Pickle Roll-ups

If loving these delicious little ham-wrapped cream cheese-blanketed pickle morsels makes me uncool...then I am supremely uncool. And I am absolutely okay with that. I've been eating these pickle roll-ups for most of my life, and I'm not sure if they're just a Midwestern thing or if everyone already knows about them, but I just can't keep the recipe to myself. Not that there's really a recipe involved -- it's just a pickle, wrapped in cream cheese, wrapped in ham. That's it. The only bad thing about them, I guess, is that they're dangerously, deliciously addictive.

Pickle Roll-ups

1 10-ounce package sliced ham

1 8-ounce container spreadable cream cheese

Refrigerated whole pickles

On a work surface, lay out two slices of ham so that they overlap in the middle. Spread with an even layer of cream cheese. Place a pickle on the top edge of the ham, then roll the ham around the pickle. Repeat as desired. Cut into slices and refrigerate until serving.

Granola Pie

My cooking club's theme for January was "childhood favorites," and as soon as I was assigned the dessert course I knew exactly what I was going to make. This recipe isn't exactly a childhood favorite, because I don't think my mom started making it until I was a teenager -- but once she started making this pie I never stopped asking for it, and we probably had it at least once a month. I'd never made it myself before, but I knew it's what I had to make for cooking club.

This pie was every bit as delicious as I remembered. I know it sounds a little strange -- granola bars crushed up in pie? -- but it just works. The granola bars give it such a delicious texture and work perfectly with the walnuts, and the chocolate chips make this so rich. I've only ever made this with oats and honey granola bars, but I bet you could use any flavor and get delicious results. I like eating it with a (large) dollop of whipped cream on top, which is the perfect thing to cut through all the sweet richness.

Granola Pie

slightly adapted from Pillsbury

Crust for 1 9-inch pie

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup corn syrup

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs, lightly beaten

4 crunchy oats and honey granola bars, crushed

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup oats (quick-cooking or old-fashioned will work)

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whipped cream for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges.

2. Microwave butter on high for 1 minute or until melted. Sitr in brown sugar and corn syrup until blended. Beat in salt, vanilla and eggs. Stir crushed granola bars, walnuts, oats, and chocolate chips into the brown sugar mixture. Pour into the crust-lined pie plate.

3. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is golden brown. During the last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover the crust with strips of foil to avoid over-browning. Cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve at any temperature with whipped cream. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.    

Mom's Carrot Casserole

There are lots of things I did when I was 19 that I'm not necessarily proud of, but one of the smartest things I've ever done in my life occurred at that age. I moved out of my mom's house -- which was not-so-smart, maybe, in retrospect -- but before I left I took the time to write down all of her recipes. It turned out, tragically, that I'd be yearning for those recipes to revive her memorty earlier than I ever thought I would, so I am so glad I had the foresight to do that. That foresight is why I have so many of her recipes, my childhood favorites, to share with you here.

Today's recipe is yet another of those forgotten favorites. I stumbled upon it while searching for a pie recipe (which I'll share on Friday), and I think I immediately started salivating. Neither my brother nor I liked carrots very much growing up, but when my mom made this casserole, carrots somehow turned into a magical vegetable and we couldn't get enough.

The carrots are baked in a sauce made of butter, cream cheese, and Velveeta, so this is oviously not very healthy, but as a once-in-a-while indulgence it just can't be beat. The sauce is delicious beyond words, and paired with the sweet carrots, the sharp bite of the green onions, and a buttery cracker topping, it's just perfect. My whole family loves this casserole so much, and I'm so glad I rediscovered it.

Mom's Carrot Casserole

2 pounds carrots, sliced

1/2 cup chicken broth

8 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed

5 tablespoons butter, divided

8 ounces cream cheese, cubed

4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 sleeve buttery crackers, crushed

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the carrots and chicken broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 7 to 9 minutes until carrots are crisp-tender.

3. Meanwhile, in another large saucepan, combine Velveeta and 2 tablespoons butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Add the cream cheese, green onions, and salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cream cheese is uniformly melted into the sauce.

4. Drain the carrots; stir into the cheese sauce. Transfer to a greased shallow 2-quart baking dish.

5. Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Stir the crackers into the butter, then sprinkle the cracker crumbs over the casserole. Cover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbly.

Recipe Rewind: Creamed Chicken over Biscuits

Today is my mom's birthday. She would have been 58 years old today. Even now, five and a half years after she died, I still think about her and miss her every single day. There's so much she's missing -- mainly, of course, my boys growing up...but she's also missing this blog, which is something that she would have really loved. In fact, I'd bet that, if she was still alive and well, she'd be working on this blog with me -- or at least giving me inspiration for it.

But, the truth is -- she is still inspiring me, even though she isn't here. I grew up with a mom who made dinner nearly every single night -- and that is something that I strive to give to my own kids. I wouldn't be half the cook (or the mom, or the woman) that I am today if it wasn't for her. That's for sure.

I posted this recipe in the early days of the blog, but since it's one of my mom's recipes, her birthday seems like the perfect day to repost it with an updated photo. This meal is pure comfort food to me, and something I grew up eating, and something that my boys will grow up eating too. I want them to know her, and aside from the stories I tell them about her, making her food for them is the best way to ensure that. I'm so glad I have food memories of her that I can pass down to them in dishes like this one.

Happy Birthday, Mom.

Creamed Chicken over Biscuits

1 tablespoon butter

1 onion, chopped

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can peas and carrots, drained

1 can creamed corn

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 package refrigerated biscuits, cooked according to package directions

1. Melt the butter in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and translucent. Stir in chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper, peas and carrots, and creamed corn. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese.

2. Separate a biscuit onto a plate and spread with butter, if desired. Top with the creamed chicken mixture.

Two Weeks of Christmas Treats, Day 6: Nutter Butter Santas

Three words: Nutter. Butter. Santas.

How cute are these guys? Again, I’ve posted about these before, but I thought they deserved another mention here. I’d never seen these before I started dating my husband. His grandma makes these for Christmas every year, and now I’ve copied off of her, and I make them too. They’re adorable, and kids and grown-ups alike just love them.

They do take some time to make, but they’re not hard to make by any means. They require very little effort, and they are just so cute that they’re more than worth it.

Nutter Butter Santas

2 packages white baking chocolate, chopped
1 package Nutter Butter sandwich cookies
Red sugar
32 white chocolate chips
64 miniature sweet or semisweet chocolate chips
32 red hot candies

1. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt white chocolate, stirring occasionally.

2. Dip one end of each cookie into melted chocolate. Place on wire racks. For Santa's hat, sprinkle red sugar on top part of chocolate. Place one white chocolate chip off-center on hat for pom-pom; let stand until set.

3. Dip other end of each cookie into melted chocolate for beard, leaving center of cookie uncovered. Place on wire racks.

4. With a dab of melted chocolate, attach semisweet chips for eyes and a red hot for nose.

5. Place on waxed paper until chocolate sets.

Two Weeks of Christmas Treats, Day 4: Buckeyes

I’ve seen these treats simply called “peanut butter balls,” and I know the fact that I refer to them as buckeyes is purely because I live where I do. The buckeye is Ohio’s state tree (and also the name of our college football team, of course!), and these treats were given their name because of their resemblance to the buckeye nut. Although the ones from the trees aren’t edible, thankfully these are – and they’re delicious.

Buckeyes, hands down, are my favorite Christmas treat. They remind me of my childhood, when we’d go to my grandma’s for Christmas every year and my aunt would make a huge plate of buckeyes for the dessert table. It was something I looked forward to every single Christmas. Even today, when I make my own buckeyes (using my aunt’s recipe!), they still don’t taste as good as hers.

Not all buckeyes are created equal. Homemade ones are vastly superior to the packaged ones you can get at the store. The type of peanut butter is important for these, too; don’t use natural peanut butter, and don’t use a generic brand. Normally I’m all about generics, but the flavor of the peanut butter is really important in these treats. I prefer using Jif, but I've also used Skippy for these with good results.

This will be the first year Andrew will help me make our buckeyes. Rolling all those peanut butter balls can get a bit time-consuming, but I’m betting the time will fly when I have him in the kitchen helping me.

A note about the recipe: You’ll probably only need around 4 cups of chocolate chips to dip the peanut butter balls in, but I strongly suggest you melt even more chocolate than you need. When you get to the last few, it’ll be hard to get enough chocolate to cover the peanut butter. You can save the leftover chocolate for another recipe if you don’t want to waste it.

Buckeyes
from my aunt

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup softened butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1. In a large bowl, blend peanut butter, butter, and vanilla until smooth and well-combined. Add powdered sugar and mix well.

2. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Combine chocolate chips and vegetable oil. Melt in the microwave in 20-second increments until smooth, stirring after each interval.

4. Using a tooth pick, dip each peanut butter ball in melted chocolate, leaving a portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like buckeyes.

5. Refrigerate until serving. Makes 4 to 5 dozen buckeyes, depending on size.

Fruit Pizza Cookies

We went to my husband's aunt's house for a cook-out for Mother's Day last month, and among the spread of delicious food she served were these adorable little fruit pizzas -- made with slice-and-bake sugar cookies and topped with a lemony cream cheese frosting and fresh fruit. I ate way more of them than I should have, and for the past month I haven't been able to get them out of my mind. I was just looking for an excuse to make them myself, and the Fourth of July seemed like the perfect opportunity. I didn't have a recipe for the frosting, so I just winged it, and it turned out perfectly.

These individual fruit pizzas couldn't be easier to make. They use slice-and-bake sugar cookies, and the cream cheese frosting comes together in minutes. And oh, they're so good. The crispy cookie, the creamy frosting, and the sweet fresh fruit come together to make a treat with the perfect balance of flavors and textures. You can use whatever combination of fruits you'd like -- Joe's aunt used strawberries and kiwi, and I used strawberries and blueberries to make these patriotic for the Fourth of July. Mandarin oranges would also be delicious in combination with blueberries or raspberries. The possibilities are endless.

If you're looking for a quick, refreshing treat for the Fourth of July, I think you'll love these fruit pizza cookies!

Fruit Pizza Cookies

1 package refrigerated slice-and-bake sugar cookies

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Fresh fruit of choice

1. Bake and cool cookies according to package directions (I let mine go a little longer than suggested because I like them crispy).

2. While cookies are baking, mix together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and lemon juice and set aside until ready to use.

3. To assemble the pizzas, spread about a tablespoon of frosting on each cookie and top with fruit. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Crock Pot Pork Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

Every time I make this meal, I go back and forth about whether or not I should post it here. After all, it’s so simple, and I think everyone already has a recipe like this. There’s really nothing special about it, it’s pretty plain and straightforward and I don’t know how blog-worthy it is, etc. etc. etc.

However. Even though it’s plain and simple, it is also one of my very favorite meals, and because of that, it definitely deserves a place here. So the last time I made this for dinner, I snapped a quick picture so I could share it with you.

This is how my mom always made pork roast in the slow cooker, and it’s one of my most frequent cravings. Despite the short list of ingredients, you won’t believe how flavorful the pork and vegetables are after they’ve cooked for hours and hours in the Crock pot. I strongly suggest mashing the potatoes and carrots up together and topping them with butter and salt. Delicious!

Crock Pot Pork Roast with Potatoes and Carrots

1 2- to 3-pound pork roast, trimmed of fat
Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
8-10 baby red potatoes, quartered
1 cup baby carrots
1 bay leaf
1 cup chicken stock

1. Spray Crock pot with cooking spray. Add potatoes and carrots to Crock pot and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Rub pork roast all over with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add to Crock pot along with bay leaf. If necessary, cut the roast into chunks to make it fit. Pour chicken stock over meat.

3. Cover and cook on Low 6 to 8 hours or until meat falls apart easily with a fork.

Zucchini Week: Grandma's Zucchini Bread

Would you believe me if I told you I’d never made zucchini bread before? For the longest time, my grandma and Joe’s grandma kept us supplied in homemade zucchini bread all summer long. But then my grandma moved to an assisted living community, and Joe’s stopped making it on such a regular basis, and fast-forward to this summer when I realized I hadn’t had homemade zucchini bread for at least three years. The only solution was to make my own, and I certainly had enough zucchini on hand to do just that.

The only problem was deciding on a recipe. There’s no shortage of zucchini bread recipes out there, and I had no idea where to start. But then, on the bottom shelf of my kitchen bookcase, I spied an old, pea-green Betty Crocker recipe box. It belonged to my grandma, and she passed it on to my mom when she moved, and I inherited it when my mom passed away. I hadn’t looked through it for a while, but I thought I remembered seeing Grandma’s zucchini bread recipe in there, so I immediately started pawing through the old, stained recipe cards covered with my grandma’s spider scrawl. I ended up finding not just one zucchini bread recipe, but two.

The two recipes seemed to be variations on the same, with just a few changes here and there, and they didn’t include baking temperatures or times. So I had to do a little bit of guessing. I also changed up Grandma’s recipe just slightly, by substituting applesauce for half of the “salad oil” (which is really just vegetable oil, but that’s what she always called it).

When I smelled the loaves baking, I was immediately transported back in time. I love it when foods are attached to long-forgotten memories. This bread tasted exactly like I remembered Grandma’s tasting: rich and spicy and moist and absolutely perfect. I’m so glad I have Grandma’s recipe, and next time I make it I’m going to take her a loaf. I think she’ll get a real kick out of that!

Do you think I sliced myself a thick enough piece? ;)

Grandma’s Zucchini Bread

2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Beat on medium heat until smooth.

3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to egg mixture and mix just until moistened. Stir in zucchini and walnuts.

4. Divide batter evenly between 2 greased 8 x 4-inch loaf pans. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (mine took the full 65 minutes). Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans.

:::

As if I haven’t shared enough zucchini recipes with you this week, here are some more of my favorites:

Zucchini casserole
Worcestershire-glazed vegetables
Zucchini alfredo
Zucchini-wrapped pork chops with pesto, tomato, and mozzarella cheese
Vegetable-stuffed zucchini
Summer vegetable and pesto tart

BBQ Chicken Pizza

I have been really excited to share this recipe with you. But I can't take credit for this deliciousness; this is actually my husband's creation. Every once in a while he gets the urge to experiment in the kitchen, and I love these urges because they usually result in some pretty spectacular food. It's also nice to not have to cook for a couple of days, although for some reason I still end up cleaning up after him. I'm going to have to remedy that next time.

Recently Joe wanted to experiment with pizza. He wanted to make BBQ chicken and buffalo chicken versions, and since there is nothing about any of those ingredients I don't love, I was completely on board. One night we had his buffalo chicken pizza (which was good, but needed some tweaking, so we're going to make it again soon and then I'll post the recipe), and the next night he made his BBQ chicken version, which we both fell in love with.

This pizza is so good. It starts out with bacon (and anything that starts with bacon is a win, right?), then you add red onion to the bacon and let it caramelize, mix that amazing combination with shredded chicken, BBQ sauce, and a bit of hot sauce, slather it on a pizza crust, and top it with tons of cheese. Sounds amazing, right? It tastes even better than it sounds. This is a great way to jazz up your weeknight dinner menu!

BBQ Chicken Pizza
source: my culinary genius of a husband

1 store-bought pizza crust
4 strips bacon, diced
1 red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
1/2 to 3/4 cup BBQ sauce
Dash hot sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

1. Preheat oven to temperature listed on pizza crust package (usually it's 400 or 425 degrees).

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon just shy of crispy; add red onion and cook until onions are softened and begin to caramelize. Drain mixture on paper towels.

3. In a large bowl, combine chicken, BBQ sauce, and hot sauce; add bacon and onion mixture. Spread evenly over pizza crust. Top with shredded cheeses.

4. Bake until crust is crisp and cheese is melted, according to directions on crust package.

Christmas Breakfast Casserole

I wanted to post the recipe for our traditional Christmas breakfast casserole last year, but I forgot to take a picture of it, so I vowed to post it this year. But what do you know, I forgot to take a picture of it AGAIN, so the only photo you get is one of my son eating it:

It was the first year he was able to enjoy this breakfast with us (last year he was only 7 months old), and I'm pleased to report that he absolutely loved it!

I think every family has their own traditional Christmas breakfast. Growing up we always just had eggs, toast, and bacon or sausage on Christmas morning, but once I moved in with Joe I started making this casserole. I've adapted the original recipe quite extensively over the years, and Joe starts looking forward to eating this at the beginning of December. I only make it once a year -- it just wouldn't be as special for us if I made it more often -- but it would make for a delicious, hearty dinner any night of the year. It can easily be prepped and stored in the refrigerator a day or two ahead, which makes it perfect for holiday or weeknight cooking.

Christmas Breakfast Casserole
source: adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes

1 package breakfast sausage links
1 cup milk
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package frozen potatoes O'Brien, thawed
1 package petit diced ham
1 package frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower in cheese sauce, thawed
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Eggs, cooked your preferred method, if desired

1. Brown sausage according to package directions until done; slice into 1-inch pieces.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine milk, cream of mushroom soup, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and salt and pepper. Stir in potatoes, ham, vegetables and cheese sauce, and shredded cheese.

3. Add mixture to a Crock pot sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cook on low heat 6 hours, or until hot and bubbly (I always turn it on before we go to bed on Christmas Eve, and by the time we wake up it's perfect.). Top with eggs, if desired.

Sweet Potatoes Two Ways: A Thanksgiving Two-For-One!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope all of you had wonderful days with your families and friends. We sure did, but I am absolutely exhausted tonight. It's a good exhausted, though.

I have two delicious sweet potato recipes to share with you today, and while it's obviously too late to include them in your Thanksgiving spreads, they'd both be great for Christmas too. First up is a recipe that's new for me this year: sweet potato pie.

This was my first time making a sweet potato pie, and I was surprised by how much the end result tasted like pumpkin pie. It's spiced the same way and hits the same sweet, earthy notes as pumpkin pie. It was so easy to make because everything gets mixed up in the food processor. Don't skip the streusel, either; it makes this pie really special and extra-delicious. I can't wait to have the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow morning! (Yes. Pie for breakfast. I think the day after Thanksgiving is the only day one can get away with this, so I take full advantage.)

Sweet Potato Pie with Streusel Topping
source: Cooking Club of America

For the pie:
Dough for 1 (9-inch) pie crust
1 17.2-ounce can sweet potatoes
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the streusel:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped pecans

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line 9-inch pie pan with dough; flute edges. Pulse sweet potatoes in food processor or blender until smooth. Add all remaining pie ingredients; process until blended. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine brown sugar and flour in small bowl. Stir in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in pecans.

3. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; sprinkle pie with streusel. Cover crust with foil to prevent over-browning. Bake 40 minutes or until puffed and knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Store in refrigerator.

***

Next up is a recipe of my mom's that she used to make every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas: sweet potato casserole.

Everyone has their own version of this, I think, many of which use marshmallows in the topping. Since I'm not a huge fan of marshmallows, I love my mom's version, which is topped with streusel instead. It's so incredibly good, and whenever I take it to any type of family dinner I never come home with leftovers. This is easily prepared the night before. If you're a sweet potato fan, this casserole is a must-try!

Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole

3 cups cold mashed sweet potatoes, prepared without milk or butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cold butter or margarine

1. In a mixing bowl or food processor, beat sweet potatoes, sugar, milk, butter, eggs, salt and vanilla until smooth. Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish.

2. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, pecans and flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over potato mixture.

3. Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

***

Believe it or not, today's post is my 300th here on this little blog. I hope you've enjoyed reading about the food I've made as much as I've enjoyed preparing it and sharing it with you. To celebrate, I'll be doing my first ever give-away here tomorrow, so be sure to check back. I think it's something most of you will really like -- and it's just in time for Christmas, too!

Mom's Shredded Chicken Sandwiches

I think everyone has their own version of these sandwiches. Some people make them with cream of celery soup; some people add saltines to thicken up the mixture. The version I'm sharing today is my Mom's. It's pretty simple, but no less delicious for it. I've been eating this sandwich for as long as I can remember, and it's still one of my favorite comfort foods. As Joe said when I made a batch the other night, "I could eat ten sandwiches and still never have enough of these."

You'll be seeing this on my menu frequently this fall and winter, because these sandwiches are so quick, easy and delicious to prepare, they work great as leftovers, and they remind me of home.

Mom's Shredded Chicken Sandwiches
 
2 pounds chicken breasts
1 cup chicken stock
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream 
1 cup milk (more or less depending on how thick you want the mixture to be)
Lots of black pepper
Salt to taste
Sandwich buns
American cheese slices, if desired
 
1. Add the chicken breasts to a slow cooker and top with chicken stock. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken with a fork and drain most of the liquid.

2. Stir in the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and milk until desired consistency is reached. Add black pepper and stir to combine, then taste for seasoning and add salt to taste. Continue cooking over low heat for 30 minutes, or until mixture is bubbly. Serve on sandwich buns with American cheese, if desired. 

Zucchini Casserole

There are some dishes that just don't photograph well, and casseroles are included on that list -- as I learned over the weekend, when I was trying to take a decent picture of this zucchini casserole. So the picture may not look very appetizing, but I hope you don't let that deter you: This is one delicious casserole, and it's my favorite way to eat zucchini. I like this even more than I like zucchini bread, and that's really saying something.

This is my Aunt Mary's recipe, and I've been eating it ever since I can remember. I make it now exactly the same way the recipe is written, because this casserole doesn't need a single change in order to be delicious. It's creamy and buttery and flavorful and pretty much the very definition of comfort food. Not the healthiest thing in the world by any stretch of the imagination, but it's really hard to care about that once you've tried it.

Zucchini Casserole
source: my Aunt Mary

3 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
1 cup carrots, shredded, sliced, or chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 box stuffing mix for chicken
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Boil carrots and zucchini until vegetables are fork-tender. Meanwhile, prepare stuffing mix according to package directions, then stir in melted butter.

2. Stir together cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and black pepper in a large bowl. Add zucchini, carrots, and onion to sauce mixture and stir to combine.

3. Pour into a greased baking dish and top with stuffing. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Grandma's Scalloped Potatoes

What I'm about to say needs to come with a disclaimer: I have never tried another recipe for traditional scalloped potatoes, so this is completely my own opinion, but I truly believe that my grandma's scalloped potato recipe is the best in the entire world. Whenever I taste them, I'm automatically transported back to my childhood, when she used to serve them with homemade white bread and thick pork chops, dredged in flour and fried. To round out the meal, we'd always drink cans of caffeine-free Coke, and for dessert: canteloupe fresh from the garden, dripping with juice. Food can be a really powerful thing, with its ability to transport you to another time and place.

My grandma lives in a retirement community now, in a tiny apartment with only a stovetop and no oven, so she can't make her scalloped potatoes anymore. When she moved there, she passed along to my mom the special casserole dish she always made them in, and when my mom died the casserole dish passed on to me. I've never used that dish for anything other than Grandma's potatoes.

There's nothing really special about this recipe or its ingredients; it's straight-forward and simple and just very homey. But because of the memories it evokes, to me it's one of the best-tasting things in the world.

Grandma's Scalloped Potatoes
Source: Grandma P.

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper
Butter
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Milk (estimate it: you want enough to entirely cover the potatoes)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper. Heat milk over low heat in a small saucepan.

2. Butter a casserole dish. Layer a third of the potatoes in the bottom. Top with half of the sliced onion. Sprinkle half of the flour mixture over the onions and dot with butter. Top with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Add another layer of potatoes, the rest of the onion, the rest of the flour mixture, dotted with butter, and another 1/2 cup of cheese. Top with remaining potatoes and the remaining cup of cheese.

3. Pour milk over potatoes. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 1 hour, or until potatoes are fork-tender.

Wonderful Pickles

My son turned one year old on Mother's Day, and on the Saturday before we had a party for him. It was largely a potluck-style type of thing, with our friends and family bringing most of the dishes besides the hamburgers and hot dogs, which turned out to be a good thing because I was suffering from a terrible cold and didn't feel like cooking a whole lot. I did make a couple of things myself, though, like my mom's potato salad, which is always requested, and these wonderful pickles.

My little Hungarian grandma has been making this cucumber salad for years. When I called to ask for the recipe, describing the dish to her so she'd know exactly which one I was talking about (she uses cucumbers in another dish with dill and sour cream), she said, "Oh, you mean wonderful pickles." I had no idea that's what she called this salad, but apparently it's what her mother and her mother's mother always called it, so I feel obliged to call it the same thing. This dish has been in our family for generations, and the recipe may be old, but it's still amazingly good. It's perfect for summer, and it was one of the first things to be finished at Andrew's party!

Wonderful Pickles
Source: my grandma

2 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar

7 cups thinly-sliced cucumber (peels on)
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced (red or white onion works)
2 tablespoons celery salt
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt

Combine sugar and vinegar in a large bowl, stirring occasionally until sugar has almost completely dissovled. Add salad ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to set.

St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! I've never been a big celebrator of this particular holiday (and when I say "celebrator," I mean I've never been one to go out to bars and drink green beer all day), but I'll take any excuse in the world to make some kind of festive treat!

The idea for these cupcakes came from the website Amazing Moms; I thought the idea of using Dots candies as shamrock leaves was so clever! I was going to decorate some of the cupcakes to look like the Irish flag using orange and green Dots, but I got tired of slicing candy after a while.

For the cupcakes, I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe -- Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" chocolate cake. The cream cheese frosting is my grandma's recipe, which is probably similar to most cream cheese frostings; the recipe is provided below. These cupcakes were so simple to decorate, and they're so incredibly moist and festive and delicious. Erin Go Bragh!

Cream Cheese Frosting
Source: my grandma

1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 cups powdered sugar

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 2 minutes. Mix in vanilla. Add powdered sugar gradually, until frosting reaches spreading consistency and desired sweetness. If not using immediately, refrigerate.

Mom's "Scalloped" Potatoes

This time of year, I really start to miss my mom. With the holidays upon us, it's even more apparent that she's not here to share them. Whenever I feel like this, I tend to make one of Mom's signature dishes that I remember from childhood. This seems to depress me less than looking through a photo album does; for some reason, cooking one of her recipes makes her feel more alive -- more present -- than photos, which just serve as reminders of what I've lost. Cooking one of her dishes is a way to bring her back again, to help me remember fondly, instead of sadly.

Last night, this meant I made sloppy joes (mom's way, which uses fresh onion and green bell pepper, and ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire and hot sauce rather than Manwich) and her "scalloped" potatoes. This is what I grew up thinking scalloped potatoes were, because that's what Mom always called them. It was only when I became an adult and started cooking more that I realized these potatoes are nothing like the typical definition of "scalloped" potatoes. But that's what I'll always call them. And last night, they were a creamy, cheesy pile of warm memories -- just what I needed to help me remember her.


Mom's "Scalloped" Potatoes

2-3 pounds golden potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a Crock pot, combine mushroom soup, milk, cheddar cheese and salt and pepper. Stir in potatoes and onions.

2. Cook over low heat 6 hours, or until potatoes are tender.

Biscuits over Creamed Chicken

Continuing my week of cooking strictly from my newly-organized binder of recipes, last night I made biscuits over creamed chicken. This isn't an internet recipe, but rather one of my mom's recipes, which I found handwritten on a sheet of loose paper, just hanging out with all of the computer-printed recipes.

My brother and I used to eat this all the time when we were kids, and to this day it's one of my absolute favorite comfort meals. It's so quick and easy to throw together. It was perfect for a rainy late-fall evening, and Joe and I devoured every single bit of it!

Biscuits over Creamed Chicken
Source: my mom

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can peas and carrots
1 can creamed corn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 refrigerated biscuits, cooked according to package directions

1. Combine chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, milk, salt and pepper, peas and carrots, and creamed corn in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese.

2. Nestle the biscuits in the creamed chicken mixture, or pour the creamed chicken over the biscuits.

Chili Mac and Cheese

In our family, the preferred way to use up chili leftovers is to turn the chili into mac and cheese. My mom used to do this all the time when I was little, and I've carried on the tradition. We had just the right amount of chili left from Saturday's dinner to make a delicious, comforting, creamy pile of mac and cheese. I guarantee you that if you try this, it'll become a favorite in your family too!


Chili Mac and Cheese
Source: family recipe

1 box cavatappi (or your preferred short pasta)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Leftover chili (my chili recipe is here)

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add cavatappi and cook until al dente, 8 or 9 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add flour and stir constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly, about 1 minute. Add milk and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and add sour cream and cheese.

3. When cheese is thoroughly combined in the sauce, add leftover chili directly to the cheese sauce and stir. Heat through.

4. Pour chili-cheese sauce over pasta and stir to combine.