Pass the Potatoes, Please

Golden Cheese and Broccoli Chowder

2 cups water
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 pound fresh broccoli, washed and chopped

Cheese Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups milk

Tabasco sauce, as desired (I use a couple of dashes)
1 pound processed cheese spread, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
2 cups ham, cut in 1/2 inch cubes

In a large saucepan, combine water, celery, carrots and onion. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes or until tender/crisp. Add broccoli; cook until broccoli is tender/crisp, about 4-5 minutes. (To keep broccoli bright green, leave the cover slightly ajar.) Do not drain vegetables.

To make sauce, melt butter in a large saucepan; blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for one minute. Stir in milk; cook and stir until mixture thickens. Add several drops of Tabasco sauce if desired. Stir in the cheese and cook until melted, stirring constantly; add the ham cubes. Combine cheese mixture with undrained vegetables; stir to blend.

Pandora's tip: Do not cook this soup at a high temperature as it has the tendency to scorch.

Porcupine Meatballs

1 beaten egg
1 can condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup long grain rice
2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon snipped parsley (or 1/2 Tablespoon dried Parsley)
1 Pound ground beef
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

In a bowl combine egg and 1/4 cup of the soup. Sitr in uncooked rice, onion, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add beef and mix well. (Hands work best) Shape meat mixture into 20 small balls, place in a 10-inch skillet. Mix remaining soup with Worcestershire and 1/2 cup water, pour over meatballs. Bring to a boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes; stir often.

**Pandora's variation** I make mashed potatoes along with this dish. When serving, we would place the meatballs on top of the mashed potatoes on our plate. Other variations could be using cooked egg noodles or white rice instead of the mashed potatoes.

Almond Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup wine (I use Riunite Lambrusco or White Zinfandel)
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 teaspoons sugar

Cut chicken breasts into one-inch squares. Mix remaining ingredients together and pour over chicken. Let soak at least six hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Heat up 2 Tablespoons of oil. Saute chicken until no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan. In the same pan, add a variety of fresh vegetable which have been cup up into bite sized pieces. You can use broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, snow peas, fresh mushrooms, onion, or green peppers. Saute vegetables until tender, adding more oil if necessary. Do not over cook. When vegetable are done, add chicken to pan along with 1/2 cup water. Cover pan and simmer for two minutes. Add slivered almonds and serve over white or brown rice. (I use brown rice because it gives it a nice nutty taste) 

Lemon/Coconut Squares

Cookie Dough:

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup butter or regular margarine

Filling:

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 1/2 cup flaked or shredded coconut
1 cup chopped nuts
2 TBLSP flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

1 cup confectioners sugar
1 TBLSP melted butter or regular margarine
Juice of one lemon or 1 TBLSP of lemon juice

• Mix together ingredients for cookie dough; pat down well in buttered 13x9x2 inch pan. Bake in very slow oven (275 degrees) for 10 minutes.
• To make filling, combine eggs, sugar, coconut, nuts, flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Spread on top of baked mixture. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 20 minutes.
• While still warm, spread with frosting made by combining confectioners sugar, melted butter and lemon juice. Cool slightly; cut in 2 inch squares. Complete cooling on racks. Makes about 24.

Cranberry Jello Salad

2 small boxes of Raspberry jello
1 cup liquid (juice from 1 large can of crushed pineapple plus enough water to make one cup)
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup finely chopped celery

Bring the one cup of liquid to a boil. Add boiling liquid to jello and stir until completely dissolved. Add other ingredients, stir, and pour into a 13x9 in. pan. Let set in the refrigerator until firm.

Topping:
1 large package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup whipping cream, whipped and sweetened with 1/2 to 1 cup powdered sugar
1 small jar marscheno cherries, drained and minced (wash to keep whipping cream from turning pink)
1/2 can crushed pineapple

Mix together with a blender and spread on top of firm jello mixture. Top with 1/2 cup crushed walnuts.

**Pandora's comment** While this recipe calls for the cherries, I have never used them. I usually don't have them on hand and don't think to get them. I always use one cup of powdered sugar to sweeten the whipping cream. Use less powdered sugar if you want a topping with more of a cream cheese taste.

Acini DePepe Salad

Dressing:
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
2 TBSP flour
dash of salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cups pineapple juice, drained from 1 large can of crushed pineapple and 1 large can of pineapple tidbits

Mix ingredients together and cook slowly for 8-12 minutes or until thick. Cool.

Boil one box of Acini DePepe macaroni in salted water for 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. When the macaroni is cooled, mix with the above dressing.

Add to above mixture:
Drained crushed pineapple and drained pineapple tidbits from the dressing above
2 small cans of mandarin oranges, undrained
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 12-oz package of Cool Whip

Mix all ingredients completely and let set overnight in the refrigerator.

**Pandora's comment** This recipe makes a very large bowlful. I have never tried cutting the recipe in half but one could try. It will usually last three days in the refrigerator but it never takes that long to eat it all.

Pie Crust

1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup butter
2 cups flour
1/3 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Mix butter, shortening, and flour. Cut into small pieces with a pastry cutter. Add boiling water, salt, and baking powder and mix well. Separate into two balls. Place each balls in between two sheets of wax paper and roll.

**Pandora's comment** This makes the flakiest pie crust but is very difficult to work with. Rolling between two sheets of wax paper helps but it is still very sticky. But clean up is a breeze...just throw the wax paper away! I have only used this for a pie crust so I don't know how it would work on other pastry recipes.

Orange and Oatmeal Breakfast Pie

3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 TBSP butter, melted
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine eggs, milk, orange juice, oats, brown sugar, butter and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. Pour mixture into a 9-inch pie shell, unbaked.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown and set or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting.

**Pandora's Variation** I make the pie shell the night before and refrigerate overnight. When I would make this for my family, I would triple the recipe and use two 10-inch pie shells. We usually never had leftovers but any leftover pie is also great tasting when chilled. I also use orange juice with pulp.

Breakfast Pizza

One box Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix
4 eggs
1/4 cup of milk
12 ounces shredded swiss cheese

Any or all of the following:
Cooked Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage, crumbled
Cooked bacon, crumbled
Diced cooked ham

Prepare the hot roll mix according to the package directions. Press dough onto the bottom and sides of a greased 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking dish. Allow dough to rise for 20 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle any combination of the toppings over the dough. Sprinkle the shredded Swiss cheese over the top. Mix together the eggs and milk, beat with an egg beater or whisk until smooth. Gradually pour this mixture on top of the cheese layer. Bake in a 400 degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until crust is brown. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes for the egg mixture to set up.

**Pandora's variation** I use the hot roll mix because I hate to make dough but any bread dough recipe will work. Some recipes call for frozen bread dough but I have never tried that. I usually make the dough the night before and let it set, covered, in the refrigerator overnight. Then I bring the dough to room temperature before I put the rest of the toppings on.

Seafood Lasagne

1/2 cup margarine or butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
1/2 cup sliced green onions (with tops)
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces uncooked lasagna noodles (9 or 10 noodles)
1 cup creamed cottage cheese
1 can (7 1/2 ounces) crabmeat, drained and cartilage removed
1 can (4 1/2 ounces) tiny shrimp, drained
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat margarine in 3-quart saucepan over low heat until melted; add garlic. Stir in flour and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk and broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute. Stir in mozzarella cheese, onions, basil and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted.

Spread 1/4 of the cheese sauce (about 1 1/2 cups) in ungreased rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches; top with 3 or 4 uncooked noodles, overlapping if necessary. Spread cottage cheese over noodles in dish. Repeat with 1/4 of the cheese sauce and 3 or 4 noodles. Top with crabmeat, shrimp, 1/4 of the cheese sauce, the remaining noodles and cheese sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered in 350 degree oven until noodles are done, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

**Pandora's variation** I use 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt in place of the salt and fresh garlic. I also use two cans of crabmeat instead of one because I LOVE crab. I use two cans of shrimp as well but use medium shrimp instead of tiny because I like the shrimp to be deveined.

I double the recipe to make two pans. I cook one and place the other in the freezer for another day**