Chicken Pot Pie

It's cold and snowy this week, so I'm making comfort foods for dinner.  I was sifting through a stack of recipes and came across this one for Chicken Pot Pie.  Perfect for cold evenings (and delicious left overs).

Back in 1992 I submitted the recipe to a company cookbook and looking over the ingredients, I can tell I was still under my mother's influence - canned chicken and margarine (frankly I'm surprised I didn't use the word oleo!).  I've definitely become my own cook.

Chicken Pot Pie

3/4 cup chopped sweet yellow onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green chilies
3 Tbsp butter (or bacon fat)
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
3/4 cup sour cream
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken - I buy a couple of pulled chicken breasts (perfect)
2 cups (ish) frozen mixed vegetables (about a bag of Steamfresh veggies), unthawed
Tube of Grands Flaky biscuits

Preheat oven to 375°.  In a large saucepan, sauté the onion, chilies, and celery in the butter; stir in the soup and sour cream.  Blend in the chicken and then the vegetables.  

Pour into a 12x8" casserole.  Split the biscuits and lay on top of the mixture to make the crust.  Press together all the edges between the biscuits to seal.  Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until biscuits are brown and mixture is bubbly.

Enjoy!

Valentine's Dinner - Spaghetti And Sauce

I love a chunky, spicy, rich spaghetti sauce.  And after years of messing around with jacking bottled sauces, various recipes, and lazy shortcuts, I've mastered the sauce husband Joe and I cannot get enough of.  Finally.  So for Valentine's Day, I'll be making a pile of spaghetti and this fabulous sauce:

That Sauce That Joe Loves

1 lb lean hamburger
1 lb Italian hot sausage
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (plain), undrained
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (Italian style - basil/oregano/garlic), undrained
1 small can plain tomato paste
seasoning to taste:
  garlic salt
  coarse ground pepper
  garlic powder
  onion powder
  red pepper flakes (about 1/2 teaspoon+ for a nice spice)
  Italian seasoning (combo of oregano, basil, and thyme)
1/2 cup or so of pasta water
optional:
  small can of sliced black olives
  4-6 pepperoncini peppers roughly chopped
  1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped and sautéd in olive oil
  1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped and sautéd in olive oil
  1/2 cup roasted red pepper, chopped and sautéd in olive oil
Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

Brown the hamburger and sausage together.  Drain and set aside.  Sauté the optional vegetables, then add the meat back in.  Add the tomatoes and paste and combine well.  Lower heat to medium low and let simmer for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour or so on really low heat.  Stir occasionally. 

Boil the pasta in salty water - almost briny - with a tablespoon or so of olive oil.

When the pasta is done, reserve a ladle-full (or about 1/2 cup) of the water and blend it into the sauce.  The water helps thicken the sauce a bit, and adds extra starch to glue the pasta and the sauce together.

Serve the sauce on top of the pasta or blend them together - either way - then add a healthy portion of Parmesan on top.  Enjoy!