Easy Chicken Pot Pie

This might not be the most impressive dish, and it certainly isn't gourmet, but it is fast and easy. It is also a great way to use up any kind of leftover chicken. It's also a kid pleaser. My family used to double this and bake it in a 9x13-inch baking pan.

1 2/3 cups frozen mixed vegetable (or broccoli)
1 cup cut-up cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup Bisquick mix
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

1. Heat oven to 400.
2. Mix vegetables, chicken and soup in an ungreased glass pie plate.
3. Stir together remaining ingredients with fork until blended. Pour into pie plate.
4. Bake 3o minutes or until golden brown.
   

Potato Casserole

This is another recipe adapted from the Nelson Family Food Fare cookbook. I wasn't really measuring when I made it, so these measurements are approximations. Just use what you have on hand. It is very adaptable and yummy. It's one of my new favorite side dishes. It is very similar to funeral potatoes. I've been looking for a recipe that tastes like that but doesn't call for frozen hashbrowns.

1/4 cup butter
4-6 medium potatoes (I used 4 medium large potatoes)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup light sour cream
4 oz cream cheese (1/2 a package)
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
crushed corn flakes
3 Tablespoons melted butter

1. Bake potatoes. Cool and grate. (I baked my potatoes in the morning and let them cool all day until I shredded them before making this dish. You could bake them the day before if you wanted.)
2. Melt 1/4 cup butter and add the soup. Heat the soup and then add sour cream, cream cheese, and shredded cheese.
3. Stir in potatoes.
4. Place in greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Mix cornflakes with melted butter and sprinkle over casserole.
5. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Herbed Pork Chops

I'm posting this because I don't have many pork chop recipes. We made this for dinner last night and Finlay (my boy who doesn't always love meat) couldn't get enough. He loved it! The recipe is adapted from a recipe found in the Nelson Family Food Fare cookbook.

salt and pepper to taste
4 large pork chops
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 tsp rosemary
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/2 cup water (or more)

1. Salt and pepper pork chops.
2. Dip in beaten egg, then in bread crumbs mixed with rosemary.
3. Brown the pork chops in olive oil.
4. Sprinkle celery salt over browned chops. Add water; cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
5. Uncover and cook 5 minutes.

Banana Fudge Bundt Cake

Ricky loves banana and I love chocolate. This was a great combination. We made this to celebrate when Ricky accepted his new job.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon slat
1 cup mini-chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups pureed ripe bananas (3-4 medium)
1 container chocolate frosting (or make your own - we loved the triple chocolate frosting we used)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.
2. Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until fluffy.
3. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with pureed bananas, mixing well. Add mini-chocolate chips.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes for until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake pulls away from sides of pan.
5. Let stand in pan 10 minutes, then remove from pan.
6. Microwave frosting until its a little bit runny. Drizzle it over the slightly warm cake.