Ranch Hand Hamburger Casserole from the Petteways 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.
“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 senior Petteway’s recipe.
Toni LaPierre’s Maryland Crab Cakes is superb for any time but especially for festive occasions. We thank New Vision Community Church for sharing their Feeding the Flock recipes with us.
From Paths of Sunshine Cookbook, try their Lemon Buttered Carrots. It is simple, nutritious, and very tasty.
Laura Elkins shares her Tomatoes Stuffed with Tunafish Salad recipe available to us in Feeding the Flock, from New Vision Community Church. This is a real treat, so make sure you get nice fresh, fat red tomatoes that you will enjoy.
From Betty Ann Vakauza in The Jones-Morris Family Treasury, we have Apple Crisp. It is simple and quick. We thank our friend Susan, Betty Ann’s sister, for sharing this delightful collection of her family’s recipes and memories.
Barbara Hatch’s Athenian Layered Cheese Spread is a tasty spread for crackers or a vegetable plate. This recipe is from Feeding the Flock.
From our friends in Plains, Georgia, we have Mary Wise’s Potato Rolls, which calls for two servings of instant dried potato and two packages of dry yeast. It looks as if it will make a good-sized bunch of rolls.
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.
TONI LAPIERRE’S MARYLAND CRAB CAKES Recipe from
Feeding The Flock,
New Vision Community Church
1 large egg
1-1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 pound lump crab meat
4 or 6 crushed saltine crackers OR 1/2 cup bread crumbs.
In deep bowl, beat egg lightly with wire wisk. Add mayonnaise, mustard, pepper, salt, Tabasco, and Worcestershire Sauce. Blend until smooth. Add crab meat and crackers or bread crumbs. Toss with fingers to mix. Form into patties and fry in oil until lightly brown.
LEMON BUTTERED CARROTS
Recipe from
Florida Federation of Garden Clubs
Paths of Sunshine Cookbook
3 tablespoons butter
6 medium carrots, sliced
1 medium apple, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
salt to taste
In medium skillet, combine margarine and carrots. Cook, covered, about 10 minutes or until almost tender, stirring occasionally. Add apple and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and lemon peel. Salt lightly. Serve hot. Serves 4 to 5.
LAURA ELKINS’ EASY-MAKE STUFFED TOMATOES (with Tuna)
Recipe from New Vision
Community Church’s
Feeding The Flock
Fresh tomatoes, however many
you need
1 can tuna fish (regular,
not albacore)
1-1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Dijon mustard
Minced garlic
Diced celery
Chopped cilantro
Pine nuts
Mozzarella cheese (for garnish)
Sprigs of cilantro
Exact measurements are not important for this recipe.
Core out tomato tops with a knife. Scoop out the ‘juice’ with a spoon (serrated is best). Carefully slice a sliver off the bottom from each one to create a flat bottom. Turn tomatoes upside down to drain.
Open and drain tuna; scoop into bowl. Stir in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard to taste. Add in garlic, celery, chopped cilantro and pine nuts according to desired amounts.
With a teaspoon, fill each tomato to the top with combined ingredients.
Cut mozzarella into thin squares. Garnish top of each tomato with piece of mozzarella and a sprig of cilantro for an added touch of color.
For a creamier version, substitute mayonnaise or Miracle Whip for the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
BETTY ANN VAKAUZA’S
APPLE CRISP
Recipe from
The Jones-Morris Family Treasury
4 cups apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2/3 cups flour
2 cups oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup melted butter
Sprinkle sliced apples with lemon juice. Mix together the next five ingredients and spread over apples.
Bake in 375-degree oven for thirty minutes. This delicious concoction can also be served as a favorite treat for breakfast.
BARBARA HATCH’S ATHENIAN LAYERED CHEESE SPREAD
Recipe from New Vision
Community Church’s
Feeding the Flock
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
2 4-ounce package crumbled feta cheese
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and
well-drained
1 7-ounce jar sweet roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry
1/3 cup whole natural almonds, chopped and toasted
Combine cream cheese and feta cheese in mixing bowl. Press garlic over cheese mixture using garlic press; mix well. Stir in spinach. Chop red peppers using a food chopper. Line small bowl with plastic wrap; divide cheese mixture in half. Press half of cheese mixture into small bowl; top with red peppers. Spread remaining cheese mixture over red peppers. Cover; refrigerate several hours to allow flavors to blend. To serve, invert bowl onto serving plate. Remove plastic wrap. Chop almonds with food chopper; press onto top of molded cheese. Serve with toasted “Canape” French bread or assorted crackers.
MARY WISE’S POTATO ROLLS
Recipe from Food Favorites of Plains, Georgia Plains Pot Pourri
2 packages dry yeast
4 to 5 cups all purpose flour,
divided
2 servings instant mashed
potatoes
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
In large bowl, stir together yeast and two cups flour. In saucepan, heat until just barely warm, milk, sugar, salt and shortening, stirring until shortening is dissolved. Add potatoes. Combine this with the flour and yeast. Add eggs. Beat with mixer three minutes. Stir in the remaining flour, or enough to make soft dough. Grease dough and place in a well-greased bowl. Place in refrigerator for one hour until dough has risen twice in bulk. Make rolls, let rise about two hours. Bake at 375 degrees. Store any remaining dough for future use.
