Victuals and Tidbits

Last night I had "The Three Musketeerettes", "The Three Amigos", "The Three Stoogettes" the "Three French Hens", or, if you are confused, Kelly's three girls.

For dinner I decided to have Chicken Pasta Soup. I knew the girls would eat this. (Well, not Piper.) It is one of their favorites. (Not Pipers . . . yet!) So much so, Helena asked for it for her "birthday dinner"!

As we are eating Rease tells me she loves this soup. She matter-of-factly stated that if all the food on earth disappeared except for this, she would be okay. Okay with eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. "Snack, too!", Helena reminds her.

Does ones heart good to hear such things.

Chicken Pasta Soup
1 lb boneless chicken breast
2 C Shells
1-2 cans chicken broth
1 can (15oz) green beans
1 can tomato paste
1/2 t dried basil

Cook chicken breast in boiling water til done. (About 8 cups or so of water. you can add a can of broth here if you like)
Remove breast and cut into bite sized pieces.
In meantime, add one can chicken broth and 2 cups shells to boiling water.
Cook til shells are tender.
Add cubed chicken, green beans, (juice and all), tomato paste and basil.
Cook just until beans are hot and tomato paste is dissolved.

Enjoy

Tidbit: You can cut thawed breasts before you cook and save a step. Just add shells when chicken is done. If breasts are frozen, then hubby's hands aren't warm enough, no - sorry - anoter topic - um - just throw frozen chicken breasts into boiling water. All's good. And carry on.

Victuals and Tidbits

One of my favorite dishes to make when I am rushed for time is "Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie" from Bisquick. It's great for those days when you have cleaned or laundered or shopped all day and don't really feel like fixing anything at all. It's quick and easy, and. . . the best part is - my family loves it! !
So here is the recipe: (you can also find it on the back of a Bisquick box)

Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 C chopped onion
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 C Bisquick
1 C milk
2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray 9" pie pan with cooking spray
2. Brown beef and onion. Drain
3. Place in pie pan. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Mix Bisquick, milk and eggs together.
5. Pour over beef and cheese.
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

We like to have green beans with tomatoes in them for a side dish. A salad would work too.
*If you double this recipe - don't double the eggs - 3 is more than enough for a double dish - you can also use a 9x13 for a doubled recipe but you lose the "pie" effect!*

Tidbit:
1. you can substitute ground turkey for beef and you can also use generic biscuit mix.
2. you can fix this dish as a breakfast strata - using ground ham or sausage (you don't have to refrigerate overnight, so if you forget the night before - just whip it up that morning!)
3. This is when using your frozen, cooked ground beef comes in handy! Just nuke about 2 minutes before using and proceed with steps 3-6.

Victuals and Tidbits

I feel the need to share one of my favorite "meals". My grandmother used to make it when I was a little girl. My mom made it and now I make it. I'm pretty sure Granny created it and my sister, Donna, and I opted not to share it with anyone. Well, back in the 80's Campbell Soup had a recipe contest, and lo and behold - there it was - bold as could be - right on the back of the soup label! Go figure! That'll learn us! ! I know Granny didn't get it from there because I was already married and had been eating this "dish" for at least 20 years. Granny called it "hamburger goulash". I can't remember what the thieves, I mean Campbell soup, called it! Now, don't panic when you see the ingredients. I'm sure there must be a gazillion recipes for "goulash" and depending on where you're from - well, it could have almost anything in it! So, if you're willing to try it, I'm willing to share it! (This is the "victuals" part of my post.)

Hamburger Goulash
1 lb ground beef - browned and drained (you may add onions if you like)
1 can vegetable soup - ABC kind - no beef - undiluted
1 T or so of ketchup
1 t or so of mustard

Stir all ingredients together and simmer til hot
Viola - easy peasy - that's it! !
Serves 4
I serve my "goulash" on buns with chips and sliced green peppers
You may want to play around with the ketchup and mustard - start light and work your way to suit your taste :) I just squirt - but for those of you who need measurements - this might work :)

Now for the "tidbits" part:
I buy ground beef in bulk and brown all of it at once. I add onions while browning. Drain the beef (and rinse if you want to trim some fat). Divide among freezer bags (what you would use in a recipe - a cooked pound or so) and freeze. To use: remove from baggie and place in a small bowl and cover with paper towel. Microwave 2-3 minutes. You just want beef to break apart - and add to recipe calling for cooked ground beef. I discovered this trick quite by accident many years ago and wouldn't you know it - we now have "crumbles" on the market (much pricier than doing it yourself)! A girl can't win - LOL ! ! !

Well, that's my Victuals and Tidbits for the day.
Stay tuned for upcoming episodes :) ! ! !