Mom's Family Favorite

Mom's Pot Roast

                 5 lb.     Beef Rump Roast

                  1 lg.     Onion, quartered
            12 small     Red Skin or Yellow Rose Potatoes
              2 large     Carrots, cut into 2” chuncks
          1 package     Pot Roast Seasoning
                 2 Tb     Demi-Glace Base (Stacey’s recommendation)
                   1-2     Cloves of Garlic, optional
                             Salt & Pepper, to taste

 Place all ingredients in crock pot and add water to just cover ingredients.  Turn crock pot on, cover, and forget about it for 4 hours or more.

 

 

 

Mom's Meatloaf

 

         1½-2 lb.      Ground Beef

                ½ lg.     Onion, diced

                  1 lg.     Green Peppers, diced

              1 clove     Garlic, minced

           1 sm can     Tomato Paste

                       1     Egg

            handful     Saltine Cracker crumbs (optional)

                             Salt & Pepper, to taste

Mix ingredients, pack tightly into loaf, place in  pan, bake at 375° for 45 minutes to an hour.

 

 

 

Mom's Corned Beef & Cabbage

 

1 Seasoned Corned Beef Brisket

1 Onion, cut into eighths

1 Head Cabbage, cut into eighths

Salt & Pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a crockpot, cover ingredeitns with water.  Turn the crockpot on and forget about it for 4-5 hours.

 

 

 

Chicken, Ortega Chili & Tortilla ‘Cacciatore’

                 1    Whole Chicken, 3-4 pounds

               ½    large Onion, chopped
          1 can    Ortega Diced Green chiles, 4 oz
          1 can    Cream of Mushroom Soup
          1 can    Cream of Chicken Soup
                      Milk
          1 bag    Corn Tortillas
         3 cups    Cheddar Cheese, grated
                      Salt & Pepper to taste

Stacey’s twist to the recipe:

      1 bunch    Cilantro, minced (optional)
           1 tsp    Cayenne Pepper (optional)
      2 cloves    Garlic, minced (optional           

Boil chicken in a large pot of salted water.  (Broth can be reserved and stored for a later use).  When chicken has cooled, remove and discard the bones and skin.  Shred meat and set  aside.

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large bowl combine onions, chiles, and soups.  Add optional recipe items at this point.  Add a small amount of milk if mixture is too thick

Grease a large casserole dish.  Alternate layers in the dish of torn tortillas, shredded chicken, soup mixture, and cheese. 

Bake until casserole startles to boil around the edges and cheese is melted.  About 30 minutes.

 

Tips

§  A great recipe to use for left over turkey or chicken.

§  For lower calories use fat free soups and less cheese.

§  Can be made ahead and cooked when ready to eat.

 

Enchiladas & Encharitos

Quick Enchilada Sauce

                     4 Tb        Vegetable Oil

                 1-2 Tb        Flour

               1/4 cup        Chili Powder

                  2 cups        Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock

                    10 oz        Tomato Paste

                     2 tsp        Dried Oregano

                     1 tsp        Ground Cumin

                   ½ tsp        cayenne

                                      Salt to taste

                        

In saucepan heat oil, add flour, smoothing and stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add stock, tomato paste, oregano, cumin and cayenne, stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce should be smooth and slightly thick.  Season to taste

 

Cheese Enchiladas

           1 package      Corn Tortillas

                  ½ cup      Vegetable Oil

              2-3 cups      Enchilada Sauce (or 2-3 canned Enchilada Sauce)

        4-5 pounds      Cheddar Cheese or Cheddar-Jack, grated      

                          ½      Onion, chopped (or ½ cup Dried Onions)

 

Heat oil and quickly cook the corn tortillas until soft and pliable (about 20 seconds on both sides).  Drain on paper towel. 

 

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray casserole dish with vegetable spray. 

Thoroughly mix the cheese and onions in a bowl.  Place enchilada sauce in a shallow dish.  Dip tortilla in enchilada sauce, place in casserole dish, and roll a handful of cheese in the center.  Repeat process until tortillas are gone or casserole dish is full.  Cover with remaining sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15-30 minutes - until cheese is melted and sauce slightly bubbling around the edges.

 

Encharitos

           1 package      Corn Tortillas

                  ½ cup      Vegetable Oil

              2-3 cups      Enchilada Sauce (or 2-3 canned Enchilada Sauce)

              1 pound      Ground Beef

                                    Salt & Pepper to taste

                   ½ tsp      Ground Cumin

                          ½      Onion, chopped

                    1 can      Refried Beans           

            1 pounds      Cheddar Cheese or Cheddar-Jack, grated      

                             

Brown ground beef and onions over high heat.  Strain and discard grease.  Season with salt, pepper and cumin.  Add refried beans, mix and heat.  When mixture begins to bubble, remove from heat and set aside.

Heat oil and quickly cook the corn tortillas until soft and pliable (about 20 seconds on both sides).  Drain on paper towel. 

Preheat oven to 350°.

Spray casserole dish with vegetable spray. 

Place enchilada sauce in a shallow dish.  Dip tortilla in enchilada sauce, place in casserole dish, and roll a spoonful of beef-bean mixture and spoonful of cheese in the center.  Repeat process until tortillas are gone or casserole dish is full.  Cover with remaining sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15-30 minutes - until cheese is melted and sauce slightly bubbling around the edges.

Potato Cheese Casserole

                  1    Onion, diced

          ¼ cup    Butter

     2 pounds    Frozen Hash Browns

           1 can    Cream of Mushroom

           1 can    Cream of Celery

              8 oz    Sour Cream

      1-2 cups    Cheddar Cheese, grated

                        Salt & Pepper to taste

 

Defrost has browns and break up the shredded potato in a large bowl.

Preheat oven to 375°.

 

Heat butter in a skillet over high heat, when butter is melted add the onions. Sauté onions until they are translucent.  Add onions to the potatoes.

 

Add the cans of soup, sour cream, cheddar cheese, salt & pepper to bowl. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Spread mixture into a large casserole dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake in oven for 45 minutes to one hour, or until the top is golden brown and casserole begins to bubble around the edges.

Mom's Lasagna

        1 batch    Spaghetti Sauce with Spicy Italian Sausage

  1 large box    Lasagna Sheets

             1 lb.    Grated Mozzarella

           24 oz.    Cottage Cheese (Stacey likes to use Ricotta also)

          ½ cup    Dried Parsley

 

In a large pot cook the pasta sheets and remove from the water carefully. Rinse to cool.

Thoroughly mix the cheeses and parsley in a bowl

Coat a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Spread a small amount of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Place an over-lapping layer of pasta sheets over the sauce, followed by a layer of the cheese mixture, then sauce. Repeat the layering process until the dish is full with the last layer being sauce.

 

Bake the lasagna at 375* until the edges begin to bubble. Remove from the oven and let it rest 10 minutes to “set up” before cutting into it

 

                                                                                                    Serves 6-8

Green Beans – Kristi’s & Grandma Sue’s

Kristi’s

     2 pounds    Fresh Green Beans or Trader Joe’s frozen

½ to 1 pound  Bacon, cooked and chopped

         1-4 tsp    Bacon Grease (or Olive Oil)

       2 cloves    Garlic, minced

                        Salt & Pepper to taste

Steam green beans until they are almost cooked, (Kristi uses an electric steamer, but the same results can be achieved stove top).  Removed from steam and allow most of the moisture to evaporate.

Meanwhile cook bacon, and set aside.  Reserve bacon grease.

Heat bacon grease in wok.  Add garlic and green beans and sauté.  Season with crumbled bacon, salt & pepper.

 

 

Grandma Sue’s

  3-4 pounds    Fresh Green Beans

     2 pounds    Red Skin Potatoes, small

              2 tb    Bacon Grease

     2-4 slices    Bacon

                        Salt & Pepper to taste

 

Clean and snap the ends of the green beans.  Scrub potatoes to remove dirt.  Place all in a large pot,c omver with water and simmer over medium heat until the potatoes are cooked.

 

Grandma Sue's Potato Salad

          5 pounds     Potatoes, scrubbed

                       1     Red Onion, diced

                      2     Hardboiled Eggs, diced

                  6-8     Sweet Pickles, diced

              1+ cup     Mayonnaisse or Salad Dressing

              1+ cup     Mustard

                             Salt & Pepper to taste

                             Paprika to garnish

 

Boil potatoes in water with salt.  When cooked through, drain and cool.  Cut potatoes into bite size pieces.  Add remaining ingredients, and toss.  Taste to check seasoning.  Cover and chill in refrigerator.  Garnish with paprika before serving

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce

         2 packages     spicy Italian sausage

                       1     onion, diced

               1 to 2     bell peppers, diced

            3 cloves     garlic, minced

              2 cups     mushrooms, sliced (optional)

       1 28 oz can     tomato puree

         1 6 oz can     tomato paste

              2 cups     water (or more)

                  1 Tb     basil

                  1 Tb     oregano

                  1 Tb     rosemary

                             salt & pepper to taste

 

Remove and discard sausage casing.  In large stock pot over high heat, crumble and brown sausage.  Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic.  Cook till onions are translucent.  Strain & discard grease from pot.

Return pot to heat, add tomato paste, puree and water.  Stir well, add more water if needed.  Add mushrooms and generous portions of basil, oregano, rosemary, salt  and pepper.

Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and slowly simmer until it thickens to the desired consistency.

 

Mom's Pot Roast

                 5 lb.     Beef Rump Roast

                  1 lg.     Onion, quartered

            12 small     Red Skin or Yellow Rose Potatoes

              2 large     Carrots, cut into 2” chuncks

          1 package     Pot Roast Seasoning

                 2 Tb     Demi-Glace Base (Stacey’s recommendation)

                   1-2     Cloves of Garlic, optional

                             Salt & Pepper, to taste

 

Place all ingredients in crock pot and add water to just cover ingredients.  Turn crock pot on, cover, and forget about it for 4 hours or more.

 

Mom's Meatloaf

           1½-2 lb.     Ground Beef

                ½ lg.     Onion, diced

                  1 lg.     Green Peppers, diced

              1 clove     Garlic, minced (Stacey adds)

           1 sm can     Tomato Paste

                       1     Egg

            handful     Saltine Cracker crumbs

                             Salt & Pepper, to taste

 

Mix ingredients, pack tightly into loaf, place in  pan, bake at 375° for 45 minutes to an hour.

 

Sausage Chowder

Mom discovered this recipe while we were living in Denver.  It has become one of our families classic warming, comfort foods.  It has also become part of our Halloween night tradition, before the kids go out trick or treating.  And though many of the men in the family like to refer to it as "chili"... those of us who cook, know it's CHOWDER!

                 2 lb.     Ground Spicy Pork Sausage

                 1 lg.     Onion, diced

                 1 lg.     Green Peppers, diced

           1 clove     Garlic, minced

         1 lg. can     Tomato puree

              1 can     Kidney Beans

            1 large     Potato, peeled & diced

             2 cups     Frozen Corn

                             Salt & Pepper       

 In large soup pot over high heat, brown the sausage with onions, peppers and garlic.

 When sausage is cooked, strain off grease.

 Place pot over medium heat.

 Add remaining ingredients, plus one large can of water. 

 Let simmer, until potatoes are cooked through.

 Serve