Welcome!

I decided to create this blog, to replace my old one I had and was losing interest in and thinking and having things to post. Looking at my stats, I saw there was a lot of interest in my recipes I had posted. I do love to cook and have lots of recipes to talk about and post, and so decided to create this blog specifically for those of us that love to create in the kitchen! I hope you will follow this blog and be sure to tell your friends and family if you like what you see here. If you have a recipe you wish to submit, email me at jcdec63@msn.com and I will post it. Thanks for visiting! Granny J :D

Main Dishes

Country Pie
Beef makes the crust!
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/4.c.  chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
1 1/2 t. salt
1/ t. oregano
1/8 t. pepper
Combine these ingredients and mix well.  Pat meat mixture into bottom of a greased 9-inch pie plate, and pinch 1- inch flutings around the edges. Set aside. 
Filling recipe
2 c. cooked rice
1 1/2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1/2 t. salt
1 c. grated Cheddar Cheese
Combine rice, tomato sauce, salt, and 1/4 cup of the cheese.  Spoon rice mixture into meat shell.  Cover with aluminum foil.  Bake in a moderate oven 350 degrees 25 minutes.  Uncover, and sprinkle top with remaining cheese.  Return to oven and bake, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes longer.  Cut into pie-shaped pieces. Makes 5 or 6 servings.
Hungarian Goulash with Noodles
1lb. beef, cut into cubes
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
6 Tablespoons ketchup
3 Tablespoons flour
2 med. onions, minced
1 1/4 tsp. paprika
1 14 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. vinegar
1 12 c. water
1 (8oz.) pkgs. noodles
Brown meat on all sides in fry pan; add onions.  Combine paprika, brown sugar and salt.  Combine Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, ketchup; add to meat; add 1 cup of the water; stir; cover.  Cook over low heat 2 1/2 hours or until meat is very tender.  Blend flour with remaining 1/2 cup water; add to meat mixture; stir until thickened.  Boil noodles in salted water until tender; drain.  Serve meat mixture over noodles.  Serves 6.
Italian Baked Penne
This recipe is courtesy of Kroger!
1 pkg. (1lb)Ground mild Italian sausage
1 cup frozen chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 pkg (8oz)penne rigate
1 pkg.(8oz)sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 1.2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 can (14.5 oz) Italian style diced tomatoes
2 cans (14.5oz)crushed tomatoes
3 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Bring water to boil in large pot of salted water.  Add penne pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.  Drain and return to pan.  While pasta is cooking, heat large skillet over medium high heat.  Add sausage, onion and garlic and saute' until sausage is cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 10 minutes.  Add mushrooms and saute' 3 minutes.  Add pepper, Italian seasoning and tomatoes to pan.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.  Combine sausage mixture to pasta, spinach, mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.  Pour into 13 x9 inch glass baking dish.  Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over.  Bake 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.  Serves 8

Jeanine's Chicken Enchilada Casserole
This recipe was given to me by one of my good friends years ago.  I put a bit of a spin on it with a few extra ingredients.
4 medium chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
8 oz shredded Mexican cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup
16 oz sour cream
1 c. chicken broth
1 tsp. garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1 can green chillies, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pinch red pepper, ground
1 pkg white corn tortillas
Prepare 13x9 pan by spraying with cooking spray.  Begin browning chicken breasts in olive oil or whatever oil you use, until cooked through, set aside to cool in refrigerator.  Put together all ingredients for sauce in a large saucepan.  Pour in soup, sour cream, green chillies, stirring after adding each ingredient.  Add spices and stir.  Add chicken broth and heat slowly, stirring occasionally until mixture comes to a light boil.  Lightly heat tortillas in oil from chicken about 10 seconds each side, set on paper towels to drain.  Take chicken out of refrigerator and cut up or shred.  Taking a ladle of sauce pour some over the bottom of the 13x9 pan.  Put 5 or 6 tortillas down, add some chicken, add some cheese and pour some sauce over this.  Add another layer of tortillas and continue same process as before.  Top layer should be sauce with cheese spread over top.  Put in preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.  Let set for 3 minutes before serving.  This is good with Mexican rice and refried beans or a nice green salad.
Kansas City Sloppy Ribs
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 c. paprika
2 1/2 T. ground black pepper
2 1/2 T. salt
1 12 T. chili powder
1 1/2 T garlic powder
1 1/2 T. onion powder
1 t. ground cayenne pepper
3 full slabs of pork spareribs "St. Louis cut"(trimmed off the shinbone and brisket flap)preferably 3 pounds each or less sweet tomato-based BBQ sauce
The night before you plan to BBQ, combine brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper.  Apply about a third of the spice mixture evenly to ribs, reserving remainder.  Place ribs in a plastic bag; refrigerate overnight.  Before you begin to BBQ, sprinkle ribs lightly but thoroughly with spice mixture, reserving remainder.  Let ribs sit at room temperature for 30-40 minutes.  Prepare smoker, bringing the temperature to 200-220 degrees.  Transfer ribs to smoker.  Cook about 4 hours, turning and sprinkling ribs with spice mixture after about 2 hours.  IN the last 45 minutes of cooking, slather ribs once or twice with BBQ sauce.  When ready, the meat will bend easily between the ribs, and the sauce will be gooey and sticky.  Allow slabs to sit for 10 minutes before slicing them into individual ribs.  Serve with more sauce on top or on the side and plenty of napkins!  Yield: 6 servings.
Hamburger Stroganoff
1 lb. ground beef
1(8oz) pkg. egg noodles
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 chopped onion
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 16 oz container sour cream
Brown onion and ground beef together in skillet with a little olive oil; drain.  Add all spices, Worcestershire sauce; stir.  Add cream of mushroom soup; stir and let heat for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, cook egg noodles and drain, set aside.  Add sour cream and heat through.  I like to add the egg noodles to the meat mixture, but you can serve them separately, meat on top of noodles.
Beef and Noodle Casserole
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup milk
1/4 t. black pepper
1/8 c. soy sauce
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
chow mein noodles
8 oz. pkg. dry noodles
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4 oz can mushrooms(or can use 5 or 6 fresh)
Fry together beef and onion.  Cook noodles; drain and combine with other ingredients already mixed.  Stir and put in large casserole.  Cover with chow mein noodles.  Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Here is a recipe that my son-in-law, W.C. Bentley made for my husband and I when we lived in AR....I call it,
Grilled Chicken Breasts ala W.C.B.
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 16 oz. carton of sour cream
1 cup Italian salad dressing
6 slices of  cheddar cheese
Mix sour cream and dressing together thoroughly; place chicken breasts in mixture, turning and covering with mixture.  Marinate in refrigerator for about 2 or 3 hours.  After grill is ready place each breast on grill turning periodically and when breasts are just about done, place slices of cheddar cheese over top; melt, then take chicken off the grill.  Serve whatever veggie you would like with this, a fruit salad for dessert would be great!

Bavarian Sauerkraut Supper
2 strips bacon
1 T. flour
2 lg. cans sauerkraut
1 potato, peeled
1 apple, unpeeled
2 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. caraway seed(optional)  I don't usually use it because my husband doesn't like caraway...::P
2lbs. Polish sausage
I drain my sauerkraut and rinse, I think it makes a better taste to the meal, but you don't have to if you like that flavor.  Cut bacon into cubes and fry until crisp.  Blend flour into bacon drippings.  Add the drained sauerkraut and barely cover with water.  Cube the potato and the apple and add to the sauerkraut along with the caraway seed.  Sprinkle with brown sugar.  Add Polish sausage.  Cover and cook 1 hour at simmer.  Makes 6 servings.  For smaller servings, you can use 2 small cans of sauerkraut and 1 lb sausage.

Saucy Meatloaf
I tweaked this recipe from one my son-in-law had and my family loves it!  Never dry and extremely tasty.
1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1/2-1 cup seasoned bread crumbs(or you could use stuffing mix...I like to use that too.)
1 tsp sage
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. brown sugar
1tsp onion powder
1 egg
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 c. ketchup or 1 8oz can tomato sauce
Mix all ingredients and put in greased loaf pan.  Cook at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Add saucy topping for last 15 minutes.
Saucy Topping
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. ketchup
3 T. Worcestershire sauce
Stir in pan thoroughly, heat through a few minutes.  Add to top of meatloaf at 35 minutes in.