Hi Everyone!  I feel so ashamed that I have not posted a recipe for soooooo many months.  Believe me when I say that there is no good excuse.  I wish I had one.  I wish that I could say that my life had become so busy with exciting new adventures, and I was conquering new worlds every day and had no time to put together a recipe and photos for you.  But no.  I cannot even give you a bad excuse or any explanation at all.  I am still cooking and baking, although not quite as much because I have no outlet for the finished products.  The agency where I work was fully remote for over a year and now that we are back, I am unsure how home-baked goods would be received because of the dreaded Covid germs.  I haven’t been brave enough to try it yet.  Anyway, for some stupid reason that only exists in my head, I could not make myself write up an article to post.  Which is incredibly weird because I love doing this.  I am just going to apologize and move forward. 

So, I hope that everyone is surviving.  I know that none of us are back to normal.  I am not sure when we will ever be something close to normal.  My husband and I both had Covid-19 many months back.  It was very mild for both of us, and we feel fortunate for that.  We did lose our sense of taste and smell.  Ok, that was super weird!  I, of course, had lost some taste or smell before when I have had colds and congestion but nothing like that.  Luckily, it came back quickly.  Although maybe if I could not taste for a long time, I might not want to eat so many sweet things and I might lose some pounds.  Nah, who am I kidding?  I know that chocolate is wonderful so I would probably eat it anyway. 

Since I have been away for so long and since we are all struggling to feel warm fuzzies these days, I decided to share a comfort food recipe with you.  This is a meal that my mom used to prepare, and I have always loved it.  Likewise, my kids have always loved it and I am confident that you will too.  Most of you have probably had these before but I have found that many people don’t make them at home because they don’t know how.  I am speaking of what I call Hobo Burger Packets.  They have many names.  I have seen them called burger bundles, foil packet burgers, and boy scout burgers, to name a few.  I realize that Hobo might not be the politically correct term to use but that is the one I know.  And, I don’t mean it in a derogatory way.  I think that they are called that because they are in a little bundle.  They are your basic foil pouch dinner, and they are endlessly customizable.  My mom always did them the same way.  I have only changed the seasonings so far but, Holy Cow, you could also change the veggies and the meat if you felt so inclined.  But this is the basic, no fuss, no frills, super-easy, always delish recipe.  Please forgive the quality of these photos.  I took them on a dark day and the colors are not great.  And…full disclosure I took them several months ago.  You will notice that the picture of the finished product shows a snowman plate.  I quit using my snowman dishes in February normally.  So, yeah, it has been that long.  Sigh.

Hi Lovies!  How is everyone?  I hope that you are all surviving this very weird time in our lives.  We are still doing the stay at home thing here in Illinois.  At least, most people are.  I know that there are some who have just had enough and have broken out.  Not me.  I am trying my best to play by the rules here for everyone’s sake.  I hate not being able to hug my boys, my sisters or my dad but I also don’t want for any of them to get sick.  I believe that I can stick it out a bit longer.  It is stressful though.  The worry and anxiety can be overwhelming.  And, like many people, when I am anxious I turn to food.  Yeah, I know, not healthy, yada yada yada.  I have come to accept that this is me and I can only do the best with what I have and what I am.  So, I like to bake and cook when I am worried.  That doesn’t mean I have to eat all of it.  It just makes me happy to make it.  It is something that I can control and that makes me feel more grounded.  

Now, I don’t know about you but I am a huge fan of comfort foods and that is what I naturally turn to in worrisome times.  A really good, filling soup or macaroni and cheese or bread pudding are typical comfort foods. I do love all of those and make them from time to time.   But, if I am stressed out, I begin to crave the dishes that my mom made when I was a kid..or at least a version of them.  One of my favorite suppers when I lived with my parents was fried pork chops and milk gravy.  Sometimes Mom would make mashed potatoes to serve with the gravy but if she was pressed for time she would just use a slice of white bread as a substitute.  I actually prefer the bread, I think.  Mom usually just floured her pork chops before frying and they are certainly delicious that way.  However, I think that my husband’s method is even better.  I was lucky enough to marry someone who can cook.  This has been especially great since I have started working full time again because, when I am going to my office, I don’t make it home until after 6:00.  Most nights, my husband has to make our supper.  When I pull my car into the garage and step out I can usually tell what he is cooking by the aroma.  When I smell these pork chops I am instantly comforted.  They are moist and flavorful with a nice thick, and slightly crispy breading.

I don’t know if this recipe comes from my husband’s family.  I think that he has taken a dish from his childhood and made it his own.  So, we have named them Turpin Breaded Pork Chops. We love these pork chops.  They do remind me of a fall or winter dish but we make them all year round.  I think that the sides that you serve with them determine what seasonal vibe you get.  Mashed potatoes are always a safe bet but coleslaw and corn on the cob are great for summer while fried apples and green beans are cozy cold weather sides that pair well with these. Browning these pork chops gives them a nice thick and crispy breading and the steaming process guarantees that they are super juicy and tender.  They are perfect in every way.

There are very few ingredients for this recipe.  You will just need 4 – 6 nice pork chops.  I like to use the sirloin chops for this but feel free to use whatever you have.  Just be aware that the really thick chops need to get done in the middle and the breading might brown too much.  I find that the sirloin chops are slightly thicker than your ordinary chops and still stay nice and juicy but the breading does not burn. You will also need 4 eggs (lightly beaten), 2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper and 1 ½ cups crushed saltines (1 sleeve of crackers should do it).  And you will need about ¼ to ½ inch of canola or vegetable oil in your skillet.  If you want to make fewer or more pork chops just adjust the dredging ingredients.  This recipe is very flexible.

Well, here we are.  I was wishing for Spring.  Spring has come.  My one complaint right now is that we aren’t having spring-like weather consistently.   One day it will be 80 degrees and the next (today for example) it will be in the 50’s and raining.  I know, I know.  I live in Illinois so what should I expect, right?  You just can’t please me sometimes.  And, we are all sheltering-in-place here in Illinois so we can’t really go anywhere or do anything that feels like Spring. We can’t gather with family and friends.  The world just sucks right now.  But, we still have to eat so I am still cooking and baking.  

I thought that working from home would afford me more time to write up blog posts but that has not been the case.  I keep finding little and big projects that have been ignored for way too long that take up my extra time.  I have also been attempting to avoid gaining weight during this crisis.  I have not been successful though.  Hmmm.  Seems like I have more than that one complaint, after all.  Oh well.  

I promised that I would share my favorite turkey burger recipe and I am going to keep my promise.  Maybe you will be lucky enough to cook these burgers and eat them on your deck or porch during a nice warm evening. My family has developed an affection for turkey burgers.  10 years ago I never would have thought of feeding my boys anything but big old beef burgers.  But, they really like turkey burgers…as long as they are not dry.  That is the trick to good turkey burgers…they need to be juicy.  I have tried several recipes and this is my favorite.  I think that these moist and tender burgers are so good because of the ingredients and the method.  Now, I use Greek seasoning for these because I love the flavor but you can use any spice blend that you love.  A few years ago my younger son, Alex, got me started using Greek seasoning and I have decided that it is incredibly versatile.  I especially like to use it with poultry.  The mild flavor of the meat lends itself so nicely to this seasoning.  Anyway, you do you and choose your own spice blend or give my favorite a try.  You won’t be disappointed.  These turkey burgers are a flavorful, tender, juicy and healthier option for burger night.  The spice blend can be adjusted to make them your own.

Now, I know that if you are trying to be uber healthy you will want to use the ground turkey that has the least amount of fat.  I am all about flavor though so I use the 85% -15% blend.  It is juicier and usually a little less expensive.  I like to get the big old 3 pound roll of ground turkey.  You can use most of it for this recipe and save the rest for the freezer.  

I made 6 burgers this time so these measurements are for a family meal.  You can halve these amounts if you don’t need that many.  So, for 6  burgers you will need 2 pounds of ground turkey.  I know that seems like a lot but one thing to remember is turkey burgers do shrink considerably when cooking.  You will also need one sweet onion, minced.  I used a smaller one because I didn’t want the onion flavor to overpower the turkey.  I also put mine in the food processor to grind it up pretty fine.  You will need ⅔ cups (at least) Panko bread crumbs.  If your burgers don’t hold together you can add another ¼ cup.  You will need a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of black pepper.  You will need about 1 Tablespoon of Greek seasoning, more or less.  I might add a bit more sometimes.  Give the spice blend a taste and see how strong it is before you add it to the meat.  The only other thing you will need is a bit of vegetable oil for the skillet.  I needed about ¼ cup because I was using a very large skillet.  You just need enough to coat the bottom of your skillet.  

Hey Everyone!  I’m back! Summer has not been kind to me as far as getting time for myself.  It has been one thing after another at home. And, my job has just been…well…I cannot think of a word that accurately describes what we have been through these past few months.  I always say crazy busy but that doesn’t even begin to explain the insanity and pressure and tension that we have endured since April. A lot of our annual summer projects have gone untouched because of other duties that have been thrust upon us.  I know that we are all in need of a stress-busting distraction, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon. Oh well, Dad always says that we will take what they send us. Very true in this situation…actually in most situations. Dad is a very wise man.

A very, very bad situation on the home front has also been endured.  We were faced with a critical illness and the resulting loss of a loved one.  You never know how you will react to this type of crisis. My own immediate family held up well.  The husband lost his dad and my sons lost one of their Grandpas. I lost the man who had been my physician since I was about 6 years old and who became my father-in-law.  I had literally known him much longer than I have known my husband. We had a wonderful memorial service and reception. My sons gave beautiful eulogies and we gave each other the strength to endure.

During the weeks before Dr. Grandpa’s passing, I thought a lot about funeral services and memorials and all of the moving parts involved in planning these.  I also thought about how small communities show their support here in the Midwest. Much of the time we show our love, concern and caring with food. I have never lived anywhere except the Midwest so I don’t know if other areas differ greatly in this respect, but I have a feeling that the types of foods may be different, but the show of affection is the same all over the world.  Sure enough…friends and neighbors brought food to my stepmother-in-law’s home during the ordeal and donated a dinner after the burial. It was very much appreciated too!

As I was contemplating the idea of “funeral food”, casseroles instantly came to mind.  I think that some of the best casseroles in the world probably came into being when some lovely lady devised a way to feed a family-in-need with a one-dish meal.  One of the dishes that was shared with my family was chicken tetrazzini. Boy, was it good! That made me think of the tuna tetrazzini that I used to eat in the college cafeteria and that in turn reminded me of tuna casserole.  I love tuna casserole and my family does too! My sons always thought it odd when a friend would complain that their family had that dish for dinner. The boys were never disappointed when they would come home from school to find that we were having a delicious combination of tuna, creamy soup, noodles and cheese that is topped off with crunchy and salty potato chips all baked up together.  What a satisfying meal! Now, my mom made a really good tuna casserole. This is not her recipe but one that I found in a cookbook many, many years ago. In fact, when I pull that book off the shelf it opens automatically to the page with this wonderful contribution. I have made a few changes to the measurements, but the components are the same. It is so easy and quick. You can whip it together in minutes and then bake it up for a yummy and tummy-warming meal.  You probably already have the ingredients in your pantry.

You will need 6 cups (more or less) of cooked and drained noodles.  I like to use the broad egg noodles, but this also works well with any small shaped pasta. You will also need 1 10 ½ oz. can of cream of mushroom soup, 3 cans of tuna packed in water, 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (Colby Jack or any yellow cheese that melts easily will do), 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion and 3 cups of crushed plain regular or ruffled potato chips.

Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.  You will need one that holds about 8 cups or so. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees 

After you have cooked your noodles or pasta and drained them thoroughly, set them aside.  This time I used a combination of shaped pasta rather than the egg noodles. I happened to have some partial packages and thought this would be a great way to use them up. 

Drain the tuna and add to a large bowl.  My tuna cans were 5 oz. but 6 oz. would also work well.  Add the concentrated soup to the tuna. Add the evaporated milk and the onion flakes.  Mix all of this well. Add the shredded cheese and mix again.

Add as many of the noodles as you prefer.  I like lots of noodles in mine but if you want your casserole to turn out thinner and to be more tuna-centric just don’t add as many.  Gently mix until the noodles are all coated with the soup mixture. Add all of this to the casserole dish.

Cover with the crushed potato chips.  Try not to eat too many of the chips while you do this.  Aw, heck, go ahead and munch away. I always do. I am pretty sure that broken potato chips don’t have any calories.  That is the rule of all snack foods. Broken ones don’t count. Believe me. I am an expert on this subject.

Bake the casserole for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbling all the way through.  The chips will brown a little but that’s ok.

Remove the tuna casserole from the oven and scoop out nice big servings.  Make sure that everyone gets some of those tater chips. This hearty, creamy, cheesy casserole with the salty and crunchy chips on top is sure to please.  Serve it up on a chilly evening or any evening. You won’t be disappointed.

Print Recipe

Quick and Yummy Tuna Casserole

This hearty, creamy, cheesy casserole with the salty and crunchy chips on top is sure to please.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Course: Main Course

Author: Wench Sherry

Ingredients

• 6 cups eggs noodles or pasta cooked
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup 10 1/2 oz.
• 3 cans tuna packed in water 5 oz each
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or other yellow cheese
• 1 Tablespoon dried minced onion
• 3 cups crushed potato chips regular or ruffled plain

Instructions

• Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.  You will need a dish that holds about 8 cups or so. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Cook the noodles or pasta according to the package directions. drain thoroughly and set aside.
• Drain the tuna and add to a large bowl.
• Add the condensed soup, evaporated milk and the onion flakes.  Mix all of this well. Add the shredded cheese and mix again.
• Add as many of the noodles as you prefer and gently mix until the noodles are all coated with the soup mixture.
• Pour this mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
• Cover with the crushed potato chips.
• Bake the casserole for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbling all the way through.

Hey Everyone!  How are ya? I hope that the answer is FANTASTIC!  Spring is finally here. Warmer weather is finally here.  Mushrooms are finally here (well, where I live, they are)!  It seemed like the winter would never end. The older I get, the longer it takes for the leaves to pop out and the grass to green up.  I have even been out to clean up some of the gardens where the perennials are poking through the earth. I love gardening and I regret that these days I don’t have the time that I would like to devote to my flowers.  The only thing that I do not like about spending time with my plants is the chance that there will be some slithery reptile in amongst the foliage.

I absolutely hate snakes!  Well, actually, I have a phobia of snakes.  I can’t even get close enough to one to hate it.  You see, I grew up on a farm. There were lots of snakes on that farm, including in my yard.  I remember stepping on them with bare feet (I never wore shoes if the weather was warm)…yeeech. Mom’s philosophy was that the only good snake was a dead one. She would run over them with the lawn mower repeatedly just to be sure there was no chance for recovery. I also had a little frog farm in the basement window well and those serpentine uglies would get in and eat my frogs.  Upsetting, to say the least. My brother would kill the snakes for me, but the damage was done. Now, full disclosure, I have eaten fried snake. My husband once assisted in killing a Rattler and brought it home.  His dad fried it up along with some chicken. I did try it and enjoyed it. It tasted kind of like fried chicken. But I must admit that I like this dish much better. It is delicious and doesn’t creep me out.  The recipe that I wanted to share today has a title that is completely deceptive. It is called Rattlesnake. Now, there are no reptiles involved in this dish. Believe me, I would not make it if snakes were involved.

This dish is actually beef.  I have no idea why it is called Rattlesnake.  I do know that it is very tasty. The bite-sized morsels of breaded and fried beef are dipped in a luscious tangy sauce.  The result is an incredibly satisfying and rich entrée. The dish is elegant enough to serve for a special occasion but simple enough for a weeknight meal.

A hundred years ago, when I was a teenager, there was a restaurant in a nearby town that served this dish.  It was kind of a fancy restaurant, relatively speaking. I thought it was fancy, but I was an unsophisticated farm girl.  Anywho, when I did get to that restaurant, I would always order Rattlesnake. It is bite-sized bits of tender beef that are breaded and fried.  Ok, nothing too marvelous about that but the dipping sauce really makes this dish unforgettable. Years after that dining establishment closed, I saw this recipe in a community cookbook.  I nearly jumped for joy! I could make one of my favorite dishes at home. And now, you can too. It is really super easy and can feed many people. I have tweaked the recipe just a bit. The original from the cookbook called for round steak but it would be kind of costly to get enough of that for a whole family.  So, I used charcoal steaks which are a budget-friendly cut at my local grocery store. So, you can use any cut that you want as long as it is tender enough when fried. I think that any beef cut that would be tender enough to grill would be perfectly fine for frying.

Hi Everyone!  So, if you have followed my writings for a bit you may know that I absolutely love cookbooks.  I have quite a collection – though not as many as I would like to have. Sad but true. I could spend a fortune on them if I had a fortune to spend.  The space to keep them is also an issue. I have them stashed everywhere it seems. I wish that I had a big old library with a section just for cookbooks.  Well, one of my cookbooks is the Mayberry Cookbook.  Yep, you read that right.  I said Mayberry – as in The Andy Griffith Show and the home of Barney Fife.  I love, love, love that show. I’m pretty sure that I have every episode memorized.  I know that I can usually tell what episode is coming on by listening to the first 10 seconds.  Again, sad but true. I am definitely showing my age here…and my level of sophistication.

One of our favorite references from that show is saying we want to go uptown to get a bottle of pop.  Yeah, it’s corny but still makes us chuckle. We don’t even call soft drinks pop in my house. I don’t want to kick off any controversy or major debate, but it is soda here.  Except for this recipe, it is pop. One of my favorite recipes from the Mayberry Cookbook is Bottle of Pop Chops.  We have made them for years and never tire of them.  They are super easy to make. You can get them in the oven in about 10 minutes.  They do need to bake for an hour, but it is well worth the wait.

The sauce is made with just a few simple ingredients – including cola.  I like to use Pepsi, but Coke works just as well. Actually, any cola will do. Just don’t use diet. You won’t get the same sweetness to the sauce and I am always a little apprehensive of cooking with something that has an artificial sweetener.  You never know what the heat of the oven may do to it. This dish also uses boneless pork chops, ketchup, a little salt and pepper and brown sugar. If you find the pork chops on special this is also a very economical dish and it feeds several people easily.  These chops are tender and moist with a wonderfully sweet and yet tangy sauce.

To start off, you will need to lightly spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Arrange your pork chops in the dish. I normally use 6 to 8 chops. It really depends on the size of the chops.  The package that I used this time had more than 8 but some were smaller, so I just fit them all in like a pork jigsaw puzzle.  Sprinkle the chops with a little salt and pepper. Set this aside.

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, mix together the ketchup and soda with a fork or a small whisk.  Stir together until well blended.  The soda makes the sauce fuzz up a bit so it looks like I have more than a cup of each ingredient here.  

Pour this mixture over the pork chops as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the sauce and chops. I used ½ cup this time. You can add more if you like.  It seems that the more you add the thicker your sauce gets.

Put all of this in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Take them out and serve with a little of the sauce spooned over the top. Cue up an episode of Andy Griffith and revel in a simpler time when getting a soda at the gas station was an event worth savoring with friends.

Bottle of Pop Chops

October 30, 2018

Difficulty: Easy

Print This

These chops are tender and moist with a wonderfully sweet and yet tangy sauce.

By: Wench Sherry

Ingredients

• 6 to 8 pork chops (boneless or bone-in)
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup cola
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (more if you prefer)

Directions

• Step 1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Step 2 Lightly spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
• Step 3 Arrange the pork chops in the dish in a single layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Step 4 In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the ketchup and cola until well blended.
• Step 5 Pour the sauce over the pork chops evenly.
• Step 6 Sprinkle with brown sugar evenly.
• Step 7 Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Hello to one and all!  How is everyone doing? Are all the kids back in school yet?  For the first time in many, many, many years I am not buying notebooks and pencils and folders.  It feels weird. Alex (son, the younger) and I went clothes shopping a couple of weeks ago and as we passed the back-to-school section I mentioned to him that we don’t have to buy any of that stuff this year.  It was a bit sad, but also, it was incredibly happy. Most of my readers might not realize but law school students still need notebooks and such. Now that Alex has graduated and is finished with his bar exam, he doesn’t have to think about homework and classes.  I’m not sure that he knows what to do with himself in the evenings. He has started his new job as a Public Defender in Missouri. Last week was his first official week. He has a bit of a commute and I know how crappy that can be. So, I tried to load him up with leftovers and heat-and-eat foods for his suppers.  He loves to cook but the new schedule will take some time to get used to and I wanted to help out as much as I could. I made one of his all-time favorite dishes and then sent the entire thing back with him. He can get several meals out of it and even freeze some if he chooses. I told him on Saturday that I would be sending an entire Doritos Chicken Casserole back with him.  His response was, “YES!”, so I think he approved of the idea.

This is such an easy recipe.  It is a great starter dish for those who have just begun to spread their culinary wings.  The ingredients are an unusual mix but come together to make a delicious and decadent casserole. Fair warning, this is not a healthy dish, at all.  But, life isn’t all about only eating healthy foods. Sometimes you gotta live a little and eat what makes you happy. And, Doritos make Alex happy. Heck, Doritos make most people happy.  What’s not to like? They have a nice substantial crunch, ultra-cheesy flavor and they make your fingers orange. Any chip that causes you to lick your fingers like a 6-year-old has to be good, right?  As a part of this casserole, the Doritos add a wonderful texture and cheesy flavor. The mixture of soups and Rotel creates a nice creamy sauce for the rotisserie chicken to wallow in. Then top it all off with shredded cheese that gets all melty and bubbly and browned in the oven and you will be saying, “mmmmmmmmm…..mmmm…..mmmm”.

For this dish you will need a rotisserie chicken (or you can boil or bake a chicken yourself) that yields about 4 cups when removed from the bones and shredded.  A party-sized bag of Doritos. You will have a few chips left. Darn, right? You will also need a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can of cream of chicken soup.  I always use the healthier versions of these soups that have less fat and/or sodium. Believe me, there is enough salt in this dish without any extra in the soups. You need a can of the original Rotel and some shredded cheddar cheese.  I used sharp white cheddar and a smaller amount of yellow cheddar this time, but I have also used the Mexican blend of pre-shredded cheese before. You will use taco seasoning as well. I used my own blend of spices this time but if you want to use the packaged variety, feel free.  Just make sure to only use the amount required and not the whole envelope. (more…)

Hi Everyone!  August is fast approaching.  August is the month for our annual Goode family reunion.  I’m sure that I have mentioned before that I come from a very large family.  This is especially true on my dad’s side. Every August many, many of us get together at a small community hall near where we all live for a potluck.  It is called Union Hall and it way out in the country. There are several family members, including my Grandma and Grandpa Goode, that are buried in the little cemetery that lies just across the gravel road from the hall.  As years pass and some younger members of the family move away, and some older ones leave us, there is talk of discontinuing the reunion. My Uncle Richard has made it clear that we will continue to have it for as long as he is around.  He promised my Grandma that we would carry on the tradition. I am sincerely glad that he made that promise. I realize that it is a hassle to make food to carry there and we must give up most of a Sunday, but it is so important to keep contact with family members, near and far.  We always have a good time, eating wonderful food, talking, laughing and playing bingo. The kids can play ball out in the yard with cousins that they only see once a year. The adults can catch up on what has happened in their immediate families and reconnect.

There is also a lot of recipe swapping that occurs because of this reunion.  There are some recipes that are perennial favorites and expected to make an appearance on those long countertops.  If they do not, there are good-natured complaints. My family are country folk and as such, they have hunted and farmed for years.  Some of the dishes that are shared contain garden-raised produce or wild game. Yes, we do eat squirrel. It is a common dish in these parts.  Most of the time it is fried and that does show up at the Goode reunion on occasion if the squirrel hunting has been good. Another is squirrel and noodles.  That dish never lasts long. By the time the poor people that are at the end of the food line reach that pan, it is gone. Fried chicken, taco salad, green beans and ham, fresh yeast rolls all grace the countertop.  I, myself, have a group of dishes that are standards for the family reunion. If I don’t walk through that screen door with Ladybug Cookies I hear grumbles. That recipe is coming your way soon.

Another main dish that I have shared several times is a large platter of Mini Onion Burger Bundles.  These luscious little sliders are super easy and reminiscent of White Castle Burgers, but better. They are meaty with a definite onion flavor served on soft rolls.  The burgers can be easily personalized with the addition of toppings. These are very good when they are piping hot but are just as good at room temperature, making them an ideal candidate for a potluck.  I close mine up in a plastic container with a tight lid and they stay warm for quite a while anyway. The burgers are also really good as leftovers. They can be easily reheated in the microwave or in the oven.

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Hi Everyone! Want to know a secret about the Kitchen Wench?  Ok, here goes. I love me some Italian Food. I could probably eat it 5 out of the 7 days a week and be happy (I would want burgers the other two days).  Unfortunately, my thighs love it too much and don’t want to let it go. So, when I make Italian I want to have my favorite flavors and textures so that it feels like the calories are justified.  I find that I favor white sauces over red. My older son, Cody, also favors white but my husband and younger son, Alex, favor red. We are a family divided when it comes to sauce. I usually go ahead and do red sauce or maybe prepare both and let everyone choose their favorite.  The recipe that I share today is normally prepared with a white sauce and, in fact, I will include the sauce recipe as well.

I also love cooking with ground turkey.  It is such a versatile option to ground beef.  These giant meatballs are very juicy and flavorful. The addition of spinach adds color and nutrients. The addition of cheese adds a wonderful flavor and creaminess. The white sauce is smooth and cheesy, a perfect complement to the turkey.

This recipe makes a lot.  If you make the meatballs jumbo you will get twelve.  You can make them regular size and get 24. I have not done that, but I suspect that you would bake them about 15 – 20 minutes rather than 25.  They are really good as leftovers as well so don’t be afraid to make the whole batch.

I normally serve these over pastas, but you don’t have to at all.  They can certainly be eaten all by themselves. You won’t walk away from the table feeling unsatisfied, I guarantee.  

You will want to buy some ground turkey.  I use the prepackaged kind in the rolls and it turns out just great.  If your store carries the 3-pound package, get that one. If not, just buy 3 of the smaller rolls.  For the meatballs, you will also need ½ cup finely chopped sweet onion, 1 9-ounce package of frozen spinach, some grated parmesan or parmesan, romano and asiago cheese blend, 1 egg, plain bread crumbs, milk (any kind), some minced garlic, olive oil and a smidge of salt and pepper.  I realized after I took this picture that I had 2 kinds of breadcrumbs out. I don’t know why. But, don’t be confused by that. You don’t need 2 kinds of breadcrumbs. I just need to pay more attention when I am taking pictures. Sheeeesh.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Thaw the spinach and wring as much liquid out as you can.  I usually put mine in a colander and squeeze it until it is pretty dry.  I have to admit that I hate wringing out spinach. You end up with a small ball of green stuff that really doesn’t look all that appetizing. However, you want to use it in this recipe.  It really does add something special.

Remove the ground turkey from the roll and put in a large bowl.  Make a well in the middle. Add the remaining meatball ingredients.

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Hi Everyone!  The Kitchen Wench here to give you a great, easy, delicious recipe.  I mean, this is sooooo easy that I am a bit embarrassed to post it. But, it is also so very good that I would be ashamed of myself if I didn’t share it with my friends.  This is a family favorite that makes a delicious weeknight or weekend supper. It also makes one of the very best dishes to grace a potluck table. Seriously, take this to a potluck.  You will definitely be asked for the recipe. I love recipes like this that can even make a beginning cook look like a pro.

I decided this past weekend to make crockpot pepperoncini beef sandwiches for supper on Sunday.  I asked my older son, Cody, if he would stay for supper. He didn’t think that he would until he heard what we were having.  Needless to say, he stayed and even took some leftovers home. Oh yeah, and to head off any comments about the spelling of pepperoncini, I know that some brands spell it peperoncini.  I just think it is easier to type with two p’s and it is apparently acceptable both ways. Go figure.  Anywho, I wonder if part of the charm of this recipe for Cody is that I used to make it a lot when he and his brother played high school football.  On game nights, I would have this ready for a quick bite before heading to the field and then there would be leftovers for a late night snack afterward.  

Nearly everyone loves sandwiches or sliders made with this beef.  It is so incredibly easy and pretty low budget too. Since the beef cooks along for several hours in the crockpot you don’t have to buy an expensive beef roast.  You can get a cheaper one and it will still turn out tender and flavorful. You use jarred pepperoncini which are not costly at all. They are also not spicy-hot which is preferable for some of us, especially if you are feeding little ones.  I like to use the pepperoncini that are already sliced but you can totally use the whole ones. I used to only use the whole ones but as my boys got older and developed a real liking for the peppers I started to use the sliced ones so that you get pickled pepper flavor in each bite.  This dish only has 4 ingredients for the meat mixture (and that includes water) and then whatever type of bun or bread that you choose. Talk about versatility. You can use this meat for sliders, sandwiches, on toasted crusty bread for an appetizer or on tortillas. Yum! I really like to use sliced croissants or ciabatta rolls.   The croissants soak up the juice and create a soft, doughy, buttery world of wonder. The ciabatta rolls are a bit sturdier but just as delicious. The juice can collect in all those little ciabatta hollows. Gosh, I am such a texture nerd. You should use whatever you and your family love. Perhaps, you will come up with an even better idea.  I hope you do and let me know what it is!

You will start off with a nice beef roast.  As I said before, it does not have to be expensive.  I prefer one that doesn’t have too much fat. The one I purchased this time had a pretty thick fat cap on the underside when I unwrapped it. I just used a sharp knife to shave that off and discard it.  I don’t like to have a lot of fat floating on the top. I will say that if you refrigerate the leftovers (if you have any) you can remove any hardened fat from the top very easily before you reheat. I gauge the size of my beef roast by the number of people that I want to feed.  This time I got one that was around 4 lbs. to feed four of us and have plenty left over. If I am going to a potluck I will purchase whatever size will fit in my crockpot with room for a bit of water and the pepperoncini. Just use your best judgement. This is a very flexible recipe.  I have a larger crockpot and so can have a beef roast up to about 8 pounds and still be ok.

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