Bessie's Table

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Both Grandmother & Granddaddy loved to cook and took great pride in their table. Granddaddy took charge of the meats and Grandmother made sure there was always fresh homemade bread and desserts. They shared the preparation of the vegetables and salads. Their kitchen was small, causing them to play musical chairs getting all the dishes to the table.
Betty

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Breakfast Casserole

Cottage cheese is used to make this cheesey casserole less fatty. In the spring, toss in chopped asparagus tips. In summer & early fall, use green tomatoes for a side dish.

prep:

preheat 350º

spray a 6" X 10" baking dish

ingredients:

.25 c flour

.25 t salt

.5 stick of butter

4 eggs

1 c cottage cheese

1 c Monterey Jack cheese

.25 c chopped ham

.25 c chopped onion

.12 c picante sauce (optional)

Melt butter, then flour and salt. Beat eggs and cheese and blend into the flour mixture. Pour into the greased baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. The casserole will fluff up and turn golden brown.

Apple Sausage Stuffing

prep
preheat 350º
spray 3 oz baking dish

ingredients
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
4 medium tart red apples (Rome or Empire) unpeeled/core/dice
1 7 oz bag dried mixed fruit
2 t chopped sage
1/2 t nutmet
2 10 oz pkg frozen parmesan garlic bread/thawed & cubed
1 c chicken broth
Cook the sausage in skillet/break into pieces as it cooks. When it's brown, add apples. Continue cooking till apples are tender. Stir in dried fruit, sage and nutmeg. Fold in the bread cubes and broth. Spoon stuffing into baking dish and bake 40 - 45 minutes.

Barbecued Bison (buffalo meat)

prep:
preheat 275º
a cast-iron Dutch oven
ingredients:
4 - 5 lb bison chuck roast
salt
black pepper
4 slices hickory smoked bacon
dark beer
Season your meat with walt & pepper. In a hot cast-iron Dutch oven, lightly brown the bacon. When the bacon is rendered, add your bison meat. Sear the bison well on all sides.

When the bison is nicely browned, add enough beer to cover the meat completely. Cover Dutch oven with aluminum foil and then put the lid on top (makes a double seal). Braise in the oven for 3-4 hours. Your meat is done when a fork goes in easily.

Remove from oven & let rest till cool enough to handle. (Save the meat broth). When meat is cool, pull apart by hand or shred with a fork. Add just enough broth back to the meat to keep moist.

Barbecue Sauce:
2 c ketchup
2 T Worchestershire sauce
1/4 c honey
1/4 c cider vinegar
3 T yellow mustard
1/4 c dark molasses
1/4 c bourbon
your favorite hot sauce to taste (optional)
Combine all ingredients except the hot sauce in a sauce pan over medium heat. Simmer 20 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Add hot sauce to taste. Stir enough barbecue sauce into pulled bison to cover. Save rest for guest to add as desired.

Barbecued Chicken by Byrd Witty

prep:
preheat oven to 500º
3 lbs chicken (cut into pieces)
brown paper bag (greased on inside)
Sauce:
3 T catsup
2 T vinegar
1 T lemon juice
2 T worchestershire sauce
4 T water
2 T butter
3 T brown sugar
1 t salt
1 t mustard
1 t chili powder
1 paprika
1/2 t cayman pepper
Mix all sauce ingredients together. Grease a paper bag. Put the chicken which has been dipped into the sauce into the bag. Pour any extra sauce into the bag. Close bag tightly. Put in a roaster and cook 15 minutes at 500º. Reduce oven to 350º and leave in oven another 1 hour & 15 minutes.

Camembert Souffle

prep:
preheat 350º
spray 2.5 qt. souffle dish
ingredients:
.25 c chopped celery
2 T chopped onion
1 clove garlic (minced)
3 T butter
3 T flour
1 t dry mustard
.25 t salt
dash pepper
1 c whole milk
4.5 oz (.5c) camembert cheese (rind removed)- cubed
.5 c parmesan or romano cheese
5 egg yolks
7 egg whites
*Brown the onion, celery and garlic with the butter. Stir in flour, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add milk. Let cool stirring till thickened and bubbly.
*Stir in cheese till just melted. Remove from heat.
*Now beat egg yolks slightly and stir in the parmesan cheese. *Beat egg whites and fold into egg/yolk/parmesan mixture.
*Combine everything now and pour into souffle dish.
Place souffle dish in a bigger pan of water. Place all this in center of your oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Chicken & Cabbage

prep:
cook rice according to box directions
ingredients:
1 c rice
1.5 t salt
4 skinless boneless chicken (1.5 lb)
2 T vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic
2 T brown sugar
3 T apple cider vinegar
3 T soy sauce
1 lb sliced mushrooms
2 c shredded Chinese cabbage
Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Brown 3 minutes in the 2T vegetable oil. Add garlic and cook 3 more minutes. While dish is still cooking, add sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and stir.
Increase heat to high. Add mushrooms & cabbage till cabbage is wilted (about 1 minute) Serve on top of your rice.

Campfire/Chicken in a Bag

ingredients:
· 1 pound(s) chicken breast, cooked and cut into cubes
· 2 c rice (dry), and then cook - we prefer brown rice
· 1/2 pound frozen peas or mixed veggies
· 1/2 pound shredded cheddar cheese
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder
1 small roll of aluminum foil (heavy gauge is better)

In a large container, combine chicken, rice, frozen veggies, shredded cheddar cheese, and seasonings. Cover and refrigerate. At dinner time, scoop each serving onto the middle of a 2 ft. long piece of aluminum foil. (four servings = four pieces of aluminum foil). Wrap the mixture into the foil by folding the foil longwise (so that it stays about 2 ft. long). Wrap the tail ends of the aluminum around a heavy stick and warm each wrapped mixture over a campfire until the cheese melts - or stick them on top of a cooking griddle and rotate. The foil cools rapidly and can be unwrapped easily from around the sticks and from around the mixture. You could also add cashews, canned mushrooms, and/or soy sauce depending on the tastes of the group.

Chicken Casserole

prep
preheat oven 350º
spray casserole dish

ingredients
1 chopped cooked chicken (4-5 lbs)
.25 c chicken broth
2 celery ribs (chopped)
2 carrots (chopped)
2 t salt
2 T butter
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove
1 mushroom soup
1 cream of chicken soup
2 cans tomatoes & green chiles (drained)
1 t oregano
1 t ground cumin
1 t chili powder
3 c sharp cheddar cheese (grained)
12 fajita corn tortillas cut into strips

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute. Add garlic and saute again. Stir in chicken broth, the 2 soups, tomatoes, oregano, cumin, and chili powder. Cook for about 8 minutes.

Layer half of the chopped chicken into baking dish. Spread with half of the soup mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Cover with tortila strips. Repeat layering process. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Sauteed with Apples

Granddaddy's Favorite Pot Roast

5 to 6 lb lean brisket
salt & pepper to taste
2 T vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 large onions, cut & minced
4 large potatoes, peeles and sliced 1/4 inch thick
baby carrots

Season the brisket on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy pot or Dutch kettle. Brown the meat and set aside.

Put the garlic and onion in the remaining oil and saute till well browned. Return meat to the pot. Add 1 c water. Cover & simmer for 3 hours (or until tender). Turn every half hour.
Add more water if needed.

When done, remove meat. Let stand for easier slicing. Add potatoes & carrots to the brown gravy. Simmer about 20 minutes. Slice the pot roast across the grain. Cover the slices with the gravy & serve with the potatoes & carrots.

Ham & Noodles

prep:
preheat 350º
spray casserole dish

ingredients:
1/4 c chopped onions
2 T vegetable oil
1.5 c cubed or ground baked ham
1 can celery soup
fill soup can 3/4 full water
1/2 c shredded cheddar or sharp cheese
6 oz cooked noodles (toss a boullion cube is cook water)
buttered bread crumbs
Use an iron skillet to brown the onions in 2 T oil. Add your ham. Add the celery soup, water, and cheese. Remove from skillet and place in casserole dish with noodles. Bake for 30-45 minutes.
Another option: Put the noodles on the plate & top with ham mixture.

Herb Roast Chicken

prep
preheat oven 350º
thaw the spinach
place baking rack in middle of the oven
place roasting rack in bottom of roasting pan

ingredients
1 roast hen (about 4 lbs)
1 c water
3 T butter
1 large onion
.75 c frozen chipped spinach (thawed)
2 oz prosciutto or baked ham (chopped)
2 t sage
.5 t rosemary
2 T heavy cream
2 T lemon juice

Stuffing made in skillet
melt the butter, then add:
onion
prosciutto
garlic
sage
rosemary - saute til tender, about 5 minutes
Now add the spinach
Stir in cream and lemon juice

Stuff the cavity of your bird with this mixture. Fold skin over openings and close with baking pins. Tuck wings in. Place in oven and bake for 1 hour 45 minutes.

Pork Chop & Rice Casserole

prep:
preheat 350º
spray 9 X 12 dish
you will need aluminum foil
ingredients:
1 pork loin chop per person
1 can tomato soup
cooked rice per person [1 c tomato soup per 1/3 c rice]
sliced potatoes
finely chopped onion
salt & pepper
1.gravy made from frying chops
2.Brown your chops in an iron skillet. Brown the fat, and make gravy with flour & water.
3.lay a layer of cooked rice in the bottom of your dish
4. lay a layer of chops
5. layer of potatoes, then onion, salt & pepper
6. pour your gravy over the top, cover tightly with foil
Bake for 1 hour

Rack of Lamb

prep
place baking rake in center of oven
preheat 425º
spray roasting pan

rub ingredients (mix the following for a rub)
.25 c bread crumbs
chopped parsley
grated parmesan cheese
1 T + 1 t olive oil
1 T minced garlic
.25 t salt
.25 t pepper

1 lb red new potatoes

8 rib rack of lamb (1.5 - 2 lbs)

mix together
2 T Dijon mustard
1 T olive oil
.5 t salt
.5 t pepper

Pat the mustard mixture on sides of lamb. Pat on the rub mixture. Place lamb into roasting pan, bone side down. Toss potatoes with remaining rub and place into all opening in the roasting pan. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Turn potatoes once in middle. Meat thermometer should read 150º.

Savory Chicken

prep
preheat oven 400º
blend soup mix with 1 c milk (set aside)
grease a 2 qt casserole dish

ingredients
2 T olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken
1 medium onion
2 c thinly slice carrot
1 c thinly diced celery
1 envelop lipton herb & garlic soup mix
1 c whole milk
1 package buttermilk biscuits

Cook chicken in skillet using olive oil till almost done - 5 minutes. Stir in onion, celery, carrots - cook another 3
minutes. Stir in soup mixture - bring to a boil & cook another minute. Place into greased casserole dish. Top with biscuits. Bake till biscuits are golden brown.

Simple Roast Chicken

(works with a whole chicken or cut up)

Preheat your oven to 450º

1. Get your chicken, wash her off (don't get too attached, though, you ARE going to cook him.) Pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Slap your bird in a 9 x 13" baking pan - breast-side-up

3. Rub her down with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and one herb of your choice - basil or oregano. Don't complicate the flavor, though - just pick one. Do a little of that on the inside of the bird, too. Remember, every time you poke or pierce your meat, you loose juice and that means the chicken will dry out. Don't pierce until you absolutely have to check on doneness.

4. Roast him for about 45 minutes, cover with foil, and roast approximately 20-30 minutes longer.

Let the chicken sit & rest after you pull it out of the oven - it will still cook a little bit and if you start cutting it up, you'll loose a lot of the good juices.

The chicken will be cooked through when the juices run clear or it registers 180 degrees on a meat thermometer.

Summer Sausage

prep:
preheat oven 150º

ingredients:
5 lb hamburger
3.5 T Morton Tender Quick Meat Cure
2 T coarse pepper
2 T liquid smoke
2.5 T mustard seed
1 t garlic powder
1.Place all ingredients in a very large bowl and keep in refrigerator for 3 days. Mix well each day.
2.On the 4th day, make into 6 or 12 long rolls, the width of your broiler pan.
3.Place rolls on broiler pan rack and place in the oven on warm. Cook for 12 hours (6 hours on one side/turn and cook 6 hours on opposite side). [The fat drips down into the broiler pan & the rolls shrink. After 12 hrs, the rolls are about the diameter of a ritz cracker.]
4.When cool/cold wrap each roll and place in the freezer.

Three Cheese Pasta Bake

prep
preheat 350º
spray baking dish (2 quart)

ingredients
1 8 oz pkg penne pasta (cook according to pkg directions)
2 T butter
2T flour
1.5 c milk
1/2 c cream
1 c shredded white Cheddar cheese (4oz)
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
2 c shredded Gruyere cheese (divide in half)
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Whisk in flour, cook, stirring constantly for a minute. Slowing whisk in milk and cream, stir cooking and whisking until thickened. Stir in Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1 c Gruyere cheese till smooth. Stir the pasta & cheese mixture together. Pour into greased baking dish. Top with remaining Gruyere cheese.
Bake 15 minutes till golden brown.

Bessie's Table

Jim Wolfe (1886-1957)/CLICK PHOTO

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast Dish

Apple Sausage Stuffing

Barbecued Bison (buffalo meat)

Barbecued Chicken by Byrd Witty

Barbecue Sauce

Bacon & Double Cheese Quiche

Basting Sauce for Pork

Blue Cheese Sauce

Brains & Scrambled Eggs

Camembert Souffle

Cheese Balls

Chicken & Cabbage

Campfire/Chicken in a Bag

Chicken Casserole

Chicken Parmesan (no frying)

Chicken Sauteed with Apples

Chinese Hash

Corn Beef Casserole

Country Dressing to use with Country Ham

Curing Meat from Granny (Bettie Lander Hopson 1860 - 1948)

Dumplings for Chicken & Dumplings

Granddaddy's Favorite Pot Roast

Hamburger Heaven

Ham & Noodles

Herb Roast Chicken

Homemade Sausage

Hopson's Sausage Recipe

Liver & Onions

Meatloaf

Orange Glazed Hens

Pan Gravy

Parmesan Garlic Chicken

Pork Chops & Pineapple

Pork Chop & Rice Casserole

Pork, Sauerkraut and Apples

Rack of Lamb

Rubbed Chicken

Sausage Balls

Sausage Casserole

Savory Chicken

Simple Roast Chicken

Summer Sausage

Sunday Meat

Three Cheese Pasta Bake

White Chili

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