Garfield...Recipes with Cattitude! Cookbook (Everyday Cookbook Collection) (12 page)

Toss together cheese, green pepper, onion, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add beef; mix well and form into 4 to 6 burgers. Add burgers to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, to desired doneness. Serve burgers on rolls, topped with extra cheese, if desired. Serves 4 to 6.

Burger buns just taste better toasted…and they won’t get soggy! Butter buns lightly and place them on a hot grill for 30 seconds to one minute on each side, until toasty.

Baked Chili Fries

Frozen steak fries can be fixed this way too. Just bake them at the temperature and time in the package directions.

1 t. chili powder

1 t. onion powder

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. seasoned salt

3 T. olive oil

3 baking potatoes, cut into wedges

Garnish: catsup, ranch salad dressing

Mix seasonings in a large plastic zipping bag. Add oil and squeeze to mix; add potato wedges. Seal bag tightly; shake vigorously to coat potatoes well. Arrange potatoes on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn potatoes over and bake another 15 minutes, or until tender and golden. Serve with catsup and ranch salad dressing for dipping. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

For recipes like Spicy Baked Chili Fries that you make often, mix up several small bags of the seasoning blend. Label with the recipe’s name and tuck in the cupboard…a terrific time-saver for future meals!

Tuna-Egg Salad Sandwiches

Tuck in some avocado slices for an even tastier sandwich.

4 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and chopped

12-oz. can tuna, drained

2 T. red onion, minced

3 T. mayonnaise

2 T. honey mustard

salt and pepper to taste

8 slices whole-wheat or white bread

4 leaves lettuce

4 slices tomato

1 c. alfalfa sprouts

In a bowl, blend together eggs, tuna, onion, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Spread mixture evenly over 4 bread slices. Top each slice with one lettuce leaf, one tomato slice and 1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts. Top sandwiches with remaining bread slices; slice in half. Makes 4 servings.

Hard-boiled eggs made easy! Cover eggs with an inch of water in a saucepan and place over medium-high heat. As soon as the water boils, cover the pan and remove from heat. Let stand for 18 to 20 minutes…cover with ice water, peel and they’re done.

Horseradish Dill Pickles

These pickles aren’t too hot…just full of flavor! They’re super-easy to make too. Start a week ahead so that the pickles can absorb all the flavors.

16-oz. jar whole kosher dill pickles

1/4 c. prepared horseradish

1/3 c. white vinegar

2-1/2 T. water

3/4 c. sugar

Drain pickle juice from jar into a bowl; set aside. Remove pickles from jar. Trim ends and cut each pickle lengthwise into 4 spears; set aside in a separate bowl. Wash empty jar well. Spoon horseradish into jar; return pickles to jar and set aside. Combine vinegar, water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil; stir until sugar dissolves and remove from heat. Pour vinegar mixture over pickles in jar; add enough of the reserved pickle juice to fill the jar. Close jar with lid; shake jar vigorously to mix well. Keep refrigerated for one week before serving, shaking jar once a day. Makes about 8 to 10 servings.

Next time you finish a jar of dill pickles, use the leftover juice to make some crunchy, tangy pickled veggies! Cut up fresh carrots, green peppers, celery and other favorite veggies, add them to the pickle juice and refrigerate for a few days.

Potato, Ham & Cheddar Soup

Sprinkle a little extra cheese on top of each bowl…scrumptious!

2 c. potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 c. carrot, peeled and diced

1/2 c. celery, chopped

1/4 c. onion, chopped

2 c. water

1-1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 c. cooked ham, cubed

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 c. milk

8-oz. pkg. shredded Cheddar cheese

Combine vegetables, water, salt and pepper in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in ham; set aside. In a separate saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until thickened. Add cheese; stir until melted. Stir cheese mixture into soup; heat through. Serves 8.

Soups and main dishes are delicious ways to make a second meal out of leftover ham. But if you don’t have any, just go to the deli counter and buy 2 or 3 thick-cut slices of ham to use instead. Problem solved!

A-to-Z Vegetable Soup

So convenient…just keep all the ingredients in the kitchen cupboard, pantry or freezer, then stir up some homemade soup in 30 minutes!

1 onion, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 to 2 T. olive oil

1 to 2 T. Italian seasoning

3 14-1/2 oz. cans beef or vegetable broth

15-oz. can stewed tomatoes

16-oz. pkg. frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 c. alphabet pasta, uncooked

salt and pepper to taste

3 T. fresh parsley, minced

In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook onion and garlic in oil until onion is golden, about 8 minutes. Add seasoning to taste; cook and stir for one minute. Add broth and undrained tomatoes, breaking up tomatoes as you add them to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in frozen vegetables and pasta. Cover and simmer until pasta is tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add salt and pepper; stir in parsley. Serves 6 to 8.

Banish rainy-day boredom! Set kids down with a box of alphabet pasta, a bottle of white craft glue and a stack of colored paper…they can spell out as many names and phrases as they like.

Indiana Chicken-Corn Chowder

If you prefer, use fresh corn and potatoes for this satisfying soup, straight out of the Hoosier heartland. You’ll need about 4 cups of each veggie.

3 c. water

32-oz. pkg. frozen corn

32-oz. pkg. frozen diced potatoes

1/4 c. carrot, peeled and diced

2 T. celery, diced

1 T. dried, chopped onion

1 c. cooked chicken, diced

salt and pepper to taste

6 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

5-oz. can evaporated milk

1 c. half-and-half

Optional: 1/2 c. instant mashed potato flakes

In a large soup kettle over medium-high heat, combine water, vegetables, chicken, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add bacon, milk and half-and-half; heat through. If a thicker chowder is desired, stir in potato flakes to desired consistency. Makes 8 servings.