How to Make Easy Chicken Pie Southern

 

Easy Southern Chicken Pie

Ingredients for casserole:

1 chicken cooked and diced (save the broth from cooking the chicken for the broth in the recipe)

1 1/4 cup chicken broth 

1 can 15 oz Campbell's cream soup (my favorite in this recipe is cream of mushroom)

Directions:

Cook your chicken down in a pot and use the broth, or get a rotisserie chicken and pick that off and just buy broth. 

Heat the broth and soup in a small pan until smooth.

Break up or dice chicken while soup mixture is heating.

Put chicken in a casserole dish. Mine here is 8 x 11. Pour the soup mixture over the chicken and smooth or shake casserole dish lightly. 

Ingredients for the crust:

1 cup plain flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper (I like to add more)

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 stick real butter, softened

1 cup milk

Directions for crust:

Mix the salt, pepper, and baking powder with the flour.

Cut the stick of butter into the flour mixture. You can use a fork if you don't have anything else to cut butter with.

Pour in the milk and mix. Don't over mix. It is fine to have some lumps in the batter.

Pour the  batter on top of the chicken and soup.

Bake at 325 F for 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

This is a recipe from the Woodleaf Methodist cookbook that Mrs. Ratledge for high school graduation in 1980. I am sure you can do math. At this posting, the cookbook is 43 years old and counting. I've used the cookbook so much that it is falling apart, and this is one of my favorite recipes in the book.

I like that this is easier than a lot of chicken pie recipes, and it also tastes great. My favorite part is the crust with the bite of baking powder and kick of black pepper. I usually sprinkle a little extra black pepper over the top at the end. 

This crust works fine for any kind of casserole dish that has a top crust, so that's nice too. One of these days I will make a from scratch cream with the chicken, but it is nice to have a pour and go recipe that requires almost no work.

 

Lava Java Cake - crock pot dessert recipe

 

Chocolate Lava Java Cake – in the Crock Pot
Cyndi Allison
 

Ingredients:
 

1 box of chocolate fudge cake mix – 15.25 ounces
½ cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 ¼ cup fresh brewed coffee still warm but not hot (or can use water)
1 box instant chocolate pudding mix – 3.9 ounces
2 cups milk
12 ounce bag semi sweet chocolate chips
 

Directions:
 

1. Mix together the cake mix with oil and eggs. Mix a couple of minutes and slowly add in the
coffee. Don’t overmix here, or the cake will be tough. So, it’s fine to have some lumps.
2. Mix together the pudding mix and milk in another bowl and let it sit to thicken up a bit. This
does not take long.
3. Spray your larger size crock pot with non stick spray and then pour in the cake mix. Shake the
pot lightly so that it evens out.
4. Put the pudding mix on top of the cake mix. Use a big spoon and just put dallops of the pudding
around on top of the cake batter.
5. Sprinkle the chocolate chips around on top of the pudding/cake batter.
6. Cover and cook for three hours on high. Do not lift up the lid while cake is cooking.

Serve hot plain or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

I always like to say a little about the recipes I put here on Half Fast Cook. These are family favorites or ones I try out and really like for various reasons.

Lava Java Cake was made for a pot luck at the west branch of Rowan Public Library. All these years, we never had a library. Now we do. YAY!

The librarians at west branch are really phenomenal. They help with check out ideas and plan up programs and are just all 'round great. One ongoing program that I especially like is the pot luck that Lyndsey puts together. Neighbors sign up with recipes to bring, and Lyndsey collects and prints up recipe booklets with all the recipes.

This month (Feb 2023) the theme was crock pot. I thought about Taco Soup (which I need to post here), but I thought someone else might bring that one. It is a popular crock pot meal in the area. Then, I thought about a dessert. I'm not supposed to have sugar (or not much), so I don't make sweets often now. With a pot luck, I could make the dish, and then most of it would be eaten (assuming it tasted decent).

I thought about things I make in a crock pot, and I could not think of a dessert that I've made. I'm sure I have made some, but they must not have been memorable. So, I dug in online and with my cookbooks and found several cakes that sounded interesting. The lava cakes seemed perfect for a crock pot, so I honed in on those. I had to flip a coin between chocolate and chocolate/cherry. Since I made Cherry Yum Yum for a pot luck earlier, I thought chocolate would be a good pick.

I decided to use coffee in place of the water in the cake part of the recipe. I bought some coffee pods that must have been designed to wake the dead - way too strong for me. I pulled one of those out and brewed a cup for the cake and mixed that in with the mix, oil, and eggs. 

One thing I know for sure is that my house smelled amazing. I could even smell coffee and chocolate out in the driveway. I only hoped the cake would be as good as the smell.

On my way to the pot luck, I swung by the Food Lion (which is new in town) and got Cool Whip. I kind of wish I had planned ahead and whipped my own cream, but the Cool Whip was fast and easy, and it was good on the cake.

The best I can describe Lava Java Cake (a name I just made up) is ooey-gooey - as a lava cake should be. The batter set up nice and was moist, and the pudding made little puddles of chocolatey goodness all through the cake. Think of the center of a chocolate cream doughnut - something like that. 

Lava Java Cake is at its very best when hot - very decadent. The Cool Whip just melts and adds that nice dairy extra to the cake. It's also good warmed up in the microwave and even just  room temp or cold. 

I had to add Lava Java Cake here with my favorites, and I am sure I will make it again when I'm feeding a group. It's super easy to make and comes out perfect at three hours at high with no lifting the crock pot lid.

How to Make Old Fashioned Southern Cherry Yum Yum

 

This is one of my all time favorite desserts. It is a very luscious dessert, it's super easy to make (no baking). It also looks so pretty with the red and white colors.

I was thinking back to when I first made this dessert, and I'm pretty sure it was during college, so I've been making it for 40 years, and it wasn't a new recipe when I got it from one of the church ladies. It's been a while since I've made it, and it is just as wonderful as I remembered. 

The only confusing part of the recipe might be the pack of Dream Whip. DW packs come in a cardboard box with four pouches of dream whip powder. That is what I use, but I would imagine you could buy the Dream Whip in the plastic containers. They may not have made it in containers when the recipe was first going around. Not sure on that. 

I'm sure you could use other pie fillings like blueberry or strawberry with this recipe, but I love the pie cherries which I could eat with a spoon out of the can. 

I hope you love Cherry Yum Yum as much as I do!

Cherry Yum Yum Recipe

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup melted butter

¼ cup sugar (for the crust and 3/4 cup later for the Dream Whit mixture)

1 pack  Dream Whip 4 oz size (This is a pack of powder and usually comes 4 pouches to a cardboard box.)

½ cup milk (I use whole milk.)

¾ cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pack of cream cheese 8 oz (Let it sit out a while, so it will mix easier.)

1 can of cherry pie filling 22 oz

 

Directions:

Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup sugar, and melted butter. Save ¼ cup or so of the mixture to sprinkle on top.

Press the crumb mixture in the bottom of an an oblong baking dish – size around 8 x 12. It's easier to use your fingers to press down the crumb crust.

Use a mixer to whip the milk and package of Dream Whip until fluffy and shiny.

Add ¾ cup sugar, vanilla, and cream cheese to Dream Whip mix and mix until evenly distributed.

Layer the Dream Whip mixture and the pie filling. First layer is half the DW on top of the crust. Then, use a spoon to dallop half of the pie filling on top. Add the rest of the Dream Whip and spread out. Dallop the rest of the cherries. Top with the saved graham cracker crumb mix.

Chill for a couple of hours or overnight.

How to Make Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles (Goat Cheese Balls)

 

This recipe is from Sue White who lived across the road from me when I was growing up and still lives there to this day. Sue was and is one of the best cooks/bakers in town.

Sue made these treats for the library recipe swap 2022. Everyone loved her goat cheese balls, and Allison and I made the recipe for Thanksgiving. Well, mostly Allison made them, and I rolled them in the nut mix.

It can be a little bit of a challenge to find the goat cheese around here, but it is worth looking for it. The goat cheese gives a kind of rich bite that contrasts really well with the tart cranberries. The pecans and parsley add texture and color.

 

Cranberry Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles Recipe (Goat Cheese Balls)

 

Ingredients:

1 package of goat cheese 10 oz

1 pack cream cheese 6 oz

2 tsp cinnamon

3 tbs honey (plus extra for garnish if you want)

1 ½ cups chopped pecans

1 cup diced dried cranberries

½ cup minced fresh parsley

Stick pretzels

 

Directions:

1.      Cream together with mixer the cheeses, cinnamon, and honey.

2.      Fold in ½ cup chopped fine pecans

3.      Combine the rest of the nuts, cranberries, and parsley and spread on a large piece or parchment paper on cabinet.

4.      Make small balls (between 15 and 20) with the cheese mixture and roll in nut mixture on parchment paper.

5.      Chill cheese balls.

6.      Put stick pretzel in each cheese ball to serve. 

 

NNotes:

YYou can make this as a large cheese ball instead of the individual balls. The small balls are a little hard to roll. It might be a good idea to chill them mix a while before rolling them up. 

How to Make Old Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies 1950s

 

I think my all time favorite homemade cookie would have to be these old fashioned oatmeal raisin cookies. Grandma made them. Mom made them. I make them. And, family members and friends all love these ugly oatmeal cookies which are moist and flavorful and super soft out of the oven.

The thing that I think makes these cookies extra good is that the raisins are heated to a simmer beforehand, and that plumps up the raisins for an extra fresh flavor. Also, the water that the raisins were simmered in is the liquid in the recipe which also gives the cookie a nice raisiny flavor. 

The cookies date back at least to the 1950s, and I was not born then. They use Crisco instead of butter in the recipe. My first thought was that was to save money, but Grandma churned her own butter and bought Crisco, so maybe it was a treat and an extra cost to use Crisco in a special cookie. If anyone knows more history, please jump in on comments. 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup raisins

1 cup water (for simmering and drain and save 1/2 cup for later in recipe)

3/4 cup Crisco shortning

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup of broken walnuts (or more)

Directions:

Put the raisins and water in a small pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes or so. Drain off liquid but save 1/2 cup for later in the recipe.

Cream Crisco and sugar and add eggs and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves in a mixing cup or bowl.

Rotate mixing in reserved raisin water (1/2 cup total saved from the simmering- just add more water if you come up short) and the flour and other dry ingredients. Aim for about one third of wet and then dry, repeat, repeat and mix until pretty even.

Use a big spoon to fold in oats, raisins, and walnuts. 

Bake at 400 F for 8 to 10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet or with parchment paper on cookie sheet. 

Tip: Drop the heat to 380 if the peaks on the top are getting too dark while the rest of top is white-ish. This does not impact the taste but makes the cookies prettier if the high heat is causing uneven browning.

 This recipe makes 5 to 6 dozen depending on how big you spoon them.

How to Make Dinner Rolls (with yeast)

 

 

Everyone in my family loves yeast bread. 

 

My grandmaw and mom made Parker house rolls rolled out and cut with a biscuit cutter and then folded in half. That is a pretty big recipe even when cut in half, so I like to make this smaller buttery yeast roll recipe for regular days (which are still special if we have yeast bread). These rolls are the round type.

Here is what you need to make Yeast Dinner Rolls.

 

2 teaspoons yeast

2 tablespoons sugar (one with the yeast and then one mixed in with the flour)

1 cup warm milk 

3 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon of salt

1 large egg

Half a cup of melted butter

 

 

Here is how you make the yeast rolls.

 

Put the yeast and one tablespoon of the sugar in a medium bowl.

 

Warm up the milk to 105 to 115 degrees. Do not get it too hot, or it will kill the yeast. Pour that in with the yeast and sugar. Stir and then cover for 5 to 7 minutes for the yeast to "work." 

Melt the butter in a mixing cup or bowl until melted.

Add the egg, melted butter, flour, salt, and that other tablespoon of sugar and mix well.

Lightly flour the cabinet and knead the dough for around 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth.

Put the dough in a large greased mixing bowl and cover with Saran wrap. Let it rise until double which can take from an hour to sometimes as much as three hours. 

Punch down the dough and then roll into small balls and place in a greased baking dish. I use a 9 x 13. 

Let the rolls rise again until double in size. Cover with Saran wrap, because that helps hold moisture and heat and aids in the rising process. 

Bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are browned.

Spread a little butter on top as soon as the rolls come out and are still hot.

How to Make the Best Ever Apple Muffins with fresh apples

 

How to Make Fresh Apple Muffins

I live in North Carolina close the mountains where we have apple orchards. Also, I have my own heirloom apple tree that my son Caleb gave me for my birthday.

I’ve tried lots of apple recipes, but this is my favorite one for bread/muffins. The secret to this apple recipe is that you grate the apples, so that you don’t have hollow holes and hunks of mushy apple inside the bread.  The texture and flavor with grated apples is just amazing.

The array of spices in the recipe is also great. You can play around with spices of course, so if you have pie spice etc, you can also try that in place of something or just an addition.

I am pretty sure you’ll love these muffins. I was up last night at 4 am eating three of them, because I could smell apple muffins all through the house.

 

Apple Muffin Recipe with fresh apples

 

1 ½ cups old fashioned oatmeal

1 ½ cups plain flour

¾ cups brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4  teaspoon baking soda

½  teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon allspice

½ walnuts ( or more)

1/3 cup cooking oil

2 eggs

5 apples (I like to use 3 Granny Smith and 2 Fuji)

 

1. Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix this really well.
2. In a small mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a fork and then mix with the cooking oil.
3. Stir the nuts in the large mixing bowl with the dry ingredients. This coats them with a little flour so they do not sink to the bottom.
4. Core and peel the apples and then grate. I use a hand cheese grater. Yes. It is a lot of work, but this is what makes these muffins taste fabulous.
5. Pour the egg/oil in the bowl of dry ingredients and add the grated apples. I suppose you could mix this with a spoon, but this is thick batter. It works best to just use your hands and smash the ingredients with your hands. Just squeeze until everything is well mixed. Do not overdo it. Quick breads get rubbery if over-mixed.
6. Put paper liners in muffin tins. This recipe makes 18 total cupcakes. Spoon the batter into the paper cups. Yes. The batter is really thick. You may need to lightly tap the batter into the paper cups, but do not mash down tight. Just even them out a bit.
7. Bake for around 30 minutes at 375 degrees F. 

Let cool and eat. They are okay when hot, but the flavors meld and the apples settle after a couple of hours, and then these muffins are fabulous – as good as any apple muffin I’ve ever eaten anywhere.