between California and Arizona, we discovered quite a few mom & pop joints (and yes they were joints, as they are the type of places that you would probably drive right past, but being married to Mr. Adventure, we usually don’t just drive by, we stop and eat), we had a ball talking with people that we would not come across in our normal daily routine. It was exciting to hear people’s stories and to learn different recipes that we had not yet tasted. Since we were in our adventure mode, I even thumbed through magazines at the doctor’s office while in California.  One of the recipes that I found was this lasagna. Since we are trying to be good and not eat as much meat, this one caught my eye.

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 1/2 cups whole milk, divided

2 tables butter

2 tables flour

4 oz Fontina cheese, shredded

1 (15 oz) container whole milk ricotta

1 large egg white

2 teas fresh sage, minced

1/2 teas black pepper

2 cups shredded fresh spinach

1/2 cup scallions, minced

9 lasagna noodles

2 oz mozzarella cheese

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add squash and cook until tender, about 12-15 min. Drain and puree in a food processor.

Preheat oven to 375. In a pot, heat butter over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook one min more. Whisk in 1 cup milk,  stirring constantly to avoid lumping and starts to thicken.

Add the butternut squash puree and continue to cook until mixture has thickened and then stir in Fontina cheese, to complete the béchamel sauce. Whip together ricotta, egg white, sage and black pepper in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix spinach and scallions. Cook noodles according to directions on box or use no-boil noodles.

To assemble lasagna layers, pour 1/4 of the béchamel sauce into bottom of a 9×9 baking dish, which has been lightly greased. Layer 3 noodles in the bottom and top with spinach mixture, then another 1/4 sauce. Repeat once more and finish with the 3 remaining noodles and pour remaining sauce over the top. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top and bake until the cheese is completely melted and lightly golden. About 30-35 min.k

Casseroles · Starches

Tex-Mex Casserole

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Finally getting unpacked and having a chance to catch up with magazines which came while we were on the road for 2 months, I came across this casserole which I want to make this week. We are truly back in the land of Tex-Mex, which we certainly take advantage of every Wednesday night. El Fenix still has their 2 enchilada special for $5.99 which includes beans and rice and unlimited baskets of great light, thin chips and great salsa. But between Wednesday nights, I sometimes get in the mood for Mexican food. This time, I have a new recipe which will assuredly satisfy that craving. Thanks to Food Newwork Magazine, this dish is shared…

2 (15 oz) cans refried pinto beans

2 cups frozen corn (preferably fire-roasted)

2 poblano chile peppers, seeded and chopped

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for topping

2 teas ground cumin

1 teas ancho chile powder

1 (16 oz) jar salsa

1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green chiles (like Rotel)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded muenster cheese (about 8 oz)

18-20 corn tostado shells

2 avocados sliced

Sour cream and picked jalapenos and cilantro for topping (if desired)

Combine the refried beans, frozen corn, poblanos, ¼ cup cilantro, cumin and chile powder in a medium bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine the salsa, tomatoes and remaining ¼ cup cilantro. Toss the cheddar and muenster cheese in a 3rd separate bowl; set aside.

Spray your slow cooker with Pam and then spread about ½ cup of the salsa mixture in a thin layer of a 6 qt slow cooker. Top with about 6 tostado shells, breaking them as needed to cover the bottom. Spread half of the bean mixture over the broken shells, then sprinkle with 1 ½ cups of the cheese mixture and 1 cup of the salsa mixture. Repeat the layers, (tostado shells, bean mixture, cheese, salsa mixture) then

Top with remaining tostadas, cheese and salsa.

Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Uncover and let rest 15 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.

*I will not be using the slow cooker, but will use a 9×13 greased baking dish and bake for approx. 45 min to 1 hour, or until casserole is bubbling and is heated throughout.

 

Meats · Starches · Vegetables

Shrimp Creole…Paula Deen Style

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Since we made a visit to eat at Paula Deen’s restaurant in Savannah, GA, whenever I see a recipe from her, I immediately know that I will go in my file to make. This recipe has the same ingredients as the creole we devoured in Augusta.

2 tables olive oil

11/2 cup diced green bell peppers’

1/2 cup diced onions

1/2 cup diced celery

1 teas chili powder

1 (14 oz) can tomatoes

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 tables hot sauce

1 tables Worcestershire sauce

1 teas white sugar

salt and pepper to taste.

1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp (I buy the frozen cooked and deveined shrimp at Costco)follow directions on package for using shrinp in recipes.

green onions for garnish (and extra flavor)

Serve over white rice

In frying pan, heat olive oil. Add peppers, onions, celery. Cool until veggies are tender.

Add chile powder and sauté until caramelized. Remove from heat. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire, sugar, salt and pepper. Cool over low heat, covered, stirring frequently, for about 2 hours.

Add thawed shrimp and cook for about 20 minutes, until shrimp is heated all the way through. Serve over hot rice. Sprinkle chopped green onions over top.

 

 

Casseroles · Daily Thoughts · Starches · Vegetables

Veggie Lasagna

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Last night was great. After a whole month of not cooking, I took over my sister-in-laws kitchen. Since Janece has gone pretty much vegetarian, with exception to salmon, I tried to think of something I could cook that would meet her likes, but still fill up two 60 something yr old hubbies who think that a side of buffalo is required at each meal. This dish came to mind because it is so easy and quick and goes great with fresh green beans, salad and since we are back in Sister Schubert country, hot rolls baked with melted garlic butter. Even our buffalo hungry men devoured this lasagna.

Just make your favorite lasagna sauce. While it is cooking, sauté
the following in about 1 table olive oil:
Sliced mushrooms
White onion
Fresh spinach
Yellow squash
Zucchini
Thinly sliced carrots
Bell pepper
Add to the veggies a dash of garlic powder and fresh oregano, salt and pepper.
Cheese mixture:
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 table dried parsley
Mix cheeses with egg and parsley. Set aside.

When veggies are tender, layer your “no boil” lasagna noodles over a layer of sauce (about a cup) which you have covered the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish.

Place a layer of veggies and cheese mixture and sauce, repeating layers. Remember that the noodles will swell when baking. Finish with a top layer of cheese. Bake, covered In preheated 375 oven for 45 min. Remove foil and allow cheese to lightly brown. Remove from oven and let sit for about 10 min before cutting to serve.

Casseroles · Holiday Fare · Meats · Starches

Bacon-Cheese Stuffed Shells

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From the Thanksgiving Issue of Taste of Home, this recipe “called” to me when I saw that most of the ingredients were different types of cheese. A great dish for company.

24 uncooked jumbo pasta shells

1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 tables, puls 1/4 cup butter, divided

1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened, divided

1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese, divided

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup crumbled cooked bacom

2 tables minced fresh parsley, divided

1 teas garlic powder or fresh minced garlic

1/2 teas ground nutmeg

1/2 teas black pepper

2 tables flour

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup milk

2 cups shredded Romano cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté mushrooms and onion in 1 table butter. until tender.

in large bowl, beat ricotta and 4 oz cream cheese until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup Asiago cheese, Parmesan cheese, bacon, 1 table parsley, garlic, pepper, nutmeg and mushroom mixture. Spoon into shells, and then place shells in a greased 13×9″ baking dish.

In a large saucepan, melt remaining butter. Stir in flour and stir until smooth. Gradually add the cream, broth and milk. Heat until mixture begins to boil and stir for 1-2 minutes.

Stir in Romano cheese and the remaining cream cheese, Asiago and parsley. Pour over shells. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until mixture bubbles.

P.S. You can always leave the bacon out or substitute 1 cup chopped cooked chicken.

Casseroles · Holiday Fare · Starches

Sausage & Wild Rice Stuffing

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We are ten days from tasting some of the most flavorful foods of the season.  One of my most favorite foods is stuffing. I love bread stuffing, cornbread stuffing and rice stuffing. If it’s stuffed, I love it. This recipe is from days long ago. A family friend use to stuff her turkeys with this dressing. I quickly fell in love with the flavor of wild rice with sausage. For those who are trying to “do” a gluten free Thanksgiving, use this stuffing. You won’t miss the traditional dressing one bit.

1 pound bulk sausage

2 medium onions, chopped

1 (8 oz) fresh mushrooms, sliced and chopped

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup half & half

2 1/2 cups condensed chicken broth

1/2 teas poultry seasoning

1 teas salt

2 (6 oz) packages Long grain and wild rice, cooked

1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

Saute sausage until cooked and crumbly. Drain well, saving about 1 tablespoon of the drippings.  Saute onion and mushrooms in drippings. Add sausage.

Mix flour with cream; add chicken broth and cook until thickened. Add seasonings. Combine all ingredients except almonds and pour into casserole dish which has been lightly greased. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 preheated oven. Sprinkle with almonds and bake about 5 minutes longer.

*If desired, follow directions for making the stuffing, but instead of baking in  a dish, stuff a hen or turkey the last 2 hours of baking. You can add the almonds to the stuffing before placing in hen or turkey. (Bake turkey according to directions in your recipe, but stuff the dressing the last two hours of baking.

Casseroles · Holiday Fare · Starches · Vegetables

Thanksgiving Tidbits

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Last week I was watching a chef, who I cannot remember his name, showed a few ideas of how to decorate your table, without spending the money you were going to use to buy the matching jets from Neiman’s catalog. He used the miniature pumpkins and had one for each guests. Using a biscuit cutter, he pressed it into the top of each pumpkin making a round cut across the top. Using a spoon, he scooped this out (being careful not to cut all the way through, but created a hold to set in a small tea light candle. He then wrote with glue, each person’s name and then sprinkled glitter on the glue. This was what he used for name place cards. Looked so pretty and the candlelight at each place added such a warm glow to the table.

At our house, we would need to use the little battery tea lights, as the little darlings that we would have would have the entire table engulfed in flames before the turkey was carved. Thought it was worth passing on.

Another great idea is to make your sweet potatoes in individual servings. Using an orange, cut the orange in half horizontally. Scoop out the entire meat of the orange, reserving the juice. Use half as many oranges as you have people. In other words, if you are having 10 people, use 5 oranges, as they will be cut in half.

Mix up your favorite sweet potato casserole, but add some of the orange juice to the mixture.. Instead of just baking it in a casserole dish, spoon about 1/2 cup of the sweet potato mixture into the shell of the orange. Place in a lightly greased baking dish and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes or until it is bubbly. The last few minutes of baking, top with a marshmallow which has been cut in half, using only a half per shell. If your favorite recipe calls for streusel, omit the marshmallow and just top as you would with the streusel.