Souper Chicken Thighs

1 package of chicken thighs (4 - 6 pieces)
1 (10-3/4 ounce) cream of mushroom soup
1 (10-3/4 ounce) cream of celery soup
1 (10-3/4 ounce) cream of onion soup
1 small onion chopped
Tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 soup can of water

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees. Smear olive oil over bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Lay the thighs on the bottom of dish. Sprinkle the chopped onion over the thighs.

Next, add the three cans of soup together in a large mixing bowl and add a half soup can of water to the mix. Stir until blended well and thinned out. Pour over the chicken and onions.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for one hour. Remove foil and bake on 350 for another 30 minutes.

I made this last week and I only had 4 thighs in my package so I had extra room in my casserole dish. After I let the thighs cook for the first hour with tin foil, I added some left over green peas to one corner of the casserole dish and two chopped carrots in another corner. The soup gravy covered them nicely. When I put the dish back in the oven to bake for the final 30 minutes the carrots were partially cooked to semi tender. The peas were already fully cooked anyway so that didn't matter. This came out of the oven smelling like home made chicken pot pie without a crust! My daughter had been napping before she had to go to work and the aroma woke her up it was so good! I was making home made biscuits to go with it but she couldn't wait for them to be done. She dug into my chicken dish before I could even take a picture of it! Later my two sons were just as enthused over it.

I had some of the soup-gravy left over for the next day. So I used it to top off baked potatoes. YUM! Use your imagination on this one. You could spoon this gravy over rice or noodles or mashed potatoes or...sop it up with a biscuit!

P.S.... I don't add any salt to recipes that have this much regular soup because soup is already salty. I do add black pepper because I like it. You don't have to though. It's all about what you like.

Country Pie From Josh

My friend and fellow cook Josh just sent me this recipe and the easy gravy recipe below. Thanks Josh!

1 pound of extra lean ground beef, or ground turkey
1 14 ounce jar prepared spaghetti sauce, divided
1- 1/2 cups minute white rice, uncooked
6 ounces velveeta cheese product, sliced (enough to cover the top of the pie)

Preheat oven 350. Combine meat and 1/2 cup of the spaghetti sauce and spread that evenly in the bottom of a deep greased 9 inch pie pan. Mix the remaining sauce and rice together and spoon that over the meat. Put the cheese on top of that and cover with foil. Bake for 25 minutes and then uncover and bake 15 more minutes. Let it stand for 10 minutes, then drain off any fat. Cut the pie into 6 sections and serve. This sounds Yummy and easy!

No Fail Easy Gravy From Josh

1 can of cream soup (whatever flavor will match the dish your cooking) IE mushroom, chicken, celery, potato..

Drippings, cooking liquids, or stock for the dish you need a gravy

Mix the can of cream soup with the liquid. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir until it is warmed through. Really great and Really fast!

Macaroni Salad

8 ounces of uncooked macaroni
1 chopped Bell pepper
1 chopped onion
2 stalks of chopped celery
2 grated carrots
1 small jar of pimentos
1 can Eagle brand milk
1 cup vinegar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sugar

Cook macaroni as directed on box. Drain and cool. Mix pepper, onion, carrots, celery and pimentos. Add to macaroni. Set aside.

Mix together Eagle brand milk, vinegar, sugar and mayonnaise. Pour over salad and set overnight in the refrigerator.

Mexican Style Corn Salad

This is a good side for all your grilling!

1 can Mexican style corn, drained
1/4 cup sliced radishes
1/2 cup prepared hidden valley ranch taco ranch creamy dressing

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl until blended. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Makes 4 servings

Grilled Salmon Steaks with Tomato Basil Butter Sauce

Make the sauce first and set aside.

Sauce:

Melt one tablespoon of butter in a small skillet. Add 1-1/2 cups of chopped, peeled and seeded tomato. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 1 minced clove of garlic. Cook over medium low heat stirring frequently until liquid is evaporated and mixture is thickened.

Remove pan from heat and stir in 3 more tablespoons of butter until mixture has a saucelike consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in 1-1/2 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh basil. Makes about 1 cup

Salmon Steaks:

4 Salmon Steaks at least 3/4 inch thick
Olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Rinse fish. Pat dry with paper towels. Brush one side of fish lightly with oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Oil the hot grid to help prevent sticking. Grill fish, oil side down on a covered grill over medium heat 6 to 10 minutes. Halfway through cooking time, brush top with oil and season with salt and pepper, then turn and continue grilling until fish turns from translucent to opaque throughout. (Grilling time depends on thickness of fish. Allow 3 to 5 minutes for each half inch thickness.) Serve with tomato basil butter sauce. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with noodles if desired. YUM!

Old Time Coleslaw

2 heads green cabbage shredded
3 large red apples cored and chopped
2/3 cup sliced green onions
1-1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

Toss cabbage, apples and green onions in a large bowl. Mix remaining ingredients in a small blow. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Makes about 12 servings

Ranch Picnic Potato Salad

6 medium potatoes (about 3-1/2 pounds) cooked, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 cup prepared hidden valley origianl ranch salad dressing
2 hard cooked eggs finely chopped
paprika

Combine potatoes, celery, onions, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir mustand into salad dressing in a small blow. Pour over potatoes and toss lightly to coat. Cover and refrigerate several hours. Sprinkle with eggs and paprika. Makes 8 servings

Cucumber and Onion Salad

1 washed and sliced cucumber
1/2 sliced bermuda onion
1/2 cup salad oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
Dash of Paprika

Add all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

Grilled Chicken Ribbons

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cloves of garlic pressed
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Sliced green onion tops for garnish

Combine all ingredients except breasts and onions in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat 1 minute or until smooth. Cool. Remove garlic from sauce and discard. Reserve half of sauce for dipping. Cut chicken lengthwise into 1 inch wide strips. Thread onto 8 metal or bamboo skewers. (soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 20 minutes to prevent them from burning.)

Oil hot grid to help prevent sticking. Grill chicken on covered grill over medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes until chicken is cooked through, turning once. Baste with sauce once or twice during cooking. Serve with reserved sauce garnished with sliced green onion tops. Makes 4 servings

Pork Kabobs with Mustard-Bourbon Glaze

1 boneless pork loin roast (1 to 1-1/4 pounds)
Salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Cut pork into 1 inch cubes. Season with salt and pepper. Combine mustard, bourbon, soy sauce, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce in a shallow glass dish or large heavy plastic bag. Add pork and coat with marinade. Cover dish or close bag. Marinate in refrigerator up to 4 hours. Remove pork from marinade. Discard marinade. Thread pork onto metal or bamboo skewers. (Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 20 minutes to prevent burning.)

Oil the hot grid to help prevent sticking. Grill pork, on a covered grill over medium heat 8 to 12 minutes until pork is cooked through, turning once. Pork should be juicy and slightly pink in the center. Makes 4 servings

Teriyaki Glazed Beef Kabobs

1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds top or bottom sirloin, cut into one inch cubes
1/2 cup bottled Teriyaki baste and glaze
1 teaspoon Oriental sesame oil (optional)
1 clove garlic minced
8 to 12 green onions
1 or 2 plum tomatoes, sliced (optional)

Thread beef cubes on metal or bamboo skewers. (Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 20 minutes to keep them from burning.) Combine teriyaki glaze, sesame oil and garlic in a small bowl. Brush beef and onions with part of the glaze, saving some for the grilling. Let stand 15 to 30 minutes.

Oil the hot grid to help prevent sticking. Grill beef on a covered grill over medium heat for 6 to 9 minutes for medium doneness, turning several times and brushing with glaze. Add onions and tomatoes to grill for 3 or 4 minutes after the beef. Grill until onions and tomatoes are tender. Remove from the grill. Brush skewers, onions and tomatoes with remaining glaze. Makes 4 servings

French Onion Burgers

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 package (1 ounce) of Hidden Valley Ranch French Onion Dip Mix
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom pieces, undrained

Combine beef, dip mix and mushrooms in a medium bowl. Shape beef mixture into 8 patties. Oil the hot grid to keep patties from sticking. Grill patties on a covered grill over medium heat for 7 to 12 minutes turning once. Makes 8 servings.