bake

Edith’s Mushroom Chicken

My Great-Aunt Esta is my grandmother’s youngest sister. Growing up, we would see her maybe once or twice a year, on special occasions when she would fly to Michigan from her home in New York. Grandma and her sisters were all blessed with terrific senses of humor. Some of my favorite childhood memories are hearing them all together laughing. Aunt Esta has been wonderfully supportive of my blog, and gives me the the most endearing comments like “Your grandma would be proud of you.” Thank you Aunt Esta, it means so much to me! Recently she sent me my favorite kind of recipe, simple and delicious! Enjoy!

As organic as possible:

6 Boned Chicken breasts

2 Eggs, beaten

2 cups Bread Crumbs (*Aunt Esta mixes in a little Parmesan cheese so I did too)

1/4 cup Grate Parmesan *optional

1 Large can Mushrooms (*I sautéed some in butter & olive oil- about a pint of fresh)

1 – 14.5 oz. can Chicken broth

8 oz. Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Oil or Margerine for frying

Cut boned chicken into 2 or 3 strips. Soak in beaten eggs 5 hours or overnight.

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Fire up the grill! Or rather preheat the oven to 350°.

Roll Chicken in bread crumbs.

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Brown in oil.

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Put in shallow baking dish. Cover with cheese and mushrooms. Pour broth over all.

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Bake in preheated oven 1/2 hour covered and 1/2 hour uncovered.

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Easy Mostaccioli

“Don’t take a picture” she said, “the cheese is stuck to the top of the foil.” My much loved friend AnnMarie knew I’ve hardly been able to walk, let alone cook for my family. She texted me a couple days ago to ask me what I’d like to eat and what night she could bring dinner over. Of course I told her I would share no such information, but thanked her for the offer. Naturally Annie, being her beautiful self, said she’d be over in 2 days. She walked through the door with enough meals for a week, plus a blueberry pie. I was ravenous that day, and cheesy pasta is like the epitome of comfort food. She loaded up the refrigerator and freezer dividing the organic meals, explaining this is the cheese for the broccoli rice casserole; these are the shells for the tacos; placing buns for hot dogs in the bread basket… The mostaccioli was warm and ready to serve, the whole house smelled amazing. I thought to myself, “Are you kidding? It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

As organic as possible:

2 lbs ground Beef

Salt & pepper to taste

3 jars (approx 24 oz each) of your favorite store bought or homemade pasta Sauce

1 lb Mostaccioli (or penne) noodles

1 lb (16 oz) shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Brown the meat with a little salt and pepper in a large skillet. Add the pasta sauce and get it hot; let it simmer for about 20 minutes. In the mean time, cook the pasta according to package directions- less a couple minutes. (They will be a little firm, but soften in the oven while baking). When the noodles are done, mix them in with the sauce. Pour everything into a 9X13 pan and sprinkle on all of the mozzarella cheese. Bake it in the oven for about 25 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Serve with a good crusty bread immediately to your hungry family, or cover with foil and deliver to someone in need. Either way, it’s delicious and they will be forever grateful.

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Aunt Lynn’s Cheesy Egg & Sausage Casserole

A classic breakfast egg and cheese casserole dish has to be in every mom’s recipe box. Thankfully Aunt Lynny gave me hers! It’s morning comfort food. And it makes your kitchen smell like love. This dish is great for weekends and I have fond memories of it making an appearance on the Christmas buffet at Gram’s. It’s versatile, so you can substitute the sausage for cubed ham, change around the cheese, add green or red pepper… mix it up as you please.

As organic as possible:

10 eggs, beaten

8 oz shredded cheese

3-4 slices bread, cubed small

1 lb pork sausage, browned and drained

1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 X 9 baking dish and set aside. Add browned sausage to beaten eggs in a large bowl, add cheese (I used cheddar and Emmentaler), bread, and milk. Pour mixture into greased pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until center is firm.