Mom's Wild Rice Soup

• 1/2 cup wild rice(whole)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 14oz can swanson's Chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 4 tsp chicken boulion granules

In a large pot, combine first 6 ingredients bring to boil - reduce heat - simmer 30 minutes.

• 1/4 cup brown rice(not the quick cook variety)

Add brown rice, simmer another 30 minutes or until rice is tender.

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 5 Tbsp flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp celery salt

Melt butter in medium sauce pan, add flour, salt, pepper and celery salt. Mix well and let bubble.

• 1 1/2 to 2 cups whipping cream or half&half
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken

Mix in cream and stir until thickened and lumps are out.

Stir creammed mixture into rice add the chicken, heat through and Serve.

Grandma Harter's Rhubarb torte

Crust: 2 cups flour, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 cup butter or shortening, 2 egg yolks, pinch salt.
Mix crust ingredients with fingers and pat down in pan. Bake at 350 degrees until light brown.

Filling: 4 cups rhubarb cut up, 2 cups sugar, 4 egg yolks, 2 tbsp flour
Mix filling and place on crust and bake about 30 minutes.

Meringue: 6 egg whites
Beat the 6 egg whites, add tbsp sugar. Put on filling, brown 15 minutes or until done.

Roasted Chicken in Gravy

Roasted Chicken in Gravy

1 large bone-in chicken breast PLUS seasonings
4 cups chicken broth
2 packets Chicken Flavor Boost
2 teaspoons corn starch
1 tablespoon water

Season chicken breast as desired.  Roast in 350 degree oven for 50-65 minutes.  Let cool.  Shred into large chunks.

Bring broth up to a boil.  Add flavor boost packets.  In a small bowl, mix together corn starch and water until a past forms.  Whisk into boiling broth.  Continue whisking until smooth.  Add more corn starch and water mixture if thicker gravy is desired.

Add chicken and seasonings.  Keep at low simmer until biscuits are ready.

QUICK AND EASY CREAM BISCUITS

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Stir in the cream with a wooden spoon until dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gather into a ball. Knead the dough briefly until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Shape the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick circle. Cut biscuits into rounds or wedges. Place rounds or wedges on parchment-lined baking sheet. (The baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.) Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking.

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 small onions, chopped I used one larger red onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
• 1/4 pound bulk Italian sausage I used only one pound of Italian sausage and no ground beef
• 1 pound ground beef

All of these can be mixed together while the meat, onions and seasonings are browning:

• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes. I used all diced tomatoes. Next time I'll use all stewed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

Directions

1.     Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onions and Italian sausage until the sausage is browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage and onions to a slow cooker. In the same skillet, cook and stir the ground beef, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and marjoram, breaking the meat up as it cooks, until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the ground beef into the slow cooker.

2.     Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, thyme, basil, oregano, and 2 teaspoons of garlic powder. Set the cooker on Low, and cook the sauce for 8 hours. About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the sugar. Serve hot.

Enchilada Casserole

2 cans cream of chicken soup.

1 16oz can enchilada sauce.

2 pkg taco seasoning

2 lbs ground beef
At least 6 lg flour tortillas

2 bags Mexican cheese

shredded lettuce

sour cream.
Taco sauce.

Prepare the taco meat per seasoning instructions.

Cover the bottom of the baking dish (9/13 casserole dish) with enchilada sauce to prevent sticking. I use a larger dish to prevent overflow to the bottom of the oven.

Add the two cans of soup, 1/2 can enchilada sauce and one bag of cheese (Add only 1/2 the can of enchilada sauce or more depending on how much of a sauce you want.) It is built like lasagna, but is a lot runnier the more sauce you use.

Place tortillas to cover the bottom of the casserole dish . Put a layer of taco mixture on the tortillas. Layer like this until meat mixture is used up(usually two layers of meat) and cover that with more tortillas and the 2nd bag of cheese

Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 min.

If you don't want the top to be crusty, cover with tin foil.

Serve with shredded lettuce, sour cream, green onion, and or whatever toppings you like.

Luke and Stacy's Easter Roast

For the Roast:

If using table salt, reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon. Ask your butcher to prepare a trimmed, center-cut Châteaubriand from the whole tenderloin, as this cut is not usually available without special ordering. If you are cooking for a crowd, this recipe can be doubled to make two roasts. Sear the roasts one after the other, wiping out the pan and adding new oil after searing the first roast. Both pieces of meat can be roasted on the same rack.

Ingredients

• 1 beef tenderloin center-cut Châteaubriand (about 2 pounds), trimmed of fat and silver skin (see note)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt (see note)
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 recipe flavored butter (see related recipes)

Instructions

1. Using 12-inch lengths of twine, tie roast crosswise at 11/2-inch intervals. Sprinkle roast evenly with salt, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Pat roast dry with paper towels. Sprinkle roast evenly with pepper and spread unsalted butter evenly over surface. Transfer roast to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of roast registers 125 degrees for medium-rare,

40 to 55 minutes, or 135 degrees for medium, 55 to 70 minutes, flipping roast halfway through cooking.

3. Heat oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place roast in skillet and sear until well browned on four sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side (total of 4 to 8 minutes).

Transfer roast to carving board and spread 2 tablespoons flavored butter evenly over top of roast; let rest 15 minutes. Remove twine and cut meat crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Serve, passing remaining flavored butter separately.

Butter:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
• 1/2 medium shallot , minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Taco Soup

If you don't want to use store bought taco seasoning Use this taco seasoning Recipe. (Double for this recipe)

2 Tbsp + 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Original Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
About 2 cups diced onions. I usually use white onions
Brown these together in a large pot and drain fat. If you like crunchy onions, don't brown them with the beef.

Add to pot:
Onions if not browned already
1 (15 1/2-ounce) black beans, drained. Use any beans you like.
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chiles
2 (1 1/4-ounce) packages taco seasoning mix, or the home made version above.
2 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes I've never been able to find these
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans diced tomatoes Instead of these Tomatoes I use :
1 28 oz can of Tomato Sauce
1 can of beef broth(low salt variety) Add as much as is needed to make " soup ". If you like it thicker, add less broth

Optional
2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chiles
1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced
1/2 cup green olives, sliced

Cook until heated through.

To serve, place a few chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, green onions and jalapenos or whatever you like on Tacos.