Shelly Rich's Spinach Salad from Allison's Musical Dinner

Spinach – Costco size box
Pasta – rototelli or bow tie, cooked
Celery – sliced
Cucumber – sliced
Tomatoes – cherry, red or yellow, cut in half
Peppers – mini, tri colored, sliced into small rings, seeds removed
Purple onion – sliced thin
Cilantro – ½ bunch, washed and chopped fine
Marinated artichoke hearts – 2 small jars or ½ Costco size (approx.16 oz.)
Pine nuts – toasted
Feta cheese – crumbled
Calmat olives
Lemon pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
Balsamic vinegar

Drain the artichoke hearts over a bowl, saving marinade. Mix the balsamic vinegar and marinade together to make the salad dressing. Place all other ingredients in a large salad bowl. Toss.
Pour dressing over salad and serve.  Make 18-24 servings.

Can add chicken to make into a main dish salad!

Junior League Tarragon Chicken

1½ cups mayonnaise
1 cup finely chopped green onion
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp. dried tarragon

Mix above ingredients together the day ahead and allow flavors to mingle. Store in the refrigerator.

12 boneless skinless chicken breasts, (I cut in half or thirds if large)
1 package phyllo (fillo) dough, thaw both sleeves of dough
1 1/3 cups butter, melted
Parmesan cheese

Take out one sheet of the phyllo dough. Brush with butter. Lay another sheet of dough on top. Place the piece of chicken on the dough in the center of one side. Place 1 ½ tablespoons of the sauce on top of the chicken and fold the phyllo up into an envelope. Generously brush the top with butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. At this point, freeze them or bake on a cookie sheet. If freezing, wrap the cookie sheet well in saran wrap. Defrost for 3 hours before baking. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-35 minutes and the tops are golden brown.

Cook’s note: There is always sauce left over and more cannot be used or the dough is soggy. You may want to try cutting the sauce recipe down.

Easy Italian Meatloaf

1 lb. ground beef
1 tbsp. ketchup
3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 egg
2 cups Italian style bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl. By hand, mix all ingredients until well blended. Shape meatloaf into desired shape, drizzle oil over top and rub by hand. Wrap in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake in oven for 1 hour.

Raise temperature to 375 degrees and unwrap meatloaf. Bake for another 15 minutes for crust to form.

Chicken over Broccoli Casserole

Enough broccoli to cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish
4 Chicken breasts, cooked and pulled apart
2 C mayo
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
juice of 2 lemons
curry, salt and pepper to taste

Layer broccoli in a 9x13 inch baking pan. Place chicken over the broccoli. Combine remaining ingredients to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli.
Cook in a preheated 350 degree oven for approx 45 minutes or until bubbly.

Lybbert's "A-1" Pot Roast

This recipe is from our family friends the Lybberts. It is a wonderfully easy and delicious recipe. The roast will make its own gravy while it is cooking, and can be served with potatoes and carrots.

3-5 lb Pot Roast
small bottle A-1 sauce
1 pkt dry onion soup mix
1-2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup

Line a baking dish (large enough to fit your roast) with foil and a couple inches of foil overhang. Place roast on foil. Top with other ingredients. Use another piece of foil to make a "packet" for the roast. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 2-4 hours.

*Kent's tip: Add fresh mushrooms and sliced onions inside the roast packet.

Sharon's "Cafe Rio"

Cafe Rio Pork Simplified

3/4 lb pork shoulder

1 bottle taco sauce (Pace Mild Taco Sauce 3/4 bottle)

1 T cumin

1 C brown sugar

1 can Coke

salt and pepper to taste

Put roast in crock pot in enough water to cover and cook on low overnight.  In the morning, shred the meat with a fork.  Put back in the crock pot and add additional ingredients.  Cook at least one more hour.

Can serve as burrito or salad.  

Additional fixings: shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, cilantro, chopped tomatoes, green onions, black olives.

Lime Rice

1 C rice

2 C chicken broth

juice of 1 lime

chopped cilantro

Brown the rice in butter.  Add chicken broth to cook.  Stir in lime juice and cilantro.

Ranch Tomatillo Dressing

1 pkt Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

1 C buttermilk

1 C mayo

1-2 tomatillos

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1/2 t lime juice

1/2-1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Mix together and refrigerate.

Kent's Salmon

Salmon 1:
lemon pepper
garlic salt
fresh dill (whole package)
slice lemon and lay on top

Salmon 2:
chipotle lime rub

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by covering with tin foil. Rinse salmon fillet and place on baking sheet. Top with seasoning, lemon slices and sprinkle with fresh dill. Place in preheated oven. Begin checking for doneness around 10 minutes elapsed time.

When finished cooking dab with melted butter, and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top.

Tip: Salmon is done when it easily comes apart with a fork, and is almost completely opaque. Remove from the oven and set on counter for 5 minutes to "finish cooking".

Main Dish Recipes from The Cooks Cook

Chicken Magnifique
4 chicken breasts (boned and split)
1/4 C butter
2 C sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp crushed thyme
1/2 tsp crushed rosemary
2/3 C light cream (or evaporated skim milk)
toasted, slivered almonds

Brown chicken in butter. Remove chicken. Saute mushrooms (barely). Stir in soup and seasonings. Add chicken and simmer 35-40 minutes. Blend in cream. Serve with rice.

Baked Egg Casserole
1 lb grated sharp cheese
2 1/2 C milk
1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and mrepared mustard
1 C diced ham
8 slices white bread, no crusts, diced
4 eggs, beaten
1 green pepper, diced
1 C mushrooms

Mix together milk, eggs, salt, pepper, and mustard. Put bread in a buttered casserole dish and pour liquid over. Add cheese, ham, mushrooms, and green pepper. Let stand 8 hours in refrigerator. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 1/2 hours over a pan of water. (Start checking for doneness after 1 hour.)
4 times this recipes will serve 50+ people.

Chicken Divan
2 (10 oz) packages frozen cut broccoli
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp worchestershire
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 C grated cheddar cheese
2 C sliced cooked chicken
1 C mayonnaise (or combo of mayo and plain yogurt)
1/2 C soft bread crumbs, mixed with a dash of paprika

Cook broccoli, drain well. Arrange in baking dish. Mix next 4 ingredients together, pour half over the chicken. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese. Top with chicken and remaining soup, then cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until heated through, about 20 minutes.

Beef Stoganoff
1/4 C margarine
1/2 C minced onions
1 lb ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 C sour cream
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
1 lb mushrooms (or 2-4oz cans), sliced
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

Heat butter and saute onions until tender. Stir in meat, garlic, flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Simmer 5 minutes, stir in soup, simmer uncovered 10 minutes. Just before serving, add mushrooms and sour cream. Heat and serve over rice or noodles.

Company Lasagna
1 lb hamburger
1 lb Italian sausage
1 clove garlic
onion, chopped
1 lg can tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce
1 C water
1 Tbsp oregano
pinch basil
Simmer above ingredients for 30 minutes.
Shredded mozzarella and monteray jack cheese
cottage cheese
12 lasagna noodles
Layer as follows: sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, sauce, noodles, sauce, shredded cheese (repeat). Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Sloppy Joes
1 lb ground beef
1 lg onion
1 green onion
2 Tbsp sugar (opt)
1 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp worchestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
8 0z bottle of catsup

Brown meat, onion and green onion. Add other ingredients. Simmer 20-30 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.

BBQ Pork Tenderloin
2 lb pork tenderloin
2/3 C fresh orange juice
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp rosemary
fresh ground pepper

Combine orange juice, soy sauce, garlic, rosemary and pepper for marinade. Marinate the tenderloins for at least 2 hours. Remove the tenderloins and grill for approximately 20 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes. Slice thin and pour reserved marinade on the slices. Great hot or cold.