Author: nancy

Categories
My Favorite Recipes

Tuna-Noodle Casserole

Here is a real old recipe from a Better Homes and Garden all-time favorite cookbook. Nothing can be more comforting than a good old fashioned tuna casserole. This is a perfect recipe for these cold, snowy nights.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups dried medium noodles
  • 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/4 cup onion, choppped
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 9 ounce can tuna, drained
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese cubes
  • 1/4 cup chopped roasted red pepper or pimento

Directions
Cook noodles according to package directions. Combine bread crumbs and 1 Tablespoon butter and set aside. For sauce, use a medium saucepan and cook celery and onion in 1/4 cup butter over medium heat until tender. Stir in four, salt, dry mustard, and black pepper. Add milk all at once and cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. In a large bowl, stir together sauce, tuna, cheese cubes, roasted pepper or pimento and cooked noodles. Transfer to a
1 1/2 quart casserole. Sprinkle with the crumb mixture. Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden at 375 degrees.

Milky Way or Snicker Salad

Snicker Salad
Snicker Salad
Many people love this old favorite recipe, it is a bit too sweet for my taste. But maybe it is just what you are looking for. It is sure to be a hit with the kids.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 boxes instant French Vanilla Pudding (3 ounces each)
  • 1 container Cool Whip (16 ounces)
  • 6 granny smith apples
  • 5 Milky Way or Snickers candy bars, frozen

Directions
Mix milk, pudding and Cool Whip together. Add the sliced apples and fold into mixture. Place unwrapped frozen candy bars in a zip lock back and break into smaller pieces with a rolling pin. Stir into mixture and refrigerate overnight or at least several hours.

Skin-On Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Here is another favorite recipe from my Mom’s files. Garlic mashed potatoes are really popular now. My Mom used to make them before they became a staple on every restaurant menu. I think the secret is roasting the garlic first. Try these, they are worth the extra time for the garlic roasting.

Ingredients

  • 4 to 6 cloves of garlic
  • 2 pounds red potatoes
  • 1/2 cup warmed milk
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

Directions
To roast garlic cloves cut off tips, leaving cloves attached at the base. Roast at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until soft. Remove dry skins and set aside.
Scrub potatoes and cut into 1 inch cubes. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Salt lightly. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until fork tender. Drain potatoes then return to pot. Add roasted garlic, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper. Mash until smooth.

Continental Green Beans

Green Beans
Green Beans
Here is another one of those old fashioned favorite recipes from my Mom’s recipe collection. They are easy and a nice change from the green bean casserole.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup bacon, diced
  • 2/3 cup onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups canned tomatoes
  • 2 cups French cut green beans, drained
  • 1 can French fried onion rings

Directions
Saute bacon and onions until bacon is cooked. Mix all ingredients except onion rings together and place in a casserole dish. Bake for 1 hour @ 350 degrees. Top with the onion rings during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Texas Stackups

Texas Stackups
Texas Stackups
This is a really old favorite recipe of mine that I recently found tucked away in the back of my recipe box. This is a super easy, make-ahead crockpot recipe. It is a great recipe for a crowd. It would certainly be appropriate for this year’s Super Bowl Party!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dry pinto beans
  • 4 cups water
  • 3 pound pork roast, cut into chunks
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 Tablespoon oregano
  • 1 can diced green chilies
  • Grated cheese
  • Chopped lettuce
  • Chopped tomatoes
  • Salsa, optional
  • Sour cream, optional
  • King size Fritos

Directions
Put all ingredients in a crockpot except cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, and Fritos. Cook on low for 12 hours. To serve; layer Fritos, crockpot mixture, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, salsa and sour cream.

Categories
My Favorite Recipes

Nani’s Plank Grilled Salmon

Wood Plank Salmon
Wood Plank Salmon
Wood plank cooking has become popular in the last few years. I am a big fan of this method of cooking. It is simple and adds wonderful smoky flavor to your meats. My husband cuts wood planks for me from 1×6 oak boards. They work superb and are very inexpensive. You can use any type of wood; oak, cherry, cedar or alder. Cut the boards to the length needed for your meat or fish.
One of my favorite foods to make this way is salmon, but this recipe works equally well with halibut.

Ingredients

  • Salmon steaks
  • Olive oil
  • Lemon juice
  • Dill weed
  • Pepper and salt

Directions
Soak boards in water for a minimum of 2 hours. When ready to cook your salmon, coat the board with a thin layer of olive oil. Lay the salmon steaks on the board and brush with olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle with dill weed and salt and pepper. Put boards on charcoal grill at a medium high heat, 400 to 425 degrees. Cook until fish reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees or until it just starts to flake apart. Be careful not to overcook.

Nani Tips

  • Never use any wood that has been treated.
  • Try blue cheese dressing as a condiment with salmon.
  • Try other herbs in place of the dill weed.

Italian Sausage and Wild Mushrooms over Rice

I received this recipe in the Wine Insiders newsletter. I tried it recently and it was a hit with the whole family. It is deliciously different and will become a favorite recipe of mine for sure.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 pound fresh mixed wild mushrooms, sliced (crimini, porcini, portobello or others)
  • 1 pound fresh Italian sausages
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1/4 cup red wine
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 10 Kalamata olives, chopped
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Cooked rice

Directions

Put a small amount of olive oil in skillet and brown sausages on all sides, then simmer them until done in a small amount of water or other liquid of your choice. In a separate skillet or wok saute garlic and onion until softened, 4 to 5 minutes; transfer to a dish to reserve. Add more olive oil as needed and saute mushrooms until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Return onion and garlic to skillet with mushrooms and add oregano, red wine, vinegar and cooked sausages. Simmer for 4 minutes. Season with the black pepper.
Arrange the mushroom and sausages over the cooked rice in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley and olives.

 

Salty Nut Bars

Salty Nut Bars
Salty Nut Bars
Nothing beats the sweet and salty combination. These bars will certainly become a favorite recipe. They are similar to the sweet and salty bars that I buy for hiking.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 12 ounce can mixed salted nuts or peanuts
  • 1 12 ounce package butterscotch chips
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Mix the flour, brown sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup butter wth a pastry blender. Pat into a 9×13 inch buttered pan.
Bake 10 minutes @ 350 degrees. While this is baking, melt the butterscotch chips, corn syrup, 2 Tablespoons butter and vanilla over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove baked crust from oven and sprinkle nuts over that layer. Spread the butterscotch topping over the nuts. Bake for 10 minutes more @ 350 degrees. Cut into squares while still warm.

Reuben Dip

Super Bowl is coming up in a couple of weeks. I have been looking through some of my favorite appetizer recipes and this one is a winner. Everyone loves Reuben’s and they will love this too.

Ingredients

  • 2 packages cream cheese (8 ounce)
  • 1 can of sauerkraut (15 ounce), well drained
  • 1 pound corned beef, shredded
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion

Directions
Put cream cheese in crockpot and allow to soften. After the cream cheese is soft mix in sauerkraut. Now stir in shredded corned beef and onion. Serve warm with your favorite crackers or deli rye bread.