Cheesy Rio Grande Grits Bake

I picked this recipe up in Utah during the 90s.  I’m a huge fan of cheese grits.  I love the way my friend, Joy, created a full meal with protein and veggies in a casserole.  This recipe was originally her grandmother’s who had southern roots.  Over the years, between Joy and her Mom tweaking it here and there, we have this delicious recipe!

Cheesy Rio Grande Grits Bake

• 4 C water
• 1 C Quaker quick cooking grits
• 2 C shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 can green chilis, diced
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 lb Hillshire Farms smoked beef sausage
• 1 C onion, chopped
• 1 C green pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 C Pace Picante sauce
• 1 can (15-oz) black beans, drained
• 2 C shredded Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese
• Sour cream, for garnish
• 4 green onions, sliced thin for garnish
• Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. 

Gradually stir in grits and garlic salt. Reduce heat; cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Stir in cheddar cheese and green chilis and stir over low heat until cheese melts.  When ready, spoon half of the cheesy grits into the prepared 9×13 pan and set aside.

Cut sausage in half lengthwise, cut into 1/4-inch slices on the diagonal.  Chop other veggies so that you can just toss them into the skillet when needed.

In a large skillet over medium heat, let the skillet get hot and add the vegetable oil to it.  Once the oil has a shimmer, quickly toss in the  sausage, onion, green pepper, and garlic.  Cook until the vegetables are tender stirring occasionally.  Stir in Pace Picante sauce and drained black beans stirring occasionally until the mixture is heated throughout.

Add 1/2 the sausage veggie mixture on top of the grits.  Top with 1 cup of the Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheese.  Repeat layers with the remaining ingredients ending with cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through.  Serve with the garnishes as desired.

Tangy Strawberry Chicken

My daughter, Tasha, loves strawberries.  I found this recipe many, many, many years ago in a supermarket Betty Crocker leaflet.  Naturally, I’ve tweaked this recipe to suit my family’s palate.  We like to have this with buttered rice and spinach sautéed with soy sauce and a touch of balsamic vinegar.

Tangy Strawberry Chicken

• 1/4 C butter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, flattening slightly with your hand
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/3 C sliced almonds, chopped fine
• 1/4 C all purpose flour
• 1/4 C minced shallot
• 1/3 C chicken broth
• 1/3 C Strawberry Preserves
• 4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled between your hands
• 1/2 tsp thyme, crumbled between your hands

Melt butter with olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

Mix flour, salt, pepper, and almonds in a pie plate.  Dredge chicken in almond/flour mixture pressing to get it well coated. Place chicken in skillet; sauté, turning once, about 7 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 165ºF, or until no longer pink in center. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Reduce heat under skillet to low and add shallots to skillet; sautéing for about 1 minute.  Add the vinegar to deglaze the pan scraping all the brown bits up from the bottom of the skillet.  Add chicken broth, preserves, thyme, and rosemary.  Simmer sauce until slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add chicken back to the skillet and spoon sauce over it to coat.  Serve with buttered rice and sautéed spinach.

Peach Pepper Pork Chops or Chicken

This is a recipe that can be used for either Pork Chops or Chicken.  I tend to use it more with pork since we prefer pork over chicken.  My family just loves the spicy, sweet or sweet and sour flavors.  This falls in the spicy, sweet category.

Peach Pepper Pork Chops or Chicken

• 6 pork chops, 1” thick or 3 pounds chicken thighs or leg quarters
• 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 C Butter 
• 3/4 cup Peach Preserves
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium green or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• Hot cooked rice

In a large Ziploc bag, combine flour, salt and pepper.  Add pork chops or chicken one at a time and shake to coat, set aside, and repeat until all are covered.

Melt butter in large skillet.  Add pork chops or chicken and brown lightly on all sides.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the preserves, ginger, cayenne, and lemon juice together.  Taste for seasonings and adjust to your liking.  Add the onion and bell pepper and stir until well blended.

Pour over chicken in the skillet, cover the skillet, and simmer 25 to 45 minutes or until pork chops (25 minutes) or chicken (35 to 45 minutes if you are using skinned, bone in chicken) is thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

3. If the sauce needs to be thickened, in a lidded jar, combine cornstarch and water shaking until thoroughly mixed with no lumps. Stir the cornstarch slurry into sauce and cook until sauce is slightly thickened. Pour over chicken.

Serve with rice and a simple green salad.

Almond Green Onion Pilaf

Here’s another one of my rice side dish recipe.  I love the crunch that the slivered almonds bring to this dish!

Almond Green Onion Pilaf

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup uncooked regular long-grain rice
• 5 green onions sliced thinly
• 1/2 C slivered almonds
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (I almost always have a partial 32-oz carton in the frig)
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 more sliced green onions for garnish

Melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes to toast it.  Add the 5 green onions that you’ve sliced and the almonds, stirring occasionally, cooking for about 3 minutes or until the nuts are a light brown.

Stir in broth, lemon juice, lemon peel and salt. Heat to boiling, stirring once or twice; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed; remove from heat.

Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff rice lightly with fork and serve.  Sprinkle with onion tops. 

Bacon Wild Rice

I tend to serve potato side dishes more than rice ones.  I do have some rice side dishes though that my family enjoys.  Of course, this one has bacon so it’s definitely a hit!

I tend to make this when I’ve got something cooking in the oven and need side dishes that are cook top or cooked in the microwave to get everything ready at the same time.  I like to pair it with one of my oven chicken recipes:  honey mustard chicken, oven barbequed chicken, dilly chicken, etc.

Bacon Wild Rice

• 4 slices bacon, fried crisp, crumbled & set aside, drippings reserved
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup uncooked wild rice
• 1/2 package sliced fresh mushrooms (about 4 ounces or more or less o taste)
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Add butter to bacon drippings in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Once butter is melted, add wild rice and stir and cook for 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and onions and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cook until onions are tender.

Stir in water, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to low.  Cover and simmer 40 to 50 minutes or until rice is tender; drain if necessary. Stir in bacon.

Gonzo Pie

We love Tacos and I tend to make a lot of taco meat since I’m never sure whether Connor (my 17-year-old, strapping football player) is going to eat 6 or 7 or 13 to 15.  Sometimes we slow down on the taco eating and then I’m looking for ways to use up the meat.  Gonzo Pie is our favorite way to use up left over taco meat.

I’ve been making this recipe since the late 1970’s.  This was the signature dish of the Maroney’s who were close friends back in that time frame.

Gonzo Pie

• package of 8” flour tortillas, need at least 10
• 1.5 to 2 pounds leftover taco meat
• large can of refried beans
• 1 bottle Ortega taco sauce
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 small can of diced green chilis
• 1 small can of diced black olives
• 4 C shredded Cheddar Cheese
• lettuce, shredded
• tomatoes, chopped
• onion chopped
• sour cream
• pickled jalapenos

Preheat oven to 375.  Tear the tortillas into bite-sized pieces.  Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Put a single layer of the tortilla pieces on the bottom of the 9×13 pan.

In a Dutch oven, add the taco meat over medium-high heat. add Worcestershire sauce, taco sauce, green chili, black olives, and refried beans.  Stir frequently until the refried beans have melted and the mixture has become creamy and heated through.  Remove from heat.

Put a layer of the bean/meat mixture on top of the tortilla pieces in the 9×13 pan.  Top with 2 C shredded cheddar cheese.  Repeat layers until pan is full.  (Sometimes I also end up with a 9×9 pan which I freeze for a future meal.)

Arrange the remaining tortilla pieces evenly on top of the Gonzo Pie.  Put in the 375 degree oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.  Let set 10 minutes before cutting/serving.

To serve:  Put piece of Gonzo Pie on top of a plate and top with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, sour cream, and picked jalapenos.

Baked Steak with Tangy Tomato Sauce

Baked Steak with Tangy Tomato Sauce

• 2 lbs. round steak, have your meat dept tenderize & portion into 6 servings
• ½ t. salt
• ½ t. pepper
• 3 T. shortening
• ⅓ cup onion, chopped
• ⅓ cup celery, chopped (optional – can substitute green pepper)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (I like more garlic and double this)
• 2 T. brown sugar
• 2 t. yellow mustard
• 2 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 t. lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp hot sauce (more if you like)
• 1 can undiluted tomato soup

Preheat oven to 350.

Salt and pepper meat. Brown meat, onion, celery and garlic in hot oil.  in a Dutch oven that is ovenproof. add remaining ingredients and cover.  Cook for 15-20 minutes.  Transfer Dutch oven to the oven and bake, covered, in 350 degree oven for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until tender.

This sauce is terrific over rice.

Sweet & Sour Green Beans and Cabbage

Here’s another one of my recipes that gets cabbage into my family.  We love the sweet and sour flavors.  If I don’t have pickles on the table it’s because one of the side dish is bringing it in a different way.

Sweet & Sour Green Beans & Cabbage

• 4 bacon slices
• 1 small onion, minced
• 3 cans French-style green beans, drained
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 bags Angel Hair shredded cabbage
• 1/3 C sugar (more or less to taste)
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar

Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 tablespoon bacon drippings in pan; crumble bacon and set aside.

Add minced onion to pan; cook over medium heat 2 minutes.

Add green beans; cook 2 minutes.

Stir in broth, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.  Stir in cabbage; cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Combine sugar and vinegar, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Add sugar mixture to pan; cook, uncovered, 3 to 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with bacon and serve.

Spicy, Warm Red Cole Slaw

I posted a recipe for Skillet Cabbage earlier this month which is a family favorite.  I try to serve cabbage at least once a month since it’s a great source of fiber and has a bunch or minerals and vitamins.  To ensure the family doesn’t get tired of cabbage, I’ve needed find ways to cook it that aren’t just sautéing it in butter. 

For this recipe, I sometimes do a mix of the red and green cabbage.  Often, I just do the red cabbage using my salad shooter, food processor, or mandolin to give me an angel hair consistency.

Spicy, Warm Red Cole Slaw

• 1 head of red cabbage
• 2 ribs of celery, sliced thin
• 1 small onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 C butter
• 1/2 C red wine vinegar
• 1/4 C sugar (more or less to taste)
• 1 C grape jelly
• 1/2 C Heinz chili sauce
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice (more or less to taste)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Core the cabbage and slice/julienne thinly.  In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium high heat.  Add celery and onions and cook until tender.  Add the cabbage and stir occasionally to facilitate it wilting.  As it wilts, add all other ingredients, tasting for seasonings making adjustments as needed. 

Turn heat to low.  Put a lid on the pan.  Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender has reached your desired doneness.

Funeral Potatoes

I was introduced to Funeral Potatoes while living in Utah.  Our congregation was primarily senior citizen, which meant that funerals were frequent.  I think we had been in Utah for about 4 months before we had an opportunity to help with the luncheon served for the friends and family after the funeral.  It was there that I first tasted Funeral Potatoes.  I’ve been a big fan ever since. 

There are a lot of different recipes for funeral potatoes but they are all pretty similar.  This recipe was given to me by Rosalie Banks.  It’s one of the few recipes I’ve never felt a need to ‘touch.’  I’m not sure whether or not Rosalie is still with us.  If she is, then she’s going to be in her late 80s or early 90s.

Funeral Potatoes

• 10 to 12 potatoes, boiled until almost tender
• 1 small onion, minced, sautéed in 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 pint sour cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 C sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 green onions, sliced thin
• 1 C cornflakes, crushed or 1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
• 1/2 C butter, melted

Boil potatoes until almost tender, drain and let cool.  Once you can handle them, peel and either grate/rice, cube, or slice.  Rosalie would grate or rice her potatoes and it’s our favorite way until this day.  If you don’t have a ricer, use your salad shooter or food processor to shred/grate.  It’s important to NOT overcook the potatoes if you are going to do this since you want the potatoes to not have the ‘mashed’ consistency.  Put the potatoes in a large mixing bowl.

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 Tbsp of butter.  Add minced onions and sauté until tender.  Add to the potatoes in the mixing bowl.  Carefully stir in soup, sour cream, salt, cheddar cheese, and green onions.  Once mixed, pour into prepared 9×13 pan.

Melt 1/2 C butter in a medium mixing bowl in the microwave.  Add either crackers or cornflakes tossing to coat well with butter.  My family prefers the Ritz crackers although you’ll see this topped with cornflakes more often than not.

Spread cracker/cornflakes evenly over the potatoes in the 9×13 pan.  Bake at 375 for 45 to 50 minutes.  Potatoes should be tender and topping golden brown.