Chicken and Rice

 This is a delicious casserole.  I have just made it once, but it will be made again.  Both my husband and I loved it.

Chicken and Rice

2 cans cream of celery soup

3 -4 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 chicken breasts, cubed

2 cups uncooked rice

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Grated cheese, to taste

Heat oven to 375.  Spray a 13x9 pan or I used my enamel Dutch oven because it has a tight-fitting lid and well, because everything I make in it is delicious. 

In a bowl, mix the soup, chicken broth, and melted butter.  Add the rice, chicken, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme.  Spread the rice mixture in the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake until the rice is tender.  About 1 hour and 15 minutes (Ours was done after about 50 minutes)

Uncover and sprinkle with desired amount and type of cheese.  Return to the oven uncovered and bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.  Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.  

Cracker Barrel Baby Carrots

 

Have you ever ordered the baby carrots at Cracker Barrel?  They are so delicious.  I saw a copycat recipe online and tried them.  They were SO good.  I've made them several times now.

Cracker Barrel Baby Carrots

2 lbs. baby carrots

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Place the carrots in a saucepan.  Cover with water, cover the pan and boil for about 20 minutes.  The carrots should be fork tender.

Pour half of the water out of the pan.  Stir in the butter, brown sugar and salt.  Cover and cook for another 5 minutes or so.  Taste and add more of what it needs: butter, brown sugar, or salt.  

Cracker Barrel Meatloaf

 I'm not a big fan of Cracker Barrel, but they do make a delicious meatloaf.  I make a pretty mean meatloaf, but we loved this recipe enough that I will make it again.  Here is a copycat recipe:

Cracker Barrel Meatloaf

2 eggs

2/3 cup milk

32 Ritz crackers, crushed

1 / 2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 tsp salt

pepper

 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

 1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp mustard

Preheat oven to 350

Beat eggs. Add milk and crackers.  Stir in onion and cheese.  Add ground beef.  Mix well.  Shape into a loaf.   Combine the ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard to make the topping. Bake the meatloaf for 30 minutes.  Spoon half of the topping over the meatloaf after 30 minutes of baking.  Return loaf to oven for 10 more minutes.  Then spoon the rest of the topping over the meatloaf.  Bake for 10 minutes more.

I served it with cooked cabbage, mashed potatoes, and Cracker Barrel baby carrots.

Pecan Pie Dump Cake

 If you like pecan pie, you will like this delicious dessert.

Pecan Pie Dump Cake

2 3/4 cups brown sugar, divided

1 cup dark corn syrup (or you can use light)

1 14 cup butter, melted and divided

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups pecan halves, divided

1 yellow or white cake mix

1 cup hot water

Preheat the oven to 350.  Spray a 9x13 pan

In a large bowl, mix together with a whisk: 2 cups brown sugar, Corn syrup, 1/2 cup melted butter, eggs, and vanilla.  Sirt in 3 cups pecan halves.  Spread the mixture in the prepared pan.

Sprinkle the cake mix over the top.

Drizzle 3/4 cup melted butter over the top of the cake mix.

Sprinkle 3/4 cup brown sugar over the butter.

Pout the hot water over the top of that.  Don't mix.  Sprinkle 1 cup pecan halves over all.  

Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.  It will be a bit jiggly in the center, but will firm while it cools.  When cool, serve with ice cream (too rich for me) or whipped topping or with nothing at all.

Chicken Salad

I love chicken salad.  When I ran across this recipe claiming to be the world's best chicken salad, I had to give it a try.  It was so good!  It looks so simple that I didn't think it could be that good, but it really is delicious.

 Chicken Salad

1 rotisserie chicken, deboned

1 cup Mayonnaise

1 stalk celery, minced

1 small sweet onion, minced

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 T chopped parsley

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. pepper

Salt, if needed, to taste

Mix together.  Serve on a lettuce leaf or in a croissant or bread.

I love it open face on a piece of bread.

Woolworth's Lunch Counter Ham Salad Sandwich

 I saw this recipe on a website on the Internet and thought it sounded good, so I tried it.  It was good, but I think next time I will grind the ham rather than just finely dice it.  It will make it more of a spread.

Ham Salad Sandwich

1 slice ham, 1 inch thick, finely diced

1/4 cup celery, finely diced

1 Tablespoon sweet relish

Miracle Whip, as desired

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 slices whole wheat toast (I only had white bread, so used that)

Always served with potato chips

Mix ham, celery, then desired amount of relish and miracle whip.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mix well and spread on the whole wheat toast.  

Fudge

 I tried a new fudge recipe.  It was really good.

Fannie Farmer Fudge

2 cups sugar

2 T. butter

2/3 cup evaporated milk

10 large marshmallows

1/2 bag of chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cups chopped nuts, optional

Boil the sugar, butter, milk, and marshmallows for 6 minutes, while stirring.  Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips, vanilla, and nuts.  Stir and stir until the chips are melted.  Pour into a buttered 8 inch pan.  Cool and cut. into squares.  Each square can be wrapped in plastic wrap.

Grilled Egg Salad Sandwiches

 I love egg salad sandwiches.  Grilling it like this with butter was really delicious.

Grilled Egg Salad Sandwiches

6 eggs, hard boiled

3 T. Mayonnaise

Splash of seasoned rice vinegar

Salt and Pepper

A good bread

Butter

Chop eggs.  Add Mayo a little at a time until you get the consistency you want.  Add salt and pepper.  Heat a skillet and melt 1 T. butter.  Butter one side of the bread.  Put the unbuttered side down of the bread in the skillet.  Turn over when browned.  Put 1/3 of the egg mixture on the bread and top with another piece of bread prepared the same way.  This will make 3 sandwiches.

Shoepeg Corn Casserole

This casserole makes a nice vegetable side dish.  

 Shoepeg Corn Casserole

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 can shoepeg or white corn, drained

1 can green beans, drained

1 can cream of celery or mushroom soup

8 oz. sour cream

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1 sleeve Ritz, crushed

1/2 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a casserole dish or 8 x 8 pan.  In a bowl, mix the celery, onions, red pepper, cheese, corn, beans, soup, and sour cream.  Season.  Put in the prepared casserole and sprinkle the cracker crumbs on top.  Pour the melted butter on top and bake for 45 minutes.

Italian Chopped Salad Sandwiches

 I love a good sandwich.  And this one was really, really good!  I watched an Italian chef make it on the Internet.  

Italian Chopped Salad Sandwich

Chop some salami and ham and provolone cheese into little square.  Mix together and put in a microwavable bowl.  Microwave until warm and cheese starts to melt.

On a cutting surface, put some shredded lettuce.  Add some chopped tomatoes, chopped olives, and sliced mushrooms.  Sprinkle with red wine vinegar and olive oil.  Add salt and pepper and a couple of scoops of Mayonnaise.  Mix well with your knife.  Add the meats and cheese and mix well all together.  

When well mixed put inside a sandwich roll.  You can add other meats and vegetables as desired and delete anything you don't like.  So yummy!