About My Cooking

Some people prefer to strictly follow recipes, others prefer to completely wing it.  I'm somewhere in the middle.  I love getting ideas from recipes - and will often follow them to a fault.  But once I'm familiar with a dish, I will make it my own. 

This is a collection of some of my favorite recipes.  I have been eating some of these since I was tiny, they have been in the family for ages.  Others are newer to me, but just as close to my heart and tummy.  I hope you enjoy!

Breakfast Casserole

Dozen slices cheap white bread, cubed
1 lb browned link sausage, cubed
1/2 lb shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1 pint or more milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard (or mix in reg. mustard)

Beat eggs, milk, salt and mustard.
Layer in BUTTERED casserole dish: bread cubes, sausage, and cheese.
Pour egg mixture over, adding more milk to cover, if necessary.
Refrigerate 1-24 hours (the longer the better).

Bake 1 hour at 350◦.

Company Potatoes

2 lbs frozen hashbrowns (defrosted)
1 pint sour cream
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup Cream of Chicken (or Cream of Mushroom)
12 oz mozzerella cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375*
Mix all ingredients well
Spread in buttered 9x13 pan
Sprinkle top with crushed cornflakes, and dab with butter
Cook for 1 hour uncovered

Yum!

Mrs. MidAtlantic is about to get yummy.  If I can figure out the HTML coding.  Just you wait!

Chicken Taos

12 pieces of chicken (boneless thighs work well)

¼ cup flour

2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ cup butter

1 cup chopped onion

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 jar chili sauce*

1 ½ cups chicken broth

½ cup dry sherry

Roll chicken in combined flour, salt and pepper (or place in Ziploc and shake!)

Melt butter in large high-walled sauce pan, add chicken and brown.

Push browned chicken to one side.

Add onions and sauté until transparent.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 35 minutes.

Serve chicken and sauce over rice or egg noodles.

*Chili sauce can be found near the ketchup and cocktail sauces

I often make a double-batch of this, as the chicken and sauce freeze and reheat really well.  I usually serve it over the egg noodles, with a layer of fresh spinach in between – by the time you are ready to eat, the spinach is wilted and tastes fantastic!

Paris Breakfast

2 tablespoons sweet butter

2 eggs

½ cup milk, at room temperature

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or Kirsch

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ cup flour

Juice of one lemon

Confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 400*

Place a 10” glass pie pan in the oven to heat.

Add butter to the pan.

When melted, brush the sides and bottom.

Keep in the hot oven until ready to use

The plate must be very hot!

Put the eggs, milk, Grand Marnier, lemon juice and granulated sugar into blender.

Blend briefly at low speed.

Add the flour and blend at high speed till light and frothy.

Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula and blend a few seconds more.

Immediately pour the blended mixture into the pie plate.

Bake for fifteen minutes.

Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve immediately with maple syrup or jam.

Serves two – double the recipe, using two pie plates to serve four!

Pesto Palmiers

1 container prepared pesto

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 package frozen puff pastry

Preheat oven to 375*

Roll out 1 sheet of puff pastry to about 11x15”

Spread with pesto and then top with parmesan cheese.

Roll from top of long side in toward center.

Roll from bottom of long side into toward center, with both rolled edges meeting at the middle.

Cut into ¼” slices and place on baking sheets.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until puffed and golden.

*I sometimes make these with prosciutto and honey mustard instead of the pesto!