Menu #3

By now school is rolling along, so I have a few more “detailed” recipes. Most things are still fairly simple and basic though because that is who we are! My daughter’s birthday is also during this time, so I will also cook one of her favorites at her request. There are only 12 meals planned as there are planned leftovers a couple of times, and we will eat at my daughter’s for Sunday lunch one of these days as well. I hope you enjoy some of these recipes. They are oldies but goodies for our family. Most are honest-to-goodness, old-fashioned recipe cards that have food stains on them from all the times they have been used over the years. 🙂

You will notice that for many of my meals I have a main dish that I prepare mostly from scratch and then add simpler sides that may come from a package. That helps with my meals and with preparation time. I sometimes prepare homemade sides, but not always.

Just a reminder that anything with a link is in italics and is underlined. Just click on it! Enjoy!!

Steen’s Sausage, smashed potatoes, asparagus

Even though we no longer live in Louisiana, we still try to have our Louisiana foods when we can. The sausage is from a small meat market in Youngsville, Louisiana called Nunu’s. They make all of it in-house. It is pork sausage links infused with Steen’s cane syrup. It is amazing!! We grill it – so good! I have linked their website in case you are interested. However, I know having this is not possible for most, so if you want to do this meal, just find some quality sausage that you can grill.

The smashed potatoes were on Menu 1 as well. Can you tell that we like them? Here are my instructions again in case you want to try them for the first time:

Wash and cut up some red potatoes, skins on, and boil them in water that has been seasoned with crab boil. Not too much – it will be spicy!! Once the potatoes are tender, drain them and add a little butter and milk and just mash them down until they form chunky mashed potatoes. I don’t really have measurements for this. I choose my amount of potatoes based on how many I am feeding. Usually four or five smaller ones are plenty for my husband and myself. I usually use a couple of tablespoons of butter and I start adding small amounts of milk until I get the consistency I want. Start small. You can always add more but you can’t remove what you have added.

For the asparagus, heat the oven to 400 degrees F, trim the ends of your asparagus and put on a sheet pan. Drizzle on a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper (or whatever you have). Cook until the asparagus is tender and the heads are a little crispy, usually about 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the stalks. I think these are better when you use asparagus with thinner stalks. 

Chicken and dressing, green beans, rolls, cake

This is the meal my daughter requested for her birthday. She is a very good cook, and she can make this for herself, but it is a little labor-intensive and doesn’t have specific measurements for most things, so she usually doesn’t make it for herself. I am going to share my recipe here since I do not have a link for this. You will for sure see this again, at least at Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

This recipe  comes from a church cookbook called HAPPY TIMES WITH HOMECOOKING from First Baptist Church of Leesville, Louisiana. The recipe was submitted by Geraldine Mann, and I have been using it for years. It is a little vague but can be perfected with practice. 

Ingredients:

Diced celery, green onions, and onion (for a single batch, I use a whole yellow onion, 1 to 2 stalks of celery, and 2 to 3 green onions)

2 pkg. Gladiola/Martha White yellow cornbread mix

2 pieces bread, toasted brown

5 boiled eggs, chopped

1 can cream of chicken soup

Cooked chicken, deboned and shredded – You can use as much as you like and whatever pieces you like – I recommend using bone-in chicken for this

Chicken broth (lots)

Garlic powder, dried onions, salt, and pepper

Get everything prepped and then just mix it all together. My MIL taught me a trick of cooking the veggies in some broth to soften them. It usually takes about a can of broth. Nobody likes crunchy vegetables in their dressing (at least I don’t!). Boil and peel the eggs and chop them up. Toast your bread. Bake the cornbread according to the package directions. Many times I cook the cornbread the day before.

Crumble cornbread into a greased 9×13 pan, leaving some in bigger pieces. Crumble toast on top. Pour the veggies and broth on top as well as the chopped eggs. Sprinkle with the garlic powder, dried onions, and salt (all to your taste). Stir in the cream of chicken soup and mix together. Start adding in broth until you get a slightly soupy mixture. Be sure everything is wet. Mix in the chicken. Sprinkle heavily with black pepper. 

I usually do everything up to this point a day ahead. I cover it with foil and put it in the fridge. I just think it tastes better if you can do this.

The day we are having the dressing, I try to set it out to start coming up to room temperature about 2 hours before I am ready to cook it. When you are ready, bake at 375 degrees without a covering for 30 minutes or until it begins to brown. Cover with foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until it is hot all the way through. 

Rotisserie leg quarters, skillet fried potatoes, cabbage

This is a short-cut meal after a busy day at work. I will use some frozen rotisserie leg quarters that I have – more about that in a later hint – and heat them back up in the oven. You can also stop by the store and pick up a rotisserie chicken

While they are heating, peel and cut up some potatoes. Heat some vegetable oil in a skillet and put in the potatoes. I season with Tony’s – just like the recipe for the sausage and potatoes that I posted in Menu 2. If you don’t have access to that kind of seasoning or you don’t like that much spice, you can just season them with salt and pepper or whatever you like. I put a lid on the skillet but you can leave it off as well. Let them fry up until they are tender on the inside and brown and slightly crispy on the outside. You will have to stir them several times during cooking. 

The cabbage recipe is from divascancook.com. I used to not be a very big fan of cooked cabbage, but this recipe is delicious and easy. I like to use a little bacon grease in mine as well for flavor. Or you can put in a piece of bacon or some ham to add that meaty flavor. 

Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes, peas

This is a recipe from Taste of Home. I have had it so long that it was one that I actually cut out of the magazine! I like to mix up the actual beef patties ahead of time and place them in the fridge so that the flavors can meld together. I usually do that the night before. It also makes cooking them up a lot quicker the next evening. The recipe also suggests serving them over noodles. We like mashed potatoes better in our house! You can make your own or use a mix. They would also be good over rice. And if you have been following me at all, you know I always use Le Sueur peas! That’s a personal preference.

Chicken stir fry with teriyaki sauce, fried rice

Oh boy. This is another one that I don’t quite have “real” recipes for. I kind of use some recipes that I have adapted to our taste. Because of that, I have linked some recipes that are similar that can be helpful.

The linked recipe from momontimeout.com includes a stir-fry sauce recipe. For my stir fry, I actually mix up this teriyaki sauce. The recipe from food.com that is linked is actually for some pork. I just use the proportions to make the sauce, and I actually double it so that I have enough for the chicken and then for the veggies. I also usually make it ahead of time so that it is ready for me to use. Mix it up in a jar or some other container that you can just shake. 

Cube some boneless, skinless chicken and use some of the sauce to marinate it for at least 30 minutes. I also cut up my own veggies for the stir fry. I will sometimes use a frozen package, but I like the fresh so much better and you can put in whatever you like. I like to use zucchini, carrots, onions, mushrooms, and broccoli. You could also use water chestnuts, snow peas, bell peppers – really anything you like.

Cook the chicken in a little oil in a large skillet (or wok) until it is cooked through. Remove. Put in the vegetables and let them cook until they are tender-crisp. Add the chicken back in and the rest of the sauce and the cornstarch mixture (you will only need a single serving of this since you used some of the sauce to marinate the chicken) that is in the recipe. This will thicken up the sauce. 

I also make homemade fried rice. I have a modified recipe that I use. I have linked one from therecipecritic.com that is similar to mine. I usually don’t put veggies in it when I am cooking the stir fry, but you can do whatever you like. I also add some white pepper and sesame seeds in mine. As far as the soy sauce goes, I don’t measure it out. I pour it in until it gets the color and consistency I want. Start small and work up. The biggest key to good fried rice, in my opinion, is cold rice. I cook mine the morning of and put it in the refrigerator until I am ready to cook it that evening. Trust me – it will make all the difference. 

Homemade pizzas, raw veggies

We love to make our own little individual pizzas. I just buy the individual crusts, some pizza sauce, and the toppings that we like. Load the pizzas down, cook them for a few minutes according to the package instructions, and add your salad or veggies or whatever.

Grilled steak, baked potato, salad

This is one of our favorites to have on a Saturday night. I like to marinate my steaks for almost 24 hours. A really quick way is to pour on some Italian dressing and then some steak seasoning or seasoned salt. I seal them up in a ziptop bag and let them sit in the fridge. I turn the bag every so often. They are delicious! Cook your baked potatoes (see Menu #2) and mix up a beautiful green salad, and you are good to go. 

Southwest Chicken Philly Sandwiches, sweet potato fries

This recipe comes from the Midwest Culinary and Craft School from Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, and was created by Debbie Dance Uhrig. For many years, during SDC’s Southern Gospel Picnic Celebration, they offered something called Southern Gospel Back Porch Suppers. It was wonderful because you paid for the meal and also got to sit on their back porch above the amphitheater and listen to the concert that night. They shared the recipes with us each time, so that is where this one is from.

Ingredients:

Rotisserie chicken or deli-fresh cooked chicken

Bread of choice

Smoked pepper jack cheese

Sautéed red peppers and onions

Chipotle sauce

Chipotle Sauce Dressing:

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

1 can chipotles with adobo sauce

Puree the contents of one can of chipotles, including sauce. Mix 2 teaspoons of pureed mixture with the sour cream and mayonnaise. Made the day before, the sauce will infuse the flavors more adequately. (I freeze the remainder of the pureed chipotles in 2 teaspoon portions to have for other times)

Place chicken pieces on bun or bread of choice that has been spread with Chipotle Sauce Dressing. Follow with a slice of the smoked cheese, layering the sautéed peppers and onions over the top. Place an additional slice of cheese on the opposite piece of bun/bread to provide additional “bonding” in holding the sandwich together. Wrap the sandwich in aluminum foil and place in a 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes.

My husband doesn’t like all the cheese, so I don’t put that much on his. Also, many times I will just use shredded cheese if I don’t have sliced.

I just buy frozen sweet potato fries and cook them in my air fryer. You can also make homemade ones. I do that sometimes as well.

Healthy Chicken Chili Casserole, fresh fruit

This is an old favorite of ours. It is an old recipe card that came from Great American Recipes. That was when you could subscribe to a recipe card club and they would send you a certain number of new recipe cards each month. How old am I??!! Many times I double this recipe, especially if it is for more than about 3 people – even though it says it will feed 4 – or if I want to have enough for leftovers for another meal.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 onion, chopped

1 green or red bell pepper, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 Tbsp. oil

2 Tbsp. chili powder

¼ tsp. Cayenne pepper

¼ tsp. Dried oregano leaves

1 tsp. Cumin, optional

1 can (1 lb.) pinto beans, drained

1 can (1 lb.) stewed tomatoes

1 cup shredded Jack cheese

1 Tbsp. lime juice

salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and sauté the vegetables until tender.
3. Stir in the chicken cubes. Cook a few minutes until no longer pink.
4. Add the pinto beans, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and oregano. Stir and then cover.
5. Simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes.
6. Stir in the cheese, if used. Cook for another few minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Salt to taste. 

I generally don’t put in the cheese or the lime juice, but I’m sure it’s delicious like that.

Saturday Supper Pie, salad or fruit

This is basically a dinner quiche that is sort of like a pizza as well, and it is another recipe card from Great American Recipes. However, I also found it online at cooks.com. There are just a couple of differences. The recipe that I have has you make your own crust. Mine also has me use pork sausage instead of ground beef. I also use more pizza sauce than it calls for because we like ours a little saucier. This is really delicious for kids as well, but it does take a little time to cook because of all the eggs.

Baked Pineapple Salmon, rice side dish, broccoli

This is a new recipe for us. It is from chefjar.com. This recipe calls for a whole side of salmon, but I will just use the individual frozen pieces that I get from Sam’s (or probably Costco). For the rice, I will use a Knorr Rice Side Dish. There are lots of flavors to choose from. Steam some fresh or frozen broccoli and you have a complete meal.