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.

 

Grandma's Fried Chicken & Country Gravy

Fried Chicken

                       1    Whole Chicken, cut in serving pieces
                1 cup    Flower
                            Seasoned Salt & Pepper to taste
                            Vegetable OIl

 Country Gravy

            1/8 cup    Flour
             3+ cups    Milk
                            Salt & Pepper to taste

Place flour in a shallow dish (or zip-lock bag) and liberally mix with seasoned salt & pepper.  Meanwhile pour ½” of vegetable oil into a cast iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat.  Coat chicken with the seasoned flour and place in hot oil.  Brown chicken on both sides, until chicken is cooked (about 15-20 minutes).  Remove chicken from oil and allow to drain on paper towel.

For the gravy, remove all but 1/8 cup pf the vegetable oil from the skillet.  Heat over medium-high heat and add 1/8 cup of flour (left-over from chicken coating is fine).  Stir constantly until roux is brown and thick.  Reduce heat.  Stirring constantly, slowly add milk.  Allow gravy to thicken.  Season to taste.

 

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.

 

Chorizo & Eggs

Our Aunt Ann introduced us to Chorizo and Eggs many year's ago.  This seems such an easy recipe, I almost hate to include it, but this is our family’s legacy.  And chorizo & eggs have become a tradition for both 4^th of July and Christmas mornings.  So this recipe if for the future generations… just in case.

 

       1 pound    Mexican chorizo

             8-12    eggs
                        flour and corn tortillas
 

       Garnish    cheddar cheese, grated

                        onions, chopped
                        tomatoes, diced
                        cilantro, chopped
                        sour cream
                        salsa
                        hot sauce

 

Crack eggs into bowl and scramble.

Remove casing from chorizo.  Place chorizo in skillet over high heat.  When the sausage has melted and starts to bubble. Add eggs and scramble till fluffy.

Warm tortillas.

Place small amount of egg mixture in tortilla, garnish to taste.

Grandma Elsie's Black-Eyed Peas

Served every New Year’s Day since before Stacey can remember – it’s good luck! 

                 1 bag     Black Eye Peas, soaked overnight

                       1     onion, diced

                       1     Ham Hock

                             Salt & Pepper to taste

Place ingredients in crock pot, fill with water and cook till tender.

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