Spanish Delight

A quick and easy meal to prepare that does not take a lot of work. It is very economical and will feed a family on a budget.

Ingredients

6 oz. pkg. narrow noodles
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 to 2 onions, chopped
1 to 2 sweet peppers, chopped
1 can tomato paste
1 can cream style corn
2 Tbs. chili sauce
1 large can mushrooms
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded or sliced
salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 300°.

Fill a large pot with water.  Add about a 1/2  to 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. Bring the water to a boil and cook the noodles according to package directions.

In a heavy cast iron skillet, cook the hamburger, onions and pepper until the hamburger is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender.  Drain off excess grease or fat.

Add tomato paste, cream style corn, chili sauce, and mushrooms. Stir in the cooked noodles. Taste the meal and add salt and pepper.  I usually leave the meal right in the skillet, and bake it in the oven. But you can transfer the meal to a casserole dish.

Top with cheese.

Bake for 1 hour. 

This meal can also be made ahead of time and frozen.  If you freeze this dish to serve at a later date, you'll want to bake this for 2 1/2 hours. 

 60 Minute Sweet Rolls  

 Who can resist sweet rolls warm from the oven? These 60 Minute Sweet Rolls are light and fluffy, and can be ready to eat in a short amount of time. Using a quick rise method, you don't have to wait all day to sink your teeth into one of these delicious bites of sweet goodness.

Ingredients

1/4 c.. very warm water 110° to 115°
1 Tbs. sugar
1 pkg. package yeast
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbs. sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons soft  butter or oil
2 to 2 3/4 cups sifted flour

Filling

1/4 c. soft butter
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
nuts, chopped (optional)
raisins (optional)

Powdered Sugar Frosting

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 to 3 Tbs. milk

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine water, yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar together. Set in a warm location for about 5 to 10 minutes, so the yeast starts to bloom. 

Heat the milk over low heat until it is warm to the touch, or until it reaches the temperature of 110° to 115°. Remove from heat and stir in salt.

Add the warm milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, egg, butter or oil and 1 cup of the flour to the yeast mixture. Beat with a wooden spoon, or you can use your mixer with the dough hook attachment. Continue adding the rest of the flour, stirring until it is too stiff to mix by hand. 

Turn out the dough onto a floured board, adding more flour as you knead the dough.  Add enough flour until the dough is slightly sticky, but does not stick to your hands. Knead for 4 to 6 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.   Cover with a sheet of plastic or a lint free towel and let rest for 5 minutes

Roll out the dough into a 16 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread 1/4 cup of soft butter over the surface. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Add the chopped nuts or raisins at this time if desired.

Roll up the dough tightly, beginning with the wide side.  Seal the edges by pinching the edge of the dough into the roll, so they don't come undone. Cut the dough into 12 slices.  

Place the dough, cut side down, into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. 

Cover the dough with a lint free cloth and let rise in a warm location for 30 to 35 minutes.  

Preheat oven to 375°. Bake the rolls for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown on top. 

Prepare the frosting while the rolls are cooling.  

In a small mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and milk.   Beat by hand or with a mixer until smooth and of spreading consistency. Spread over warm rolls.

 Pronto Pups

 

If you don't like much cornmeal taste in your corndog, then Pronto Pups are the perfect solution. They have less cornmeal in the coating then a corndog has. You can also cut down the amount of cornmeal that you use in the batter and just substitute it with more flour.  Another alternative to making Pronto Pups is to use pancake mix. 

Ingredients

1 c. flour
2/3 c. cornmeal
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. shortening
1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1 package beef hot dogs * see notes below
Oil for deep-frying

Directions

In a bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, dry mustard and sugar.  Using two knives held together in your hand or a pastry knife, cut in the shortening until it is small particles about the size of crumbs.

Mix the egg and milk together until combined. Pour the milk and egg mixture into the dry mixture. Stir until the batter is smooth.  The batter should be thick, like pancake batter. If it is too thin, the batter will not stay on the hot dogs. If the batter is too thick, it will crack on your hot dogs when deep-fried. 

In a deep, heavy cast iron skillet, pour in oil until it is 1-inch deep. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 365° to 170°.

Dry off the hot dogs. Insert a skewer through the center of the hot dog, going through lengthwise.

Dip each hot dog into the batter, making sure to evenly coat the entire surface of the hot dog. Place the hot dog into the hot oil.  You can fry several Pronto Pups at a time, just be careful to not overcrowd the skillet or allow the temperature to drop below 365°.

Deep-fry the hot dogs for 2 to 3 minutes, remembering to turn the hot dogs to brown all sides of the batter. 

Remove the hot dogs from the oil and place on paper towels or a rack to drain off the oil. 

Serve with ketchup and or mustard if desired.

Notes:

You can use any hot dogs that you like best, or the ones you can afford. 

Brown Sugar Muffins

This recipe for Brown Sugar Muffins is quick and easy to make. The muffins stay moist. They have just the right amount of sweetness to make them delicious. My mother used to make these when I was growing up and I have fond memories of waiting for her to bring them out of the oven. It was so hard to wait for them to cool enough to eat.  Try making some delicious memories with your family 

Ingredients

1/2 c butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk*

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°.  Lightly spray or line 14 to 16 muffin tins with paper liners.

Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.

Combine flour, soda and salt in a separate bowl.

Mix in a fourth of the milk.  Add a fourth of the flour mixture, mixing in well. Continue to alternate between the milk and flour mixture, making sure that you are ending with the milk.

Pour into muffin tins, filling them about 2/3 full. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until done. If you are using smaller sized muffin tins, bake for less time. Test with a toothpick to make sure the muffins are done.

*You can also use sour milk for this recipe. To make your own sour milk, pour in 1 tablespoon vinegar into the bottom of a measuring cup. Pour in enough milk to equal one cup. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes. The mixture will thicken and become clumpy.

Ham Casserole

This is a great way to use up left over ham. Mix it with noodles and peas then add a white sauce to the mixture.  It makes a quick and easy meal that is delicious.

 Ingredients

1 lb. noodles, cooked
1-1 1/2 cups ham, cooked and cubed
1 tsp. salt
1 can peas, drained
2 c. milk
2 Tbs. flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs. butter or margarine
1 beef bouillon cube

Fill a large pot with water and add some salt. Bring the salt water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and put into a casserole dish.

Mix in the ham and peas with the noodles. Set aside while you prepare the white sauce.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour.  Whisk over medium heat, stirring constantly until the flour is browned. This takes about one to two minutes.

Pour in the milk, whisking constantly until all the flour lumps are gone and you are left with a smooth sauce. Cook and stir over low heat unti the mixture becomes thick and bubbly.  Add the beef bouillon cube, stiring until dissolved.  

Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the white sauce in with the ham, peas and noodles and stir to combine.

Bake at 300° for 20 to 30 minutes.   

You can also add some sliced or shredded cheese over the top. Just remove the dish about 10 minutes before the mixture is done. Put the cheese over the top and then return the dish to the oven and continue baking until the cheese is melted and everything is hot.

 

Ham Glazes

Easter Ham Glazes

Our favorite ham glaze is very simple, and the ingredients are readily found in the pantry. It is a simple honey mustard glaze. I will include several other ham glaze recipes found in my family's recipe cards that our family and friends liked to make and use over their hams.

Brown Sugar Mustard Glaze

Ingredients

1 fully cooked bone-in ham (5 to 7 pounds)

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Whole cloves

Directions: 

 Preheat oven to 325°.

Place ham on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. 

Using a sharp knife, score surface of ham with 1/4-in.-deep cuts in a diamond pattern. Press a whole clove into each intersection of the ham. 

Cover and bake 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until a thermometer reads 130°.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and enough vinegar to make a thick paste.

Remove ham from oven. Spread sugar mixture over ham. Bake ham, uncovered, 15-30 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 140°.

***

Honey Brown Sugar Glaze 

Ingredients

1 bone-in spiral-cut ham, about 10 pounds

1 cup honey

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon dry ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
 
Preheat oven to 325°F.

Place the ham on its side in a roasting pan.

In a small bowl, mix honey, brown sugar, ginger, dry ground mustard and cinnamon together until well blended. If the mixture is too thick, place it in the microwave on High for 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Stir every 15 seconds until smooth.

Brush 1/2 of the honey mixture over the ham, gently separating the ham slices, so mixture can reach deep into the slices.  Cover loosely with foil.

Bake 1 hour, basting occasionally with pan drippings.

Remove foil. Brush the remaining honey mixture over the top of the ham and bake another 45 minutes.

***

Brown Sugar Pineapple Glaze

Ingredients

1 spiral cut ham with bone-in approximately 7-9 lbs.

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard We use spicy jalapeno mustard

1/4 cup pineapple juice or orange juice

BROWN SUGAR GLAZE

1/2 cup pineapple juice or orange juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard We use the spicy jalapeno mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions
 

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Place the ham in a large roasting pan. 

In a small bowl, combine mustard and pineapple juice. Brush this mixture over the ham.

Cover the ham tightly with foil or use a tight-fitting lid, bake according to package directions or approximately 12 to 15 minutes per pound.

In a small saucepan, combine pineapple or orange juice, brown sugar, mustard, ginger and cornstarch. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer 2-3 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool.

Approximately, 15 minutes before ham is done, remove it from the oven.  Turn the heat up to 425 °F.

Brush the ham with the glaze and return it to the oven.  Bake until the glaze is caramelized, and the ham has reached the internal safe cook temperature of 145°.

Homemade Peanut Butter Coconut Eggs

Here is another recipe for candy chocolate covered Easter eggs.  And these delicious eggs aren't just for Easter. Instead of making them into egg shapes, you can form them into balls and dip those in the melted chocolate.  These make for a wonderful sweet treat any time of the year. 

Ingredients

1/4 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. peanut butter
1 1/2 to 2 c. powdered sugar
1 c. sweetened coconut, shredded
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped fine (optional)
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbs. shortening

Directions

Cream the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy on high speed.

Turn the mixer to low and mix in 1 cup powdered sugar. Stir in the coconut and chopped walnuts if desired. 

Turn out onto a board or countertop dusted with powdered sugar.  Knead in the rest of the powdered sugar until the mixture is no longer sticky and it will hold its shape. 

Form into egg shapes.  Place on a tray or cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Cover and chill the eggs for about 4 hours or until they are firm. 

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave, stirring every 15 to 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Or you can melt the chocolate chips on the stove top on a very low heat, stirring constantly until the chocolate chips are melted.

Place one egg on the tines of a fork or you can use one of those 2-pronged forks if you have one. Dip the egg into the chocolate, making sure all the exposed areas are covered in chocolate. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off, before placing the chocolate egg on the waxed paper. Do this to each egg until they are all coated in chocolate. 

You can decorate the eggs with colorful sprinkles while the chocolate is still soft. Or you can allow the chocolate to harden and then decorate with icing. 

Store the chocolate Easter eggs in a covered container at room temperature. You can also place them in the refrigerator if it is hot where you are to keep the chocolate from melting.