Crock-pot Cowboy Stew...

I first came across this recipe in a book by Sandra Lee, of Semi-Homemade. The orginal recipe calls from potatoes and corn. I personally thought it was too much in the carbohydrates so I took out the corn and added a can of kidney beans.
The meat in the stew is brisket. You only need 2 pounds, if you can not find a small 2 pound brisket look for corned beef. The meat in that package of corned beef is brisket, just throw away the seasoning packet that is inclosed.
We used to have eat this recipe twice a month. Super simple to throw together in the morning before work, or great on a cold day. The orginal recipe states it serves six, four is more the correct portion.

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef brisket, cut into bite size pieces
1 Tablespoon taco season
2 cups chopped potatoes
2 10 ounce cans of Rotel tomatoes and chilies
1 10 ounce can of cream of celery soup
1 10 - 15 ounce can of kidney beans, undrained
1 cup beef broth, low sodium
1 small onion chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, minced

Directions:
In a 4 quart crock-pot add brisket and sprinkle with taco seasoning
Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined
Cover and cook on hight temp setting for 4 to 6 hours.
or low temp setting for 8 to 10 hours.

Vidalia Onion Casserole…

My brother-in-law loves onions; he has sliced onions with every almost every meal. When we were house hunting and living with them, I was in charge of the cooking.  I wanted to find a way to cook the onions, to entice the kids to eat them too. I found this recipe from Sandra Lee, of Semi-homemade. The casserole wasn’t a big hit with the kids, the adults loved it.

The onions were sweet, cheesy and the Ritz crackers are the ingredient to pull it all together. If you can’t find Vidalia onions, try a similar sweet or yellow onion.

Ingredients:

6 Vidalia onions (peeled and sliced very thinly)

½  cup butter

30 Ritz Crackers (one sleeve, coarsely crushed)

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Over medium heat, melt butter in a saucepan

Sauté onions until they start to turn golden brown

Butter or spray a 2 qt baking dish, then layer half the onions, Ritz crackers and cheese

Repeat layering topping with cheese.

Bake uncovered for approximately 25 minutes, or the cheese on top is slightly brown.

1.      Set

2.      7

Repeat

Italian Kale Soup…

I saw a recipe on the back of a cracker box for an Italian soup that used sausage, cannellini beans and spinach. I then came across a recipe for cannellini bean and kale soup. There were things about both recipes I did not like.

 The Italian soup had noodles in it and it just didn’t seem to appetizing to me. It did have sausage,but since I used it the night before in red beans and rice, I didn't have any to add. I thought about putting ground beef in this soup, but didn’t think it would taste right. You could add a pound of sausage to this recipe if you wanted.

The soup is colorful, and full of all those good vitamins we all need, like beta-carotene from carrots, that can help guard against colds and the flu. Then there is Kale, which has quickly become the new super since people have discovered all of its wonder benefits.  

So what is so special about Kale?

One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.

Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

As it stands right now you could switch the chicken broth out for vegetable broth and make this a vegetarian soup.

 I put salt and pepper on the ingredient list. I personally don't think it needs any salt, but to each their own. I think a few tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese on top when serving would be really good.

Ingredients:

1 med yellow onion, chopped

3 Tablespoons garlic, minced

Olive oil

4 cups chicken broth

6 packed cups raw kale, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

2 parsnips, chopped

2 cans (15 ounce) Cannellini beans, undrained

1 can (28 ounce) whole tomatoes

½ teaspoon ground thyme

½ teaspoon dried rosemary

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon garam masala

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In large soup pot, sauté onions and garlic in olive oil, add in kale and stir until the kale wilts

Add broth, carrots, parsnips, and celery. Drain tomato juice into pot; crush tomatoes before adding to pot.

Add cannellini beans and spices.

Simmer for half hour.

Crock-Pot Shepherd’s Pie…

For this recipe, I took two recipes and combined them. I wanted something simple, quick and tasteful that would be warm and savoring to come home after the kids bowling practice.

A traditional shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb. I used ground beef, since it was what was in my freezer.

I also cheated a bit, for the gravy; I used a jar Heinz beef gravy. I made instant mashed potatoes. You could cheat there too and use pre-packaged ones, for me it was a cost over convenience.

When I made the mashed potatoes, after pouring in the milk, I added a handful of finely grated cheddar cheese and half a sleeve of crush Ritz crackers. Again, you can use breadcrumbs, I used what I had on hand.

I did not add in any spices besides garlic and dried Rosemary. I was worried about how salty the dish would come out using the canned soup and gravy. My family thought it was missing something and added salt. They said it was missing… I thought it was fine. You could add a 2 tablespoons of red wine (if you have it on hand) to increase the flavor a bit.

1 lbs lean ground beef or lamb

1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables (I used PicSweet Brand 12-16-ounce bag of frozen carrots, peas, corn and green beans)

Half of a small onion, diced

2 Tablespoons of minced garlic

2 Tablespoons of dried rosemary

2 cups hot cooked mashed potatoes

1 sleeve of Ritz crackers crushed

1 cup of Kraft Cheddar Cheese, finely grated

1 10 ounce can of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup

1 12ounce jar of Heinz Beef Gravy

Optional 2 Tablespoons of red wine

Directions:

Brown ground meat, drain

In crock-pot on low heat, combine meat, vegetables, soup, gravy, 1 tablespoon of rosemary, 1 tablespoon of garlic. Wine if you chose

Mix ½ cup of cheese, remaining rosemary and garlic with half of the crushed crackers into the mashed potatoes.

Pour and spread potatoes evenly on top of meat mixture.

Top with remaining cheese, cover cook for 4-6 hours.

Oxtail Soup

Oxtail soup is not a common dish in this country. After watching the UK version of Kitchen Nightmares, with Chef Gordon Ramsay, I knew, I wanted to taste it. The first time I went looking for oxtails, I was surprised by the price. I expected them to be inexpensive. I found for the amount of meat on the bone, it was the opposite. Either way, this makes a wonderful addition to your soup recipes.

When I made this the first time, my husband was out on a deployment. This for me, was always a good time to test new recipes. If the kids didn’t care for a recipe, then I knew he wouldn’t either. The kids surprised me and actually did enjoy this soup.

There is one huge suggestion when making this dish. Make it ahead of time, to be able to remove the fat. This would be good to make the day before a winter snowstorm hits. When the kids come inside from playing in the snow, serve oxtail soup to warm them up.

Ingredients:

3 pounds ox tail

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, sliced into one inch pieces

1 small turnip, chopped

2 oz butter

1 tsp. Peppercorns

1 Bay leaf

 Thyme, preferably in a sprig

8 cups water

 ½ cup port wine (optional)

Salt and pepper

Directions:

Sauté the oxtail and vegetables in butter until brown

 Add water, peppercorns and herbs, and boil until the meat falls off the bones. About 4 hours.

Strain the liquid, cool in fridge, and take off the fat.

Add  meat to the defatted stock and reheat gently. Add seasoning to taste, and wine if desired.

For My Sister... Green Beans and Bacon

Green beans and bacon is a common match in cooking. Growing up, this was the only way we ate green beans. I have never had the green bean casserole with the French fried onions. The holiday commercials make it look good. Especially the one with tree, grabbing the serving spoon...

 After posting Paddy’s Green Bean Supreme recipe, my sister sent me a note stating those would never cross her table. Why? There is no bacon in the recipe. I hate to say she is snob about it, but this is the only way she has eaten them for four decades.

So for all of the non-adventure or risk taking green beans and bacon eaters, I hope you might like this recipe. Angela, this has one whole pound of bacon in it just for you.

1 pound bacon, cut up

1 cup white sugar

½ cup white vinegar

5  14.5 ounce canned cut green beans, drained

2 large onions chopped

Directions:

In a large pot, cook the bacon and onions, until bacon is almost crispy. Drain on paper towels




Fall leaves in North Carolina, at their peak

Add sugar, vinegar, and green beans to the pot along with the bacon and onions. Mix well

Cook until bubbling. Turn off heat and let sit on burner until ready to eat.   

*I like to add ½ tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the pot.This will give a little flavor without making them spicy*

Grandma Webb’s, Bourbon Sweet Potatoes & More!

This recipe has been in my family for a while; my husband calls it a true southern dish. Keep in mind; this is the same man who deemed me a Yankee, because my family comes from Kentucky.

This recipe was my grandmother's. My second cousin, is six years old. Kate about had a fit when she saw her grandmother putting alcohol in this recipe. With the wisdom of a six-year-old, Kate questioned her grandmother, "does my mom know you're serving me alcohol?" Her grandmother laughed and said, "Well I sure hope so, she's been eating this all of her life!"

Grandma Webb’s Bourbon Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 pounds sweet potatoes, baked, peeled and mashed

                or if you absolutely must 3, 1 pound cans of canned sweet potatoes (Not yams!)

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup a good Kentucky bourbon (If it is not good enough to drink, then it is not good enough to cook with)

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, preferably not imitation

2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Heat sweet potatoes until hot, mash if not already done so

Add ingredients, except marshmallows, blend well

Place mixture in a 2-quart baking dish, sprinkle top with marshmallows

Bake uncovered for 30 min. marshmallows should be golden brown

Paddy’s sweet potato soufflé:

I inherited this recipe when I married my husband. I have not tinkered with this recipe.*Please don't die of shock*I have threatened a few times though, to place this in a piecrust and serve it as desert. Again, make sure if you use canned sweet potatoes there actually sweet potatoes and not yams.

My father recently sent me a similar recipe that is my stepmothers. There are a couple ingredients differences between the two, but they are basically the same recipe.

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes, or if need be one 1 pound canned sweet potatoes

1/2 cup sugar, white

two large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup butter

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup flour

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°

Combine first five ingredients, until blended

Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish, sprinkle with topping

Topping:

In separate bowl combine brown sugar and flour

Cut in butter

 add pecans

Sprinkle over the top of the sweet potato mixture

Cook for 30 min. uncovered

Sweet Potato, Potato Salad:

My aunt sent me this recipe the other day, and I cannot wait to make. I would say it is a new twist on the traditional potato salad.

Ingredients:

two baking potatoes

one sweet potato

four eggs

two stalks of celery, chopped

one onion, chopped

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons of ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large pot of salted boiling water add potatoes (baking and sweet) and cook until tender but still firm. This will take approximately 30 min.

Drain, cool, peel and chop

Place eggs in saucepan and cover with cold water bring to boil. Cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 min.

Remove from hot water; cool, peel and chop

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, eggs, celery, and onion

In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Add to potato mixture toss well to coat.

Place in refrigerator for two hours and serve cold

Ginger Peach Sweet Potato Bake:

2 pounds of canned sweet potatoes, not yams

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup broken unsalted cashews,(you can substitute with either pecans or walnuts)

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 9 ounce can of sliced peaches

3 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Place with potatoes and a buttered 10 x 6 x 2" dish

Open and drain peaches

In a bowl, combine brown sugar, cashews, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoons salt

Layer potatoes peaches and nut mixture

Cut butter into chunks and sprinkle on top of mixture

Cover dish and bake for 30 min.

Uncover bake for 10 more minutes

Spoon syrup from pan over sweet potatoes before serving

Green Bean Supreme and Honey Smoked Pork Chops



It is well know I cannot leave a recipe alone, I have to tinker with each of them. The green bean supreme recipe came from my mother-in-law, when I married her son. This dish is a staple on our holiday table, and to be honest, I did not really tinker with this one too much until the other day.

Green Bean Supreme
Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of butter

1 small yellow onion minced

2 Tablespoons of flour

2 Tablespoons of water

½ teaspoon of fresh lemon peel

1 large 28-33 ounce can of French style green beans (drained) I prefer Del-Monte brand

1 cup sour cream

½ cup of crushed Ritz crackers

1 cup Kraft Colby/Jack finely shredded cheese

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350°F

In skillet melt butter add onion and sauté until translucent.

Gradually stir in flour, lemon peel, and then water making a roux.

Add drained green beans and sour cream into skillet mix well.

Pour into a 2 quart baking dish, sprinkle with crushed red pepper.

Cover top with cheese then crushed Ritz crackers

Bake for 30 minutes

** You can omit the red peppers, if you prefer. They give a bit of spice and heat but not enough to be spicy**

Honey Smoked Pork Chops

3 Tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

3 Tablespoon minced garlic

¼ teaspoon sage

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon hot Chinese mustard

4 Tablespoons butter, melted

4 thick center cut pork chops

Ingredients:

Pre-heat oven 350°F

Mix ginger, sage, garlic, liquid smoke and honey in bowl.

 Line small baking pan with aluminum foil,

Brush all sides of pork chop with butter then place on pan.

Brush honey smoke mix on chops, place in oven for 15 minutes

After 15 minutes flip chops over and brush with remaining mix cook an additional twenty minutes

Try Me Tuesday...

Saturday, I dished dinner and called the family in to eat. I was met with mixed enthusiasm, as to was to what was on their plates. First item was the soup; my husband, gave me a questioning look then asked “Why is there so little in my bowl?” I gave each of them about a quarter cup of soup, which just filled the bottom of the bowl. I was not sure if they would like soup, so why waste it?

Next on their plate was a honey-smoked thick cut pork chop, the kind I usually get for stuffing, a Cheryl worthy buttery yeast roll and Paddy’s green bean supreme. 

The soup was huge a big hit. My husband went back for two whole bowls; he and our daughter were already calling dibs on the leftovers for lunch this week. This was a triumph since my husband cannot stand the taste of tomato soup. *I do a happy dance and throw confetti!*

 The soup has creamy tomato taste, like tomato bisque soup. The soups only dairy is four tablespoons of butter. So where is the soup getting its creamy taste? Pumpkin, yes I said pumpkin. The other surprising aspect to this recipe is with two simple changes you could serve it to your vegan friends.

 

Not Bisque, Tomato Bisque Soup

1 small onion, chopped

4 Tablespoons of butter (could use vegetable oil)

1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes

2 15oz can of whole pumpkin, not pie filling

4 cups of chicken broth, (could use vegetable stock, but it will alter the taste)

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

½ teaspoon of ground ginger

2Tablespoons ground pepper

1 teaspoon of white sugar

Directions:

In soup pot, melt butter and sauté onions until soft and translucent

Add broth and bring to a boil for ten minutes

Add entire can of tomatoes to a food processor or blender, puree until smooth

Add tomato puree, canned pumpkin and spices to broth

Simmer for fifteen minutes

 Check back tomorrow for the green beans supreme and pork chop recipe

Pot Roast Soup

 Have you ever noticed that pot roast and roast chicken are exactly perfect bases for soup? Think about a pot roast: meat, potatoes, carrots, onion and celery.

I make my pot roast in the crock-pot and it turns out perfect every time. If I cook pot roast in the oven well, I get boot leather. So what do you with boot leather? Make soup!

As I stated above, I make my pot roast in the crock-pot. It is simple, quick and the meat can go in frozen. I usually get a roast big enough to make a few meals out of. The kids and I don’t really care to eat roast as leftovers. So why get a big piece of meat? I will slice it for fajitas, enchiladas, smother it in barbeque sauce or make soup.

Pot Roast Soup:
If you know you are going to make soup with your leftovers, return everything to your crock-pot and place in the refrigerator. The next day, I will lift out the solid fat crust and discard. Remove the vegetables and roast, leaving a gelatin broth with onions and celery in your pot.

Chop your vegetables into bite size pieces, adding more carrots and potatoes as necessary. Slice the roast into bite size pieces, remove all fat. Return meat and vegetables to pot, add a bay leave, two cups of beef broth or 2 cups of water and two bouillon cubes. Cook on low heat for 6 hours.

Chicken Soup:

Fifteen years ago, I watched Emeril Lagasse make his chicken noodle soup. After he striped a roast chicken carcass of meat, Emeril took the entire carcass and placed in a soup pot. Emeril made soup with the bones and skin, stating it gave the broth wonderful flavor. It did! 

I made chicken soup that way a few times, but this is not exactly smart. Since Emeril did not remove the skin and bones when he served the soup, it is not exactly child friendly. The young ones do not understand the concept of don’t swallow the bones. I had to come up with a new way to make chicken noodle soup where you get flavor, but not the bones.

I usually find the largest roasting chicken I can find (between 7 to 9 pounds), so we only eat half the bird. I follow the same rules for the pot roast soup with a few exceptions. Do not remove the fat; pull the meat from the bone and chop into bite size pieces. If you do this right between the breast, leg and thigh there should be plenty for soup. (Pickoff the back and remaining rib meat from the bones and save for Chicken Potpie.) Chop carrots, onion, celery, and place in pot with chicken. I also will add frozen peas and corn… about ¼ to ½ cup of each. Add pepper and garlic to taste. If need be, add fat free, low sodium chicken broth and cook on low four to five hours. Add in approximately 2 cups of dry yoke free, egg noodles an hour before consuming.

Time saving and last minute meal fixes to eat within an hour or two:
Crock-pot:
 Turn the crock-pot on high, place raw vegetables in an 8-cup Pyrex measuring bowl with four cups of water and bouillon cube. Cook on high in your microwave for ten to fifteen minutes. Pour into crock-pot add noodles.

Stove top method:
Place two boneless skinless chicken breast cubed, chopped vegetables, chicken broth, and seasonings in stew pot and bring to a boil for five minutes then reduce to a simmer. 15 minutes before serving add in noodles.

Cleaning tip for the day: To clean you grill and oven racks and grates. On a warm day, place racks and grates in a black trash bag, pour in a bottle of ammonia, tie shut and set outside flat in the sun for three hours. Flip after three hours for another two hours.(You might have to move the bag to keep it in the sun.) Remove grates from bag and wash them off with soap and water. Most of all the stuck and burnt chard should just wipe off.

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Crock-pot Chicken Fajitas

I have been making this recipe for close to thirteen years. When I came up with the idea for this recipe “it was let me throw all of these ingredients into the bowl and see what comes out.” This is quick, versatile, simple, tasty, and most off all inexpensive to make

Ingredients:

1 can of Rotel (heat and style is up to you)

2 cans of Black Beans, undrained (we like Ranch Style Brand)

Onion, small and chopped

2 boneless skinless frozen Chicken Breasts

1 clove Garlic, minced

Cumin, ground to taste

1 bunch of Cilantro

Place chicken in bottom of pot.  My family does not care for cilantro chopped up in their food so I lay the entire bunch on top of the chicken. Pour black beans, onion, garlic and Rotel over chicken, lightly dust with cumin. Cover cook on low for 6-8 hours.

When done gently push back beans and Rotel, lift out and discard cilantro. Carefully lift out the chicken, which will be very tender, slice or shred into preferred size.

Serve a variety of ways: over rice, tortilla chips or in tortillas (wheat, flour or corn.) I will usually serve with spanish rice, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, and sliced avocado in tortillas

Serves 4 people

There are 4,001,892 ways to cook a potato

I am not sure about everyone else, but I feel like I have gained ten pounds just writing all the recipes this week. How about we lighten up with Scalloped Potatoes? I know you hear Scalloped Potatoes, the last thing you have in mind is light and healthy. 
Like most recipes this calls for salt, I do not add salt to my recipes. Most of the time you do not notice the difference, we get enough salt in our diets from processed foods. When my husband and I got married. I noticed that every time we ate, he loaded his food with salt and pepper even before tasting it. I figured he was going to salt his food before tasting it, there was no reason to add the salt. Over the years, he has given up this mind-set and now tastes before salting. That being said if you would like to add salt to this recipe please add ¼ teaspoon.

This recipe was passed out at a Weight Watchers meeting: 

Scalloped Potatoes

Makes 4 servings

2 large baking potatoes, thinly sliced

2 onions, thinly sliced

¼ cup of minced parsley, fresh

3 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon of black pepper

¼ teaspoon salt (try using garlic powder instead of salt!)

2 cups of hot skim milk

1/3 cup of shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese ( I always used more)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 10” X 6” baking pan with nonstick cooking spray

Layer one-third of potatoes and onions in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle evenly with half of the parsley and flour. Repeat the layering once more, ending with the potatoes and onions. Sprinkle evenly with pepper and salt (garlic)

Pour the milk over the top and sprinkle with the cheese. Bake until the potatoes are tender and the top is browned, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

If you make this recipe with salt, here are the nutritional values per serving:

Calories 215, total fat 2g, Saturated fat 1g

Cholesterol 9mg, Sodium 284 mg,

Total Carbohydrate 38g, Dietary Fiber 4g,

Protein 11g, Calcium 267mg

So you have roasted a whole chicken for dinner, what do you with the leftovers?

We all have a million and one recipes for chicken, it is so adaptable. When I roast a whole chicken, I pick every tinny tiny bit of meat off the bone I can. I might seem time consuming but between the wings, back, and those bits of the breastbones, you can gather almost a cup of meat. Why throw away enough food for another meal? Why throw away money?

You have played vulture and stripped the meat from the bones, now what? You can always use it in a salad, but have you thought about making a warm, fork licking, savory potpie? Now do not cringe and say "no, too much work" or "I don’t have time to make a potpie!" Ah but you do, and I promise it is easy to make. You can make it when you get home from work today if you have the ingredients.

I never made a potpie before because:

A.      I thought it was difficult and it intimidated me.

B.      I cannot make a beautiful piecrust to save my life. I keep trying, but it just is not blue ribbon, fair pretty.

C.      Always went to the store and bought frozen ones, not any more!

One day last winter, I sat and looked at recipes for Chicken Potpie. I then printed out my four favorite recipes, combined what I liked best about each to make one recipe.

Next came the piecrust. I can make a crust scratch, and do not even mind doing it. But what about when I am short on time or do not want to tackle making a piecrust? No problem, I cheat and go buy the dough already made. Mine still is not pretty, but I will only improve with practice.

My family loves this recipe and usually gorge themselves to the point there are no leftovers... pitty

Chicken potpie

Ingredients:

1 double piecrust dough for 9 inch pie (I used a Food Lion Brand)

1 cup boneless skinless chicken (you can use a breast, cut into small bite size pieces)

1 cup sliced carrots

1 small potato, peeled and cubed into bite size pieces

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup of butter (yes-real butter, unsalted would be best)

1/3 cup of all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon of salt*

2 teaspoon of pepper*

1 teaspoon of garlic* or one fresh minced clove

* I usually just eyeball and go by shakes of container, but those should be good estimates

2/3 cup of milk (1%)

2  chicken bouillon cubes (I use Knorr)

1 3/4 water drained from vegetables

1 can of Campbell’s cream of chicken soup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In saucepan, combine carrots, peas, potato, celery, salt, garlic and 1 teaspoon of pepper. (If using uncooked chicken add to pot) Add enough water to cover vegetables, add bouillon boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In skillet over medium heat, melt butter and cook onions until soft and translucent.

 Drain off 1 ¾ cup of broth from the vegetables and reserve. Drain any remaining liquid from vegetables and set aside.

To your skillet, stir in flour and pepper then slowly stir in milk, cream of chicken soup then the reserved broth until well-blended making thick gravy.

Place bottom piecrust in pie plate; add chicken and vegetables making sure bottom is well covered. Pour hot liquid over mixture. (Depending on your pie plate you might have extra vegetables and gravy mixture. Reserve them, and pour over a baked potato the next day for a hearty lunch!)

 Place top crust over mixture, seal edges, and trim any excess. Make several slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Wrap edges of pie with foil to prevent burning.

Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Stew or Soup? You Decide...

My parents were born in raised in Kentucky, my husband’s in Texas. Here lies the base to an eighteen-year long debate over is it stew or soup.

Growing up when mom made stew it was a thick gravy sauce, with beef, potatoes, peas and a single bay leaf that always managed to end up in some ones bowl. Mom served it with bread and butter.

My husband grew up with stew that was broth based, beef, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and one onion. He eats it with crackers.

Can you see where the debate comes from?

My loving husband states it is because he is from the south and they put tomatoes in everything. I have been deemed a Yankee. Well I hate to break this to my husband, but his father's side of the family was not even American's during the Civil War! When the namesake did immigrate to America, he went to Kentucky. Therefore, if I am a Yankee, he is too!

I will leave each of you to decide which label you would like to classify this recipe, in our house it is called "Oh, that’s good!" 

If you have a picky eater like mine. Try a ladle full with only a small bit of broth and top with shredded cheddar jack cheese.

Paddy's Beef Stew (Soup)

1 ½ to 2 lbs of beef stew meat or roast cut into 2 inch pieces

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped

3 carrots sliced

4 large potatoes, chopped to bite size pieces

2 large (28-30 oz) cans of whole tomatoes

Ground pepper

1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil

In soup pot, add oil and brown stew meat (personally, I add crushed garlic or garlic powder to the meat at this point.) Add enough water to cover meat, cover pot and let simmer until meat is tender. (If you have meat tenderizer go ahead and sprinkle some in) Simmer until almost all of the water has evaporated from pot, usually takes 1 ½ hours.

Add potatoes, onion and carrots.  Crush tomatoes while adding to pot along with the juice.

Cover pot and simmer until vegetables are done, season with pepper to taste.

Crock-pot version – Yes, you can make stew in a crock-pot!

Place meat tenderizer, stew meat, pepper, (garlic,) onion and enough water to reach almost halfway of crock-pot. Set to highest setting, replace lid and let simmer for 6 hours.

After six hours, water should be mostly gone. Place carrots and potatoes in a microwavable dish (I prefer an 8-cup Pyrex measuring cup) cover with water and microwave on high for ten minutes. The vegetables should fork tender but not completely cooked. Add tomatoes, potatoes and carrots to crock-pot and let cook for an hour on high temperature.