Homemade fast food for a busy season

In the hustle and bustle of the upcoming Christmas holiday, I find myself reaching for good and quick recipes to fix and have on hand for reheats-in-a-hurry. If you have any recipes that you make and would like to share, please get those in.

Charlie Rothman of Cape Girardeau sent in 12 of his favorite recipes that he wanted to pass along to you. I pulled out several, and as room allows, I will include the others in the future. Charlie enjoys cooking, especially for his friends. Give these a try, I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Texas Tostadas

2 pounds ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 (16-ounce) can tomatoes, cutup

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chiles, drained

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Tostada shells or corn chips

Shredded lettuce

Shredded cheddar cheese

Assorted toppers:

Hot cooked rice

Chopped ripe olives

Chopped toasted pecans

Chopped tomatoes

Sliced green onions

Coconut

Picante sauce or salsa

Cook half of the ground beef and onion at a time in a 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven, till meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain fat. Return all meat and onion to the skillet. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, green chiles, chili powder, garlic salt and cumin. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve over tostada shells. Top and layer as desired with lettuce, cheese and other assorted toppers. Serves 10 to 12.

Broccoli Sausage Quiche

1 pound sausage, loose, drained

3 eggs

1 carton sour cream

1 package mozzarella cheese

1 small package chopped broccoli

Dill, to taste

1 unbaked pie shell

Brown sausage and drain. Mix together the sour cream, cheese, broccoli and dill. Stir in sausage. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs

3/4 cup oil

1 cup crushed pineapple, drained

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup chopped pecans

3 cups self-rising flour

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix eggs, oil and sugar; add pineapple and zucchini. Add rest of ingredients, stirring just until combined. Bake in loaf pans or muffin pans that have been well greased or sprayed at 350 degrees. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Not Your Ordinary Green Bean Casserole

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups milk

3 to 4 teaspoons dry ranch-style salad dressing mix

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1 1/4 pounds fresh green beans, cooked until crisp-tender

1 cup fresh bread crumbs, toasted

To make white sauce, melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour, cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Using wire whisk, stir in milk; bring to a boil. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in dressing mix and white pepper, set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray medium skillet with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Remove half of onion mixture, set aside. Add mushrooms to onion mixture remaining in skillet and cook about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Combine mushroom mixture, green beans and white sauce in 1 1/2-quart casserole. Combine bread crumbs with reserved onion mixture; sprinkle over casserole. Bake, uncovered, until heated through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Creamy Mushroom Steaks

4 small beef top loin steaks, about 1 1/4 pounds

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

For the sauce:

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

3 tablespoons chopped onion

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon grated onion

Salt and pepper, to taste

Red and or green pepper

Trim beef steaks, let sit at room temperature for 2 hours. Prepare mushroom sauce. Slice mushrooms. In a heavy saucepan, sautŽ the mushrooms in butter for a few minutes until they start getting lightly brown. Add onions. SautŽ until onions are golden and transparent. Sprinkle with flour, stir to blend well. Add half-and-half, stirring a little at a time. Simmer until thick and creamy. Add soy sauce, grated onion and salt and pepper to taste. Brown butter in skillet. Add steaks. Brown slightly on both sides. Reduce heat. Cover. Let steaks simmer for a few minutes in their own juices. Add mushroom sauce to skillet. Let steaks simmer in the sauce for a couple of minutes until they are tender and done to your liking. Garnish with pepper strips, if desired. Serves 4.

Texas Rice

1/4 cup butter

1 cup chopped onion

4 cups cooked rice

2 cups sour cream

1 cup cottage cheese

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper

1 (8 ounce) can green chiles, chopped is best

Touch of parsley

2 cups grated cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12x8-inch-baking dish. SautŽ onion; stir in rice, sour cream, cottage cheese, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and chiles. Pour into dish, cover with cheese. Bake until hot. Do not over cook as it will dry out. Bake about 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese melts. This tasted its best when served piping hot.

Once again I encourage you send in your favorite recipes to share with other recipe readers. It is fun to see what other people are cooking over the holiday.

Have a wonderful week and until next time, happy cooking.