Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Cooking : Au Gratin Potatoes

Ingredients
1 (2 pound) package frozen hash browns
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of potato soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of celery soup
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 small finely diced onion
1 green bell pepper, minced
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Spread frozen hash browns into the bottom of the prepared pan. Mix together potato soup, celery soup, onion, green bell pepper and sour cream; pour the mixture over the potatoes.
Bake in the preheated 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) oven for 60 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle with cheese, and bake another 30 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Cooking : Best Broccoli Soup

Ingredients
2 cups water
4 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, bring water to boil. Add broccoli, celery and carrots; boil 2-3 minutes. Drain; set vegetables aside. In the same kettle, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour to form a smooth paste. Gradually add the broth and milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 1 minute. Add vegetables and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Cooking : Baked Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 onion, grated
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but firm, about 15 minutes; drain.
In a large bowl, mash potatoes with the butter and milk. With a hand mixer, beat in cream cheese and onion. In a small bowl, beat the egg with a little bit of the mashed potatoes. Stir into potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish.
Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until puffy and lightly browned.

Cooking : Apple Cheddar Cheese Pie

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1/2 pound shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup ice water
1/4 cup white vinegar
7 large Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon white sugar

Directions
In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheese. Combine water and vinegar, and gradually stir in until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C.) Roll one ball out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place bottom crust in pie plate. Roll out top crust and set aside.
In a large bowl, toss apples in lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Drain and discard any excess juice. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Arrange rows of overlapping apple slices, working from outer rim in. Dot with butter. Cover with top pie crust. Seal and crimp edges with fork, then trim excess dough. Cut a few slashes in top crust to allow steam to escape.
Bake on cookie sheet in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven, brush lightly with beaten egg, and sprinkle liberally with sugar. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more until sugar forms a crisp glaze.

Cooking : Artichoke Salad II

Ingredients
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
1 cup low fat sour cream
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup diced onion
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and Italian dressing mix.
In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, red pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, onion and artichoke hearts. Top with dressing and toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.