HEARTY CHICKEN STEW

Back in Pt Allegany helping my cousins spring clean the B&B for upcoming guests. Today it was cold here after a 60 degree week! That is so unusual in Northern PA but very welcomed! So I made my Chicken Stew ! This is another " just dump it in" soups! Don't you love 1 dish meals!
Get cooking!

HEARTY CHICKEN STEW
2 Chicken Breasts and 2 meaty Legs- with skin and bones
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
3 medium potatoes, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup sliced carrots
1 6-8 oz package frozen spinach or 8 oz fresh baby spinach
1 6-8 oz package of each: corn, peas and green beans
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Dash of Hot sauce
1 Tbs dried Basil and Parsley (use fresh if available-1/4 cup of each)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a 6-8 Qt pot, fill 1/2 way with water. Add chicken and dump in the rest of ingredients!
Bring to a boil, lower to med low and simmer 3 hrs. Take out chicken, remove bones and fat, grissle.
Cut chicken into bite size pieces and return to soup. TOP with grated parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty bread! Serves 6

TIPS: Can use surgical gloves when working with raw chicken.
          Can use a large bag of mixed frozen vegetables in place of individual packages.
          Can add lima beans, edamame or any other favorite veggies or lentels.
          Can add small elbow macaroni last 1/2 hour.

BE CREATIVE AND EXPERIMENT WITH FLAVORS OR TEXTURES!

Polish Pierogi anyone?

Happy spring Saturday. I am in Northern PA and we were in Olean NY today. We stopped at the Dollar Store and picked up some Pirogi! They were great! Who'd have thought at the Dollar Store! For those who do not know what they are, they are Polish Potato filled Pockets similar to Ravioli for Italians. They are typically stuffed w/potatoes and cheese. They are soooo yummy. Try them and let me know how you like them. The Pirogi can be slightly boiled then quickly sauteed as a different way to fix them.When I made them for my 5 and 6 yo granddaughters, I called them Potato hot pockets! One took the bait to try them and loved them with sour cream on top!

 To fix the Pierogi:

Patti's Pirogi 
1 bag of Dollar Store Pierogi (or any other brand)
1 large onion, sliced
3 Tbs Olive oil
1 Tbs Butter
Additional oil and butter as needed to saute

In the oil and butter, saute 1 large onion until light, golden brown. Remove onions. Add additional oil and butter to saute the Pirogi until light golden brown. Drain on paper towels, Serve with onions and sour cream. YUM! Great side dish with chicken or beef, a salad and veggie.

From start to finish takes about 20 min to prep and cook all ingredients. A different and pleasant change of pace from potatoes or rice.

Beef Pot Pie!

Wow, what a fantastic day we have up here in McKean County PA at my cousin's B&B, The Inn on Maple Street in Pt Allegany, PA. We are spring cleaning and reorganizing. SO tonight we are throwing some things together for dinner. Here is
Easy  Beef Pot Pie
1/2 lb leftover roast beef and gravy
1 lb hamburger meat
1 med. onion diced
2 can mixed veggies or 1 16 oz bag frozen
3 medium potatoes diced
2 cans creamed soup (celery and or mushroom)
Lawry's season salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Bisquick drop biscuits or refrigerator biscuits

In a fry pan, put in 2 tbs oil and saute onions til transluscent. Add hamburger, season w/seasoning salt and pepper. Brown. Drain. Peel potatoes, dice and boil til just tender (10 min). Drain, Combine beef, gravy, soup, veggies, potatoes, hamburger. Spray a large casserole dish (8x11) w/cooking spray. Pour in beef mixture.Top w/buscuits. Bake 20-25 min. at 350 or til browned and bubbly. Serves 6

BUON APPETITO!

step one

adding biscuits

ready to eat

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Spring recipes!

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SPRING!

I will have my next video up tonight on Clam Florentine soup. It is a great recipe for spring. It is light, flavorful and oh so pretty!The recipe is so simple it can be done in less than 15 minutes. Pair it with rolls and a salad for a light dinner or lunch. If you are having a dinner party, it is a beautiful 1st course.

For a fun Side dish or dessert try this cool recipe for Pretzle Salad. There will be no leftovers!

PRETZEL SALAD BOTTOM  CRUST: 2 cups broken pretzels (I use the pretzle sticks) 3/4 cup melted butter 1 tbsp. sugar Mix together, pat in bottom of 9x13x2 cake pan. Bake at 350F 8 min. and cool. MIDDLE LAYER: 8 oz cream cheese (softened) 12 oz tub cool whip 1 cup sugar (or for sugar free us Splenda) Mix together until smooth and creamy; spread over cooled pretzel crust. Top- I Top w/Pie filling of choice(Blueberry, cherry etc) Other recipes use a jello based fruit topping if preferred. 2 pkg. small strawberry Jello 2 cups boiling water 20 oz frozen, sliced strawberries, blueberries or refrigerated canned pineapple Stir together until Jello is dissolved. The cold strawberries will help to make it set faster. Refrigerate until it begins to gel but do not allow to solidify. Pour over the creamy layer.

AUNT LINDA B'S BEEF AND CRESCENT PIE

What a beautiful spring day we have here in Northern Virginia today. My family LOVES this next recipe. My kids (who are adults now) still request this casserole. Prep time is less than 10 minutes, baking time 20 minutes so you can have a great meal in approx. 30 minutes. This recipe is from longtime friend and former neighbor Linda Balulis. Thanks for sharing this Linda!

AUNT LINDA B'S BEEF AND CRESCENT PIE

1 ¼ lb ground beef

1/3 c minced onion

¼ c chopped green pepper

1 4 0z tomato sauce
1 can cream soup (celery or mushroom)

1 sm can mushrooms or 1/2 c  chopped fresh mushrooms (optional)

Salt/pepper to taste

Garlic or garlic powder to taste

1 can crescent rolls

1 beaten egg,

2 c shredded cheddar

Paprika

Brown beef, onions, peppers w/season salt. Drain. Stir in soup, tomato sauce, and seasonings. Simmer for 10 minutes on low heat. Spray baking dish w/Pam.  Place 4 of the crescent rolls in an oblong baking dish (6x8) to form bottom crust. Combine egg and 1 cup cheese. Spread on crust. Add beef mixture.  Sprinkle w/cheese. Add top 4 rolls as top crust. Sprinkle w/paprika. Bake20-25  til hot and bubbly and crust is golden brown.  Let stand 5 min before cutting.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 min.

Serves 4-6

BBQ Ribs and Pea Salad

Happy SUNDAY! Had a great weekend! So tonight I made BBQ Ribs and Pea Salad. Talk about finger licking awesome.
Here are the recipes

Grandma Leonard's Ribs
2 Racks of pork ribs
Season Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder-sprinkle liberally on front and back of ribs
1 can of beer
1 cup BBQ sauce
PreHeat oven to 350. In a a shallow baking pan, line with foil leaving it long enough to cover ribs to steam.
Stand up ribs in pan after seasoning. Pour beer in the pan and seal tight. Put in oven and cook 3-4 hours. Unseal, and brush on ribs with BBQ sauce. Cover and bake additional 30-60 minutes or put ribs on the grill for 15-20 minutes. Serve with potato salad, pea salad and corn muffins.

can always cut recipes in half to fit family size. I always make enough for leftovers! This recipe serves 8

Patti's Pea Salad (thumbs up from my granddaughter)

8 oz frozen petit peas, thawed
2 stalks celery, diced
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
2 tbs. pickle relish
2 Tbs chopped sweet onion
1/3-1/2 cup miracle whip-add as needed to desired consistency
Salt and pepper-to taste
Mix all together, Chill.

serves 6
Great recipes for a cookout with family and friends!