Common Cuisine |

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 can condensed cheese soup (cheddar, fiesta nacho, southwestern jack, etc)
• ½ cup milk
• 2 cups shredded cheddar or jack cheese
• 1 (14 oz) can cut-up tomatoes, or 1 cup salsa

Preheat oven to 350°. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Mix together soup and milk, then stir in cheese and tomatoes.

Stir macaroni into cheese mixture and pour into greased 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes until lightly browned.

Serves 4 to 6.

Simple to assemble, this recipe doubles easily, and also freezes well.

• ½ pkg large shells (about 18)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ jar spaghetti sauce
• 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Cook shells according to package directions; drain.

Preheat oven to 350°. Fill each shell with shredded cheese, about 1 Tbsp, and place seam side down in 9″x13″ baking dish.

When dish is full, pour spaghetti sauce over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 minutes until bubbly.

Serves 4 to 6.

• 1 head romaine lettuce or bok choy
• 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
• 1Tbsp vegetable oil
• 4oz slivered almonds
• 2oz sesame seeds
• 2 pkg Ramen noodles, broken up (save seasoning packet for later use)
• 1 can mandarin oranges, drained.

Dressing:

• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup vinegar
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp ginger

Place lettuce and green onions in large bowl. Saute oil, almonds, sesame seeds, and noodles in a skillet for about 10 minutes. Cool, then add to salad greens. Meanwhile, combine dressing ingredients in salad cruet. Chill.

Just before serving, toss gently with oranges and dressing.

Serves 4.

For this dish, you can substitute any vegetables you have that you want to use up. You can use any cream soup you have on hand instead of the broccoli; or you can use broccoli cheese soup for a cheesier flavor.

• 2 T olive oil
• 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
• 2 cups frozen cut up broccoli
• ¾ cup sliced carrots, either 2 regular or a handful of baby carrots
• 1 cup milk
• 1 can condensed cream of broccoli soup
• 1 ¼ cups uncooked quick-cooking rice

In large skillet over medium-high heat, cook chicken in oil until no longer pink. Remove from skillet.

Add vegetables and cook until they turn bright colors and just begin to get soft (still crunchy).

Stir in soup and milk. Return chicken to skillet and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Add rice. Cover; remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes while you set the table, then fluff just before serving.

Serves 4 as a main dish.

• 1 lg butternut squash
• 1 med onion
• 3 med apples
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 5 cups broth
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup milk

Place whole squash in the microwave for 8 minutes.

Peel and cut squash in cubes. Place all ingredients (except milk) in a soup pot and cook for 45 minutes or longer. Adjust seasonings.

Stir in milk and ladle into bowls.

Serves 10.

The secret to having fabulous pot pie is to use tasty cooked chicken. Dawn likes to season and roast a whole chicken for this recipe, or pan-fry two or three chicken breasts with garlic, lemon pepper, and poultry seasoning until golden.

• 1 cup each, chopped: onion, celery, carrots
• ½ cup peas
• 1/3 cup butter
• ½ cup flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1½ tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 4 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 prepared pie crust

Saute onion, celery and carrots in butter for 10 minutes. Add flour to mixture, stirring well; cook one minute, stirring constantly.

Preheat oven to 400°. Combine broth and milk; gradually stir into vegetable mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Add chicken and peas, stirring well.

Pour chicken mixture into greased shallow 2 qt casserole. Top with pastry, and slit with a few air vents. Bake for 40 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Serves 6.

• 9-10 lasagna noodles
• 1 lb ground beef or sausage
• 1 onion, chopped (optional)
• 1 small can sliced mushrooms (optional)
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• 16 oz ricotta cheese
• 8 oz shredded mozzarella
• 1 egg
• 2 T parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Fill a large pot or pan with water and heat to below boiling. Turn off burner. Allow noodles to soak in this water while you prepare the beef mixture.

Brown ground beef in skillet. If desired, start onions first then add ground beef after 5 minutes. Drain. Add mushrooms, if desired. Pour spaghetti sauce over all and stir. Turn off burner.

Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella and egg in a medium bowl.

Layer the three elements in a 6″ x 10″ glass baking dish. Begin with ¼ cup of beef mixture in the bottom. Then layer 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 remaining beef mixture, and 1/3 cheese mixture. Repeat process two more times. When finished, top with parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the cheese and noodles are bubbling all the way to the center of the dish. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Makes 6 servings.