Mennonite Monday - Chicken-N-Biscuits

Mennonite Monday started because I wanted to make recipes from the Bethesda Mennonite Church Cookbooks (both the yellow and the white cookbook for those of you who own them). I also wanted to take pictures of each recipe that I made, so I would know for future reference what the recipe should look like. I am by no means a great cook, but I think it will be fun to try new and different recipes each week. Not all of these recipes are for ethnic Mennonite food, but the women from Henderson know how to cook, so I can safely say that these recipes will be good. Check back each Monday for a new recipe and feel free to leave a comment if you have a favorite recipe from these cookbooks, or if you have some tips on what I should make and how I should make it.

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This week we are having the two recipes voted on last week.  Since the vote was a tie between Chicken-N-Biscuits and Sweet Potato Balls, I will be posting both recipes today.  First will be the Chicken-N-Biscuits (pg 148W). 

Chicken-N-Biscuits

2 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken

10 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cup milk 

2/3 cup milk 

1 can (2.8 oz) French Fried onions

8 slices bacon, crisp, crumbled cooked and drained

1 can cream of chicken soup (6 oz)

1 1/2 cup biscuit mix

In greased 8 x 12 baking dish, combine the first four ingredients and 1 cup cheese.  Blend soup and 3/4 cup milk and pour over casserole.  Bake covered at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile combine biscuit mix and 2/3 cup milk and 1/2 can onions.   Mix and drop by spoonful to form 6 biscuits around edge of casserole.  Bake uncovered 15-20 minutes or until biscuits are brown. Top with remaining cheese and onions and bake 2-3 minutes or until onions are toasted.  6 servings. 

Frozen vegetables and tomatoes. 

Chicken 

Cheese.  I didn't mix these ingredients together, I just layered them.  

Soup and milk mixture. 

Biscuit mix, milk and french fried onions. I used Bisquick for the biscuit mix. 

After the seconded time in the oven. 

You may have noticed that the recipe didn't say what to do with the bacon, so I just sprinkled it on top with the cheese and french fried onions before the final time in the oven. 

Chicken -N-Biscuits on the left and Sweet Potato Balls on the right.

Sweet Potato Balls

This is the bonus recipe this week, Sweet Potato Ball (pg 226 W).

Sweet Potato Balls
2 cans sweet potatoes
1 egg
large marshmallows
corn flakes, crushed
1 cup cream
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbl flour
1 tsp vanilla

Mash sweet potatoes, add egg, and mix.  Take 1 marshmallow and pat potatoes around in a ball.  Roll ball in cornflakes and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Cook cream, sugar, flour and vanilla until slightly thick.  Pour over potatoes and serve.

Mashed sweet potatoes.  I chose to not mix the egg into the potatoes.  Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures of patting the potatoes around the marshmallows because it was pretty messy. 

I cut the recipe in half and it made 10 balls, so plan accordingly. 

The sauce was easy to make and tasted really good.  I didn't have any cream on hand, so I just used milk, which worked out fine. 

Mennonite Monday - Chocolate Brownies

Mennonite Monday started because I wanted to make recipes from the Bethesda Mennonite Church Cookbooks (both the yellow and the white cookbook for those of you who own them). I also wanted to take pictures of each recipe that I made, so I would know for future reference what the recipe should look like. I am by no means a great cook, but I think it will be fun to try new and different recipes each week. Not all of these recipes are for ethnic Mennonite food, but the women from Henderson know how to cook, so I can safely say that these recipes will be good. Check back each Monday for a new recipe and feel free to leave a comment if you have a favorite recipe from these cookbooks, or if you have some tips on what I should make and how I should make it.

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This week I made Chocolate Brownies (pg 17Y) from scratch.  It often amazes me how easy it is to make food from scratch.  You need to have a few more ingredients on hand to make recipes, like these brownies, from scratch, but the end product is so much better.  

Chocolate Brownies

4 squares chocolate

1/3 cup margarine

1/3 cup shortening

 4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 1/3 cup sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate with shortening and margarine.  Beat eggs well, add sugar gradually and add the melted chocolate mixture.  Sift flour and add baking powder and salt and vanilla to mixture.  Sprinkle nuts on top if desired.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. 

I used butter flavored Crisco because that is what I had on hand and it seemed to work well. 

Mixing the egg and sugar together.

Adding the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture.

Adding the flour mixture.

Mixing it all together.

The recipe did not say what type of pan to use, so I used a 9 x 13 pan, which worked well.  I would suggest spraying the pan, so the brownies don't stick.

I put some semi sweet chocolate chips on the brownies instead of nuts to add a little more chocolate flavor.

 NEXT WEEK: Sweet Potato Balls and Chicken -N- Biscuits

Mennonite Monday - Mock Chicken Fried Steak

Mennonite Monday started because I wanted to make recipes from the Bethesda Mennonite Church Cookbooks (both the yellow and the white cookbook for those of you who own them). I also wanted to take pictures of each recipe that I made, so I would know for future reference what the recipe should look like. I am by no means a great cook, but I think it will be fun to try new and different recipes each week. Not all of these recipes are for ethnic Mennonite food, but the women from Henderson know how to cook, so I can safely say that these recipes will be good. Check back each Monday for a new recipe and feel free to leave a comment if you have a favorite recipe from these cookbooks, or if you have some tips on what I should make and how I should make it.

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This week we have the winner from last weeks poll, Mock Chicken Fried Steak (pg 142W).  The nice thing about this recipe, is the fact that you could make your patties ahead of time, keep them in the refrigerator and fry them when you are ready.  This recipe received the "make again" approval from Mike, so I hope you enjoy it too.


Mock Chicken Fried Steak
1 lb. ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup cracker crumbs
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbl chopped onion
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix above ingredients and shape into patties 1/2" thick.  Coat with more crackers crumbs and brown in 2 Tbl hot oil - about 3 minutes on each side.

 Beaten Egg

Bread crumbs

Milk

Chopped onion. I used dried minced onion, because it is simple and quicker.

Chili powder

Salt

Worcestershire sauce

I mixed everything together by hand.

I made patties in a few different sizes.

Rolled them in the break crumbs

I made 8 patties.  Make sure you remember that the patties will shrink when you fry them, so make the patties accordingly.

I was glad that the recipe said to only use 2 Tbl of oil, because I would have been inclined to use much more oil.

After flipping, after the first 3 minutes.

The finished product.

Mennonite Monday - German Coffee Cake

Mennonite Monday started because I wanted to make recipes from the Bethesda Mennonite Church Cookbooks (both the yellow and the white cookbook for those of you who own them). I also wanted to take pictures of each recipe that I made, so I would know for future reference what the recipe should look like. I am by no means a great cook, but I think it will be fun to try new and different recipes each week. Not all of these recipes are for ethnic Mennonite food, but the women from Henderson know how to cook, so I can safely say that these recipes will be good. Check back each Monday for a new recipe and feel free to leave a comment if you have a favorite recipe from these cookbooks, or if you have some tips on what I should make and how I should make it.

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Sorry for the delay in getting the Mennonite Monday recipe posted. This week was the German Coffee Cake pg 60W (W=white church cookbook).  This was a good easy recipe for breakfast that goes together quickly. My favorite part is the crumbly topping. 

German Coffee Cake

2 1/2 cup flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup salad oil

1 egg, beaten

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

Sift together flour, sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Add brown sugar and oil.  Mix together and remove 1/2 for topping.  Beat egg, sour cream, baking powder and soda.  Mix well and add to the sifted mixture.  Pour into greased pan (9x12).  Sprinkle with nuts, cinnamon and the other half topping.  Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes. 

Flour, white sugar, nutmeg, and salt.

Added the brown sugar and salad oil. (I just used canola oil, since I had it on hand)

Egg and sour cream.

Egg and sour cream with sifted mixture.

Pouring into a greased 9x13 pan.

Chopped nuts

Cinnamon

The second half of the sifted mixture

Ready for the oven.

Like I said, I loved the crumbly sugary topping. I just tell myself not to think about all the sugar that makes it taste so good.

NEXT WEEK: Mock Chicken Fried Steak