Common Cuisine |

This is an excellent take-along for a potluck dinner.

• 2 pkg 12 oz frozen hash browns
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 C sharp grated cheddar
• 16 oz sour cream
• ¾ C chopped onion
• ¼ tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Thaw potatoes in large bowl. In separate container, combine remaining ingredients. Fold into thawed potatoes. Bake in 9″ x 13″dish for 1 to 1 ½ hours.

Serves a crowd.

There is no shame in using Ramen noodles to jump-start your evening meal. Nutrition is another matter, but you be the judge of whether nutrition or survival is your highest value at the moment. 1 lb chicken or beef, cut into small pieces 2 Tbsp oil 1/4 cup diced onions (or 1/2 small) 2 cups cut up vegetables, such as red or green pepper, mushrooms, carrots, and/or broccoli 2 packets Ramen Soup (chicken or beef flavor, or oriental, or whatever you want) 2 cups water In large saucepan or wok, stir fry chicken or beef with onions until meat is cooked and onions are translucent. Remove from dish. Put cut-up vegetables in pan and stir-fry for a few minutes until slightly limp. Return meat to pan. Break up noodle packets and add to pan. Combine seasoning packets with water and pour over all. Simmer 5-10 minutes until noodles are soft. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

This is another family dish that brings back fond memories of large holiday gatherings when I was a child.

• 1-2 eggs
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken or onion, or cheddar cheese)
• ½ cup milk
• Large bag frozen chopped broccoli
• 2-4 cups bread cubes (or garlic croutons)
• 1-2 cups shredded cheese (any kind you like)
• ½ small onion, diced

In small bowl, mix egg, soup, and enough milk to make the soup mixture thin enough to pour.

Gently fold together broccoli, bread, cheese, and onion, and place in large baking dish. Pour soup mixture over top. Bake 40 minutes until the top is browned.

Serves 6-8.

Oven roasting brings out the full flavor of vegetables. You can use a variety of winter vegetables, including sweet potatoes, parsnips, or whole peeled garlic cloves.

• 2 large potatoes
• 2 large carrots
• 1 red pepper
• 1 large zucchini
• ½ head cauliflower
• 8 oz package fresh mushrooms
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Italian Seasoning or Oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Scrub potatoes and carrots. Wash all vegetables. Cut potatoes into 1″ chunks. Cut carrots into 2″ chunks. Cut red pepper and zucchini into ½” x 2″ chunks. Cut cauliflower into small flowerets. Cut mushrooms in half.

Place vegetables into large mixing bowl and toss with oil and garlic bits. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper.

Spread vegetables in 1″ deep cookie sheet. Bake 45 minutes, stirring twice, until golden brown and a little crispy.

Serves 8.

This recipe felt rather labor intensive, but everyone at the dinner table agreed, it was well worth the effort and should become a regular part of the lineup! One tip I can offer for cost is to look for non-perishable ingredients and stock up on them when they are on sale; I figure I could have saved about 40% had I shopped more carefully. We served it with salad and whole-clove-roasted-garlic artisan bread. Yum!

• 1 10-oz box frozen spinach
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 sm onion, peeled and halved
• 1 C chicken stock (broth)
• 1 C heavy cream
• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 14-oz can artichoke hearts, packed in water, drained and chopped
• A couple of handfuls grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 pound cheese tortellini

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta. Microwave the spinach on high for 6 minutes to defrost.

Heat a deep skillet over medium heat with the olive oil and butter. When the butter melts and is hot, add the garlic. Using a box grater, grate the onion directly into the skillet. Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and cook for 1 minutes. Whisk in the broth, then the cream, and bring the sauce to a bubble. Season the sauce with nutmeg and reduce the heat to low.

Place the defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring it dry. Separate it as you add it to the sauce. Stir in the chopped artichokes and a couple handfuls of cheese, then season the spinach-artichoke sauce with salt and pepper.

Salt the boiling water and cook the tortellini according to package directions, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain it well and toss with the spinach-artichoke sauce. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Taken from: Express Lane Meals: A 30-Minute Meal Cookbook. Rachael Ray. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2006.

I was amazed to find that this ordinary dish from my childhood went over so big with my own kids. And it is so easy!

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cans french style green beans, drained
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 package frozen tater tots

Preheat oven to 350. Brown ground beef and onion together in skillet. Drain off fat. Place mixture in a layer in bottom of 13″ x 9″ baking dish.

Layer green beans on top of beef mixture. Stir together soups and layer on top of green beans. Arrange tater tots in layer on top of all.

Bake 30-45 minutes.

Serve 4-6 with salad and a loaf of crusty bread.

One-dish meals mean you can concentrate all your efforts on one dish, and your dinner is ready as soon as the dish is. Invent your own specialty using the following formula:

Choose one Sauce Maker:

• 1 can cream soup (mushroom, chicken, potato, asparagus, etc.)
• 1 can cheddar cheese soup (try fiesta nacho for kick)
• 2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained (try Italian or Mexican seasoned)

Choose one Vegetable:

• 1 can drained green beans, sweet peas, asparagus cuts and tips, corn, or chopped spinach
• 1 1/2 cups thawed frozen broccoli, corn, green beans, peas, or spinach.

Choose one uncooked pasta/rice:

• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 1 cup regular rice
• 4 cups wide egg noodles
• 3 cups small pasta shells

Choose one protein:

• 2 (6 oz) cans tuna, drained
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken, ham or turkey
• 1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

Choose one or more extras (optional):

• 1 (3 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• ¼ cup sliced ripe olives
• ¼ cup chopped red or green bell pepper
• ¼ cup chopped onion
• ¼ cup chopped celery
• 1 (4½ oz) can chopped green chilies
• 1 packet taco seasoning mix

Choose one or two toppings:

• ½ cup shredded Mozzarella, Swiss, or Cheddar cheese
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 cup cracker crumbs
• 1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix

Include all the Basics:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Combine the Basics with Sauce Maker (omit sour cream and milk when using tomatoes). Stir in Vegetable, Pasta/Rice, Protein, and, if desired, Extras. Spoon into a lightly greased 13 x 9 baking dish.

Bake, covered, at 350° for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with toppings; bake 10 more minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings.