Savory Hamburgers

I came up with this recipe about a month ago. I was thinking about how my Mamaw Allen always mixed bread into her hamburgers, and so did Billy Ray’s in Prestonsburg, KY. I know in the “old days” they did this sort of thing to stretch the meat out. So I added the crumbled bread and some spices and patted out hamburgers. Charlie and I thought they were great.

This is a quick and easy weeknight recipe. I hope you like it.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: About 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 TBSP dried minced onions
1 TBSP Montreal steak seasoning
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 slice bread, crumbled

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Shape into four patties.

Heat a grill to medium high heat. Cook patties 4-5 minutes on each side or until your desired level of doneness is reached. Serve on buns with your favorite condiments.

Spicy Bean Salsa

I've had this recipe for years. There are variations of it, but this has been my go-to version. It’s a delicious salsa that always goes over well at parties, when it is served with tortilla chips. It’s also a great warm-weather side dish to accompany grilled meats. It can be put together in minutes, but does need some time to marinate to let the flavors marry. It should be made at least 8 hours ahead, but letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight is the best! It can be served cold or at room temperature.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time N/A
Servings 8-10

Ingredients

1 can black-eyed peas
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can Rotel tomatoes (you choose the heat level)
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup Italian dressing (I use Kraft Light)
½ tsp garlic salt
Black pepper to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well and cover. Refrigerate mixture at least eight hours (overnight is best).

Mozzarella Mac

This is another recipe I got from my mom. It’s a deliciously different take on basic macaroni and cheese. It’s so simple and the ingredients are ones most have on hand all the time. This is a very easy weeknight dish, as it takes no time at all to put it together.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 cups cooked elbow macaroni
16 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded or diced (Mom uses the reduced fat version)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (Mom uses the reduced fat version)
1 ½ cups milk (Mom uses fat free milk)
1 tsp hot sauce (or to taste)
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 11 baking pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until the mixture is hot and bubbly.

Apple Scotch Cake

This is a recipe I got from my mom. It’s one of the few non-chocolate cakes I like! It is easy to put together and very moist. Let me know what you think…

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 16

Ingredients

2 ½ cups self rising flour
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup canola oil
2 eggs
3 cups peeled, diced apples (Mom always uses Granny Smith)
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
6 ounces (1/2 bag) butterscotch chips (or more, if desired)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add oil, eggs, apples and nuts. Note: dough will be VERY stiff.

Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle butterscotch chips over the dough. Press chips into dough. Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Picnic Chicken Salad

I can’t tell you how many sandwiches I’ve eaten from The Picnic Café in Nashville, TN, over the last 10 ½ years. Mostly, I order their low-fat chicken salad sandwiches. This is not the low-fat version, thought I am sure it could be made by just substituing the mayo. This chicken salad is absolutely delicious.

So you can imagine how happy I was when The Picnic Café’s owner, Kathy Bonnet, shared the chicken salad recipe with the Tennessean. I think you will enjoy it as much as I have. It’s delicious and a snap to make.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

3 cups cooked white chicken breast, chopped
¾ cup celery, chopped
1 tbsp parsley, chopped
½ tsp celery seed
½ tsp black pepper
salt to taste
1 cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise (do not substitute)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Chill. Serve as a sandwich spread or as a salad on lettuce or stuffed into a tomato.

Note: The Picnic Café steams the chicken in a convection oven. This leaves the chicken fat-free and tender and is one of the reasons everyone loves Picnic Chicken Salad.

Chicken and Noodles

I got this recipe from a friend in college; he had gotten it from his dad. Back then, the recipe only had four ingredients: chicken, soup, broth and noodles. While it was good in its original state, I have modified it over the years to be a bit more flavorful, filling and healthy.

It’s a very easy recipe to put together in the morning and let it cook all day. When you get home from work, all that’s left to do is to boil some noodles and you’re all set. It’s another satisfying supper for a cold winter’s night.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 6-8 hours
Servings: 4

Ingredients

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 onion, chopped
½ cup sliced carrots
½ cup sliced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I use the 98% fat free version) or any cream soup you like
1 can chicken broth (I use reduced sodium)
Salt and pepper
Hot cooked noodles (1/2 bag of yolk-less wide egg noodles is what I use)

Directions:

Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken in the crock pot and cover with the vegetables. Add soups and broth. Cook over low heat six to eight hours.

Remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to pot and add egg noodles. Stir thoroughly and enjoy.

Note: Sometimes, at the very end of cooking, I’ll stir in a bit of sour cream for a stroganoff-type effect.

Jazzed Up Bean Dip

I can’t remember where or when I got this recipe, but I’ve made it for years for tailgating, parties, etc. I don’t think it had a name, so I just made it up. I think it’s a LOT better than canned bean dip and can be made with ingredients most people have on hand.

So, I thought I’d share this easy and delicious dip. It makes a good amount, is hot and filling, and easy to assemble. I hope you enjoy it.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: About 8

Ingredients

2 cans refried beans
1 8 ounce container sour cream (I use reduced fat)
1 8 ounce package cream cheese (I use Neufchatel)
1 package taco seasoning
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

Spread beans in the bottom of a glass pie pan or casserole dish (depends on how thick you want the dip to be). Mix together sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth, then stir in taco seasoning. Spread sour cream mixture over the bean layer and top with the cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Note: Leftover dip is good spread into a flour tortilla and warmed. It would make a nice snack or lunch.