Shepherds Pie

The Shepherd

Little lambs upon the hill

Bleating in the night so still

Go your way and do not fear

A tender shepherd hovers near.

I've always been fascinated by the life of a sheepherder. I have relatives who were herders and grew up on stories of them battling grizzly bears and wolves to protect the sheep. My Aunt would take my cousins and go out and stay on the range and then return to town. I wondered about the lonely nights, starry skies, rain, wind, and sunrises that my uncle saw alone. It must take a special kind of man to year in and year out stay and protect his sheep. I especially remember how they talked about the lambing in April and how concerned he was about the cold and the new little lambs. This simple little recipe is one my mom made often when I was young and I share it in tribute to the Sheepherder.

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion chopped

1 can tomato soup 10 oz.

1 sm can tomato sauce 8 oz.

1 can drained sliced green beans

10 peeled potatoes

1 egg

grated Cheddar cheese

Brown gr. beef with onion and drain off grease

Add tomato soup, tomato sauce and beans to pan and mix

Boil cut up potatoes, drain, dry off excess water

Add a little butter salt and pepper

add one egg and whip (egg helps the potatoes to float on top)

Put gr. beef mixture in a 9x13 inch pan or a casserole dish

and then cover with whipped potatoes, grated cheddar cheese and dots of butter

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

I had fun making our Shepherds Pie in this very old cast iron "Scotch Pot". My best guess is that this pot is about the 1850 era. It very possibly could have hung over a pioneer campfire with their stew or oatmeal. It is scratched up inside with the many scrapings of spoons over the years. As Greg and I dished our dinner from this pot (I cleaned it really well) I wondered who else had enjoyed their meals from it. Maybe even an old sheepherder!

-Debbie -

Apple -N- Stuffing Pork

Apples and Pork - A Perfect Match!

F.E.D. Recipe = Fast, Easy, Delicious

A co-worker shared this recipe and our family has really enjoyed it. Sometimes at the cabin, I like to "frizzle" cook. This means spending time to dutch oven cook or other dishes that are more time consuming. Other times, I just plain like to play and want something good to feed the family without the fuss. This is the perfect recipe for "play days". Just take 5 minutes and put the ingredients in the crockpot and dinner is ready in a few hours. Also, in the summer you won't warm up your cabin.

1 Pork Roast or Pork Chops (about 3 to 4 lbs.)

1 Can Apple Pie Filling

1/2 cup Craisins (opt. but I love the craisins)
1 Box Chicken Stove Top Stuffing Mix

Make stuffing according to package directions. Place pork in crock pot with about 1/4 cup water, cover with apple pie filling, craisins, and stuffing. Cook on low for about 5-6 hours.

-Debbie -

Potato Canoes

These Little Potato Canoes are so much fun to make! Everyone gets to hollow out their own little "canoe" with a melon baller and then stuff it with whatever they like.

To begin, really scrub your potatoes well, dry them, and then put a coat of butter or shortening on the outside. Place each potato on a sheet of aluminum foil. If your potato doesn't set flat, cut a little slice off the bottom. Then cut a slice off the top. With the melon baller, scoop out the pulp, leaving enough pulp to hold a good shape on the potato. I like to leave the potato balls around the outside of the potato and then add onions, peppers, salt, pepper, and butter to them.

Once everything is scooped out, add some cream of chicken soup (or any other cream soup you like) to the cavity and then add things like cheese, ham, onions, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, squash, anything your family likes. You could also use taco flavored cooked ground beef and vegetables you would use on a taco. Roast beef and gravy would also be good. Use your imagination!

When each "canoe" is hollowed out and stuffed, replace the piece you cut off at the beginning for a top, wrap it in aluminum foil, write each owners name on the outside with a marker, and bake in the oven on a cookie sheet at 350 for about an hour. These can also be cooked on the coals of a campfire. Everyone will have fun making their own canoe and family memories will be made. Have Fun!

Contributor: Debbie

Sweet and Tangy Chicken

No Fuss - No Muss - Oh So Good!

This is my type of recipe. It took no more than 5 minutes to get everything in the pot and the chicken was absolutely delicious!

This can be baked in your kitchen oven or with briquettes outside. Donna said that this sauce also works well on pork chops. I'm certainly going to give it a try.

4 - 6 chicken breasts or a whole one cut up
1 cup apricot jam
1 cup Catalina dressing (I like Sweet Honey Catalina by Kraft)
1/2 pkg. onion soup mix (about 2 Tbs.)

Pat chicken dry. Pour the above sauce over the chicken and bake at 350 about 45 min. to 1 hr. Cover with foil while cooking.

If you want more sauce to put over rice or potatoes, use equal parts jam and dressing.

Enjoy!

Contributor: Donna

Dutch Oven Parmesan Chicken

Fast, Easy, Good!

Dutch ovens aren't just for summertime. They don't mind if they are heated with briquettes, a campstove, or in your kitchen oven. So get your dutch oven out and enjoy that wonderful dutch flavor this winter.

Also try the parmesan cheese straws. These were one of the first things I learned to make many moons ago in my Jr. High cooking class. They are so simple but they go great with soups and pasta dishes.

10 to 12 skinned chicken breasts
10 to 12 large fresh mushrooms
10 to 12 pieces mozzarella cheese slices
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
5 cups spaghetti sauce

Remove the mushroom stems. Save the caps and cut the stems up and put in the spaghetti sauce. Put half of the chicken on the bottom of the dutch oven. Place a slice of mozzarella on each chicken piece, then sprinkle generously with the parmesan cheese, and cover it with half of the spaghetti sauce. Add another layer of chicken, another layer mozzarella slices, and another layer of parmesan cheese. Place a small cube of mozzarella inside each mushroom cap and float them on the spaghetti sauce. Generously sprinkle more parmesan cheese over the whole thing.

Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

This makes a large pot of chicken but can easily be cut in half for smaller groups. The cooking time will then be about 1 1/2 hours. I usually make half a recipe for our family.

Parmesan Cheese Straws

slices of bread
butter or margarine
parmesan cheese

Butter amount of bread slices you would like. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cut each slice into 4 straws.

Broil in your oven until golden brown.

Variation: I also like to mix the parmesan cheese and McCormicks "Salad Supreme" seasoning and sprinkle on the bread.

Contributor:- Debbie-