Sausage Casserole

This is a recipe my mom used to make every Christmas morning. Our family would enjoy this for breakfast before going to my grandmother's house for the day. It's very simple to put together and I've never made it for anyone who didn't like it.

 

Six slices of bread

1 pound hot sausage

1/2 pound mild sausage

1 pound shredded cheddar cheese (sharp or mild according to taste)

6 eggs

1 pint half and half

 

Butter both sides of the bread and place the slices touching each other in a large casserole dish.

 

Fry up the sausage meat as if it were ground beef and drain off the excess fat. Scatter over the bread in your casserole dish and then add the cheese in the same fashion.

 

Beat six eggs and add the half and half, beating again to thoroughly mix them together. Pour over the other ingredients in the casserole dish.

 

Cover the casserole dish with Saran wrap and refrigerate overnight.

 

The next morning, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Take your casserole out of the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes.

 

Serve with the bread of your choice.

 

Enjoy!

 

C

Martha Washington Candy

This is a recipe my mother has been making since I was a child. It is one of my favorite holiday candies and it has become something of a tradition in our family. It's not difficult to make and once you've tried it you'll love it!

1. 2 pounds sifted confectioners' sugar
2. 1 can sweetened condensed milk
3. 2 cups flaked coconut
4. 1 stick butter or margarine, melted (4 ounces)
5. 3 cups chopped pecans
6. Dipping Chocolate, melted (It is easiest to use two cans of milk chocolate cake frosting, melted in the microwave.)

Mix all ingredients together, shape into balls just a bit larger than golf balls, then chill until the batter has hardened. Dip chilled balls in dipping chocolate and let cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

 

Enjoy!

C

Meatballs

This is a very simple recipe for meatballs that I got from an Italian lady I worked with at General Telephone in the mid-eighties. It adds a bit of zest to any spaghetti dinner you’re planning. Also, if you’re looking for a really good recipe for hamburgers to zip your old one, you can always mix this up and shape them into patties which you can then grill or fry according to your personal preference. However you choose to serve this one, it will not disappoint.

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced

2 Tablespoons Salt (Use the tablespoon from your kitchen utensil drawer, not your measuring spoons.)

2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

A big pinch of crushed red pepper

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground veal

1/2 pound ground pork

2 large eggs

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1 cup breadcrumbs   

1/2 cup water

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a large frying pan with olive oil, add the onions and 1 tablespoon salt, and sauté over medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.

In a large bowl combine the meats, eggs, Parmesan, parsley and bread crumbs. You’ll need to get in there with your hands to thoroughly mix the ingredients. Add the onion mixture and another tablespoon of salt, and continue mixing. Add the water and mix the whole thing again. The mixture should be quite wet.

Shape the meat into desired size. The meatballs should be about the same size as a golf ball. Coat your frying pan with olive oil again and bring to a medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Then place them on a cookie sheet and bake them for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through.

 

Makes 18-20 meatballs depending on how large or small you shape them.

 

If you haven’t made your own pasta sauce, use the bottled brand of your choice. My current favorite is the Tomato, Garlic, and Onion variety of Ragu. Add your meatballs to the sauce and cook over medium heat in a sauce pan until hot.

 

This is really good served on a bed of Fettuccine noodles, sprinkled generously with Parmesan cheese, and garlic bread.

Enjoy!

C

Ranch Style Baked Beans

This is a very easy, very delicious recipe. I got it from my grandmother several years ago and it continues to please both guests and family members every time I make it. If only all recipes were this good.

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 

1 pound ground beef

1 package onion soup mix

1/2 cup water

1 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

2 teaspoons cider vinegar

2 cans Pork and Beans

1 can Kidney Beans

1/2 pound shredded cheddar cheese

 

Brown ground beef and drain. Add remaining ingredients, except cheese, and mix well. Pour into a 13x9 inch cassreole dish and scatter the cheese over the top. Bake at 400 degrees for thirty minutes.

 

Serve with bread of choice.

 

Enjoy!

C

Huevos Rancheros

This is a recipe I got several years ago but I do not recall who or where I got it. It's a very easy dish to prepare. Not only for breakfast, it can be served at a brunch or dinner party, depending upon who you're entertaining. If you aren't a fan of spicy foods, leave this one alone. If you are, enjoy!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1 pound sausage meat.

Fry one pound sausage meat, mild or hot depending on taste, until done. Fry it as if it were ground beef. Drain grease from the cooked sausage.

1 small onion, chopped.
1 dozen eggs
1/2 cup water
1 pound shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper

Crack eggs in a large bowl. Take a wire whisk and scramble the eggs until well mixed. Add onion, water, cheese, salt, and pepper, and mix again with the whisk. Pour into a 13 x 9 inch casserole dish. Mix in the sausage meat, spreading evenly throughout the egg mixture.

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes or until the egg and sausage mixture is without any liquids left within and browned slightly on top.

 

Take one 12 ounce bottle of Chili Sauce and pour into a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until hot. Spread the hot Chili Sauce evenly over the egg mixture.

 

Take 2 - 3 tablespoons of Chili Powder and sprinkle evenly over the entire dish. (I personally use 3 tablespoons.)

 

This is best served with either toast or flour tortillas. If you use the tortillas, prepare the dish as you would a burrito.

Enjoy!
C

Cottage Pie

This is a traditional British dish that is quite similar to Shepherds Pie. It’s an easy dish to prepare and is a hit with everyone from family to guests. It’s also less expensive than Shepherds Pie due to the absence of lamb in the recipe. This is really good on a fall or winter day.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Meat and Potatoes
½ pound ground beef
½ pound ground pork
1 15 ounce can original Veg All, drained
1 dozen red potatoes
1 stick margarine
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon garlic salt
½ pound shredded cheddar cheese

Brown Gravy Recipe

2 tablespoons pan drippings from frying the lamb
2 tablespoons self rising flour
1 cup milk
½ cup water
A dash of salt and a dash of pepper

Boil the potatoes until tender (around 45 minutes.)

Fry the ground meats until brown and drain, saving 2 tablespoons of the grease. Stir in the vegetables.

To make the gravy: in a sauce pan, combine the grease and the flour and stir together over medium heat until the mixture is brown. Stir in the milk and water and continue stirring constantly until the mixture begins to thicken, around 6-8 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the meat and vegetables.

Once the potatoes are tender, drain the water from them and return to the pot. Take a potato masher and pulverize them. Add one stick margarine and one cup milk. Using an electric hand mixer, beat on medium speed until well mixed. Add the second cup of milk, one tablespoon garlic salt, and repeat the process.

In a medium, lightly greased casserole dish, put a thin layer (around half an inch) of the creamed potatoes in the bottom and spread evenly. Next, spoon in your fried meats, vegetables, and the gravy mixture. (Don’t pour or you will displace the potatoes on the bottom.) Spoon the rest of your creamed potatoes on top of the meat/vegetables and gravy and evenly spread the potatoes over all. You should have a layer of potatoes between one to two inches thick. Add the cheese on top.

Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Serve with any vegetables and bread you choose.

Enjoy!

C

Kaldomar

Kaldomar is a dish that is very common in Scandinavian countries. I found this recipe several years ago while surfing the net looking for an easy recipe for egg rolls and first prepared it as an experiment of sorts to see what it was like. It is delicious! And it is also very easy to prepare. Extremely popular throughout Europe and some states in the American Midwest, one taste and you'll be a fan as well.

 

2 -3 quarts boiling water
1 large cabbage
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb lean ground pork
1 1/2 cups Pepperidge Farm breadcrumbs
1 small onion, minced
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup whipping cream

 

Preheat oven to 300°F

Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking pan and set aside.

 

Remove sixteen large and intact outer leaves from cabbage. Cook the leaves in boiling water for one minute or until softened and drain on paper towels.

 

In a large bowl, combine beef, pork, breadcrumbs, onion, egg, salt, allspice, and milk. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 10 minutes.

 

Divide meat mixture among cabbage leaves, placing an egg shaped mound near the stem end of each leaf. Roll into bundles, folding sides of cabbage leaves over meat mixture. Arrange cabbage rolls close together, in the buttered baking pan, with the loose ends of the leaves on the bottom. Brush rolls with melted butter. Bake for 1 hour.

 

Drain juices from the pan into a large skillet. Over high heat, bring juices to a rolling boil and cook until reduced to make a shiny glaze. Slowly stir the cream into the glaze. Bring to a boil again. Stirring occasionally, cook until thickened. Arrange cooked cabbage rolls in a shallow bowl and pour the sauce over them.

 

Serve hot.

 

Makes eight servings or sixteen cabbage rolls.

 

Enjoy!

C