Ham & Potato Casserole

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

1 chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
dash of pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 cups cooked, cubed potatoes
1 1/2 cups of milk
2 cups of cooked cubed ham

Sautee onion and butter until tender; add flour and seasonings until thick. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly. Add 1 1/2 cups of cheese stirring until cheese melts. Add potatoes and ham and cook on low heat for about ten minutes. Spoon mixture into a shallow casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 5 minutes longer. Enjoy!

Stir Fry Beef & Broccoli with Oriental Sauce

This is a great way to make a second meal with left over steak...

From Volume II of Cooking With Mickey:

approx. 1 lb steak sliced against the grain into 1/2 inch slices
approx. 2 cups of broccoli tops
1 cup mushrooms (optional)
2 tsp. sesame oil
Oriental Sauce (see recipe below)
1 tblsp. toasted sesame seeds

As you are preparing the oriental sauce, heat oil in a skillet or wok. Add sliced beef if uncooked or broccoli 1st if using leftover beef. Beef should be browned on all sides. Vegetables should be cooked until hot. Add oriental sauce and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds (optional).

Oriental Sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 cups water
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 tblsp. honey
1 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 chx bouillon cube
3 tblsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1 tblsp. water

Mix all ingredients together in a small saucepan, except cornstarch. Bring to a simmer on low heat. Whisk cornstarch into simmering sauce. Continue simmering until sauce thickens, plus an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Nice if served over white rice... Enjoy!

Chili

Paul's favorite Chili:

Approximately 2 cups of New England Baked Beans (see recipe below).
2 cans of kidney beans, rinsed thoroughly, (one can can be substituted with black beans)
28 oz can of whole tomatoes (this can be substituted for stewed tomatoes)
12 oz tomato paste
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tblsp. worchestshire sauce
1 lb of hamberg browned with one chopped onion

(Measurements are estimations and to taste, use as a guide only...)

Mix all ingredients together in a crock pot and let the flavors run together for several hours. If you like it spicy, as Paul does, add a few hot cherry peppers (halved) and a bit of the juice...

Yummy with shredded cheddar cheese over the top! Enjoy!

Carolyn's New England Baked Beans

This recipe is my combination of several recipes. The measurements are an estimation, as I don't measure and the beans always come out differently, so think of this as more of a "guide." The key to good baked beans is slow cooking and an old fashioned bean pot.

1 lb dry, small white navy beans soaked overnight
1 chopped onion
2 tsp. butter
1 clove minced garlic
4 strips uncooked bacon
2 tblsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 tblsp. molasses
1/2 cup ketsup
1 tblsp. dry or prepared mustard
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup maple syrup

Boil soaked beans with onion on low rolling boil for 1 hour. When beans are soft, strain most of the excess water. You want to keep some so that the beans don't dry out while they bake and it's smart to keep a reserve to add to the pot if the beans do start to dry out. Next add all the other ingredients into the bean pot. Bake at 275 degrees for 5-7hrs. Check occasionally and stir. If drying, add reserve broth. If they are cooking too slowly, raise the temperature as the time to serve gets closer. Enjoy!