My Mom's Hamburger Pie or Shepherd's Pie Recipe

I don't know what made me remember this recipe of my Mom's, but something jogged my memory.  I haven't had this in years.  So I got out her cookbook and found her recipe.  She called the recipe Hamburger pie, but I think this is really a variation of Shepherd's Pie. 

I believe true Shepherd's Pie uses lamb.  And, if you do a search on Shepherd's Pie, you will see a wide variety of variations of the recipe.

This is the recipe I grew up on and it brings back a lot of good memories.  It is pretty easy to make and you probably have most of the ingredients, so no wild dash to the store!

My Mom's Hamburger Pie (aka Shepherd's Pie)

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 lb ground beef
salt and pepper
1 can green beans (drained)
1 can tomato soup
5 medium size potatoes cooked
1/2 cup milk
1 beated egg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.
Brown meat and onions - drain off fat.  Add seasonings to taste.

Add the beans and soup.  Stir to combine.
Spoon into a casserole dish.

Mash the potatoes.  Add the milk and beaten egg.

Spoon the potatoes over the meat mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Entire Recipe:

Mom's Hamburger Pie (aka Shepherd's Pie)

Ingredients

1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 lb ground beef
salt and pepper
1 can green beans drained
1 can tomato soup
5 medium size potatoes cooked
1/2 cup milk
1 beated egg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.
Brown meat and onions - drain off fat.  Add seasonings to taste.
Add the beans and soup.  Stir to combine.
Spoon into a casserole dish.
Mash the potatoes.  Add the milk and beaten egg.
Spoon the potatoes over the meat mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes.

ENJOY!!!

Verdict:

It was as good as I remembered my Mom making it.  My husband loved it, too.  Don't know why I haven't made this sooner, but it will be on our menu again!!  Brought back a lot of good memories!

Happy National Pie Day - Lattice Apple Pie

Bet you didn't know this . . . January 23 is National Pie Day!!  Legend has it a school teacher used to celebrate his birthday (surprisingly on January 23) with pie instead of cake.  Supposedly, he registered the date with Chase's Calender of Events and it. somehow, became a national event!

To honor this special day, I baked my husband an apple pie.  Not the usual apple pie that I normally make . . . but I got out the cookbook I bought many years ago and never opened (silly me!!) - a whole cookbook devoted to apple pies!! (can you imagine!!)  Apple Pie Perfect by Ken Haedrich.  It has 100 recipes of every type of apple pie known to mankind!  Maybe someday I should start at page 1 and bake my way through the book - what fun would that be!!

The recipe I chose for National Pie Day was Traditional Lattice-Top Apple Pie.  This is so easy to make!!  You can whip this up in a matter of minutes.  And the miracles never cease!!  I made my own pie dough!!  No store bought dough here!!

All American Double Pie Crust

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 T sugar
3/4 t salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces)
1/4 cup cold shortening (like Crisco).
1/2 cup cold water

Directions:

This works up beautifully in your food processor!!

Put the flour, sugar and salt in your food processor and pulse for a few seconds - just enough to mix.

Fluff up the flour mixture with a fork.  Add the butter pieces and pulse again for a few seconds.

Fluff up the mixture again with a fork.  Add the shortening pieces and pulse again for a few seconds, just enough to get it all mixed it.

Drizzle half of the cold water over the flour mixture and pulse the machine for a few seconds.  Fluff the pastry with a fork.  Add the rest of the water and pulse the machine until the pastry starts to form clumps.  It should look like coarse crumbs.

Test the pastry by squeezing a small handful - if it sticks together, GREAT!!  If not, add a little bit more water.

Using your hands, pack the pastry into 2 balls - one larger than the other.  Knead each one briefly and flatten into a disk shape.  Wrap in saran wrap and store in the refrigerator for one hour.

Traditional Lattice Top Apple Pie

Ingredients:

8 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples (I used golden delicious)

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 1/2 T all purpose flour
1/2 t ground cinnamon
3 T lemon juice
2 T cold, unsalted butter

Glaze:

Milk
White sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F
Combine the apples, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl.  Toss to mix.

(it's OK to sneak one or two pieces to taste - it's GOOD!!)Remove pie crusts and roll out one disk for a 9" pie pan.  Lay in pie plate and crimp edges.
Roll out the second disk and cut 8 1" strips using a pizza cutter or knife (set aside).
Spoon the pie filling into the crust and smooth out.  Dot with the 2 T of butter.

Lay 5 for the strips horizonally on the pie.
Weave the remaining strips with the horizonal strips.

Brush with strips with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Place the pie on large baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes at 400F.
Reduce the temperature to 375F and bake another 45 to 50 minutes.
Let cool on a rack (if you can!!)

Entire Recipe:

Traditional Lattice-Top Apple Pie

All American Double Pie Crust

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 T sugar
3/4 t salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces)
1/4 cup cold shortening (like Crisco).
1/2 cup cold water

Directions:

This works up beautifully in your food processor!!

Put the flour, sugar and salt in your food processor and pulse for a few seconds - just enough to mix.

Fluff up the flour mixture with a fork.  Add the butter pieces and pulse again for a few seconds.

Fluff up the mixture again with a fork.  Add the shortening pieces and pulse again for a few seconds, just enough to get it all mixed it.

Drizzle half of the cold water over the flour mixture and pulse the machine for a few seconds.  Fluff the pastry with a fork.  Add the rest of the water and pulse the machine until the pastry starts to form clumps.  It should look like coarse crumbs.

Test the pastry by squeezing a small handful - if it sticks together, GREAT!!  If not, add a little bit more water.

Using your hands, pack the pastry into 2 balls - one larger than the other.  Knead each one briefly and flatten into a disk shape.  Wrap in saran wrap and store in the refrigerator for one hour.

Pie Filling:

Ingredients:

8 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples (I used golden delicious)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 1/2 T all purpose flour
1/2 t ground cinnamon
3 T lemon juice
2 T cold, unsaledt butter

Glaze:

Milk
White sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F
Combine the apples, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl.  Toss to mix.
Remove pie crusts and roll out one disk for a 9" pie pan.  Lay in pie plate and crimp edges.
Roll out the second disk and cut 8 1" strips using a pizza cutter or knife (set aside).
Spoon the pie filling into the crust and smooth out.  Dot with the 2 T of butter.
Lay 5 for the strips horizonally on the pie.
Weave the remaining strips with the horizonal strips.
Brush with strips with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
Place the pie on large baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes at 400F.
Reduce the temperature to 375F and bake another 45 to 50 minutes.
Let cool on a rack (if you can!!)

Verdict:

My husband loved it (especially with the homemade ice cream I made for him earlier in the day!).  It was really good!!  And it made my house smell OH SO WONDERFUL!!!  Yep, we have another winner!!

Enjoy!!

Amish White Bread

OH MY is this the best bread EVER!!  I found this recipe on the Facebook group, Cast Iron Cooking and my life has never been the same since!  This bread is do die for - it is that good!!  AND it is so easy to make!   You don't need a bread machine - it does help, though, to have a stand mixer just to get the bread started.

According to the recipe, the author is a Clara S. Yoder (sounds Amish to me!).    The recipe makes two loaves or you can do as I did, make one loaf and a pan of rolls.  Someone on the group also make hamburger buns using the recipe!!  I will have to try that next.  I bet the buns are wonderful!!

Sigh . . . I digress . . . onto the recipe.  The only ingredient that you might need is bread flour which you can get at any grocery store or Walmart.

Amish White Bread

Ingredients:

2 c warm water
1 1/2 T yeast (or 2 packets of yeast)
2/3 c sugar
4 T oil (I used olive oil but any vegetable oil will do)
1 1/2 tsp salt (I omitted this - I don't do salt)
5 to 6 cup bread flour (if using Gold Medal Bread flour, only use 5 1/2 cups)

Directions:

Mix the water, yeast and sugar together until the yeast is dissolved.  Let sit for about 5 minutes - the yeast should start foaming or fermenting.
Add the salt (if using) and the oil.
Work in the flour 2 cups at a time.
Remove the dough from the mixing bowl after using all the flour.
Knead the dough until smooth.
Grease a bowl and add the dough.  Cover with saran wrap and a dish towel.
Let rise in a warm spot for an hour (I always use my oven with the oven light on) - until the dough doubles in size.
Knead the dough again and form into loaves or rolls.  Let rise again for 1/2 hour.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
Baste with butter.
Enjoy!!

Crab Meat Quiche

Do you ever once in a while want to try something so completely different?  Well, last night was one of those nights.  I had been looking through my Mom's old tattered cookbook and a brochure fell out.  Obviously the Cooking Gods were trying to get my attention!  It was an old brochure from "Virginia Seafood" and the title said "Elegant Crab Recipes for the Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab."  I had to go to the store anyway so I thought I would see if they had crab meat.  Well, fresh crab was definitely NOT in the budget at $21 a pound!!  But in the tuna section was canned crab at $3.19 for 6 oz. a can - thus a new adventure was born.

Granted, 4 cans of canned crab was not in the budget either but you ever once in a while it is doesn't hurt to splurge!!  The one recipe in the brochure that didn't require a whole shopping expense was the crab quiche and I knew my husband would eat that.

The recipe is quite simple and you can whip this up in matter of minutes!

Crab Quiche

Ingredients

1//2 cup mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip)
2 beaten eggs
1 2/3 cup crab meat (I used 4 cans of drained crab meat)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 T flour
8 oz. grated Swiss Cheese
1/2 c milk
9 inch pie crust (I cheated and used a Pillsbury pie crust)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Line a 9 inch pie pan with the crust

Mix the mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip), four beaten eggs and milk until blended together.

In a separate bowl, stir the crab meat, swiss cheese and onions.

Add the mayonnaise mixture to the crab meat mixture and stir to completely mix.

Pour into the pie pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes ** (it took about an hour for my quiche to set - your oven might be different).
 

I didn't get a picture of the quiche after it came out of the oven - my husband took a piece too quickly!!


Entire Recipe

Crab Quiche
 
Ingredients
 
1//2 cup mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip)
2 beaten eggs
1 2/3 cup crab meat (I used 4 cans of drained crab meat)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 T flour
8 oz. grated Swiss Cheese
1/2 c milk
9 inch pie crust (I cheated and used a Pillsbury pie crust)
 
Directions
 
Preheat oven to 350 F.

Line a 9 inch pie pan with the crust

Mix the mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip), four beaten eggs and milk until blended together.

In a separate bowl, stir the crab meat, swiss cheese and onions.

Add the mayonnaise mixture to the crab meat mixture and stir to completely mix.

Pour into the pie pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes ** (it took about an hour for my quiche to set - your oven might be different).

Verdict:

My husband loved it!!  I would probably make this again when we have a little extra in our budget - LOL!!  It is really good!!

Gambezette - My Mom's Recipe

Do you ever have one of those situations where something or an event from your childhood pops into your mind?  Well, yesterday I had one of those.  For some reason, I remembered a recipe my Mom used to make when we were young.  It was a casserole recipe called Gambezette.  I think she found the recipe in the Pittsburgh local paper (we lived in Pittsburgh until I was 15).  I have no idea why I thought of it or what would have jarred my memory. I brought out her cookbook and there it was - the recipe!  So guess what we had for dinner last night!

A word of caution - this makes two casseroles - one for serving and another to freeze for a later date.  You can always just cut the recipe in half if you don't want to freeze a second casserole.  I did not get a picture of the finished product - will try when I cook the second casserole.

Gambezette by Betty Askew

Makes two casseroles

2 lbs of ground chuck
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cans of sliced mushrooms
2 cans of tomato soup
1/2 c catsup
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lb grated parmesan cheese
one package small egg noodles (or you can do as I did - make your own!)
1 16 oz. can tomatoes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325
Cook noodles according to directions on box or al dente.
Add onions to warm skillet.

Add ground beef.  Cook until meat is brown - drain off fat.

Combine all ingredients except a half cup of cheese which is sprinkled on top of casserole

Bake for 30 minutes.

Entire Recipe:

Gambezette by Betty Askew

Makes two casseroles

2 lbs of ground chuck
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cans of sliced mushrooms
2 cans of tomato soup
1/2 c catsup
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lb grated parmesan cheese
one package small egg noodles (or you can do as I did - make your own!)
1 16 oz. can tomatoes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325
Cook noodles according to directions on box or al dente.
Add onions to warm skillet.
Add ground beef.  Cook until meat is brown - drain off fat.
Combine all ingredients except a half cup of cheese which is sprinkled on top of casserole
Bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

VERDICT:

My husband loved it.  This would be a great meal for kids.  It is so easy to make and you can always freeze one for next week.  It is not expensive to make.  It was a favorite of ours when we were young.  Thank you Mom for a great recipe!

Buttermilk Crumb Muffins

Yesterday was another typical cold and dreary day in Ohio.  One of those days were you didn't venture too far outside.  So what better way to entertain yourself by baking something good!!

Seems like Julia Child and I haven't done a baking project in a while, so I opened up my Baking with Julia cookbook to see what sort of fun adventure we could get ourselves into.  I remembered I had made this recipe by Marion Cunningham before and my husband loved it.  Besides, I had all the ingredients - so it was meant to be.   Marion Cunningham is the author of the Fanny Farmer Cookbook,

This is such an easy recipe and it makes your house smell OH so lovely!!  I used my large muffin pan tin which makes 6 muffins - you can use a smaller one that makes 12.  Either one works fine. 

Reminder:  You do not need to run to the store to get buttermilk.  You can easily make it at home - simply use slighly less than a cup of milk and add either a tablespoon of lemon juice or white distilled vinegar.  Mix well and let it sit for about 5 minutes - instant buttermilk!!

Marion Cunningham's Buttermilk Crumb Muffins

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (she says to use unbleached - I didn't have any)
2 cups packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable shortening (like Crisco)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk (see note above)
2 large eggs, beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Combine the flour and brown sugar into a large bowl.

Add the shortening in small pieces and using either a pastry blender or your fingers, combine the shortening with the flour mixture until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.

Measure out 1/2 cup and set it aside in a smaller bowl - this is for the topping.

Add the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg to the flour mixture.  Stir to completely mix

Add the buttermilk and eggs - using a large spoon or spatula, mix until the batter is thick.

Spoon the batter into a greased muffin tin (I used liners), filling each cup about 2/3 full.

Sprinkle each muffin with the reserved crumb topping.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Entire Recipe:

Marion Cunningham's Buttermilk Crumb Muffins

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (she says to use unbleached - I didn't have any)
2 cups packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable shortening (like Crisco)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk (see note above)
2 large eggs, beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Combine the flour and brown sugar into a large bowl.

Add the shortening in small pieces and using either a pastry blender or your fingers, combine the shortening with the flour mixture until it resembles coarse bread crumbs.

 

Measure out 1/2 cup and set it aside in a smaller bowl - this is for the topping.

 

Add the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg to the flour mixture.  Stir to completely mix

Add the buttermilk and eggs - using a large spoon or spatula, mix until the batter is thick.

 

Spoon the batter into a greased muffin tin (I used liners), filling each cup about 2/3 full.

 

Sprinkle each muffin with the reserved crumb topping.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

ENJOY!!

VERDICT:

This is the second time I have made this recipe.  It is definitely a keeper.  You will have to store these in either a baggie or plastic enclosed container as they will do stale after a day or two.  My husband loves these so much that I put a couple of them in his lunch so he can snack on them during his day at work. 

 

Homemade Donuts

For Christmas this year, my husband bought me two wonderful things (among other gifts) that I have thoroughly enjoyed using in my kitchen.  One was the greatest invention known to mankind - an apple peeler and corer - OH MY!! I can't begin to think how much time it will save me making apple pies and my caramel apple jam!! 

And he also bought me this Wilson Donut Pan!  Life in our house has never been the same!  I have been baking donuts almost every day!!  Who knew that donut making could be so easy AND so delicious!!  Forget Krispy Kreme!!!

My first homemade donut recipe I found on the website "Buns in My Oven"  (www.bunsinmyoven.com).  And she has several donut recipes!!  Be prepared to NEVER get back on that scale again!!  This particular recipe is a HUGE favorite of my husband.  I did make a few minor changes:

Vanilla Donuts with Vanilla Icing and Sprinkles!

Ingredients:

For the donut:

1 cup all-purpose flour
6 T white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
6 T buttermilk
(if you don't have buttermilk - just add 1T lemon juice or white vinegar to slightly less than a cup of milk - let it sit for about 5 minutes - VIOLA!!   you have buttermilk!!)
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 T butter, melted *I always used unsalted butter

For the Icing:
 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
 3-4 tsp milk

Directions:

To make the donuts:
Preheat the oven to 325.

Grease your donut pan with PAM or something similar.
Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl.

 In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, and butter, whisking to combine.

 Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour and other dry ingredients.  Mix well.

Using a spoon, drop two or three spoonfuls of batter into the donut pan.  And with a knife, smooth the batter around the donut mold.

 

You should have just enough batter for 6 donuts.
Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.

 

To make the icing:
Mix together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. Add more milk or powdered sugar as needed.

 

 

When the donuts are finished baking, put them on a rack to cool.  I used a small knife to ice the donuts (she said you should swirl the donuts in the icing - that did not work for me).  Top with the sprinkles of your choice.

 

 

Enire Recipe:

 

Vanilla Donuts with Vanilla Icing and Sprinkles!

Ingredients:

For the donut:

1 cup all-purpose flour
6 T white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
6 T buttermilk
(if you don't have buttermilk - just add 1T lemon juice or white vinegar to slightly less than a cup of milk - let it sit for about 5 minutes - VIOLA!!   you have buttermilk!!)
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 T butter, melted *I always used unsalted butter

For the Icing:
 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
 3-4 tsp milk

Directions:

To make the donuts:
Preheat the oven to 325.

Grease your donut pan with PAM or something similar.
Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, and butter, whisking to combine.
Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour and other dry ingredients.  Mix well.
Using  a spoon, drop two or three spoonfuls of batter into the donut pan.  And with a knife, smooth the batter around the donut mold.

You should have just enough batter for 6 donuts.
Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.

 To make the icing:
 Mix together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk until smooth. Add more milk or powdered sugar as needed.
When the donuts are finished baking, put them on a rack to cool.  I used a small knife to ice the donuts (she said you should swirl the donuts in the icing - that did not work for me).  Top with the sprinkles of your choice.

 

ENJOY!!

 

VERDICT:

 

My husbands absolutely LOVES these!!  This is the second batch that I have baked for him.  You can whip these up in matter of minutes.