HP Reader's Casserole Recipes in Response to 2/1/08 Request

Any more? Send them along. I'll forward them to Joanne and then post them when I get a bunch.

Gebby Smith sends along this: Here's a good site:
http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,easy_casseroles,FF.html

From: Judith Van Dyne, Saint Paul, MN
Here is a recipe for a quick chili with chicken or without.

2 cans Amy’s Organic medium chili
1 can Amy’s Organic spicy chili
1 can organic corn
1 large green pepper
1 onion, sliced (in case folks don’t like onion – easy to remove)
1/8 tsp cumin
2 tomatoes, sliced in chunks
1 whole chicken breast, skin off, sliced in pieces

Heat, cool, freeze. Serves 4.
Serve with corn bread (small pkg. of Jiffy’s) or french bread,
salad, bottle of red wine (Frey’s organic red - $10.99)

From: Dee in Las Cruces
Beef Stew
In a plastic or paper bag, place l cup flour, l teaspoon salt and a
little pepper; place stewing beef in bag, close and shake around to coat
pieces.
Brown in electric fy pan l/4 c. vegetable oil, 1 pound of the beef stew meat
Remove to separate plate and turn heat down.
Sprinkle 2 T. flour into a frying pan - you can include also any left over from the bag.
Stir with fork. Add 2 cups of hot water which include 1 Tablespoon
chicken or beef bouillon powder (or 2 boxes liquid bouillon)
Turn up heat, bring to boil and stir until liquid is thickening.
Add back beef; also add several carrots peeled and chopped into "coins",
2-3 potatoes peeled and cup up into small pieces, and celery chopped
(about 2 cups).
Bring all to boil; lower heat and then turn heat down to simmer;
Add at least a half packet of frozen peas. Let simmer again for at
least half an hour.
This can be divided up into smaller packets; or it can be frozen ahead
of time and given out as needed; or it can be doubled and given as needed.
Enjoy!

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
Fill stew pan with water; bring to boil with l tsp. of salt
Add l box of macaroni noodles and boil until done
Meanwhile, in double boiler or anything you use to make this sort of thing work, melt 4 teaspoons butter; add 1 t. salt,
pinch of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard powder (Coleman's); l T.
onion powder and at least 2 1/2 cups of milk or Mocha Mix - either will
work.
Let get very hot.
Then add in at least 3-4 cups of shredded Tillamook Brand medium cheddar
cheese - it's the best one.
Let cheese melt into liquid until it becomes a sauce.
Place strained macaroni into casserole; add cheese sauce over; you may
add bacon bits into this if you like. Stir to place sauce evenly
throughout noodles.
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. This is the best macaroni and cheese I've
ever had - my family loves it. Enjoy!

I asked Dee what Mocha Mix is and she replied: "Mocha Mix is a soy-milk substitute which I've used for years in all sorts of cooking - I can't tell it different from regular milk and it cooks the same."

From: Mary Smith, Richmond, VA
Here is my favorite: SWEET'N'SOUR CHICKEN or MEATBALLS

1. Think about how many people you want to feed
2. Fill a size-appropriate pyrex or corning ware baking dish 3/4 full with either meatballs OR baked chicken fingers cut into 3-4 pieces (so they are about the size of a meatball)
3. In a separate bowl, stir together
- 16 oz French or Thousand Island Dressing
- 16 oz Apricot or Peach Preserves
- 2 packages of Onion Soup Mix
4. Pour the liquid over the meat until it covers it
(At this point, you can freeze it -- and it freezes beautifully!)
5. Microwave it until it's nice and hot.
Now, you can serve this one of several ways:
- in a crockpot with toothpicks (finger food works well in periods of crises)
- or on a dinner plate, over rice OR noodles -- and either is delicious.
I hope it helps somebody down the road -- either the giver, or the receiver.