SLOPPY JOES

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion (add more if you like onion)
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper (optional, Chris did not use bell peppers)
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 teaspoons brown sugar
• salt and pepper

Over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper. As the beef browns, break it into small bits. Once browned, drain off the grease leaving the meat mixture in the skillet. Next stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar. Mix together well and reduce the heat. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on buns with cheese slices and pickles! Yummy!!

Chicken Bundles from Dorothy Dale

Excellent luncheon dish. Serves 8

• 3 oz. cream cheese
• 2 T melted butter
• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
• 2 T milk
• 1 T chopped onion
• Salt and pepper to taste
• a little lemon juice
• one-half cup chopped mushrooms (optional)
• 1 can (tube) Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
• Three-fourths cup crushed seasoned croutons (like Pepperidge Farm herb seasoned dressing)
• 1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup

Blend cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add chicken, milk, onion, salt, pepper, lemon juice and mushrooms. Stir. Separate rolls into the 8 triangles, roll with rolling pin. Spoon equal amounts of mixture onto each. Pull corners around and seal. Brush tops with butter and roll in crushed croutons. Bake on cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes at 350°. Heat the chicken or mushroom soup with a little milk. After Bundles are baked, drizzle with the soup. Ready to serve. These can be made the night before and refrigerated.

Dorothy served these along with caramel rolls and a frozen fruit salad.

Egg Bake

• 3 cups milk
• 2 T parsley
• three-fourths tsp. dry mustard
• one-fourth tsp. salt
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 10 slices white or whole wheat bread, crusts removed and cubed
• 2 cups American cheese, cubed or shredded
• 2 cups meat of your choice; chopped ham, pork sausage fried and crumbled or bacon fried and crumbled

(Note from Roz: I would personally add chopped green pepper, onions and mushrooms.)

Beat eggs and add milk and seasonings. Stir in the bread cubes, cheese and meat and any extra ingredients you want. Pour into a greased 9" x 13" casserole dish. Refrigerate overnight or if you assemble it in the morning, bake at 325 degrees for one hour or until middle is firm.

Mediterranean Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

• 24 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp coarse ground pepper
• 8 oz pasta
• 1 pound chicken, roasted and chopped

Place tomatoes cut side up in foil lined pan. Mix 1/4 cup oil, garlic and seasonings in a small bowl. Spoon over the tomatoes. Drizzle with 2Tbsp of remaining oil. Roast at 400 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and browned on top. Prepare the pasta. Place 1/2 of the tomatoes and the remaining oil in a large bowl. Coarsely mash the tomatoes. Add the pasta, chicken and remaining tomatoes. Toss. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Baked Eggs, by Margaret Feyh

Ingredients:

For Sauce:

• 4 slices bacon, cooked slightly crispy and drained
• 1/2 pound dried beef, chopped into 1/2" or smaller pieces (you can substitute chopped ham or browned sausage, crumbled)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 4 cups milk

For egg base:

• 16 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 can evaporated milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Topping: Top with shredded cheese if desired

Butter a casserole dish. She doesn’t list the size, but my husband uses an 11" x 9" cake pan. This can be made the night before, covered, and put in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 275 degrees.

Make the sauce by putting the bacon, dried beef, and butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Let the butter melt and cook mixture for a couple minutes to warm up the meat. Then sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir absorbing the butter into the flour. Add the milk and stir as you add the milk. Using this method, I have never had lumps in the cream sauce. Stir until the sauce thickens and then set aside.

For the eggs, melt the butter in a skillet and add the eggs and evaporated milk. You can season with salt and pepper if you desire. Cook them until they are a soft scramble. You want them a little "wet" yet.

In your casserole dish, layer half the scrambled eggs, then half the sauce, then the rest of the scrambled eggs, finishing with the rest of the sauce. Top with cheese. Bake uncovered for 1 hour at 275 degrees. It will be creamy and oh, so good!

TARRAGON CHICKEN

• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 T olive oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 T Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup cream

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides over medium high heat. Turn heat down to medium, cover, and continue cooking an additional 15 min. until juices run clear. Remove chicken breasts to plate. Loosen “crusties” in pan and add 3/4 t tarragon, 1 T Dijon mustard and 1/2 cup cream. Cook about 3 min., stirring constantly, to reduce/thicken. Add back previously cooked chicken breasts to reheat and combine with sauce. Transfer to serving bowl or platter. Serve with rice, potatoes or noodles. Serves 4. Hint: This is so good that you will want to double the sauce quantities!