Vanilla Pudding

One of our favorite desserts is Vanilla Pudding.  It is so smooth and creamy, pure comfort food.  Making this classic dessert is not hard at all. In fact, it is as easy as opening a box of the store-bought mix and pouring some milk in.  I have the super easy version of this pudding below in the notes that makes it even simpler.

Ingredients

2/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. cornstarch
4 c. milk
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbs. butter
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

In a bowl, beat the egg thoroughly. Set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.  

Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly to keep the cornstarch from clumping or lumping.  Over medium heat, cook the pudding until it comes to a boil.  Boil for one minute. The pudding should be thicker.

Ladle some of the hot pudding into your beaten egg, whisking constantly to keep the egg from cooking. Add maybe about a half a cup of the hot pudding.  Slowly pour the egg mixture back into the hot pudding, whisking constantly.  Bring the pudding back to a bubble or a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Add butter and vanilla.  Stir until the butter melts. Serve and enjoy while the pudding is warm. Or you can refrigerate the pudding for later. Just cover the pudding with a sheet of plastic wrap, pressing it down lightly on the surface of the pudding. This keeps the pudding from forming a skin across the top.  Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Serve with whipped cream if desired. 

Notes

If you want an even easier way to make this pudding, mix the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Slowly pour in the milk and beaten egg into the sugar. Cook, stirring or whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Cook and stir until the mixture is thickened. This takes about 1 to 2 minutes longer.  Just remember to constantly stir the pudding, or it will burn on the bottom of the saucepan. 

Garlic Parmesan Pork Chops

 

This is a quick and easy meal to prepare, especially if you don't have a lot of time to cook. Tender, juicy pork chops with a Parmesan garlic coating.  Serve with mashed potatoes, peas and a slice of homemade bread for a delicious meal.

Ingredients

6 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbs. olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°.

Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper. 

Beat eggs in a separate shallow dish or pan until well beaten

In a shallow dish or pan, combine seasoned breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and garlic powder.

Dip the pork chops in the beaten egg, coating both sides.  Allow the excess egg to drip off. 

Dip the pork chops in the seasoned breadcrumb mixture, coating both sides.  Shake off excess.

Heat oil in a heavy oven safe cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Sear the pork chops on one side until golden brown. Turn them over and sear the other side until golden brown. 

Place the skillet in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Bake the pork chops until the internal temperature is 140°.  Remove from oven and let rest for a couple of minutes.  Serve and enjoy.

 Notes

If you don't have any breadcrumbs, use stuffing mix. Just put some in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush the stuffing into crumbs.

If you like the taste of garlic, add more to the seasoned breadcrumb mixture.

Corn Creole Casserole

This is an easy recipe to make, and it is perfect as a side dish. Whole kernel corn, rice, tomatoes and jalapeños, makes this a colorful and flavorful dish. You can make it as hot as you like.

Ingredients

4 Tbs. butter
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 Tbs. flour
2 (11 oz.) cans whole kernel corn, or Mexican style corn and peppers mix, undrained
2 c. tomatoes, diced
2 c. cooked rice
2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped (optional)
1 to 2 jalapeños, chopped
1 tsp. Worcestershire
1/2 tsp. hot sauce (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
grated cheese

Directions

In a cast iron skillet, or a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onion and bell pepper until light brown. 

Add flour.  Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes to remove the flour taste.

Add corn, tomatoes, rice, hard-boiled eggs, jalapenos, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and salt. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Pour this into a large greased casserole dish.  

Sprinkle cheese over the top.  

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until cheese melts and everything is heated through.

Baked Chicken Breasts Supreme

Start the chicken marinating the day before and you will save time.  Plus, this will make your chicken, tender and juicy when you serve it for the next day's meal.  This meal is pure comfort food that your family will love and request often.

Ingredients

2 c. sour cream or plain yogurt
1/4 c. lemon juice
4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. celery salt
2 tsp. paprika
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. pepper
6 chicken breasts
1 3/4 c. bread crumbs
1/3 c. butter

Directions

In a bowl, combine sour cream, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, paprika, garlic, onion powder, granulated garlic and pepper.

Coat all sides of the chicken breasts with the sour cream mixture. Place the chicken in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate the chicken overnight. 

The next day, place bread crumbs in a shallow dish. 

Remove chicken from the refrigerator. 

Dip the chicken into the bread crumbs, coating all sides evenly. Place the chicken in a single layer in a large, shallow baking pan. 

In a saucepan, melt the butter.  Pour the melted butter evenly over the chicken breasts.

Heat oven to 350°.  Bake the chicken breasts for 60 to 70 minutes, or until the juices run clear. The meat's internal temperature should register 170° on a meat thermometer.

Poultry Seasoning Blend

It is easy to make your own poultry seasoning. With just a few simple ingredients that you probably already have in your cupboard, you can make your own spice blend. Why not save some money over the prepackaged mixes when you can easily make up a batch at home?

Not only can you can use Poultry Seasoning on chicken or turkey, but you can add it to soups, stews, and hamburger meat dishes.

Ingredients

3 Tbs. ground or rubbed sage
2 Tbs. thyme
2 Tbs. rosemary
1 Tbs. marjoram
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. pepper

In a mortar and pestal, or a spice/coffee grinder, combine sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, nutmeg and pepper.

Grind the ingredients until they are finely ground and thoroughly blended. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place to preserve freshness and flavor.  Mark the jar, so you know what spice blend is inside for easy identification.

Oatmeal Batter Bread

A quick and easy batter bread that does not require any kneading.  It has oatmeal, with a hint of cinnamon to make this bread special. This is a tender and soft bread, great for making sandwiches, toast, or just eating a slice of it plain.

Ingredients

1 c. boiling water
1/2 c. rolled oats
3 Tbs. shortening or butter
1/4 c. molasses
3 Tbs. powdered milk
2 Tbs. brown sugar or honey
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 pkg. yeast
2 3/4 c. flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan.

In a saucepan, bring water to a boil.

In a mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, shortening, molasses, powdered milk, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Pour in the boiling water or the warm milk. Stir to combine.  Set aside to cool until lukewarm.

Add egg to the oatmeal mixture. Beat well until thoroughly combined.

In a bowl, combine yeast and flour. Add half of the flour mixture to the oatmeal mixture.  Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour. 

Spread the batter in the prepared loaf pan. 

Set in a warm location to rise until doubled in bulk. This takes about 90 minutes or a little longer depending on how warm your kitchen is.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from pan and place the loaf on a wire rack to cool.

Notes

For a heartier, healthier bread, replace some of the white flour for whole wheat flour.  

For a decorative touch, sprinkle some oatmeal over the top of the dough before baking.

Beef Birds

This is an old-fashioned recipe using beef round steak and vegetables.  The beef is rolled up jellyroll style, encasing carrots inside. When it is done cooking, the meat and the vegetables will be tender and delicious.

Ingredients

1 1/2 to 2 lbs. round steak, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 c. flour
salt and pepper to taste
4 or 5 small carrots, cut in strips
1/4 c. lard
4 potatoes, peeled
1 onion quartered
1 can condensed mushroom soup

Directions

Cut beef steak into 3 x 5-inch pieces. Pound each piece until it is about 1/4 inch thick. 

Season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper.

Place 3 or 4 carrot strips on each piece of the meat. Roll the beef meat around the carrots, jellyroll style.  Fasten with a tooth pick to keep the carrots inside and the meat in a roll shape.

Add the flour into a shallow bowl or pan. Dredge the meat rolls in the flour, making sure to cover all sides.

Heat the lard in a heavy cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Brown the steak rolls on all sides. 

Add the potatoes and onions around the beef birds. Pour the condensed mushroom soup over the top of the meat, potatoes and onions. Cover and lower the heat to low.  

Simmer for 90 minutes or 2 hours until the meat and vegetables are tender.

Serve and enjoy.  Remember to let everyone know to remove the toothpicks before eating.

Notes

Instead of carrots, or even along with carrots, add celery strips and some onion. You can also try cheese, or mushrooms.