barb worthen potatoes

barb worthen was my piano teacher growing up, and also the mother of almost everybody in my family's best friend. these are sometimes referred to as "funeral potatoes" because that is often where you find them served, but they will always be barb worthen potatoes to me. so let's get started.

you'll need some large potatoes (2 for a square pan, 4-6 for 9x13), sour cream, cream of chicken soup, butter, onion, and cheddar cheese. this recipe also calls for crushed corn flakes, but i like these better without, so i leave that step out. feel free to add it in if you want.
first off, bake your potatoes. if i remember, i do it the night before so they're cool enough to handle, but you don't have to do it that far in advance if you don't want. either way, you need your potatoes baked.

then in a mixing bowl, mix 8 oz. sour cream,
a can of cream of chicken soup,

4 tbsp. butter,
sliced.

1/4 of an onion, diced,
like this.
pour in 3/4 cup of grated cheese.

and mix together well.that looks disgusting.

now scoop a little bit onto your pan,and spread it on the bottom:
unroll your potatoes, and peel with a knife.
i use the knife to grab the edge of the skin, then use my thumb to pull it along.
then i slice it in half, and cut it into four long slices,
like this.
then i turn it the other way and cut it into cubes.

layer in your cubed potatoes,

like so:
perfect.
now pour on the rest of your soupy-cheesy mixture.
use a spatula to get it all out,
then spread it out evenly over the top.
like this:
the recipe says to pour a tbsp. melted butter over the top of this, but i think that's overkill, especially if you're not using cornflakes (which i don't like). so put it in the oven at 375* for 20-30 minutes or until it's bubbly. it should look like this:
mmmmboy. i love these potatoes.
word to the wise: these are not for the lactose intolerant.

barb worthen potatoes

4-6 potatoes, baked
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 diced onion
4 tbsp. butter
a cup mashed cornflakes or bread crumbs, if desired, and an additional tsp. melted butter

bake your potatoes in foil for about 2 hours, or until soft. cool in the fridge. sometimes i bake my potatoes the night before, if i remember. in a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the soup, sour cream, cheese, onion, and butter. layer a small amount on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. peel and cube your potatoes, and put those in the pan, then pour the soup-cheese mixture on top of the potatoes. if desired, add crushed cornflakes on top and pour another tablespoon of melted butter. i skip this step 'cause i just don't like it, but feel free to do it if you want. cook at 375* for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. serve with ham and green beans. yum.

some magazine's breakfast casserole

i've posted this recipe before, but i thought i'd post the pictures for kicks. this recipe is very imprecise. is that even a word? well, i just made it up if it's not. you heard it here first. this is something that you just kind of throw together and BOY is it delicious. let's get started.

you'll need a package of frozen hashbrowns, sausage or ham (i used sausage here), green chile, chopped green pepper (i did not use either of these things because i didn't have them on hand, but don't let that stop you), onion, salt & pepper, ground mustard, eggs, whipping cream, and tomatoes.

start by dicing your onion (or more, if you're so inclined)...for instructions on dicing an onion, pioneer woman does it best. check it out here.
spray a square or 9x13 pan with pam. now here comes the impreciseness of it. pour some hashbrowns into the pan. how much you ask? i have no idea. some. fill it up about halfway, or maybe a little more. for a square pan, i use about half a package of hashbrowns.
now layer with your diced onions. on top of the onions you can add chopped green pepper and/or mushrooms as well.
and then the good stuff. this isn't in the original recipe, but if you're from new mexico, you'll understand. green chile just makes everything better. use hatch.
and spread those on good.
now chop your meat. i use sausage because dave loves it, but ham is just as good. i like to use the jimmy dean already cooked links, because that way you just chop and throw 'em in. but you could also use the tube of sausage and brown it like you would hamburger and add it that way. either way, the sausage should be cooked.
layer that on top of the green chiles.
next comes cheese. mmmmm, check out that mountain of cheese. my kids cannot resist a mountain of cheese like that. it disappears quickly.
add as much cheese as you like on top of the meat. i add lots, probably about a cup for a square pan.

now for the eggs. for a square pan, use 4 eggs. for 9x13, i use 6. crack them into a bowl,
then add 1/4 cup of whipping cream for every 2 eggs you use (4 eggs = 1/2 cup, 6 eggs = 3/4 cup)

then add this stuff. i have no idea how much, because the recipe doesn't say. it just says to add it. i have no idea what it's for or even what it tastes like, but who am i to dispute the all-knowing recipe writers? so i add some. a few shakes worth.like this. and i add salt & pepper here too.
then use a fork and mix together well.
now pour this on top of your cheesiness.
like this. get it around the edges, and do it slowly so that it doesn't overflow over the side of your pan. let it sink inbetween the meat and potatoes.
now start slicing your tomato. for a square pan, 1 tomato is probably enough, but not for a 9x13. have two on hand just in case.

i do NOT like tomatoes. at all. but they are SO SERIOUSLY DELICIOUS on this casserole. even if tomatoes is on your list of throw-up foods, ADD IT. you will not be sorry. lay your tomatoes evenly over the top of the casserole.

like this. isn't it pretty?
one more picture for good measure.

yep, pretty.

now toss it in a 350* oven for an hour. the recipe says 45-55 minutes, but that's never enough time. you want a knife inserted in the center to come out clean. sometimes i turn my oven up to 375* for the last 15 minutes. sometimes i don't. whatever.

here's the finished product:

it doesn't last long around here. i make this for dinner sometimes just for fun, but it's really fun to do for a sunday brunch or christmas morning. we make it the night before and put it in the fridge, then pop it in the oven first thing in the morning.enjoy!!

some random magazine's breakfast casserole (with additions by me):
frozen hash browns
eggs
green chile
onion
sausage or ham
chopped green pepper (i don't add these 'cause i don't like 'em)
sliced mushrooms (i don't add these 'cause dave doesn't like 'em)
grated cheddar cheese
tomatoes, sliced
whipping cream
ground mustard
salt
pepper

choose your pan size, and pour frozen hash browns into the bottom--lots of them. then layer diced onions, green chile, green pepper, mushrooms, ham or sausage, and then add cheese (as much as you want). in a separate bowl mix eggs and whipping cream: use 1/4 cup of whipping cream for every 2 eggs. add to that mixture salt, pepper, and ground mustard to taste. i use 4 eggs for a square pan, 5 or 6 for a 9x13. pour the egg mixture on top of the casserole and add sliced tomatoes on top. they shrink, so put lots of them close together. bake at 350* for at least an hour. a knife inserted in the center should come out clean. this is obviously not a precise recipe, but you can fiddle with it and do whatever you want (we added the green chile on a whim and it was a great choice). i also like to make it the night before so i can just pop it into the oven in the morning.

mom's chicken noodle soup

the first picture of this recipe is too disgusting to have on top, so i thought i'd start with a picture of the finished product, because doesn't it look good? let's get started!

my friend kara and her whole family were sick one day last week, so while i was at the grocery store i bought homemade chicken noodle soup fixin's. i hope they appreciated it, because i sure thought it was good. so here's what you need: 2-4 chicken breasts, bones and skin on, 1 chopped onion, 1-2 potatoes, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, a package of egg noodles, chicken bouillon, and water.

start by boiling the chicken. you put the chicken in a (big) pot and pour water on top of it. make sure the water is higher than the chicken breasts. add a tablespoon of salt (or however much you want, really) and skim off the fat with a spoon,
then add your diced onion and let it boil together for an hour.time for vegetables. check out this carrot! have you ever seen a bigger carrot? it must have been 18 inches long. nuts.
anyway, peel your carrots, and cut off the ends. then slice into....slices. i'm good with words, no?

it's been an hour, remove your chicken from the water and set aside to cool,

and add your carrots to the chicken-water. oooh, doesn't that sound appetizing? i should write my own cook book. "chicken water". yum.use a potato peeler (or a knife, if you're handy with a knife like my mom) to peel your potatoes, then wash and dice into bite size pieces.
and add them to your pot.
chop up some celery. i despise celery, so i rarely put it in. but the recipe calls for it, and it adds something to the soup (something disgusting, that is), so here it is. chop up some celery.
now that your chicken is cool(er), remove the skin. mmmm, chicken skin. delish.
so that it looks like this!
now peel it off the bones, and shred it or cut it into smaller pieces.
and add that in too. oh, and add in some chicken bouillon here too. 2 cubes or 1 tbsp. of granules.
now cook and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

ten minutes before you're ready to eat, bring it to a boil.
and pour in half a package of egg noodles. my mom makes homemade noodles that are AMAZING, and i've done them once or twice, but using egg noodles is a real time saver. and let's face it, we all like timesavers, right? some day i'll post the recipe and pictures of the noodles.

or not.
cook and stir for however long egg noodles need (ten minutes if they're homemade, about 7 if they're egg). serve in a bowl (or a plate...duh, how obvious can i be?), and enjoy!

perfect for the crisp, fall days that are coming our way.

mom's chicken noodle soup
2-4 chicken breasts, bones and skin on
1 diced onion
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1-2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cubes or 1 tbsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 package of egg noodles

place chicken in a large pot and cover it with water, adding salt to taste. bring to a boil, skimming off fat. once all the fat is gone, add in the onion. boil together for an hour. remove chicken to cool, then add the carrots, potatoes, celery, and bouillon. remove the skin from the chicken, dice the chicken into bite size pieces, and add to the soup. cook together 20-30 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are soft(er than raw). when you're ready to eat, bring the soup to a boil and add the noodles. cook for 7-8 minutes. serve with celery salt and saltine crackers (or a slice of homemade bread, if you're feeling ambitious). this freezes really well, by the way, so make plenty and freeze the rest!