Patti's Amish Breakfast (or Sunday Supper!)

Patti’s Breakfast Casserole, Amish Style
Serves 8

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound sliced bacon
(or for convenience you can use real bacon bits)
OR 1 lb ground sausage
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 package Simply Potatoes, Shredded O'Brien style
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese combo)
1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large skillet, cook bacon and onion until bacon is crisp; drain. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir in bacon mixture. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
2. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until set and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Note: You can let this sit overnight & bake in the morning… but add an additional ten minutes to your baking time.

My New Guardian Angel

God received the sweetest, most beautiful, angel Friday night, January 20, 2012. I know that I will have a guardian angel forever. I love and miss you forever Mama.

I am including some recipes that friends and neighbors brought by to comfort us during these past few days, as well as some of my favorite comfort dishes.

Sweet Georgia Vidalia Onion Pie

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Ingredients:

9 inch pie crust
3 to 4 Vidalia onions, to make 3 cups sliced or chopped
3 Tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups light sour cream
3 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
ground pepper to taste
3-4 slices crisp bacon, crumbled
*optional 1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice.. Parmesan works well!

Saute 3 cups of Vidalia onions in 3Tbps of butter until tender.
Place onions in a 9” pie crust (a deep crust is best)

Mix together:
2 beaten eggs, 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt, ground pepper, 3Tbps. flour, 1 1/2 cups sour cream, (& optional cheese)
Pour over onions, top with crisp crumbled bacon

Bake at 325 for 30 minutes or until firm

Patti's Seafood Newburg Casserole

Serves 8

2 pounds shrimp, shelled
2 pounds scallops
2 10-oz cans cream of shrimp soup, divided
6 tablespoons flour
1 5-oz can evaporated milk
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sherry
¼ cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup round buttery crackers, crushed
3 tablespoons butter, melted

• Preheat oven to 350
• Cook shrimp and scallops in 1-inch boiling water for 2 minutes. Set aside
• Make paste using ½ can of soup and the flour
• Place remaining soup in a large skillet
• Add paste to remaining soup. Stir well
• Add evaporated milk and sherry; heat but do not boil
• Add mozzarella cheese and allow to melt
• Place seafood in greased 13x9-inch casserole
• Top with sauce
• When ready to bake, combine cracker crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over the top of casserole
• Back uncovered for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly

Easy Chicken Tetrazzini

Yield: 6 servings

8 ounces thin spaghetti, broken into pieces and cooked al dente
3 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used a rotisserie chicken)
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
½ cup shredded Cheddar Jack cheese, divided
1 (10 ¾ oz) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (10 oz) container refrigerated Alfredo Sauce*
1 (3 ½ oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained (or sauté your own in a little olive oil & wine)
½ cup slivered almonds
3/4 cup chicken broth*
¼ cup dry sherry
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 small jar pimentos
**optional: sliced salad olives, about ¼ cup

• Stir together chicken, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ¼ cup cheddar jack cheese, and next 7 ingredients; stir in pasta. (if using pimentos and/or olives, add them at this time)
• Spoon mixture into 6 lightly greased 6-oz baking dishes or a 9 x 12 inch baking dish.
• Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Note: Substitute reduced-sodium, reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup and light Alfredo sauce, if desired.
* I used less Alfredo sauce and more chicken broth to make a less rich dish & it was yummy!

Some Comfort Food Recipes

I am still by my Mom's side as she is clinging to life. Along with the family, we are all here for her. She's the best Mama in the entire world and I will miss her forever. We three sisters have been alternating making meals, sometimes ordering pizza, and sometimes enjoying wonderful food from friends and neighbors. I am well acquainted with Mama's kitchen because we always enjoyed cooking & chatting together. She has a collection of cook books to rival mine. Coming up are some recipes for "comfort food" .... you know, the type of food that smells so good when it's cooking, is simple, and tastes wonderfully yummy. I hope you will enjoy these recipes.

Easy Florentine Quiche

As there are a number of us hanging out at Mama and Daddy's house now, breakfast can be a challenge! I made a tasty, but healthier quiche yesterday. If I didn't tell you I used Egg Beaters, you wouldn't know the difference!
Here's the recipe to serve 6 (or 8 small pieces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 ready made deep dish pie shell
1 cup Florentine Egg Beaters (1/2 of a 16 ounce carton)
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheese of your choice (add more to taste)
3 ounces of bacon, sausage, or ham (optional)
1 cup veggies of your choice (optional & they can even be frozen)
salt & pepper to taste

Mix Egg Beaters and sour cream until well blended. Gently add remaining ingredients and blend well. Pour into pie shell and bake for 45 minutes.

Note: one carton of egg beaters makes two quiches.. so the recipe is easily doubled! This recipe is very versatile as you can add meat and/or veggies or not.

Moravian Chicken Pie

From the foothills of North Carolina comes a Tar Heel treasure, Moravian chicken pie! Moravian chicken pie is distinctly simple: double crust, seasoned chicken, and broth & is usually served topped with gravy. Unlike a traditional chicken pot pie, there are no vegetables in this pie. The family says that this recipe is a "keeper"! I hope you enjoy it.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Serves 6 (or 8 small pieces)

2 9-inch pie crusts (you can use ready made or make your own)
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken (you can cook your own, use rotisserie chicken, or canned chicken)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1-2 tablespoon butter, cut in pieces (optional)

Place one pie crust in pie pan.
Place chicken on bottom crust in pie plate. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and flour, and pour in broth. Dot with butter, if desired. Cover with top crust, moisten edges with a little flour and crimp to seal.
(Unbaked pies may be frozen at this point.)

Place pie plate on a cookie sheet for easier handling and better browning of the bottom crust. Bake pie 45 minutes to 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly. (If pie is frozen, bake at 400 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.) If desired, stir a mixture of flour and water into any extra chicken broth, plus salt and pepper to taste, and simmer until thickened to make a gravy to serve with the pie.

What's for Dinner? Simple Wonton Soup!

As this was a cool, rainy January Sunday and we were celebrating sister Nancy's birthday, I thought that a theme dinner was in order. I was craving wonton soup, so we had a Chinese dinner that wasn't take-out!

Simple Wonton Soup
Yields about 8-10 servings

Ingredients:
2 32 oz. cartons chicken broth
1 can beef broth
1 (4 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 package frozen wontons (I have used Costco or Trader Joe's chicken/cilantro wontons
and also Trader Joe's chicken/vegetable potstickers with huge success)
1 (5 ounce) bag fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder (optional)
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:
1. Pour the chicken and beef broths into a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the water chestnuts, green onions, ginger and ground pepper. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Increase heat and add frozen wontons. Cook until the wontons are cooked through and floating, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh spinach. Cover the soup and let the spinach soften in the hot soup for 2 minutes.
3. Season with Chinese five spice and cayenne pepper if desired.

Home Made Slow Cooker Wonton Soup

Here's another version if you're a slow cooker fanatic like me. It's basically the same recipe as my Simple Wonton Soup. I've included a recipe for making your own wontons... you can still use frozen wontons in this one if you prefer.

Home Made Slow Cooker Wonton Soup

The soup:
~In a large crockpot, combine
1-2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil (optional, but I think it adds a nice touch)
roughly 8 c. chicken broth.
~Let it cook on low at least two hours, to blend the flavors. Since it's mostly liquid, it's fairly indestructible -- you should be able to leave it for a 12 hour day, without problems.
~Turn heat up to high and toss in wontons, 2 tbsp. sliced green onions more, and some cut up lettuce if you're trying to keep the vegetable content of your meal up (I often use nappa cabbage, chinese lettuce, or romaine: all three just wilt away and are kinda tasteless but inoffensive when cooked like this). Leave until the broth has returned to a simmer/boil, and has stayed there a few minutes (in my crock, I just figure it'll take 20-30 mins, but my crock tends to run a bit hot on high).

Wontons:
Sometimes you can buy them, but I've gotten to enjoy making my own. They work up in a big batch which freeze quite well, and the wrappers themselves will freeze just fine so long as they're wrapped up airtight. The trick is not letting them dry out, so I usually work with two at a time and keep the rest under a dampened paper towel. All measurements approximate.
1 pd. ground chicken (or turkey)
1-2 tbsp. finely minced ginger
1-2 tbsp. finely minced green onion
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil (optional)
Wonton wrappers (the number you'll need depends on how stuffed you want these; for tomorrow night's dinner, I used a full two-sided package, putting about 1 tsp. of filling in each, but I've overstuffed sometimes, and used half that number of wrappers; extras can always be frozen)
~Mash together the ingredients and scoop into the centre of the wrappers, folding around and sealing with water (pinch the edges tightly to prevent leaking). From here, they can be stored for a day or two in the fridge, frozen, or even baked directly in the oven (they'll come out with dark brown edges, crispy, and addictive to undergraduates).

Some of My Mama's Favorite Recipes

When I started this blog, my intentions were to write every week. Unfortunately, my beautiful Mama, is not well. In fact she is under Hospice care now. She is living at home, the 5 bedroom home that she & Daddy have lived in for 40 years. My two sisters, Daddy, and I are her primary continuous care givers, since Hospice only checks in periodically. It's a labor of love and I am blessed that I can be here for both of my parents at this time. I will say that this is one of life's most challenging and difficult times for me.

It's time to take some healthy diversions and get back to my blog! In honor of Mama, I will be including some of her favorite recipes (and mine as well!). I hope you enjoy!

Trawler Crab Dip, a Lowcountry Favorite of Mom's

1 cup crabmeat
1 8-0z package cream cheese, softened
1 4-oz. package mild cheddar cheese
4 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs prepared horseradish
2 Tbs mayonnaise
2 Tbs butter, melted
½ tsp garlic salt

Mix together and chill. Serve with crackers or scoops.

More of Mom's Favorite Dessert Recipes - Chocolate Pie and Lemon Dessert

Mama’s Chocolate Chess Pie
Preheat oven to 350

1 ½ cup sugar
3 Tbs cocoa
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup evaporated milk
½ stick butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
½ cups pecans (optional)

Mix sugar & cocoa together until well blended. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Put in deep dish pie shell. Bake 45 minutes at 350.

Mama’s Favorite Lemon Dessert

1st layer:
1 cup flour
½ cup chopped nuts
1 stick butter
Mix well into crumbs with fingers. Put in 9x13 pan. Bake 350 for 15 minutes.

2nd layer:
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 ½ medium (9 oz) cartons Cool Whip
Mix & put on cooled 1st layer.

3rd layer:
2 cans Eagle brand condensed milk
1 cup lemon juice
Mix slowly and spread over 2nd layer.
Top with remaining ½ carton Cool Whip.

Chill & serve.

Cabbage Casserole for Mom's Bridge Luncheon

1 stick butter
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ t- ¾ cups chopped onion
1 can cream of celery soup
1 cup milk
½ cup mayonnaise
4 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups grated cheese
2 cups crushed corn flakes

Melt butter and mix with corn flakes. Put half in bottom of casserole dish – spread onions and cabbage over this. Mix soup, mayonnaise, milk, salt, and pepper well. Pour over casserole. Spread cheese over this mixture and then the other half of cornflakes. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Mama's Sweet & Sour Carrots

2 lbs. carrots, sliced thin
1 can tomato soup, undiluted
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
¾ cup vinegar
1 Tbs. prepared mustard
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium pepper, chopped
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

Cook carrots in salted water until tender. Drain carrots. Mix vinegar, soup, sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and oil in saucepan. Bring to boil. Pour over vegetables. Let stand overnight in refrigerator. Serves 10-12

Coconut Sour Cream Icebox Cake

This is a simple but light recipe!


INGREDIENTS:
1 (18.25 ounce) package white or yellow cake mix
1 teaspoon almond or coconut extract
2 cups sour cream
1 8-oz package Cool Whip 1 3/4 cups white sugar (or Splenda)
2 cups flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS:
1. Grease and flour 9X13 pan. Prepare cake mix as directed by manufacturer, adding extract. Bake according to instructions on package. Cool cake completely before frosting.
2. Frosting: mix together the sour cream and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Fold in cool whip. Stir in coconut.
3. Refrigerate before serving; even better after 24 hours!

Favorite Cake Icings by Mom

There are two that come to mind at the moment. Chocolate is, of course, a favorite, but ooh la la! How delicious is a yellow cake topped with CARAMEL icing? We used to beg Mama to make this for us! I recently made a caramel cake at the request of my sisters and used this caramel icing recipe... 5Stars!

Caramel Icing, Elsie

1 box brown sugar (16 oz)
½ cup margarine or butter
1 can evaporated milk (5 ½ oz)
1 tsp baking powder

Mix sugar, butter and milk. Bring to boil. Cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat, adding baking powder. Beat to spreading consistency (note that this may take a few minutes so be patient!)


Chocolate Icing, Elsie

1 ½ cup sugar
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 Tbsp Crisco
2 Tbsp butter
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp Karo syrup
7 Tbsp milk
½ c nuts (optional)
Put all ingredients in pan except nuts. Stir constantly. Let come to boil and boil ½ to 1 minute. Beat slightly. Add nuts if desired. Spread on cake.

Mom's Quick Blueberry or Peach Cobbler

Growing up in the South, we had an abundance of fresh peaches during the summer... blueberries too. But I confess that peaches are my favorite! This is Mom's favorite cobbler recipe. Be sure to top it with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream or whipped cream! You will be smiling.

1 stick butter
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
¾ cup milk
2 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
3 cups of fresh peaches or blueberries
3/4 cup sugar.

In 10 x 10 pyrex or aluminum pan, melt 1 stick margarine or butter. Mix flour, sugar, milk, baking powder and salt together and pour over melted butter. Do not stir. To 3 cups fruit, add ¾ cup sugar. Spoon fruit over batter. Do not stir. Bake about 40 minutes at 325 in pyrex or 350 in aluminum pan or until brown. When done, fruit will be on bottom.

Elsie's Chicken Water Chestnut Casserole

This is comfort food at its finest and most yummy! I grew up on this one and it remains part of my collection of "go to" recipes.

2 cups cooked chicken
1 can water chestnuts, chopped
1 cup cooked rice
¾ cup chopped celery
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ cup blanched slivered almonds (optional)
Topping:
1/2 stick butter
1 cup cornflakes crumbs

Saute onion and celery in a little butter. Combine all ingredients (except topping) and place in 9x13 dish. Top with cornflakes/butter mixture. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Winthrop's Lemon Sugar Pie

My Mom graduated from Winthrop College and this was one of her favorite recipes from her college days! It's been one of our favorites too... simple goodness!

1 pie crust, unbaked
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 tsp flour
3 Tbsp soft butter
Juice and rind of 2 lemons (I leave out rind)

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and other ingredients and beat well. Bake 12 minutes at 400 degrees, lower temperature to 300 and bake 20 minutes more.

Elsie Lee's Buttermilk Fruit Salad

Mama used to make congealed salads often and this is one of our favorite recipes!

1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple
1 pkg (6 oz) lime or orange gelatin
2 cups buttermilk
1 or ½ cup pecans, chopped
1 carton (9 oz) whipped topping

Put Pineapple in pan and heat thoroughly. Add gelatin. Let cool. Add whipped topping, nuts, and buttermilk, whisking in. Pour in 12 or 13 inch oblong dish. Refrigerate for several hours and serve in squares.

Individual Chicken Pot Pies in Puff Pastry Shells

This one is a Patti and Mama favorite!

1 pkg Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry shells
1 tsp vegetable or olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ c milk
1 pkg frozen peas and carrots (or just peas)
2 cups cooked chicken (canned is OK or Rotisserie)

Bake pastry shells according to package directions.
Heat oil in pan or skillet. Add onion and cook until tender. Add soup, milk, peas and carrots. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook on low heat about 5 minutes. Add chicken and heat through. Serve in pastry shells. Serves 4-6

Mom's Favorite Hamburger Noodle Casserole

This is one of my all time favorite recipes that was handed down to me from my Mom.  We called it "noodle casserole" and it was one of the most requested in our home!  When my sisters learned that I had included this recipe in my blog, they were not happy with me for sharing it!  I was told that it was a secret family recipe and it should stay that way.  Somehow I missed out on knowing this important piece of information so it got included!  In my heart, I think Mama is smiling at me because I love her recipes so very much and want to share them with everyone.  This recipe, once again, is one of those great comfort food dishes; it is also wonderful when reheated if you're lucky enough to have any left!  I generally double the recipe and use a 9"x13" pan .  All you need to complete the meal is a tossed green salad and some bread sticks or a loaf of Italian or French bread.

Written on Mom's original recipe card:  "This one melts in your mouth!"
 Makes 6-8 servings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease 8x8 inch baking dish.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground beef
 1 15-oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1 8-oz pkg thin egg noodles
¼ tsp pepper
2 cups sour cream
1 medium onion, chopped
 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Brown beef – add salt, pepper, onion, and tomato sauce. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Cook noodles according to package directions until tender. Drain. Place half of meat mixture in bottom of greased casserole. Place ½ of noodles on meat, add 1 cup sour cream, dropping randomly over the noodles. Repeat layers. Spread with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or til brown and bubbly.

Mama's Sausage Souffle

Serves 4-6 (good breakfast or brunch dish)


6 eggs 1 tsp dry mustard
2 cups milk 2 slices bread, cubed
1 tsp salt 1 cup grated sharp cheese
½ to 1 lb sausage

Saute crumbled sausage and drain. Beat eggs, milk, salt and mustard for 2 minutes. Layer bread crumbs, sausage and cheese into 2-quart casserole dish. Pour egg mixture over this. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake 45 minutes in 350 degree preheated oven.