Phyllis’ Mother’s Mac and Cheese Recipe from Taste of Home©

I remember my mother sending me to the store for “15¢ worth of store cheese”. The butcher would cut off a slice from a gigantic round of cheese covered with a wax-coated cloth. Mother would then blend that cheese into this tasty dish. Today, the memory of Mother’s cooking is like food for my soul. — Phyllis Burkland, Portland, Oregon

 

Yield: 4 servings.

Photo by Taste of Home©

Ingredients:

• 2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
• 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 teaspoon onion salt, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

1. In a bowl, combine macaroni, tomatoes, onion salt, pepper and 1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese. Pour into a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Dot with butter.
2. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 15 minutes longer.

Nutritional Facts
1 serving (1 cup) equals 373 calories, 22 g fat (16 g saturated fat), 75 mg cholesterol, 759 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 16 g

Originally published as My Mother’s Mac and Cheese in Reminisce May/June 1993, p51

Advertisement

Skillet Salisbury Steak

by Lena Abraham for Delish.com

Yield: 4 Servings

Photo by Ethan Calabrese

Ingredients:

For the Patties:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 c. bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp. ketchup
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Garlic clove, minced
• kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

For the Gravy: 

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1/2 c. Mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 c. beef stock
• kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Make patties: In a large bowl, combine beef, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and form into 4 oval patties.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Sear both sides of the patties until a crust forms, about 5 minutes per side. Remove onto a plate.
3. Make gravy: Wipe out skillet and add butter. Add onions and thyme and stir until onion becomes translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until browned and tender, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle onions and mushrooms with flour, and stir until they are fully coated. Cook another 2 minutes, then add Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and beef stock. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.
4. Bring the gravy to a simmer and return the patties to the skillet. Cover and cook for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the patties are done and the sauce has thickened. Plate the patties and top with more gravy. Serve.

Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

by Rhonda Parkinson, Chinese Food Expert

This sweet and sour pork is prepared American-style with more batter and deep-fried twice for extra crispiness.

Yield: 4 to 6 Servings

Photo by Getty Images

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound pork tenderloin
• 2 – 3 teaspoons soy sauce
• Pinch of cornstarch

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water or reserved pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water

Batter:

• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup warm water, as needed

Other:

• 1 carrot
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
• 3 cups oil for deep-frying, or as needed

 

Directions:

1. Cut the pork into 1-inch cubes. Marinate in the soy sauce and cornstarch for 20 minutes.
2. To prepare the sauce, in a small bowl, combine the sugar, ketchup, dark soy sauce, salt, water or juice and vinegar. Set aside. In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Set aside.
3. Peel the carrot and chop on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Cut the bell peppers in half, remove the seeds and cut into cubes.
4. Heat the oil for deep–frying to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. For the batter, combine the flour and cornstarch. Stir in the egg white and vegetable oil. Add as much of the warm water as is needed to form a thick batter that is neither too dry or too moist. (The batter should not be runny, but should drop off the back of a spoon).
6. Dip the marinated pork cubes in the batter. Deep-fry in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the wok. Deep-fry the pork until it is golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
7. (If desired you can deep-fry the pork at second time to make it extra crispy. Make sure the oil is back up to 375 before you begin deep-frying again).
8. To prepare the sweet and sour sauce, bring the sauce ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, green pepper, and pineapple. Bring to a boil again and thicken with cornstarch mixture, stirring. Check the sauce one more time and adjust seasonings, adding salt and/or vinegar if desired. Serve hot over the deep-fried pork.
9. Serve the sweet and sour pork over rice.

 

 

Brunch Enchiladas Recipe

Yield: 8 Servings

Photo by Taste of Home©

Ingredients:

• 8 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
• 1 can (8-1/4 ounces) cream-style corn
• 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
• 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 corn tortillas, warmed
• 1 bottle (8 ounces) mild taco sauce
• Sour cream, optional

 

 

Directions:

1. Combine the first six ingredients; spoon 1/2 cup down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tightly. Place, seam side down, in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with taco sauce.
2. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15 minutes or until heated through. Serve with sour cream if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

 

Nutritional Facts:
1 serving (1 each) equals 208 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 222 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium, 22 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 11 g protein.

 

Originally published as Brunch Enchiladas in Country Woman March/April 1997, p41

Braised Chicken and Spring Vegetables

Recipe by Sara Quessenberry for Real Simple©

Ingredients: 

Photo by Marcus Nilsson

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 small bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 1⁄2 pounds)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 12 medium radishes, halved
• 3/4pound carrots (about 4), cut into sticks
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

 

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned, 6 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Spoon off and discard the fat. Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the broth and scrape up any brown bits.
4. Stir in the radishes, carrots, and sugar.
5. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and gently simmer, partly covered, until it is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the chives.

Corned Beef Quesadillas

Recipe by Sarah Caron for Betty Crocker™

Photo by Betty Crocker®

Ingredients:

• 4 Old El Paso™ flour tortillas for burritos (8 inch; from 11-oz package)
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 8 slices (about 1 oz each) Irish Swiss cheese
• 1 cup chopped leftover corned beef
• 1/2 cup well-drained sauerkraut
• Thousand Island dressing, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat nonstick griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Brush 1 side of each tortilla with melted butter; place tortillas, buttered side down, on griddle.
2. Top each tortilla with 1 cheese slice, 1/4 cup corned beef, 2 tablespoons sauerkraut and another cheese slice. Fold tortilla in half over filling. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until golden brown and cheese is melted.
3. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges. Serve with Thousand Island dressing.

 

Tips:

• Can’t find Irish Swiss? A domestic Swiss cheese can be substituted.
• You can use chopped corned beef from the deli if you don’t have leftovers.

Irish Stew

Recipe courtesy of Giana Ferguson

Yield: 6 Servings

Click here to see a video demonstration by Tyler Florence. 

Ingredients: 

• 2 medium-sized onions, chopped
• Oil, for frying
• 1 -ounce butter
• 1 sprig dried thyme
• 2 1/2 pounds best end of lamb neck, cut into large pieces
• 7 carrots, chopped lengthways into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons pearl barley
• 5 cups chicken stock, recipe follows
• Salt (recommended: Fleur du Sel)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme, and bay leaf)
• 12 medium potatoes
• 1 bunch parsley, leaves finely chopped
• 1 bunch chives

Serving Suggestion: Herb Butter*

Directions:

1. In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, cook the onions in oil and butter, on medium-high heat until they are translucent. Add the dried thyme and stir. Add the lamb and brown on a high heat to seal in juices. Add carrots, and pearl barley. Pour in the chicken stock so that it almost covers the meat and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, and add Bouquet garni. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours, being careful not to boil. Place potatoes on top of the stew, cover and cook for 30 minutes until the meat is falling beautifully off the bones and the potatoes are fork tender.
2. Serve the stew in large flat soup bowls, and drizzle herb butter over the potatoes or garnish with parsley and chives.

 

Stock:

• Chicken carcass
• 1 onion
• 4 cups water
• 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• Bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

• Preheat the stockpot. Combine ingredients in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Then let it cool down and skim off the fat

 

*Herb Butter:

• 1 stick butter
• 1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped
• 1 small bunch chives, finely chopped
• 1 sprig thyme
• Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add parsley, chives and thyme.

 

For a video demonstration regarding this recipe, click HERE for the Food Network’s website.

 

Nigella Lawson’s Buttermilk Roast Chicken

Consider this recipe from Nigella Lawson for a romantic dinner.

Yield: 4 Servings

Photo by Craig Lee for The New York Times

 

Ingredients: 

• 1 4-pound chicken
• 2 cups buttermilk
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon Maldon or other sea salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon honey

 

Directions:

1. Butterfly chicken by placing breast side down and using heavy-duty kitchen shears to cut along both sides of backbone. Discard backbone, turn chicken over and open it like a book. Press gently to flatten it.
2. Place chicken in a large freezer bag. Add buttermilk, 1/4 cup oil, garlic, peppercorns, salt, rosemary and honey. Seal bag securely and refrigerate overnight or up to two days.
3. Heat oven to 400 degrees.Remove chicken from marinade and place on a rack so excess can drip off. Line a roasting pan with foil and place chicken in pan. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Roast for 45 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees. Continue roasting until well browned and until juices run clear when chicken is pierced where leg joins thigh,about another 20 minutes.
4. Place chicken on a carving board and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into serving pieces. Place a portion on each of four plates, and drizzle each serving with pan juices.

Herbed Beer Can Chicken Recipe

Yield: 4 Servings

Photo by Taste of Home©

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
• 1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 to 4 pounds)
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 1 can (12 ounces) beer

Directions: 

1. In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients; stir in half of the minced garlic. Rub mixture over outside and inside of chicken. Tuck wings under chicken.
2. Prepare grill for indirect heat. Completely cover all sides of an 8- or 9-in. round baking pan with foil. Place a beer-can chicken rack in pan. Remove 1/3 cup beer from can; save for another use. Using a can opener, make additional large holes in top of can. Insert rosemary and remaining garlic into can. Add beer can to rack.
3. Place chicken vertically onto rack. Place pan on grill rack.
4. Grill, covered, over indirect medium heat 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thigh reads 180°.
5. Remove pan from grill; tent chicken with foil. Let stand 15 minutes. Carefully remove chicken from rack.

Nutritional Facts:
6 ounces cooked chicken equals 474 calories, 28 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 131 mg cholesterol, 412 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 42 g protein.

 

 

Originally published as Herbed Beer Can Chicken in Taste of Home June/July 2013

Fourth of July Pizza Recipe

Yield: 16 Servings

Photo by Taste of Home©

Ingredients:

• 1 tube (13.8 ounces) refrigerated pizza crust
• 2 slices process American cheese
• 4 string cheese, cut in half lenthwise
• 1 jar (15 ounces) pizza sauce

Directions:

1. Unroll pizza dough and press onto the bottom and 1/2 in. up the sides of a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 425° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Using a 1-in. star cookie cutter, cut eight stars from the American cheese. Cut each strip of string cheese in half lengthwise. Spread pizza sauce over crust.
3. Arrange stars in the upper left corner. For stripes, arrange 15 pieces of string cheese over sauce (save remaining piece for another use). Bake 5-8 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Originally published as Fourth of July Pizza in Country Woman July/August 2001, p36