Cottage Pie and other goodies
Jul. 31st, 2007 05:59 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
mumstheword54.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
shire_kitchenIn a conversation on ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
boz4pm's LJ, I was asked for some down-home recipes that others wanted.
Specifically, I'll post here recipes for Cottage Pie (my family's version that we had called Shepherd's Pie until we were enlightened), Chocolate Crinkles, and Gooey Butter Cake, as well as simple directions for what we call Chicken 'n' Yellow Rice and Cottage Fries.
Disclaimer:
These may not be Shire recipes, but they're yummy good.
And all measurements are US. Apologies to other readers.
Cottage Pie
1 rib celery, chopped or thinly sliced
1/4 C. chopped onion
1 lb. ground beef
1 can cream of celery, mushroom, or chicken soup
4 C. mashed potatoes
In skillet combine celery and onion; crumble meat on top; cook over Medium-High heat, stirring occasionally, till meat is brown and vegetables are tender. Drain well. Stir in soup and pour into casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes, to lightly brown potatoes.
Serve with brown gravy and a green vegetable.
Serves 4-8.
Chocolate Crinkles
1/2 C. corn oil (or other vegetable oil)
2 tsp. vanilla
4 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C. sifted flour
2 C. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs
1 C. powdered sugar
Mix oil, chocolate, and sugar. Blend in 1 egg at a time till well mixed. Add vanilla. Stir in salt, flour, and baking powder. Chill several hours or overnight.
Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into powdered sugar. Roll around and shape into balls. Place about 2” apart on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF 10-12 minutes.
Makes about 4-5 dozen.
Store in airtight container.
Notes:
The balls should be about 1/4-inch, because they spread quite a bit.
If the cookies last long enough to get dry, a piece of apple in the container will soften them up a bit.
Gooey Butter Cake
[This dessert seems to be most common in the St. Louis, Missouri, area, although it is growing in popularity elsewhere. The texture resembles lemon bars but is a rich vanilla flavor. However, you may wish to experiment with other flavors of cake mixes.]
Butter Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 C. (1 stick) margarine or butter
1 tsp. vanilla (or more to taste)
Gooey Topping:
8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla (or more to taste)
1-lb. box (about 4 C.) powdered sugar, reserving 2 Tbsp.
In covered microwave-safe bowl heat margarine on High 1-2 minutes, until melted (or melt in small saucepan on stove-top). Set aside to begin cooling.
In small mixing bowl, place cream cheese, 2 eggs, and 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla; blend on Low speed. Add powdered sugar, 1 C. at a time, blending on Low speed; on Medium speed, blend for 1 minute, scraping the bowl frequently. (Batter may still be lumpy.) Lift out the beaters and allow to drip over the bowl.
In medium mixing bowl, combine melted margarine, 2 eggs, and 1 tsp. vanilla; blend on Low speed. Add dry cake mix; on Low speed, carefully blend in, scraping bowl frequently; on Medium speed, blend for 1 minute. The batter will be very thick.
Place 2 8” or 9” square cake pans on a large cookie sheet. (If desired, line the pans with aluminum foil.) Divide the cake batter between the pans, spreading to edges. Pour cream-cheese mixture over the batter, spreading evenly to edges.
Bake at 325ºF for 15 minutes. Pull out rack as far as possible and sift reserved powdered sugar over cakes. Return cakes to oven and continue baking 25 minutes, until edges of gooey topping are light golden brown. Do not overbake, or the cake will not be gooey.
Cool on cooling rack. (The cakes will fall in the middle.) Cut each cake into 9 or 16 very rich pieces.
Serve warm or cooled. Individual servings can be warmed in the microwave or enjoyed cold.
Freezes well. Serves 18-32.
Chicken 'n' Yellow Rice
[We use a pre-packaged rice called RM Quigg's Yellow Rice. Other brands are available in many supermarkets, or you can use your favorite rice and season it to your own taste.]
Prepare 1-2 C. rice according to package directions, adding the following to the water as it heats:
1-2 C. diced, cooked chicken
1/4 - 1/2 C. each diced onion, celery, and bell pepper
1 tsp. margarine or butter
1 chicken bouillon cube (use instead of salt)
Some people like to add a bit more water to make this more of a thick chicken-and-rice soup.
Cooked green vegetables (broccoli, peas, etc.) may be stirred in when the rice has cooked through, if desired.
Cottage Fries
[Again, this is what my family calls these potatoes; there are probably other, more accurate names. It's a tasty way to use leftover boiled potatoes.]
4 medium boiled red potatoes, cooled, peeled, and thinly sliced
1/4 C. vegetable oil
Optional: diced onion and/or cooked bacon
Heat oil in large frying pan over Medium-High heat. Carefully place potato slices, onion, and bacon in oil and cook until potatoes are lightly brown on one side. Turn and repeat on the other side.
Drain on paper towels.
Often served like hash-browns in the morning with eggs, or at lunch or dinner as a side dish.
boz4pm's LJ, I was asked for some down-home recipes that others wanted.Specifically, I'll post here recipes for Cottage Pie (my family's version that we had called Shepherd's Pie until we were enlightened), Chocolate Crinkles, and Gooey Butter Cake, as well as simple directions for what we call Chicken 'n' Yellow Rice and Cottage Fries.
Disclaimer:
These may not be Shire recipes, but they're yummy good.
And all measurements are US. Apologies to other readers.
Cottage Pie
1 rib celery, chopped or thinly sliced
1/4 C. chopped onion
1 lb. ground beef
1 can cream of celery, mushroom, or chicken soup
4 C. mashed potatoes
In skillet combine celery and onion; crumble meat on top; cook over Medium-High heat, stirring occasionally, till meat is brown and vegetables are tender. Drain well. Stir in soup and pour into casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes, to lightly brown potatoes.
Serve with brown gravy and a green vegetable.
Serves 4-8.
Chocolate Crinkles
1/2 C. corn oil (or other vegetable oil)
2 tsp. vanilla
4 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C. sifted flour
2 C. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs
1 C. powdered sugar
Mix oil, chocolate, and sugar. Blend in 1 egg at a time till well mixed. Add vanilla. Stir in salt, flour, and baking powder. Chill several hours or overnight.
Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into powdered sugar. Roll around and shape into balls. Place about 2” apart on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350ºF 10-12 minutes.
Makes about 4-5 dozen.
Store in airtight container.
Notes:
The balls should be about 1/4-inch, because they spread quite a bit.
If the cookies last long enough to get dry, a piece of apple in the container will soften them up a bit.
Gooey Butter Cake
[This dessert seems to be most common in the St. Louis, Missouri, area, although it is growing in popularity elsewhere. The texture resembles lemon bars but is a rich vanilla flavor. However, you may wish to experiment with other flavors of cake mixes.]
Butter Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 C. (1 stick) margarine or butter
1 tsp. vanilla (or more to taste)
Gooey Topping:
8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla (or more to taste)
1-lb. box (about 4 C.) powdered sugar, reserving 2 Tbsp.
In covered microwave-safe bowl heat margarine on High 1-2 minutes, until melted (or melt in small saucepan on stove-top). Set aside to begin cooling.
In small mixing bowl, place cream cheese, 2 eggs, and 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla; blend on Low speed. Add powdered sugar, 1 C. at a time, blending on Low speed; on Medium speed, blend for 1 minute, scraping the bowl frequently. (Batter may still be lumpy.) Lift out the beaters and allow to drip over the bowl.
In medium mixing bowl, combine melted margarine, 2 eggs, and 1 tsp. vanilla; blend on Low speed. Add dry cake mix; on Low speed, carefully blend in, scraping bowl frequently; on Medium speed, blend for 1 minute. The batter will be very thick.
Place 2 8” or 9” square cake pans on a large cookie sheet. (If desired, line the pans with aluminum foil.) Divide the cake batter between the pans, spreading to edges. Pour cream-cheese mixture over the batter, spreading evenly to edges.
Bake at 325ºF for 15 minutes. Pull out rack as far as possible and sift reserved powdered sugar over cakes. Return cakes to oven and continue baking 25 minutes, until edges of gooey topping are light golden brown. Do not overbake, or the cake will not be gooey.
Cool on cooling rack. (The cakes will fall in the middle.) Cut each cake into 9 or 16 very rich pieces.
Serve warm or cooled. Individual servings can be warmed in the microwave or enjoyed cold.
Freezes well. Serves 18-32.
Chicken 'n' Yellow Rice
[We use a pre-packaged rice called RM Quigg's Yellow Rice. Other brands are available in many supermarkets, or you can use your favorite rice and season it to your own taste.]
Prepare 1-2 C. rice according to package directions, adding the following to the water as it heats:
1-2 C. diced, cooked chicken
1/4 - 1/2 C. each diced onion, celery, and bell pepper
1 tsp. margarine or butter
1 chicken bouillon cube (use instead of salt)
Some people like to add a bit more water to make this more of a thick chicken-and-rice soup.
Cooked green vegetables (broccoli, peas, etc.) may be stirred in when the rice has cooked through, if desired.
Cottage Fries
[Again, this is what my family calls these potatoes; there are probably other, more accurate names. It's a tasty way to use leftover boiled potatoes.]
4 medium boiled red potatoes, cooled, peeled, and thinly sliced
1/4 C. vegetable oil
Optional: diced onion and/or cooked bacon
Heat oil in large frying pan over Medium-High heat. Carefully place potato slices, onion, and bacon in oil and cook until potatoes are lightly brown on one side. Turn and repeat on the other side.
Drain on paper towels.
Often served like hash-browns in the morning with eggs, or at lunch or dinner as a side dish.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}