Unstuffed Pepper Soup

Oh, how I love soup.

I could eat a bowl at every meal during the colder months.

There's just something about a big, hot bowl of soup 

at the end of a long, cold and dreary day.

Eat it alone, with some crackers or bread, 

with a sandwich or with a full meal.

The more ingredients you put in it, 

of course, the more filling it is!

This hearty soup is full of beef, peppers, 

onions, tomatoes and mushrooms!

Do you like Stuffed Bell Peppers?
Then you're going to love this!

Unstuffed Pepper Soup

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

3 large green peppers, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) beef broth

2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) tomato soup, undiluted

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes, undrained

1 can (4 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

In a Dutch over or large saucepan, cook the beef, green peppers, 

and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

Stir in the broth, soup, tomatoes and mushrooms.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer for a least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add rice and heat through.

Makes 10 servings

Delicious!

Salmon/Tuna Patties

My momma made Salmon or Tuna Patties a lot

when I was growing up.
Serve them up with a bread and a vegetable 

and you've got yourself a full, inexpensive meal!

There are many different recipes out there...
some use flour, some use saltines,
some use salmon, some use mackerel.
I like Salmon, but not from a can.
So, we use Tuna instead.

I know this wasn't the healthiest meal...

everything was fried.

It doesn't hurt to splurge every now and then I suppose. 

To cut down on a little bit of the fat, 

I like to serve the Tuna Patties on a bed of lettuce with a slice of fat free cheese. 

The Salmon Patty and Tuna Patty recipes varies slightly...

but not much.
You can try the one you prefer!

Salmon / Tuna Patties

1 can (15-16 oz) pink salmon

or 1 can (12 oz) Tuna

1 egg

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup flour
(maybe a tad bit more for tuna patties)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce (for tuna patties)

1 1/2 cups shortening

Drain salmon/tuna; set aside 2 TBSP of the juice.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together salmon/tuna, egg and onion.

Stir in flour.

Add baking powder to salmon/tuna juice and stir in to salmon/tuna mixture.

Heat shortening in skillet on medium heat.

Form into small patties and fry until golden brown (about 5 minutes),

turn over and fry the other side until golden brown. 

Serve with tartar sauce, 

ketchup, salad dressing or BBQ sauce...

or just eat them plain!

YUM!

Just like momma used to make!

Country Style Scalloped Potatoes

One of my favorite Gooseberry Patch cookbooks is Slow Cookers, Casseroles & Skillets. I can always find a good recipe to prepare for any season. But, most of all, I use it for the colder months.

Served with biscuits or corn bread, Country-Style Scalloped Potatoes is another family favorite. This recipe is easy to prepare, cooked in the slow cooker, and ready to eat within 4 1/2 hours!

Country-Style Scalloped Potatoes

6 russet potatoes, thinly sliced
(I used 5 lg)

1 1/2 lbs ham steak, cubed

10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup

1 1/4 cup water

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

grill seasoning to taste

(I used 1 1/2 tsp of Paprika)

Layer potatoes and ham in a slow cooker that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.

(I used my 6 qt)

Combine remaining ingredients; pour over potatoes and ham.

Cover and cook on high setting for 3 1/2 hrs,

until potatoes are fork tender.

Turn slow cooker to low setting; 

continue cooking for about one hour.

DEEEELICIOUS!

Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Heavenly Chicken

 Another delicious recipe from the Gooseberry Patch cookbook 

Slow Cookers, Casseroles and Skillets!

The recipes are the simple, down home, lip smackin' good kind of recipes that I love to cook for my family! You know the kind....they taste like you've been slaving in the kitchen all day!

Heavenly Chicken is one of my most asked for recipes. It's a satisfying, tummy filling, oh-so-good meal....you'll push yourself away from the table saying 'aaaaahhhh! That was good!'

This recipe only takes a few minutes to prepare, 

but it takes about 1 1/2 hours to bake...so start early!

HEAVENLY CHICKEN 

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz pkg sliced swiss cheese
2 10 3/4 oz cans cream of chicken soup
1 3/4 cup stuffing mix
1 cup butter, melted

Place chicken breasts in a lightly greased 13" x 9" baking pan.

Arrange cheese slices over chicken, covering to edges.

Spread soup over cheese., extending to edges.

Sprinkle with stuffing mix.

 Drizzle melted butter over stuffing.

Cover and bake at 300* for one hour. 

           Uncover; continue baking for one additional hour.

            (I baked it for 20 more minutes and it was done. I 

          think any longer than that and the stuffing will burn)

                                                Serves 6

                            Now, doesn't this look delicious? 

                               Happy Eating!

Smoky Mountain Skillet

I am loving this Slow Cookers, Casseroles and Skillets cookbook 

from Gooseberry Patch!

Sometimes I open up a good cookbook and then want to use it every night...or until I've cooked up everything I wanted to try. I suppose this is one of those cookbooks!

Tonight it was Smoky Mountain Skillet.....Yum! 

A hearty Roast, Potatoes and Gravy meal!

Don't let this recipe scare you away because it uses canned Roast and Gravy.
You'll be so surprised at how well it turns out.

This recipe would be great served up for breakfast...
with eggs and biscuits!

Simple, hearty, delicious....

Smoky Mountain Skillet

1/4 cup oil

5 to 6 potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, and cubed

1 onion, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

12 oz can roast beef and gravy

1/2 cup water

Heat oil in skillet; add potatoes, onion, salt and pepper.

Cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender and golden.
(I scooped the potatoes out at this point and drained them on paper towels to get the excess oil out of them, then poured the remaining oil out of the pan.)

Add roast beef in gravy and mix in well; stir in water.

Cover skillet and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serves 5 - 6

Taco Pie

Slow Cooker, Casseroles and Skillets, 

from Gooseberry Patch,

 has some of the best recipes. 

I have so many pages marked in this book. They are all great recipes for the cooler months that will soon be here...a time that I'm looking forward to!

This recipe is another quick and easy one. When days are busy and I need a good meal on the table that is filling and delicious, quick and easy recipes are the ones I run to the most!

Angie's Taco Pie

serves 8

8 1/2 oz pkg cornbread muffin mix

1/2 lb ground beef

(I used 1 lb)

1 1/4 ox pkg taco seasoning

8 oz jar salsa

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

(I used 1 cup)

Prepare cornbread mix according to package directions. 

Pour batter into a greased 10" pie plate and set aside.

Brown beef in a skillet; drain and stir in taco seasoning. 

Spoon beef mixture over batter; top with salsa and cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20 -  25 minutes,

until cheese melts and cornbread sets.

 Oh so delicious!!

Cracker Crumb Breaded Chops

There are so many ways to prepare pork chops.

Breaded is a favorite of ours. 

But... there are so many 
recipes for breading

This recipe is a simple, but delicious way to bread those chops....

soft breaded or crispy. 

It's your choice.

Cracker Crumb Breaded Chops

1 cup crushed crackers

(I use 3/4 sleeve of Ritz)

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 eggs

4 pork chops

(I used boneless)

1/2 cup butter

In a shallow bowl, beat eggs.

In another shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, 

garlic salt and pepper.

Dip the pork chops in the eggs,

then in the cracker crumb mixture. 

Place pork chops in a ungreased baking dish.

Spoon butter around pork chops.

Bake, covered, on 375*

for 45 minutes.

For a crispier crust, remove cover after 35 minutes, 

and bake until done...approx 15 - 20 minutes. 

recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Italian Sausage Rigatoni

My youngest son brought home a new cookbooklet from Johnsonville Kitchens.
There were so many delicious recipes, I didn't know which one to chose first! 

Because I have a love for Italian Sausage, I chose this recipe for supper tonight. 

....it's now another family favorite!!

Italian Sausage Rigatoni

6 servings

1 pkg (19 oz) mild Italian Sausage Links

1 pkg (1 lb) uncooked rigatoni pasta

3 TBSP olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 jar (26 oz) pasta sauce

(I used roasted garlic and herb)

2 TBSP chopped fresh Italian parsley

Cook or grill sausage according to package directions.

Transfer sausage to cutting board. 

Cut diagonally into 1/2 inch slices.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add garlic, cook and stir 30 seconds or until golden.

Add bell pepper; cook and stir 2 minutes or until crisp tender.

Add sausage slices and pasta sauce; cook and stir until heated through.

Add pasta, toss gently to combine.

Sprinkle with parsley before serving. 

"Rotisserie" Roast Chicken

Don't you just love Rotisserie chicken?

Oh, we do. 

I'll pick one up from the grocery store, 

cook a few sides and some dinner rolls

 and supper is on the table!

But now....no more spending money on cooked chicken!

This recipe is one of the best 'rotisserie' chickens we've ever had!
And.....you can season it any way you'd like!

The idea for this recipe was found in

"Rotisserie" Roast Chicken

5 lb roasting chicken

Seasoning salt to taste

or/plus any seasoning of your choice!
I used Season salt and

Weber's Kickin' Chicken Seasoning

Coat chicken with non-stick vegetable spray.

Sprinkle seasoning all over chicken and set aside.

Tear off a 12 piece of aluminum foil an crumble into a ball;

repeat to make a total of 8 foils balls.

Arrange balls in the bottom of an oval slow cooker that has been coated with non-stick vegetable spray. 

Place chicken on top of foil balls; do not add any water.

Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours,

or on high setting for 4 - 5 hours. 

Serves 8

I cook mine breast down, so the breast will absorb more juices.
The 'top' tends to split when I do it this way.

I tried to get it out of the slow cooker in one piece, 

but it was so juicy and tender it just fell apart on me. 

But oh my....is it delicious!!

Pepperotini

Here I go again...another quick and easy meal. 

Sometimes they are the best kind. 

This recipe is another one of those 

"ok, this is what I've got to work with. What can I make?"  

kind of recipes. 

I'm sure most of you can relate.

And I'm sure most of you have already made something like this. 

Since my family loves this dish so much, 

I thought I'd share it with you too!

Pepperoni - Rotini

Pepperotini!

1 lb ground beef

1/2 tsp hamburger seasoning

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

7 oz pkg pepperoni slices

24 oz jar (or 2 1/2 cups) of your favorite spaghetti sauce

(this time I used Ragu Garden Combination)

 2 tsp Italian Seasoning

8 oz Rotini pasta

( I could only find a 16oz, so I used half of that) 

 8 oz pkg shredded Cheddar Jack cheese 

Cook pasta according to directions on package, drain.

Over medium heat, brown ground beef, peppers and onions. Cook until onions are clear and peppers are tender. Drain.

Add hamburger seasoning. Stir.

Add pepperoni, sauce and Italian seasoning. Stir.

Cook until sauce and pepperoni's are heated, stirring occasionally.

 Add pasta and mix together until all is combined. 

Pour in to a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Cover with cheese.

Bake on 350* until cheese is melted.

Serve!

YUM!

 

Farmhouse BBQ Muffins

I love swapping recipes with my friends. 

This is one of our favorites from my good friend, Leslie. 

We were both stationed in Okinawa, Japan and spent a lot of time together trying each others recipes.

Sometimes I altar them a bit to fit my family's tastes.

(which I do with a lot of my recipes!)

We haven't seen each other in too many years, but I can't help but think about her when I prepare one of the recipes that she shared with me. 

 One thing we both enjoyed were simple but delicious meals for our family. We were both homeschooling our children and after a long day of school and/or field trips we needed something hearty, but tasty, to put on the table.

Farmhouse Bar-B-Que Muffins were just the ticket!

Farmhouse BBQ Muffins

16 oz can Jumbo Buttermilk Biscuits

1 lb ground beef

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375*

Brown ground beef and onion.

Drain.

I also rinse mine. It helps to cut down on some of the fat.

You can leave the meat chunkier like this, but we like it in smaller pieces.

Years ago, I bought this contraption from an infomercial. 

I received two of them in the mail and for about 13 yrs now, I've been using the same one. 

I place the ground beef in this chopper and give it a few spins to cut the meat in to smaller pieces.

 There...see the difference?

 Add your BBQ sauce and stir until combined.

Pat each biscuit until approx. 4 - 5 inches round.

Place each biscuit in an ungreased muffin tin.

There are two in another tin.

Add BBQ beef and sprinkle cheese over the top of each.

Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes 

or until biscuits are done and cheese is melted. 

  

Add a veggie and/or french fries

And Wa-La....supper is ready!!

YUM!!