#2552 - Bologna and Rice

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/3 cups cooked rice
1/2 lb. ring bologna (skinned and cut into bite sized pieces)
1/2 cup Heinz spicy ketchup
2/3 cup hot water
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 tsp. salt
2 TBSP butter

In a skillet add butter--melt. Add bologna pieces, chopped onions, and chopped green bell peppers--cook/stir over medium heat until meat is browned and onions are caramelized. Add cooked rice, hot water, spicy ketchup and salt--cook/stir until hot. Turn heat to simmer, cover with a lid and simmer for 5 more minutes or until mixture is thickened.

#2485 - Homemade Tomato Juice

(by Kenneth Miller - friend)

1 peck ripe tomatoes
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
1 whole bunch celery (chopped)
12 whole cloves
2 whole bay leaves
1 TBSP salt
1 cup white sugar

Wash the tomatoes. Core the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes into quarters (leave the skins on). Place the tomato quarters into a large granite pot. Add the chopped green bell pepper, chopped onions, chopped celery, cloves and bay leaves. Turn heat to low--cook until some juice starts to form. Turn heat to medium--bring to a boil, stir, and keep boiling/stirring until celery is tender. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cloves and the bay leaves--discard them. Put the mixture through a Foley food mill--catch the juice in a separate pot. Put the pot with the tomato juice on the stove--turn heat to medium. Add the salt and white sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, stir, then boil for 5 minutes. Pour the juice into quart jars or can the tomato juice with canning jars/lids if you wish.

#2427 - Linguine Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. linguine pasta (cooked, drained and cooled according to box directions but NOT rinsed)
1 onion (chopped)
1 tomato (chopped)
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
1 cucumber (peeled, halved and sliced)
1 - 12oz. bottle Italian dressing
1/2 of a jar of McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning
1/2 lb. grated sharp cheddar cheese

In a large bowl add chopped onions, sliced cucumbers, chopped green bell peppers, Italian dressing, Salad Supreme seasoning, and grated cheese--stir until mixed. Add cooled pasta--stir carefully until coated. Refrigerate until cold. When ready to serve, add chopped tomatoes--toss until mixed.

#2230 - Mozzarella Macaroni Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups uncooked macaroni
4 TBSP cider vinegar
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (more if you wish; substitute your favorite cheese if you don't like mozzarella)
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery (more if you wish)
12 cherry tomatoes
2 to 3 cups mayo (more if too dry)
salt and pepper to your taste
2 TBSP white sugar
a few dashes of celery seed
2 hard boiled eggs (chopped--more if you wish)

Cook macaroni according to box directions (with 1 tsp. salt). Drain but do not rinse. In a large bowl add drained macaroni and cider vinegar--toss to coat. Once coated, set aside for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes add mayo, shredded mozzarella cheese, chopped green bell pepper, chopped celery, and chopped hard boiled eggs--stir carefully until mixed. Add white sugar and celery seed--stir until mixed. Taste--if necessary add salt and pepper to your taste--stir. If too dry, add more mayo. If too sweet, add a little more cider vinegar. If too sour, add a little more white sugar. Refrigerate until cold. When ready to serve, chop each of the cherry tomatoes into 4 pieces and add to the macaroni salad--stir to mix.

#2136 - Green Pepper Burgers

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. ground chuck
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 clove of garlic (minced)
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
1/2 to 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)

In a bowl add ground chuck, salt, black pepper and soy sauce--mix with your hands. Add chopped green onions, chopped green bell peppers, and minced garlic--mix with your hands. Add shredded sharp cheddar cheese--mix with your hands, then form mixture into hamburger patties. Grill or cook in skillet as desired.

#2130 - Skillet Shrimp and Rice

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup chopped onions
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp. salt
1lb. frozen shrimp (thawed, peeled, rinsed and drained--de-veined if needed)
1/4 cup butter
1 - 15oz. can Hunt's tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 tsp. parsley
3 cups cooked rice

In a skillet add butter, chopped onions, chopped celery, chopped green bell peppers and minced garlic--cook/stir over medium heat until tender. Remove from heat--add tomato sauce, water, salt and parsley--stir. Return to heat--stir/simmer until hot. Add shrimp--cook/stir until boiling. Cover the skillet with a lid--turn heat to simmer, then simmer for 20 minutes or until shrimp are pink. Serve mixture over cooked rice.

#1504 - Easy Vegetable Pizza

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 - 8oz. cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 - 8oz. Breakstone's sour cream
1 to 2 TBSP horseradish
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
1 cup broccoli pieces
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Separate the dough--place the dough (using the triangles to make rectangles) to cover the bottom of a greased jelly roll pan. Use your fingers and a little Pam to pinch the triangles together and pinch the dough about 1/2" up the sides. Bake at 375 degrees for 14-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. In a bowl add sour cream, horseradish, salt and pepper--stir. Spread the horseradish mixture over the cooled crust. Sprinkle the chopped mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, broccoli pieces, chopped green peppers and chopped onions all over the horseradish mixture. Cut into bite sized pieces to serve.

#1421 - Fried Cabbage

(by Joyce Ann Schirmacher - friend)

1/2 lb. bacon (cut into small pieces, fried until crisp)
1 TBSP of the bacon drippings
1 small head of cabbage (shredded or finely chopped)
1 cup chopped celery
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
salt and pepper to taste
1 small can mushrooms (do NOT drain)
1/2 cup finely chopped onions

In a greased skillet fry the bacon pieces--fry until crisp. Measure 1 TBSP of the bacon drippings--set aside. Drain the rest of the bacon and leave the drained bacon in the skillet. Add the 1 TBSP bacon drippings, cabbage, celery, green pepper, salt, pepper, mushrooms/juice, and onions to the bacon--stir--put a lid on the skillet and cook it on low heat for 10 minutes (stir occasionally). If cabbage is not done to your liking, replace lid and cook longer.

#1375 - Macaroni and Tuna Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 8oz. box elbow macaroni (cooked and drained according to box directions)
1 or 2 - 6.5oz. cans white albacore tuna (drained and flaked)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup Hellmann's mayo
1 cup diced celery
1/3 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped pimentos
1 - 10.5oz. can Campbell's condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 slices buttered bread

Cook and drain macaroni according to box directions--set aside. In a bowl add drained macaroni, tuna, salt, pepper, mayo, celery, onions, green peppers and pimentos--stir. In a saucepan over medium heat add celery soup and milk--stir and heat until hot. Add shredded cheese to the soup--stir and cook until cheese melts. Pour the soup mixture into the macaroni mixture--stir until mixed. Pour the whole mixture into a greased casserole dish. Cut the buttered bread into bite sized pieces and sprinkle them on top of the soup mixture. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until bread on top is browned.

#1374 - Tuna Biscuit Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/4 cup Parkay margarine
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 TBSP flour
1 - 29oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 - 12.5oz. can white albacore tuna (drained and flaked)
2 - 8oz. cans Pillsbury buttermilk biscuits

In a skillet over medium heat add margarine, chopped onions and chopped green peppers--stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add flour--stir slowly until mixed. Add chopped tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, salt, white sugar and pepper--stir, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat--add drained and flaked tuna--stir. Pour whole mixture into a greased 2 1/2 quart casserole. Open biscuit cans--cut each biscuit into 3 pieces (pie shaped pieces)--place biscuit pieces all over the top of the tuna mixture (pointed side of each biscuit piece pointing up to the air). Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

#1366 - Tomato Tuna Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 8oz. bag wide egg noodles
2 TBSP canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion (more if you wish)
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 - 15oz. can Hunt's tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 - 7oz. cans white albacore tuna (drained and flaked)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook and drain noodles according to bag directions with 1 tsp. salt--drain and set aside. In a skillet over medium heat add canola oil, chopped onions and chopped green pepper--stir and cook until tender. Add tomato sauce, water, 1 tsp. salt, garlic powder and black pepper to the onion mixture--turn heat to simmer and stir--simmer for 10 minutes. Add noodles and tuna to the sauce--stir until mixed. Grease a 2 qt. casserole dish. Pour the whole mixture into the casserole dish. Bake (covered) at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot. Remove from oven, sprinkle cheese on top, return to oven uncovered and bake until cheese melts.

#1347 - Macaroni and Cheese Soup

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 quarts chicken broth
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots (coin shaped pieces)
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
1lb. shell shaped pasta
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
6 cups milk
1lb. cubed Velveeta cheese
1 tsp. dry mustard

In a large pot add chicken broth over medium heat--add celery, carrots, chopped onions and chopped green peppers. Cook and stir until carrots are tender--it should be boiling at this point. Add pasta shells, salt and pepper and cook for 4 minutes, then remove from heat. Place a lid on the pot and let stand until pasta is done (about 10 minutes). In a saucepan over low heat add butter--melt. Add flour--stir until smooth. Add milk slowly--stir. Add dry mustard--stir. Add cubed cheese--stir and cook until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove saucepan from heat and add the cheese mixture to the pasta mixture--stir. If not hot enough, simmer for a few minutes and stir again.

#1313 - Pepperoni Pizza Noodles

(by Shirley McNevich)

2lb. ground chuck
1 onion (chopped)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 large jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 - 8oz. bag medium wide egg noodles
1 - 8oz. bag shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup chopped pepperoni
1 tsp. oregano

In a skillet add ground chuck, chopped onions, chopped green peppers, chopped pepperoni, oregano, salt and pepper--stir and cook over medium heat until beef is browned. Add the spaghetti sauce--stir. Cook noodles separately according to bag directions--drain. Add drained noodles to the meat sauce--stir. Pour everything into a large greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes; remove from oven and sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the top. Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted.

#1240 - Spanish Noodles

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 slices bacon (fried, drained and crumbled)
1lb. ground chuck
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 - 25oz. can tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 cups raw medium wide egg noodles
1 pint tomato juice

In a skillet over medium heat add ground chuck, chopped onions, salt, pepper and chopped green onions--cook until beef is browned--drain off excess fat and return to skillet. Add tomatoes, chili sauce, and tomato juice--stir. Add uncooked egg noodles--cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes or until noodles are tender (stir frequently while simmering). When noodles are ready, add crumbled bacon and stir before serving.

#1199 - Chicken in a Bag

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste OR chicken rub
1 of each--red pepper, yellow pepper, green pepper, orange pepper
1 onion
1 TBSP butter
1/2 cup water

Rinse the chicken breasts and pat them dry--place them on a cutting board. Salt and pepper (or chicken rub) the tops, then press down on them with the back of a fork. Flip the chicken breasts and repeat on the other side with the salt and pepper (or chicken rub). Clean the peppers and onions and cut them into small pieces. Spray the inside of a foil cooking bag with Pam OR spray a large piece of foil with Pam. Place the cooking bag or the foil in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 glass dish. Place the chicken breasts on the bottom of the bag or foil in a single layer. Sprinkle the peppers and onions on top of the chicken breasts. Dot the top of the peppers with the butter. Pour the 1/2 cup water towards the chicken breasts. Close up the bag OR place a second greased piece of foil over the first piece of foil (and crimp the edges shut). Use a sharp knife to make holes in the top of the bag or foil (if you skip this step the bag/foil will burst all over your oven). Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour--test chicken for tenderness--you may need to bake it longer.

#1158 - Cheesy Vegetable Dip

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. Velveeta cheese (cubed)
1 1/3 cups Breakstone's sour cream
4 TBSP chopped green pepper (finely chopped)
4 TBSP chopped onion (finely chopped)
4 TBSP chopped pimentos (finely chopped)

Drain pimentos and place them on paper towels to soak up extra water--chop the pimentos, green pepper and onions--set aside. In a saucepan over low heat add cheese cubes and sour cream--cook and stir until melted and smooth. Remove saucepan from heat--add chopped pimentos, chopped green pepper, and chopped onions--stir. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Serve it as a dip with chopped fresh vegetables.

#1074 - Crockpot Meatball Sandwiches

(by Shirley McNevich)

2lb. 13oz. of your favorite pasta or spaghetti sauce
1 - 38oz. bag frozen Italian meatballs (fully cooked)
shredded mozzarella cheese
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green pepper
long steak sandwich rolls

Thaw the meatballs--drain. Add meatballs, sauce, chopped onion and chopped green pepper to a large crockpot--stir. Cook on low until well heated--test a meatball by slicing it in half to make sure it has warmed all the way through. Once hot, put 4-5 meatballs in each steak roll. Add a little sauce and some onions/peppers from the sauce to the top of the meatballs and sprinkle each sandwich with mozzarella cheese. You can make this recipe without thawing the meatballs but cooking time will be a few hours longer.

#1069 - Beef & Zucchini Casserole

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups sliced zucchini (1/4" thick slices)
1 1/2 cups water + 3/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. salt + 1/2 tsp. salt
1 chopped onion
1/2 of a green pepper (chopped)
2 TBSP canola oil
1lb. ground chuck
2 TBSP raw rice
1 - 10.75oz. can Campbell's condensed tomato soup
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 cup shredded American cheese
3 slices bread

Break 3 slices of bread into bite sized pieces--set aside. In a saucepan add 1 1/2 cups water, zucchini, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt--bring to a boil, then cook until zucchini starts to change color--remove from heat and drain. In a skillet add 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper, paprika, canola oil, green pepper, chopped onion, and ground chuck--cook over medium heat until browned. In a bowl add tomato soup and 3/4 cup water--stir. In a greased 2 qt. casserole layer zucchini, then ground chuck mixture, then raw rice, then tomato soup--keep layering until all ingredients are used up and tomato soup is on the top layer. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle shredded cheese on top and place bread pieces on top of cheese. Return to oven and bake until cheese melts and bread crumbs are browned.

#1031 - Quick Meatless Taco Salad

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 small chopped onion
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 or 2 chopped tomatoes
drained and sliced olives (optional--your choice of amount)
1 small can kidney beans (drained)
16oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 - 16oz. bottle French dressing
tortilla chips (crushed using your hands)
1 or 2 heads iceberg lettuce (washed and broken into bite sized pieces)

Prepare just a few minutes before serving (chilling all ingredients except the tortilla chips). In a bowl add chopped onion, chopped red peppers, chopped green peppers, chopped tomatoes, sliced olives and kidney beans--stir until mixed. In a separate bowl add lettuce. When ready to serve, add lots of lettuce to a dinner sized plate. Add a heaping serving of the kidney bean mixture. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, French dressing and crushed tortilla chips.

#1017 - BBQ Rice Bowls

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. ground chuck
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped onion
2 cups fresh tomatoes (diced)
1 cup whole kernel corn (fresh, frozen or canned)
1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
3 cups cooked rice (your choice of rice type)
shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet over medium heat add ground chuck, salt, pepper, chopped green pepper and chopped onion--cook and stir until meat is browned. Add diced tomatoes, corn and BBQ sauce--stir and turn heat down to simmer--cook and stir for 15-20 minutes. Cook rice separately according to package directions--drain. Spoon rice into bowls. Top the rice in each bowl with a heaping serving of the meat mixture. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top of each bowl. Serve with crackers.