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Creamy Kidney bean salad

Creamy Kidney bean salad
Serves 2
This creamy salad will have people wanting more and the recipe!
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Ingredients
  1. 2 (15.5 oz.)cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained (not dark)
  2. 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
  3. 1/2 cup sliced celery
  4. 1/2 cup sliced green onions (6 white and light green, large)
  5. 1/2 cup mayonnaise (mayo to taste) not miracle whip
  6. 1 tbsp. dill pickle relish
  7. touch of Dijon mustard (not more than a teas)
  8. 1/2 teaspoon pepper or to taste
  9. 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
  1. In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients; stir until coated.
  2. Refrigerate until serving.
  3. Serve in a lettuce-lined bowl if desired.
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Creamy Macaroni Salad

Creamy Macaroni Salad
Serves 12
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Ingredients
  1. 1 lb elbow macaroni
  2. 1 cup or so Hellman's mayo (not miracle whip)
  3. 2-3 green onion
  4. 2 stalks celery
  5. Hidden Valley dip mix with dill (1-2 tablespoons)
  6. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing (1-2 tablespoons) to taste
  7. 1 tablespoon salt to taste
  8. 1 tablespoon pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Cook the macaroni per the instructions and rinse after cooking to stop the cooking process
  2. Cut up the celery and green onions into small pieces
  3. In a large bowl add the macaroni, celery, green onions, mayo along with the spices.
  4. Mix well and taste.
  5. Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving or over night and then check to see if it needs more mayo. The macaroni has a tendency to absorb the mayo.
  6. Depending on your taste, you can add more of the dip mix for a stronger dill flavor
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French Lentil Soup

French Lentil Soup
This is a tasty and filling soup, despite being meatless. The original recipe called for water in place of the stock or broth I prefer. The stock/broth, plus lentils combined with rice gives complete protein content for the soup. I also converted this recipe for use in a crock-pot.
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Cook Time
8 hr
Cook Time
8 hr
Ingredients
  1. 4 tablespoons olive oil
  2. 1 large onion, chopped
  3. 2 garlic cloves, minced
  4. 1 1/2 cups French, green, or brown lentils
  5. 64 oz (two cartons) of chicken stock or low sodium broth
  6. 1 celery stalk, diced
  7. 1 turnip, diced
  8. 1 bunch sorrel or spinach, cut in 2 inch strips
  9. 1 bay leaf
  10. 1 large carrot, diced
  11. 1 large potato, diced
  12. 1 can low sodium tomato sauce
  13. salt to taste (you'll need more than you think)
  14. 1/2 cup cooked white or brown rice
Instructions
  1. Pour olive oil into a sauce pan and gently saute onion and garlic over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until onion is soft and translucent.
  2. Rinse the lentils and add to crock pot. Add the stock, cut vegetables, sauteed onions and garlic, and the rest of the ingredients except the salt and rice.
  3. Cook on low for 8-10 hours.
  4. After 8 hours check on the soup. It should be very dark brown, and about half of the lentils will have broken down completely.
  5. Season the soup to taste and add the rice.
  6. Serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired. Definitely serve with bread, because folks will want to get every drop of this soup out of the bowl!
Adapted from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila'Latourrette
Adapted from Twelve Months of Monastery Soups by Brother Victor-Antoine d'Avila'Latourrette
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Crock Pot Stuffing

 

Crock Pot Stuffing
Great easy stuffing that you use a crock pot and keep more space open in the oven!
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Prep Time
1 hr 30 min
Cook Time
8 hr
Total Time
9 hr 30 min
Prep Time
1 hr 30 min
Cook Time
8 hr
Total Time
9 hr 30 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 c. butter
  2. 1 1/2 tsp. sage
  3. 2 c. chopped onion
  4. 2 c. chopped celery
  5. 1 tsp. thyme
  6. 1/2 tsp. pepper
  7. 1/4 c parsley sprigs
  8. 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  9. 1 (28-oz.) can mushrooms
  10. 3 1/2 c. chicken or turkey broth
  11. 12 c. day-old bread, cubed (I use different types)
  12. 2 eggs, well beaten
  13. 1 tsp poultry seasoning
  14. 2 lbs bulk or link Italian Sausage. (if links remove the casing after cooking and cutting in to small bite size pieces)
Instructions
  1. Cook the sausage until done (this can be done the night before)
  2. Melt butter and saute onion, celery, parsley and mushrooms.
  3. Pour mixture over bread cubes in large mixing bowl.
  4. Add poultry seasoning, sage,thyme, pepper and garlic powder.
  5. Toss well.
  6. Pour enough broth to moisten. Add eggs and mix well.
  7. Pack lightly into slow cooker and cover.
  8. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours.
Notes
  1. Keep an eye on the stuffing to make sure it doesn't dry out and you may have to add more broth.
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Reuben Casserole with Thousand Island Dressing

I love Reubens of all variety — classic Reubens with sauerkraut, alternate Reubens with coleslaw (which is called a Sycamore at the fantastic fast food restaurant, Tops, in the Pasadena, CA, area), and slightly more healthy Rachels with coleslaw and turkey instead of corned beef.

But Reubens can’t be found everywhere, so when I found myself with left over sauerkraut from Sunday’s dinner, I searched around and found this recipe on Betty Crocker. It’s not perfect, so I’d love to hear how you’ve modified it. Richard and I thought it was good, but a little too liquid. I think using leftover home-made mashed potatoes instead of instant might fix the problem. I’ll update when I cook this one again after St. Patrick’s Day.

Reuben Casserole with Thousand Island Dressing
Serves 6
Try this tasty casserole when you're craving the flavors of a Reuben sandwich but you can't find a good deli nearby.
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 hr
Total Time
30 hr 10 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
30 hr
Total Time
30 hr 10 min
For the casserole
  1. 2 cups water
  2. 3/4 cups milk
  3. 3 tbsp butter or margarine
  4. 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  5. 1 pouches (4.7 oz each) Betty Crocker™ sour cream and chive mashed potatoes
  6. 1 cup corned beef, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  7. 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) sauerkraut, drained well (rinse to taste)
  8. 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
  9. 4 teaspoons caraway seed, if desired
For the dressing
  1. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  2. 1/4 cup ketchup
  3. 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
  4. 1/4 cup dill pickle relish
  5. 1 pinch salt
  6. 1 pinch ground black pepper
Directions for the casserole
  1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease or spray 2 1/2-qt baking dish.
  2. Heat water and butter to rapid boil in 3-quart saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in milk and mustard. Stir in 1 pouches potatoes just until moistened. Let stand about 1 minute or until liquid is absorbed. Whip with fork until smooth.
  3. Spread about 1/2 of the potatoes in baking dish. Top with corned beef. Spread sauerkraut over corned beef and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons caraway seed, if desired. Spoon remaining potatoes over top; spread gently. Sprinkle potatoes with cheese and remaining caraway seed.
  4. Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until cheese is light golden brown.
  5. Serve with Thousand Island dressing on the side.
Directions for the dressing
  1. Combine all dressing ingredients and mix well. Store in an air tight container in the fridge.
  2. Can be made in advance, but should be well chilled before topping casserole.
Notes
  1. Remember to drain your sauerkraut well to prevent excess liquids.
  2. I don't like my Thousand Island dressing too sweet, so I use dill and sweet pickle relish. Dill pickle relish can be hard to find in some parts of the country. You could try using mustard relish, or just use the sweet pickle relish and omit the dill. You could also add a squeeze of lemon juice to cut the sweetness as well.
Adapted from Betty Crocker
Adapted from Betty Crocker
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Gooey Holiday 7 Layer Bars

This recipe is based on one from the 2015 Betty Crocker 24 Days of Cookies. The original calls for white chocolate chips, but I wanted something a little richer, but less sweet, so I went with semi-sweet chocolate chips. When I got everything home and started the recipe, I realized I had picked up evaporated milk instead of the condensed called for. Oops! So I replaced it with a substitute I found on Just a Pinch (I’m not going to include a link here because there is a script on that site that isn’t functioning and crashed my browser…).

To my delightful surprise, they turned out amazing! Like ooey-gooey brownies, but gingerbread flavored. Enjoy.

Gooey Holiday 7-Layer Bars
Yields 32
An awesome ooey-gooey mix of gingerbread, brownies, and 7-layer bars.
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
33 min
Total Time
2 hr 50 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
33 min
Total Time
2 hr 50 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 box (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ gingerbread/cookie mix
  2. 2 Tbsp butter
  3. 1/4 cup water
  4. 2 eggs
  5. 1 cup brown sugar
  6. 4 Tbsp flour (divided)
  7. 1/2 tsp baking powder
  8. 1/4 tsp salt
  9. 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet or bittersweet chips
  10. 1 cup chopped pecans
  11. 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
  12. 1/2 cup flaked (unsweetened) coconut
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom of 13x9-inch pan.
  2. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, water and 2 Tbsp flour until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of pan. It will be sticky.
  3. Bake 15 minutes.
  4. While the crust bakes, whisk brown sugar, remaining 2 Tbsp flour, baking powder and salt until smooth. Make sure to get any lumps from brown sugar into the mix.
  5. Pour down sugar mix evenly over surface. Sprinkle chocolate chips, pecans, cranberries and coconut evenly over top. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until bubbling along edges and coconut is lightly toasted. For my tiny gas oven in the RV, it took 18 minutes.
  6. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 2 hours. Cut into 8 rows by 4 rows.
Notes
  1. The original calls for sweetened flaked coconut, but a lot of the commenters talked about it being too sweet, so I tried it with unsweetened, and found it just right for my tastes. If you have trouble finding unsweetened, try the natural or organic food section of your grocery store, it's often there.
  2. The substitute for condensed milk I used here is 1 cup brown sugar whisked with 2 eggs, 2 Tbsp flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. Omit these ingredients if using a 14 oz can of condensed milk.
Adapted from Betty Crocker
Adapted from Betty Crocker
Lost Rambler https://lostrambler.com/hodor/

Fresh homemade polish sausage! (White)

Fresh homemade polish sausage (White)
Yields 10
Our family handed down recipe.
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Ingredients
  1. about 10 lbs of pork shoulder
  2. 12-16 cloves of fresh garlic or more depending on how much garlic you like
  3. 1-1.5 cups of ice water
  4. 4 tsps of kosher salt fresh ground
  5. 1-2 tbsps of fresh ground pepper or more depending on your taste.
Instructions
  1. Cut the meat into 1" strips for grinding. Do not cut off any fat.
  2. Keeping the meat cold at all times (we use a bowl with an ice bath under it)
  3. Grind your meat using the large blade and then mix in all ingredients. Mix well. It should be a bit sloppy.
  4. Fry up a small patty to taste seasonings and you can adjust if needed.
  5. Place it in the fridge overnight.
  6. The next day soak casings in warm water 1-3 hrs.
  7. Rinse the casings.
  8. Some people cut them but I just fill the horn up and then cut the casing.
  9. Stuff the sausage into the casings. We do long links or coils that are prolly about 2-3 lbs a piece.
  10. Place the sausage in the fridge uncovered over night to dry a bit.
  11. Then wrap to freeze or cook up.
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Turkey Tetrazzini

Turkey Tetrazzini
Serves 8
Quick and easy (and huge!) recipe for using leftover turkey, ham, or chicken.
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Ingredients
  1. 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
  2. 2/3 cup milk
  3. 1 (16-ounce) jar Alfredo sauce (I like Bertolli)
  4. 3 1/2 cups chopped cooked turkey, chicken, or ham
  5. 12 ounces egg noodles, cooked
  6. 1 (10-ounce) package frozen petite peas, thawed
  7. 1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
  8. 1 1/2 cups shredded baby Swiss cheese
  9. 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
  10. 1/2 cup crushed garlic-and-butter seasoned croutons
  11. 1/4 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
  1. Whisk together soup and milk in large mixing bowl; whisk in Alfredo sauce. Stir in chopped turkey, next 4 ingredients, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Pour into a lightly greased 15- x 10-inch baking dish.
  2. Stir together remaining Parmesan cheese, crushed croutons, and paprika; sprinkle evenly over casserole.
  3. Bake, covered, at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 more minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
  1. Okay, so this makes a HUGE casserole. Too huge for Richard and I to eat, too huge to fit in my RV's oven or convection oven. So what I do is make it in two casserole dishes and freeze one for later. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight; bake, covered, at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
  2. If you want to "healthy" this up, use low fat/low salt replacements for everything you can except the milk, but as usual, don't expect it to be as rich. Skim does not perform well in casseroles I've found, but then I use 2% milk for everything since it lasts longer in the fridge compared to less fat milks. I don't like drinking full fat milk, but that has the longest shelf life of all fresh milks.
  3. Also, I do not salt this casserole, since the Parmesan cheese is salty and the cream of mushroom soup, Alfredo sauce, and garlic-and-butter seasoned croutons are already salted.
  4. Crushed seasoned croutons make great toppings for other casseroles too!
Adapted from Southern Living, November 2003
Adapted from Southern Living, November 2003
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