Chicken Noodle Soup

After you eat this and once you find out how easy it can be, you'll never want soup from a can again!

• 3-4 chicken breasts
• 2 cans cram of chicken soup
• 4 cups wide egg noodles
• 2-3 lg carrot sticks
• 2-3 celery sicks
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 TBS butter

Boil Chicken for 20 min or until done.  Remove from water and chop or shred.  Add chicken soup to the chicken broth (water chicken was cooked in adding chicken bullion if needed).  Saute onions, chopped carrots, & chopped celery in butter.  Add chicken, noodles, and veggies to soup and boil 5-10 min. 

Note: If you have made Hawaiian Haystacks, just add noodles and veggies to that chicken mixture.  Add chicken broth if needed...from leftover to gourmet!

Mashed Potatoes

So Yummy!

• 5 large potatoes cut into thirds
• 1/2 cup cream
• 2 TBS butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Peel and wash potatoes.  Boil potatoes until tender about 10 min.  Drain saving some of the water.  Mash potatoes with butter and cream adding drained water until the desired consistency.

Note: Make extra because you can create another meal...from leftover to gourmet!

Chicken Fried Steak with Gravy

This is one of my favorite meals I ate growing up!

• 4 round steaks
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 cups oil for frying

Mix flour, powder, soda, salt, & pepper in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix milk, garlic and egg.  Dip the steak in the egg mixture then in the flower mixture.  Pat flower on steak so it is completely covered.  Heat oil in a skillet to 325 degrees.  Fry steak in oil until browned, for 5-10 min on each side.  Place on a plate lined with paper towel to drain. 

Drain most of fat from skillet, leaving 1/4 cup oil and as much of the solid remnants as possible.  Add 1/4 cup of flour (I just add any leftover flour from steak mixture, and add some if needed) and stir with spatula to get off everything from pan.  Add 4 cups of milk and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer gravy until thick, about 5 min.  Pour over stake and mashed potatoes.

Tuna Casserole

My kids love anything with noodles.  This is a quick, cheap meal my family enjoys!

• 2 cups cooked egg noodles
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 can cream of mushroom or chicken soup
• 1 cup cooked peas (use leftover peas if you have them)
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 2 cans drained tuna
• 1 TBS butter
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs

In sauce pan cook onions in a little butter until tender. Stir in everything except butter and bread crumbs.  Pour into shallow dish and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 min.  Mix Bitter and bread Crumbs. Spread on top of casserole and return to oven for 10 min.

Note: Make plenty of noodles.  Put a little olive oil on them and store them in the fridge; we will use them for another meal...from leftover to gourmet!

Sausage & Rice

This is quick and easy!  My family loves when I make it!

• 1 lb hot sausage (I've also used ham)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 8oz tub sour cream
• 1 can corn
• 2 small cans green chili
• milk
• cheese
• rice

Fry sausage until done.  Add soup, sour cream, and enough milk to make the consistency you like.  Add corn and green chili. Add cooked rice.  Top with cheese!

Note: You should have rice leftover from another meal, so use it...from leftover to gourmet!

Hawaiian Haystacks

A lot of people have never heard of these, but once they try them they fall in love!

• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• chicken broth
• rice

Topping:

• Green onion
• 1 can Pineapple chunks
• green bell pepper
• tomatoes
• almonds
• coconut
• olives
• shredded cheese
• chow mien noodles
• put as many or as few toppings as you want...be creative

Boil chicken for 20 minutes or until done.  Shred or chop chicken, saving broth.  Place soup, chicken and broth, depending on consistency, in a large pot and boil gently 2-5 minutes.  Serve over white rice and top with favorite toppings.

Note: Make plenty of rice and plenty of sauce; they both will be the base of a meal...from leftover to gourmet!

Spaghetti

My whole family loves spaghetti!  It took me awhile to make it as good as my mother-in-law according to my husband, but he says I finally got it.  Maybe he is just forgetting what "mom's" taste like! 
(I must admit, sometimes if I find a really good deal on spaghetti sauce I use it, but it has to be a great deal.)

Sauce

• 1 lb ground beef or sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1 (8 oz) can diced tomatoes (also good with fire roasted diced tomatoes)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 lb dried spaghetti noodles
• Parmesan cheese

In a skillet, cook meat (I always season hamburger with garlic salt and pepper), onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is done; drain.  Add tomato sauce, water, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, salt, basil, and oregano.  Mix well and let simmer- the longer the better so the flavors blend!  Cook noodles according to package.  Spoon sauce on top of spaghetti and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Note: Make plenty of sauce because this will be another meal...from leftover to gourmet!