New recipes for readers to test

By Susan McClanahan

Over the past couple of weeks, my computer inbox has been flooded with new recipes. I follow several food blogs and sites, and they have been busy with the start of the new year.

I have saved many of the recipes and hope to get to them eventually, but for today, you will be the testers and guinea pigs for these recipes. Give them a try, and let me know what you think.

As always, we would love to hear your favorite recipes. Just email them in to share and pass along to other food enthusiasts like yourself.

Hearty Ham and Potato Strata

This hearty yet inexpensive strata is sure to be a family favorite. This can be assembled ahead of time or the night before and baked just before serving.

• 1 pound sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups chopped fully-cooked ham
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 10 slices white bread, cubed
• 1 cup cubed cooked potatoes
• 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 large eggs
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• Dash salt and pepper

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp; add ham and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender; drain.

In a greased 13x9-inch baking dish, layer half the bread cubes, potatoes and cheese. Top with all of the bacon mixture. Repeat layers of bread, potatoes and cheese.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs; add the milk, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over all. Cover and chill overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 65 to 70 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 16 servings.

Lemon Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound trimmed green beans
• 8 small red potatoes, quartered
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil. On the bottom of baking dish, arrange lemon slices in a single layer.

Combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. One by one, coat the green beans, potatoes and chicken in the oil mixture. Start by adding the green beans first. Toss to coat. Then, using tongs, remove the green beans and place them on top of the lemon slices. Next, add the potatoes to the olive-oil mixture and toss to coat. Using your tongs again, arrange the potatoes over the green beans, along the inside edge of the dish. Last, coat the chicken in the oil mixture and place in baking dish. Pour any remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes (or until potatoes and veggies look soft and chicken cooked through). Serve warm.

20-Minute Shrimp and Sausage Skillet

• 1 pound medium or large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
• 6 ounces pre-cooked smoked sausage, sliced on the bias
• 3/4 cup diced red bell pepper
• 3/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1/2 of a medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
• Olive oil or coconut oil
• Optional garnish: chopped parsley

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with some olive oil or coconut oil. Season shrimp with Old Bay Seasoning. Cook shrimp about 3 to 4 minutes until opaque; remove and set aside. Cook onions and bell peppers in skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil for about 2 minutes. Add sausage and zucchini to the skillet, cook another 2 minutes. Put cooked shrimp back into skillet along with the garlic and cook everything for about 1 minute. Pour chicken stock into pan and mix through to moisten all ingredients. Add salt, ground pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Remove from heat, garnish with parsley and serve hot.

Malibu Chicken

• 3 large chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise to form 2 thinner cutlets
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups Italian panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 slices deli ham
• 6 slices Swiss cheese

For the Honey Mustard Sauce:

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. Whisk eggs together in a shallow bowl. In another bowl combine Italian panko bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper. Dip each chicken cutlet into the egg mixture then immediately press both sides into the bread crumb mixture. Place coated chicken in a single layer in the baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and layer one slice of ham and one slice of cheese on top of each chicken breast. Return to oven and bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

While chicken bakes, whisk together honey mustard sauce ingredients. Serve chicken warm with sauce on the side.

Shrimp Boil Foil Packets

Easy, make-ahead foil packets packed with shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes. It's a full meal with little cleanup.

• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 package (12.8 ounces) smoked andouille sausage, thinly sliced
• 2 ears corn, each cut crosswise into 4 pieces
• 1 pound baby red potatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 teaspoons cajun seasoning
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill over high heat. For oven method, place oven to 450 degrees.

Cut four sheets of foil, about 12 inches long. Divide shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes into 4 equal portions and add to the center of each foil in a single layer.

Fold up all 4 sides of each foil packet. Add olive oil, cajun seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste; gently toss to combine. Fold the sides of the foil over the shrimp, covering completely and sealing the packets closed.

Place foil packets on the grill and cook until just cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Sugar Cream Pie

• 1 deep-dish unbaked pie shell
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flower
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar, nutmeg, flour and salt in bowl. Pour in heavy cream until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolk, half and half and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir egg yolk mixture into heavy cream mixture. Pour into pie crust. Brush melted butter on edges of pie crust. Sprinkle cinnamon over pie filling. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until center is just set. After 60 minutes, pie filling should start to boil and bubble. Ten minutes after this, you should remove the pie, whether center is set or not, because it will set while it cools. Remove from oven and let it cool before cutting. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours for optimum taste.

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