Curry Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
16 oz (one bag) frozen broccoli florets
2 tbsp butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp savory
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp sage
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:
-Preheat oven to 350.
-Grill or fry the chicken breasts until done, approximately 8 minutes on each side, medium-high heat or until no longer pink in the middle.
-While the chicken is cooking, slightly under-cook the broccoli according to package directions.
-Add butter to the drained broccoli and salt to taste. Layer the broccoli in the bottom of a large casserole dish.
-Combine in a large mixing bowl the cream of chicken soup, mayonnaise, seasonings, and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
-Cut the chicken into 1/2 inch cubes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
-Fold the chicken pieces into the mayonnaise mixture.
-Layer the chicken on top of the broccoli, and sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 cup shredded cheese.
-Sprinkle lightly with curry powder.
-Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Eggplant Parmigiana

Source: Mom

Olive oil or vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large onion, chopped
5 cups canned tomatoes
1/2 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 medium eggplants, cut into 1/2 - 1 inch slices
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz. Mozzarella cheese, diced
1/4 cup butter or margarine

Heat 1/4 cup of oil in skillet. Saute garlic and onion in it until soft. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for approximately 30 minutes.

Make batter, combining flour, eggs, and milk. Dip eggplant slices into batter and fry slices in shallow oil until just browned on both sides. Add more oil as necessary. Arrange alternate layers of eggplant, sauce, and cheese in casserole, sprinkling each layer with salt and pepper; dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 6 - 8 servings.

Ham Tetrazzini

Source: Mom

2/3 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup flour
1 cup hot milk
1 cup hot chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup cream or milk
1 pound thin spaghetti
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 to 2 cups thinly sliced ham
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 large tomato, sliced

Heat 1/2 cup butter and stir in flour. Combine milk and bouillon and stir into flour mixture. Cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cream or additional milk; remove from heat.

Cook and drain spaghetti. Saute mushrooms in 2 tbsp. butter for 5 minutes. Combine half of the sauce with the spaghetti and mushrooms. Place spaghetti mixture in a buttered baking dish. Make a well in the center of the spaghetti mixture. Mix remaining sauce with the ham and place in the well. Top with tomato and Parmesan. Bake in preheated oven (400 degrees) for 20 minutes. Serves 8.

Sesame Chicken

Source: Mom

Bring water in a large pot to a rolling boil (large enough and full enough to completely submerge the chicken).

Once water is at a rolling boil, place chicken in and return to a rolling boil. Cover with a lid and turn off the heat. Let chicken sit in the hot water for 45 minutes.

Check to make sure the chicken is done and then pull off the meat in bite-sized pieces and place the chicken in a bowl that won't shatter when hot fluid is poured into it.

In a pile on top of the chicken, place:
1 tsp of salt
2 tsp soy sauce
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced.


Heat:
1/2 cup peanut oil, to the point where it's almost smoking. Place:
1 - 2 tbsp. sesame seeds in heated oil. Toast seeds until they're lightly browned.

Immediately pour hot oil over the pile of green onions and chicken. The onions should sizzle.

Toss chicken and onions, and serve with rice.

Baked Ziti

As good as lasagna, with half the fuss. The sour cream is my favorite element of this recipe.

Source: Amy Newman

1 pound ziti pasta -- cooked and drained
52 ounces spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese -- sliced
6 ounces mozzarella cheese -- shredded
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion -- chopped
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese -- grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.

Brown onion and ground beef. Drain grease. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 min.

Layer as follows in a greased 8 x 12 (or similar size) baking dish:
1/2 the ziti, provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 the spaghetti sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce.
Top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake 30 min. or until bubbly

Grandma's Pantry Minestrone

From: Grandma Clayton

1 lb hamburger, browned
1 small can pork and beans
1 cup canned tomatoes
7 cups water
1 package (8 servings) dry soup mix with noodles/veggies. Or, add fresh veggies and use 2 envelopes Campbells dry soup mix.

Combine all ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.

Shrimp and Penne Pasta

From: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients:

3/4 lb penne pasta
1 lb fresh, deveined, peeled large shrimp
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth/white wine
Fresh parsley, chopped finely (1 tbsp)
Fresh basil, roughly chopped (2 tbsps)
Salt
Pepper

Boil 3/4 lbs pasta to al dente. Drain, stir in a little butter or olive oil and salt, and set aside.
Rinse peeled, deveined shrimp and saute in 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Cook until just opaque.
Take shrimp out of the skillet to cool.

In skillet, heat the remaining 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp olive oil. saute the diced onion and minced garlic until the onions are clear.

While cooking the onions, pull off the shrimp tails and cut shrimp into bite sized pieces.

Add 1/2 cup wine/chicken broth to cooked onions. Let the alcohol cook off for a few minutes. Stir in 8 oz can of plain tomato sauce and 1 cup cream.

Cop finely 1 tbsp fresh parsley. Chop 1 - 2 tbsp fresh basil. Stir in herbs, shrimp, and pasta to the tomato cream sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.