Anne's Chicken a la King

Granny gave me this recipe when I was a teenager in an old Macon ladies' club cookbook. So old, in fact, that the recipe told me to bring things to "the boil." Ha!
It was quite delicious! Kind of a big production, but worth the effort.
It said to boil a whole chicken, but I roasted mine to save time.

1 4-5 lb. fryer
4 T. butter
4 T. flour
salt to taste
6 T. chopped green pepper
1 c. mushrooms, cut (I just used a can of sliced, drained first)
1 c. chicken broth
1 pimento, chopped (I just used a little can, drained)
2 c. chopped chicken
2 egg yolks
2 c. whole milk
Rice, pasta or biscuits to serve it with

Wash chicken and remove giblets. Cover well with water. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to high and bring to boil, then turn heat to low or medium, and simmer until cooked. Cool and remove from bone. You will have a lot leftover, which is great!
Melt butter in a saucepan on low heat. Stir in flour until well-blended. Stir in milk, chicken broth and salt. Cook until thick. Pour into beaten egg yolks and mix thoroughly. Mix chicken, green pepper and pimento. Heat a large sauce pan on high heat. Melt 2 T. butter. Add mushrooms. Cook 10 min. Add chicken and white sauce. Bring to boil, then turn off heat. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Paula's Potato Salad

Sadly I had never hard boiled an egg before making this. But I did it! And then there was potato salad. I think it turned out fine, and my boyfriend Nate really enjoyed it. We had it on Labor Day with some steaks. I think I just don't like potato salad very much. Maybe because of the mustard. Regardless, Nate said to write on here that if you are indeed a fan of potato salad, you will really enjoy this one. So there's that!

POTATO SALAD

4 large potatoes, peeled, boiled and cubed (I didn't peel mine out of sheer laziness, also I like the skins.)
4 lg. hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 onion, diced finely
1 c. celery, chopped
1 tsp. salt
2 T. mayonnaise
2 T. vinegar
2 T. mustard
2 T. sugar
2 T. cream or canned milk
2 tsp. salt
Paprika to taste

Mix cooled potatoes with eggs, onion celery and 1 tsp. salt. Mix remaining ingredients with a whisk in a small bowl, then pour over vegetables. Sprinkle with paprika. Gently toss to coat. Refrigerate before serving.
Can add chopped pickle or celery seed to the dressing. (I did not.)

Enjoy! (Unlike me).

Paula's Pasta Salad

This is so good and easy. I actually think it came from "Southern Living."
I made this the other night for my weekly game night and everyone raved. The recipe noted to use plain Italian dressing, so I just used cheap generic brand and it was super. I served it warm, right after making it. Yum.

PASTA SALAD

12 oz. tri-color pasta (I used rotini)
1 small can chopped olives, drained
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 small green pepper, diced
1-2 green onion, chopped
1 c. broccoli florets
1 c. cauliflower florets
1 small jar quartered artichoke hearts
12 slices pepperoni, chopped
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 12 oz. bottle plain Italian dressing

Cook and drain pasta. Chop vegetables and pepperoni. Add to pasta. Sprinkle with cheese and pour dressing over. Toss well to mix. Chill in refrigerator if not serving immediately.

Merle's Cherry Cream Pie

Delicious. Like cherry ice cream in a pie. Quick and easy, too, and you can lighten it up a bit with sugar free Cool Whip. (I always use sugar free.)

CHERRY CREAM PIE

1/2 c. lemon juice
1 can Eagle Brand
4-5 drops red food coloring
1 9" deep dish pastry pie shell
1 can cherries, chopped and drained
1 8 oz. Cool Whip

Mix lemon juice, Eagle Brand, food coloring, cherries and Cool Whip well; pour into baked pie shell and refrigerate.

Paula's Broccoli Salad

So, here's a funny story. I didn't know sold pre-shelled sunflower seeds, so I stood there and shelled ALL THESE SUNFLOWER SEEDS when I made this the other night. I'm a genius!

BROCCOLI SALAD

1 1/2 lbs. fresh broccoli, washed, stems removed and heads chopped into small pieces
1/4 c. red or green onion, chopped
6 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1/2 c. sunflower seeds, roasted and salted
1/2 c. golden raisins
3/4 c. mayonnaise
2 1/2 T. white or rice wine vinegar
1/2 c. sugar

Mix broccoli, onion, bacon, sunflower seeds and raisins in a large bowl. Whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar together in a small bowl and pour over broccoli mixture. Toss with a spatula to distribute dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Paula's Sour Cream Chicken

I made this for the first time for a bunch of my friends the other night. It got rave reviews, especially from
Nate, who thinks the world should be made from sour cream and French fried onions. I used fat free sour cream and soup, which made the gravy a lot less rich and creamy, but it was still very good.

SOUR CREAM CHICKEN

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 carton sour cream (small if using 4 breasts, large if two)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 big can French fried onions

Mix sour cream and soups in a 9x13 baking dish. I used a spatula and spread it all around. Place chicken breasts in, and flip them to cover both sides. Bake at 350 degrees 50 min. Top with onions; bake 10 min. more.

That's it!

Merle's Baked Beans Ole'

Not your standard baked beans but totally delicious with a big kick! I made these as a side on Labor Day with steaks.

BAKED BEANS OLE'

1 lg. can pork and beans
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
1/2 tsp. Mexican seasoning
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1 can French fried onions

Mix all except onions and baked in a 2 qt. casserole dish uncovered at 350 degrees 35 minutes. Top with onions and bake 5 min. more.

Paula's Chicken and Macaroni

I don't remember Mother making this, but it was in her handwriting in her cookbook, so she must have made it before I came along. Anyway, it's a great, one-dish, ready in 20 minutes comfort dinner. You can play around with the veggies to your liking. My dad called it "Pasta Surprise" when I made it for him and Lei one night, which should probably have offended me but I actually found quite funny.

CHICKEN AND MACARONI

8 oz. elbow noodles
3 T. butter
1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
3 T. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 c. milk
1 lg. can chunk chicken, drained
1 c. sharp cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni as package directs. Drain and keep warm. Melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped bell pepper and celery and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Add flour, salt, and pepper; stir in until well-blended. Add milk gradually, stirring after each addition. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened. Gently stir in chicken and cheese until cheese completely melts. Stir macaroni into mixture until well-blended.

Enjoy!