Aunt Deane's Chicken Pot Pie

I love chicken pot pie. I used to go to the Ear Inn every Tuesday for pie night, where they make the most heavenly pot pie, which I smother in enough Coleman's mustard that my nose runs with each bite. Ok, maybe not appetizing to you readers, but it gets me excited just thinking about it. I made Aunt Deane's version last week, and it seriously lasted me an entire week! Normally, I get sick of leftovers really fast, but I suppose the combination of my love for this dish and her yummy recipe was enough to override it. This calls for a pour crust which may bit a bit different than what you are used to. It's much easier than rolling out a pie crust, but feel free to substitute with already made crust from the grocery if you prefer that style.

Ingredients:

1 chicken

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can veg-all, drained (i used 2 cans)

1 cup flor

2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1 cup milk

1 stick margarine, melted

1/2 t. pepper

Simmer chicken in salted water until tender and then debone. Cut up chicken and put in casserole. Combine soup and broth and pour over chicken. Mix dry ingredients with milk and melted margarine. Pour over chicken. Bake 35-40 minutes until brown at 425.

Aunt Deane's Red Beans and Rice

It's Monday....so you know what is for dinner. You got it - red beans and rice, darlin. When I spent a few years living in Louisiana, this was a given. It's a bit of tradition down there. Why, you ask? Well, laundry day was usually on Monday, so the women would cook a big ole pot of beans while they kept busy washing their clothes. My Aunt Deane submitted her recipe for red beans and rice for the family cookbook, which is the version you see here. This is not the traditional recipe that I was served down in Louisiana... this one used ground hot sausage and ground beef instead of the traditional link smoked sausage or andouille...think a little less soupy and more of a thick consistency. But it was easy, and I enjoyed it. Prewarning: It makes a lot....I'm going to freeze half for later.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. hot sausage

2 bell peppers, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped
2 cans Hunt's tomato sauce

1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes (cowboy up and use the spicy version)
3 cans dark red kidney beans
cooked white rice, for serving

Saute onions and peppers. Add meat and brown. Add Ro-Tel, tomato sauce, beans, salt and pepper. Cook slowly for 2 hours or overnight in a crockpot over low heat. Serve over rice. (And if you are anything like me, add some Crystal hot sauce!)