Squash Casserole

One of my favorite "veggie" dishes growing up was squash casserole.  But really, how could it not be? Cheese, butter, ritz crackers and some squash and onions thrown in.  What made squash casserole extra special to me was that it was always with squash from Granny's garden. 

This particular squash casserole I made is extra special.  After talking with my Granny on the way home from work she mentioned she had cooked some for my Aunt who recently had a stroke.  Since she had sent some frozen squash home with us at Christmas I decided to go home and make some for us.  When I got home I discovered that our freezer was out- so it was a lucky find and $240 later we didn't lose any food. 

The first step is to cut cheese into small squares.  I used about a half (maybe a little more) of Velveeta.  A trick I learned somewhere is to use dental floss to easily cut through cheese like this.  However the only kind I had was mint and didn't think it would blend in the dish well.  

After you have your cheese cut, boil your squash (I used a quart bag- or about 8 sml/med squash if using fresh) and onions.  I used a whole onion - but you can use less if desired.  I boiled the mixture for twenty minutes.  

A trick I learned on Pintrest- place a wooden spoon over the boiling pot to keep it from boiling over.  It worked!

While your squash is boiling- squish up your Ritz crackers.  I used one of the small packages this time.  

Once the squash is boiled, drain and put in a baking dish.  (Size depends on how thick you want the casserole- I used a 9x9)  Add your cheese and a 1/2 stick of butter.  Mix thoroughly and sprinkle the top with the crackers.  Bake at 325 for 20 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.  

Squash Casserole

- 1 package of frozen squash

- 1 yellow onion

- Velveeta Cheese (to taste)

- Pinch of salt

- 1/2 stick of butter

- 1 package of Ritz crackers

*Boil squash and chopped onions for 20 minutes (salt if desired)

* Drain thoroughly

* Add diced cheese and butter

* Mix until evenly combined

* Sprinkle with crackers

* Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until brown

Glorified Chicken

This week I did something I've never done before- cooked dinner on the first night of session!  That's a big deal for me.  It is rare for me to have time to cook during session and for whatever reason I was wanting this...

I am pretty sure this is not an "old family" recipe- but my Mom used to cook this for us and for whatever reason, the chicken seemed special. 

I promised not to "healthy" up the recipes- but I am trying to lose 30 lbs this session so I added some veggies that my Mom NEVER added to the dish.  I will admit that I really liked it- so did my father-in-law. 

 Drizzle olive oil in a deep skillet and heat. 

Season the chicken with garlic salt and your preferred seasoning- my Mom always used Nature's Seasoning 

 I decided to use frozen spinach this time- honestly- it did not change the flavor one bit.  We couldn't even taste the spinach- so I guess that was free vitamins.  Below I demonstrate how I use paper towels to squeeze out the water from the thawed spinach.

 Brown the chicken on both sides- do not worry about cooking the chicken thoroughly- just get both sides good and brown.  Higher heat and a good skillet helps achieve the pretty color. 

 Since I wanted to add veggies (and this saved me from making a salad too) I took the chicken breasts out (once browned, not cooked) and added more olive oil.  I then sauteed the veggies till cooked through. 

 After the veggies are cooked (or if you don't want to use veggies the chicken is browned) add back the chicken and then add the magic ingredient- Cream of Chicken Soup!  Yes- I know, cream of anything is considered the bane of real cooking- but there is a reason why it is so popular and used so frequently.  It is an easy way to make a sauce or add flavor to a dish.  If you are worried about fat, sodium, etc- buy the variety that addresses that concern.  I used 2 cans for this dish.

Once you add the Cream of Chicken soup cover the skillet and reduce to medium-low heat for 25-30 minutes. 

 Serve over rice and enjoy!! 

Glorified Chicken

- 3 to 5 chicken breasts or thighs

- Garlic Salt

- Nature's Seasonings

- 2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup

- Veggies as desired

- Olive oil 

New Year's Traditions

In the South on the first day of the new year it is crucial to do several things to ensure "good luck" for the rest of the year.  First, have all Christmas decorations down and second, eat a meal consisting of black eye peas, greens, a pork product and corn bread.  If you hail from "low country" you add rice to the mixture- often in the form of hoppin johns.  But my family is from Tennessee and Kentucky and rice wasn't something that was cooked that often. 



Corn bread (cooked in a cast iron of course) Boston Butt, black eyed peas and collard greens. 

Future posts will have extensive photography of what I cook, and how I cooked it- but thanks to a bad back I was lucky that I could even cook this!

Granny's Corn Bread
- Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Put Crisco (r) shortening in the skillet and place skillet into oven.  
- In a separate bowl, mix 2 parts cornmeal (not the yellow kind) to one part White Lily self rising flour.
- Add enough milk to completely mix the flour and meal and have a thin consistency (think gravy).
- Remove cast iron from oven and pour the flour/meal mixture into the skillet. 
- Return to oven and bake until done (usually around 25 minutes for a medium size skillet). 

My Southern Family Cooks

So many of the best memories in my life revolve around food- and while I realize that is probably true for many people- I like to think that food is more than the body's building blocks (and yes, I am pretty sure that thought is part of the reason I'm overweight).  Growing up in the South means lots of things- but for me it meant family dinners every night and rarely crossing a restaurant's front door.  It means recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation and traditions that revolve around food. 

This Christmas Jim and I went to Tennessee to visit my family and I realized that my grandparents are getting old (sorry Granny).  Since some of the best memories with my Granny involve cooking- I wanted to do something to honor her and her generation. When setting a nice table, and serving good food was considered normal- not a rarity.

I hope you enjoy this blog- where I plan to document my family's recipes and I promise not to make them "diet friendly".

My Southern Granny- Maylene Floyd- with my Papa on their 50th Wedding Anniversary

Y'all come back now- ya here!!!