Fran's Fave Recipes

These recipes are the ones my friends most ask for. In order to keep from having to type them again and again, I thought I'd post them here! (Also, it allows me access to them from where ever I happen to be, as these are the recipes are also the ones I most often fix when staying at other people's houses!)

I hope you enjoy them!

Incredible Meat Dip

(This is actually an unnamed recipe from a co-worker, but it IS incredible!)

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 minced garlic clove

Cook above until brown.

Add:
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 cup catsup or chili sauce (I use catsup!)
1 tsp. sugar
oregano to taste

Simmer this mixture for 10 minutes. spoon off fat.

Add:
1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1/3 cup parmesan cheese

Makes about 3 cups. This can be made ahead and reheated slowly. Serve with tortilla chips. I usually double everything except the amount of meat. (That way, leftovers serve as dinner as I eat chips and watch TV at night!)

Onion Tartlets

(This recipe is based on John Hadamuscin's "Onion-Rosemary Tartlets," found in his book The Holidays. It's a WONDERFUL book! I've modified this recipe to fit my own tastes, but I strongly suggest you try the original found in the book as well!)

1 stick butter
6 large red onions, thinly sliced, cut in half, and separated
1 1/2 cups red wine (I usually use burgundy)
just under 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crumpled
dry beef bouillon (the amount recommended for 4 cups water)
salt and pepper
frozen puff pastry, thawed in refrigerator (I use 2 packages Peppridge Farm puff pastry sheets)

Melt butter in a very large pan. Add onions and saute over medium heat until the onions soften and begin to brown. Add everything else except the salt and pepper and the puff pastry. Simmer over low heat until the onions are soft and most of the moisture has evaporated. (I usually let it cook a good hour to hour-and-a-half!) Stir occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste, and remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread the pastry sheets on a cutting board and cut into 2-inch squares. Press the squares into miniature muffin pans, and fill each tartlet shell with some of the onion mixture. (Sometimes, I sprinkle parmesan cheese on top - freshly grated is best!) Bake at 400 degrees F. for 10-12 minutes, until the pastry has puffed up a bit and is golden brown.

Lasagne

(I got this recipe from my ex-mother-in-law.)

Sauce:
Chop 28-ox. can of tomatoes briefly in food processor. Saute a chopped medium onion in a small amount of olive oil with 2 cloves smashed garlic. Add mashed tomatoes, 1 small can tomato paste, 1 teaspoon basil, 1/2 teaspon black pepper and 1/2 to 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley. Let simmer a few minutes to blend.

Cook lasagne noodles according to package and rinse with cold water. Don't overcook.

Cheese filling:
Combine:
2 pounds ricotta cheese
1/2 pound chopped mozzarella
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Meat:
Cook 1 pound Jimmy Dean hot sausage (or Italian sausage) with anise or fennel seed to taste.

Put just enough sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish to partially cover. Place lasagne noodles in bottom, letting the ends fall over the sides. Layer cheese, meat, and tomato sauce. Cut noodles to fit dish, then add another another layer of cheese, meat, and tomato. Cover with noodles hanging over sides. Put a small amount of tomato sauce on top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly.

King Ranch Chicken

(I got this recipe from my mother.)

3 to 4 lb. chicken, boiled and diced
1 dozen corn tortillas
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup chopped onion and green pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
3/4 pound grated cheddar cheese
1 10-oz. can Rotel tomatoes

Line bottom and sides of 3 quart greased casserole dish with tortillas cut in quarters. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. stock from the chicken. Mix soups and other liquids. Layer tortillas, chicken, and grated cheese. Pour approximately 1/2 liquids over. Repeat layers. Cover with liquids (you can add chicken broth if needed, but I've never needed to!). Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. One deboned chicken is enough for two casseroles. Freezes beautifully! Bake without lid.

Sweet Potato Delight

(This recipe came from my ex-mother-in-law.)

3 cups hot mashed sweet potatoes
1 stick butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Beat till butter is melted and potatoes are smooth. Place in greased casserole dish and spread with:

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup self-rising flour
1 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
1 cup chopped pecans

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes until bubbly.

Puppy Chow

(Before this became a popular recipe on the cereal boxes, a coworker introduced this to me - I was immediately addicted!)

1 17.5-oz. box rice chex cereal
1 12-oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (almost all of 18-oz. size)
1 box confectioner's sugar

Melt together chocolate chips, butter and peanut butter. Pour over cereal in a large bowl. Mix gently until all of cereal is coated. Put 1/2 box of powdered sugar in a large paper grocery sack. Add coated chex, then remaining powdered sugar on top. Shake gently to coat. Refrigerate to keep crispy. Store in airtight container.

Back to Home Page