Recipes

DOG* Food
(*Dinner on the ground)

Each newsletter includes a recipe for food that you might have sampled at a singing. If you have a recipe that you would like to contribute I would be glad to include it in a future newsletter. Just email it to me at judynorth@cox.net or bring it to a future singing.

This recipe is for an easy to prepare casserole that showed up at the 2002 James River Convention. It came from a southern regional magazine. Not much of a surprise since it is a recipe for grits!

Chili-Cheese Grits

I cup regular grits
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cook grits according to package directions. Stir in cheese and remaining ingredients. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until set.

Yield: 8 servings

Sandra Hack Polaski, an alto in our group, contributed this recipe.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

3 cups cooked rice
2 cups cooked diced chicken
½ cup chopped onions
½ lb. sliced mushrooms (or 1 large can)
½ cup margarine
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
½ cup white wine
1 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup toasted slivered almonds
(toast as oven is preheating)

Once chicken and rice are prepared (1 large chicken, stewed and picked from the bone, yields about 6 cups diced chicken), sauté onion and mushrooms in margarine. Remove onion and mushrooms and whisk in flour. Add combined chicken broth and wine and stir until thickened. Add sour cream (do not boil!) and stir until combined.

Combine rice, chicken, onions/mushrooms, and sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Turn into a 2-quart greased casserole. Top with almonds. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, and may be extended by adding an additional cup of rice (per recipe).

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

2 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 4 oz. Can green chilies
1 4 oz. Jar chopped pimentos
12 small corn tortillas
2-3 cups grated cheese
salsa

Tear half of tortillas into pieces and cover bottom of 9x13 pan. Sprinkle chicken on top of chips. Mix soups, chilies, and pimentos together. Pour over chicken. Cover with grated cheese and the rest of the torn tortillas. Sprinkle with a little cheese. Cover with foil and refrigerate several hours or over-night. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove foil the last few minutes to brown. Serve with salsa if desired. Recipe can easily be doubled.

Thanks to Mary Wright for this “delicious” recipe:

Delicious Cookies

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 small bag (6 oz.) chocolate bits (1 cup)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt

Grease or spray 11.5 X 7.5 pan. I like to line it with foil, spray and lift baked "cookie" out. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Lift out of pan and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar while warm. Cut into bars. Keep in tin.

This recipe comes from a book by Patricia Cornwell:

Wild Rice Salad with Cashews

1 c wild rice (6 oz.)
4 c chicken broth
3 T olive oil
1 ½ c chopped red or green bell pepper
¾ c cashews, coarsely chopped
2 green onions, sliced

Dressing:
3 T seasoned rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 T Asian sesame oil (or olive oil)
1 clove garlic, minced

In a strainer rinse rice under running water. Drain well. Into 3 qt. Sauce pan put rice and chicken broth; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 45-50 minutes till tender. Drain excess liquid. Set aside. In medium skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add peppers and heat 3-5 minutes till tender. Add cashews and green onions. Cook 2-3 minutes longer or until nuts begin to brown. Remove from heat. In a large bowl toss together rice and pepper mixture. Combine all dressing ingredients and pour over salad and coat well. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Makes 6-8 servings.

Broccoli Salad

2 bunches broccoli cut into flowerettes
1/2 cup raisins
small red onion, chopped
8 slices bacon, crisp fried

Mix and toss with dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs. vinegar

These are really good! Ask anyone in the Richmond Sacred Harp Singers. Mary Wright contributed this recipe.

"Heath" Bars

1 cup sugar
saltines
2 sticks butter (no substitutes)
12 oz. bag semisweet chocolate chips

Line a large cookie sheet with foil. Spray with Pam or other cooking spray. Place crackers side to side until bottom is covered.

Melt butter in large saucepan; add sugar and bring to boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour over crackers and spread with back of spoon to cover completely.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes (mixture burns easily). Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over. As they melt, spread smoothly over mixture, covering all. Cool in refrigerator and break into pieces. Store in airtight container.

This recipe comes from a friend of mine, Fran Goodwin:

Peach Cobbler

1 stick butter
1 C. flour
1 C. sugar
1 C. milk
1/2 t. baking powder
fresh peaches

Melt butter in 9x13 pan. Add sliced peaches (1 quart or more). Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and milk. Pour over peaches. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

This recipe is adapted from the 1965 Pilot Club Cookbook, Cake Favorites:

Sour Cream Pound Cake

2 sticks butter
3 C. Sugar
6 eggs
3 C. flour
½ pt. Sour cream
¼ tsp. Baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat. Add flour, reserving 2 tablespoons. Add sour cream and mix. Add reserved flour with soda and vanilla. Bake in tube pan at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 30 minutes. This makes a very large cake and keeps moist much longer than average pound cake.

Thanks to Mary Goodwin, a friend in North Carolina, for this recipe. It can be prepared ahead and baked later.
Sausage Casserole

32 oz. Sausage, browned
1 or 2 green peppers, diced
4 large stalks of celery, diced
1 box Lipton dry noodle soup
7 cups water
2 cups uncooked rice
grated cheddar cheese

Sauté green pepper and celery; add all other ingredients except cheese; bake at 325 degrees until firm and rice is done; sprinkle cheese on top and continue baking until browned.

This recipe came from Wanda Matthews, the wife of the minister of music at Hampton Baptist Church. It is another prepare-ahead recipe.

Sausage-Cheese Grits

6 cups water
1 ½ cups grits (quick, not instant)
12 oz. (3 cups) shredded sharp cheddar
3/8 cup (6T) milk
3 T butter
3 t Worcestershire sauce
2 ¼ t garlic salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 lbs. hot bulk pork sausage, cooked and drained
1 ½ cups (6 oz.) shredded cheddar for top

Bring water to boil in large saucepan; stir in grits slowly. Return to a boil; cover, reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add 3 cups cheese and next 4 ingredients. Stir until cheese melts. Stir small amount of grits into beaten eggs; add to remaining grits mixture, stirring constantly. Spoon half of the grits into lightly greased casserole dish (about 12"x18" size). Top with cooked sausage. Spoon remaining grits over sausage. Top with additional cheese. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.

To bake, remove from refrigerator and let stand for 30 minutes. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until set. Serves 12.

This recipe is always a big hit when I take it to potluck meals. It is quick, easy, and can be prepared ahead of time. It also keeps well for traveling and can keep for a long while without refrigeration.
Marinated Asparagus

1-2 pounds small fresh asparagus spears
1 package Good Seasons Italian dressing

Break tough ends from asparagus spears and steam in microwave for about 4 minutes. Use only a small amount of water in a covered dish to steam. Mix salad dressing according to directions and pour over hot, drained asparagus. Cover and refrigerate. Turn asparagus several times to distribute marinade. To serve, remove from marinade. You can add sweet onion rings to the marinating asparagus.