Casseroles make quick fall meals

smcclanahan

Today we will finish the last recipe entries from the Midwest Food and Poultry recipe contest that was held at the SEMO District Fair. It has been fun sharing all of the entries with you and I look forward to next year.

In addition to finishing that up, we have recipes for fresh apple cake and apple butter bread. Don't those recipes sound like fall? With the cooler temperatures it really makes everyone want to bake something with apples or pumpkin.

If you have a favorite be sure to share it with us.

Arroz Con Pollo Chicken and Rice

Submitted by Ms. Higgins of Cape Girardeau

3 chicken breast halves

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Dash salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 stalks celery, diced

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

3 1/3 cups water

2 (5 ounces) packages Mahatma saffron yellow rice

1 (2 ounce) jar sliced or diced pimientos, drained

1 can early small peas, drained

Cut up chicken into bite size pieces, about 1-inch cubes. Cook in a 4-quart Dutch oven on medium heat with garlic, onion powder and salt until firm.

Remove to another dish. Saute the celery and onion until the onion is nearly clear. Add back the chicken. Add the saffron rice mix, peas and water. Bring to a boil, add the pimientos, stir, cover and turn down the temperature to low. Cook 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender and done.

Chicken Potato Delight For Two

Submitted by Ann Bodenstein of Gordonville, Mo.

3 cups frozen hash browns, thawed

1/2 can cream of chicken soup

6 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon dehydrated minced onions

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup dairy sour cream

1 cup crushed sour cream and onion flavored potato chips

1/2 cup canned French fried onion rings

2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Lemon pepper

Combine hash browns, soup, butter, onions, salt, pepper and sour cream.

Place in the bottom of a baking dish. Combine the potato chips and fried onion rings together. Sprinkle 3/4 of the mixture on top of the potato mixture in the baking dish. Place the chicken breasts over this layer.

Sprinkle with lemon pepper. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until done. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 of topping over the chicken and serve.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Submitted by Bonnie Strack of Cape Girardeau

2 ready-to-use pie crusts

2 cans mixed vegetables

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; cooked and diced

1 can green beans

1 can diced potatoes

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

2 eggs, hard cooked

Fit one pie crust into the bottom of a 9-by-10-inch-baking dish. Mix all ingredients together except eggs and pour into crust. Slice eggs on top and cover with remaining crust; seal and flute edges. Cut slits into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minute.

You may add other vegetables of your choice if you wish.

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The Altenburg, Mo., ladies love to share recipes with all of us, and today they have two to share. A chicken casserole to go along with all of the other chicken recipes we've had for you today, and a delicious dessert.

Chicken Casserole

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

1 cup celery, sliced

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup water or chicken broth

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

1 cup sliced almonds

2 cups crushed potato chips

In a large bowl, combine chicken, celery, onion, rice, soup, salt and pepper, lemon juice; stir in mayonnaise, water or broth and eggs. Place in a 9-by-13-inch-baking dish. Top with almonds and potato chips. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until brown.

Fresh Apple Cake

1/2 cup margarine

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

4 cups chopped apples

1 cup pecans, chopped

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour

Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs and all dry ingredients. Add apples and nuts. Pour into a prepared 9-by-13-inch-baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

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A couple of weeks ago Pauline Clendenin asked me for a recipe for apple butter bread. She had been given a loaf and wanted to make some more at her home. Jodi Thompson of Jackson sent me this one to share with her and it sounds so good I think many of you will want to make some, too.

Apple Butter Bread

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup apple butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons lemon juice

One 5-ounce can evaporated milk or 2/3 cup

In small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Beat in apple butter and vanilla. Stir lemon juice into milk; mixture will curdle.

Add flour mixture and milk mixture alternately to apple butter mixture, beating on medium after each addition just until combined. Pour into two greased 8-by-5-inch or 9-by-5-inch loaf pans and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

You may wish to substitute pear butter, peach butter, or pumpkin butter.

There are no requests this week, so have a wonderful week and happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.