Chicken and Biscuits

2 medium chicken breasts
1 to 1 1/2 cup mixed vegetables
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 can of water
corn starch to thicken gravy
1 recipe biscuits (see below)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook chicken and vegetables (we boiled the chicken). Cube chicken. Make gravy by mixing cream of chicken soup, water, and corn starch in a pot over medium heat. Mix chicken and vegetables into gravy, bring to a boil. Pour gravy mixture into baking dish. Place biscuits on top of mixture. Bake at 450 degrees until biscuits are golden brown (10 to 15 minutes or so).

Notes: This is something that B's mother used to make. Made enough for two hungry people with some left over. For variation, try turkey instead of chicken.

Biscuits
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cream of tarter
1/4 cup shortening

Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Cut in shortening until it is like course crumbs, then add milk. Stir quickly with fork just until dough follows fork around bowl. Turn onto lightly floured surface (dough should be soft). Knead gently 10 to 12 strokes. Roll or pat dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut into round shapes (I did this with a small cup).

Calico Beef and Bean Bake

1/2 to 1 lb. ground beef
3/4 lb. bacon, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped onion
2 20 oz. cans pork and beans
1 16 oz. can dark red kidney beans, drained
1 16 oz. can butter beans
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste

Brown ground beef, bacon, and onion in a 12-inch skillet, drain off fat. Pour meat mixture into a baking dish or slow-cooker pot. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook in baking dish in 325-degree oven for 1 1/2 hours, or in an electric slow cooker set on low for 4 to 6 hours. Makes 8 servings.

NOTE: Recipe from the Lion House Christmas recipe book, which someone gave us as a wedding gift. Very tasty.

Sour Cream and Dill Chicken

8 chicken pieces, skinned 

Pepper, to taste 

1 can cream of mushroom soup 

1 env. onion soup mix 

1 c. sour cream 

1 tbsp. lemon juice 

1 tsp. dried dill weed (or 1 tbsp. fresh) 

1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained 

Paprika 

Place chicken in a single layer in a 13x9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with pepper. In bowl, combine soup, soup mix, sour cream, lemon juice, dill and mushrooms. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 1 hour or until chicken is tender. Serve over egg noodles or rice. Serves 6-8. NOTE: The first time we had this, the flavor of the onion soup mix was stronger than the flavor of the dill and sour cream. The second time, we used a different brand and it tasted better. We also used fresh mushrooms, which I liked better. Recipe from the Second Amendment Sisters cookbook.

Five Spice Chicken

2 1/2 to 3 lb. chicken
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 sm. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. each ground cinnamon and crushed anise seed
1/8 tsp. each nutmeg and ground cloves

Place chicken in shallow glass or baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over chicken and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Heat oven to 350. Bake, uncovered, for at least one hour. Baste once or twice during cooking. Serves 6-8.

NOTE: We didn't have any anise seed, but we decided to try this anyway, so I guess our version was Four Spice Chicken. I still really liked it. B liked it, too, but not as much as I did. I think the dominant flavor was the cloves. I am interested in trying this again with the anise seed (black licorice flavor). We got this recipe from the Second Amendment Sisters recipe book that someone gave us as a wedding gift.

Hearty Western Casserole

1 lb ground beef (browned)
1 can corn, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can tomato soup
1 cup cheese (Colby)
¼ cup milk
1 tsp minced dry onion flakes (or 1/2 cup chopped onion)
½ tsp chili powder

Combine ingredients, put in crockpot and cook for 1 hr on low. Serves about 4 (although there might not be enough for seconds).

Notes: I got this recipe from Jill over the phone, so it may not be exact. She also mentioned that you can bake dinner rolls separately and serve on top. For us, 1 hr. on low wasn't enough time to warm it up all the way, but we used frozen corn. B and I both liked it. In fact, B said she really, really liked it.

Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas

1 lb. boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
1 can Campbell’s Southwest Style Pepper Jack soup
¼ cup water
8 flour tortillas (8”), warmed
Salsa

Preheat oven to 425 F. Cook chicken in nonstick skillet until done and juices evaporate, stirring often. Add soup and water and heat through. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture on half of each tortilla to within ½” of edge. Moisten edge with water. Fold over and seal. Place on 2 baking sheets. Bake 5 min. or until hot. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa. Makes 8 quesadillas.

Note: This recipe is on the can of Campbell's Southwest Style Pepper Jack soup.

Sweet-and-Sour Pork

Ingredients:
12 oz. lean boneless pork
2 tablespoons mirin or dry sherry (we used water)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil (we used vegetable oil)
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup rice vinegar (or a bit less of the regular, stronger-flavored vinegar)
4 tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
Cooking oil or shortening for deep-fat frying
1 beaten egg
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 medium carrots, thinly bias sliced (1 ½ cup)
1 medium green sweet pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces (3/4 cup)
1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces (3/4 cup)
3 green onions, bias sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 8-oz can pineapple chunks (juice pack), drained
3 cups hot cooked rice

Directions:

1. Trim fat from pork. Cut pork into ¾-inch cubes; place in a bowl. For marinade, stir together mirin, the 2 Tbsp. soy sauce, and sesame oil. Pour over pork. Toss to coat. Cover; let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2. For sauce, stir together the 1 cup broth, sugar, vinegar, the 4 tsp. cornstarch, and the 1 Tbsp. soy sauce. Set aside. In a wok or large saucepan heat 1 ½ to 2 inches of cooking oil or shortening to 365 F. Meanwhile, for batter, in a bowl stir together egg, the ½ cup cornstarch, flour, and the ½ cup broth until smooth.

3. Drain the pork; pat dry. Dip pork into batter, swirling to coat. Fry a few pieces of pork at a time in hot oil for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden and no pink remains. Remove from oil. Drain on paper towels. Keep pork warm in a 300 F oven while frying remaining pork.

4. Pour the 1 Tbsp. oil into a large skillet. (Add more oil as needed during cooking.) Preheat over medium-high heat. Cook and stir garlic in hot oil 15 seconds. Add carrots, sweet peppers, and green onions; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from skillet. Stir sauce; add to skillet. Cook and stir until bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in pineapple and cooked vegetables. Cook and stir about 1 minute or until hot. Stir in pork. Serve over rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Notes: This recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, 12th edition. Thanks to Kimberly for suggesting it - I really liked it!