Slow Cooker Southwestern Beans and Rice

This savory slow cooker version of beans and rice is very good as is, or it can be served as a filling for burritos. For a burrito filling, mix some of the bean mixture with some rice and tuck it inside a flour tortilla topped with a dollop of sour cream. Yummy! The ham hocks add a wonderful smoky flavor but provide very little meat, so, if you prefer not to mess with them, you might like to add 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke instead. Either way, the recipe is full-flavored, and very easy to prepare. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 ham hocks
1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, rinsed and drained (black beans are also very good)
1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried cilantro, crushed and added to the slow cooker or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro sprinkled over dish at serving time.
Hot cooked rice

1. Combine all of the ingredients in the slow cooker except the fresh cilantro, if using, and the rice.
2. Cover and cook on low setting for 7 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
3. Remove the ham hocks during the last hour of cooking and cut off the meat; return to the slow cooker. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve over rice.

Yield: 3 cups
3/4 cup = 139 calories without rice
7 gms. fiber
Note: Calorie count includes 2 to 3 ounces ham from ham hocks.

Broccoli Scalloped Potatoes (with ham)

This all-in-one-dish meal was created by Denell Syslo, from Fullerton, Nebraska. Her wonderful recipe was contributed to, and accepted by, "Taste of Home" for one of their cookbooks. As you have probably noted by this time, I have used many "Taste of Home" recipes over the years. I love the ease and simplicity of recipes  shared by home cooks, and this one is no exception. The recipe is very easy, but it does take time to prep the vegetables and make the sauce. Once this is done, pop it in the oven for an hour and dinner is ready. I served Autumn Tossed Salad, recipe posted on 9/24/2014, alongside. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 tbsp. chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup butter
5 tbsp. unbleached flour
1/4 tsp. white pepper ( black pepper would work just fine if you don't have the white)
1/8 tsp. salt
2-1/2 cups milk
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese, divided use
2 pounds medium potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced (about 6 potatoes)
2 cups julienned fully cooked ham (see note)
2 cups frozen broccoli florets, thawed and patted dry (see note)

1. In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in butter for 3-4 minutes.
2. Stir in the flour, pepper and salt until blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1 cup of cheese. Reduce heat; cook for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted (sauce will be thick).
3. Remove from the heat; gently stir in the potatoes, ham and broccoli.
4. Transfer to a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish or line pan with non-stick pan lining paper. (I love pan lining paper for ease of clean up!)
5. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
6. Uncover and test potatoes with a fork to make sure they are very tender. If they are, sprinkle casserole with remaining cup of cheese and return to the oven for about 5 minutes to melt cheese.

Yield: 8 servings
Note: I used packaged cubed ham; so easy to just take it out of the package and throw it in the pot.
Note: I used fresh broccoli and it worked perfectly.

Ham and Pea Salad

Making a main dish salad is a simple way of getting the family meal on the table in short order. Salads work great for lunch, dinner or tea as long as there is enough variety for the larger appetites that may be involved. This recipe is very easy to put together and the salad keeps well in the refrigerator for two to three days, so it can easily be prepared in advance. Serving bread and a variety of salads for a meal is a fun way of gathering together a group of friends and/or family for a casual time together. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 pkg. (12 ounces) frozen petite peas, thawed and drained on paper towels
1/2 cup cubed medium Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream or plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 teaspoon regular yellow sandwich mustard
1/2 teaspoon milk
1/8 teaspoon shallot salt or onion salt

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a serving bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients and stir into salad. Chill for about an hour and serve.

Yield: 3-3/4 cups
189 calories per 1 cup serving
3.5 gms. fiber

Ham 'n' Cheese Pie

Do you remember the days of the "impossible pie" recipes on the back of the Bisquick boxes? Goodness, these go back a long way! Well, I found this recipe in a Taste of Home cookbook and decided to give it a try since I hadn't made an "impossible pie" in years. The combination of cheeses, ham and bacon are traditional in quiche and taste great for brunch, lunch or dinner. In the "impossible pie" recipes there are no crusts. The custard is formed by the combination of Bisquick, eggs and milk. So easy, and very tasty! I was curious to go to the Bisquick website to see if there were any of these kinds of recipes posted and there are. If you might be interested in checking out the site it is http://www.bisquick.com Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup diced fully cooked ham
3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 tbsp. chopped onion
3 tbsp. chopped green pepper
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup biscuit/baking mix such as Bisquick
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

1. In a greased 10-inch quiche dish or pie plate (see note), layer ham, Swiss cheese, bacon, cheddar cheese, onion and green pepper.
2. Place the remaining ingredients in a blender in the order given; blend for 30-40 seconds. Pour over meat and cheese; do not stir.
3. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Yield: 6-8 servings
Note: I baked the pie in a 10-inch quiche dish and it was incredibly thin, as you can see in the picture. In the future I will use a 9-inch pie plate. Since the pie will be thicker it might need a few more minutes of baking time.

Cold Meat Salad

Salads are a great way to use leftover meat. This salad is wonderful on it's own as a main dish or used as a sandwich filling, as I have done here. The salad makes a nice filling for pita bread for something a bit different from the usuall sandwich bread. This tasty recipe comes from Marlene Sorosky's Cookery for Entertaining, with just a few minor adjustments. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup chopped green onions (I have also used white onion)
1 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, lightly toasted and cooled
1/2 (10-oz.) pkg. frozen peas, thawed and drained on paper towels
2 cups diced cooked ham, beef, chicken or turkey
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tsps. prepared mustard

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Whisk together mayonnaise and mustard until smooth; stir into salad until well combined.
3. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight to blend flavors.

 Yield: 4 cups
315 calories per 1 cup serving using lean ham and light mayo
4 gms. fiber
 Note: To toast pecans, spread on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, stirring twice. I also use a frying pan over low heat for about 10 minutes. The pecans will begin to smell so fragrant and wonderful in about 10 minutes, and they will have a bit of crunch.
Note: We use about 1/2 cup salad for a sandwich.

Ham and Fruit Pasta Salad

This lovely low-fat salad is perfect for spring and summer lunch's or a light dinner. The dressing is made of fruit yogurt rather than higher calorie mayonnaise or oil keeping the calorie count per cup of salad fairly low. Add any combination of fruit you like, and certainly chicken would be as good as the ham. We eat a lot of main dish salads as the weather turns warm and this is a favorite. They are great to have prepared in advance on busy days. This salad can be prepped and stored in separate bowls until time to throw it all together at suppertime. Blessings...

Recipe:

1-1/2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1 carton (6 oz.) Pina Colada yogurt
2 tbsp. plain low-fat yogurt
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 cup halved seedless grapes
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup diced cooked ham

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse in cold water and drain. Cool completely.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the yogurt and lime juice until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. In a serving bowl combine the fruit, ham and cooled pasta; stir in dressing and serve.

Yield: 4-1/2 cups
211 calories per cup
Note: To serve this salad as a side dish, omit the meat and add more fruit.

Ham Buns

I've always loved to cook and preparing nice meals for my family has always been a priority, but there are those times when even ladies like myself want to do what is really easy and simple. I will even use some microwave meals now, which is amazing for a lady who wouldn't even have a microwave in her kitchen until my mom gave me her old one that she was replacing with a newer model. My husband and son couldn't believe it the first time I heated up a can of chili for our meal all those years ago. But, life gets crazy and we all get worn out and simple is wonderful, especially when we are hungry. These ham buns are a meal for just such an occasion. I would make them for a fun change when we had leftover ham. Fruit and chips are great alongside; a great kid-friendly meal. Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 to 4 tbsp. finely minced onion

1 tbsp. poppy seed

2 tsps. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsps. prepared mustard

1-1/4 cups finely chopped fully cooked ham (about 8 oz.)

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (4 oz.)

6 hamburger buns

1. In a bowl, mix butter, onion, poppy seed, Worcestershire sauce and mustard until well blended.

2. Add ham and cheese; mix well.

3. Divide evenly among buns and place in a shallow baking pan; cover with foil.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until hot.

Yield: 6 sandwiches

Note: The amount of butter is a bit much for me, but my hubby loves it. I think the amount could probably be cut down by 2 to 3 tablespoons.

Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Pies

Puff pastry is delicious and it is worth the time and effort to prepare, especially with the packaged frozen sheets readily available in most grocery stores. This recipe takes some time to prepare because the ham has to be chopped and combined with the other ingredients and then chilled until cold but, oh my goodness, is it ever good stuff for dinner. When working with puff pastry, all the ingredients must be cold, so plan ahead. This recipe comes from Family Circle Magazine, 5/13/80.

I served this dish to guests back in March with Pineapple-Orange Cranberry Relish posted on 3/7/13 and our guests brought a Caesar Salad. The salad pictured here is called Apple Citrus Salad and was posted on 3/6/13.

If your kids like ham and cheese, these pies are definitely kid-friendly. Blessings...

Recipe: 

3 tbsps. mayonnaise
2 tsps. Dijon-style mustard
1 egg yolk
   dash red hot pepper sauce
1/2 pound lean baked or boiled ham, chopped small
3/4 pound mild Cheddar cheese, shredded into large shreds
1 pkg. (17-1/4 ounces) pre-rolled frozen puff pastry
1 egg white, lightly beaten

1. Combine mayonnaise, mustard, egg yolk and pepper sauce in a large mixing bowl; blend well. Stir in ham and cheese. Refrigerate until cold.
2. Thaw frozen Pastry sheets 20 minutes at room temperature or until pliable, but still very cold. There are pkg. instructions for this, as well, if you have concerns about what "very cold" feels like. Roll out a sheet on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch square; divide into 4 equal quarters.
3. Place some of the filling on half of each triangle, leaving a 1-inch border along the edge. Brush the borders generously with some of the beaten egg white. Fold squares diagonally in half to form triangles. Press edges firmly together, then press with tines of fork to seal securely.
4. Brush tops with egg white. Pierce each top in center with small paring knife to allow steam to escape. Arrange pies 1-inch apart on cookie sheet. Put in freezer  and repeat with remaining sheet of pastry to make 4 more pies. Place these on cookie sheets and put in the freezer while oven heats.
5. Heat oven to very hot (450 degrees). Immediately lower temperature to hot (400 degrees). Transfer solidly frozen pies to new cookie sheets (cold metal will retard crisping of the pastry); place pies in oven.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until pies are well puffed and deep golden brown.

Yield: 8 pies
Note: Pies can be frozen firmly on cookie sheets, then removed and wrapped individually in plastic freezer wrap. (Three weeks maximum storage.)
To bake: Preheat oven to 450 degrees; lower heat to 400 degrees. Bake pies on cookie sheet for 30 minutes or until puffed and deep golden brown.

Slow Cooker Stuffed Chicken Rolls

Valentine's Day conjures up images of roses, chocolate, and dinners out, but in today's economy these things may not be affordable. There have been many Valentine's Day celebrations in our marriage that I was the chef because of unemployment or because there simply wasn't the money in the budget to go out. Since I enjoy cooking, this was never a problem for me; these times gave me an opportunity to get creative. With the addition of a pretty table clothe on the table and china and crystal, our evening meal was no longer a typical meal. My husband and son have always had their favorite dinner and dessert requests, so it was easy to make our meal special. If your family has been hit by the economic down-turn, this chicken dish may just be the ticket to a delicious Valentine's Day dinner celebration for you and your family. Blessings...

Recipe:

6 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves

6 slices fully cooked ham

6 slices Swiss cheese

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. rubbed sage

1/4 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 cup oil for frying

1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1/2 cup chicken broth

rice, pasta or mashed potatoes

1. Flatten chicken to 1/8-inch thickness by pounding with a meat mallet between sheets of plastic wrap. I save empty cereal box liners for this purpose. They are much sturdier and do not tear apart as easily as plastic wrap.

2. Place a piece of ham and slice of cheese on each breast. Roll up and tuck in ends; secure with a toothpick.

3. Combine the flour, Parmesan cheese, sage, paprika and pepper in a pie plate; coat chicken on all sides.

4. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. This step is very important.

5. In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil over medium-high heat. Transfer to a slow cooker.

6. Combine soup and broth; pour over the chicken.

7. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Remove toothpicks and serve with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes.

Yield: 6 ample servings

Potato Soup, Florentine Style

This is another of the many recipes for the slow cooker that come from Mable Hoffman's excellent book, "Crockery Cookery", that are a regular part of our dinner menus. This soup is a meal-in-a-bowl for a busy weeknight dinner. A crusty Italian bread for dipping into the broth is a wonderful accompaniment. I prefer the chopped ham over the ham hocks for less fat and be sure to get the spinach out of the freezer to thaw while the soup cooks. The spinach isn't added until the last 15-20 minutes of cooking time. Blessings...

Recipe:

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)
1 cup chopped onion
1 smoked ham hock (about 1 lb.) or 1 cup chopped ham
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 (9-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained (see note)
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese

1. In a slow cooker, combine potatoes, onion, ham hock or ham, broth, mustard, seasoned salt and pepper.
2. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until potatoes are soft.
3. Remove ham hock; chop meat and discard fat and bone. Return meat to cooker.
4. Turn control to high. Add drained spinach. Cover and cook on high for 15-20 minutes.
5. Spoon hot soup into soup bowls and sprinkle with cheese. Yummy!

Yield: 7-3/4 cups
Note: Place frozen spinach in a mesh strainer over a bowl and let sit to thaw. When thawed, press out excess water with the back of a wooden spoon. This makes the job so much easier.

Ham and Pineapple Salad

I was very traditional for Easter this year and made a ham dinner for my husband and I, which means we have a lot of leftover ham. Thankfully, we love ham and I have many uses for it in recipes. This salad is a new one that I made for our supper Sunday evening, with great success. It is very easy and fast to put together, except the time it takes to cut up the fresh pineapple. Canned pineapple chunks would probably work just fine, but the flavor may not be as vibrant. The fresh pineapple and ham combination was wonderful. The recipe is written for two servings, but the list of ingredients is so simple that it would be very easy to multiply for a larger group of people.

This salad would make a great tea or lunch dish served with dinner rolls and a vegetable salad. As you can see in the photo, I served it with a Fruit-and-Cabbage salad. This particular salad was in the post dated 3/29/10. If you don't have left-over ham and would like to try the dish, a packaged ham steak would be a very easy substitute with out the bother of baking a whole ham.

Recipe:

1 cup fresh pineapple cubes
1 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

1. In a salad bowl, combine the pineapple, ham, green pepper and celery.
2. Combine the mayonnaise and mustard in a measuring cup. Pour over salad ingredients and stir to coat.

Serves 2
Tip: I used low-fat mayonnaise successfully for the dish.