Shepard's pie

I had never made this and saw a reciepe on the internet and realized how easy this is and how good it sounded. Totally comfort food and you probably already have everything to make it or something you can sub with,

Start with about 3-4 cups mashed potatoes--we like garlic taters or you could add shredded cheddar cheese. You will want enough to cover your casserole dish an inch or 2 thick (at least)
Dice an onion and 2 stalks of celery and cook in a little oil until done.
add 1# to 1 1/2# hamburger meat and brown. You can add some whole kernal corn and/or english peas or diced cooked carrots. Season to taste--salt, pepper, garlic powder.

To the hamburger mixture add one cup of gravy--jar, mix or leftover beef gravy. Add 2 T ketchup. Simmer until heated through.

Spray a casserole dish with Pam. Put the hamburger mixture in and top with the mashed taters. Bake at 375 from 30 minutes and let rest 10 minutes.

If you don't have any gravy you could use mushroom soup. Some people like diced tomatoes also.

Mexican Rice

This is SO easy and very good. Browning the rice first gives it a nice texture and nutty flavor. I added diced chicken one night to make a whole meal.

Brown 1 cup raw rice in 3 T oil until golden brown
Add ½ cup onions and ½ cup bell pepper-green, and/or red, 1 clove garlic minced
Add ½ can diced tomatoes and ½ the juice or 1 whole fresh tomato diced
Sauté until onions are clear-stirring to keep rice from burning
add 1 can chicken broth, salt and pepper and a dab of chili powder
cover and simmer until rice is done and liquid absorbed—about 20 min

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This receipe called for corn tortilla strips to be added but we liked the flour ones best. They are kind of like a dumpling. Very good and very filling.

Bill’s Chicken Tortilla Soup #2
Ingredients
4 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion minced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 salt and pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 1 8oz. can enchilada sauce
1 1 8oz. can diced tomatoes
8 Flour tortillas cut into strips
1 1 8 oz. can black beans
1 cup frozen corn
8 skinless chicken tenders
1 cup orange juice
Preparation
Mix together orange juice, tsp each of salt and pepper, and tbsp cumin and marinate chicken for 15 minutes. Heat grill pan to medium-high, coat with 1 tbsp olive oil and sear chicken on both sides. Remove from heat and diced into cubes.
In a heavy pan, sweat onions, and garlic on medium-low heat until onions are translucent. Add cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir in chicken broth, and enchilada sauce. Increase heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, black beans and corn. Simmer for another 10 minutes. If soup becomes too thick, add more chicken stock or water. Add strips of tortilla and serve

BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

Hubbie fixed this one night as a side dish and it quickly became my favorite main dish with some garlic bread--yummy!



Bill’s BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP
from JustaDumbBlond
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. chopped broccoli
3-3/4 cups chicken broth or stock….3 cans
1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 cup milk (anything from 2% up to heavy cream) used evaporated milk
1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 cup corn starch
In a large, heavy bottomed pot, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter until softened.
Stir in brocolli and cover with 3-1/4 cups chicken broth or stock. Simmer until broccoli is tender (10 - 15 minutes).
Reduce heat and stir in cheese cubes until melted. Mix in milk and garlic powder.
In a cup or small bowl, stir corn starch into remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth or stock and cook, stirring constantly, until thick.

Potato Soup

This is so good in the winter and very filling. I didn't eat it for years after I bit my tongue and had stiches in it because I ate so much then. But I went back to it and it became one of Eric's favorite dishes. I think he makes it year round for his family. Sorry, I never measure. Just give it a try and make adjustments as you go along. You can't mess it up. Ok here's what you need:

4-5 large taters, diced

milk

sour cream couple big glops

green onions 1 whole bunch chopped

garlic 2-3 cloves chopped

ham steak diced (optional)

butter couple spoonfuls

can of cream of celery soup

1 rib celery cut small

salt and pepper to taste

grated cheese

Put your diced taters and celery in a large pot, just covering with water or Chicken Broth, and boil until almost tender. Add ham steak, can of soup, green onions, garlic, butter, sour cream and as much milk as you think you will need. Allow it to simmer for about 15 mins., or celery and taters are tender. To thicken put 2 large spoonfuls of corn starch in a glass with just enough water to get it all wet and stir until no lumps. Add to soup and stir in. If it's not thick enough, do it again. Serve with cheese and warm rolls or bread. Very filling and yummy. varation: add chicken and corn for Chicken Corn chowder. Try adding BROCCOLI. For Clam Chowder--add some canned clams and the juice it's packed in.

Ranch Crackers

This is a simple receipe that has become my favorite snack. Here's what you need:

1 box of wheat saltine crackers

1 envelope Ranch dressing mix

1 1/2 cup vegatable oil

a Tupperware container that is big enough to stand all the crackers up in. You don't want a real tight fit, but they need to stand up and the lid needs to fit tight.

With a mixer or blender, mix the dressing mix into the oil well. Pour over the crackers. Put the lid on the container, and shake gently and flip over every 15 minutes, until all the oil is absorbed. The crackers will stay crisp. Serve with ranch or onion dip. You can add a teaspoon red pepper flakes if you want.

Penny's Gumbo

My mother, Penny, or to her grandkids, Nanny, made the best gumbo. This is alittle unusal, because Mother was a Yankee and had not ever had gumbo until she met my Dad's mother, Mimi. Mimi was from Kentwood LA., and if there's one thing folks from LA can do it is COOK. My mother came south from a dairy farm in Wisconsin when she was 15. Until she met Mimi she was a picky eater. But thanks to Mimi and a couple of black housekeepers we had, she learned to like everything and became a very good cook. One thing she perfected was Seafood Gumbo. Here's what you will need:

4-6 lbs fresh shrimp at least

at least 1 lb crabmeat but 2 would be better

pint of oysters (or quart if you have the money and really like them)

celery whole bunch, 2 bellpeppers, 2 onions, bunch of green onions, 2-3 garlic cloves. All can be chopped the night before.

okra 1 small bag frozen

bay leaves

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 can chicken broth

File

flour and oil for roux (or you can cheat and use a mix)

Here's what you do:

put all chopped veggies and bay leaves in a big pot with water to cover them. One mistake is starting with too much water. You will out grow you pot and have lots of liquid to thicken with the roux. Start small--you can always add. Let the veggies boil until done, add the can of maters, bay leaves, chicken broth and the crabmeat. Before you add it you need to pick through it for shell. Bring back to a simmer. You made need to add some water. You can go ahead and add some salt and pepper, some Tony's and some garlic powder. Add the oysters if you are going to use them. Now is the time to make the roux. Put enough oil in a frying pan to cover the bottom and be about 1/8" deep. Heat up on mdeium heat. Start adding flour and wisking it smooth until it is like very thick gravy. You want it as dark as you can get it but not burned. You may have to stir the whole time you are making it. You just have to practgice making roux and you will get it right. Once you have it as dark as you can get it, start adding spoonfuls to the gumbo, stirring in so it won't be lumpy. Let it simmer a few minutes. If it's not thick enough for you, make another batch. Once you have it like you want it, add the shrimp and okra. Let it simmer low, until the okra is done. Be sure to stir so it won't stick to the bottom of the pan. the last thing to add is File. Several times cover the top to the gumgo with it and stir in. about 3 -4 tablespoons. It will help to thicken the gumbo also. Serve over rice with hot sauce and crackers. Here's a few thing you can add if you like. Sausage, Mother would add roast beef if she had some chopped real small or ham. You can make chicken and sausage without any seafood that turns out real good too. Do everything the same, just add cooked chicken and sausage instead of any seafood. Some people like shrimp and sausage. Gumbo is not hard, it just takes practice, and you'll get it right.