Inexpensive Tamale Pie - Della G.

Once again a recipe I was hopeful for, until I started making it and saw the recipe below it (Party Tamale Pie) and realized I got the dud, if you want this, make the Party a Tamale Pie and add about a 1 t cumin powder and 1/2 tsp garlic powder (I added these seasonings to this recipe and it was still boring) .

This recipe is flavorless and doesn't have much to it.  It is boring.  We finished it, and it was okay, but BORING!

Inexpensive Tamale Pie

2 C ground beef

3 T grated onions

1 C corn meal

3 C water 

1/2 t salt

1 T left over fat (I didn't use)

1/8 t pepper

1 t chili powder

1 C tomatoes

 3/4 t salt

Brown hamburger with onion.  Meanwhile, cook cornmeal in water and salt until it is thick.  Line the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan with half of the cereal.  Add remaining ingredients to the hamburger and pour on top of cereal.  Bake at 375-degrees for 45 minutes.  Serves 6 with a vegetable or salad.

Cashew Tuna/Chicken Casserole by Mauring G.

***Disclaimer***  No one in my family would touch this if I used tuna, so I used canned chicken.  ***

This is warm chicken salad, which I love and my children hate.  I give it a 4 and they give it a 1.  It is super easy to make.  You just dump everything in the baking dish and slide it in the oven.  I was afraid that the Chinese noodles would be soggy, but it wasn't too bad.  When my children leave the house, I think I will make this all the time.

Cashew Tuna Casserole by Maurine G.

1 can chunk tuna or chicken
1/2 lb salted cashews
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c minced onion
1 can chow mein noodles, divided
1/8 tsp pepper
1 c diced celery

Combine everything, but half of the noodels, in a greased casserole dish.  Bake at 325 for 25 minutes.  Top with remaining noodles

Salmon Loaf - Judy M.

This salmon loaf has a very mild and pleasing flavor.  I think the answer to liking this recipe is if you like salmon or trout.  We do.  We just got back from steelhead fishing in the Rockies.  Steelhead is a trout that travels up the river in the mountain streams from the ocean each year, and back.  "That is a lot of work."  I am glad I don't have to swim that far every year.  Wait, I would be THIN.  We were skunked and we felt sad.  We had one up to the boat but it became an LDR (long distance release) trout.  Oh well onward and upward.  I would definitely make this again but I am going to only give it a 3.5 because this is a dish that you have to like fish to enjoy.

Salmon Loaf - Judy M.

1  lb. Canned Salmon (or fresh)                               1/2  tsp. Pepper
2  Eggs, separated                                                   1/2  C. Hot Milk
1/4  tsp.  Paprika                                                     1  tsp.  Salt
2  Tbs.  Lemon Juice                                                1/2 C  Cracker Crumbs

Preheat oven to 350o F.  Set aside egg whites.  Mince salmon fine.  Add all ingredients except egg whites. Beat whites to soft peaks, then fold in last.  Pour in greased loaf pan.  Bake 60 min.

Deacon Burgers - Raymond C.

 

 This recipe has unique instructions.  It says to mix it up and cook it at Bubbly Rocks.  I tried several weekends to make it to Bubbly Rocks to cook it and when I finally did I forgot my outdoor stove to cook them.  Soooo.  I went to Bubbly Rocks, took some pictures, then went to Dads to make and cook the burgers.  I enjoyed the trip and so did Dad.  He kept shaking his head like I was crazy.  He didn't understand the importance of trying to follow

the instructions as written in the book.  It made for a fun ride.  Whenever you drive Dad out there he starts talking about his time in politics or about growing up in the valley or just fun things about the area.  I know that Dad enjoyed the adventure and loved the ride.  These burgers are really good except they needed salt in the meat mixture not just on top.  With the meat and potatoes the salt did not blend well enough.  It is a yummy and nutritious  meat.  I chose to grill some onions to put on the top because I love onions.  As you can see with a bright vegetable it made a very appetizing meal. 

Deacon Burgers - Raymond C.

1  lb. Hamburger                                        2  Beaten Eggs

1/2  C. Diced Raw Potatoes (1/4" sq.)        1/2  C. Milk

Salt and Pepper to taste                              Flour or Cornstarch to bind mixture

Mix it all together and add enough flour (or cornstarch for GF) to make it stick together.  Make into patties.  Fry in grease over a campfire at Bubbling Rocks.

Porcupines - Romaine F. & Birdean M.

So I had a picture, but there were technical difficulties.  Let's just say they look like porcupine meeatballs.  :)

This recipe was really yummy.  Ever since we had to focus on eating GF I have been looking for a good porcupine recipe that doesn't use Campbell's Tomato soup.  This one is pretty close, however, next time I will add some Worchestershire Sauce.  The only other issue I had was that I don't normally keep tomato juice on hand, but I will be now.  For us it was a solid 3, with the potential of being a 3-1/2.  

I fought the tomato juice in cans because that as all the store had.  One thing I found was that I ended up needing about 5 cans of juice, instead of the 3 (equal to 2 cups) the recipe called for.

Porcupines

1/2 C Rice

1 lb ground beef

2 small onions, minced

2 T minced green pepper

1 t salt

1/8 t pepper

1/8 t thyme

2 T shortening

2-3 1/2 C tomatoes juice

1 t Worchestershire Sauce

Mix all but the juice together and form into meat balls.  Cook in hot shortening.  Pour juice over meatballs and simmer for 1 and 1/2 hours or until rice is tender.  Turn meatballs occasionally.

Skillet Macaroni and Beef by Mildred M.

My family loves noodles in every form, so I had high hopes for this recipe.  It did not disappoint.  This is easy to make and has basic ingredients that most people have on hand.  I have to admit that I cooked the onions and peppers with the ground beef instead of doing it after.  It is easier and the result is the same.  We put a little cheese on top and that is yummy too!!

Skillet Macaroni and Beef by Midlred M.  

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1/2 lb uncooked macaroni

1/2 c minced onions

1/2 c chopped green pepper

1-1 1/2 T worcestershire sauce

1-8 oz cans tomato sauce

1 c water

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Brown the beef in a large, deep skillet.  Remove the meat and saute the macaroni, onion, and green pepper in the fat in the pan until the macaroni is dark yellow.  Return the meat to the skillet and add the rest of the ingredients.  Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the macaroni is cooked to taste.  Serves 6.

Rice Sausage Casserole - Jenny S.

I really liked the overall flavor of this dish.  I made one big mistake.  In the era this recipe book was printed I don't know how often they could get pre-spiced sausage.  I remember mom always adding her own blend of spice.  I purchased Jimmy Dean original sausage thinking it would be ok.  I was wrong.  If unseasoned is available it might be better.  With the salt in the sausage, celery, and the soup it was too much salt.  I even left out the dash of salt.  I would make this again because my grandchildren ate it well and I liked it to.  The soup has just enough color so the casserole was pleasing and appetizing.

Rice Sausage Casserole - Jenny S.

1  lb. Sausage                                               3  Cans Chicken Rice Soup
2  C. Diced Celery                                       1/2  C. Raw Rice
2  C. Diced Onion                                        Dash Salt (optional)

Brown sausage.  Add onions and brown.  Add celery and brown again.  Add  rice and soup and mix well.  Pour into a casserole dish.  Bake 2 hours at 350o F.  Approximately 8 servings.

Veal (or ground beef) Casserole by Jennie S

This was good.  Not overwhelmingly wonderful, but definitely good.  I thought the cooking time was really long (1 1/2 hours), but the rice was done perfectly, and nothing was overdone.  I used the Worcestershire Sauce, since I prefer that to soy sauce.  Also, since it's Sunday and we don't have any Chinese noodles in the house, we put it over rice.  My husband and I agreed it would probably be better over Chinese noodles (but definitely edible over plain white rice).  This would be easy to prepare ahead of time or to throw together with some left over roast beef.  The cooking time is long, but the prep to put it in the oven was very short and easy.

Veal Casserole by Jennie S
1 lb veal or beef
2 T fat (I left this out)
1 1/2 C diced celery
2 small onions, chopped
1/2 C uncooked rice
1 10 1/2 oz can mushroom soup
1 1/2 cans water
3 Tbsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
1 10 1/2 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 can chow mein noodles

Brown meat in fat.  Stir in all ingredients except noodles.  Pour into 2 qt baking dish and bake 90 minutes at 350 degrees.  Uncover for the last 10 minutes.  Serve over noodles.  Serves 6 (although my family of two adults and two kids ate less than half of it)

Jen's Pizza Pie-Mildred M.

This was really quite yummy.  The crust was crispy and it was a different way than I had done crust before that said it takes a lot of advance planning.  From mixing dough to eating was about 3 1/2 hours, partially due to my oven not cooking two pans real well and having to cook a GF pizza as well.  The sauce really is quite delicious and may be my go to recipe from now on.  I didn't have two cans of tomato paste so I used a can of paste and a can of sauce.  In the future I will probably piece this recipe apart and use a mixture of sausage and hamburger for the meat, but not so much, add more vegetables (I ended up serving beans with dinner just to get some veggies in), and allow the crust to rise a bit more before putting the ingredients on it.  I pulled it from the fridge when I was ready to put the toppings on, in the future I would get the crust completely ready and allow it to rise while I get the toppings ready.  I will also cook the crust a bit before adding the ingredients to get a crisper crust without crispy cheese.

Jen's Pizza Pie

CRUST:
1 (2 1/2 t) pkg dry yeast
1 C warm water
2 t sugar
3 1/2 C flour
1 T melted shortening
1 1/2 t salt

Soften yeast in water.  In a med bowl add sugar and 1-1/2 C flour, mix well.  Add shortening and salt and mix well.  Add remaining flour.  Knead until smooth and elastic (10 min), dough will be stiff.  Place in a greased bowl and allow to rise to more than double ( about an hour and a half).  Punch down and refrigerate until cool.  Roll and pat into 2 - 10" circles on greased cookie sheet (I added some cornmeal onto the cookie sheet).  clip dough at 1" intervals around edge so it stands up slightly (I didn't do this).  Gash or fork the crust to prevent bubbles.

TOPPING
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb pork sausage
1/4 t salt
Dash pepper
1/2 C minced onion
2- 6 Oz cans tomato paste
1/2 t sweet basil
1/2 t oregano
2- 3 oz cans sliced mushrooms
3 1/3 C grated cheese
2/3 C parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425-degreees.  Brown beef, sausage, and onion.  Add salt and pepper.  In a sm bowl combine tomato paste, basil, and oregano.  Cover each crust with 1/4 the sauce, add meat mixture and mushrooms.  Top with remaining sauce.  Top with cheese.  Bake in oven for 20 min.  Makes 16 servings

Barbecued Beef by Mildred M.

These are Sloppy Joes.  I forgot to take a picture, but you know what sloppy Joes look like.  I liked the addition of a little sausage.  The spice mix was a little different than my usual recipe, but we liked it.  I didn't have any savory salt, so I looked up the recipe my mom used and added the main things, at least the things I had in my cupboard.  She doesn't list an amount, so I just guessed.  I also left the extra tomato juice and the flour out because I wanted it to be gluten free and gf flours don't make very good rouxs.  I think if you add it it would make the sauce more gravy-like.  It wasn't too runny without it though, so you can skip it if you want to. She says it serves 30 buns, but I think she made really big buns.  It would probably serve more like 40-50 buns, depending on the size.

Barbecued Beef by Mildred M.

8 lbs ground beef
1 lb sausage
10 onions, finely chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cans tomato paste
2 qts tomatoes or juice
1 tsp chili powder
a few bay leaves (I used 2)
savory salt (I used 1/2 tsp each of: celery salt, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, pepper)
salt to taste
1 c flour
1 c tomatoe juice

In a roaster or large pot, brown beef, sausage, onions, and green pepper.  Add tomato paste, tomatoes or juice, and spices.  Thicken with four and tomato juice.  Simmer for at least 2 hours.  Will serve 30 buns (40-50).

Ham and Vegetable Casserole - Rua J.

NO PICTURE!  I really did not make it this time because I have made this since I was young.  It is wonderful.  My family has always eaten it very well.  It is colorful and bright and a great casserole on a cold winter evening.  Whenever I cook a "Grandma M" ham, we make this with the ham scrapes.  I remember the first time I ate it I love it so much.  If I cook a ham I will add a picture later.

Ham and Vegetable Casserole - Rua J.

2  Diced Potatoes                                  1  tsp. Salt
3  C. Diced Carrots                               2  Tbs. Butter or fat
1  Minced Onion                                    2  Tbs. Flour (or 1 Tbs. Cornstarch - Gluten Free)
3  Tbs. Minced Parsley                          1/2  C. Evaporated Milk (or reg. for fewer calories)
2  C. Boiling Water                                2  C. Diced Cooked Ham
1/4  Lb.  Processed Cheese, shredded (or other cheese, but it won't be a smooth of sauce)

Place vegetables in kettle with water.  Cover and cook until almost tender (15-20 min).  Add salt during last 5 min.  While vegetables are cooking, shred cheese and mince parsley.  When vegetables are cooked, drain and reserve the water for later.  Dissolve flour or corn starch in milk.  Add milk to cooking water.  Boil and thicken sauce using combined cooking water and milk.  Add cheese, vegetables, parsley and ham.  Mix well.  Pour into casserole.  Do not cover during cooking.  Bake in moderate oven 350o F. 20 to 25 min. or until the top is golden brown.  (Frozen green peas may be added for color - delicious!)

Lasagna - Ann W.

This sauce is a tremendous tasting lasagna sauce.  I was surprised with so few spices the flavor would be so good.  It was easy to make, it was thick and rich, and the flavor was great.  I have tried a lot of kinds of sauces and this I think beats most. 
It was interesting to put velveeta cheese in lasagna.  It gave the dish a different twist.  A good twist.  Just for the record this lasagna has another different twist.  Instead of using noodles I have started using zucchini when I have it.  You have less starch and more vegetables for your meal.  Kind of like using spaghetti squash.  It makes lasagna a lighter dish.  As you can see in the picture the noodles (zucchini) are green.  No the dish has not molded!  Also, It is the time of year I am looking for ways to use fresh tomatoes, so instead of a 16 oz. can of tomatoes, I used fresh.  I cut the tomato and removed the seeds and liquid to only use the flesh and skins for fiber and flavor.  (I put the skins and flesh in the food processor).  The sauce was really thick which I liked.  I did forget to add the extra salt that would be in canned tomatoes and cooked noodles.  We had to salt it at the table. The recipe says to use a 12" x 18" pan.  I think that is too large of a pan.  I would use 9" x 13".

Lasagna - Ann Wilcken

1  lb. Ground Beef                                            1  tsp. Oregano
1/2  C. Chopped Onion                                    1/4  tsp. Pepper
1  1 lb. Can Tomatoes (2 -3  C. Fresh)             1/2  lb. Lasagna Noodles
1  6 oz. Can Tomato Paste                                2  6 oz. pkg. Mozzarella Cheese (2 C.  Fresh grated)
1/3  C. Water  (optional)                                   1/2  lb. Velveeta Cheese
1  Clove Garlic Minced                                     1/2  C. Grated Parmesan Cheese

Brown meat, add onion, cook until tender.  Stir in tomatoes, paste, water, garlic and seasonings.  Cover and simmer 30 min.  In 9" x 13" baking dish, layer cooked noodles (raw zucchini), meat sauce and cheese.  Repeat layers.  Bake at 350o F. for 30 min.

Escalloped Potatoes by Loleen G

These were good.  Nothing too fancy, but a good basic recipe.  It has a cooking time of 45 minutes, but they potatoes were still crunchy, so I suggest closer to an hour.

Stuffed Green Chili Peppers (aka. Chili Rellos) - Shirlene L.

When I saw that I had this recipe I nearly jumped up and down.  Green Chili is to New Mexico what Potatoes are to Idaho (but crazier), BBQ is to Tennessee, Crab Cakes are to Maryland (I hope to find out how amazing they are, my husband claims they are amazing), etc.  The recipe calls for canned whole green chilies, which I am sure would work fine, but since it is green chili season, I bought, and roasted my own.

Basically, toss the chilis in vegetable oil and place on a hot grill until the skin is well done.  Make sure to keep an eye on them, they can burn if not careful.  then I skinned, deseeded, and deribbed as best I could.  These weren't too spicy so I didn't need gloves to prepare them, but I did have to keep my hands away from my eyes.  :)

Lessons Learned:

• I only did 7 and wasn't paying attention to the recipe and did 3 eggs.  This is too much for just 7.  That said, after researching a recipe for Chili Rellenos, I found this step-by-step guide to making chili rellenos and learned I didn't coat the peppers heavily enough with the batter.  So I probably only needed 2 eggs to do the 7.  So I would say the recipe makes 10-15 chilies.
• Don't use shredded cheeseIt worked okay, but in the above guide they used a long wedge piece and I think that would be better and they would be prettier.  Ours were very flat.

• I used Mozzarella cheese, since I was out of sharp, and it was really good.  Some recipes called for queso fresco, a Mexican cheese, so really any cheese will work.  But I plan to use sharp next time (when you come Mom) to see the difference.

FYI:  Green Chilis come in various heats, I would say ours were med.

As for how it was received, it was a mixed review.  The three older in the family loved them and ate the 3 younger's chilis.  Basically, the three younger found them too hot, I think I will go to the stand and get mild chilies and see how they feel about them.   They were pretty easy to make, and would be a breeze if you used canned chilis, so this recipe will be going into our repertoire, at least for the older of us.

Bottom Line:  If you like spicy food and green chili (which I do!!!) this is the recipe for you.  But for the little kids, feed them mac and cheese or PB&J.  Our youngest ate an almond butter and honey sandwich instead and the other two split a can of bean chili.  They claimed that it was the appropriate thing to eat since we had chilies.

 Stuffed Green Chili Peppers
 3 cans - 4 oz whole green chilies (or 10-15 med roasted chili peppers, skinned, deseeded and deribbed)
3-4 eggs, separated
Sharp cheese, or your favorite cheese
Flour

Break peppers open, wash out seeds. Put cheese in pepper and fold pepper over it.  roll in flour.  Beat egg whites until stiff, then beat egg yolks and fold yolks into whites.  Dip cheesed peppers into egg mixture and fry in a greased pan until cheese melts and egg is fried to a golden brown.  (Egg can go runny so don't do more than 3-4 eggs at a time). Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Chinese Pork and Rice by Lillian G.

Did Lillian put in a ton of recipes, or did I just get them all?  Good thing she makes good, regular food, because that is my specialty too.  This was easy and good.  I used leftover Sunday roast and it worked perfectly.  I sauteed the onions and peppers as I was browning the rice because I like it better, but if you like them crisp, it would be just as good to add them when the recipe says.  I was worried that it would be too salty so I didn't add the salt, just the soy sauce, and that was a good call.  We definitely didn't miss the salt.  The next time you have leftover roast, you should try this.

Chinese Pork and Rice by Lillian G.

2/3 c uncooked rice
2 T oil
1 tsp salt (optional)
1 1/2 c boiling water
1 1/2 c diced, cooked pork
1 bouillon cube
2 tsp soy sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped

Saute rice (and vegetables if you like) in hot oil until golden brown.  Add salt, water , bouillon, and soy sauce.  Turn heat to low, cover and cook 20 minutes.  Add all the other ingredients and 1/4 c more water.  Cover and cook 10 more minutes.  Makes 4 servings.

Potatoe Burgers - Mildred M.

Let's just start by asking, What is Savory Salt.  I went online and found this recipe.  I thought this would be a good time to try it since new recipes are on the agenda.  It smells wonderful!  I put it in my Magic Bullet nut chopper and it ground it fine like the recipe says.  It worked great!!!

                   *  Exported from  Master Cook II  *
 
                           Savory Salt Substitute
 
 Recipe By     : Reader’s Digest Great Recipes for Good Health
 Serving Size  : ?   Preparation Time 10 min.
 Categories    : Spice, Seasonings
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
    1      tablespoon    black pepper
    1      tablespoon    celery seeds
    1      tablespoon    onion powder
    2 1/4  teaspoons     cream of tartar
    1 1/2  teaspoons     garlic powder
    1 1/2  teaspoons     powdered orange peel
    1 1/2  teaspoons     arrowroot
    1 1/2  teaspoons     sugar
      3/4  teaspoon      sour salt (powdered citric acid)
      1/2  teaspoon      white pepper
      1/2  teaspoon      dill weed
      1/2  teaspoon      dried thyme -- crumbled
      1/4  teaspoon      plus a pinch of powdered lemon peel
      1/4  teaspoon      cayenne pepper
 
      Place all the ingredients in a small electric coffee grinder, spice
 grinder or blender.  Grind for 10 seconds or until the mixture is fine.
      Insert a funnel in the top of a a glass salt shaker, pour the mixture
 into it and tap the funnel lightly to fill the shaker.  Cover the rest of
 the mixture tightly and store in tin a cool, dark, dry place.  makes about 1/2
 cup.
 
 Nutrition data per teaspoon:  6 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, 1 g
 complex carbohydrates, 1 mg sodium. 

                       - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 NOTE: Clipped from the Dallas Morning News.  Note from clipping: This recipe will

 stay fresh for several months.  Look for powdered citrus peels on the spice shelf

 of the grocery store.  Check fruit preservatives for powdered citric acid.

              - - - - - - - 

This recipe was really starting from the Bare Bone Basics. Wait, maybe I should have grown all the plants to make Savory and killed my own cow. That would have been a lot of fun. I am being wa....y too sarcastic.
 I used diet lean meat so I had to add oil to the pan so it would not stick. The potatoes kind of take on a hint of pink. They smell really good cooking. These would be about 1/8th a lb. of meat each. They are a generous serving, but it is your potatoes and your meat mixed all together. Add a few 'fresh" vegetables and this would be a really good way to stretch your burger when feeding a family on a small budget. It tastes similar to meatloaf but not quite the same. We really liked it and I would definitely make this again. It kind of reminds me of a dutch oven potatoes and burger type of combination. The one thing I did change and add to the recipe was add salt. Even though we don't add a lot of salt to things, this did need it. If you had the real Savory Salt as specified you may not need any added.


   
Potato Burgers - Mildred M.  

1 lb. Hamburger                                             1 Onion chopped small 
3 Lg. Potatoes                                                 1/8 tsp. ea. Salt & Pepper 
1 tsp. Savory Salt                                           1/4 tsp. Dry Mustard  

Grate potatoes and onions. Mix all ingredients well. Form into patties and fry. Serve on buns or as a main dish. Patties may be topped with cheese. You may grill them if desired.

Chinese Noodle Casserole by Pearl H

This casserole turned out much better than I expected.  Usually, I don't like this sort of thing, so I was very skeptical and planned to give it one star.  Instead, I'm giving it three, maybe four.

It smelled wonderful while it was baking, and it tasted good.  The crunchy noodles from the top of the casserole blended nicely with the other noodles in the middle.  The tastes work well, too.  My only problem was that it was VERY salty.  But I think that could be easily fixed.  I used a can of chicken, but if you used your own chicken breast, it would take away significant saltiness.  I used salted nuts, but once again, if you found unsalted nuts, that would help.  Also, I just used the Western Family regular soups, but if you used a Campbells low sodium, I think it would help, too.  Since the recipe was SO easy and quick to put together, I think it would be worth all that.  If only my youngest could eat the dairy in it!!!

Chinese Noodle Casserole by Pearl H.

1 can (Chinese) noodles

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/3 C cashews

1 can boned chicken or tuna

1/3 C diced celery

1/3 C diced onion

Combine soups with 1/3 C water.  Mix until smooth.  Add meat, celery, onions, and nuts (I guessed on all of these amounts since it seems like that kind of recipe).  Alternate layers of noodles and soup with noodles on top.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

Cheese Sauce-Della G.

This sauce is so good!!!  Make it, now!  Today!  Immediately!

We love this!  We had it over noodles, left-over stir fried vegetables, and left over tin foil dinner potatoes.  It was excellent on all three.

I made it a little different than the instructions, see below.

Cheese Sauce
4 T butter
1/4 t dry mustard
1/2 t salt
1/4 t paprika (thinking of trying smoked paprika next time)
2 C milk (divided)
2 T cornstarch
1/2 lb grated cheese.

Melt butter over med heat.  Add seasoning and salt.  Set aside 3 T milk and add remaining to butter mixture.  Bring to a boil.  Dissolve cornstarch into remaining milk and slowly pour into sauce and stir until thick.  Turn down to med-low and add cheese stirring just until melted, DO NOT BOIL!.  Serve over anything that sounds yummy with cheese sauce!  

Rice Au-Gratin by Lillian G. and Teri Yaki (Teriyaki) Steak by Mary S.

So, basically, I am a fan of anything made augratin, and this dish is no exception.  I had leftover rice in the fridge, so it was really easy.  We loved it.  It was creamy and cheesy, with some crispy parts around the sides.  I will definitely make this again when I have leftover rice.  

Rice Au-gratin by Lillian G.

3 c cooked rice

1 1/2 c thin white sauce*

1 c grated cheese

Grease baking dish (or not, I forgot this step and it was fine).  Layer half of the rice in the dish.  Cover with half of the white sauce and half of the cheese.  Repeat.  Bake at 400 for 20 minutes, or until it is bubbly.

*For a white sauce recipe, go to:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/white-sauce-recipe/index.html  I seasoned with garlic salt and pepper.

I love how these ladies took the recipes their husbands liked when they were in the Japan for WWII and tried to figure out how to make them.  They may not have known how to spell them, but they but they were yummy.  This recipe is just a marinade, and we really liked it.  It may be too strong for chicken, but it would be great for beef or pork.  The recipe made a lot of marinade, so you may want to half it for a smaller family than mine.  

Teri Yaki Steak by Mary S.

1 frozen round steak

1 c soy sauce

1/4 c sugar

1/4 c mustard

2 T worcestershire sauce

1/2 c water

1/2 c vinegar

1 tsp garlic salt (opt)

Slice steak into small strips, it will slice better if slightly frozen. (Or you could just leave it whole like me) Combine other ingredients and marinate meat for at least 2 hours or overnight.  Cook or grill until done.

Mexican Skillet Dinner - Amanda P.

This casserole was simple to make and tasty.  It was easy to convert to gluten free by using either GF noodles or rice.  I didn't have GF noodles and Jennifer's kids were eating lunch at our house is why I know rice works well.  It doesn't have much of a Mexican flavor but a mild slightly spicy/sweet flavor.  After you add the sour cream it tones down the red a lot and it maybe doesn't look quite as appetizing because the juice is creamy looking.  The kids really liked it and there was just enough left for us for dinner. 
I would make this again if I had grandchildren over.  Gordon ate noodles 3 times a day for two years with a "special" tomato sauce topping so he is picky over tomato/noodle dishes.  The only thing he is picky about. 

Mexican Skillet Dinner - Amanda P.

2  C. Uncooked Macaroni                                         1  Lg. Can Tomatoes (1 quart)
6  C. Boiling Water                                                    2  Tbs. Sugar
2  tsp. Salt                                                                 1  tsp. Salt
1  lb. Ground Sausage                                                1  tsp. Chili Powder
1  C. Chopped Onions                                               1  pt. Dairy Sour Cream

Cook macaroni in boiling water with salt until tender.  Drain.  Meanwhile brown sausage and onions.  Drain off fat.  Mix cooked macaroni, sausage and onions, and remaining ingredients except cream.  Simmer covered 20 min.  Stir in sour cream.  Simmer 5 min. more.  Do not boil.  Serves 8
Option:  I added sour cream when mixing together and baked it in the oven for 30-35 min.  It worked well.