What’s Cookin’ in the Parsonage?

This week I tried to make meals using only what I already had in my freezer and pantry. Realizing that I have meats I’d purchased on sale, frozen vegetables, canned fresh veggies, baked goods I’d made made and put in the freezer, potatoes in the pantry, flour to make breads, pancakes and waffles, I was certain we wouldn’t starve! I did buy $18 worth of things like eggs, fresh produce, milk and coffee cream, but no other grocery items. The result was that I made four new recipes! I went through a Taste of Home cookbook and looked through the recipes to find ones that called for items I had on hand. What did we eat?

• Apple cherry pork chops, pasta with peas and Parmesan cheese – Delicious!
• Chili Chicken Enchiladas, served with shredded lettuce, Mexican corn, and tortilla chips – Very good!
• Ham and Potato Phyllo Bake, broccoli with lemon – So-so
• Hungarian Paprikish Chicken – A keeper!

The chicken dish is what we had yesterday after church. I served it with rice, with some of the sauce spooned on top of it, fresh green beans, crescent rolls, and strawberry jello with strawberries.

Don’t let the recipe name scare you – there’s nothing odd in the chicken. It’s a good Sunday dish because it’s easy to get ready to put into the oven. Instead of following the standard baking time, I lowered the temperature to 280 degrees to bake while at Sunday school and church. You could go even lower than that – maybe 250 – 270 degrees. The sauce needs some seasoning added to it – perhaps 1/2 tsp. salt and some pepper. I garnished the chicken with more paprika for color once I put it on the platter.

It’s fun to challenge myself to come up with meals using what I already have! I’m going to do the same thing this week and will let you know what I come up with! What’s been cookin’ in your kitchen?

With love,