Beth Mosher's Wild Rice Casserole - Side Dish

Ever since my sister-in-law Beth has been in our family (30+ years) we have been feasting on this awesome side dish recipe.  It is a delicious multi-textural combination of wild rice, crunchy water chestnuts, sliced almonds (not to be confused with slivered almonds, which my father refers to as "toenails"!) and yummy vegetables.  It's great for a gathering because it makes a quantity, can be made ahead of time and looks pretty on the plate.  It goes particularly well with pork tenderloin or lamb chops.

Stay tuned for many more great recipes from Beth - she is an awesome cook!  Thanks Beth, for sharing this recipe!

Wild Rice Casserole

By Beth Mosher

 

1 box Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice (prepared)

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup fresh  mushrooms (or 1 small can)

1 cup chopped celery

3 TBL margarine

3 TBL soy sauce

½ cup sliced almonds

1 can sliced water chestnuts – chopped coarsely

 

Prepare rice as directed and set aside

In a skillet, sauté onion, celery and mushrooms until vegetables are soft. 

Add remaining ingredients (except rice) and cook for 1 minute. 

Add mixture in skillet  to prepared rice. Stir to blend.

Bake covered for 30 minutes @ 350.

 

Serves about 8-10  as a side dish.

 

This is Beth with my brother Mike!

 

Carrie Lewis' Graham Cracker Caramel Bars

Carrie Lewis is wonderful friend from our parish and neighborhood.  She also happens to be a great cook.  Our kids swam together on the neighborhood swim team.  Carrie brought these caramel bars to one of the swim team parties several years ago.  They were so good that the parents hoarded them off away from the dessert table and devoured them before the kids even saw them!

I have made these numerous times especially for gatherings with my wonderful BSB's who affectionately refer to them as "Cornerstone Bars". 

I normally am not super picky about ingredients.  But for this recipe, it's really important to use real butter.  I have made these with margarine before and sometimes they get soggy because margarine contains water (sometimes a lot of water depending on the brand).  It's also important to follow the timing instructions after baking.  If you let them sit in the pan too long, they are hard to remove.  If you take them out too soon, all the caramel runs off. 

Enjoy this yummy little treasure!  Thanks Carrie!

Caramel Graham Cracker Bars

a.k.a. Cornerstone Bars

From Carry Lewis

 

48 graham crackers (12 large crackers cut to 1”x2”)

1 cup brown sugar

2 sticks of butter

1 cup chopped nuts

2 cups chocolate chips ( I used milk chocolate, but any kind is fine)

 

Cut graham crackers and line up in cookie sheet with lip  or jelly roll pan

 

Boil brown sugar and butter for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Add nuts and stir. 

Pour/spread over graham crackers

 

Bake for 10 minutes @350

Remove pan from oven

Let stand for 10 minutes until caramel begins to gel.

 

Remove pieces from pan and place on a cooling rack.

Melt chocolate chips in sauce pan.  Stir constantly to prevent burning.

When graham crackers are cooled, schmear with chocolate.  (A schmear doesn't have to be perfect - just a quick swipe).

Chill before storing.  

These freeze well.

 

Peggy's Meatloaf with Stewed Tomatoes

Sometimes I feel like Meatloaf takes a beating in the press.  It is often depicted disparagingly in television shows and movies and is rarely featured in foodie sections of magazines.    However, I can say with confidence that my family loves this recipe.  Inspired by my father-in-law's method - I use the stewed tomatoes as a topping for the meatloaf.  The combination is magical.

Meatloaf

By Peggy Fonke

 

2 lb ground beef

1 small onion – diced and sauted

2TBL margarine

1 egg – slightly beaten

2 TBL milk

½ cup ketchup

2 TBL Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

 

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

 

1 cup brown sugar - separated

½ cup BBQ sauce

 

In a small bowl, microwave onion and 2TBL margarine for 2 minutes or until onion is translucent

In a large mixing bowl, break up raw ground beef. 

Add onion, egg, milk, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.  Mix with a fork until blended. 

Add bread crumbs  and knead by hand until blended into meat and meat is no longer sticky.  Add more crumbs if necessary to get the correct consistency.

Press mixture into loaf pan.

Top with half of the  brown sugar   

 

 

Bake uncovered at 350 for 30-45  minutes or until ¾ of the way done.  (meat will be done when center is firm to the touch)

Drain grease.

Top with remaining brown sugar  and BBQ sauce

Finish backing. (15-30 minutes)

Drain remaining grease.

 

Meanwhile prepare stewed tomatoes.  They take an hour.

 

 

Stewed Tomatoes

 

2  Regular cans stewed tomatoes (traditional with celery and green peppers)

½ cup sugar

Pour tomatoes in a sauce pan. Add sugar

Simmer covered for 30 minutes

Uncover and continue simmering for additional 30 minutes. 

Sauce should thicken slightly as they cook.

 

 

Serve Meatloaf topped with stewed tomatoes!  Yum

 

 

Beef Brisket in Gravy

 

This recipe has been in my family for decades (and I've seen it in a number of 'church cookbooks' ) so some of you may know this one, but because it's awesome I'm going to post it anyway!  Fork tender beef and killer gravy.  It is great for large family gatherings, because it makes a large quantity and can sit without getting dried out.  It is also really good for a "Martha and Mary" meal - (to send to a family who needs help with meals due to death or illness.)  It holds in the refrigerator well for several days and tastes great reheated.   My neighbor calls it “love in a pan”. 

 

It's critical to comply with the cooking instructions to bake the brisket then refrigerate overnight.  This makes trimming and slicing easier, and allows you to eliminate the grease from the gravy.  Serve on a bun with good old fashioned mashed potatoes or roasted carrots on the side.  Enjoy!

 

 

Beef Brisket

A Mosher Family Favorite

 

Prepare the day before serving

 

 

5-7 lbs of Brisket (cut into 2-3 lb pieces)

2 cans beef gravy

1 envelope onion soup mix

½ cup Italian salad dressing

 

 

Line roasting pan with heavy duty foil

Place raw brisket in lined pan - fat side up

Add gravy, soup mix and salad dressing

 

 

Seal tightly

 

Bake for 1 hour per pound at 350.  (if meat is cut in 2-3 lb pieces, then bake 2-3 hours, regardless of the number of pieces) 

Let meat rest for an hour or more.

 

Remove meat from pan, wrap in foil and refrigerate over night.

Pour gravy into sealed container and refrigerate over night.

 

The next day, trim the fat from the meat, and slice across the grain and place in baking dish. 

 

 

 Remove fat from gravy and pour over meat.

 

 

Bake to heat – about 30-45 minutes at 350.

Serve on small buns.  great for a family party.