Chicken Pot Pie

I like a good chicken pot pie, but Mr. B. isn't keen on actual pie dough for most things. Thanks to Betty Crocker, we found an easy compromise that is pretty tasty! It's not exactly Marie Callendar's (which I quite like) and it's definitely not like a made-from-scratch version, but it comes together quickly and has ingredients you can't really go wrong with!

Easy Chicken Pot Pie 
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of chicken soup
1 cup Bisquick mix (which is not something I buy; see below for the substitute recipe)*
1/2 cup milk
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix vegetables, chicken and soup in baking dish of your choice (I usually use a 9*9 Pyrex).
2. Combine Bisquick, milk, and egg; spread evenly over the top of vegetables/chicken/soup mixture in baking dish.
3. Bake until crust is golden brown (approx. 30 minutes)

*Substitute for Bisquick mix
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp  salt
1 Tbsp shortening

1. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Cut shortening into dry mixture. Then use in place of Bisquick mix as above.

Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

A while back, Thomas and I got a second-hand craft/idea/cook-book called "Homespun Christmas". We decided since it is the season, after all, that we would try out some of the recipes.

One success we have had is a recipe (p. 78) for sausage stuffed acorn squash. We had never had acorn squash before, so it was an interesting experiment for that reason alone! We learned that acorn squash looks and smells a lot like pumpkin. It seems sweeter if the outside has some orange spots. To really get all the squash meat out you will need a spoon to eat this dish, or perhaps it would be helpful to peel the squash before baking.

Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash
1 lb. pork sausage meat
3 medium acorn squash
1/4 c butter/margarine (melted)
10-oz. package frozen mixed vegetables
1 c cheddar cheese, cubed (we did not use this much... more like 1/4 c shredded)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Brown sausage on stove. Drain and discard fat.
3. Cut squash in half length-wise and remove seeds. Place halves, cut side up, in baking dish (we actually only used 2 squash and they fit in a 9x13" pan... but there was too much filling for just the 4 halves).
4. Brush insides with melted butter and sprinkle with salt.
5. In a medium bowl (or the pan you used to brown sausage), combine sausage, vegetables, cheese, and salt to taste.
6. Divide mixture among squash halves. Brush with remaining butter.
7. Cover pan tightly with foil and bake 1-1 1/2 hours, or until squash is fork tender.

Tuna Taco Things

What do you do with this combination of ingredients? See below for my solution!

 As a senior in high school, my class schedule was such that I could go home for the day after lunch. Thus, I typically did not bring a lunch to school, but instead ate upon arriving home.

This gave me an opportunity to experiment with my cooking. One of my experimental recipes from back then has made its debut here at the Bradshaw residence. Try it for yourself, and please let me know what you think!

Tuna Taco Things

corn tortillas (3-4)
1 can tuna in water
about 2-3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/4 cup frozen mixed vegetables (corn/peas/carrots/green beans)
cheese of your choice, sliced into strips: cheddar or Monterey Jack work well
spices, to taste: I add salt, pepper, garlic (the usual)

1. Drain tuna. Put in bowl along with mayonnaise and selected spices. Mix together with a fork.
2. Boil/otherwise heat frozen vegetables. Drain and add to tuna mixture. You may choose to add a bit more mayonnaise for the right balance/texture.
3. Heat tortillas in a frying pan with a little oil. Flip at least once, then place a strip of cheese into the center and fold tortilla with a spatula. Let cheese begin to melt, then set aside and continue with the remaining tortillas.
4. Spoon tuna mixture into tortilla shells.
5. Enjoy!

oxox