#41-Tom & Janet's Infamous Recipes

Here's what I got written down from Tom--there are a couple here that we didn’t make as a group but are worth sharing if I’m already going to the trouble of writing them all down anyway—Enjoy—but don’t blame us if they don’t turn out the way we cook them. Sometimes it’s hard to be Tom and Janet—not everyone can do it. (and we might have forgotten an important ingredient in the telling…)
These are Tom's recipes

Zucchini casserole
Take whatever size pan you are planning on using sprinkle a light covering of oatmeal—any kind. Then you take whatever squash (zucchini or yellow) and slice ¼ inch thick—cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle a med. dusting of bread crumbs over the layer. Sprinkle a layer of onions over that layer. Next layer is your choice of cheese (we used cheddar & Romano) but anything you like is ok. Then start all over again—green chilies are optional for any layer. Take it up to about ½ inch from top of casserole pan. The last layer should just be squash.
Then add a thicker coat of breadcrumbs.
Then mix up golden or cream of mushroom soup with half of the water—add enough to cover entire casserole (If you cook it too dry you can add water in the future)
Then sprinkle—heavy—a layer of Mrs. Dash Original—then add last layer of cheese. Cook at 350 until bubbly and golden brown—could be 1-2 hours depending on size of casserole.
Optional additions—
Corn tortillas instead of bread crumbs
Corn chip topping
Crushed pretzels for topping


Eggplant Parmigian
Put bread crumbs evenly on bottom of pan. Sprinkle extra virgin olive oil across bread crumbs and set aside.

In a shake bag put 4 cups of breadcrumbs, ½ cup of flour and a really heavy tablespoon of Italian seasoning, salt to taste. Shake.

Slice eggplant thin a short ¼ inch—dip in a straight egg batter—and then shake in bag.
Then fry in olive oil until browned on both sides. As they are done just add to bread crumb layer in pan. Layer cooked eggplant with a light layer of basic tomato sauce. Season with Italian seasoning—don’t be shy.
Add better than basic shredded parmesan/Romano layer.
Continue starting with bread crumbs layering until done with tomato sauce/Italian seasoning and cheese as your final layers. Can add sliced tomatoes before the cheese.
Cook at 350 for about 1 ½ hours—it stops bubbling—not watery but not too dry.

The Portobello mushroom concoction—
The best pan is a wok—take 2 large cloves of garlic—peel but leave whole. Chop onions into wedges—set aside. Slice 2 large portabellas about ¾ inch chunks—set aside.
Heat 1T butter until pretty hot and then cook garlic till brown—almost roasted and then add onions. Cook onions until transparent. Add teaspoon plus of olive oil up higher on rim of wok. Add portabellas and toss/cook until mushrooms turn dark.
As mushrooms turn dark add a sprinkle of teriyaki sauce—then add a cornstarch and water thickener—this is where Tom fell apart on his recipe telling—could have had something to do with the s’more made with chocolate frosting and gas stove roasted marshmallow Betsy just handed him. But anyway you want to thicken the sauce. Sauce should come up about 2/3rds the way up the mushrooms. Add water to make it just a light sauce—it also helps cook mushrooms. Once mushrooms turn black or are done—add ¼ c of sherry—stir, cut heat and serve.

Ice Cream
For ice cream you need a blender, ice, a can of sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and then any flavors you want (chocolate, peaches, strawberries, peppermint schnapps, chocolate chips, etc.)
For full blender full use 1 can of the milk, and ½ T of vanilla and then add crushed ice until it thickens, add flavoring to milk at first, sometimes it is easier to do half of blender at a time—just add ice until good consistency—add reg. milk if necessary. It’s easy and good.

Coconut shrimp—use as many shrimp as you want
1-2 Cans of coconut milk—try to get unsweetened & light
Shredded coconut
Bread crumbs—with Mrs. Dash Original mixed in
Cooking oil
1-2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
Egg & milk mixture to use for breading.

Peel, devein, and butterfly some decent sized shrimp. Bread with bread crumbs, Mrs. Dash, & shredded coconut in a shaker bag—use egg mixture to wet shrimp—try to get it all on pretty heavy—double dip it.
Fry shrimp in frying pan with oil over the shrimp—about an inch deep for most size. Drain on paper towels—do all the shrimp.
In a large casserole pan lay out all the shrimp with tail sticking up and most of them touching each other—mix coconut milk with sweetened condensed milk and mix in some nutmeg—use 1 to 1 can ratio. Pour a light layer over each of the shrimp—put in 425 oven. After about 2 minutes cooking pull out and do another light layer of milk over each shrimp again. Repeat every 2 min until milk is gone.
Heat other can of both milks with some more nutmeg and heat until low bubble. Put in gravy dish or dipping bowls for side dipping—Shrimp should be done in about 6-8 minutes when the milk topping is thick. Keep the layers light so the breading stays on—don’t overcook the shrimp when frying it.

These are some of Janet’s recipes--All my recipes are strictly guidelines—they seldom turn out the same way twice—but always good—when in doubt season them some more. Use common sense on basic amounts although mine always seems to grow to the next pan size up…same quality guarantee as Tom’s—you must of done something wrong if it doesn’t turn out…same reasons. E-mail me when you try something and let me know how they turn out.

Baked Potato soup
Clean 6-8 russet potatoes—I leave the skins on. Cube into about ½ inch cubes.
Since Stacy has issues with veggies and I have to hide them or make them too small to pick out I put an onion, about 5 stalks of celery, and a small bag of baby carrots and chop them all up in a food processor.
Boil the potatoes in water that has chicken bouillon added to the water—add veggie mixture about half way through being done. Get the potatoes just tender—not overcooked. Drain and set aside.
In large pot fry a pound of bacon already chopped up in smaller pieces—drain off at least half of the grease or all of it—depending on “how bad for you soup” you want. Drain bacon in paper towels and set aside. Add enough margarine to remaining bacon grease so that you have about ½ c. Once it is all melted add a heavy ½ c flour to make a roué. Cook and stir over medium heat to bubbly and then cook constantly stirring for 2 more minutes. Then slowly add about ½-¾ gal of skim milk—at least that is what we use—any milk will work. Stir frequently until all blended and bring to low boil. Season heavy with Mrs. Dash Garlic and herb, celery salt, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste—and anything else you want—dill etc..
Cut back heat and then start adding cubed Velveeta cheese—we use light. Add most of the block of cheese depending on how much milk and how much you like cheese. Adjust thickness with milk although you want it about gravy consistency. Once it has all melted add your potatoes and veggie mixture—you could also add cooked broccoli or cauliflower at this stage—Stacy refuses both—adjust any seasonings although don’t be afraid to use plenty—it will even be better the next day. Just before serving add all of the cooked, crumbled bacon although you can save back some for garnish. Garnish with bacon, a little shredded cheese, or green onions.


Enchiladas
Basic cheese and onion
Flour tortillas
3#of shredded co jack cheese—Wal-Mart carries this bag already done for you
Sauce—in blender add 1 can of Cheddar Cheese soup to 2 cans of diced tomatoes and green chilies (I use Wal-Mart brand). I use 1 can tomato &green chilies and 1 regular diced tomatoes since Stacy doesn’t like much spice. But the basic ratio is 1 cheese soup to 2 cans tomatoes.
Blend in blender until smooth. I usually make extra sauce since these casseroles freeze really well and the sauce is messy to make. Put sauce in something that is easy to pour from.

To construct cheese and onion—Pam your casserole and then put a light covering of sauce. Take a flour tortilla and put a healthy amount of cheese down the middle of tort. Sprinkle with chopped onions and pour a light covering of sauce. Roll up and place seam down in casserole pan. Continue until casserole is full—cover with a liberal amount of cheese and then completely cover in sauce. Can use knife to get sauce down in it and knock it on the counter to get it to settle. Put final layer of cheese garnish with chopped onion and cook at 350 until bubbly and golden. Plan on cutting down the middle to cut enchiladas in half—too hard to serve otherwise.

For chicken filling: Any leftover chicken will do but I usually use a deboned Sam’s club rotisserie chicken. Chop it or you can put it in a food processor. Add 1-2 pkgs of cream cheese or we use that New*** cheese that is just like it only 1/3 the fat—it’s always right next to it—we just can’t think what it’s called. It all depends on how much chicken you have and what you want. Add some sauce to get it thinner but still a stiff consistency. I also like to add can of mild green chilies. Construct them just like the cheese, a good hunk all the way down the middle, a little shredded cheese, a little sauce and then roll them up and put them seam down. Finish off casserole.

For Beef: Brown ground beef. I would add chopped onion. You can also add taco meat seasoning or salsa and then construct them the same way as the others.

Be generous with the shredded cheese and sauce. Cook and then serve this with chips since it is also great for eating with chips—we use them as our forks.
Great leftovers and casseroles freeze well. And very easy if you just do the basic

Baked Potato casserole
Wash about 2-3 more russet potatoes than you are serving people.
Cook until baked potato quality in the microwave. Cut in half and scoop out meat. You can cut up good skins and add them. Mash with hand masher.
Cook crumbled bacon and add finely chopped onion after cooking bacon—have bacon draining.
Add to mashed potatoes—light sour cream (about 8 oz for 6-7 potatoes), plenty of shredded co jack, garlic that was cooked with onions or powder, onions, and butter—between ½ stick to a whole one—again depends on how bad for you you want it.
Mash all together—salt and pepper to taste and I usually add Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb to about everything I make. Add bacon leaving some to side—dump mixture into pammed casserole. Put a nice layer of shredded co-jack over the top and garnish with bacon. Cook at 350 until hot and golden.

Easy slow cooker “turkey” dinner
Ok—this is the reason we have been known to take a crock pot on the road with us—easy with almost instant gratification—if you don’t mind a bit of a wait.
Layer in Crockpot
Stovetop stuffing—add water as directed on package.
Frozen mashed potato rounds—cover stuffing with single layer
Deboned rotisserie chicken—layer
Mix 1 can of cream of chicken soup with 2 jars of chicken gravy—pour over top of everything.
Let cook in slow cooker until everything is heated all the way through—really good.

Sausage gravy
My choice is straight good quality turkey breakfast sausage but I made a big batch this morning and this is the recipe that we decided to publish.
Brown 1# of turkey breakfast sausage and 1# of pork country sausage. Cook until completely done. Add margarine until you have about ½ c of grease in with the meat. Add 3-4 beef boullian cubes and break them down. Once melted add ½ c of flour and stirring constantly cook at least 2 minutes. They say 2 minutes is what it takes to get the starchy flavor out of a flour based roué. Start by adding the milk and the first 3-4 cups quickly- slowly add about ½ gallon of milk—all depends on how thick you like your gravy. Add lots of black pepper—and salt to taste—always taste it first before you add much salt—the sausage and boullian cubes have already added some. Bring to boil stirring constantly—serve with baked hash browns or biscuits. This amount will feel 5 people more than they should eat and have leftovers—I usually only cook 1# Turkey sausage for Stacy & I—adjusting everything by half. Use your common sense…Enjoy