Recipes to warm up with this winter

We are closing in on one child's basketball season and just starting up in our other child's season. It is so much fun to watch them play, regardless of whether we win or lose. We enjoy visiting with other parents before and after the games and find ourselves not knowing what to do when we don't have a game to go to. It has been fun, and we look forward to moving on to our next sport season.

When we are busy running from basketball practices and games, music lessons and various church activities, it is helpful to have a casserole or two in the refrigerator for quick plate warm-ups. This is a good one using fresh mushrooms.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

2 cups cooked chicken, diced

1/2 pound egg noodles

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups milk or light cream

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup onion, chopped

2 tablespoons sherry

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook egg noodles according to package directions. Drain. Rinse in cold water, and drain again. In a skillet, melt butter in olive oil. Saute onion, garlic and mushrooms until lightly golden. Stir in flour until absorbed. Gradually pour in chicken broth and milk or cream while stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks lightly. Stir in a few tablespoons of the mixture from the skillet to temper the eggs so they won't scramble, then add the egg and broth mixture to the skillet along with remaining ingredients. Mix well. Transfer to a large buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with dots of butter, Parmesan cheese and buttered breadcrumbs (optional). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

When the weather turns cold, I turn to my soup files for recipes that will warm the tummy. This recipe is really good, and I serve it with apple cinnamon muffins. The muffins go well with the pork sausage in this recipe.

Illinois Sausage Corn Chowder

1 pound bulk pork sausage

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

4 cups peeled potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed dried marjoram

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 cups water

1 (17-ounce) can cream-style corn

1 (17-ounce) can drained whole-kernel corn

1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk

In a Dutch oven or kettle, cook sausage and onion until sausage is brown and onion is tender; drain on paper towels. Return sausage and onion to kettle with potato, salt, marjoram, pepper and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potato is tender, about 15 minutes. Add cream-style and whole-kernel corn and evaporated milk. Heat through. Makes four to six servings.

The next time you make salad, try making this delicious homemade dressing. The key is to not overbrown the garlic. Serve on your choice of mixed greens and vegetable options.

Buttermilk Blue Cheese and Roasted Garlic Dressing

1 cup real mayonnaise

1/2 cup buttermilk

3 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced

1/2 pound blue cheese

In a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, coat whole, peeled garlic cloves with olive oil and saute over medium heat, turning as each side lightly browns/roasts. Do not overbrown or garlic will become bitter. When garlic becomes soft, it has finished roasting. Combine with remaining ingredients in a blender. Refrigerate for 24 hours to allow flavors to meld. Store in a pint-sized canning jar or plastic container with a tightly fitting lid.

This recipe for oriental pork chops is good with the Asian bagged salad mix in the supermarket. The salad kit comes with a tasty Asian orange dressing and dried fruit and goes nicely with these pork chops.

Oriental Broiled Pork Chops

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1 tablespoon oil

Combine all ingredients for sauce. Brush each side of chops with sauce. Broil in oven or on grill until done. Store remaining sauce in refrigerator.

Recently I have read several recipes for baked oatmeal, and no two have been alike. I have not tried it yet, but I pulled a couple out. This one caught my eye because of the almonds and dried cherries.

Michigan Baked Oatmeal

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 large apple, unpeeled and grated

4 cups milk

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat three-quart dish or baking pan with cooking spray. In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Transfer to baking dish. Sprinkle top with additional almonds. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Serve hot. Variation: Omit almonds, almond flavoring, and cherries. Add 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup raisins, and 1/2 cup pecans, chopped. Serves six to eight.

This recipe for breakfast "soup" came from a bed and breakfast in New Mexico. The owner serves this dish with fresh fruit and toasted homemade bread. Raspberries and chocolate are a natural go-together, so it is a perfect match.

Breakfast 'Soup' New Mexico Style

4 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup chocolate-flavored Malt-O-Meal cereal

Raspberry jam

Using a heavy sauce pan, bring water to boil. Add salt, sugar and premeasured cereal to boiling water. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Serve in soup bowls with 1 tablespoon raspberry jam in the middle of the bowl.

Having no particular theme for this week made for a variety of recipes. I hope you have a chance to give all of them a try soon. We will be talking about Super Bowl Sunday recipes next week, so if you have a favorite tradition or recipes to share, get them to me quickly so I can include them.

Have a great week, and until next time, 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 Southeast Missourian staff.