Connie's Recipes

This week Connie Brown, ad rep for the Independent Press in Forsyth, shares some of her family favorite recipes with us. Connie is the former owner of the Far West Cafe in Forsyth and mother of three daughters so has many hours experience cooking for those she cares about.
Connie is also one of my “tasters” when I cook something new, as I value her opinion when it comes to cooking!
I would really appreciate it if others of you would send in your recipes as well. It is always fun to see what other families call their “favorites” as they are usually really good “tried-and-true” recipes.
Send your recipes to: cklinker@rangeweb.net or mail them to: PO Box 129 Forsyth, MT 59327
Thanks.

“Here are some of my favorite recipes! I started writing Connie’s Cooking Corner 10 and a half years ago when I went to work at the Independent Press under the editorship of Carol Klinker.” - Connie Brown

Baked Cabbage

1 head of cabbage - cup up
1 diced onion
Bacon - as much as you like, diced
3 Tbsp. sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 pint whipping cream
3 Tbsp. flour
Put into baking pan with about 1 cup of water, cabbage, onion, bacon, salt and pepper and sugar; cover with lid. Bake at 375º for 1 hour. Stir a couple of times while baking. After 1 hour, when cabbage is cooked; add flour, stir well; then add pint of whipping cream and stir. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer.

Stuffed Peppers

4 bell peppers, red, yellow, or green
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes ( I use the canned ones seasoned with garlic)
1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 cup minute rice
Salt and pepper seasonings, I usually add 1 tsp. Italian seasoning)
You can use any color of bell peppers - different colors are festive, (The yellow, red or orange doesn’t seem to be as tough on the stomach as the green).
Cut tops off the peppers, seed and wash. The top parts I cut off I dice and add to the filling mixture.
Mix the ground beef or turkey with the chopped onions, pepper tops, can of tomatoes (with the juice), seasonings and the rice.
Fill peppers with filling.
Place in a baking dish with 1 inch of water and cover with lid or tin foil.
Bake at 375º for one hour.
(You can also add a little cheese on the top of the filled peppers and place in the oven for the last 5 minutes.)

Easy Fruited Chicken Salad

1 apple, cored and diced
1/2 cup seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice, or to taste
3/4 cup mayonnaise
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cooked and diced
In a bowl, lightly mix the apple, grapes, pecans, apple pie spice, and mayonnaise together until thoroughly combined; stir in the chicken breast meat. Chill until cold.

Cherry-Coke Jello Salad

1 lg. cherry Jello
1 (20 oz.) can cherry pie filling
1 (12 oz.) can Coke
8 oz. Cool Whip
Dissolve 1 1/2 cups boiling water with cherry Jello. Stir until completely dissolved. Add 1 cup cherry pie filling and 12 ounce can of Coke. Stir. Refrigerate. When set, decorate top with spoonfuls of Cool Whip and remainder of cherry pie filling.

Cottage Cheese Salad

1 (16 ounce) container cottage cheese, drained
 4 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
2 medium cucumbers, peeled and diced
salt and pepper to taste
In a medium bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, tomatoes, green onions, and cucumbers. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill until serving.

Rhubarb Cheese Cake Bars

Filling:
2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
16 oz. rhubarb, cut 1/4” pieces
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Crust:
2 c. flour
1/2 c. butter
1 c. oatmeal
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Mix together cream cheese, sugar and eggs until smooth. Add cinnamon. Gently fold in rhubarb.
Cut butter into flour, oatmeal, brown sugar and cinnamon until coarse and crumbly. Press about 2/3 of mixture into bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan. Pour rhubarb and cream cheese mixture on top of crust. Sprinkle with the rest of crust mixture. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until inserted knife comes out clean.

BLT Pasta Salad

1 (16 ounce) package medium seashell pasta
1 pound sliced bacon
1 1/2 cups light Ranch-style salad dressing
1 small onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water to cool.
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat until browned and crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the Ranch dressing, onion, and tomatoes. Mix in the cooled pasta. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing, so don’t worry if it seems like too much. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Crumble bacon over the top just before serving.

Zucchini And Tomato Stir-Fry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, sliced
4 medium zucchini, sliced
2 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pour oil into wok or large skillet. Stir-fry over high heat (350 degrees) for 6 to 8 minutes. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Green Chile and Turkey Enchiladas

2 (10-ounce) cans green chile enchilada sauce
2 cups Turkey, leftovers, shredded
12 (6-inch) tortillas, corn or flour
1 cup shredded Mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese
Picante sauce for garnish
Sour cream for garnish
Heat oven to 350°F.
Combine turkey and one can enchilada sauce.
Spray or lightly grease baking dish.
Fill tortillas with turkey mixture and roll tightly. Place side by side in baking dish. Pour second can of enchilada sauce over tortillas. Cover with cheese.
Bake 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and turning slightly brown. Garnish with picante sauce and sour cream, if desired. Print this post