Sour Cream Banana Pudding

With summer quickly approaching, desserts should be a little lighter and not quite so rich. We love banana pudding. Of course, I prefer the cooked custard pudding, complete with meringue on the top. But, all of the kids in our family love the sour cream banana pudding. I first found the recipe in the "What's Cookin in the Mountains" recipe book. The recipe was from Babyland General Hopital in Clayton, Georgia - the home of the original Cabbage Patch dolls. No wonder it is a child's delight!

Sour Cream Banana Pudding

4-5 bananas - sliced

2 - 3.4 ounce boxes instant vanilla pudding

2 cups milk 

1 box "Nilla" wafers

1 12 oz container Cool Whip

1 8 oz carton sour cream

Mix vanilla pudding with 2 cups milk - will be very thick. Stir in 8 oz of Cool Whip and 8 oz of sour cream. Place a layer of vanilla wafers on bottom and up sides of trifle bowl. Add 1/3 of banana slices. Top with 1/3 of pudding mixture - Repeat two more times - ending with pudding mixture. Spread remaining Cool Whip over top of pudding and top with crumbled vanilla wafers - Chill for several hours before serving.

Macaroni Chicken Casserole at Work on Manic Monday

Everyone is very busy at our stores with Easter quickly approaching. I took lunch to work for all of my favorite girls today. Sometimes, we just get tired of "What do you want for lunch?" "I don't know, what do you want?" "I want something good, but I don't know what it is." You all know the  routine.

I even brought real plates and cloth napkins-

On the menu, we had Macaroni Parmesan Chicken Casserole and Company Salad with Horseradish Dressing.

Macaroni Parmesan Chicken Casserole

1 8 ounce box elbow macaroni, cooked and drained with salt added to the water
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 3 ounce can mushrooms
11/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup Duke Mayonnaise
1/4 cup green pepper
1/4 cup onion
I sauteed the pepper and onions in a tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped pimientos
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese - I always get parmesan cheese in the deli section with the gourmet cheese
1/2 cup saltine cracker crumbs

Combine Mayonnaise, soup, mushrooms and chicken in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients, except macaroni and cracker crumbs - . Stir in macaroni. Place in 2 quart casserole dish. Top with cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly - about 30 minutes.

Company Salad with Horseradish Dressing

 2 cups torn spinach leaves
2 cups torn red leaf lettuce leaves
2 cups torn bib lettuce
Combine all greens in large bowl
Add 1/2 thinly sliced red onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup cubed cheddar cheese

Horseradish Dressing
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon horseradish
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
a few drops of hot sauce

This dressing is tangy and a little spicy - I love it!

Bon Appetite to all of you working girls - Take lunch to work for your friends!

Cream Cheese Squares

When I was a little girl my mother would take crescent rolls, cream cheese, and cinnamon sugar and create a delight just for me. Sometimes, she would make them after school while cooking supper, or sometimes we would have cream cheese squares with Saturday's breakfast. I don't have her recipe, but I have watched her enough to perhaps replicate these delicacies. All of the basics are found in your refrigerator or the pantry. Here is my updated version

2 Cans original crescent rolls

2 8 oz packages cream cheese 

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping

1/2 cup margarine - I know that she used margarine, because butter was too expensive, and we never had real butter unless it was a holiday

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease 9X13 pan - I used Baker's Joy, but she always used margarine

Lay one can of Crescent rolls to cover bottom of pan and up the sides just a bit - press together any perforations from the rolls. 

Beat the two bricks of cream cheese with 1 cup sugar and the vanilla ( I never measure vanilla - I always fill the cap- someone once told me that the cap holds one teaspoon of vanilla)

Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the first layer of rolls

Open the 2nd can of rolls, and carefully place them over the cream cheese - Do not press down

Melt the stick of margarine and pour over the top layer of rolls

Stir in a small bowl the remaining sugar and cinnamon

Sprinkle over the top

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until the top is brown and crispy

Let cool completely before cutting

The top layer will be crispy and will taste just like cinnamon toast. This pretty much needs to be eaten the day it is prepared, as it tends to get soggy fast. Boy, is it good when it is fresh, sugary, and crisp. 

Please share any special treats that you mom made from leftover pie crusts, biscuits, rolls, or even light bread- 

Red Delicious Apple Crisp

I love my apple pie, but Amy always begs for apple crisp, without the bottom crust. My recipes are very similar. I just use brown sugar in the apple crisp topping and do not add any extra sugar to the apples. Red Delicious apples are so sweet that they do not need extra sugar when baked in this recipe. Granny Smith's are my favorite for pies, but sweeter apples that breaks down a little more are just fine when prepared in a cobbler or crisp. This is such an easy recipe and is great to prepare with your children or grandchildren

Combine 1/3 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup flour, 1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 6 tbs butter in a bowl. Cut the butter into pats, and mix together sugar, flower and butter with a fork or even better, a cook's favorite tools, clean hands.

  Select 5 or 6 Red Delicious apples, peel and chop.

Place in baking dish that is not too deep. There is no need to oil dish- apples will make plenty of juice. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over apples and bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until apples are tender and juice is bubbly.

Yummy goodness in just a few minute! - Delicious served with ice cream while still warm or if you live alone - keep a fork handy and take a bite when you walk by! 

Comfort Food - Updated Hamburger Pie

When the kids were growing up, one of our easy weeknight meals was Hamburger Pie - It was very generic - seasoned hamburger meat topped with my homemade mashed potatoes - cheese sprinkled on top and then baked until heated. Some of my friends added tomato soup and green beans to the meat - others added cream of mushroom soup and canned mushrooms. This is a recipe that is a little more flavorful with a saucy tomato kick and topped with my cheesy mashed potatoes. Amy came up with the filling, trying to find a more hearty flavor that both Mike and Parker would enjoy

Updated Hamburger Pie

1 pound ground chuck
1/2  cup onion chopped
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup milk
1 16 oz can VegAll

Brown meat with onion and salt, pepper, garlic salt or powder. Drain grease from hamburger meat and mix in tomato paste, tomato sauce, milk and Veg All - Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with Pam and spoon in hamburger mixture

Mashed Potato Topping

3 cups Homemade mashed potatoes or (heaven's forbid) instant mashed potatoes for six- HOT
1 cup sour cream
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1/4 cup milk
salt, pepper and garlic powder
2.8 oz can of  French Fried Onions
1 cup shredded cheese

Mix mashed potatoes , sour cream , milk, and garlic powder
Spoon half of the mixture over the meat layer
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese and  2/3 cupFrench Fried Onions
Top with remaining mashed potatoes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until hot
Top with remaining cheese and French Fried Onions.
Bake 5 minutes until onions are golden - they will burn quickly, so keep an eye on oven.

Pork Chops Sorrento - 30 minutes or less

Life is always hustle bustle, especially if children are part of the scene. Pork Chops Sorrento were always a weekday favorite at our house. Skillet to table in 30 minutes or less. The simmered pork chops had slices of green pepper and were topped with mozzarella cheese - Who wouldn't be a fan? - Here is the super easy recipe

Weeknight Pork Chops Sorrento

4 or 5 thin cut boneless center cut pork chops
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
1 large green or yellow bell pepper - cut in rings
Sliced Mozzarella Cheese
Salt and Pepper

Salt and pepper pork chops - add any other seasonings that you love -  Italian seasoning for example
Brown pork chops in skillet  in 1 to 2 tbs oil - (vegetable or olive)
Place one bell pepper ring on each pork chop
Pour 15 ounce can of tomato sauce over all
Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes or until pork chops are tender
Place one slice of mozzarella on each pork chop and cover with lid until cheese melts

Dinner is ready - We love to serve this on rice and have baby limas as a side.
Very easy and kid friendly - Dad friendly too!

Chicken Salad - A Matter of Preferences

I have known lots of South Georgia ladies who thought that their Chicken Salad was the best, and were highly guarded with the ingredients. I've tried them all - the whipping cream version, sour cream add-in, pasta recipe, new fangled low fat types, and hot chicken salad. Of course, our family thinks ours is the best. That is because I have always molded it to the individual - Michael - no onions - Jenny, a little mustard mixed with the mayo - Walter- lots of onions, celery, boiled eggs- Amy - no onions or eggs plus olives and grapes

Here is the recipe for my favorite chicken salad - My friend Sophie likes it pretty good too!

As in most recipes, the secret is in the seasonings. Stew 3 or 4 chicken breasts, bone-in, in salted water in a stock pot- Bring to a good boil, turn to a slow boil and simmer for about one hour or until meat is no longer pink, but is still tender and juicy.  You will have some really good chicken broth also - Don't be afraid to use any of your favorite seasonings in the water - Remove breasts from pot and let cool in a bowl. Pick the meat off of the bones and place in a large bowl. You will want at least 3 1/2 to 4 cups of cubed chicken breast. Add to breasts, 2 tbs finely chopped green onions,  1/4 cup chopped celery,  sweet salad cubes ( relish is a little too vinegary for my taste), 2 chopped boiled eggs, chopped green olives with pimientos, and red seedless grapes, quartered and salt and pepper to taste.  Start with around 3/4 cup mayonnaise, a good pour of pickle juice and a little juice from the olives. Mix well and taste - You will need plenty of clean spoons - It is a taste until it's great procedure. When it tastes so good that you can't stand it, open a package of Ritz chips or make little crustless sandwiches on white bread.

photographed and prepared by Amy Fladell

Secret to good Chicken Salad
Make sure the stock water is seasoned - It is very hard to season after the chicken has been stewed
Don't boil the chicken to death - and don't use boneless breasts - (dry and flavorless)
Use a good mayonnaise - I prefer Duke's - Some swear by Hellman's-
Add what you love to your chicken salad - My mother and her sisters always put red delicious apples in theirs - Some people use mandarin oranges or pineapple-
Taste as you add your mayonnaise and use any seasonings that you like - I think a little horseradish might even be good-

Please comment on your favorite chicken salad ingredients