Western Burgers/Homemade French Fries/Fry Sauce

About a month ago, I was teaching a class at church and one of the students mentioned they had eaten Western Burgers the night before but their mom had forgotten the bacon...so it reminded to make these hamburgers:

1 lb. ground hamburger
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
salt and pepper
Mix ingredients together and make patties. I've cooked these on the grill and that's the yummiest but you can always cook them in a pan on the stovetop. Put hamburger on a bun and then add any of these toppings:
Cheddar Cheese
Cooked Bacon
Lettuce
Ketchup
Mustard
Mayo

I served them with homemade fries...cut up potatoes lengthwise and slice. Deep fry in oil until golden brown. Remove from oil and sprinkle with salt.

French Fries aren't complete without fry sauce. I mix 3/4 cup mayo with 1 cup ketchup. Stir. We keep a jar of fry sauce in our refrigerate so I mix a big batch, fill the jar, and then refill as needed. Definitely not the healthiest meal but it's so yummy!!!

Chicken Rollups

From: My Grandma R...Happy Birthday today :)


2 pkgs crescent rolls
1-8 oz pkg cream cheese
Diced chicken or turkey (leftovers are best!)
Fine dry bread crumbs (I use dry stove top stuffing)
1 can cream of chicken soup
¼ cup butter

Separate rolls. Mix meat in cream cheese (you must really mix together or it just doesn't taste right...I mix mine in my Kitchen Aid). Put a spoonful on wide part of roll. Tuck sides in and roll up. Dip in melted butter and crumbs. Put in a baking pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Heat soup adding enough milk to make like gravy and serve over the rollups. I usually serve this with mashed potatoes and the rest of the Stove Top Stuffing made. I must admit that these are not the rest of my family's favorite...but since I like them so much I have to add them to the menu every now and again.

Ribbon Salad

From: Marsha Ward

Layers (for each buy 1 (3 oz) pkg Jell-O)**:

1. Black Cherry
2. Concord Grape
3. Wild Strawberry
4. Orange
5. Lemon
6. Lime

Dissolve package of Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water. Divide exactly in half. To one half add ¼ cup sour cream. To the other half add ¼ cup cold water. Put the sour cream layer in the bottom of a glass 9 x 13 pan. Refrigerate until sour cream layer is fully set. (Be sure dish is level.) Then cover sour cream layer with clear half of Jell-O. Let set until firm. Repeat with all 6 Jell-O flavors. Cut and turn on side to serve.

**Can use 6 oz pkgs of Jell-O…choose 3 flavors and make the following changes: boil 2 cups water, add ½ cup sour cream to one half, and add ½ cup cold water to other half.**

Chicken and Dressing Casserole

This has to be one of the easiest and yummiest casseroles that's out there.

2 chicken breasts cooked and chopped (I usually just boil the chicken breasts and then chop them with my Pampered Chef food chopper (definitely a MUST in my kitchen))
1 carrot, chopped (w/ food chopper)
1/4 onion, chopped (w/ food chopper)
2 TBL margarine
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 package of Stove Top Stuffing (prepared...I always make mine using the microwave instructions)

Prepare chicken. Saute chopped carrots and onions in margarine. In a bowl, mix sour cream, cream of chicken soup, chopped chicken, and sauted carrots & onions. Mix well. In a 9 x 13 pan, spread half of made Stove Top Stuffing on the bottom of the pan. Pour mixture over stuffing. Add the rest of the stuffing to the top of the mixture. Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

During the summer, I go meatless w/ this recipe and use zucchini instead. To prepare the zucchini, I peel, remove the seeds, and cut the zucchini into bite-size pieces. Boil them for about 10 minutes or until they are "soft"...add the carrots and onions to the zucchini and saute. Then do the same layers.

Another change that sometimes I do is leave out about 1/2 cup of stuffing before you make it. Then used the "prepared" stuffing as the bottom layer, the mixture next, and then the "dry" stuffing on top. It adds a nice "crunch" to this casserole.

One Bowl Brownies

4 squares Unsweetened Chocolate
¾ cup margarine
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)


Microwave chocolate and margarine in large microwable bowl at HIGH 2 minutes or until margarine is melted. STIR UNTIL CHOCOLATE IS COMPLETELY MELTED. (I NEVER have the squares so I always use the cocoa powder...on the box it says 3 TBL cocoa and 1 TBL oil equal one square..this is what I use, although I usually only do what equals 3 squares...too much chocolate for the hubby otherwise.) Stir in sugar until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour and nuts until well mixed. (I've added chocolate chips or white chocolate chips which adds just a bit more flavor but it's definitely NOT needed)...the pic was taken w/ white chocolate chips added.)Spread in greased 13x9-inch pan. Bake at 350 degreed for 35 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Do not overbake. Cool; cut into squares. Makes 24. For cakelike brownies: Stir in ½ cup milk with eggs and vanilla. Increase flour to 1 ½ cups.

Cheese Chowder

This recipe came from the restaurant owner I worked for one summer. It's very yummy!!!

4 cups cubed potatoes
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups diced carrots
1/2 cup mince onion

Add all above ingredients to 2 tsp salt and 4 cups water. Cook for 20 minutes. Add 1 10 oz. pkg frozen broccoli (and/or other veggies you prefer), 3 TBL chicken base, and 3 1/2 cups milk. Simmer for 5 minutes.

In a separate pan, melt 1/2 cup margarine, 1/2 cup flour, and 1 TBL dry mustard. Add to soup. Stir until thick. Add chopped ham (cooked), if desired.  Add 1 lb. cubed Velvetta (slowly). Heat slowly, never boil.

Twice-Baked Potatoes

This is a nice variation from mashed potatoes or baked potatoes.

Bake 4 potatoes (do more if you need to) at 350 degrees for one hour. Cut potatoes in half and scoop out insides into a mixing bowl. Save skins on baking sheet. Add 1/4 cup margarine, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (more if you like), 1/2 cup sour cream (I don't always add this), 2 TBL milk, dash of salt & pepper. Mash potatoes and add-ons together. Spoon potato mixture back into the potato skins. Put in oven for about 20 minutes to reheat and "brown" the tops of the potatoes.

Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls

1 cup warm water
4 ½ tsp active dry yeast
½ cup butter, melted
½ cup sugar
3 eggs
tsp salt
4 – 4 ½ cups flour
Additional melted butter (optional)

Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Let the mixture stand until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in butter, sugar, eggs, and salt. Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is too stiff to mix (some flour may not be needed). Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 4 days. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan. Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured board. Divide dough into 24 equal-size pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth round ball; place balls in even rows in the prepared pan. Cover and let dough balls rise until double in volume, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake until rolls are golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Brush warm rolls with melted butter, if desired. Break rolls apart to serve.

Monster Cookies

These are our family's FAVORITE cookies. If you asked us to bring dessert to something, you probably received these. I seriously could just eat the cookie dough to these cookies but the cookies are just as tasty! The recipe is originally from the school that my mom works at.

2 cubes margarine
1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ tsp corn syrup
¾ tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
1 cup M&Ms
1 cup chocolate chips
5 cups oatmeal
pinch of salt

Mix ingredients together. Drop by spoonful onto slightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-12 minutes. Let cookies cool slightly on cookie sheet before cooling completely on cookie rack. These cookies tend to stick together if they're not all the way cool so be sure they are completely cool before stacking.

Key Lime Pie

From: My friend Cula brought us a pie about a month ago and my husband LOVED it so I got her recipe so we have something to make with all of the limes our lime tree is producing.

1 pastry shell
3 eggs
1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. lime juice
2 TBL water
green food coloring if desired

Line pastry shell with foil and bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes.

Separate egg yolks from whites. Place yolks in mixing bowl. Whisk in sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and water. Add food coloring. Whisk until mixture thickens. Spoon filling into pastry shell and bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Cool and serve. My friend uses cool whip for the top but you could use the egg whites to create a meringue.

Chicken Stir-Fry

From: My mom...this is absolutely one of my favorite dishes.

Cut up chicken into chunks. Roll each chunk in cornstarch and then in an egg (beaten). Cook chicken in a pan that has been preheated with oil. Mix the following sauce:

2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp corn starch
2 tsp sugar

Pour sauce over meat and cook. Take meat out of pan. Add veggies to hot pan. (Broccoli, fresh mushrooms, celery, carrots, etc....whatever you can find fresh in your fridge/garden or frozen in the freezer) Cook veggies and then mix this sauce...I usually triple the sauce so I can use the whole 2 cups of chicken broth from the can:

1 TBL corn starch
1 TBL sugar
1 TBL soy sauce
2/3 cup chicken broth

Pour sauce over veggies. Add chicken and heat thoroughly. It will thicken as it cooks. Serve over rice. Yummy!! Yummy!!

Syrup

As most of you know, I've been making a lot of jam and jelly this year. Last week, I made another batch of grape jelly. I ended up with 2 cups leftover grape juice so I called my mom and asked her what I should do. She suggested I make grape syrup...yummy, yummy!

Fruit syrup is easy, easy!!! It's one part juice to one part sugar...so for my batch I used 2 cups grape juice and 2 cups sugar. Mix together and boil. After it boils if you want it thicker, add a bit of Karol syrup to thicken it up. Pour into jars, seal lids, and boil in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove from boiling water and jars should seal.

Here's what my shelves look like after the past 6 months....strawberry jam, apricot jam, raspberry jam (thanks, MOM!!!!), grape jelly, and grape syrup. Have I mentioned that my kids refuse to eat store bought jam now?! :)

Spanish Rice

I learned this recipe one night at a church activity from a Spanish sister.

In a saucepan with a tsp. of oil, fry one cup rice with chopped onions. Fry until rice is brown. Add ¼ cup of tomato sauce (until most of the rice is red) and mix. Add two cup of water and a little chicken bouillon (OR 2 cups of chicken broth). Put lid on and boil. When water is almost gone, turn off the stove top and finish cooking rice with the lid on.

Carmel Brownies

From: My aunt, Kathleen...these brownies are served EVERY holiday that I can remember :)

For the Carmel you will need to mix:
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup Karol syrup
1 square margarine

Bring mixture to a boil. Add 1 can of eagle brand milk and boil for 4 minutes. Set aside. **You will only use half of the caramel mixture for each pan of brownies you make—so if you want to use all the caramel at once, you will need to make the brownie mix TWICE. I usually just put the other "batch" of caramel in a tupperware in the fridge and save it for the next batch OR to dip apples or make carmel popcorn with it****

For the Brownies you will need to mix:
1 German Chocolate Cake Mix
¾ cup melted margarine
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Stir this mixture well. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan. Press half of mixture into a pan. Bake for 6 minutes at 350. Remove from oven and sprinkle with about 6 oz of chocolate chips. Then spread half of the caramel mixture on top. Sprinkle remaining cake mix over top. Bake 15 minutes at 350. Cool, refrigerate for awhile before cutting. If you have "extras", these brownies easily freeze and are just as tasty when you take them out of the freezer.

White Chicken Pizza

From: My CIL, Annie

2-3 cooked chicken breasts (cubed)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter (SPLIT)
2 TBL flour
1/2 - 2 cups milk (start with a 1/2 cup and then add more as it thickens...just add a little at a time)
3 TBL celery
3 TBL broccoli (fresh or frozen works)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozz. cheese
salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste
Italian seasoning sprinkled on top.

Saute onion in half of butter and then add the chicken. Cook until done. In another sauce pan, make white sauce with other half of butter, flour, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste. Add veggies and cook until soft. Add veggie-white sauce mixture with chicken. Set aside. Roll pizza dough onto pizza stone. Cook dough for 6 minutes at 400 degrees. Take out and spread mixture on top. Spread evenly and cover with cheese. Sprinkle italian seasoning on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. (The picture was taken before it was put in the oven to cook.)