Phyllis Gass shared her recipe for a tuna bake with A Taste of Heaven, published by First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda. The recipe calls for some staples that many of us keep in our pantry: a small can of tuna and a can of mushroom soup! And a few other things you probably have. So, when you’ve been busy and suddenly realize you haven’t planned anything for supper, check your pantry and get busy. 

Also from A Taste of Heaven, we have Kyle Walkup’s recipe for sour cream chicken enchiladas. 

From Gullah Geechee Home Cooking, Emily Meggett’s Dirty Rice recipe. One-pot rice dishes are deeply rooted in West African cooking. Dirty rice is yet another dish that is well seasoned, well cooked, and comes together in just one pot, making it an easy and sure-to-satisfy dish to serve to ten hungry people. The pork sausage adds a sweet and savory flavor, and the rice gets a nice velvety texture thanks to the fat from the pork and bacon drippings. 

From The Original Country Cookbook, here is a recipe for Cole Slaw, which many people love because it is not only tasty and good for you, it’s a vegetable that you can put on the table at any time of year; it is not just for outdoor bar-be-cue parties. Many people shred some carrot for added taste, color, and texture. My daddy used to chop up salted peanuts to add into it, and I loved it that way. 

Carrots and Brussels Sprouts with orange zest and brown sugar fixed on top of the stove are compliments of Southern Living’s All-Time Favorites. 

Here is a recipe for Charles’ Cornbread from Savannah Style that uses fresh or cream style corn. It is probably wonderfully moist because it also contains sour cream. 

Mrs. Hilda Vincent contributed a recipe to Stew-Pot Favorites of Zellwood titled Lurvada’s Bread Pudding. There is a note at the bottom that declares, “This is a Plymouth Citrus Produce Coop recipe.” 

PHYLLIS GASS’ COMPANY TUNA BAKE 
Recipe from A Taste of Heaven 
Published by First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda 

1 cup elbow macaroni (half of a 6-ounce package) 
3-ounce package cream cheese 
1 can cream of mushroom soup 
6-1/2 ounce can of tuna 
1-1/2 tablespoon pimiento, chopped 
1 tablespoon onion, chopped 
1 tablespoon prepared mustard 
1 package frozen baby peas 
1/4 cup milk 
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs 
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 
Garnish: Pimiento flower and parsley sprigs 

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Soften cream cheese, blend in undiluted soup using electric beater. Stir in tuna (drained and flaked), pimiento, onion, mustard, peas, milk and macaroni; place in 1-1/2 quart casserole. Mix breadcrumbs with melted butter or margarine; sprinkle over top. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until bubbling thoroughly. Garnish with pimiento and parsley. Makes 4-5 servings. 

KYLE WALKUP’S SOUR CREAM CHICKEN ENCHILADAS 
Recipe from A Taste of Heaven 
Published by First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda 

2 cups cut-up chicken 
1 cup sour cream 
1/8 teaspoon salt  
Dash of pepper 
12 5-inch corn tortillas 
Cooking oil 
4 ounce can chopped green chilies, drained… or 
10 ounce can green or red enchilada sauce 
2 cups shredded white cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese 
Shredded lettuce 
Cherry tomatoes 
3/4 cup sour cream 
3/4 cup guacamole 
Tortilla chips 

Combine chicken, sour cream, salt and pepper. Quickly fry 1 tortilla at a time in hot oil to soften. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Spread down the center and roll. Place, seam down, in an oiled 9-inch x 13-inch x 2-inch baking dish. When all tortillas are filled and rolled, spoon over either green chilies or enchilada sauce. Top with cheese. Bake in a 400-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until enchiladas are hot and cheese is melted. Arrange tortillas on serving plates; surround with shredded lettuce and tomatoes. Top with sour cream and guacamole. Stand tortilla chips in sour cream and guacamole. 

EMILY MEGGETT’S DIRTY RICE 
Recipe from Gullah Geechee Home Cooking by Emily Meggett 

4 slices bacon 
1 16-ounce package loose pork sausage 
1 large onion, diced 
1 bell pepper, diced 
4-1/2 cups (1 liter) tepid water 
1 tablespoon Nature’s Seasons 
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 
1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce 
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet (optional) 
3-1/2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed 

1) In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, cook the bacon over high heat until crisp. Remove the bacon but not the oil and drippings from the pot and allow the bacon to cool. Once cooled, cut the bacon into small pieces and set aside. 2) Meanwhile, roll the sausage into small balls. Heat the same cooking pot and cook the sausage in the bacon drippings until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and bell pepper to the sausage and saute for another 5 minutes. 3) Return the bacon to the pot and add the water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the Nature’s Seasons, crushed red pepper, soy sauce, and Kitchen Bouquet, if using. Return the mixture to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. 4) Add the rice and stir with a fork. Reduce the heat to low and cook until most of the water has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. If using a steamer, fill the bottom halfway with water, transfer the rice mixture to the top of the steamer, cover, and steam for 20 to 25 minutes, or until done. 

COLE SLAW 
Recipe from Paragon Products, Inc., The Original Country Cookbook 

1 tablespoon sugar 
2 tablespoons mayonnaise 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
Few grains of pepper 
1 egg
2 tablespoons melted butter 
3/4 cup light cream 
3/4 cup vinegar 
Paprika 
4 cups shredded cabbage 

Combine sugar, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Beat egg, add melted butter and cream. Mix well. Add vinegar very slowly, cook over hot water, stirring all the while until mixture thickens. Chill. Toss dressing with shredded cabbage. Sprinkle with paprika. 

BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND BABY CARROTS 
Recipe from Southern Living All-Time Favorites 

1 (8-ounce) package frozen Brussels sprouts 
1 (9-ounce) package frozen baby carrots 
2 tablespoons brown sugar 
1 teaspoon orange zest 
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice 

Cook Brussels sprouts and carrots according to package directions; drain vegetables. 

Bring brown sugar, orange zest, and orange juice to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Toss with vegetables. Serve warm. 

Makes 4 servings. 

CHARLES’ CORNBREAD 
Recipe from Savannah Style, a Cookbook by The Junior League of Savannah, Inc. 

1 cup corn meal 
1/2 cup corn oil 
3 teaspoons baking powder 
2 eggs 
1-1/2 teaspoons salt 
1 cup cream style corn, or fresh if available 
1 cup sour cream 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix ingredients until blended. Pour into a greased 8- x 8- x 2-inch dish and bake for 30 minutes. 
 

LURVADA’S BREAD PUDDING 

This is a Plymouth Citrus Produce Coop recipe from Mrs. Hilda Vincent, compliments of STEW-POT FAVORITES OF ZELLWOOD 
Woman’s Society of Christian Service, Zellwood, Florida 

1 cup raisins 
2 eggs, beaten 
1/2 loaf white bread and 
1/2 loaf brown bread, broken 
1-2/3 cup sugar 
1-1/2 sticks melted oleo margarine 
Vanilla 
Nutmeg 

Moisten bread with milk. Mix well together and bake in moderate oven until firm. Serve warm with milk or cream.