Now that we’ve all just about cooked our whiskers off for Thanksgiving, we deserve to kick back a little. Don’t we?
I’ll take that as a yes, so what say we try a couple of easy-do dishes the next few days …
The first one of those comes to us from Granite Falls cook Shannon Thom. When she sent along her just-created recipe for amazing Mayan brownies (which appeared in the Nov. 10 Forum column), she also included the how-to for a chicken dish.
She tells us, “This recipe for cheater’s chicken parmigian is my kids’ current fave. For the sauce, we like Classico mushroom-olive.”
Next, faithful Forum helper-outer Dianne Berst of Marysville writes, “I wonder if this seven-layer casserole could be the country pie Jeanette Fabello is remembering. I don’t recall using the recipe myself, but I found it in a cookbook called ‘Best Recipes From the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans and Jars.’”
Not only will cooks be likely to enjoy both making and eating this layered dish, I think we’ll all enjoy its accompanying notation, too: “A recipe for liberated cooks, so quick and easy, developed long before cooks were liberated. So delicious, it is one of the most popular ever from the Hunt-Wesson kitchens.”
Cheater’s chicken parmigian
1jar favorite spaghetti sauce, divided
Frozen, breaded chicken strips or chicken tenders
1/2spaghetti jar water
Shredded Parmesan cheese to taste
Shredded mozzarella cheese to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking dish with nonstick coating. Pour a very thin layer of spaghetti sauce over bottom of pan. Arrange a single layer of the chicken strips or chicken tenders over the layer of sauce. Combine remaining spaghetti sauce with the water, mixing well, and pour evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, then top with a layer of the mozzarella.
Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through, sauce is hot and bubbling, and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Seven-layer casserole
1cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1can (16 ounces) whole-kernel corn, undrained
1teaspoon seasoned salt, divided
1/4teaspoon seasoned pepper, divided
1beef bouillon cube
3/4cup boiling water
1can (15 ounces) tomato sauce with tomato bits, divided
1teaspoon Worcestershire
1teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
1cup chopped onion
1/2cup each chopped green pepper and celery
1pound lean ground beef
1cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
2tablespoons imitation bacon bits
In 2-quart casserole, arrange ingredients in layers in the following order: rice mixed well with corn, half the salt and pepper, bouillon cube and boiling water; half of the tomato sauce that has been mixed with the Worcestershire and Italian seasoning; chopped onion, green pepper and celery; uncooked ground beef and remaining salt and pepper; remaining tomato sauce mixture.
Cover dish tightly and bake at 375 degrees 45 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and bake, uncovered, 15 minutes longer. Top with bacon bits before serving.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
SOS: Marysville reader Betty Joe Brown writes, “I was wondering if your readers could possibly find a recipe for me. I am looking for a Jell-O cake recipe. Years ago, my friend chose this cake for her wedding cake. I would like to make it for the upcoming holidays, but cannot find it in any of my cookbooks.”
If you can identify and share this particular recipe, please write to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.
We are always happy to receive your contributions and requests, but please remember that all letters and all e-mail must include a name, complete address with ZIP code and telephone number with area code. No exceptions and sorry, but no response to e-mail by return e-mail; send to kruse@heraldnet.com.
The next Forum will appear in Wednesday’s Food section.
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