ThriftyFun Recipes - April 3, 2009

Thank you Robin, Deeli, Redskin, lanky liz, mkymlp, C.L.C, McJen and Raymonde for today's tips and recipes!

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Recipe Requests:

• Removing Tuna Can Bottoms
• Salad Recipes for a Wedding
• 1970's Recipe for Meat and Cheese Macaroni
• Making Sourdough Bread in a Bread Machine
• Recipes Using a Summer Sausage

Today's Food Tips:

• Freeze Soup in Stackable Containers
• Round Top Muffins
• Storing Bananas

Today's Contest Recipes:

• Pudding in a Cloud
• Betty's Casserole
• Sweet and Saucy Chops With Baked Potato
• Asparagus Amandine
• Hungarian Goulash Soup

Robins's Recipe Corner:

• Simple Fried Rice
• Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
• Mixed Vegetables With Almonds
• One-Two-Three Fudge
• Frozen Cranberry Salad

Crafting for Fun and Money!

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Removing Tuna Can Bottoms

I am wondering if someone can tell me how to cut the bottoms out of tuna fish cans so that I can use them for English muffin molds. I have tried a hand cranked can opener and it doesn't work. What is the secret? Thank you.

By Tigra from ID

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Salad Recipes for a Wedding

I am getting married on our acreage May 2, 2009. We still have 3 ft. snow drifts so we praying for warm weather. We got lots of ideas from this website for the barn decorations. We just need some recipes for salads for 50-60 people. We are serving barbecued steak, chicken and shrimp. Luckily my oldest boy is a chef. Also is it easier for a sheet cake or cupcakes for the wedding cake?

By cabercolleen from Alberta, Canada

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1970's Recipe for Meat and Cheese Macaroni

Way back in the 70s (?) I got a recipe out of one of the magazines that was called, "Meat and Cheese Macaroni". It had 3 different cheeses in it and was very simple to make. Does anyone have that one?

By JoyceH

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Making Sourdough Bread in a Bread Machine

I would like to make sourdough bread in my bread machine. Can I do that? Do I use the friendship or Amish bread starter? Any advice? Thanks!

By sissy7575

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Recipes Using a Summer Sausage

Does anyone have any recipes to use a big Hickory Farms summer sausage? Thanks.

By ralphed from Middletown, NY

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Freeze Soup in Stackable Containers

Freeze your homemade soup in plastic brick shaped containers. When they have frozen, turn them out and wrap in cling film or freezer bags. This shape is easy to stack, and the containers are free to reuse.

By lanky liz from Scotland

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Round Top Muffins

For high rising, rounded tops on muffins like you see in the bakeries, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F. As soon as you put the muffins into the oven, decrease the temperature to whatever the recipe calls for. Remember to decrease the baking time.

This may take a bit of watching and practice but the result will be worth it. The increased temperature causes the muffins to rise quickly giving them that nice dome-shaped top.

By mkymlp from PA

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Storing Bananas

If you put your bananas in a plastic grocery bag, in the bottom crisper drawer of your refrigerator, they will keep for about a week before turning black.

By C.L.C

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Pudding in a Cloud

Easy yet elegant.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (4 serving size) Jello pudding mix - any flavor except lemon
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 4-ounce container of Cool Whip

Directions

Prepare pudding mix with milk according to directions on the box. Place plastic wrap onto the surface of pudding and chill completely-about 3 hrs.

Divide the thawed Cool Whip among 6 pretty dessert glasses - about 1/3 cup in each.

Use the back of a spoon to make a depression in the center of the whipped topping in each glass, pushing the topping up the sides of the glass to form the "cloud" in which the pudding rests.

Spoon the pudding into the glasses and allow it to chill before serving.

4-6 servings

* To make it even fancier, add a garnish appropriate to the flavor of pudding you use--a dollup of the Cool Whip with chocolate curls, a sprig of mint, a mandarin orange slice, etc.

Source: I cut this recipe off a box of Jello butterscotch pudding many years ago.

By Sandy from Elon, NC

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Betty's Casserole

Very easy to make with just a few simple ingredients and it is so tasty! It is a much requested recipe in my house!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs (about) ground beef
• 1 tin cream of chicken soup
• 1 tin cream of celery soup
• 1 tin milk (use one of the empty soup tins)
• 1 bag frozen shoestring french fries
• pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

Spice (with pepper and salt) and brown the hamburger. Put it in a casserole dish (9x13 inch) if shallow, otherwise use a square dish). Fill the rest of the dish with fries. Mix the soup and milk in a mixing bowl and pour over the fries. Bake covered for 1 hour 15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Take the lid off and continue baking for another 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Source: My Mom! :)

By McJen from Winnipeg, MB

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Sweet and Saucy Chops With Baked Potato

Ingredients

• 1 - 2 chops per person
• 1 can of pineapple slices with juice
• 1 slice of lemon per chop
• 1- 2 Tbsp. diced onion per chop
• Brown sugar
• 1- 2 Tbsp. per chop
• Baking potato 1 per person

Directions:

Foil line a baking dish large enough to fit all of your pork chops. Salt and pepper the chops and lay each chop in pan and top each one with a pineapple slice; 1 - 2 Tbsp. diced onion and lemon slice. Top each chop with 1 - 2 Tbsp. brown sugar, depending on how large the chop, you want to cover the chop completely. Top of each chop with 1 - 2 Tbsp. pineapple juice.

Next, cover pan with foil or lid and bake at 375 degrees F. for about 1 hour covered, and about 30 minutes uncovered on reduced heat of 350 degrees F.

While chops are cooking; wash and clean 1 potato per person ; puncture with a couple of holes. With a basting brush, dab butter all over potatoes and season them with salt and pepper; then "nuke" them for about 6 minutes. Place into oven next to the pork chop pan.

When chops are browned and tender and potato skins are crispy, slice potatoes in half; add butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Options: Add shredded cheese, sour cream, chives to potatoes.

By Redskin from Brockville, Ontario, Canada

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Asparagus Amandine

It's almost my favorite time of year: Peak asparagus season when these yummy veggies are abundant and selling at low prices. ;-)

Ingredients

• 1 lb Asparagus
• 1/8 cup slivered almonds
• 1/8 cup butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tbls lemon juice

Directions

Boil asparagus until tender, drain.

In the meantime, in a small skillet, sauté almonds in butter until golden brown, about five minutes to seven minutes.

Remove almonds from heat, add salt, lemon juice, stir and pour over asparagus.

Serves 3 - 4

By Deeli from Richland, WA

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Hungarian Goulash Soup

Ingredients

• 3 bacon strips, diced
• 1 small green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 Tbsp. paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• Dash sugar
• 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, chopped
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup sour cream, optional

Directions

In a large kettle, cook bacon until almost crisp. Add green pepper, onion and garlic; cook until tender. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides. Sprinkle with paprika, salt, pepper and sugar; stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and broth. Cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hour or until beef is tender. About 1/2 hour before serving, add the potatoes and cook until tender. Garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Source: Country Magazine

By Raymonde G. from North Bay, Ontario

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Simple Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten

Directions

Fry bacon until crisp, remove bacon. With drippings, stir-fry onion for 2 minutes. Add cold cooked rice; stir fry 7-8 minutes. Add soy sauce, water, crumbled bacon; reduce heat. Pour eggs on top of rice and stir-fry 3 minutes, or until egg is cooked. May be doubled.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 can chopped green chilies (8 oz.)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1 chicken, cooked, boned, chopped
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine soups, broth, chilies and onion in bowl; mix well. Alternate layers of tortillas, chicken, soup mixture and cheese in casserole. Bake for 30 minutes. Yield: 8-12 servings.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Mixed Vegetables With Almonds

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. cauliflower
• 1 pkg. green beans
• 1 pkg. peas
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 pkg. cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 small jar pimientos, chopped
• 1 can small round onions
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions

Cook vegetables until half done. Add milk to soup and heat with cheese. Combine all ingredients, except almonds. Place in greased dish and cover with almonds. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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One-Two-Three Fudge

Ingredients

• 1 large pkg. chocolate pudding
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp. butter

Directions

Blend first four ingredients well. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to cook without stirring to a full boil. Boil 3 minutes, remove from heat. Add butter. Beat at once until thick, about 12 minutes. Grease 9x5 inch pan and chill until mixture is firm.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Frozen Cranberry Salad

Ingredients

• 1 can whole cranberry sauce
• 1 small can crushed pineapple
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 1/2 cup nuts
• small carton sour cream

Directions

Mix well and freeze. Serves 6-8.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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