Patty's Kitchen

My good friend Patty has a new recipe blog. If you are looking for time-tested favorites, you can't go wrong with Patty's recipes. When David's mom was in the hospital for the last time, Patty promised her that she'd take care of her boy. Not only has she kept that promise, but she's extended it to include me. Patty and her husband Jim are kind enough to invite us for dinner often. Patty's kitchen is a lot like mine - very small and hardly room for two - but the most amazing things come out of that kitchen. The first time I went to their house with David, I was a nervous wreck. What should I wear? Will I know what fork to use? I was so relieved to arrive and find that Patty doesn't wear shoes unless she just has to and that she serves things like fried potatoes.

Check out her blog here: http://pattyskitchen.blogspot.com/. She's just getting started, so bookmark it and come back often.

Chili

There's nothing unusual about this chili, but it's a sure fire hit with our friends. I recommend doubling or tripling this recipe. If you have some left, freeze it. It's even better after spending a month or two in the freezer.

4 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 pounds hamburger - the fatty greasy variety
4 tablespoons crush red chile
4 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons cumin
3 medium cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 (14 ounce) can peeled whole tomatoes
4 cans kidney beans

Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add meat, crushed chile, chili powder, cumin, garlic, pepper. Mix well and brown meat. Once meat browns (do not drain!), add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer uncovered. Stir occasionally. Simmer for 4-8 hours - the longer the better. We serve it with Fritos, cheese, sour cream, and chopped onion.

Cornbread Stuffing

Everyone has their own version of this Thanksgiving staple. This is the recipe that David's mom used, so I make it at least once a year for him.

Corn Bread
2 cups flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
1 and a half teaspoons salt
2 cups cornmeal
4 eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 cup cooking oil

Heat oven to 425. Grease a 9x13 baking pan. Mix dry ingredients. Beat eggs just enough to blend yolks and whites. Stir milk and oil into eggs. Add dry ingredients and stir to blend thoroughly. Pour into greased pan and bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Stuffing
Prepared cornbread
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
1 can chicken broth
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sage
Milk, enough to make mixture mushy
Salt and Pepper to taste

Crumble the cornbread into a large mixing bowl. Add the onion and celery and mix. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into 9x13 or larger baking dish. Bake at 325 for an hour.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

4 Uncooked, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 15oz. cans black beans, undrained
1 15 oz. can diced tomatos
1 15 oz. can Rotel
1 c. salsa
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 cans cheddar cheese soup

Extras: tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, or cilantro

1. Combine all ingredients (except extras) in a large crock pot.
2. Cover, cook on low for 8 hours.
3. Just before serving, remove chicken and slice or shed into bite sized pieces, add back to soup.
4. To serve, put a handful of chips in individual soup bowls. Ladle soup over chips. Top with cheese and or sour cream.

From About.com. This could easily be cut in half for two. My crockpot (a medium/large size) was full to the brim once all ingredients were added.

Hot Crab Dip

2 (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (8oz.) container sour cream
1/4 C. mayonnaise
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. dry mustard
1/4 t. garlic salt
3 (6 oz.) cans Lump (or med. grade) Crab meat, drained
1 C.(4oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
crackers or toasted French bread rounds

Combine first 7 ingredients, stirring until blended. Add drained, canned crab meat and mix well. Spoon mixture into a 9 X 13 baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam; sprinkle evenly with Cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve immediately with crackers or French bread rounds.

Delicious!

My friend Robyn made this last year for my bridal shower. I tried to never move more than an arm-length from it.

Apple Cobbler

Filling:
5 medium apples, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Topping:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons chilled butter or margarine, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water

Cinnamon Sugar:
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Combine filling ingredients, except butter in a large bowl. Stir to coat and pour into a 2 quart baking dish. Dot with the two tablespoons of butter. Bake for 10 minutes.

3. While the filling is baking, combine all topping ingredients except butter and water. Blend butter into the mix with finger tips or a pastry blender. Mixture should be chunky. Add 1/4 cup boiling water. Stir until just combined.

4. Remove filling from oven and drop spoonfuls of topping over it. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake until topping is golden - about 30 minutes.

If this sounds mysterious like the peach-blueberry cobbler, it's because it is the same thing, with the addition of two tablespoons of butter. It was quite tasty. It received rave reviews from the groom and was proclaimed "maybe his new favorite fall dessert." Score! Serve warm with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.

Jalapeno Pot Roast

Recipe from CrockPot365

2-3 pound chuck roast
can of cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup jalapenos (from jar)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 yellow onion, sliced into rings
8 oz. sour cream (to be used at the end)
1 package Knorr Rice Sides - Spanish or Mexican flavor

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Place all ingredients in crockpot except rice and sour cream. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours. Remove meat and onions with tongs. Place sour cream in small saucepan. Use slotted spoon to rescue beans. Add to saucepan with sour cream. Add juices from crockpot to sour cream/beans until it becomes the consistency of gravy. Prepare rice according to package directions. Serve roast over rice and topped with bean and sour cream gravy.

This sounds a little weird, but it was really good.

Ginger Cookies

Recipe from First United Methodist Church, Monett, MO Cookbook (Mary K. Scott)

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cup flour
1 tablespoon ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream shortening. Add sugar gradually. Beat in the egg and molasses. Sift flour, ginger, soda, cinnamon, and salt together and add to the other mixture. Cool 30 minutes to 1 hour in refrigerator. Roll into balls the size of walnuts and roll in granulated sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-14 minutes or until puffed up and lightly browned. Let set a minute on sheet before removing cookies.

Chicken Squares

from Phyllis Garrett

2 cups cooked and cubed or shredded chicken
3 oz cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Green onions - to taste
Pepper - to taste
Refrigerated crescent rolls

Create four rectangles using 2 crescent rolls per rectangle. Mix chicken, cream cheese, butter, green onion, and pepper. Place 1/2 cup of mixture on one end of each rectangle. Fold the other end of the rectangle over to form a square. Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes.

Meatballs

This isn't especially unique, but they were tasty!

1 and a half pounds ground beef
1 and a half cups bread crumbs
3/4 cup milk
egg
1/4 cup or so finely chopped onion
1 and a half tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Form into 2 inch balls and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Serve with Knorr pasta sides in Stroganoff flavor.