Create a new family favorite – Ranch Hand Hamburger Casserole

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From our
friends in Plains, Georgia, we have Mrs. Webb’s Chicken Supreme that she contributed to Plains Pot Pourri. She tells us to bake this dish a total of 60 minutes and baste it toward the end. You also should use an oven thermometer to reach a reading of 165 degrees internally.

Ranch hand hamburger casserole from Roy Petteway in Field to Feast will become a favorite for your family and for you, too, because it is simple and you don’t have to baby it. Assemble it, put it in the oven for a couple hours and forget it. Then get it out of the oven and serve it to your family.

Pulled pork prepared in a crockpot and cooked overnight, is delicious. I can attest to that because I have personally enjoyed a memorable meal of it at a family get-together. Yumm. A reader of our newspaper, Margaret Biddle, contributed the recipe.

Treasures and Pleasures was published many years ago by 1990 Presbyterian Women of First Presbyterian Church of Apopka. We thank Shirley Patterson who has shared her recipe for Southern Fried Fish.

Southern Living’s All-Time Favorites treats us to Carrot Souffle.

Beth Walters contributed Evie’s Garlic Cheese Grits to First Presbyterian’s Treasures and Pleasures, one of our very favorite cookbooks. And we have this tasty casserole here just for you.

Shirley Keck, the lovely wife of our fishing expert who writes the weekly article, Goin’ Fishin’, treats us to her Dump Cake. This is so simple, and it is delicious, too. We know because she brought this dessert to our last Christmas celebration here at The Apopka Chief and The Planter newspapers. (And we didn’t let her have her cake-taker back until she promised us the recipe. Ha ha ha!)

MRS. J. C. WEBB’S

CHICKEN SUPREME

Recipe from Food Favorites of Plains, Georgia

Plains Pot Pourri

6 chicken breasts

2 cups sour cream

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup shortening

4 teaspoons celery salt

2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 cloves garlic, chopped

Cut chicken breasts in half. Combine sour cream, lemon juice, Worcestershire, celery salt, paprika, garlic and pepper. Add chicken to this mixture, coating each piece well. Refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator, roll each piece in cracker crumbs. Arrange in baking dish. Spoon half of melted margarine and shortening over chicken. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Spoon remaining margarine over chicken and bake 10 to 15 minutes longer.

ROY AND WENDY PETTEWAY’S RANCH HAND HAMBURGER

CASSEROLE

Recipe from Field to Feast

1 pound ground beef

1-1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup whole or 2% milk

1 egg

4 to 5 Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced very thinly

1-1/2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms

1 large sweet yellow onion, sliced very thinly

8-ounce block sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Strain and discard excess fat. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Whisk cream, milk, and egg in a large bowl until slightly thickened. Whisk in 1/4 teaspoon salt until it dissolves. Set aside.

Place browned beef in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Top with sliced potatoes and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour half of milk mixture over potatoes.

Top with mushrooms. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Arrange sliced onion and cheese on top. Pour remaining milk mixture over top.

Bake, uncovered, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until potatoes are soft and onions are tender.

“When my mother died, my father had to do everything,” Roy, of Petteway Citrus & Cattle in Zolfo Springs, says. “This dish was a ranch staple. It was something he could put in the oven, then get back to ranching and have a meal on the table for us. We still make it to this day.” This version is inspired by the Petteway recipe.

MARGARET BIDDLE’S

CROCKPOT PULLED PORK

Recipe Contributed by

Reader of The Apopka Chief and The Planter newspapers

1 fresh Boston butt (about 4-5 pounds)

4 medium onions chopped

1 cup chili sauce

1/2 cup BBQ sauce of your choice

4 tablespoons Worcestershire

1 cup tomato sauce

4 tablespoons Tabasco, or amount of your choice

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Juice from two lemons

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

Trim Boston butt of excess fat and put in crockpot overnight on high. Meat will be falling from the bone and swimming in juice. Remove 1-1/2 cups of juice from meat, otherwise it will be too soupy. Shred meat and add other ingredients. Let simmer another 2 hours. Serve on hamburger buns.

SHIRLEY PATTERSON’S

SOUTHERN FRIED FISH

Recipe from 1990 Presbyterian Women First Presbyterian

Church of Apopka

Treasures and Pleasures

1 cup corn meal

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

Vegetable oil for frying

Mix dry ingredients together in a paper bag; place fish in bag and shake to coat with mixture. Place fish in skillet with hot vegetable oil and fry 7 to 12 minutes or until golden brown and flaky.

CARROT SOUFFLE

Recipe from Southern Living’s

All-Time Favorites

2 pounds carrots, chopped

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Ground cinnamon

Cook carrots in boiling water to cover 20 to 25 minutes or until tender; drain. Mash carrots and butter with a potato masher. Add sugar and egg, and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for two minutes. Stir in flour and baking powder. Pour into a greased 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for one hour or until set. Makes 8 servings.

BETH WALTER’S EVIE’S

GARLIC CHEESE GRITS

Recipe from First Presbyterian Church of Apopka,

Treasures and Pleasures

1 cup fine grits (cook according to package directions)

1 stick butter

1 roll garlic cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup milk

Salt to taste

Tabasco sauce to taste

1/2 pound sharp cheese, shredded

Paprika

Melt garlic cheese in butter. Mix and season to taste with salt and Tabasco sauce. Mix eggs and milk together and stir in grits. Stir in melted garlic cheese mixture. Pour into casserole. Top with shredded cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes. Serves six.

SHIRLEY KECK’S DUMP CAKE

Recipe Contributed by

Reader of The Apopka Chief and The Planter newspapers

1 15-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 15-ounce can cherry pie filling

1 package yellow cake mix, plain

1 cup pecan pieces

2 sticks of butter

1 13 x 9-inch baking pan

Pour one large can of crushed pineapple (undrained) in pan. Cover pineapple with one large can of cherry pie filling. Crumble dry cake mix over the top of pie filling evenly. Sprinkle top with pecan pieces. Pour melted butter over cake mix evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes, until brown.

This easy take-along cake is delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or just plain. Yield: 12 servings.