Broccoli Cheese Noodle Soup

It's hunting week and I just got two of my boys back home from deer camp. 

In the same clothes they left in. 

Three days ago.

If my washer could talk, well, she'd probably cry right now.

Anywho.  I am taking advantage of the first snow and the absence of my dear lactose intolerant hubs to make one of my favorite soups.

This recipe comes from the Haught's Chapel cookbook that my Nan had for years.  I'm talking decades.  You know it's a good cookbook when it's stained and falling apart. 

This soup recipe originated with Sherry Haught, who is my cousin.  My second cousin.  My mom's cousin's wife.  I've never been great with math or genealogy but suffice to say, we're related.  She was an awesome cook and this is my favorite recipe of hers by far.


Here's what you'll need:

1/4 cup butter
1 c. diced onion
1 c. diced carrots

Saute together in large stockpot

6 c. water
5 chicken bouillon cubes
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Add to stock pot and bring to a boil

4 c. thin uncooked noodles
2 packages of frozen chopped broccoli

Add, then cook until noodles are almost done.  Stir in about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds American cheese.  Velveeta works great.  Stir until cheese melts, then add 6 cups of milk.  Heat until hot enough to eat.  Total cooking time is about 30 minutes. 

If you really want to be a dinner rock star, make some rolls to go with it.

A total hit.  Unless you're lactose intolerant.  (Sorry Ronnie).

Five Easy Ways to Feed Your Family: The Back to School Edition.

Here we go guys.  Back to school time seems to coincide with back to crazy busy season.  It's not just heading back to school.  It's all the sports and events and busyness that accompanies it that makes us feel a little overwhelmed.  Add to that a house filled with people who, oddly enough, expect you to feed them.....  well it can make you not so nice.

Here's some ideas on how to get food on the table.

• Slow cooker love.   Seriously, I love my slow cooker.  It makes life simple.  Just dump in your ingredients and walk away.  It's like magic in my kitchen.  Try my layered dinners, awesome chili, lasagna and even lazy rice crispie treats.

• Big batches.  If you have to cook (and you do), make double or triple and save it for another time.  I always make double or triple of taco meat, sloppy joes, grilled chicken, chili, hot dog sauce and soup beans.  I use one serving for dinner on the night I make it and freeze the rest in labeled freezer bags for use on a night that I know I'll be busy.  With most of the meals, I just throw a frozen lump of meat (especially tacos, sloppy joes and chili) into the crock pot in the morning and turn it on low.  By the time I get home the majority of my work is done.  Add a veggie or two and dinner's on the table. 

• Quick and easy meals.  These are my go to's when I have nothing.  No time, no energy and no money for takeout.  There's quick, cheap and easy - my perfect trifecta of a recipe.  Some of my go to's are keilbasa & potatoes, the big sandwich, quick potato dinner, and Uncle J's dish.  And of course, if you're really in a bind there's always breakfast for dinner.

• Freeze and grill it.  This is my main way to do chicken.  When you come home from the store (or in our case the farm) take a few minutes to separate out your chicken into freezer bags.  Throw in a great marinade and toss your labeled bag in the freezer.  Pull it out to thaw before work or after breakfast on the day you need it.  It's just a quick grill from there to dinner.  I usually add baked potatoes done in the microwave and a veggie.  Some of my favorite marinades are sweet suprise sauce for chicken or pork, honey grilled chicken, and this amazing chicken and steak marinade from Mennonite Girls Can Cook. 

• My final tip is Leftover love.  We have leftover night just about any week that we actually have leftovers.  It's simple.  Just warm it all up and put it on the table.  Why waste what you've made, right?

And there you have it.  Now get to it!

Pictures from Anne Taintor.

Easy Peasy Bruschetta

We love bruschetta. 

It's one of the few appetizers that we always order when we go out to eat. 

So when I'm faced with a whole peck of leftover tomatoes that I just can't stand the thought of canning or else I will lose it and probably start running through the field like a crazy lady making everyone in the neighborhood uncomfortable - I make bruschetta. 

It's really a public service. 

You know that my recipes are all about getting good food on the table.  And getting it there fast. 
And good and fast my friends, is how you make easy peasy bruschetta.

 Start with some chopped tomatoes and an Italian type dressing.  Mix them together and toss them in the fridge to marinate.  (Enjoy my fancy Country Crock tub).

 

 

 

Then, grab a nice loaf of French or Italian bread from the mark down rack. 

Or pay full price if you're a Rockefeller.  Your choice.

 

 

 

Slice that baby in half and slather on the butter. 

 

 

No, I said slather.  Like lots. 

It's OK.  You're eating tomatoes so it's still healthy.

 

 

Now go ahead and broil the bread.  Mine usually takes about three minutes but...

you know that broilers are the devil and will try to ruin your meal whenever possible.

So watch it closely.

 

 

Add some fresh mozzarella that you've cubed to your tomatoes in the fridge. 

Toss it over top of your beautifully broiled bread. 

 

 

 

Voila!  Easy Peasy bruschetta! 

The Wedgie You'll Actually Want.

Want a quick and easy dinner that no one will whine about?

Here's you go.

It's a wedgie.  A local pizza place makes something similar.  Being the cheapskate frugal gal I am, I totally took the idea and made my own.

Here's what you'll need:
2 pre-made pizza shells
Italian dressing
Meat of your choice
Cheese of your choice

Preheat your oven to 400.  Spread Italian dressing on top of both pizza crusts (where you'd usually put the sauce and cheese).  Bake for 8 minutes on a cookie sheet and remove from oven.  Cover one crust with meat I used a combo of sliced turkey and slice ham).  Cover the other with cheese.  Then sandwich them together on the cookie sheet.  Brush the outside of the sandwich with more Italian dressing.  I then take a cast iron skillet covered in foil and place on top of the sandwich to squish it down.  Bake in the oven with the skillet on it for another 10 minutes until cheese is melted and outside of shells are a little crunchy. 

Serve by slicing into wedges (hence the wedgie name). 

I've made this with just about every type of leftover meat I've had in the fridge.  You can also pry it apart after it's baked and add some lettuce and tomato.  Ronnie & I really like it with leftover hoagie meat, grilled onions, and pickled peppers.  Yum.

It's a quick meal and a great way to use up leftovers.

So go ahead - give your family a wedgie!

Baked Ham Recipe aka Charli's Ode to Ham.

What?  You don't wax poetic about ham? 

Well, that's a little weird.

I've come to the conclusion that ham may be the best value for your money when it comes to feeding a small horde of hungry folks.

I can usually find ham around the major holidays for $0.99/# which  makes it totally in my budget.
By cooking a 10 pound or larger ham, I can have enough meat not only for dinner on the night I bake it, but I can also stretch out the leftovers for ham salad, ham sandwiches, quiche, and omelets.  And I'm still left with a nice big ham bone for soup beans.  And when you're done with the bone for soup beans, give it to the dog.  Everybody wins!

When choosing a ham at the store, don't pay extra for spiral cut.  You just want a nice half ham with the bone. And if it comes with a glaze, throw it out.  No one wants that unnatural tasting mess.

 Here's my basic ham recipe:

Around 10# ham
2 sticks of butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup honey

Preheat oven to 325.

Combine butter, honey, brown sugar and cloves in sauce pan over low heat just until mixed together.

Score ham.  Place ham in an oven cooking bag in a foil lined 9x13 pan.  Pour sauce over top of ham and seal bag.  Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning bag and ham 3 to 4 times during cooking.  At the end of the cook time, remove the bag and broil for 3-5 minutes to caramelize the glaze - watch closely so it doesn't burn!  Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes before slicing.

By rotating the cooking bag, you don't have to baste your ham and by broiling at the end, you'll have that nice coating like the fancy baked ham stores, but for a fraction of the price.  And lining your pan in foil makes clean up a breeze.

Now head on out and grab ya a ham! 

Sweet Suprise Sauce for Chicken or Pork

Bear with me here.  It's not pretty.  But boy is it good.

 

 

 

This is one of the sauces I made years ago when Ronnie and I were just friends and I would feed him in exchange for work on my house.  Maybe the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. 

 

I've used this as a marinade with pork chops on the grill, as well as baked on chicken.

 

Today, I used it on chicken quarters that I had in the freezer, but I honestly like it on chicken legs the best.  It's a great meal for guests paired with baked potatoes and green beans - delicious, while still cheap and easy. 

 

Here's the recipe:

 

Preheat your oven to 350.  Cover a 9x13 pan with foil to save yourself some heartache with cleanup.

 

Add skin on chicken in a single layer and salt & pepper both sides to your taste.

 

In a bowl add together 1/2 cup honey, 1/4 cup ketchup, 2 TBSP soy sauce and 2 tsp. minced garlic.  You can microwave it a little to help it come together if you need to.  (In all honestly, this sauce is very forgiving,  You can use more or less of any of the ingredients and it still comes out nice.)

 

Pour over the chicken and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and turn chicken over.  Increase oven temp to 425 and bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. 

 

That's it. 

 

If I'm doing pork chops on the grill, I simply throw the sauce and chops in a baggie in the morning to grill at dinner time. 

 

Try it.  You'll love it!

Lick the Pan Cornbread. (It's really that good).

I don't know what makes this cornbread so amazing.  It just is. 

I always buy a couple of 5 pound bags of fresh ground cornmeal at the Bunner's Ridge Fall festival and keep it in the freezer for this recipe.  I think the fresh cornmeal makes it even better.


Here's what you'll need:

1 cup cornmeal
3 cup flour
1 cup white sugar
2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 melted butter
2 Tbsp honey
4 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups milk


Preheat the oven to 350.
Grease a 9x13 baking dish (I use butter to grease it)
Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine oil, butter, honey, eggs and milk. 
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well by hand.
Pour into prepared baking dish and place in 350 oven.
Bake for 45 minutes until golden.

Now go make a pot of beans or chili to go with this! 

Letting my hillbilly show: Squirrel gravy and biscuits.

 

Me personally?  I'm not the biggest fan of squirrel.  But when these guys ask me to fix their squirrels?  Well, how do I say no to these sweet little faces.  

 

 

 

 

So here's my Nan's way to make squirrel gravy over biscuits.

 



Soak cleaned and cut squirrel in buttermilk (or milk) for a few hours. 

 



Mix up some flour with a little salt and pepper to make your breading.

 



 

Bread squirrel in flour mixture and fry in bacon grease or butter until browned.

 

 



Remove cooked squirrel from pan, leaving drippings.  Add a couple of tablespoons of flour to drippings and cook until just a touch brown, stirring constantly.

Add in milk, continuing to stir until smooth and creamy. 

Serve over hot biscuits topped with meat and covered with gravy.

Enjoy Hillbilly friends!

Easy Potato Soup.

This is one of those meals that is so up my alley.  Quick and easy.

It's perfect to throw in the crock pot as I run out the door for co-op or errands.

Here's what you'll need:

 

 

 One bag of frozen hash brown potatoes (sometimes I use a jar of the potatoes I canned last year)
2 cans of chicken broth
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 package of cream cheese.

 

Dump the potatoes, broth and soup in the crock pot.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.

Thirty minutes before serving, throw the cream cheese in and cover.  I like to take a potato masher or large fork and mash up the potatoes while mixing in the cream cheese.

And you have soup.  Nice and easy.  My family ate the entire crock full of soup last week. 

Delish!

Uncle J's Dish.

Last month, I taught a class on menu planning at our women's conference.  The best thing about it for me was all the great new recipes I got from the ladies in the class.

This, however, this recipe is hands down my favorite.

It comes from my friend Toni and her brother in law, Uncle J.  It has everything I love in a recipe - it's quick, it's cheap and it tastes fantastic.

Here you go:

2-3 cooked, cubed chicken breast (I used leftover chicken from a roasted chicken)
1 can of corn
1 can of black beans (I used beans from the freezer that I had cooked before)
1 jar of salsa
cheese to your taste (I used about a cup of shredded Colby jack)

Combine it all in a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

You can eat it wrapped in a tortilla with some sour cream or with chips as a dip.  I've also used it as a quesadilla filling with some avocado thrown in.  Next time I make it, I'm putting it as filling in enchiladas.  Yum!

This comes together quickly and is very forgiving.  I've upped both the chicken and the beans and it always tastes great. 

I'm almost embarrassed to tell you that I've made it three times in the past month.  It's that good.

Seriously, you need to make this. 

My Favorite Meatballs and Sauce.

I have a lot of trouble getting excited to eat at places like Olive Garden or even Carrabba's when it comes to Italian food. 

Why? 

Well, because in a thirty mile radius, we have some of the most amazing Italian restaurants around.  Muriel's, Julio's, Oliverio's, Puglioli's  - chains just can't compare to these places.  Especially when it comes to the sauce. 

Needless to say, it's made me quite the sauce snob. 

This meatballs and sauce from my friend Annie is the best. 

Seriously.  The. Best.

I've been making it since we first started working together over ten years ago.  It's her Grandma Prioletti's recipe and it is worth every minute it takes to make.  Enjoy!

 

Meatballs:

1 pound hamburger
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
2 eggs
1-3 cloves pressed garlic
salt & pepper to taste
parsley flakes (a couple of shakes)
minced onion (a couple of shakes)
Parmesan cheese ( a couple of shakes)

Mix, roll and bake at 350 for 20 minutes on a sprayed cookie sheet.

I make a double batch, freezing half and putting half in the sauce.


Sauce: 

2 large cans Hunt's crushed tomatoes
2 regular size cans Hunt's tomato paste
1 large size Hunt's tomato sauce
2 1/2 cans of water or tomato juice (I've use juice when I have it, water when I don't)
6-8 cloves pressed garlic (or 2 heaping teaspoons minced garlic)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Oregano (3-4 good shakes)
Parsley (5-6 good shakes)
Basil if you like it to taste (I don't add it)
Parmesan cheese (I usually use about a cup)

In a large sauce pan, put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then add garlic.  Let simmer - not brown.  Then add tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes. 

Add crushed tomatoes and sauce.  Stir well.  The paste will be thick so get it mixed in well.  Add tomato juice or water (just use empty cans to measure out 2 1/2 cans) to thin sauce.  Add more or less depending on what you like.  Season with salt & pepper, parsley, oregano and basil (if desired).

Let sauce cook, stirring often for an hour.  Add Parmesan cheese and meatballs if desired and simmer for about 20 more minutes.

Delish and freezes well too. 

Chicken & Dressing Casserole.

Sorry guys.  No pictures for this one. 

I made this for dinner on Monday and forgot how yummy it is.  Maybe I should just start taking pictures of all my meals then I can share them on Facebook daily.  And I can tell you if I'm going to the gym (I'm not) or maybe just make some vague comment for no other purpose but to have you ask if everything is OK.  You know.  That person.

Or maybe you can just trust me that this was delish and make it. 

Yep.  That's what you should do.

Here's what you'll need:

5-6 boneless skinless chicken breast
6 slices Swiss cheese
1 box of stuffing
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup of milk.
1 stick of melted butter.

Preheat your oven to 350.  Place chicken in a 9x13 pan and cover with cheese.  Mix together cream of chicken soup and milk and pour over chicken.  Cover with stuffing/dressing and drizzle butter over top. 

Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. 

I served it with a side salad and applesauce. 

My littlest one literally licked his plate.  For real. 

It was that good.

Now go try it!

Crock pot Tilapia with Potatoes

 

 

 

You already know that I'm a huge fan of the two-fer.  You know, two things at once.  So just like the BBQ chicken and baked potatoes, this recipe relies on filling my crock pot full.

 

 

I started with my crock pot tilapia recipe.  I made this and layered it in the bottom of the crock pot.

 

Then I added a very large sheet of aluminum foil.   Lay it on top of the fish in the crock pot with the edges extending over the sides of the crock.  Take about 4-5 potatoes and cut into small cubes.  Layer on top of the sheet of foil.   Add 4-5 tablespoons of butter - sliced and spread around on top of the potatoes.  The add salt & pepper to taste.  I sprinkled some dried parsley on top as well.  Wrap up the edges of the foil over the potatoes and seal. 

 



Cook on low for 4-5 hours until done. 

This was great, but next time I would cut my potatoes just a little bit smaller.  They were done, but we're fans of smooshy potatoes. 

Best news, there was hardly any mess in the bottom of the crock pot. 

I just added a salad and dinner was ready. 

Enjoy!

Squash and Rice

I posted this recipe yesterday on our church's Women's ministry blog, Woven.  It's just too good to not share again!  This recipe is by Joni Retton, a wonderful cook who torments me on Facebook with all of her incredible pictures of her dinners.  Enjoy!



Hello!  This recipe is an old family favorite my great uncle Frank
Gearde taught me to make when I was in college.  Serve with a salad and good
bread for a perfect meal.

Squash and Rice

Put a little olive oil in large pot.  Add:  1small onion chopped and 1 clove
garlic , crushed.  Saute a few minutes (do not let garlic burn).  Then add:  3
small sliced, peeled zucchini (can slice in circles or half moons) and chunks of
2 bell peppers.  Add 1 can sliced, stewed tomatoes or diced tomatoes (14.5 oz),
1 small can tomato paste, 2 paste cans of water, 1 bay leaf, salt and pepper. 
Cover and simmer 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook 1 cup rice in water or broth--regular or brown.  Remove bay leaf
from squash and add rice, fresh basil (I use the kind in a tube when I do not
have fresh) and Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

 

  

Thanks Joni for sharing!  Now I can't wait for my zucchini to come in!

 

 

 

I'm linking up with Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Blissful and Domestic and Simple Living Wednesday.

Flashback Friday: Ice cream cake.

I thought I'd share a great recipe that I posted when I first started my blog.

This is a great, cheap and easy summer dessert.  Two out of three boys love it so much, they want it for their next birthday party. 

Am I the only one who's children plan their birthday parties way in advance?

Here's what you'll need for the cake.

4 cups Rice Crispies
2/3 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Karo syrup.

Combine the above ingredients together and press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  It will be sticky.  When smoothed out to a crust, put in freezer for about 20 minutes.

Next, take 1 gallon of ice cream in the flavor of your choice.  We used vanilla bean.  Let it sit out on the counter for about 10 minutes to soften up a little.

Pull your pan out of the freezer.  Cut the box off the ice cream then cut the ice cream into slices.  Lay the slices on top of the crust.  When completely covered, smooth out with a spatula.  Then, back in the freezer for another 20 minutes or so.

When your 20 minutes are up, melt about 1 cup of peanut butter and 1 cup of chocolate ice cream topping in the microwave until you are able to stir them together into a smooth mixture.  Then, take the ice cream out of the freezer and pour the chocolate mix on top of the ice cream. 

Cover it with foil and freeze until ready to serve. 

It can be made however you like it - it's a very versatile and forgiving recipe.

Try it with mint chocolate chip, peanut butter, or butter pecan ice cream.

Use your imagination and enjoy!



Yes, it really is that good.
 

 

Linking up with We Are That Family for WFMW. 

I Made Bagels.....And So Can You.

I am giddy about this! 

I found a recipe for bagels in the bread machine at Blissful and Domestic.  I've looked into making my own bagels, but never have because, well, it seemed like a lot of work.  That is not my idea of a good recipe. 

This recipe doesn't require mixing, punching or boiling to get a great tasting bagel.  It mostly involves using your trusty (and probably dusty from lack of use) bread machine. 

Here's what you'll need:

1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 TB dark brown sugar
4 cups white flour
2 1/4 tsp dry yeast

Step one is to put the ingredients in the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacture.  I, of course, have no idea what order that would be.  I don't have a manual.  I just added them in the order listed.  I also used regular brown sugar because it's what I had on hand.  Once it's all in there, turn the machine to the dough setting and go do something else for about an hour and a half.

Once the dough is mixed, let it sit in the machine for an additional 5 minutes, then remove to a flour covered surface.  Roll the dough into a 12 inch log and cut into 12 - one inch pieces. 

 

 Then take each one inch section and roll into about an 8 inch log.

 

Connect the ends and pinch them together.

 

 

Continue with the remaining dough and place on a cornmeal covered cookie sheet.

 

 

Let rise for 30 minutes

 

 

Look at that puffy goodness!

Next comes an egg wash.  Brush the bottoms and tops with egg white and allow to dry a little.  I placed mine over a cooling rack.

 

 

Then, add any toppings.  I added onion powder and poppy seeds to five and left the rest plain.

 

 

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes, then turn over and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

 

 

Look at that golden deliciousness!

 

 

 

We had them as a snack today with cream cheese and tomato and again for dinner with fresh eggs and a fruit salad. 

 

I know it's a several steps, but it's really mostly waiting. 

 

This definitely goes on my "to make again" list!

My go to dessert.

Looking for a great treat to take to all those picnics and church dinners this Summer?  Look no further.  This is it.

And it's great.  And easy.  And cheap.

And.... you just can't beat that.

Here's what you need:

1 box of graham crackers
2 boxes of instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 cups milk
1 container cool whip - 8oz.
1 container chocolate frosting

Mix together instant pudding and milk until thick. 

While the pudding is mixing, layer graham crackers in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Cover graham crackers with a layer of pudding, then add another layer of graham crackers.   Then more pudding and end with graham crackers.

Carefully microwave a can of chocolate frosting in the microwave.  This is not carefully.  This was being lazy and pressing 1-1-1 and then forgetting about it.

Pour icing carefully over graham crackers and smooth with knife.

 
Cover with foil and chill in fridge for at least two hours.  It's even better to make and let sit overnight.  The graham crackers get nice and soft.  It tastes like an eclair.

This recipe can be mixed up lots of ways - different pudding types, chocolate graham crackers, or even add a couple tablespoons of peanut butter to the vanilla pudding.  Yum.

So now you have your go to dish for the next potluck. 

Unless I'm going to be there.

Then it's mine.   And you'll have to make something else.


I'm linking up today with Raising Homemakers. and WFMW.