Welcome to My Kitchen

For most readers, this issue will arrive on the Eve of the New Year. We all look forward with hope to something resembling normal. Meanwhile, meals must be prepared and the trappings of holiday celebrations put away. In this column the recipes presented are designed to help deal with culinary remnants.

Ham or prime rib roasts were popular on many holiday menus, and any leftovers make a fine start to weekday meals. One Dish Ham Bake is versatile as you may also use turkey, chicken or beef as the main ingredient.

One Dish Ham Bake

1 package (16 ounces) frozen broccoli cuts, rinsed in hot water and drained

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup

2 1/2 cups milk, divided

3 cups diced, cooked ham, chicken, turkey or beef

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 cups biscuit mix

Parsley, for garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Combine broccoli, soups, 1 cup milk, ham and onion powder in an ungreased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Mix well until soups are smooth. In a medium bowl combine baking mix and remaining milk until smooth. Pour evenly over the soup mixture. Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a light golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Note: if your family doesn’t care for broccoli, an equal amount of any frozen vegetable you like will work great. Also, if you happen to have some left over salmon, substitute cream of celery soup for the cheese soup for a delicately flavored fish casserole.

Leftover prime rib roast makes excellent French dip sandwiches. It’s so easy to do, especially if you have some Better Than Bouillon on hand, which is so much more flavorful than bouillon cubes. The roast beef flavor is great for soup, stews and au jus for dip sandwiches.

Beef French Dip Sandwiches

Roast beef, sliced thin

Better Than Bouillon, roast beef flavor

Hot water

French dip rolls or stadium rolls

Depending on how many sandwiches you have beef to make, dissolve 1 tsp of Better Than Bouillon per 1 cup hot water in a large saucepan. You want enough liquid to completely immerse the sliced beef.

Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the sliced beef, and when it returns to a simmer, turn off burner. Remove slices with tongs and pile into rolls.

Pour the au jus into small cups or bowls for dipping.

Note: my preference is to toast the rolls before adding the meat. Garnish with grilled green pepper or onions, and cheese if you like. Don’t throw away the cup or so of potato chip crumbs at the bottom of the bag. They make yummy cookies that pack well for shipping. Make them with or without nuts. But just a note: This recipe works well with a mix of nuts, again using up the bits and dabs that aren’t enough for the next baking venture.

Chocolate Chip Potato Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt, optional

1 package (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup crushed potato chips

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, or mix of your choice

In large mixer bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, beat in vanilla and the eggs, one at a time.

Combine flour and baking soda and stir into creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips, potato chips and nuts.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spoon dough by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased or parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 11 minutes until golden brown and nearly set. Let stand 1 minute then remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 5 dozen.

Fruit and nut bowls are often set out as decoration on holiday tables as centerpieces. Often the tart green Grannie Smith or Newton apples are passed over for sweeter fruits. French Apple Cake is an easy treat to prepare from tart apples, and a nice change from cinnamon flavored apple dishes.

Classic French Apple Cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 large Grannie Smith or Newton apples

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 2 Tbsp for topping

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 Tbsp dark rum, Cognac or apple juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of an 8 or 9 inch spring-form pan with parchment paper and grease the sides of the pan with butter. Set aside.

Melt butter in a small saucepan and set aside to cool.

Peel and core apples, then cut in ½-inch cubes.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, vigorously beat eggs and sugar together until the mixture turns pale yellow and thickens so it falls from the whisk in a smooth ribbon, about 5 minutes. Whisk in rum and vanilla.

Whisk in half of the flour mixture, then half the melted butter. Stir in remaining flour mixture, then melted butter. Fold in the apples until evenly coated (it will look like there is not enough batter, but this is normal).

Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan, making sure there are no air pockets and smooth the top a bit. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. (This is important to create the signature crust of a French Apple Cake.)

Bake 45 minutes on the center rack in the oven. A toothpick inserted near the center will come out clean when done. Let cool in pan 15 minutes before removing to serve. Cut into wedges.

– January’s columns will feature more recipes designed to incorporate leftover holiday ingredients into everyday meal plans, cutting food waste and stretching grocery dollars. Share your favorite thrifty recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa WA, 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Plan to include a few flowerbed friend edibles in your spring garden plans. Bush variety tomatoes, cucumbers and squash, even patio corn, are great landscape additions.