Smothered Chicken

From: Gold’n Delicious – Junior League of Spokane, page 142

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

6 to 8 chicken breasts and thighs (about 2½ pounds), skinned

vegetable cooking spray

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 cups onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

1 (2 ½-ounce) package dry chicken noodle soup mix

¾ cup water

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated skim milk

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped, optional

Combine flour, paprika and salt in a shallow bowl. Dredge chicken pieces in flour mixture and set aside.

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add oil and heat to medium. Add chicken and cook until evenly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Scatter onion rings and soup mix over chicken and stir in water. Cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, about 35 minutes.

Remove chicken to a platter and keep warm. Stir milk and parsley into skillet. Cook until thoroughly heated and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Pour sauce over and chicken and serve. Serves 6.

Rice is the perfect accompaniment for this chicken recipe that pleases children and adults alike.

Nancy’s Notes: Made January 18, 2010 for Michael and Stephanie. Next time I would add a dash of Chimayo Holy Chile. I added the chile to the leftovers when I reheated them – much better.

Pot Roast Breckenridge

From: Colorado Cache – The Junior League of Denver, page 154

1 3-pound bottom round beef roast

¼ cup butter

3 carrots, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

12 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ pound mushrooms, chopped

1 10½-ounce can consomme

½ cup dry red wine

2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon capers

¼ cup flour (optional)

1 cup sour cream

Brown roast in butter in a large Dutch oven. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic to pan and cook until onion is limp. Add mushrooms. Combine half of the consomme, wine, salt, pepper, paprika and capers. Add to beef. Cover and bake at 350° for 2 hours, or until meat is tender. Remove meat to a heated platter. With a slotted spoon remove most of the vegetables from the pan liquids and puree them in a food processor or blender. Return the puree to the an. Combine flour, if desired, with remaining consomme and stir into pan liquids. (If not using flour, just add consomme.) Cook until sauce boils and thickens. Stir in sour cream and heat but do not boil. Serve the sauce over the sliced meat.

Nancy’s Notes: I had a note in the cookbook that Betsy recommended this recipe years ago and finally got around to trying it. I could not find consomme in the stores and used broth and did not use the wine. I used the leftovers by cutting the meat in bite-sized pieces and heating in the remaining sauce and serving over rice.

Pear, Apple and Cranberry Crisp

From: Barefoot Contessa at Home – By Ina Garten, Food Network

2 pounds ripe Bosc Pears – 4 pears

2 pounds firm apples – 6 apples

¾ cup dried cranberries

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping

1½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 350°. Peel and core the pears and apples and cut them into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and toss with the cranberries, zests, juices, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour into a 9x12x2-inch baking dish.

Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.

Place the baking dish on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubble. Serve warm.

Nancy’s Notes: Very, very good. The Barefoot Contessa really knows Crisps. In another cookbook she has a Peach Crisp recipe that is also fantastic.

Chicken Enchiladas Supreme

From: Colorado Cache – Junior League of Denver, page 261

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken or turkey meat

1 4-ounce can chopped, mild green chiles

1 7-ounce can green chile salsa

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups heavy cream

12 corn tortillas

1½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Combine chicken, green chiles and green chile salsa and mix well. Mix salt and heavy cream in a medium-sized bowl. Heat about ½ inch oil in a small skillet. Dip each tortilla into hot oil for about 5 seconds, just to soften. Drain on paper towels. Dip each fried tortilla into bowl containing cream and salt, coating each side. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture. Roll and place in ungreased flat baking dish. Pour remaining cream over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered at 350° for 20-25 minutes.

Nancy’s Notes: This is one of Michael’s favorites, always a winner. I find it much easier if someone else is around to help with the assembly – one person to do the tortilla in the hot oil and one person to fill and roll.

Tacoritos

From: Colorado Cache – Junior League of Denver, page 266

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped onion

3 cups prepared white sauce

½ teaspoon ground sage

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons chopped, mild green chiles

2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

2 tomatoes, chopped

12 white flour tortillas

½ head iceberg lettuce, shredded

Brown ground beef and drain. Add chili powder, garlic, salt and onion. Combine white sauce, sage, oregano, cumin and chiles. Simmer over very low heat until warm. Reserve 1 cup sauce and 1 cup grated cheese. Mix remaining sauce and cheese with meat, lettuce and tomatoes. Place this mixture in tortillas, roll, and place seam side down in a flat ungreased baking dish. Top with reserved sauce and cheese. Cover with foil. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

Nancy’s Notes: My notes from years ago says, “Kids Favorite.” I haven’t made this in years but intend to do it soon for Monday Night Dinner.

Popeye’s Mostaccioli

From: Gold’n Delicious – Junior League of Spokane, page 113

 

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/3 cup pine nuts

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach

1 (14 1/2 –ounce) can chopped tomatoes, drained

1 pound mostaccioli or penne pastas, cooked al dente

12 ounces feta cheese, crumble

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Melt butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts and garlic and sauté until pine nuts are light brown, about 5 minutes. Thaw and drain spinach. Add spinach and tomatoes and sauté until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Place cooked pasta in a large bowl and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Top with spinach mixture, feta, salt and pepper and toss well. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Mostaccioli – “little mustaches” – are similar in shape to penne, but shorter.

Nancy’s Notes: I made a version of this recipe Nov. 22, 2009. I used the leftovers from Pasta Pancetta, adding the spinach and pine nuts plus two cups of my homemade tomato sauce. In addition to the feta I added some mozzarella cheese. Not planning to eat immediately I filled a casserole dish and topped with additional mozzarella. Baked long enough to heat through. Excellent combination of flavors.

Pasta Pancetta

From: Gold’n Delicious – Junior League of Spokane, page 113

¼ pound pancetta or smoked bacon, diced

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

½ cup white wine

1 (14½-ounce) can stewed tomatoes

6 ounces mostaccioli pasta, cooked al dente

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook pancetta in a skillet over medium heat until cooked, but not crisp. Drain all but 2 teaspoons grease from pan. Add red pepper and saute for 1 minute. Add wine and stewed tomatoes and cook over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 12 minutes.

Combine pasta and sauce and top with Parmesan. Serves 2

Pancetta is an Italian bacon that cen be found in Italian markets or delicatessens.

Nancy’s Notes: Made Nov. 22, 2009 – Very good. I was surprised how spicy it tasted – full of flavor. Would do again using good-quality smoked bacon in place of the pancetta.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

From: Gold’n Delicious – Junior League of Spokane, page 169

2 pounds round steak, cut into small strips

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 medium (about ½ cup) onion, sliced and rings separated

2 beef bouillon cubes, dissolved in 1 cup hot water

½ teaspoon garlic salt

¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon catsup

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup (about 4 ounces) mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons dry white wine, optional

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cold water

1 cup sour cream

Cooked noodles or rice

Season steak with salt and pepper and place in the bottom of a crock pot. Top with onion rings. Combine bouillon, garlic salt, Worcestershire and catsup. Pour over meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, add mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to crock pot and add wine, if desired. Dissolve flour in cold water and add to crock pot, stirring until well blended. Increase crock pot heat to high and cook for 15 minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Stir in sour cream and serve over noodles or rice. Serves 6.

Nancy’s Notes: Made Nov. 23, 2009 – Easy and tasty. I used some Guy’s seasoning in addition to what was called for. I cooked on high for first four hours then on low until I added the mushrooms. After I sauted the mushrooms I melted another tablespoon of butter in the pan, added the flour and water to thicken, then added it all to the crock pot. No floury lumps. After 4 hours I worried about the meat not being tender but by the time we ate it was falling apart, very tender.

Mexican Lasagna

From: Reflections Under the Sun, Junior League of Phoenix

2 pounds ground chuck

1 green bell pepper, seeded, chopped

1 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon (heaping) minced garlic

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon pepper

2 cups white sauce

2 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chiles

12 small corn tortillas, cut into strips

4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, or Cheddar cheese

Cook the ground beef with the green pepper and onion in a skillet over medium-high heat until the ground beef is brown and crumbly; drain. Add the chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper; mix well. Add the white sauce and green chiles; mix well. Spread a layer of the ground beef mixture over the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of tortilla strips, a layer of meat and a layer of cheese. Continue layering until all ingredients are used, ending with cheese. Bake at 325° for 50 minutes. Serve with sour cream and guacamole on the side. Serves 8-10.

Nancy’s Notes: Made 10-3-09 – Okay, too much corn tortilla taste or my preference.

Cowboy Casserole

From: Beyond the Rim – A Taste of Amarillo, Junior League of Amarillo

1 pound ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning mix

1 (26-ounce) can ranch-style kidney beans

1 (15-ounce) can yellow corn, drained

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

2 cups (8-ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 (11-ounce) can refrigerator breadsticks

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet, stirring until crumbly; drain. Add the taco seasoning mix and stir. Add the beans, corn, chiles, cilantro and cheese; mix well. Spoon into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Unroll each breadstick, twist and place on the casserole to form a border and across the top. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until the breadsticks are browned. Serve with sour cream or salsa if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Nancy’s Notes: I made 9/14/09. Of course, I had to add a bit of my Chimayo Holy Chile. I liked a lot, I think more than Bob and Michael did, and enjoyed the leftovers.