Archive for the ‘#1 Go-To Recipes’ Category
Salmon Casserole
This is a delicious casserole that is put together quickly, I was pleasantly surprised with this dish, this will be a regular. Links to the Shortcuts are listed in the Notes section.
Equipment
- Baking Pan (9x13 inch)
- Oven
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry elbow macaroni
- 2 cans pink salmon, (15 oz / 425 g each)
- 1 can sliced carrots, drained, (15 oz / 425 g)
- 1 can condensed cream of celery soup, Shortcut
- 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, Shortcut
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup dry bread crumbs, Shortcut
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to boiling, add the macaroni and cook until just tender, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process, drain again. Add the macaroni back to the pot.
- Preheat your oven to 190° C (375° F), grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter.
- Open and drain the salmon, remove any skin and bones if desired, flake apart with a fork. Prep the other cans. I leave the skin on and bones in, nutrition.
- To the pot with the drained macaroni, add the salmon, soups, carrots, cheese, milk, and pepper. Mix together.
- Pour the mixture into the baking dish and spread out evenly.
- Combine the breadcrumbs and melted butter in a small bowl, sprinkle over the casserole.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes or until heated through and the topping is browning.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Figure about $6 for two cans of the salmon in the US, this would come out to just over $1 per serving. For Thailand, I have seen canned salmon for much much more, and I will get the price when I make this from frozen then steamed salmon.
Shortcuts: Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup, Condensed Cream of Celery Soup, Bread Crumbs.
Variants: 1. Use a can of peas, drained, in place of the carrots.
Yogurt Pie
This is surprisingly good, and easy. I have this written to use a store bought crust to make this very easy to put together, and you can also make from scratch if you desire.
Ingredients
- 1 graham cracker crust, store bought
- 3 containers flavored yogurt, all same flavor, (6 oz each)
- 1 container Cool Whip, thawed
- fresh fruit, same as yogurt choice, as garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Add the cool whip and yogurt to a mixing bowl.
- Fold the yogurt into the cool whip.
- Spread the cool whip mixture into the graham cracker crust.
- Place in the freezer and allow the pie to firm up. Remove from the freezer about 30 minutes before serving.
- Slice and place on plates, top with some fresh fruit that is the same as the yogurt. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost in the US, this would be costly in Thailand as I have only seen cool whip one time and that was pricey to say the least.
Adapted from a recipe on a cool whip container.
Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie
This is a very tasty pie, more of a cheesecake. I used a springform pan for this and that worked out really well.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookies, 32 cookies, finely crushed
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 125 grams Cream cheese, softened, (4 oz / 1/2 package)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whipped topping
- 1 cup cold milk
- 2 boxes instant butterscotch pudding mix, (use the smaller, 3.4 oz boxes)
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- whipped topping, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 190 C (375 F).
- In a small bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs and melted butter, press into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie dish or into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
- Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- When the crust has cooled completely, in a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese and sugar. Use an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Fold in the whipped topping. Spread the filling evenly in the crust.
- In another mixing bowl, whisk together the milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft set.
- Stir in the pumpkin, pie spice, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
- Spread evenly over the cream cheese filling. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to serve, garnish each slice with whipped cream as desired. Enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Vanilla Custard Cups
This recipe comes from my Mom and she makes this every year, and she even made it today.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F). Get out six 6 oz (175 ml) baking cups and a baking pan large enough to hold them.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, and vanilla, until well blended.
- Pour mixture evenly into the 6 baking cups, and sprinkle each cup with nutmeg.
- Arrange the cups in the baking pan and pour in 1 inch of hot water around the cups.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove to a rack and allow to cool.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Provided by my Mom, Joann Thayer, who has been making this for probably 40+ years.
United States.
United States.
Andouille Sausage, Peppers & Mushrooms
Just a twist on the classic Sausage, Peppers & Onions. I had some Andouille sausage today (16 Oct 2019) and I really enjoyed that, very enjoyable. I put this dish together on a whim and it turned out perfect.
Ingredients
- 1 ring Andouille sausage, (about 396 g / 14 oz)
- 3 bell peppers, 1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow
- 250 grams button mushrooms, (8 oz)
- olive oil, as needed
- black pepper, as desired
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients by slicing the sausage into 1/4 inch pieces, slice the bell peppers into strips, and slice the mushrooms.
- Heat a large pan on medium to medium high heat and add the sausage. Cook and stir the sausage occasionally until browned and cooked through.
- Remove the sausage to a plate with a slotted spoon, draining as much fat as you can.
- Wipe out the same pan and place back on medium heat and add the bell peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are tender yet crisp.
- Add the mushrooms and stir into the peppers. Season with black pepper as desired. Continue cooking, stirring often to work the mushrooms through the bottom of the pan, until the mushrooms are starting to wilt and release their water.
- Add the sausage back to the pan and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are fully wilted and the sausage heated through. Serve with rice, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving.
Just a different take on a classic dish.
Noodles Romanoff
No, this is not a Russian dish but it is a tasty egg noodle dish. Serve this as a side dish as written, or toss in some smoked ham or smoked sausage to make this a nice main dish casserole. Link to the shortcuts are listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Ingredients
- 250 grams egg noodles, (8 oz)
- 1/3 cup onion, finely diced
- 1 container Cottage cheese, (500 g / 16 oz), Shortcut
- 1 container sour cream, room temperature, (500 g / 16 oz), Shortcut
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the egg noodles and cook until just tender. Drain well.
- Preheat your oven to 180 C (350 F), grease a 12x7 baking dish with butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the well drained egg noodles and all remaining ingredients except the Cheddar cheese. Mix together.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven, remove foil, sprinkle on the Cheddar cheese and place back in the oven for another 5 minutes to melt the Cheddar.
- Serve and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving in the US, can be costly in Thailand just based on the cottage cheese and sour cream unless those are made from shortcuts.
Shortcuts: Cottage Cheese, Sour Cream.
Variants: 1. Add some diced smoked ham or smoked sausage to make this a nice casserole. 2. Add some peas to add a little color.
Adapted from a recipe found in a 1980's recipe booklet from a pasta manufacturer.
Homemade Smoked Hocks (Pressure Cooker)
In Thailand, I have never seen smoked ham hocks, but uncooked hocks are widely available. These are called pork side leg or pork leg in Tesco, and are quite large, bonus is they are cut through the bone in several places on the large hocks. This recipe produces smoked hocks using liquid smoke and a pressure cooker, not a smoker. I will use my 9 liter (9½ quart) stove top pressure cooker with a pressure of 80 kPa (12 psi), so this will work with a electric pressure cooker as well. Follow all safety precautions for your model of pressure cooker.
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1-2 kilos pork side legs, (2-4 lb)
- 2 quarts water, (8 cups)
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, heaping
- ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
Instructions
- Place a rack in your pressure if you have one. Add the hocks on top of the rack. (For this I used just over 2 kilo (4+ lb) with 4 thick side leg pieces and 1½ feet which were already cut in half.)
- Add the water, peppercorns, and liquid smoke.
- Place the lid on the pressure cooker and lock in place, add the weight to the lid. Place on high heat.
- When the weight (jiggler) starts to vent pressure and move a little, reduce heat to low or medium low, but maintain the pressure venting and movement on the jiggler. Set your timer for 35 minutes.
- When 35 minutes have passed, turn off the heat and move the cooker to an unused burner. Allow a natural pressure release, meaning you don't need to do anything, just let the pressure cooker cool until all pressure has vented, and the lid lock device indicates that zero pressure remains inside the cooker.
- When no pressure is in the cooker, keep your face pointed generally away from the cooker and open the lid.
- Scoop out the hocks and any meat that may have fallen off the bones. (This is the side leg pieces, the feet halves were placed on another plate.)
- For the broth, drain through several layers of cheesecloth into a pot, then pour into 1-2 quart jars. Allow to cool to room temperature, cover and place in the fridge. When chilled, remove most of the fat from the top. Now you have pork broth to use for making a pot of beans. This may keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Serve the hocks as is with side dishes of your choice, or use as an ingredient in a hocks and beans recipe of your choice.
Notes
Pork side leg in Tesco will cost about 61 Baht/kilo or $1/pound, basically low cost per serving and you get pork broth for use in other recipes.
Ham Hocks & Beans (Slow Cooker)
Sounds like a good hock and bean recipe, bonus is any beans can be used. I made this on 15 Oct 2019, using 1 lb of Great Northern Beans and three smoked hocks that weighed a total of 2 1/4 lbs, cooked on Low for 6 hours and the beans and hocks were perfect, this recipe is a keeper.
Ingredients
- 500 grams dry beans, your choice, (1 lb)
- 2-3 smoked ham hocks, (1-1 1/4 kilos / 2-2 1/2 lbs)
- 1 onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1-2 quarts chicken broth, (4-8 cups)
- salt and pepper, as desired, to taste
Instructions
- Sort the beans and remove and discard any foreign debris, rinse, then place in a large bowl. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and set aside to soak overnight.
- When you are ready to start cooking, rinse the smoked hocks and place in your slow cooker.
- Drain and rinse the beans, then place in your slow cooker. I am using Great Northern Beans for this batch then add the onion, garlic, oregano, and pepper.
- Pour in 1-2 quarts of chicken broth so the broth is about 1 inch over the beans.
- Turn your slow cooker to Low setting and set your timer for 6 hours, cooking until the beans are tender and hocks are falling apart. If the beans are not tender, continue cooking and check each hour afterwards. Six hours was perfect for me.
- When the beans are soft, remove the hocks, use forks to remove the meat, discard the bones, skin, and fat.
- Chop the meat and return to the slow cooker.
- Taste, season with salt and pepper as desired, serve and enjoy.
Notes
This is Low cost per serving in the US, and for Thailand, I have never seen smoked hocks but I will come up with some recipes to prepare these as Thailand has excellent raw hocks, called 'pork side leg' at Tesco, for a very reasonable price.
Variants: 1. Stir in a can of drained diced tomatoes at the end of the 6 hours, heat through for 15 minutes, highly recommended. 2. Use smoked turkey legs in place of the hocks, also highly recommended.
Peanut Butter Pudding
This is a layered dessert that is simply delicious! This will make two 9 inch pies or a 9x13 baking pan. Highly recommended and Buster approved.
Ingredients
- 1 box vanilla wafer cookies
- 1 package Cream cheese, softened, (225 g / 8 oz)
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tubs Cool Whip, thawed, (8 oz each)
- 2 2/3 cups cold milk
- 1 box instant chocolate pudding mix, 4 serving size
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix, 4 serving size
- mini Reese cups, quartered, as desired
Instructions
- Line the bottom then the sides of two pie dishes with the vanilla wafer cookies. This will be the crust.
- To a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Use an electric mixer and beat until smooth.
- Fold in 1 tub of the whipped topping.
- Spoon evenly over the cookies in the pie dishes.
- Rinse and wipe out mixing bowl. Add the milk and both pudding mixes, whisk for 2 minutes. Let set for 2 minutes or until just starting to set up.
- Spread pudding mixture evenly over the cream cheese mixture in the pie dishes.
- Spread 1 tub of whipped topping evenly over the two pie dishes.
- Sprinkle with the quartered Reeses cups. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving in the US, use store brand items as well for savings.
Variants: 1. Use ginger snap cookies in place of vanilla wafer cookies. 2. Use a 9x13 baking pan with vanilla wafers placed on the bottom for the crust. 3. Use chocolate, dark chocolate, or peanut butter chips or any combination, in place of the Reeses cups. 4. Mix in 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips to the cream cheese filling before adding to the pie dishes.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
"Canned" Chili
The title comes from the use of canned items, even the meat, which is both convenient and low cost depending on where one is. And this is versatile as well.
Ingredients
- olive oil, as needed
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 can ground pork, or beef, drained, (750 g / 1½ lb)
- 1 packet chili seasoning mix
- 1 quart tomato juice, (4 cups)
- 3 cans dark red kidney beans, drained, (425 g / 15 oz each)
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a large pot. When hot, add the onion. Cook until softened and translucent.
- Add the meat and chop up with your spatula. Heat through and cook until lightly browned, turning occasionally.
- Add the chili seasoning mix and stir that into the meat.
- Add the tomato juice and beans, stir, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 to 2 hours.
- Serve with oyster crackers if desired, enjoy.
Notes
Low cost per serving in the US, Fair to High Cost in Thailand. The juice costs about $2 and the spice packet 50 cents, for 6 servings, this is about 42 cents per serving.
Variants: 1. In place of Dark Red Kidney Beans, use Light Red, Pinto, Black, or a combination of the different types.