Fancy Hashbrown Casserole

Casserole:

• 2 lb bag shredded hashbrowns (defrost in refrigerator if frozen) 
• 8 oz block extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 16 oz. Sour Cream
• 10 oz. can cream of chicken soup
• 1 whole med. yellow or white onion, diced fine
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 
• Sea salt & Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Topping:

• 2 c. Cornflakes cereal, crushed OR
• 1 c. Cheez-It crackers plus 1 c. French Fried Onion Rings, crushed) 
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter

Lightly sauté onions in 2 Tbsp butter.  Do not cook all the way because they will cook more during baking.

In a large bowl, combine thawed hashbrowns, onions, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, cheese, salt, and pepper.  Blend well.  Pour in a 9x13 casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

In a small saucepan pan, melt 1/2 stick butter and add crushed cornflakes.  Stir to coat well.  Top casserole with cornflakes.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350°.

General Tso's Chicken

** I have not made this myself yet, but ot looks delicious! 1-3-19

 Prep Time: 15 minutes

 Cook Time: 5 minutes

 Total Time: 20 minutes

 Servings 2

Ingredients:

10 oz boneless skinless chicken meat thigh or breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

Pinch of salt

1/3 cup corn starch

Oil for deep frying

1 1/2 tablespoons oil

3 slices peeled ginger finely minced

1 clove garlic finely minced

4-5 dried red chiles rinsed and seeded

2 stalks scallion white-part only, cut into 1-inch lengths

Sauce:

2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar

2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon Hoisin sauce

1/4 cup water

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing Wine

1 scant tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

Marinate the chicken meat with the Shaoxing wine and salt for 15 minutes. Mix all the ingredients for the Sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

Coat the chicken generously with the 1/3 cup cornstarch. Heat up the oil for deep-frying. Deep fry the chicken until they turn light brown. Dish out with a strainer, draining the excess oil by laying the chicken on a dish lined with paper towels.

Heat up a wok with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Add the minced ginger, garlic, and dried chilies into the wok, stir-fry until you smell the spicy aroma of the chilies. Pour the sauce into the wok. When the sauce boils and thickens, add the chicken, stir to combine well with the sauce. Add the scallion and stir a few times, dish out and serve immediately.

Uncle Ben's Wild Rice, copycat

*This is delicious!  If you're a fan of Uncle Ben's Wild Rice, you will love this!

• 1 tsp dry chopped onion flakes
• 1⁄2 tsp dry parsley flakes
• 1⁄4 tsp garlic powder
• 1⁄4 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1⁄2 tsp ground cumin
• 1⁄4 tsp ground ginger
• 1⁄2 tsp black pepper
• 1⁄2 tsp salt
• 3 c. chicken stock (or 3 c. water plus 1 Tbsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken)
• 1 c. long grain brown rice
• 1⁄3 c. dry wild rice
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (optional)

Place all ingredients in a 2 quart saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for about 50 minutes.

**If cooked on the stovetop, this rice must be simmered for 50 minutes to be tender!  Brown rice, long grain white rice, and wild rice take twice as long to cook as traditional white rice.  

**As an alternative, you can cook it in a pressure cooker that has a rice setting.  You may have to manually adjust the cook time to about 23 minutes.

Creamy Garlic Shells

yield: 4 SERVINGS

total time: 25 MINUTES
prep time: 10 MINUTES
cook time: 15 MINUTES

8 oz. (1/2 lb.) mini shells pasta

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 tsp minced garlic from jar 

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3/4 cup pasta water + 3/4 tsp Chicken Better Than Bouillon 

3/4 c. half n half

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 c. grated Parmesan/Romano cheese blend

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp dried parsley flakes

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot, cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Remove the pot from the heat. Drain and set aside.

Put the empty pot back on the burner over medium heat. Add in the olive oil and butter and cook until the butter is melted. Stir in the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. Sprinkle in the flour and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute until the flour is cooked and combined with the butter and oil. Pour in the half-n-half and broth and whisk until smooth. Stir in the some salt and pepper and whisk constantly until the mixture is thick and bubbling.

Remove from the heat and stir in the garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, and the parsley flakes. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Pour the cooked pasta into the pot and mix in with the sauce. Serve.

Porcupines in a Skillet

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
• 1½ c. hot water
• ¾ c. uncooked white rice
• 1 (16 oz) can tomatoes
• 1 c. shredded cheese

Cook beef and drain grease.  Add soup mix, rice, water, and tomatoes.  Simmer until rice is done, about 20-25 minutes.  When done, top with shredded cheese.



Dry Onion Soup Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dried onion flakes
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium beef bouillon granules
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Stir the onion flakes, beef bouillon granules, onion powder, parsley flakes, celery seed, paprika, and black pepper in a bowl. Use as substitute for a 1-ounce envelope of dry onion soup mix.

Autumn's Mild Sausage Blend

• 4 Tbsp Legg's Old Plantation Seasonings:  Pork Sausage Blend 10
• 2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Ground Sage

Use this ratio to mix as much seasonings as needed for deer or pork sausage.  This will make mild sausage.

Weigh 1 pound meat using meat scale.

Add 20 grams of seasonings per pound of sausage.

* If  making deer sausage, use 2 lbs deer meat and 1 lb Boston Butt.

* Pure Boston Butt is used for pork sausage.

*Pasta Primavera with Chicken

• 1 lb Chicken breast, cut in thin slices
• Cavender's Greek Seasoning (salt free)
• 1 lb Penné Pasta, cooked al dente 
• 1 - 1/2 c. Chicken broth
• 1 - 1/2 c. Yellow Tail Chardonnay 
• 1 med. yellow squash
• 1 med. zucchini
• 1 large white onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 3 Tbsp minced garlic, from jar 
• 1/2 c. Parmesan and Romano cheese blend
• 1/4 c. Half and half 
• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 2 tsp cornstarch 
• Sea salt, to taste

Dust the sliced chicken liberally with Cavender's Seasoning.  Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet.  Cook the chicken and minced garlic until chicken is no longer pink.  Remove from skillet.

Slice onion and pepper into thin strips.  Peel and slice squash and zucchini into 1/8 inch thick slices.  Place them in the hot skillet.  Lightly dust with Cavender's. 

Add 1 and 1/2 cups each chicken broth and Chardonnay.  Add sea salt as needed for vegetables.   Remember there is already some salt in the chicken broth.  Bring the vegetables to a boil and cook until tender.

Dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup water.  Add to veggies.  Simmer for a minute or 2 to thicken.  Add Parmesan cheese blend.  Add half and half.  Stir in chicken and penne pasta.  Heat through.  Serve immediately. 

*Notes for next time: 
- increase Parmesan/Romano to 3/4 cup, maybe a whole cup.