By Michael, on February 1st, 2013 We probably all have recipes that are passed down from generation to generation and we do not really have a clue where they originated. I have some recipes that are old standbys for those days when I am in a hurry or tired but I still want to please my family. These are recipes I can always count on them enjoying even if they have had them a hundred times before. I thought I would share some of these with you today.
The first one is one that many people may not like and even if they do like tuna they will most often groan when tuna casserole is mentioned. But I have to say that this tuna casserole is well received even by one of my children who can not stand tuna. The tuna quite frankly loses its “fishiness” when it becomes a part of this casserole and let’sface it, anything with cheese covering it has got to be good.
Tuna-Noodle Casserole-
8 to 10 ounces of medium egg noodles cooked
2 small cans of tuna drained
½ cup of mayonnaise
1 cup of sliced celery
½ cup of chopped onion
¼ cup of chopped green pepper
¼ cup of chopped canned pimento (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
1 10 ½ ounce (small can) of condensed cream of celery or mushroom soup
½ cup of milk
1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese or cheese of choice
(You can top with another cup of cheese, crushed croutons, crushed crackers, crushed potato chips, toasted almonds or topping of your choice before putting into the oven.)
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Prepare the noodles according to package directions. Combine noodles, 2 cans of drained tuna, mayonnaise, celery, onion, green pepper, pimento, and salt. In a medium size pot combine creamed soup and milk and heat through then add the cheese and heat until melted. Pour mixture over noodle mixture and turn into a 2 quart casserole dish or I use a 9” x 13” casserole dish. Top with cheese or topping of your choice. Bake in 425 degree oven for 20 minutes uncovered.
The next recipe is a salad recipe and is one of my favorite salads. Not just Caesar Salads in general but this Caesar Salad. This one was given to me by my Step-Mom about fifteen years ago. It is not hard to make and does not have anchovies. I apologize to those of you who are fans of anchovies but I am not. I suppose you could add them as well.
Caesar Salad
Romaine Lettuce (two hearts of Romaine Lettuce or one large bag if using pre-cut Romaine)
1 clove chopped garlic or garlic powder to taste (when I don’t have any fresh garlic I use around a half of a teaspoon)
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ cup Parmesan Cheese
1 coddled egg*
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup of croutons
Combine all ingredients except lettuce and croutons and mix well. Put the torn lettuce and croutons into the salad bowl and pour on the salad dressing, toss well. Do not put on the dressing until you are ready to serve. Some people like to chill the dressing before serving, I do not.
*A coddled egg is an egg that is immersed in boiling water for one minute and then rinsed in cold water before adding to dressing. I was squeamish about this at first but my daughter the science major said that the acid in the lemon juice would kill any bacteria.
This next dish is one that I have been making since I was a teenager. I usually make it for Thanksgiving and potlucks but it is a great casserole for any occasion. I have found that most people, even those not fond of broccoli, enjoy this casserole.
Broccoli Casserole
1 large bunch of fresh broccoli, cooked until tender, drained, and chopped (if you are in a hurry you can use an equivalent amount of frozen, like a large bag or two small ones)
1 small can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon dehydrated minced onion
1 - 4 ounce can of mushrooms, drained or 8 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced and sautéed
3 ounces (1 stack or 32 crackers) round snack crackers (like Ritz), crumbled
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine melted
Cut cooked broccoli into bite-size pieces and place in a greased 2 quart casserole. (or sometimes I use a 9” x 13” casserole dish I have) Mix remaining ingredients for casserole excluding the topping (crackers and butter). Pour over broccoli and mix well. Sprinkle crushed crackers mixed with butter over the casserole. At this point you can refrigerate up to 24 hours if desired.
Bake casserole at 350 degrees for 35 – 45 minutes or an hour if chilled. Serves 6-8
This one is a really easy but very tasty chocolate cake recipe a co-worker gave me years ago, over twenty-five years ago actually. I really like it because it is simple to throw together and you bake it in a 13” x 21” casserole dish and then pour the icing right over the hot cake. Simple and delicious, could it get any better?
Chocolate Sheath Cake
1 cup water
1 stick margarine
½ cup Crisco oil
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup cocoa
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
In saucepan bring to boil water, margarine and Crisco. Pour over flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cocoa, and cinnamon and mix together well in a large bowl. Then add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix well and pour into greased and floured 13” x 21” casserole dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.
Icing
1 box of powdered sugar (which is 1 lb., 16 ounces, or 3 ¾ cups)
6 rounded tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 stick margarine, melted
6 tablespoons milk
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Mix all ingredients above except nuts. When well mixed then fold in nuts if desired. Pour over hot cake.
I want to share one more cake recipe with you. This is one that I got from my Grandma and it is a favorite of ours. I make it for my Aunt every year on her birthday. This one is rich and delicious and a bit more work but oh so worth it. I love to bake cakes and watch them come together successfully. It makes me happy to see people enjoying my cakes. Since this one takes a bit more time it is even more gratifying when people love it. It is even better the next day or two as it gets even moister as it sits. The most time consuming thing about this cake, in my opinion, is grating the carrots. I suppose you could use pre-grated carrots but I have never tried it. They seem to grate the carrots a little on the large side but you could give it a try if you do not want to take the time to grate your own. It is just a wonderful cake that brings back sweet memories of my Gram. I have had this recipe for over thirty years.
Carrot Cake
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
4 eggs
1 ¼ cups of cooking oil (I use vegetable)
2/3 cups of walnuts
4 cups of raw carrots grated
Grease and flour two nine inch cake pans and set aside. Mix together the dry ingredients and then add eggs and oil mixing well with mixer. Add walnuts and raw carrots. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Since all ovens are a little different make sure you check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle making sure it comes out clean. Set on cooling rack and let cool in pans for approximately fifteen to twenty minutes and then run a butter knife around the edges of the cake before turning out. Then let the cake cool completely before icing. Ice the top of the bottom layer and then put the other layer on top and ice complete cake.
Icing
1 stick of margarine or butter (I use butter)
1 box of powdered sugar (1 lb., 16 ounces, or 3 ¾ cups)
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese softened to room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
Mix all ingredients together with mixer and ice cooled cake.
I hope that at least one of these recipes is a hit with your family. My family has enjoyed all of these for many years. Some as every day dishes and others for special events but they are all special in their own way. Please enjoy and God bless you all!
Author Bio:
Paul Taylor started www.babysittingjobs.com which offers an aggregated look at those sites to help families find sitters and to help sitters find families easier than ever. He loves writing, with the help of his wife. He has contributed quality articles for different blogs & websites.
