Onion Turkey Breast

Mary Ann Wasick

Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook

4 lb. turkey breast, boneless and skinless

2 envelopes onion soup mix

2 tsp. garlic powder

4 C. water

Place turkey in the crockpot.  Sprinkle onion soup mix and garlic over the turkey.  Add the water and cook on high 8-12 hours.

Serves: 6-8

Such an easy recipe and it is so yummy!  Homemade Onion Soup Mix doesn't have MSG in it so that is a much better option than the stuff you buy at the store.  I think we even had this turkey for Thanksgiving one year.  :)  This is really yummy.

Love Always,

Mommy

Chicken Pot Pie

Mommy modified recipe

1/4 C. butter
2 TB minced onion, rejuvenated
7 TB flour
3 C. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 C frozen peas, cooked
1 C frozen corn, cooked
1/2 C. frozen carrots, cooked
1 C. frozen hashbrowns, thawed but not cooked
2 C. chicken, cooked and cubed
1 refrigerated pie crust, thawed (If frozen, takes 60-90 min. to thaw)

Preheat over to 400 degrees.  Cook and cube the chicken.

Rejuvenate the minced onion in 4 TB of cold water.  Set hashbrowns out to thaw.

Put water on to boil to cook the frozen veggies.  When water boils, add all the vegetables and bring water back to a boil.  Cook for 3-5 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan melt the butter.  Add the onion and sauté.  Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir with a whisk.  Add the chicken broth and stir well to make sure there are no flour lumps.  Stir in thyme.

Heat over medium heat until boiling and thickened, stirring frequently.

Add peas, carrots, corn, hashbrowns, and chicken to the gravy.  Boil for a minute or two.  Pour into a 9 inch pie dish or cast iron skillet.  Place pie crust on top.  Pinch edges under then press the crust with a fork to seal it well.  Cut small slits with a knife to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Cover the edges of the crust with foil and cook for 5-10 minutes longer or until crust is brown.  Remove pie from oven and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes for the gravy to firm back up.

At one point Daniel declared this his favorite meal.  It is a favorite with all of Team Southerland.  We are now having to double this recipe.  I think we need to make this again soon!   Mommy will sometimes cook up a bunch of chicken, cube it, and put it in the freezer.  That cuts down on the prep time for a meal like this one.  Anything you can do ahead of time makes dinner prep easier and quicker so you don't have to spend a lot of extra time in the kitchen each evening.  
Love Always,
Mommy

Lasagna

Mommy modified recipe

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

29 ounces tomato sauce

1 cup water

6 ounces tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 ounces lasagna noodles, uncooked

4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

15 ounces ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook beef, onion, and garlic together in saucepan until browned.  Drain.

Stir in tomato sauce, water, tomato paste, salt, oregano, garlic powder, basil, and pepper.  Mix well.

Combine the cheeses.

Spread one fourth of the meat sauce in either the crockpot or an 13x9 inch pan.  Arrange one third of the noodles over the sauce.

Spoon one third of the cheese mixture over the noodles.  Repeat layers twice.  Top with remaining sauce.

To cook in the crockpot:

Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours.  Sprinkle with additional mozzarella cheese and serve.

To cook in oven:

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake additional 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Serves: 8-10

This is the only lasagna that Mommy makes. It is so very yummy!  It makes a bunch!  Our family can currently only eat about 1/2 a pan of this for dinner.  Hannah has helped Mommy make this for several years now.  Lasagna is a great filling meal and it heats up well for leftovers.

Love Always,

Mommy

No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread

1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 C warm water (110-115 degrees)
3 C all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 1/2 tsp salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran for dusting

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy cast iron pot in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.
5. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Mommy has made this several times before I found the Artisan Bread recipe.  This is a good recipe as well.  It's not hard.  Just start it in the morning (or the night before) and it will be ready for dinner!

Love Always,

Mommy

Strawberry Milkshakes

Modified from a recipe from Heavenly Homemakers

1 C. milk
1 C. heavy whipping cream
2 C. frozen strawberries
2 TB maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pour milk and cream into blender.  Add frozen strawberries, maple syrup, and vanilla.  Blend until desired consistency is reached.

What a fun breakfast!  We need to make these more often.  What a wonderful summertime treat.
Love Always,
Mommy

Grandmommie's Skillet

Linda Diane Southerland- Daddy's Mom

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 C. chopped onion
2 C. cooked macaroni
2- 15 oz. cans of tomato sauce
2- 12 oz can whole kernel corn
4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 C. shredded cheese

Brown hamburger and the onion.  Pour off fat and stir in remanning ingredients except for cheese.  Simmer, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes.  Stir in cheese and serve immediately.
Serves  8

Grandmommie made this for Hannah the day that Grandpaw took Hannah to Six Flags (June 5, 2012).  Hannah loved this dish and asked Grandmommie for the recipe.  Mommy can't wait to try it!  :)
Love Always,
Mommy

Raspberry Vinaigrette

3/4 C. olive oil
1/4 C. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. sea salt
2 TB raw honey
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 C. fresh or frozen red raspberries
1/4 C. water

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend to desired consistency is reached.  Store remaining dressing in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

We tried this dressing a couple weeks ago for the first time.  It is amazing!  Wow!  It goes very well on a spinach salad.  Yippee!
Love Always,
Mommy