Spiced Pumpkin Fudge

Spiced Pumpkin Fudge
A friend shared this recipe with me years ago.  I questioned her at first and didn't think my kiddos would like it, but this recipe is delicious and perfect for fall!  It's a much requested favorite at our house!

3 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
2/3 c. evaporated milk
1/2 c. pumpkin
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
12 oz. butterscotch chips
7 oz. marshmallow creme
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, butter, evap. milk, pumpkin, and pie spice in saucepan. Cook over medium heat to a boil. Add thermometer. Stir until it reaches the soft ball stage (230-235 degrees). Remove from heat, add butterscotch chips and stir until melted. Add marshmallow creme and vanilla and mix will. Pour into a 9x13 buttered pan. Cool, cut and enjoy!

Frosty Fruit Salad

If you haven't already checked out Gooseberry Patch's blog you really need to!  Click here to go visit Vicki and JoAnn! You can go there for some fun tips, recipes, and crafts.  This week they posted the following recipe!  Scrumptious!!  That's all I have to say!  


Frosty Fruit Salad


7-oz. can apricots, drained, juice     reserved and chopped
17-oz. can crushed pineapple,
    drained and juice reserved
1/2 c. sugar
3  10-oz. pkgs. frozen
    strawberries, thawed
6-oz. can frozen orange juice
    concentrate
2 T. lemon juice
2 lbs. seedless grapes, halved
4 bananas, diced

Heat reserved juices and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; stir until sugar dissolves. Add strawberries, orange juice concentrate and lemon juice. Heat until warmed; remove from heat. Combine apricots, pineapple, grapes and bananas together in a small mixing bowl; stir into heated mixture. Pour into a freezer-proof serving dish; freeze overnight. Remove from freezer about 15 to 25 minutes before serving. Makes 25 to 30 servings.

Enjoy!

Duggar Recipes: Layered Ice Cream Cake

In continuing with recipes from the Duggar book here's a yummy treat!

Layered Ice Cream Cake

24 ice cream sandwiches
8 ounces Cool Whip
2 king-size Butterfinger candy bars, chopped up
1 squeeze-bottle Hershey's chocolate syrup
1 squeeze-bottle Smucker's caramel topping

Arrange in six layers in a 9x13 pan:

First layer: 12 ice cream sandwiches, placed over bottom of pan
Second layer: half the container of Cool Whip
Third layer: half of the chopped-up Butterfinger bars topped with half of the chocolate syrup and half of the caramel topping
Fourth layer: the rest of the Cool Whip
Sixth layer: the rest of the chopped-up Butterfinger bars, topped with the rest of the caramel topping and the chocolate syrup.

Freeze and eat as desired.

Enjoy!

Huntington Chicken

A friend gave me the In the Kitchen with Mary and Martha: A Cookbook Featuring Oodles of Inspiration, Recipes and Tips (Cookbook Series)
cookbook. We had Huntington Chicken for dinner last night and it was delicious!


Huntington Chicken

4 cups chicken broth
8 tablespoons flour
1/2 pound grate cheese (Colby)
2 cups cooked macaroni
1 (4-5 pound) whole chicken, stewed and deboned
butter crackers crushed (1/2 tube)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat broth. Take 1 cup of broth and blend with the flour to make a paste. Add to pan of broth to create a gravy. Stir in cheese until melted. Add macaroni and chicken. Place in a large baking dish. Cover with cracker crumbs. sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

*Note: you can freeze this casserole without the crumb topping.

Meatloaf

I never found a meatloaf recipe that the whole family likes so I made up my own. Hope you all like it.

Meatloaf

-makes 1 loaf pan

2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup crushed crackers (I use butter crackers like Ritz)
1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 T parsley (dried)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup

Sauce:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp. mustard
2 tsp. brown sugar

Mix together the first set of ingredients in a large bowl. Bate in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes. Carefully drain grease. Spoon sauce on top and bake an additional 10 minutes.

The Secret is in the Sauce

I hesitated to share this recipe because would it would reveal that I am not a "from scratch" person all the time. It would mar my rep so to speak. A good friend asked for my lasagna recipe sooo here I am, an open book, now. : )

Lasagna

3/4 lb. ground beef

8 -ish lasagna noodles (make 'em fit in the pan however you can) I do three in a row lengthwise and then break one into about a 2/3 piece and place it at the end (perpendicular to the other ones). I buy the oven ready kind. No need to dirty another pot, right?

1 beaten egg

2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese divided (I'm cheap so I use the kind in the can)

1 T dried parsley flakes

4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Are your ready for the final ingredient?? Drum roll please...

1 can of Hunt's Garlic & Herb spaghetti sauce*. There...I'm outed!


Brown beef in a small stock pot (I usually sprinkle in a little pepper, onion powder and garlic powder while it's browning), drain, and then pour in one (ugh, dare I say it again?) can of Hunt's Garlic & Herb spaghetti sauce. Heat until the sauce is warmed.

For filling: Combine the egg, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and parsley flakes.

Layer half noodles, then half filling (spread it out the best you can), half sauce/meat mixture, sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella, then repeat. Once it's assembled sprinkle with the rest of the Parmesan cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven 375 degrees for about 30-35 minutes. Let it stand about 10 minutes. This gives you a chance to pop in some yummy garlic bread!

*Note: Sometimes I'm out of the Secret Sauce so I'll use a different brand. Just make sure to add some extra garlic powder, oregano, basil and hint of onion powder. I love Hunt's Garlic & Herb. Way back in the beginning of our marriage a friend shared the secret of Hunt's Garlic & Herb and it was the start of my kitchen coup d'état (another story).

Rigatoni Casserole

This recipe does well in the crock pot or baked in the oven! Even my children who don't care for spaghetti like this recipe! Enjoy!

1 16 oz. package of rigatoni noodles, cooked
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
26 oz. can spaghetti sauce
4 oz. pepperoni (cut pepperoni in quarters)
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (canned kind is fine)

Brown sausage (drain), add sauce and pepperoni. Add cooked noodles and 1 1/2 cups cheese to meat mixture and stir. Place in a large casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheese.

Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Or: Crockpot on low for approx. 3-4 hours. The only thing is the cheese on top won't get bubbly and brown.

Chili

If you haven't noticed by now you'll see that I don't put chunky tomatoes, onions or (any) mushrooms in my recipes.  I told you I have semi-picky eaters to deal with here!  Onion powder, garlic powder and tomato sauce are my friends!  The family loves this chili recipe.  It's really easy and fairly inexpensive.  You can either use dry kidney beans or canned beans.

Chili

2 30 oz. cans tomato sauce (or use tomato puree from your garden tomatoes)
2 lbs. ground chuck, browned and drained
1 lbs. dry kidney beans (see Notes at the bottom)
2 T. onion powder (or 2 med. onions chopped)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or 4 cloves garlic, crushed)
5 T. chili powder
2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (Hubby likes a little kick and it clears the 'ol sinuses!)

Combine all ingredients in a large crock pot.  (I use a 6.5 quart.)  Cover; cook on low 8-10 hours  or on high 4-5 hours.

Notes: This serves our gang for dinner and enough for lunch the next day with some grilled cheese.  I like to make Jiffy corn bread mix to serve with it, too.  Also, try serving it with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and dip Fritos scoops in it.  We love it that way!!

Soaking and cooking dry kidney beans can be tricky.  If you don't soak and cook them well you could get ill.  Kidney beans contain a toxin.  Read more here if interested.   The day before cooking, soak the beans all day, then rinse.   Put them in a crock-pot covered in water (with a an inch or so over the top); cook on low all night (about 7 hours). Drain, then add the rest of your chili ingredients and cook on low until you're ready to eat!  Check out Mary's blog OwlHaven for how she saves money cooking with dry beans.

Grandma Frays' Macaroni & Cheese

She was a cooking icon in our family. Grandma Frays made THE best macaroni and cheese. She also made the best Ham and Popeye (recipe to come--and no, it's not "pot pie", it's called "popeye"...you'll see!). She passed away almost 10 years ago. I loved Grandma like she was my own. She was, by marriage, but I always called her Grandma and loved her so much. I felt equally loved by her. She was one of my go-to gals for help when cooking. She giggled when I'd ask her the silliest cooking question but always followed it with good advice! Grandpa and Grandma and Nathan's aunt came out to Maryland to visit us one weekend. Grandma showed me how to make this wonderful macaroni and cheese. Since then I bring it to every family function. It's expected of me. I'd have to enroll in the witness protection program if I ever forgot to bring it! So without further adieu I give you...

Grandma Frays' Macaroni & Cheese

4 c. dry elbow macaroni (boil and cook 7 minutes)

2 c. shredded mild cheddar cheese (divided)

2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese (divided)

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 c. colby jack cheese

1/2 tube butter crackers (crushed)

1 can evaporated milk

1/2 - 1 can reg. milk (used the evap. milk can)

Place 1/2 macaroni in the bottom of a large baking dish (I use a 9x13 for this). Top with 1 c. mild cheddar, and 1 c. sharp cheddar. Sprinkle all of the crackers on top followed by all of the mozzarella cheese. Layer the rest of the macaroni and then the cheese on top. Sprinkle with colby jack cheese. Pour evap. milk over the top (Be careful...it'll splatter if it hits a noodle just right). Pour remaining milk over the top. I use 2% milk, you can use that or whole milk. Bake 375 degrees for 30 minutes. (Until the top is a little brown and bubbly.)

Note: The milk needs to reach about 1/2 way up the dish so all the noodles get some of the milk with them. I use a glass dish so I can see where it's at. Also, don't overcook the noodles before you assemble the dish. They need to absorb some of the milk for the best flavor.

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits...Amish Style

Even though my family is large --huge by some standards-- we're still not Amish "size". Our Amish neighbors have 11 children! I thought I worked hard cooking for our crowd! They have 11 and some of them are big, strappin' boys! I have a few Amish Country cookbooks that I just love. Flipping through them gives me a glimpse into her life and an appreciation for cooking for a large crowd. From a few of these books I've found (and scaled down, believe it or not!) a great recipe for sausage gravy and homemade biscuits. Hubby loves these biscuits! He's a biscuit snob, so they must be good!

Sausage Gravy

1 lb. sausage

3/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

4 1/2 cups milk

Brown and crumble sausage (don't drain it). Add flour, salt and pepper and stir. If the sausage is dry, you may need to add a bit of shortening when adding flour. Add milk while stirring. Heat until it starts to boil and reduce heat and continue to stir until thickened. Makes about 5 cups of gravy.

Homemade Biscuits

4 cups flour

1 tsp. salt

8 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cream of tartar

4 tsp. sugar

1 cup shortening

1 1/3 cup milk

Sift dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles course crumbs. Add milk all at once and stir until dough follows fork around bowl. Roll 1/2 thick.* Use a large glass or a canning jar to cut biscuits. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 30 biscuits.

*Note: The key to light and fluffy biscuits is not to work the dough too much.

Turkey (or chicken) Rice Soup

Left over chicken or turkey, watch out!  You are about to be served...literally!  Are you ready for one easy peasy recipe??  Hold on to your apron because here we goooo!

Turkey Rice Soup

16 cups turkey or chicken stock *

3-4 cups chopped turkey (or chicken)

4 carrots, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups brown rice (uncooked)

1/2 cup dried parsley

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

a sprinkling of rosemary 

a sprinkling of thyme  

Combine ingredients in a very large crock pot (I use a 6.5 Qt.) and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6.

*If I don't have stock on hand I'll use a few cans of chicken broth and then either chicken bouillon granules (follow the directions on the jar for adequate measurement) or chicken base (usually 1 tsp. per 1 cup of hot water) to make up the difference.  Chicken base comes in a jar, is thick and creamy in texture and is cheaper per ounce than bouillon granules.  I'm not a big fan of the cubes.  All that unwrapping puts a cramp on my cooking time.  The downside is that the chicken base makes a greasier soup.

Chicken Tetrazzini

I've been pondering what recipe to list first here on Old House Kitchen.  I've decided to post one of the family's favorite recipes.  It's not per say my favorite but the kiddos like it.  It's fairly simple, it's easy to freeze if you have left overs and it's pretty inexpensive.  We actually made it Turkey Tetrazzini after the holidays when we had all the turkey meat left over.  I hope your family enjoys it as much as ours.

Chicken Tetrazzini

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken cooked and chopped (this works out to be about 4 cups)
1 1/3 stick butter
1 cup flour
4 cups milk
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 tsp. garlic powder
3 cups cheddar cheese
16 oz. box thin spaghetti
Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Break noodles up into thirds or fourths (I do this so that it's a little easier to eat...and it doesn't have the Lady and the Tramp spaghetti thing going on.)
Cook noodles approx. 10 minutes in boiling, slightly salted water.  (After it's drained leave it in the large pot so you can mix in the sauce mixture.)
While they are boiling melt butter in a large sauce pan.  Stir in flour until blended and then stir in milk until it thickens.  (Keep stirring and make sure you don't have the heat up too high, you don't want to scorch the sauce.)
Stir in soup and garlic powder.
Blend in cheese and then the chicken.  Add to the pan of noodles and mix together.
Pour into large 9x13 dish -- it will be quite full (An 11 x 17 dish would be better.)
Topping:
1 dozen butter crackers, crushed
2 T. butter
Sprinkle topping mixture over the tetrazzini before baking.  Bake for 20-30 minutes.
Notes:
This meal is made for our family in mind...10 people...if you want a scaled down version and you don't have BigOven (it's designed so you can change the portion sizes) then see my conversion below.
Serving suggestions:  mixed veggies, a fruit dish, rolls or even garlic bread.
Scaled down to feed a smaller crew:
2/3 stick butter
1/2 c. flour
2 c. milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 lb chicken (2 c.)
1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese
8 oz. spaghetti
(Keep the topping recipe the same.  You may have a bit left over but you can package it up and save it in the freezer for next time.)