What's for Dinner

POPPY SEED CHICKEN 
(♥ Anne Pfeifer Mahoney)
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·       3-4 cups of cooked chicken breast cubed
·       1 cans cream of chicken soup
·       1 cups of sour cream
·       3 tbsp of poppy seeds
·       Salt and pepper to taste
·       One sleeve of Ritz crackers crushed
·       ¼ cup of melted butter
--mix chicken, soup, sour cream, and poppy seeds
--place into a 9x13 baking pan
--combine crushed crackers and melted butter and spread on top
--bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes and serve over cooked egg noodles 

For a short cut, I cook my noodles and add to the chicken mix in a large skillet and skip the casserole dish and crackers

HOT TAMALE PIE

(♥ Grandma Pearlie Mahoney)

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• Cooked corn meal
• 1 lb of browned hamburger
• 1 can of tomatoes (with chilies or chili ready or just plain diced tomatoes)
• 1 can of yellow whole kernel corn
• 1 tsp of chili powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 
  

TO COOK CORNMEAL

...mix 1 cup of dry corn meal with 1 tsp of salt and one cup of cold water

...place 3 cups of water in a large pot and bring to a boil

...slowly add the cornmeal mix to the boiling water

...cover and cook on low heat, stirring often to prevent sticking (about 5 minutes)

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Mix all other ingredients in a skillet and heat

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ASSEMBLE TAMALE PIE

...place 1/2 cooked cornmeal in the bottom and sides of a round casserole dish

...add meat mixture and top with the remaining cooked cornmeal

...bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour

Today we use the crock pot!  It's one of my favorites...pork and kraut.

PORK AND KRAUT  (for two)
(Grandma Addie)
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2 Pork chops or pork steak
Jar or can of sauerkraut
3 Apples
2 Potatoes
Salt and pepper

- brown chops in a skillet with salt and pepper
- place chops in crock pot
- add small amount of water to crock pot (do not need to cover the chops with water)
- add kraut
- cook on high for 4 hours

- peel and cut potatoes in small pieces
- rinse potatoes and place in pan with enough water to cover
- cook potatoes till tender and a bit mushy on the outside
- once cooked drain and mash (by hand or with mixer)
- add butter, salt, and a bit of milk to mashed potatoes
- whip 

- peel apples and slice
- place in a sauce pan with enough water to just cover...not a lot of water
- add 1/2 cup of sugar and a teaspoon of cinnamon
- cook until tender

Serve
Grandma being German always had apples with pork.  It's a German thing!

So it is dessert for dinner.  Special request for this cake.  

GERMAN APPLE CAKE
(♡ Anne Mahoney from friend from Frankenstein, Germany)
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 1 ½ cup of flour
 1 tsp of baking powder
 ½ tsp of salt
 ½ tsp of cinnamon
 1cup of sugar
¾ cup of oil
1 egg
2 apples cut into small pieces
1/2 cup of chopped pecans

-- beat oil, sugar and eggs
-- add dry ingredients and mix
-- add apples and nuts and mix
-- pour into a greased 9x13 pan

-- bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees

Something for a cool fall day for supper tonight.  

POTATO SOUP
(♡ Anne Pfeifer Mahoney)
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• 3 medium potatoes
• 4 tbs cup of flour
• 4 tbs of butter
• 3 cups of milk
  Shredded cheddar cheese to taste (about ½ cup)
• ½ of onion (sautéed)
• 1 piece of bacon crumbled and 10 – 12 little smokies

-- Make a thick basic white sauce in large soup pan (double basic recipe with less milk)
-- Cook potatoes until mushy on the edges in just enough water to cover
-- Add potatoes and water to the white sauce mix
-- Add cheese and stir in
-- Add bacon and sausages


Serve with green onions to garnish

BASIC WHITE SAUCE
(♥ Anne Pfeifer Mahoney)
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2 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp of flour
2 cups of milk
1 tsp of salt
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-- melt butter in a 2 qt sauce pan over medium heat
-- add flour and remove stir with whisk
-- add salt and milk and stir with whisk

-- place back on the heat and continue to stir with whisk until thick

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So tonight we are having a Mexican Casserole.  Quite taste and filling and makes enough for two dishes. 

MEXCIAN CASSEROLE

(Anne Pfeifer Mahoney)
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·         1 ½ pound of ground beef browned

·         1 package of taco seasoning

·         1 can of black beans

·         1 can of corn drained

·         1can of diced tomatoes

·         1 can of refried beans

·         ½ cup of minute rice

·         Package of flour 10” tortillas

·         ¼ cup (or so) Taco sauce

·         3 cup package of shredded cheder cheese

·         Two 8x8 casserole dishes

--Brown hamburger and drain
--Add the cans of corn, black beans, and tomatoes
--Add rice (uncooked)
--In a microwave safe bowl mix can of refried beans, taco sauce and ½ cup of cheese
--Microwave for 2 minutes.  Stir
--Cut tortillas into quarters
--Place tortillas in the dish with the points to the corners of the dish (depending on the size of the pan and tortilla you might have to cover the middle with a extra piece)
--Spread refried beans mixture in a thin layer on top of the tortillas
--Next layer the meat mixture topped with cheese
--Repeat layers until you are out
-- Back in 350 oven for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly.


There is not right or wrong.  I sometimes make it in a round dish and don’t cut the tortillas.  Serve with shredded lettuce and fresh tomatoes and sour cream.

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So today it is shopping and errands so it is going to be a easy dinner.  

PANCAKE MIX CHICKEN
(♥Barbara Pfeifer Saathoff Anne’s sister /Anne Pfeifer Mahoney)
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·         4 Chicken pieces (can use just breast)

·         1-2 cups of complete pancake mix

·         1 stick of melted butter

--place dry pancake mix in a large baggie
--place one piece of chicken in the bag at a time and shake to coat the chicken
--place coated chicken in a 9x9 pan
--pour butter over the chicken
--bake at 350 degrees for an hour
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Make gravy with the butter and pan drippings by adding a cup of milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of dry pancake mix to thicken.  Heat until it thickens and serve over biscuits.
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Tonight it is Chicken and Dumplings  Sept 30th

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS
(♥ Anne Pfeifer Mahoney)
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·         Basic chicken broth recipe strained

·         Basic egg noodle recipe cutting noodles about an inch wide

--heat broth to boiling (when it bubbles)
--drop noodles in a few at a time stirring often
--add flour that was left on your floured surface from rolling out noodles (this will help thicken)
--cook for 15-20 minutes

EGG NOODLES

(♥ Grandma Addie Pfeifer / Anne Pfeifer Mahoney)

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2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 half egg shells of water (use the egg shell to measure)

1 tsp salt

--add salt to flour

--beat eggs slightly with water

--add to flour

--mix (with hands) until you get a stiff dough

--roll out onto a floured surface with a rolling pin*

--sprinkle top with flour and fold dough back on itself two or three times making sure to sprinkle with flour as you go

--using a knife, cut into strips crosswise

--separate and drop onto floured surface to dry slightly

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*can use a wine bottle or beer bottle if you don’t have a rolling pin

CHICKEN BROTH
(♥ Anne Pfeifer Mahoney)
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·         Chicken pieces (legs and thighs are best)

·         2 large carrots cut into pieces

·         2 stalks of celery cut into pieces

·         1 tbsp of  “Superior Touch” Better than Bouillon Chicken Base

·         tsp of salt

·         ½ tsp of pepper

·         8 cups of water

--combine all ingredients in a large pot
--cook on med/high heat until chicken is cooked, adding water as necessary
--remove chicken when done and pick the meat from the bone, and add back to pot
--for clear broth strain

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