Dinner in a Pumpkin

A fun Halloween tradition from Grandma Sagers!

3 lbs lean ground beef
2 onions
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans water chestnuts, drained
3 cups cooked white rice
2 cans sliced mushrooms, drained (or use fresh mushrooms)

Chop onions and cook them with beef (and mushrooms if fresh). Drain any grease. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, mushrooms, cream of chicken soup, water chestnuts, and rice.

If it's Halloween and you want to be fun and festive, clean out the inside of a large pumpkin (but make sure it will fit in your oven!!). Brush the inside with melted butter and pour casserole mixture inside. Place pumpkin on a cookie sheet, but leave the lid off of the pumpkin. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. Pumpkin will get soft, so don't lift it off the cookie sheet when serving.

Notes: If you don't have a pumpkin or it's not Halloween, you can use a large casserole dish. This makes a large amount, so the recipe can be reduced for a smaller crowd or a smaller pumpkin!

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb lean ground beef
1 can green beans
1 can tomato soup
8 servings mashed potatoes
Cheddar cheese, grated

Brown beef. Add tomato soup and green beans. Spread in bottom of casserole dish. Spread cooked mashed potatoes on top. Cover top with cheese. Bake in 350 degree F oven for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Ham Fried Rice

3 TSP oil
6 cups cooked white rice
2 cups ham, cubed
1 1/2 cup cooked peas
6 eggs
1/2 to 3/4 cups reduced sodium soy sauce

Heat oil in wok (or large, deep pan). Add rice and coat it with the oil for 3-4 minutes. Add the ham and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the peas and cook for 1 minute. Push everything to one side to make a clear spot in the wok. Add eggs and scramble them until they are nearly cooked, then incorporate them into the rice mix. Add enough soy sauce until it is brown and moist, but not wet.

Note: This makes an extremely large amount, so you may want to reduce the recipe

Frito Casserole

1 lbs lean ground beef
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained
10 oz enchilada sauce
Small can tomato sauce
1 TBS minced onion
1 small package of Fritos
2 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Lettuce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brown beef and onions in frying pan. Drain off extra fat. Add beans, tomato sauce and enchilada sauce to meat. Add 1/2 of the package of Fritos and 2 cups of the cheese. Spread in a 9X13 casserole dish and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with the rest of the cheese and some of the remaining Fritos, crushed, to taste. Serve with sour cream and lettuce.

Beef Strogonoff

A yummy cold-weather comfort food! I was craving it when I was about 3 months pregnant.

1 lb ground beef or turkey, or stew meat
1 tsp salt and pepper
1/2 cup minced onion
1 clove (or 1/4 tsp dried) garlic
1/4 cup butter
2 TBS flour
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt
Small can of mushrooms or 1 cup fresh mushrooms

Brown meat. Add salt and pepper and minced onion. Cook until onion is transparent. Add garlic and stir. Add butter and flour and mix. Add sour cream and soup. Stir and add seasoning salt and mushrooms. Simmer 5-10 minutes. Serve over noodles or rice.

(Mom's) Mrs. Fields' Cookies

I always wanted the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, but never had one I loved until I married Jordan. This recipe is from his mom. The cookies are delicious, but this recipe makes a TON of cookies. So we usually only make 1/3 or 2/3 of the recipe (there are 3 eggs). Under the original recipe is the 1/3 version.

Mix and set aside:
6 cups of flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt

Beat until creamy:
2 cups of brown sugar
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 lb. (4 sticks) butter

Add 3 eggs to sugar mixture and beat. Add dry mixture a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure it's all mixed.

Add chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, chopped walnuts...any combination you want.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.

Here are the ingredients cut down to 1/3:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/3 sticks butter

1 egg

Chicken Empanadas

1 box (15 oz) refrigerated pie crusts (2 11-inch crusts)
4 oz cream cheese
2 TBS salsa
2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
1 egg, beaten
Additional salsa

Remove pie crust pouches from box; let stand at room temperature 15-20 minutes.

Heat cream cheese in small heavy saucepan over low heat; cook and stir until melted. Add slasa, cilantro, cumin, salt and garlic powder; stir until smooth. Stir in chicken; remove from heat.

Unfold pie crusts; remove plastic film. Roll out slightly on lightly floured surface. Cut crusts into 3-inch rounds using biscuit cutter or drinking glass. Reroll pie crust scraps and cut enough additional to equal about 20 rounds.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place about 2 tsp chicken mixture in center of each round. Brush edges lightly with water. Pull one side of dough over filling to form half circle; pinch edges to seal.

Place 10-12 empanadas on foil-lined baking sheet; brush lightly with egg. Bake 16-18 minutes or until lightly brown. Serve with salsa. Makes 10 appetizer servings.

Note: Empanadas can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. Simply wrap unbaked empanadas with plastic wrap and freeze. To bake, follow directions baking 18-20 minutes.