Welcome to My Kitchen

Casseroles are perfect for fall days. Fragrant and warm from the oven, they make for cozy evening meals. Casseroles that are quick to fix or easy to prepare ahead are a boon to area cooks. With some area eating establishments closing for the winter and others shutting down permanently, I have been getting requests for ideas of what to fix when you can’t fill in with take out.

Cheeseburger Rice, a recipe I found on the Minute Rice box nearly 30 years ago, is one of my go to main dishes. This stovetop casserole takes about 18 minutes to prepare if everything is ready to go, or about 30 minutes if you forgot to thaw the hamburger and have to brown and break apart as it thaws. Serve with a green salad or top the dish with items you would put on a cheese burger.

Cheeseburger Rice

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup catsup

2 Tbsp prepared mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups Minute Rice, uncooked

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Optional Toppings:

Chopped tomatoes

Diced onion

Sliced dill pickle

Shredded lettuce

In a large skillet brown ground beef with onion over medium-high heat. Drain off any excess fat.

Stir in water, catsup, mustard, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Sprinkle with cheese and let stand 3 minutes more or until cheese melts. Serve with desired toppings. Yield 4 servings.

If you want to stretch the pound of ground beef, just double the rest of the ingredients except the salt. Use an extra large skillet so you have room to stir without spilling. Taste for saltiness before adding the cheese and add more salt if needed.

Cowboy Cookies, a recipe that has been around for 50 years or more, is a good choice if you get the word cookies are needed tomorrow and it is 8 o’clock at night. Keep ingredients on hand for this recipe where the dough doesn’t need to chill.

Cowboy Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 cups old fashioned oatmeal

1 package (12 ounces) chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts

In a large mixer bowl, combine butter and sugars. Beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and leavenings. Stir into creamed mixture. Add chocolate chips and nuts.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or line with parchment paper, cookie sheets.

Drop dough by teaspoonful’s onto prepared pans. Dough will be a bit crumbly, so use your fingers to round up the dough. Bake 15 minutes or until almost set and golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 5 dozen cookies.

Note: miniature chocolate chips are exceptionally good in this recipe.

Oven Baked or Crockpot Stew is my version of a stew recipe in the 1971 Better Homes and Gardens, All-Time Favorites publication. Bake it in the oven or simmer all day in your slow-cooker. Serve with some crusty dinner rolls to soak up the savory juices.

Oven Baked or Crockpot Stew

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds stew meat or chuck steak, cubed

2 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of tomato soup

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1/2 tsp crushed dried basil

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 medium carrots cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup dry red wine or water

Combine flour, salt and pepper. Coat meat cubes in flour mixture. Brown meat in hot oil in a large skillet, or a Dutch oven if following the oven baking instructions.

For oven baking, add soup and 2 1/2 cups water, onion and basil to meat in Dutch oven. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour. Add potatoes, carrots and wine. Cover and bake an additional hour or until vegetables are tender.

For slow-cooker preparation, combine browned meat with remaining ingredients in slow-cooker crock. Cook on high 4 hours then reduce heat to medium and continue cooking 2 to 4 hours more until meat is done and vegetables are tender. Yield 4 to 6 servings.

Note: you can stretch this recipe by adding additional vegetables.

Apple season is in full swing and a Classic Waldorf salad is a crunchy, refreshing side to go with any dinner menu. Red Delicious is the traditional apple to use because of it’s bright red color, but your favorite sweet-tart variety may be used. Crisp celery and crunch walnuts add flavor and texture to this fruit salad.

Classic Waldorf salad

2 cups diced red apple

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup coarsely broken walnuts

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup whipping cream whipped

Combine apple, celery and nuts in a medium mixing bowl. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, sugar and lemon juice. Fold in the whipped cream, and then fold this mixture into the apple mixture. Chill 1 hour. Yield: 6 servings.

Note: 1 cup thawed, frozen whipped topping may be used in place of the whipped cream.

– Share it and any of your favorite fall and winter menu recipes with your fellow readers by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office.