Friday, March 5, 2021

Scalloped Potatoes



Ingredients:
2 T. Unsalted Butter, plus more for greasing the skillet
3 T. All-Purpose flour 
1 1/2 C. whole milk  
1/4 t. ground nutmeg 
1 t. kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper 
4 oz. Gruyere, shredded
2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick 
6 oz. thick-cut ham, diced 
1/2 C. chopped fresh chives 

Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. 
  3. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. 
  4. Whisk in about 1/2 cup milk and cook, whisking, until thickened. 
  5. Add another 1/2 cup milk and cook, whisking, until thickened, about 3 minutes. 
  6. Add the remaining 1/2 cup milk and cook, whisking, until thickened, another 3 to 4 minutes. 
  7. Add the nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few turns of black pepper, and half the cheese. 
  8. Cook gently for a few minutes, making sure all the cheese is melted. 
  9. Butter a Cast Iron Skillet. 
  10. Arrange half of the potatoes all over the bottom. 
  11. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. 
  12. Layer in half of the cream mixture, then sprinkle on the ham and half of the chives. 
  13. Arrange the other half of the potatoes on top, then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining cream, remaining shredded cheese and remaining chives. 
  14. Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
  15. Then uncover and bake until browned on top, an additional 20 minutes. 
  16. Let cool slightly, then serve.


Monday, September 7, 2020

City Chicken

Ingredients:

Pork butt
Seasoned bread crumbs
Flour
Vegetable oil/Crisco
Eggs
Wooden skewers with pointed ends (cut about 5-6" long)

Directions:

  1. Cut pork into 1-1 1/2" chunks, then but on skewers.
  2. First roll them in flour, then whisked egg, and finally bread crumbs.
  3. Put vegetable oil in large frying pan and brown each one.  You may have to add more vegetable oil as you go.
  4. Drain on dish with paper towel.
  5. Put City Chicken in a rectangular casserole dish.
  6. You can add a tiny bit of water or fat to the bottom.
  7. Do not put them on top of one another.  
  8. Cover with foil.
  9. Cook at 350 degrees for one hour or until tender.
  10. Uncover for about 10 minutes to get crisp.
  11. Watch you don't burn them!

Tip:  You can use pork and veal or pork tenderloin.

Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1 unbaked pie crust
1 C. white sugar
3 T. brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 C. corn syrup
3/4 t. vanilla
1/3 C. melted butter (salted)
3 eggs, beaten
1 C. (heaping) chopped pecans

Directions:

  1. Mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.  
  2. Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.
  3. Pour syrup mixture over the top.  
  4. Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil.
  5. Bake pie at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  
  6. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.

Note:  Pie should NOT be overly jiggly when you remove it from the oven.  IF it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until set.  Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe.   Sometimes it takes 50 minutes sometimes it takes 75 minutes.

Allow to cool for several hours or overnight.

Serve in thin slivers.

Sunday, September 6, 2020

Original Ranch Snack Mix

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C. crisp corn or wheat cereal or a mixture of both
2 1/2 C. small pretzels
2 1/2 C. bite-size cheddar cheese crackers
3 T. vegetable oil
1 packet (1 oz.) Hidden Valley Original Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix

Directions:
  1. Combine cereal, pretzels, and crackers in a gallon-size zipper bag.
  2. Pour oil over mixture.
  3. Seal bag and toss to coat.
  4. Add dressing mix.
  5. Seal bag and toss again until coated.

Classic Cheesecake

 Ingredients:

1 1/2 C. graham cracker crumbs
3 T. sugar
1/3 C. butter or margarine, melted
1 C. sugar
4 eggs
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 t. vanilla

Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F.
  2. Combine graham cracker crumbs, 3 T. sugar, and butter.  
  3. Press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
  4. Beat cream cheese, 1 c. sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. 
  5. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
  6. Pour over crust.
  7. Bake 55 minutes, or until center is almost set.
  8. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake.
  9. Cool before removing rim.
  10. Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours. 

Crockpot Beef Roast

Ingredients:

3 to 4 lbs. roast beef or round steak
salt and pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1 C. water
1/2 C. ketchup
2 t. dijon mustard
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 c. red wine (optional)

Directions:

  1. Place meat in slow cooker.
  2. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.
  3. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over meat.
  4. Cover and cook on low 8 to 10 hours.


Homemade Frozen Hashbrown Potatoes

Making homemade frozen hashbrowns with extra potatoes is a great way to save money.  Your extra potatoes don't go bad, and you have frozen hashbrowns ready to heat and serve when you need them.

Ingredients:

Potatoes

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Wash your potatoes and prick them a few times with a fork.
  3. Bake potatoes for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until they are baked through.
  4. Let potatoes cool a bit.
  5. Place in refrigerator until completely cool (overnight is fine).
  6. Remove potato skins.
  7. Shred the potatoes on a grater.
  8. Freeze in freezer safe bags.

Tip:  Be sure to label your shredded potatoes, once they are frozen, they have strong resemblance to shredded mozzarella, and unlabeled bags can get mixed up.