Family recipes

I'm linking up on another blog with recipes . . .so here are some family favorites. When my kids were little, they loved Beef Noodle . . .and then our son and his daddy decided they didn't like "red sauce" any more . . .but this is comfort food at its best.

Beef Noodle
Brown 2 pounds lean ground beef and drain
Add one package dry onion soup mix
Add 1 can petite diced tomatoes
Add 1 can Campbell's tomato soup
Add 2 cans water
Add 8 ounces package of medium spaghetti noodles (or egg noodles) - not cooked
add 1/4 tsp thyme
pepper and salt to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
Cover and allow noodles to cook and absorb liquid
IF YOUR CHILDREN will eat English Peas, add one can english peas right before serving - just long enough for the peas to heat (but I never added the peas)
My favorite Mac & Cheese recipe is:
1 3/4 cup elbow pasta (not cooked)
1/4 cup + 1 T butter
3 T flour
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups milk
8 ounces cheddar monterey jack cheese blend
2 T grated parmesan cheese
Heat oven to 350.
Spray 2 quart casserole with pam.
Cook pasta according to directions.
Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter, whisk in flour, mustard and salt.
Gradually whisk in milk. Cook and stir until mixture thickens and begins to bubble (DO NOT WALK AWAY DURING THIS STEP - YOU DO NOT WANT TO BURN THIS MIXTURE)
Remove from heat and stir in grated cheddar monterey jack cheese
Drain macaroni noodles and mix with sauce in casserole.
Sprinkle parmesan cheese on the top.
Bake until bubbly (30 minutes or so)
I always at least double this recipe - sometimes quadruple it. Do not quadruple the salt. Add one and one half teaspoons first and then taste and add more as needed.

As my children got older, they loved this sandwich - it is perfect for tailgate parties. My friend, Angela, gave this recipe to me.
Big Wheel Sandwich
1 loaf round Hawaiian Bread
1/4 pound turkey
1/4 pound ham
1/4 pound roast beef
4 slices swiss cheese
4 slices american cheese or cheddar 
6 slices bacon - cooked
2 very very thin slices of onion
2 very very thin slices of tomato
mustard
mayo
softened butter (not margarine)
This is the most time consuming part - take a large bladed serrated bread knife (or the electric knife) and slice the bread horizontally so that you have spaces for seven layers.  Cut the bread first - all layers.
I start with the bottom.
Place bottom of loaf back into little tin bread pan and place 6 slices on bacon on that piece of bread.
Top with a piece of bread.
On top of that slice of bread, put a thin layer of mayo and the 1/4 pound of turkey.
Top with a layer of bread.
Continue layering american/cheddar cheese/bread
mustard - very thin layer/ham/bread
swiss cheese/bread
roast beef/bread and
under the little top dome of bread, I place the onion and tomato.
Put the top of bread back on and take that softened butter and basically "ice" the top and sides with a thin layer of butter.
Wrap tightly in foil and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.
The wonderful thing is this sandwich can be made ahead and frozen. If sandwich is frozen, it will take about an hour and 15 minutes or maybe even an hour and a half to bake. Remove from oven and slice into pie shaped wedges and be prepared for the ooohs and aaahs.  I know it sounds difficult but I promise it is not.  I have made up to 12 of these at one time before using an assembly line. 

Black Bean and corn salad/tostito type chips goes well with this sandwich. Black Bean and Corn salad
3 cans black beans, drained
3 cans shoe peg corn
1 green pepper minced  (I really prefer an orange or yellow pepper)
1 red pepper minced
1 red onion minced  - I DETEST raw onion so I chop it VERY FINE - the recipe needs the flavor
3 T lemon juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 clove garlic (I use the kind in the little jar that you keep in the fridge)
3 T olive oil
1 t. sugar
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (more or less for your taste)
(you can add some salsa to this recipe if you want)
Mix all together and allow to chill thoroughly before serving . . .mmmmmm good!

Last but not least, is an old favorite given to me by Jane who has worked with my husband for his entire career.
Chicken pot pie
1 Box Pillsbury pie crust
2 cans drained white breast meat chicken (or several breasts cooked and chopped)
8 ounce sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can veg all drained
1 can water chestnuts (drained) - I always left these out because our daughter hated them
salt & pepper
2 eggs boiled and chopped
Spray casserole dish with pam.
I slice the pastry and put a piece of all four sides of the pan.
Mix the other ingredients together and place in casserole dish.
The remaining pastry goes on top - you can make a lattice work design or sometimes I use holiday cookie cutters and cut the dough into shapes. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50 minutes.

Hope you enjoy some of these recipes.  I love to cook and as I was typing these recipes, I once again gave thanks for friends and family -- because they are the ones who taught me how to cook and who gracefully shared their recipes.