Archive for the ‘#1 Go-To Recipes’ Category
Peanut Butter Fudge (Slow Cooker)
I seen this recipe on Instagram and was intrigued by the use of a slow cooker, and the author of the recipe, The Lazy Slow Cooker states, "...this can also be made in a double boiler on the stovetop, but with the slow cooker, there is no cleaning of the cooker insert when using a liner..." That statement had me hooked. A few days later I bought the ingredients and made it today, 11 Jul 2021. And it is excellent fudge!
Equipment
- Slow Cooker (3½+ quart)
- Slow Cooker Liner
Ingredients
- 2 bags peanut butter chips, (10 oz / 283 g each, I used Reese's brand)
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 cup chunky peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- toppings, of your choice, chocolate chips, M&Ms, chopped candy bars, etc. Optional.
Instructions
- Place a liner in your slow cooker, then add the chips and add the peanut butters right on top. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and add the vanilla. Don't worry about mixing as you will just get a gooey ball of chips and peanut butter. Cover and turn your slow cooker to High setting and set a timer for 30 minutes.
- At the 30 minute mark, remove the cover, stir with a rubber spatula (you do not want to tear the liner) to mix everything together. If the chips are not fully melted, cover and continue on High setting for 15 minutes. Repeat until the chips are melted in and everything is mixed together. I had to do the stir after 15 minutes twice, all depends on your slow cooker.
- When it is all melted, turn off the slow cooker and at this point add your topping of choice if desired. I sprinkled on 1 cup of mini chocolate chips.
- Set out a rack on a heat proof surface, place the slow cooker insert on the rack and let the insert and fudge cool for at least 3-4 hours.
- Once cooled, lift out the liner and place on a cutting board, cut the fudge into 1 inch squares. Place on a serving tray or trays, Number of pieces will depend on the diameter of your slow cooker and used 2 plates to put them on, I got 36.
- Serve and enjoy!
Ham & Potatoes au Gratin
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Casserole Cook Book by Better Homes & Gardens, printed in 1961. Excellent casserole that is easy to put together, and the kitchen will smell great when this is baking. The cheese sauce is light but overall a great tasting casserole.
Equipment
- Baking Pan (7x11 inch)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 3 cups potatoes, cubed
- 2 cups cooked ham, cubed
- ¼ cup spring onion, sliced
- ¼ cup green bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup mayo
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- dash black pepper
- 1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¾ cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), get out a 7x11 inch baking pan.
- Get the potatoes and ham cubed, and the spring onion sliced and bell pepper diced.
- Add the potatoes to a saucepan and cover by 1 inch with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are just fork tender. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the butter in a large non stick pan, when hot, add the spring onion and bell pepper. Sauté until just tender.
- To the pan, add the ham, potatoes, mayo, salt and pepper. Stir together.
- Pour into the baking pan and spread out evenly.
- In a saucepan on low heat, add the milk and cheese, stir until cheese is melted.
- Pour mixture over the casserole.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until bubbly and starting to brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve with sides of your choice if desired, enjoy.
Notes
For this I am going with High cost per serving based on the ham, which is available but at a premium price.
Burger Chili & Chips
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Casserole Cook Book by Better Homes & Gardens, printed in 1961. This recipe sounds very good, on my to make and taste list. Link to the Shortcuts is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Oven
- Casserole (1½ quart)
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef, or pork, (1 lb)
- ½ cup onion, diced
- ¼ cup celery, diced
- salt and pepper, as desired
- 1 can chili, with beans, (15 oz / 425 g / 2 cups), Shortcuts
- 1½ cup corn chips, divided
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded, (8 oz / 226 g)
Instructions
- In a large non stick pan, brown the meat until no more pink is visible.
- Add the onion and celery and cook until they are tender, season with salt and pepper as desired. Pour off excess fat.
- Mix in the chili.
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), grease a 1½ quart casserole with butter.
- Place ⅓ of the corn chips on the bottom of the casserole.
- Add ½ the chili mixture, and ½ the cheese, and add another ⅓ of the corn chips.
- Add the rest of the chili mixture, the rest of the cheese, and the last of the corn chips.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until hot.
- Serve with sides of your choice, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost if using ground pork and the shortcut for the chili or your own chili creation.
Shortcuts: Basic Chili I, Basic Chili II, Pinto Bean Chili.
Variant: 1. If using homemade chili, use 2 cups in place of the 1 can.
Updated on 12 July 2021.
Hamburger Corn Casserole
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Casserole Cook Book by Better Homes & Gardens, printed in 1961. I made this on 8 Apr 2024, easy and absolutely delicious! Family loved this casserole! Recipe is updated with my results. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Oven
- Casserole (3 quart)
Ingredients
- 3 cups dry egg noodles
- 500 grams ground beef, or pork, (1 lb)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 can whole kernel corn, drained, (15 oz / 425 g)
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, (10½ oz / 298 g), Shortcut
- 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, (10½ oz / 298 g), Shortcut
- 1 cup sour cream, Shortcut
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 250 grams Cheddar cheese, shredded, (8 oz)
- salt and pepper, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), get out a 3 quart casserole.
- Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling, then add the egg noodles and cook until almost tender, drain. They get cooked further in the oven. I used 4 bundles of fettucine which works perfect for 3 cups dry egg noodles.
- After starting the noodles, heat a large non stick pan on medium heat, and the ground beef and onion, cook until no longer pink, breaking up the beef with your spatula. Season with salt and pepper as desired while the beef is cooking.
- Add the bell pepper and cook for another 1-2 minutes to just soften the bell pepper, drain excess fat. Turn off heat.
- To the pan, add the corn, both soups, sour cream, and black pepper as desired. Mix together.
- After the noodles are cooked and drained, add to the pan. Mix together.
- Pour into the casserole.
- Sprinkle cheese over the casserole.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving based on the number of servings.
Shortcuts: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, Sour Cream.
Updated on 8 April 2024.
Perfect Tuna Casserole
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Campbell's Creative Cooking With Soup, printed in 1985. As you read this recipe, the ingredients list will have Options and you can choose an option from the list below the ingredients. I made this on 14 May 2022, easy to put together, and delicious. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Oven
- Casserole (1 quart)
Ingredients
- 1 can Soup Option, (10½ oz / 298 g)
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 can tuna in oil, drained, flaked, (about 7 oz / 185 g)
- 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped, Shortcut
- 1 cup Vegetable Option, cooked, drained
- Topper Option
OPTIONS
Soup - Use 1 Item
- condensed cream of mushroom soup, Shortcut
- condensed cream of onion soup
- condensed cream of shrimp soup
- condensed New England clam chowder
Vegetable - Use 1 Item
- peas
- cut green beans
- cut broccoli
- whole kernel corn
Topper - Use 1 Item
- ½ cup potato chips, coarsely crumbled
- 3 slices American cheese, cut into slivers or ½ cup shredded cheese
- ¼ cup toasted slivered almonds
- 1 medium tomato, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), get out a 1 quart casserole.
- To the casserole, add the Soup Option and milk, stir until well mixed. I used cream of mushroom.
- Stir in the tuna, eggs, and Vegetable Option. I used whole kernel corn.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until hot.
- Stir casserole, top with Topper Option, bake 5 more minutes. I used shredded cheese.
- Serve with sides of your choice, enjoy. I served this with Seasoned Rice II.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Shortcuts: Hard Boiled Chicken Eggs, Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Cheesy Rice Bake
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Campbell's Creative Cooking With Soup, printed in 1985. As you read this recipe, the ingredients list will have Options and you can choose an option from the list below the ingredients. I made this on 6 Nov 2022 using the creamy chicken mushroom soup, salmon, and mixed vegetables. Delicious and well liked by the family. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Baking Pan (7x11 inch)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1 can Soup Option, (10½ oz / 298 g)
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried
- 2 cups cooked rice
- Protein Option
- 1 cup Vegetable Option
- Cheese Option
OPTIONS
Soup - Use 1 Item
- condensed cream of mushroom soup, Shortcut
- condensed tomato soup, Shortcut
- condensed Cheddar cheese soup, Shortcut
- condensed cream of onion soup
- condensed creamy chicken mushroom soup, added by me
Protein - Use 1 Item
- 1 can salmon, drained, flaked, (15 oz / 425 g)
- 2 cups beef, cooked, diced
- 2 cups ham, cooked, diced
- 1 can kidney beans, drained, (16 oz / 454 g), Shortcut
Vegetable - Use 1 Item
- peas, cooked, drained
- whole kernel corn, cooked, drained
- mixed vegetables, cooked, drained
- spinach, cooked, drained, chopped
- tomato, diced
Cheese - Use 1 Item
- 1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 cup Colby Longhorn cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), get out a 7x11 baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, Mix together the Soup Option, milk, and parsley.
- Add the cooked rice, Protein, and Vegetable Options.
- Mix together.
- Pour mixture into the baking pan and spread out evenly.
- Sprinkle with Cheese Option.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving except for salmon, which would make this fair cost.
Shortcuts: Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, Condensed Tomato Soup, Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup, Red Kidney Beans (Pressure Cooker).
Creamy Noodle Supper
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Campbell's Creative Cooking With Soup, printed in 1985. As you read this recipe, the ingredients list will have Options and you can choose the options from the list below the ingredients. I made this on 4 Nov 2022 using the chicken soup, ham, and mixed vegetables option, and it was well liked by the family, very easy to put together, and delicious! Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Equipment
- Casserole (1½ quart)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup onion, diced
- 1 can Soup Option, (10½ oz / 298 g)
- ½ cup milk
- ⅛ teaspoon rubbed sage
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups cooked egg noodles
- Meat Option
- 1 cup Vegetable Option, cooked, drained
- Topping Option
OPTIONS
Soup - Use 1 Item
- condensed cream of chicken soup, Shortcut
- condensed cream of shrimp soup
- condensed cream of mushroom soup, Shortcut
- condensed cream of onion soup
- condensed creamy chicken mushroom soup, added by me
Meat - Use 1 Item
- 1½ cups cooked chicken, diced
- 1 can tuna, drained, flaked, (about 7 oz / 185 g)
- 1½ cups cooked ham, diced
- 1½ cups cooked beef, diced
Vegetable - Use 1 Item
- mixed vegetables
- carrots, diced
- peas
- cut green beans
Topping - Use 1 Item
- 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, buttered
- ¼ cup almonds, toasted, sliced
- ½ cup American cheese, shredded
- ½ cup potato chips, crushed
- 1-2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- First get the the noodles and Vegetable Option cooking, then preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F), get out a 1½ quart casserole.
- Melt the butter in a 3 quart saucepan on medium heat, when hot, cook the onion until soft, stirring often.
- When the onion is softened, stir in the Soup Option, milk, sage, and pepper until well mixed.
- Add the the noodles, Meat and Vegetable Options until just mixed. I am using diced ham and mixed vegetables for this.
- Pour mixture into the casserole. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, stir casserole, sprinkle with Topping Option. I used the Cheddar Cheese Option.
- Place back in the oven and bake for another 5-10 minutes.
- Serve with sides of your choice, enjoy.
Notes
For the Vegetable Option, feel free to use Peas & Carrots, and the common Mixed Vegetable available in Thailand is Peas, Carrot & Corn and does not contain green beans.
Low cost per serving.
Shortcuts: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Savory Meatballs
This recipe is from a cookbook titled Campbell's Creative Cooking With Soup, printed in 1985. As you read this recipe, the ingredients list will have Options and you can choose an option from the list below the ingredients. I made this on 6 Jun 2023 using the cream of mushroom soup option, excellent meatballs and excellent sauce. Highly recommended. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Notes section.
Ingredients
- 500 grams ground beef, or ground pork, (1 lb)
- Crumbs Option
- ¼ cup Vegetable Option
- ½ teaspoon Herb Option, crushed
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 can Soup Option, (10½ oz / 298 g)
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
OPTIONS
Crumbs - Use 1 Item
- ¼ cup dry bread crumbs, Shortcut
- ¼ cup saltines, finely crushed
- ½ cup soft bread crumbs
- ¼ cup corn flakes, finely crushed
Vegetable - Use 1 Item
- onion, finely diced
- carrot, shredded
- green bell pepper, finely diced
- celery, finely diced
Herb - Use 1 Item
- dried thyme
- dried marjoram
- dried basil
- dried dill weed
Soup - Use 1 Item
- condensed cream of onion soup
- condensed cream of mushroom soup, Shortcut
- condensed cream of celery soup, Shortcut
- condensed golden mushroom soup
Instructions
- To a mixing bowl, add the ground beef, Crumbs, Vegetable, and Herb Options, and egg. Mix together but don't over mix or that may result in tough meatballs.
- Shape into 16-20 meatballs.
- Heat the oil in a large non stick pan on medium heat, when hot, add the meatballs and cook to brown on all sides.
- While the meatballs are browning, mix together the Soup Option, water, and parsley in a small bowl.
- Meatballs almost all browned.
- When the meatballs have browned, pour off excess fat, then stir in the soup mixture, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
- Serve with mashed potatoes or pasta, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving using pork, fair cost per serving using beef.
Shortcuts: Breadcrumbs, Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, Condensed Cream of Celery Soup.
Yellow Squash Casserole
I found this recipe doing a search as I have a lot of yellow zucchini growing. This is an excellent dish to use up fresh yellow squash or even yellow zucchini, and the variant with adding some meat is highly recommended.
Equipment
- Pan (12 inch)
- Oven
- Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
Ingredients
- 1½ kilos fresh yellow squash, or yellow zucchini, (3½ lb)
- ¼ cup butter, (½ stick / ¼ block)
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, (10½ oz / 298 g)
- 227 grams sour cream, (8 oz), Shortcut
- 2 cups Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded, (8 oz / 226 g)
- 1½ cups French fried onions, Shortcut
Instructions
- Prep the squash, small size can be just sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds. For large diameter, slice into ¼ inch rounds then cut slices in half. And for larger size, slice into ¼ inch rounds then cut slices into quarters. (I used 2½ of my garden grown yellow zucchini.)
- Melt the butter in a large non stick pan (12 inch would be perfect), when hot, add the onion. Sauté onion until translucent.
- Add the sliced squash on top of the onions, turn heat to low, cover the pan but stir after a few minutes and often after that. The squash will steam and they will begin to release their water.
- When the squash cooks down a bit and water has been released, season squash with salt and black pepper as desired.
- Continue to cook down the squash until the water is mostly cooked out.
- When the squash is nearly falling apart, drain well in a colander.
- Preheat your oven to 180° C (350° F) and grease a 9x13 baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
- Add the squash to a large mixing bowl, then add the sour cream and soup.
- I added a variant, I diced a can of spam, and added that.
- Mix together, taste, season with salt and black pepper as desired.
- Pour squash into the prepared pan and spread out evenly.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, top with the Cheddar cheese, then the French fried onions.
- Return to the oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until the onions are lightly browned.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving, and very little cost if growing the squash yourself, which is what I used here.
Shortcuts: Sour Cream, French Fried Onions.
Variants: 1. Add diced sautéed smoked sausage, ham, or spam. 2. Use condensed cream of mushroom soup in place of the chicken soup. 3. Yellow zucchini work perfectly and I am 99% sure that green zucchini would be just as perfect.
Fancy Chicken Salad
This recipe comes from a friend, and it is absolutely delicious! I made this for my parents and they loved it. For the chicken, feel free to use roasted, rotisserie, canned, or cook your own. I used canned the first time I made this and I also plan on using my pressure cooker so I can make broth at the same time for use in another recipe. Links to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cooked, cubed, (1 kilo / 2 lb), Shortcut
- 3 cups seedless red grapes, halved
- 1 cup celery, diced
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- 1 cup pecan pieces
For the Dressing
- ½ cup mayo
- ½ cup sour cream, Shortcut
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1-2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded, optional
Instructions
- For the chicken, first time I made this I used four 10 oz / 283 g cans of chunk breast meat in water, drained. It was 4 cups and very convenient. I have also made this with 4 cooked chicken breasts, cubed, which was also 4 cups.
- Using a dry skillet on low heat, add the pecan pieces and toast for several minutes, stirring them and turning them with a spatula often until lightly golden and fragrant, remove from pan and set aside to cool. If you are using pecan halves, just coarsely chop after toasting them and let cool.
- To a large mixing bowl (I used a 4 quart bowl), add the prepared chicken, grapes, celery, onion, and the cooled pecans. Toss together.
- To prepare the dressing, add all the Dressing ingredients to a small bowl and mix together.
- Add the dressing to the salad, stir until well mixed. Cover and place in the fridge until serving.
- Just before serving, mix in the cheese if using that, serve as is as a main dish with light sides of your choice.
- Serve over lettuce or arugula. Recommended.
- Serve in a large croissant with arugula. Highly recommended.
Notes
Low cost per serving, use the shortcut for the sour cream for additional savings.
Shortcut: Chicken (Pressure Cooker), Sour Cream.
Variants: 1. Use 4 10 oz / 283 g cans, drained. 2. Use chicken thigh meat or a mix of thigh and breast meat in place of just breast meat. 3. Use unsalted cashews in place of the pecans. 4. Wrap in soft flour tortillas.
Updated on 17 December 2021.