This is the recipe for those times you want to grill hot dogs or cheeseburgers at home, want the good baked beans, but without all the fuss of making them from scratch.
Ingredients:
1 can Pork and Beans (we use the slightly larger can you can get at Dollar Tree by Campbells)
Brown Sugar
Powdered Mustard
Ketchup
Dehydrated onions/ Dried minced onions
In a small pot empty the can of beans. Now, the rest is by taste. Our family likes it a bit sweeter, so I use a 1/4 cup of brown sugar, maybe 1/8 tsp, a pinch of the dehydrated onions, and a heavy squirt of ketchup. You then mix it all up and simmer until it thickens back up. If I have it on hand, sometimes I will add flax seed to sneak extra fiber into the diet.
I fully admit: this is not the baked beans your aunt takes to the cookout. Not even close. This is just a step up from a plain can of baked beans you can get at the store. Mom's been doing this for as long as I can remember, and she says she learned it from Grandma.
I found a recipe on an index card in a vintage cookbook. Haven't tried it yet, since Mom is anti-mushroom. Just putting it in here so I don't lose it.
Ingredients:
12 large mushrooms
1 tbs minced onion
1/4 c butter
1/2 tbs salt
1 c soft bread crumbs
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
Stove Top Dressing
Instructions:
Chop stems. Mix all together with Stove Top Dressing. Put in a shallow pan with a little water.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Another variation of my mother's recipe. This one uses a mix of fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables - which is exactly how my mother used to make this soup. Ah, the memories!
List of Ingredients:
- 1 soup bone
- 1 quart vegetable (or tomato) juice; divided
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 2 cups water; divided
- 1 can cut green beans (blue lake); drained
- 4 to 6 potatoes; peeled; cubed
- 2 ribs of celery; cut in half lengthwise then chopped
1-1/2 cups frozen corn- 1-1/2 cups frozen peas
- 3 carrots; peeled; sliced in half lengthwise; chopped
- 1 can diced tomatoes; do not drain
- (optional) 1 single serving can of lima beans
- 1/4 cup onions; chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1-1/2 teaspoon low sodium beef bullion
- 1 teaspoon low sodium chicken bullion
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 head of cabbage; chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley; chopped
Preparation:
In a large dutch oven pour in half the can of vegetable (or tomato) juice, 1 cup of water, salt, pepper, bullions, and garlic. Simmer for 15 minutes over a medium heat then add the soup bone. Add additional vegetable (or tomato) juice until the soup bone is covered by liquids. Cover and let simmer for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low-medium then add cabbage, cover, and let simmer until the cabbage is half-cooked (about 30 minutes). Remove the soup bone and add remaining ingredients. Cover and let simmer on low-medium heat for at least an additional 2 to 4 hours. If the broth evaporates too much for your tastes, add another cup of water and let simmer for another 30 minutes before serving.
Servings: 8 to 10; depending on how heavy-handed you are with the soup ladle
Garnishments (optional): Sprinkle top with parsley flakes after dipping.
Family Rating: 5 out of 5 wanted seconds.
Preparation:
In a large dutch oven pour in half the can of vegetable (or tomato) juice, 1 cup of water, salt, pepper, bullions, and garlic. Simmer for 15 minutes over a medium heat then add the soup bone. Add additional vegetable (or tomato) juice until the soup bone is covered by liquids. Cover and let simmer for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low-medium then add cabbage, cover, and let simmer until the cabbage is half-cooked (about 30 minutes). Remove the soup bone and add remaining ingredients. Cover and let simmer on low-medium heat for at least an additional 2 to 4 hours and vegetables are tender. If the broth evaporates too much for your tastes, add another cup of water and let simmer for another 30 minutes before serving.
Servings: 8 to 10; depending on how heavy-handed you are with the soup ladle
Garnishments (optional): Sprinkle top with parsley flakes after dipping.
Family Rating: 5 out of 5 wanted seconds.
This is my mother's recipe but she would make a very large pot of this soup. When the pot only held about 1/3 of the soup, she would just make a new batch - leaving the remaining portion to mix in with the new. Us kids loved it when she made this soup and never grew tired of it. This variation of the recipe makes a smaller amount and uses canned vegetables.
List of ingredients:
- 1 soup bone
- 1 quart vegetable (or tomato) juice; divided
- 1 8-ounce cans of tomato sauce
- 2 cups water; divided
- 4 cans mixed vegetables; drained
- 1 can diced tomatoes; do not drain
- 1/4 cup onions; chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1-1/2 teaspoon low sodium beef bullion
- 1 teaspoon low sodium chicken bullion
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 head of cabbage; chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley; chopped
Preparation:
In a large dutch oven pour in half the can of vegetable (or tomato) juice, 1 cup of water, salt, pepper, bullions, and garlic. Simmer for 15 minutes over a medium heat then add the soup bone. Add additional vegetable (or tomato) juice until the soup bone is covered by liquids. Cover and let simmer for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low-medium then add cabbage, cover, and let simmer until the cabbage is half-cooked (about 30 minutes). Remove the soup bone and add remaining ingredients. Cover and let simmer on low-medium heat for at least an additional 2 to 4 hours. If the broth evaporates too much for your tastes, add another cup of water and let simmer for another 30 minutes before serving.
Servings: 8 to 10; depending on how heavy-handed you are with the soup ladle
Garnishments (optional): Sprinkle top with parsley flakes after dipping.
Family Rating: 5 out of 5 wanted seconds.
List of Ingredients:
- 4 cans of mixed vegetables; drained
- 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
- 2 cups water or tomato/vegetable juice
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes; do not drain
- 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup onions; chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a large dutch over. Simmer over medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes. Serve.
Servings: 6 to 8; depending on how heavy-handed you are with a soup ladle.
Garnishments: (optional): Sprinkle parsley on top after dipping.
Family Rating: 4 outof 5 wanted seconds.
List of Ingredients:
- 16 ounce bag of frozen peas; cooked
- (optional)2 cups of potatoes; peeled; cubed; boiled until tender for eating but not crumbly
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1-1/4 cup milk; divided
- 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
Preparation:
Combine dry ingredients together then gradually add milk to form a paste then a soup-like mixture. In the saucepan, where the cooked peas are waiting our attention, add 1/2 cup of milk and butter. Simmer over low-medium heat until the margarine is melted. Gradually stir in the flour-soup (or 'thickening' as some people call it). Bring heat up to medium and continue stirring until sauce starts to bubble and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in the cooked cubed potatoes and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes so the sauce warms the potatoes back up as it continues to become slightly thicker as it cools. If sauce is too thick for your liking, gradually add additional milk (1 to 2 tablespoons at a time) until you reach a consistency you prefer.
Servings: 6 to 8
Garnishments (optional): None.
Family Rating 4 out of 5 wanted seconds (not everyone likes cream sauce on their veggies - go figure).
List of Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound bacon; cooked; drained; diced
- 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings
- 1/2 cup onion; chopped
- 3 pounds potatoes; peeled; cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 large carrots; cut lengthwise; finely chopped
- 3 celery ribs; cut lengthwise; finely chopped
- 2-1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 5 cups water
Preparation or Cooking Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a dutch oven. Simmer, covered, for 2 hours or until vegetables are tender.
Garnishments: (optional)
After dipping into a bowl, sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Servings: 6 to 8, depending on how heavy-handed you are with the soup ladle.
Family Rating: 4 out 5 wanted seconds.
© Carol A. Wells