Spaghetti with Bacon Sauce

This is a very easy spaghetti dish that takes a few ingredients and turns them into a delicious supper. Spaghetti, bacon, tomatoes and peppers.

Ingredients

12 oz. piece of smoked bacon or 6 slices of bacon
1 sweet pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 (14 Oz.) can tomatoes, chopped or 1 lb tomatoes, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
pinch crushed red pepper
12 oz. spaghetti
6 Tbs. Parmesan cheese

Directions

Fill a pot with water and add 1 teaspoon salt. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain, but reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water for later.  

Cut bacon into 1/4-inch slices. Fry bacon, onion and pepper in a cast iron skillet until golden brown all over. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain. Drain off bacon grease from the skillet.

Add the tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Add the cooked spaghetti, and 5 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Toss lightly over low heat for 2 minutes.  Adjust the seasoning to taste. If the sauce seems too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water. 

Sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve.

Smothered Mushroom Chicken

This is a very versatile recipe. You can add different vegetables like potatoes, peas, broccoli, sliced zucchini, or peppers.  This can be served over rice or mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. olive oil
1 chicken, cut up or 8 chicken pieces
3/4 c. flour
2 onions, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. chopped carrots
1 can mushrooms, drained
3 c. chicken broth
3 Tbs. flour
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. onion salt
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 c. heavy cream

Directions

Melt butter and olive oil in a large cast iron skillet. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.

Place flour in a low sided bowl, or a large plastic bag. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour. Fry the chicken in the butter and olive oil. Set chicken in a 13 x 9-inch pan, or you can use a Dutch oven.

Remove all but 3 tablespoons of the butter and olive oil in the skillet.

Stir in 3 tablespoons flour. Cook and stir for 5 minutes to remove the flour taste.

Stirring continuously, pour in the chicken broth.  Season with cayenne pepper, thyme, onion salt and bay leaf.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. 

Place the chicken pieces back in the skillet.  Add the onions, celery, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms.  

Cover the baking pan with foil or, if using a Dutch oven, cover with a lid. Bake at 250° for 2 hours, or until chicken is done, and the juices run clear. 

About 15 minutes before removing the chicken from the oven, pour in the heavy cream. Do not cover. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.

Copycat Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing

My family loves Dorothy Lynch salad dressing and used to buy it all the time. But those bottles of dressing come with a pretty high price tag!  Our neighbor gave us this recipe, and it is even better than the kind you buy in a bottle at the grocery store.  It takes only a few minutes to prepare. 

When choosing the tomato soup, try to get Campbells Tomato soup.  It does cost more, but it will give your salad the best flavor.

Ingredients

1 can tomato soup
3/4 to 1 c. sugar
1/2 c. vinegar
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. dry mustard powder
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. celery seed
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 c. salad oil, warm

Directions

Combine tomato soup, sugar, vinegar, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt, celery seed, pepper and paprika together in a blender.

With the blender running, slowly pour in the oil.

Pour the salad dressing into a large empty jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. Shake well before using.

Mexicali Casserole

If you like Mexican food, you are sure to like this casserole dish. It is an easy dish to make, combining all the flavors that you enjoy eating.

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 sweet pepper, chopped
1 or 2 jalapeños (Optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 (16 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can whole kernel corn
1 (16 oz. can kidney beans
1 c. water
2/3 c. uncooked rice
1/3 c. sliced ripe olives
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. 

Over medium heat, cook ground beef, onions, pepper and garlic in a cast iron skillet.  Cook until the beef is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender. Drain.

Stir in chili powder, tomatoes, corn, kidney beans, water, rice, and olives. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to an 11 x 7-inch baking dish, or you can leave it in the oven safe skillet you fried the meat and vegetables in.  Cover and bake for 50 to 55 minutes. 

Remove the lid or cover and sprinkle cheese over the top of the casserole. Bake another 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. 

Spicy Beef and Potato Dish

Our family was practically raised on meat and potatoes for every meal.  This recipe is one of those meal ideas and it is so easy and simple to do. It combines ground beef or sausage, potatoes, onions and peppers for a one dish meal. You can make it as spicy as you like by adding hot peppers and or using hot sausage.

Ingredients

 2 Tbs. oil
1 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 lb. ground beef or spicy sausage
1 onion, diced
1 sweet pepper, diced
1 to 2 hot peppers, chopped (optional)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. oregano
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. prepared mustard
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheese

 Directions

In a cast iron skillet, heat oil until hot.  Add cubed potatoes. Cook the potatoes over medium high heat, stirring often, until they are starting to turn brown.  The potatoes do not have to be done, just starting to brown nicely. 

Add the ground beef, onion, sweet pepper, hot pepper, and garlic cloves.  Cook and stir until the meat is cooked and the potatoes and onions are tender.

Stir in paprika, oregano, Worcestershire sauce and prepared mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with shredded cheese with desired. Cover with a lid until the cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream if desired.

 Yeast Coffee Cake

 Warm inviting yeast coffee cake to enjoy with your morning coffee. We prefer the breads made with yeast as a rising agent. It has a better flavor than baking powder, and you don't have to worry about yeast having aluminum in it.

Ingredients

1 pkg. yeast
1/3 c. warm water (110° to 115°
1/2  c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg, separated
4 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. milk, scalded, cooled to lukewarm

Brown Sugar Topping

Ingredients

1/8 c. melted butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
raisins (Optional)

Directions

Grease two 9-inch round pans. 

Soften yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in warm water for 5 to  10 minutes. This allows the yeast to bloom and show that it is alive.

Cream butter until softened. Gradually add the sugar, cream the mixture until light and fluffy.

Add egg yolk and beat well. 

Stir in 1 cup flour and mix well.

Pour in the yeast mixture and combine thoroughly.

Alternately, add the rest of the flour and the milk to the butter mixture.  Beat well after each addition. 

In a clean, grease free bowl, beat egg white until rounded peaks are formed. Fold into the flour and yeast mixture until well blended.  

Cover and let rise in a warm location about 2 hours.  

Punch down and divide in half. On a floured surface, roll or pat each portion into a round. Put each round into the prepared pans.  Cover and place in a warm location.  Let rise about 90 minutes. 

Prepare the brown sugar topping. 

Brush melted butter over the tops of the coffee cakes.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and raisins if desired. 

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until done.

Pizza Hamburger Casserole 

All the fantastic flavors of pizza in one dish.  This recipe is quick and easy.  Although the directions call for cooking the pasta and then add it to the dish, you can also add the dry pasta in the dish.  Add either 1 cup of water, beef bouillon or beef stock to help cook the macaroni.  Just check the pasta occasionally to see if more liquid is needed and add accordingly.  

If you have pizza sauce on hand, you can use that instead of the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

Ingredients

3 c. macaroni, uncooked
2 lbs. hamburger
1 onion, chopped
2 sweet peppers, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (4 oz.) can of mushrooms
1 1 (32 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 or 2 (2 1/4-ounce) cans sliced ripe olives
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
4 to 8 oz. sliced pepperoni
16 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the macaroni and about 1 teaspoon salt to the water. Cook according to package directions. Drain

In a cast iron skillet, brown the hamburger, onion, pepper and garlic. Drain off any excess grease. 

Add the macaroni, mushrooms, spaghetti sauce, crushed tomatoes, basil, red pepper, oregano, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.

Place in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Top with pepperoni.

Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.