Comfort Food Classics

Baked Oatmeal Makes 6 servings Ingredients: ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted1 cup brown sugar2 eggs, beaten3 cups quick oats1 cup milk2 teaspoons baking powder1 teaspoon salt Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Combine melted butter, brown sugar, and eggs. 3. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into wellgreased 8×8 casserole or baking dish. 4. Bake for 30 minutes. 5. Serve, hot, cold, or at room temperature with milk and, if you like, toppings like fresh fruit or peanut butter. Breakfast Casserole Makes 6–8 servings Ingredients: 6–8 medium potatoes, peeled or unpeeled8 eggs2 teaspoons water¾ teaspoons salt¼ teaspoon pepper3 cups sharp cheese, grated Instructions: 1. Boil potatoes until mediumsoft. They should still be slightly crunchy. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate for 2 hours to make shredding…

Ham and Cheese Chowder Makes 8–10 servings Ingredients: 3 quarts water4 potatoes, diced1 cup chopped carrots1 cup chopped celery2 teaspoons salt¼ teaspoon pepper½ cup (1 stick) butter½ cup all-purpose flour1 quart milk1 pound Velveeta or American cheese, cut into cubes2 pounds fully cooked and cubed ham Instructions: 1. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. Boil until potatoes are tender. Drain. 2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter and mix in the flour, stirring constantly to combine while cooking the flour for a minute. Gradually stir or whisk in the milk. 3. Add drained veggies and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. 4. Reduce heat and add in cheese a bit at a time and stir until melted. 5. Add…

Macaroni and Hamburger Casserole Makes 6–8 servings Ingredients: 1½ cups uncooked macaroni2 teaspoons salt1½ quarts water2 tablespoons butter¼ cup minced onion1 pound ground beef2 teaspoons flour1 cup chopped green bell pepper15½-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained½–1 cup grated cheese of your choice Instructions: 1. Cook macaroni in salted water according to package directions, minus two minutes. 2. Drain (don’t rinse) and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F. 3. Melt butter in medium skillet. 4. Fry onion and ground beef in butter until ground beef is brown and crumbly. 5. Stir in flour, pepper, and tomatoes and cook for a minute. 6. Combine ground beef mixture and macaroni. Pour into greased casserole dish and sprinkle with cheese. 7. Bake for 25 minutes. Tater Tot Casserole Makes 10 servings Ingredients: 1 large onion3…

Cheesy Meat Loaf Makes 8 servings Ingredients: 2 eggs2⁄3 cup milk3 slices bread, cubed½ cup chopped onion½ cup grated carrots1 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley1 teaspoon dried parsley1 teaspoon dried basil, thyme, or sage (optional)1 teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon pepper1 1⁄2 pounds ground beef Topping ½ cup tomato sauce or ketchup½ cup brown sugar1 teaspoon mustard Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk and bread and set aside until bread absorbs the liquid. 3. Stir in onion, carrots, cheese, herbs, salt, and pepper. Add beef and mix well. 4. In a shallow baking pan, shape beef into a 7×3×2-inch loaf. Bake for 45 minutes. 5. Combine topping ingredients. 6. Spoon half of topping onto meatloaf. Bake 30 minutes…

Cheesy Broccoli Makes 10–12 servings Ingredients: 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli2 eggs, beaten1 cup mayonnaise1 can cream of mushroom soup¼ cup chopped onion3½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, dividedSalt and pepper½ cup bread crumbs or cracker crumbs Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Cook broccoli, drain, and cool. 3. Combine broccoli, eggs, mayonnaise, soup, onion, and 2 cups of the cheese. Add salt and pepper. 4. In a 9×13 pan, bake 30 minutes and then sprinkle with crumbs, top with remaining cheese, and bake 10 minutes longer. Green Bean Casserole Makes 6 servings Ingredients: 2 (16-ounce) packages frozen green beans10.5-ounce can cream of chicken, celery, or mushroom soup½ cup milk1⁄8 teaspoon pepper1 (2.8-ounce) can Frenchfried onions, optional Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Cook green beans in small…

Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce Makes 8 servings Ingredients: Butter4½ cups stale bread cubes1 teaspoon salt½ cup chopped pecans4 eggs2 cups milk1 cup half-and-half¾ cup sugar1½ tsp vanilla1 tsp cinnamon½ tsp nutmeg¼ tsp salt Water Rum Sauce 2 tablespoons heavy cream2 tablespoon dark rum or 1 tablespoon rum extract1 tsp vanilla extract½ cup butter½ cup brown sugarpinch of salt Instructions: 1. Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Scatter bread cubes and pecans in dish. Beat eggs with milk, half-and-half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour over bread; let sit 30 minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 3. Set baking dish into a larger pan and pour 1 inch of water into pan. Bake 1 hour. 4. While pudding is baking, combine cream, rum or extract and vanilla; set aside. 5. Melt…