Last weekend held one of those Saturday’s when I seemed to be cooking all day. It was nice to have a long Easter weekend. A great deal of that cooking was in preparation for Easter Sunday lunch. The rest was just to have some food in the refrigerator for supper when we get home from a long day of school.
My maternal grandmother, Mamaw, was the dearest, sweetest soul God ever placed on this Earth. I have a photo of her with my son on my kitchen counter that I see on a daily basis. I have some of her pots, pans, and skillets that I still cook with and think of her each time I use them. She was an amazing cook. Mama and I often cook some of her recipes and have come to the conclusion that they will never be as good as hers. That ingredient of love cannot be substituted.
I prepared some deviled eggs for Easter lunch and served them in her crystal deviled egg plate with homemade pimiento cheese stuffed in celery for the center wheel of the plate.
Unfortunately I also tried her homemade rolls. They were terrible. I could not find my rolling pin or my biscuit cutter. That should have been a sign. The rolls were as dense and tough as any homemade roll has ever been. I used to make these rolls all the time. Maybe I have lost my touch and my rolls need to join my hockey puck biscuits in my reject hall of fame. Perhaps breads are not my strong suit.
I usually give up when something does not turn out as I would like. I am determined to try rolls again. I will not be defeated.
My congealed salad was great, as was my Spinach Madeliene. We had strawberry shortcake for desert using Mama’s homemade pound cake as the base. My sister-in-law, Sarah, prepared a delicious pork tenderloin and everybody’s favorite Hash Brown Casserole.
I don’t know what we will do for Mother’s Day, but I really think I will give the rolls another shot. I may also have some Sister Schubert in the freezer for a stand by. We can’t all be perfect.
I hope you enjoy today’s recipes. I’ve been trying some old tried and true favorites as of late. These are three of my all time favorites. As always, Thanks for Reading.
POPPY SEED CHICKEN
2 sleeves Ritz crackers, crushed
1 stick butter, melted
2 Tbsp. poppy seed
4 chicken breasts, boiled and chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. sour cream
Hot cooked rice
Mix cracker crumbs and butter and poppy seed. Mix chicken, soups, and sour cream. Put half the Ritz mixture in a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Pour soup mixture over the crackers and top with remaining cracker mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 – 40 minutes. Serve over prepared rice.
CHICKEN and
ARTICHOKE CASSEROLE
2 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts
3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. curry powder
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 cup crushed Ritz cracker crumbs
Cooked Rice
Drain artichokes and place in a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Spread chicken on top. Combine soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder; pour over chicken. Sprinkle cheese on top. Top with cracker crumbs that have been mixed with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve over cooked rice.
PARTY CHICKEN
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 (8 oz.) sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 slices bacon
1 jar dried beef
Cooked Rice
Wrap each chicken breast with a slice of bacon. Line a greased casserole dish with slices of dried beef. Place wrapped chicken breasts over the beef. Combine sour cream and soup and spread over chicken. Cover with foil and bake at 325 degrees for 2 ½ - 3 hours. Serve with cooked rice.
