Chicken a la King - From Momma's Recipe Box

Sometimes you just need a quick and easy meal that "sticks to the ribs".  This was one of my mom's go to recipes on those days when time was short and there was leftover chicken or turkey.   With just a few ingredients and a loaf of bread she was able to feed a family of five that included four hunger males.  It also serves as the base for a great chicken pot pie with the simple addition of some chopped cooked vegetables.  The recipe can be easily doubled.  I typically double it so we can have leftovers for supper or a quick evening meal after a long day at work.

Chicken a la King

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup butter (unsalted)
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup milk 
• 2 cups cooked chopped chicken or turkey (I prefer chunky - 1 inch pieces)
• 1 jar (2 ounces) chopped pimiento, drained
• 1 can or jar (3 or 4 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
• Salt and pepper to taste (I prefer white pepper)

PREPARATION:

Directions for chicken a la king
In a medium saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour and salt; cook over low heat for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth and milk. Cook and stir until chicken a la king sauce is thick and bubbly. Add chicken, pimiento, and mushrooms. Heat chicken a la king through. Serve chicken a la king over toast points or rice. Chicken a la king serves 4-6

For a richer version:

• Sauté 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms in 2 tablespoons butter
• When mushrooms are soften, add 1/4 cup butter (Unsalted) and 1/3 cup flour over medium heat and sauté
• Add salt and chicken broth and cook until it begins to thicken
• Add 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup whole cream/half and half and continue to cook (stirring constantly) until thickened
• When thickened add chicken and pimentos and heat through.
• Add salt and pepper to taste and serve over toast, rice or in puff pastry cups.

 

 

 

Calico Beans

Simple and delicious.

1 lb. ground beef (lean chuck works best)
1/2 lb. lean bacon
1 onion - chopped

Brown together.

1 cup ketchup (or tomato sauce)
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
4 tsp. vinegar
2 tsp. salt

2 cans pork and beans
2 cans kidney beans
2 cans lima beans

Drain and wash beans.  Add to meat and sauce mixture.  Pour into casserole and cover.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Simple Potato Soup

Here's a recipe I came up with last night.  It was one of my "cooking by ear" experiments that turned out pretty good.  My kids have always complained that I can never repeat anything because I cook on the fly.   I think I can remember all of this one.

Ingredients:

5-7 medium red or yellow potatoes - cubed (peels on)
1/2 medium onion - minced
1 clove garlic minced
2 stalks celery - minced (optional)
4 pieces of bacon chopped - I used hickory smoked (optional)
6 - 8 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 stick butter
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup cold water

(Shredded cheddar cheese and chopped parsley -  optional)

Brown the bacon over medium heat until crisp.  Add onion, garlic and celery and Sauté until tender.
Add potatoes and chicken broth.  Cook until potatoes are tender.  Once potatoes are cooked, roughly mash but leave large chunks of potato.

Add milk, sour cream and butter.  Heat and stir until they are incorporated.

Add cornstarch mixture is and allow to thicken.

Top with cheddar cheese and parsley if desired.

Microwave Peanut Brittle - From Momma's Recipe Box

Love peanut brittle but don't have the time or patience?  Try this.  It works.

1 cup raw peanuts

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp butter (not margarine)

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

Stir together peanut, sugar, syrup and salt in an 8-cup glass measure.

Place in microwave and cook on HIGH for 8 minutes, stirring well after 4 minutes (Preferably use a wooden spoon)

Add butter and vanilla to syrup, blending well.

Return to microwave and cook 1 minute more. (Peanuts will be lightly brown and syrup very hot)

Add baking soda and gently stir until light and foamy.

Pour and spread mixture quickly onto lightly greased cookie sheet; let cool 1/2 hour.

Break into small pieces and store in air-tight container.

Beef Stroganoff - From Momma's Recipe Box

Here's a fairly easy meal 1 lb boneless beef round steak, cut 3/4 " thick

2 tbsp butter or margarine, divided

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

hot cooked noodles

Chopped fresh parsley

1. Slice beef across grains into very think strips

2. Cook 1/2 of beef and 1/2 of onion in skillet over high heat in 1 tsp margarine until beef is no longer pink and onion is tender.

3. Repeat with other 1/2 of onion and beef

4. Return meat mixture to skillet. Stir in soup and paprika. Heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally

5. Reduce heat to very low. Stir in sour cream. Gently heat through. Serve over noodles. Garnish with parsley.

6 servings. Recipe may be doubled.  Freeze beef one hour for easier slicing.

Bread & Butter Pickles with Attitude

1 GAL large dill pickles (whole), drain juice and cut into ¼ to 1/8 inch slices.

Put in large bowl and add:

4 cups sugar

2 – 3 tbsp minced onion (fresh or flakes)

3 – 4 cloves garlic (crushed) or more to taste

1 small bottle Tabasco sauce

Set our for 4 hours (stir or shake to dissolve sugar)

Return to jar and refrigerate.

Southern Pecan Pie

This a delicious recipe, but I have one warning.  This recipe might not work well if you double the recipe.  When I arrived for the first Christmas I spent with my wife's family, my future bride made this pie.  Wanting to be sure there was enough pie for everyone, she made two pies and just doubled the recipe.  One pie baked like normal with the pecans floating to the top, but for some reason, we still don't know why, the pecans in the other pie sank to the bottom.  Both pies tasted great, but the second one looked funny. 4 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp flour

1 1/4 cup Karo

pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup pecan pieces or halves

Beat eggs well, mix flour with sugar and add to eggs

Add other ingredients in order given and pour into uncooked 9" pie shell. (Do not prick pie crust.)

Cook at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until pie is firm in the middle.

Cheeseburger Pie

Here's a quick meal that kids love and can help make. 1 lb ground beef/turkey

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 cup milk

1/2 cup Bisquick Baking Mix

2 eggs

Heat oven to 400 degrees

Cook ground beef(turkey) and onion; drain

Stir in salt.

Spread in greased 9" pie plate; Sprinkle with cheese.

Mix remaining ingredients and stir with fork until blended.

Pour over meat and cheese.

Bake 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Quick and Easy Pie Crust

My wife got this from her mother and it works great for a single crust pie. 1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cooking oil

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

Place all ingredients in 9 inch pie plate.

Mix well until dough forms a ball.

Press and shape in plate until it forms a crust over bottom and sides of plate.

Prick bottom of crust with fork if crust is to be bakes for cream pie.

Bake in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes

Sweet/Spicy Pickles

I got this recipe from my wife's cousin, and believe me it is easy and very good.

Sweet/Spicy Pickles and Jalapeños (Eddie-Wayne)

36 ounce jar of jalapeños

36 ounce jar of hamburger dills
4 cups of sugar

Drain the juice from both jalapenos and pickles.  Mix in large bowl and add 4 cups of sugar.  Let stand at room temperature.  Stir every thirty minutes until sugar is dissolved.

Return to jars and place in refrigerator.  Allow two days before eating.  Enjoy.

Easy Mexican Dip

PREP: 5 minutes                                                                 MICROWAVE: 1 Minute

1 pkg. (8 oz) Cream Cheese                                  ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup Thick and Chunky salsa                              2 Tbsp sliced pitted black olives
1 tbsp chopped cilantro

 

1. PLACE unwrapped block of cream cheese on microwave plate; top with salsa, shredded cheese and olives.

2. MICROWAVE on HIGH 45 seconds to 1 minute or until cheddar cheese is melted.

 

3. SPRINKLE with cilantro.  Serve with favorite crackers.

Makes 24 servings.

 

Armadillo Eggs

Here's a great appetizer. 
 
1 large roll Jimmy Dean Sausage (Maple flavor)
1 medium can Jalapeno’s
1 small bag shredded cheese – Colby/Monterey Jack
1 box Cream Cheese

In a large bowl, mix sausage and shredded cheese together.  Set aside.  Slice Jalapeno’s in halves and deseed.  With spoon add cream cheese to center of jalapeno.  With sausage mixture wrap jalapeno and cream cheese.  Should look like egg shapes.

Depending on size of jalapenos amount will vary.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake in baking dish for 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from dish and place on clean dish to serve.

Out of This World Potato Salad

I got this recipe from a friend of the family and it is awesome.

6 large red potatoes - (White potatoes will not work) Allow to cool - peal and dice
1 large onion (diced)
1 whole green bell pepper (diced)
1 quart Miracle Whip or Salad Dressing (Miracle Whip works best)
1 dozen boiled eggs (diced)
Salt and pepper to taste

Make the day before needed and let marinate in refrigerator over night.

Will keep for a week.

Baby Food Cake

Here's a simply delicious, most cake that easy to make.  My mom made this for years and it was one of our favorites.

Baby Food Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups sifted self-rising flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 cup oil
3 eggs
2 small jars strained plum or apricot baby food
1 cup chopped nuts

Add everything at once and beat just long enough to mix.

Pour into greased and floured bundt pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

Can top with simple glaze, but we like it sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Atsarang Papaya

A number of years ago, my wife and I lived in the Philippines and fell in love with a Filipino condiment - Atsarang Papaya.  It is basically sweet and spicy pickled papaya.  It's a great addition to any meal but especially good with fish, grilled meat or chicken adobo.  Try it.  I know you'll like it.  I found this recipe on line at Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner.

Atsarang Papaya is a famous appetizer in the Philippines. Though there are many variations of atsara (which refers to anything pickled), the green papaya version is the most popular to Filipinos. It’s because papaya tree grows just anywhere in the Philippines. Unlike the labong (bamboo shoots) and ubod ng nyog (hearts of palm) which are the other two most common atsara ingredients, papaya is more readily available. You can always find it in the market and a lot of families have papaya trees in their backyards.

Luckily, papaya is also available here in Texas. Not all the time though…but whenever I find papaya at the nearby Asian store, I never fail to buy one and make it into a delicious atsara.

Let me clarify that my husband actually makes the atsara. It’s one of his specialties and I really love his version. It has the wonderful blending of sweet and sour taste, and the crunchiness of the vegetables is just perfect!

I’m so proud to share his recipe with you. If you like pickled vegetables…you should try this! It will definitely add life to dull dishes like fried/grilled meat or fish!

Atsarang Papaya (Pickled Green Papaya)

Yield: four 16 oz. jars

Ingredients

·                         1 whole green papaya (peeled, deseeded and finely shredded)

·                         2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and sliced

·                         1 red bell pepper, julienned

·                         ½ green bell pepper, julienned

·                         1 head garlic, sliced thinly

·                         ½ cup ginger, julienned

·                         12 pcs. shallots, peeled and cut crosswise into 3 to 4 slices

·                         2 cups white vinegar

·                         4 Tbsp. brown sugar

·                         4 Tbsp. white sugar

·                         1 tsp. Kosher salt

·                         1 Tbsp peppercorns

Instructions

1.     Drain the liquid from the finely shredded papaya by squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Put in a bowl and set aside.

2.     In a saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns, half of the ginger and half of the garlic. Keep on stirring until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil.

3.     Add all the ingredients except the papaya. Mix well. Remove from heat.

4.     Allow to cool down. When the mixture is lukewarm, pour over the grated papaya. Mix well. Let sit for 2 hours, tossing every 30 minutes.

5.    Transfer the mixture to clean, dry jars with lids. Let cool and refrigerate. Allow to sit in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours before using.

6.    Serve with fried meat or fish or as desired.

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Teenager's Sunday Bake

Here's something to let your teens try some Sunday or other evening you don't want to cook.

Teenager's Sunday Bake

For each serving:

1 pork chop or pork steak
1/8 tsp. salt - dash of pepper
1/2 med onion (chopped)
1 Tbsp. cooked peas
1 Tbsp. rice (uncooked)
1 cup canned tomatoes

Method A:  Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Trim excess fat from pork.  Place pork in casserole.  Layers onions and peas over pork.  Sprinkle rice around pork chop.  Cover with tomatoes. Cover with foil or lid and bake until rice is done - about one hour.

Method B:

Place ingredients in skillet. Cover with foil or tight lid and cook on low heat about one hour or until rice is done.

It's simple and a great way to start your teens cooking.