Sweet & Savory Friday ~~~ Retro 50's Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

• 6-8 pork chops or thin loin chops
• 2 cups rice
• 3 3/4 cups water
• 1 - 4 oz. jar diced pimentos
• 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix
• Seasoned pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Lightly brown pork chops and sprinkle with seasoned pepper, optional
• Place rice in bottom of 9 x 13 inch baking pan
• Heat water to boiling and pour in baking pan
• Add package of onion soup mix
• Add jar of diced pimentos
• Mix thoroughly
• Place pork chops on top
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

• Since I just harvested fresh tomatoes from my horse trough gardening receptacle yesterday, I sliced some of those to serve with the pork chop and rice casserole.

• No pork chop dish is complete without a little applesauce.  Pork chops and applesauce. That's sort of a tongue twister along the lines of Sufferin' Succotash!
• A nice summer salad is a tasty compliment with any dinner.

When I was a young girl being raised on Sage Creek Farms, I have fond memories of my sweet mother, Rita, preparing this dish which is a family favorite. A variation of it first appeared in some type of farming magazine in the 1950's; ergo, I have titled my blog post Retro 50's Casserole.  I just thought that wording would add a little extra pizzazz.  What say you?

Happy Dining & Retroing!

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Sweet & Savory Thursday ~~ Breakfast Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 slices of bread, cubed with crusts removed
• 1 pound of sausage, browned and well drained
• 9 beaten eggs
• 3 cups milk (or 1 1/2 cups each of milk and half & half)
• 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 3 Tbsp. dehydrated onion
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. salt, optional
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Cajun Sunshine or hot sauce of your choice
• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Paprika

DIRECTIONS:

• Place bread cubes in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish
• Sprinkle browned sausage evenly over the bread cubes
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs well.  Add the milk (or milk and half & half) and all other ingredients.  Mix well.
• Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Sprinkle paprika over the top.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean
• Serves 12.

This is a great recipe to prepare for the holidays or when you are having out of town company pay you a visit.

Serve with fresh fruit and breakfast rolls.

Happy Breakfasting or Brunching!

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Sweet & Savory Friday - Canadian Bacon Pinwheels

DIRECTIONS:

• Slice loaf of Sourdough Baguette into 1/2 inch slices
• Spread with Creamy Horseradish or sandwich spread of your choice
• Spread with Applewood Smoked Bacon Mustard or mustard of your choice
• Include slice of Colby Jack Cheese or cheese of your choice
• Include slice of Canadian Bacon
• Include thin slice of green olive or garnish of your choice

These are so tasty you will be able to polish off a plate of them before you can say, "Bob's your uncle!"  After that, you may ask yourself, "What's the difference between American Bacon and Canadian Bacon?"  Our bacon comes from the belly portion of the pig whereas Canadian Bacon is usually cut from the loin area.  

Happy Dining!

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Sweet & Savory Thursday ~~ Bacon Bow Ties

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound bacon
• brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:

• Line jelly roll pan or baking pan with aluminum foil.  Place cooling rack on top.  You could also use a broiler pan.
• Tie bacon strips into bow tie shape.
• Cook for one hour at 300 degrees.

                                            

• Turn bow ties over and sprinkle with brown sugar.  
• Bake for another 45 minutes to one hour.
• Make sure to check the centers of the bow ties to see if they are cooked completely.

Happy Reading as you enjoy your bow ties!  Let me know if you can eat just one of these and leave the rest of them on the plate.  :-)  

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Sweet & Savory Friday ~~ Navy Bean Soup & Cornbread

      
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Cups Dried Small Navy Beans
• 1 - 8 ounce package diced ham
• 2 - medium onions, chopped
• 1 - Tsp. freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

• Sort through dried beans to remove gravel and debris
• Sprinkle 1 tsp. baking soda over beans and mix together in large bowl
• Cover beans with water and soak over night
• Drain and rinse beans with water in colander the following morning
• Place in crock pot or in large saucepan on stove top
• Add diced ham
• Chop onions and add to mixture
• Add pepper 
• Cover with water and cook 6 hours on high setting on crock pot or cook on stove top until beans are tender

HELPFUL HINTS & SUGGESTIONS:

• If preparing the bean soup in a crock pot, add just enough water so that it covers the beans by about one inch.
• I process the onions in my food processor until they are the puree stage, and this seems to help them blend into the soup nicely.
• If possible, stir the soup several times during the day while it is cooking.
• This soup is delicious if served with cornbread.  I add a 4-oz. can of diced mild green chilies to the standard cornbread recipe.

BEANS ARE BENEFICIAL!

• Aside from fresh meat, beans are one of the least expensive sources of protein.
• Beans contain a boat load of nutrients including antioxidants, along with vitamins and minerals such as copper, folate, iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese.
• You can prepare a healthy, inexpensive meal for your family using beans as the main course.
• Several varieties of beans are grown within our great state, so you will be helping to support your local economy while feeding your family.

Happy Eating & Reading!

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