Au Gratin Peas and Potatoes

Hello Fellow Cooks,
Here is the recipe of the week for you to try. I am making it tonight for Sunday dinner, so I'll let you know how it goes. I found this one in a Taste of Home Cookbook I borrowed from my mom. (Thanks, Mom!) --Kristy

Au Gratin Peas and Potatoes
6 bacon strips, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 c. sliced peeled cooked potatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen peas, cooked and drained
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheese, divided
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. milk

In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels. Drain, reserving 1 Tbsp. drippings. In the drippings, saute the onion until tender. Layer with potatoes, salt, peas, 1 c. cheese and bacon. Reduce heat; cover and simmer fro 10 minutes or until heated through. Combine mayonnaise and milk until smooth; pour over bacon. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes before serving. 4 servings.

With these taters, I will also be serving the following lovely chicken which we have made before:

Smoky Maple BBQ Chicken
4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1/2 c. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1/4 c. BBQ sauce

Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir remaining ingredients together. Grill chicken, turning and brushing with maple sauce for 12-15 minutes (or until chicken is done).

And if you wan ta quick and easy recipe for dessert, here's what we're having:

Strawberry Cheesecake Pudding Pie
1 1/2 c. strawberry, cherrry, or raspberry pie filling (I used fresh strawberries)
1 Keebler Ready Crust (graham cracker crust 6 oz.)
1 1/2 c. cold milk
2 small pkg. Jello Cheesecake flavor instant pudding
8 oz. Cool Whip, thawed

Spoon 1/2 c. of pie filling into crust. Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mix and beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until smooth (mixture will be thick). Immediately stir in Cool Whip. Spoon over pie filling in crust. Refrigerate 3 hours or until set. Top with remaining pie filling.

Ground Beef and Veggies

This recipe looked easy and quick which I think is great for summer. --Kayla

Ground Beef and Veggies (6 servings)

1 lb. ground beef
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon beef bouillon
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
8 slices cheddar cheese, divided
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped

In skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Stir in water, rice, onion, bouillon and mustard. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes till most of water is absorbed. Cut six cheese slices into small pieces; add to rice mixture with green pepper and tomato. Cut remaining cheese slices diagonally and arrange over top. Cover and remove from the heat. Let stand until liquid id absorbed and cheese is melted.

Sausage and Summer Squash

Here's a recipe from this month's Better Homes and Gardens that I thought looked fast and easy, for the busy summer days.

Sausage and Summer Squash

1/3 to 1/2 c. bottled Italian salad dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. cooked Polish sausage links- halved lengthwise, sliced diagonally
3 small yellow summer squash and or zucchini, quartered lengthwise
4 wedges Italian flat bread, split
1/4 c. sliced green onions
Fresh oregano leaves
1/4 c. coarsely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Preheat broiler. In small bowl, combine dressing and garlic. In extra-large skillet cook sausage and squash in 2 tablespoons of the dressing mixture for 8-10 minutes or until sausage is heated through ans squash is almost tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, place bread on broiler pan; brush with 1 tablespoon of the dressing mixture. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until lightly toasted.

3. Serve sausage and squash with toasted bread. Drizzle remaining dressing; sprinkle green onions and oregano. Pass Parmesan cheese. Serves 4.


--Abi

Skillet Enchiladas

The new recipe follows. I found it in one of my mom's cookbooks. I love skillet recipes because there is only one pan to wash! --Tammy


Skillet Enchiladas

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce
1/3 cup milk
1-2 tablespoons canned, chopped green chilies
vegetable oil
8 corn tortillas
2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) finely shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup chopped ripe olives

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in soup, enchilada sauce, milk, and chilies. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in another skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil. Dip each tortilla in hot oil for 3 seconds on each side or just until limp; drain on paper towels. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup cheese and 1 tablespoon olives. Roll up and place over beef mixture, spooning some of mixture over the enchiladas.

Cover and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; cover and cook until cheese is melted. Yield 8 enchiladas.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

I was going to follow Jane's lead with another salad. I really think I could eat salads all through the summer season, but couldn't find a recipe that I thought was different and I would like to try. Curtis wanted Chicken Cordon Bleu this week and I was just going to buy them frozen, but didn't see them when I was shopping. So, I decided that I would try making it myself. ( I also really like pounding out meat with our mallet. I find it therapeutic.) I found many recipes on the internet. The other one I was debating to try, just has you pound meat, adding cheese and ham and roll up. Then sprinkle with crumbs. This recipe has a few more steps but looks promising for a crisp Chicken Cordon Bleu. Enjoy! --Kami

Chicken Cordon Bleu
4 double chicken breasts (about 7-ounces each), skinless and boneless
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 thin slices deli ham
16 thin slices Gruyere or Swiss cheese
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup flour
1 cup Panko bread crumbs (Japanese style bread crumbs)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lay the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. using the flat side of a meat mallet, gently pound the chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Take care not to pound too hard because the meat may tear or create holes. Lay 2 slices cheese on each breast, followed by 2 slices ham, and 2 more cheese; leaving a 1/2-inch margin on all sides to help seal the roll. Tuck in the sides of the breast and roll up tight like a jellyroll. Squeeze the log gently to seal. Season the flour with salt and pepper; spread out on waxed paper or in a flat dish. Mix the breadcrumbs with thyme, kosher salt, pepper, and oil. The oil will help the crust brown. Beat together the eggs and water, the mixture should be fluid. Lightly dust the chicken with flour, then dip in the egg mixture. Gently coat in the bread crumbs. Carefully transfer the roulades to a baking pan and bake for 20 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Cut into pinwheels before serving.