This recipe was passed down from my maternal great-grandmother Corrine Boff to my grandmother, Patricia Silliman. My mother has fond memories of these growing up!

Porcupine Meatballs
Serves 4

1 can tomato soup
1 lb. hamburger
1/4 cup uncooked rice
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 c. water.

Mix 1/4 cup of tomato soup with hamburger, rice, egg, onion, salt and garlic powder. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls (about 21). Brown meatballs in skillet. Blend rest of soup and water. Pour over meatballs. Cover, simmer 40 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir often.

Serve over potatoes or alone.

Bethany and Randall's Pizza Tacos
Serves approx. 4

Here's a recipe I made up combining the two greatest foods of all time: pizza and tacos.

16 oz of ground sausage
6 oz jar of mushroom pieces
15 oz can of plain tomato sauce
Small can of black olives, approx. 2.25 oz
Pepperoni (to taste)
8 oz pkg of shredded mozzarella
Taco shells

Preheat oven and prepare taco shells according to instructions.

In a large skillet, brown ground sausage until cooked thoroughly; drain. Drain black olives and mushrooms; add to sausage in the skillet. Add tomato sauce and enough pepperoni to your liking. Heat until thoroughly cooked or until sauce is bubbling on medium-high heat.

Add mixture to taco shells, top with cheese. Enjoy!

Bethany's Sunday Rice Pilaf
Serves approx. 4

1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 oz can of mushrooms
1 small jar of pimientos (approx 6.5 oz), chopped
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large chicken breasts, chopped
1 cup of canned peas and carrots
Paprika to taste
1 box of Goya Rice Pilaf*

Sautée onion, pimiento, mushrooms, and peas and carrots in 1 tbsp of vegetable oil until soft.  In a separate pan, season chopped chicken breast with paprika and cook thoroughly.

Cook rice according to instructions. Add chicken and sauteed vegetables.

A Note From Bethany...
*Goya Rice Pilaf is not gluten-free. It can easily be substituted with one that is, however.

Bethany's Slow Cooker
Pot Roast
Serves 4

3 lb pot roast
4 red potatoes, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 lb carrots, coined
1/2 cup of water
1 pkg of Roasted Potato Seasoning Mix*

Chop vegetables; toss with seasoning. Place in bottom of slow cooker, top with roast. Add 1/2 cup of water. Place slow cooker on low 8-10 hours, or high for 5-6 hours or until tender.

A Note From Bethany...
*I use Concord Fresh Success Original Roasted Potato Seasoning Mix, but there are many other seasoning mixes available. Or, season the potatoes according to taste!

Let me preface this by saying that this skillet is horrible for you. But darn if it isn't absolutely delicious...

Bethany and Randall's
Sausage and Potato Breakfast Skillet
Serves 4-6

28 oz package of potatoes O'Brien
1 lb of sausage
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz can of mushrooms

Brown potatoes according to directions; salt and pepper to taste. In a second skillet, brown sausage. Layer potatoes, mushrooms, and sausage in a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish, cover with cheese. Heat at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.

Turkey and Rice Soup
Serves 4-6

1 small onion, chopped
1 cup of celery, diced
2-3 cups of cooked turkey or chicken, diced
1 cup of white riced, uncooked
5 cups of water
12 oz jar of turkey gravy
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of pepper

Grease crock pot and combine all ingredients. Cover and cook on low heat 5-7 hours, or until rice is done.

Chicken-in-a-Pot

3 lb whole chicken
3 carrots, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2-1 tsp basil

Put carrots, onion in bottom of Crock Pot. Add whole chicken. Top with salt, pepper, water. Sprinkle basil over top. Cover and cook until done (on low, 8-10 hrs or on high, 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours using 1 cup of water.)

Remove chicken and vegetables with spatula, place on platter.

Bethany's Healthy Taco Salad
Serves 3-4

1 lb of ground chicken
1 packet of low-sodium taco seasoning
1 can of black beans, drained
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/2 head of lettuce, shredded
1 cup of low fat Mexican blend cheese

Brown ground chicken until cooked through, drain. Add taco seasoning and make according to directions. On a large platter, place lettuce, tomato, onion, black beans, and mix. Top with meat, then add cheese.

This recipe is posted courtesy of All Recipes.

Leslie's Lentil Ham Soup

8 cups of water
2 2/3 Tbsp chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp marjoram
2 cups of lentils
1 ham bone with meat
1/3 tsp of marjoram
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 bay leaves
1 cup of carrots, coined
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped

Bring water and bouillon granules to a boil in a stock pot. Place ham bone in boiling broth, reduce heat to medium-low, and stir in lentils. Simmer 10 minutes until lentils begin to soften.

Stir celery, carrots, green peppers, onion, marjoram, and bay leaves into broth and simmer until lentils and vegetables are tender, about 10 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat and remove ham bone from soup. Cut ham from the bone, cube the meat, and return meat to the soup, discarding the bone.

Here's an inexpensive crock pot recipe that doesn't take as much time as traditional slow cooker recipes. I've seen various chickenetti recipes over the years, but this is the one we make at our house. Enjoy!

Chickenetti

1 cup of chicken broth
16 oz package of vermicelli, cooked*
4-6 cups of cooked chicken, shredded
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup*
1 cup of water
1/2 tsp of pepper
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1/2 cup of diced celery
1/2 lb of Velveeta

Sautée onion and celery until tender, about 6 minutes. In a very large slow cooker, add chicken broth, vermicelli, and chicken.

In a large bowl, combine soup and water until smooth.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 2-3 hours.

A Note From Bethany...
*Gluten-free pasta and soup may be substituted.

The original recipe didn't call for sautéeing the onion and celery, but the amount of time in the slow cooker isn't enough to cook the vegetables so they won't be crunchy.

Chicken Tetrazzini
Serves 6-8

8 oz of sliced canned mushrooms
3 Tbsp of butter
1/4 cup flour*
1 3/4 cup milk
2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup of white wine
12 oz of spaghetti*
2 lbs of chopped cooked chicken
1 cup cooked sweet peas
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup breadcrumbs*

Cook the mushrooms in the butter over moderate heat in a saucepan. Stir in flour and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring frequently until thickened. Add in milk, chicken broth, wine, bringing to a boil. Simmer sauce for 5 minutes.

Cook spaghetti and drain well.

Combine spaghetti, the sauce, chicken, and peas in a large bowl; salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Parmesan, and transfer the mixture to a buttered large casserole dish. Cover Tetrazzini with remaining Parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake Tetrazzini for 30-40 minutes at 375 degrees or until top is golden. Let sit several minutes for the liquid to thicken and absorb.

A Note From Bethany...
*Gluten-free flour, pasta, and breadcrumbs may be substituted.

This recipe is one that I've modified from several different squash casserole recipes to make gluten-free. Zucchini can also be used (2 lbs of zucchini combined with 2 lbs of yellow squash, although I have always used just squash.) This recipe is one that you'll either love or hate; I make this for my slightly-reluctant husband to try and get more vegetables in our diet. It makes a great side dish and is perfect for church potlucks. Isn't that somethin'?

Lowfat Squash Casserole

4 lbs of sliced yellow squash
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
8 oz lite sour cream
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp pepper
2 large eggs, whisked
2 1/2 cups of breadcrumbs*

2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook yellow squash and onion in boiling water for 8 minutes or just until tender; drain squash mixture well. Mix squash and onions, half of the cheddar cheese, sour cream, garlic salt, pepper and eggs in a mixing bowl. Spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

In a separate bowl, stir together melted butter and breadcrumbs.

Cover casserole with remaining cheddar and Parmesan cheese; spread breadcrumb mixture over top of casserole with a fork.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes

A Note From Bethany...
*Gluten-free breadcrumbs can be used. Since they tend to be expensive, I've also used crumbled gluten-free nacho chips to add a bit of extra flavor.

Noodles and Swiss Cheese

8 oz pkg of egg noodles
1/2 lb grated Swiss cheese
1 Tbsp of onion juice
1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup of melted margarine
1 pt of sour cream
1/2 cup of buttered crumbs*

Cook egg noodles in salted water and drain. Add Swiss cheese while noodles are still hot. Add onion juice, Worcestershire sauce, and butter. Cool.

Combine with sour cream; mix lightly and thoroughly. Place in casserole dish and top with buttered crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

A Note From Bethany...
*Gluten-free bread crumbs can be used.

Here's a stuffed pepper recipe from a woman named Peggy, a friend of my parents when they lived in Mundelein, Illinois from when my dad was in seminary. This makes a great main dish provided you like green bell peppers. It could be easily modified according to taste--heck, go hog wild and be creative.  It's also naturally gluten-free. Check it out below!

Stuffed Peppers

6 medium green peppers
1 lb of hamburger
1/3 cup of onion
16 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of uncooked rice
4 oz of shredded cheddar
1/2 tsp of salt
Dash of pepper

Wash and clean out peppers, removing the tops. Dice onions. In large skillet, cook and drain hamburger and diced onion, add salt and pepper to taste. Add diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup of rice, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stuff peppers; cover with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

A Note From Bethany...
The original recipe called for "sharp, processed cheese (Velveeta)" to be stirred into the stuffing. I have modified the recipe slightly for the cheese to be sprinkled on top of the stuffed pepper right before it is baked in the oven.

This is a recipe that to my knowledge my parents never wrote down but rather learned at one of the many church preschools at which my mother taught, and which, if I ever had a copy, I have long since lost. I have recreated it from memory below. You will notice that this recipe is both embarrassingly simple and rather odd--I'm not sure who invented it but remains my favorite meal, one that I both request every year for my birthday and hide rather shyly from my friends from Italy. I suspect that you'll either love it, as I always have, or hate it and never make it again. Looking over the recipe now I realize that it's probably an acquired taste, but no matter, check it out below!

Hot Dog Manicotti

Manicotti tubes
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
Hot dogs
Kraft singles (or cheddar cheese)
Oregano (optional)

Cook manicotti according to directions (we always would cook one more than needed to use as a test noodle. Heh. Test noodle). While the manicotti is boiling, warm up the necessary number of hot dogs in the microwave. Drain manicotti. Stuff one hot dog in each manicotti and cover with spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle oregano to taste. Top with Kraft singles or cheddar cheese; cook at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and brown.

A Note From Bethany...
I purposely did not list a serving size as this recipe is easily adaptable for however many people are eating; when I was growing up, however, a basic rule of thumb was two manicotti per person (or just eat the whole pan as I used to do when I was on my own in college. Whatever.)

Chicken Noodle Casserole

2 large chicken breasts, cooked, cooled, and diced
8 oz. package of noodles, cooked in the chicken broth (rinse and strain)

CHEESE SAUCE:
4 Tbsp of butter
2 Tbsp of flour
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of dry mustard
2 cups of scalded milk
2 cups of grated cheddar cheese

Alternate layers of the chicken and noodles in a large casserole or 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Combine sauce ingredients and cook over low heat until smooth. Pour over chicken and noodles and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

Here's another family recipe my mother used to make.  This is one of those recipes that's inexpensive and easy to make, and best of all, it tastes even better heated up the next day!  It's virtually goof-proof, too, and always turns out great, even back when I was first starting out on my own and had no clue what I was doing in the kitchen! I've always made it with just the peppers and onions because that's what I remember, but I bet squash or carrots would work as great additions.  Luckily, because of the simple ingredients, it doesn't need any modifications for those with gluten sensitivity. Check it out!

Sausage, Pepper, and Potato skillet
Serves 4

1 lb of Italian sausage, cut into 1" chunks
1 medium onion, cut into 1" chunks
1 green or red pepper, cut into 1" chunks
4 medium or 2 large potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3/4" chunks

In a large skillet, brown sausage on all sides. Drain off excess grease; add cut-up vegetables.

Cover and cook over low to medium heat about 15-20 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.

A Note From Bethany...
Towards the end of the cooking time, be sure to frequently check the potatoes. If you cook them too long, they'll get mushy and turn the entire dish into a sort of stew...yuck!

This is a casserole my mom made a lot growing up. I'm not sure where she got it, but judging by the design on the recipe card, it dates back at least to the late 80s in Germantown, where my days in kindergarten were punctuated by afternoons at Love Is A Hug Preschool and trips to see Miss Gratia at the public library.  We always used Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup growing up, but since Celiac's disease now runs in my family, I am posting some modifications below.  Check it out and see if your family doesn't love it, too!

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

1 package of chopped broccoli, chopped and drained
2 whole chicken breasts (1 whole fryer or 3 lb legs/thighs cooked*
2 tsp lemon juice
1 can of cream of chicken soup (or gluten free)
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup (20 oz) sharp cheddar
1/2 cup regular or gluten free bread crumbs

Remove skin and bones from cooked chicken and cut into large pieces. In bottom of 2 quart casserole dish, place cooked/drained broccoli. Cover with chicken pieces.

Mix lemon juice, soup, curry, and mayonnaise. Pour over chicken and broccoli.

Cover with cheese and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 350 degrees for 1 hour or until bubbly.

A Note From Bethany...
*Turkey may be substituted.

This began as a simple casserole recipe which I've adapted over the years--the original called for cream of chicken soup; when I made it for the first time years ago, cream of celery was all I had in the house and I've used it ever since. Sometimes I've used chicken breast tenders, sometimes chicken breasts. The result has been virtually the same. This is a classic chicken and rice casserole, paradoxically easy yet fussy to make (see my notes at the bottom of this post), and a family favorite. It takes a rather long time to make in comparison to many other mid-century casseroles featured on my blog; so pop it in, do some housework, have a glass of wine, and check on it in an hour!

Cheddar Chicken and Rice
Serves 4

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups of uncooked rice
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar*
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
1 can of cream of celery soup**
3 cups of water
1 envelope of Lipton onion soup mix***

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. Layer rice, 1 cup of cheese, and salt and pepper in pan. Place chicken on top. Dab cream of celery soup on top of the chicken and rice. Pour on soup mix and as much of the water as pan will hold. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, adding the rest of the water if completely absorbed. Bake for approximately 1/2 hr more or until all of the water is absorbed. Top with remaining cheddar, bake for 15 more minutes or until the cheese has melted.

A Note From Bethany...
Less water may be used depending on how the casserole bakes in your particular oven. Sometimes I've needed to use all of the water as it is absorbed during cooking, and mysteriously, other times only about 2 1/2 cups is required. The cooking times for me vary each time I make it, as they have for years. One thing is certain--cook for at least an hour, and frequently observe during the remaining cooking time to judge water absorption.

*I often use low-fat cheddar.

**Many condensed cream soups, including the ubiquitous Campbell's, contain gluten. Although there are creamed soups on the market that are specifically gluten free, I have never tried them with my recipes, so I can't speak to how they compare. I also often use the cream of celery soup from the the lower sodium line of Campbell's products.

***Careful, Lipton's onion soup mix is not gluten-free! For a recipe on how to make an all-natural gluten-free version, please check out this link!

I lived in North Dakota, (my first generation Russian German great aunt Helen's homestate) for six years, from 1990 until 1996. During that time, I was introduced to this glorious recipe called Tater Tot Hotdish.  Along with kuchen, fleischkuekle, knoephla, and stop sign pizza (that last one isn't regional--it's just the greatest food EVER when you're in first grade) this recipe defines my brief time in North Dakota in every possible way.  (At that young age, there were three ways to know you were going to have an awesome day at Prairie View Elementary School--1) there was a parachute in the gym, 2) the TV was pulled into the classroom for a film, or 3)Tater tot hotdish was on the lunch menu.)  

There are many variations of this, but here's the version I have in my recipe box:

Tater Tot Hotdish
Serves 4-6

1 lb of lean ground beef
1 lb bag of tater tots
2 10-ounce cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup
14 ounce can of vegetables of your choice (corn is often used; I prefer peas and carrots)
2 cups of cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. While it's preheating, brown and drain beef. In a 2.5 quart casserole dish, layer beef, drained vegetables, soup mix (don't add water to this!), and tater tots. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Remove from oven; top with cheese. Bake for 10 minutes longer.

A Note From Bethany...
To make this recipe lower in fat, I use low sodium cream of mushroom soup. Some versions also use turkey in place of beef. I also use a lower fat sharp cheddar cheese made with 2% milk. (Some versions of the recipe omit it entirely). It won't make it a health food by any means, but it'll help cut down on the guilt!