Main Course

Irish Spaghetti

March 20, 2012 By Holly

1 medium onion, chopped
2 T. canola oil
1 lb. ground chuck
1 t. salt
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. chipotle Tabasco sauce

1/4 t. pepper
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato soup
1 – 8oz. pkg. thin spaghetti noodles
2 T. butter
1 c. mozzarella
1 c. Parmesan cheese

Irish Spaghetti

In a frying pan on medium high heat, heat oil and sauté onions. Add meat, cooking until meat is browned–about 10 minutes. Drain meat and return to frying pan. Add seasonings and cook 2 minutes more. Reduce heat to low and add soups. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.

Cook spaghetti, according to package directions. Drain. Place in the bottom of a casserole dish. Slice butter into 10 pieces and put on top. Stir to melt the butter and spread the noodles out again. Then pour sauce on top and cheeses. Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

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Bombay Chicken Curry

January 6, 2012 By Holly

1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. flour
2 T. curry powder
1 t/ salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. ground ginger
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
3 c. water
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped

In a medium sauce pan, sauté onion and garlic in butter. Add flour, curry, salt, pepper, ginger and cayenne. Continue cooking and stirring over medium heat until smooth. Add water and cooked chicken; simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is bubble and slightly thickened. Cool completely; freeze, using the freezer bag method.

On the serving day, thaw completely. Reheat over medium heat until heated through. Serve over rice with desired variety of toppings, such as mandarin oranges, banana slices, raisins, dry roasted peanuts, steamed snow peas, pineapples chunks or flaked coconut. From Don’t Panic More Dinner’s in the Freezer.

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Mom’s Noodle Casserole

September 29, 2011 By Holly

12 oz. package egg noodles
2 lbs. ground round
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 jar stuffed green olives, chopped
1 can petite cut tomatoes
1 can tomato soup
1 green pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 T. salt
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
3/4 lbs. New York sharp cheese, grated

Cook noodles according to package. Brown meat–in last 5 minutes, when meat is nearly all browned, add onions and green peppers. Drain.

In a large stock pot, mix together mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, soup, salt, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and add 1/2 of the cheddar, stirring constantly until cheese is melted. Add in meat mixture and stir well.

In a baking dish, layer sauce, noodles, sauce and then top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 8. Serve with rolls and a salad. From my dear friend, Melisa–her mom’s recipe.

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Crusty Fried Pork Chops

September 10, 2011 By Holly

6-8 medium sized pork chops
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. flour
1 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. Tony Chachere’s original creole seasoning (optional)
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil (can substitute olive or canola)
2 T. bacon grease

Thaw chops, if frozen. Heat oil and bacon grease (if you don’t keep bacon grease on hand, just fry up two pieces and use the oil–you can save the bacon and crush it into bits for a great salad topper) in a large frying pan on medium high. Mix together in a medium sized bowl flour, salt, pepper, Tony Chachere’s and garlic powder. In a separate medium bowl pour in all the buttermilk.

One by one submerge the pork chop in buttermilk then in the flour mixture. Press mixture into pork chop on both sides. Set on a plate. Let sit for at least two minutes before frying one or two at a time on both sides until golden brown–about 8 minutes. I cover the frying pan with the lid for at least five minutes per pork chop. Drain each one on a plate with a napkin. Test to make sure each one is cooked through, showing no pink or red, just white.

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Fall Fare

September 2, 2011 By Holly

With our new fall A Martha Heart design, I thought it was a good day to share some favorite recipes that the Smith family enjoys every year. I hope you enjoy them, too! Of course, we always make Chex mix and homemade hot cocoa mix. If you’d like those recipes, too, let me know. As I was typing these, I found that they are mostly from Arkansans. God Bless Arkansans! Also, I know the fall design is a bit early, but I am ready for FALL, aren’t you?

Easy Apple Dumplings (from Marilyn Parks)

2 large apples

2 packages of Crescent rolls from the dairy case

2 sticks of margarine or butter

12 oz. 7up, Sprite or Mountain Dew

1 1/2 c. (cups) sugar

1/2 tsp (teaspoon) cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla

dash of salt

Peel and core apples. Cut each into 8 pieces. Roll each apple piece in a crescent roll starting at the large end. Place in a deep 9X13″ pan. Melt butter (or margarine), add sugar, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Pour over rolls. Pour 7up (or other drink) over rolls. Bake 45-55 minutes at 350 degrees until brown on top.

Popcorn Balls (from MaryAnn Smith)

1 T (tablespoon) butter

1 c. sugar

1 c. sorghum molasses

1/2 t. salt

4 quarts of popped corn

1 t. mapline flavoring

Melt butter in sauce pan, add sugar, molasses and salt. Cook stirring frequently to hard ball stage (260 degrees F). Pour over corn and stir thoroughly. Butter hands and immediately shape into golf-ball sized balls. Makes 12-14 popcorn balls.

Creamy Tacos (from Jean Pilcher)

This is wonderful for a large group or party!

2 lbs. ground beef (I like ground chuck or sirloin)

1 can rotel

1 lb brick chili (hard to find in some areas…it’s usually in the cold section by the sausage)

1 lb velveeta

1/2 pint whipping cream

salt and pepper

Spoon over Doritos.

*SO not good for you, but wonderful!!!!

Cabbage Casserole (really needs a new name…any takers?)

1 lg head cabbage cut into small pieces

1 lb. hamburger

1 lb. Jimmy Dean or Owen’s sausage

1 lg green bell pepper, chopped in small pieces

1 large onion, diced

1 can Rotel

1 cup cooked rice

1 c. water

1/2 c. green onions

salt and pepper to taste

Cook both meats in skillet and drain (I cook them separately). Mix all ingredients and put in a large, covered stock pan. Do not peek! Cook for 30 minutes on med-high. Let stand 30 minutes to one hour. Stir and serve. Tastes really good, so try it!

Pumpkin Cookies (by Mrs. A. Chounard)

Cream:

1 c. sugar

1 c. margarine

1 c. canned pumpkin

1 T. vanilla

1 egg

Add:

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

Drop by round teaspoons and bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 for 11-15 minutes

Icing:

1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c. milk

3 T butter

Cook two minutes over low heat and stir in 2 1/2-3 c. powdered sugar and 2 tsp. vanilla.

Special Potato Soup (by Holly Sellers)

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 med onion, diced

2 T margarine, melted

6 med potatoes, cubed

2 carrots, sliced

3 c. water

5 chicken bouillon cubes

3/4 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 t. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. rosemary, crushed

dash of garlic powder

dash of pepper

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1 c. milk

Saute celery and onion in margarine in a large stock pot until tender, add next 9 ingredients. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Remove from heat and mask vegetables with potato masher. Add milk and cheese. Cook on low stirring constantly, until cheese is melted. Yield 10 Cups. Share with a friend!!

Chris’ Favorite Soup aka Shirley’s January 10, 1995 Soup (by Shirley Ezelle)

1 lb sausage links

1 large red onion

1 large green or red bell pepper (I use red.)

2 T olive oil

Slice sausage about 1/4 inch wide and saute all in the olive oil until the onions are translucent and the links are slightly brown.

Add:

4 cans stewed tomatoes

1 can diced Rotel

2 cans red beans, drained

2 cans northern beans, drained (Luck’s is not a good brand to use-from Shirley)

2 T mixed Italian seasoning (I use Presti’s Spicy Spaghetti seasoning from Sam’s-from Shirley, too))

1/3 tsp. garlic powder

1/3 tsp. white pepper

salt to taste

Stir, cover and simmer on lowest heat until hot and bubbly.

Serves 8-10 hearty appetites. Enjoy it!

She concludes with: “Please note that I generally do not write down recipes or use them, but I’m trying. This is the best attempt I can make. I usually cook by flavor or taste. This is a great soup for a party because it satisfies both meat eaters and vegetable lovers. This recipe is given to you with love; enjoy it the same way, and share it with anyone you like. God Bless You! Shirley” Now I find that I miss Shirley so much, but I think of her every time I make this and pray for her. She is a dear heart, can you tell?

Now for a challenge: share a traditional FALL recipe of your own either here or on your blog. Let us know that you did, and I will gladly pray for you each time I make your recipe. That’s just what I do!