Thank You Foodies!

Thank you FOODIES for inspiring me to create more recipes! I had a brand new idea pop into my head to day & I can not wait to experiment with it! As soon as I can I will whip it up & share it with you! In the meantime please feel free to browse this blog for all of my creations plus a few from fellow FOODIES like yourself! If any of you have a recipe you would like to share with us feel free to do so! I look forward to many years of recipes to come! Judy
                                                  

Cheesy Ham & Green Beans

                                                                         

This casserole came into being because my husband requested Ham & Green Beans but made with cheese! So our PA Dutch Ham & Green Beans became this hearty casserole that is made with our traditional ingredients except it is now loaded with cheddar cheese! We loved it & I know that you will too!

 

2 Pounds of Ham Cubed into bite sized chunks

2 Pounds Frozen Green Beans Thawed

1 Onion Chopped

6 Large Potatoes Peeled & Sliced

2 Cups Bread Crumbs

1 Teaspoon Each, Garlic Powder, Pepper, Onion Powder, Paprika, & Parsley

For The Sauce:

4 Tablespoons Each Butter & Flour

3 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1 Cup Velveeta Cheese

3 Cups Milk

 

In a large Casserole place a layer of 1/2 of the beans. Then do a layer over the beans of 1/2 of the onion. Next layer 1/2 of the sliced potatoes. Now layer 1/2 of the ham. Repeat your layers. Now prepare the cheese sauce. Melt butter in a large saucepan or skillet. Whisk in the flour. Now slowly whisk in the milk a bit at a time whisking the milk smooth as you cook over medium heat. Continue to cook & whisk over medium high heat until milk thickens, whisk in the cheese & cook & whisk over low until cheese is melted. Remove from heat & pour over your casserole layers. Poke a knife down through the casserole every few inches to ease cheese sauce down through the layers. Now bake COVERED in a 350 degree oven for 1 & 1/2 hours then remove from oven & cover the top with first the bread crumbs & then sprinkle the seasonings over the top. Return to the oven & bake another 1/2 hour checking with a sharp knife to test the potatoes to make sure they are soft. if still firm return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked thoroughly! THIS IS DELICIOUS & great with a hot crusty bread or biscuits! ENJOY! Serves 6 ample portions

 

 





Sweet Potato Fasnachts Judys Foodies Original Recipe!

                                                                                             

This my friends is a Sweet Potato Fasnacht! Light & crispy with a thick coating of powdered sugar & still warm from the fryer! DELIGHTFUL! The flavor is terrific & has just a hint of nice spice! Fry some up you will be GLAD you did, I know I am!

 

 



1 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Mashed Sweet Potato ( with nothing added just mash up the sweet potato that you peeled & boiled until soft, drain BUT reserve the water you cooked them in you will need it!) This took 2 nice sized sweet potatoes to make the 1 cup mashed!

1/2 Cup Shortening

3 Eggs

1 & 1/2 TSP Salt

1 TSP Vanilla

1/4 TSP Nutmeg

1 TSP Cinnamon

3 Dashes each Ginger, Allspice & Cloves

2 Packets Yeast

1 Cup Warm Potato Water

5 Cups + Flour

Powdered Sugar to coat your Fasnachts!

Shortening to fry about 3/4 of a 3 pound can

Lots of Paper towels, & wax paper or parchment paper

 

Beat the cooled mashed sweet potato with the 1 cup sugar. Add 1/2 cup shortening & beat again. Dissolve the yeast in the warm potato water ( NOT HOT just warm!) set aside. Now beat the eggs, salt, & vanilla into your potato mixture! Beat in the yeast that has melted in the water adding all of it! Now add spices to the 5 cups of flour stirring well, beat in 3 cups to your mixture. Now add the rest by hand kneading it into the dough just enough so the dough is no longer heavy, wet & sticky. I ended up using about 7 cups of flour all together but the weather will affect your dough too! You do not want dry dough just not very wet & sticky a middle ground is what you want! Now cover dough & let rise until double a nice warm spot is best! A QUICK rising tip is turn on oven to warm & let it come up to temp. Place a pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven about 2 inches of water will do. Now turn off the oven & then place your covered dough in the middle rack of the oven. Close the door & let rise. I did this & my dough was ready in about an hour & 1/2!

                                                                                   

 

This is dough just mixed & needing to be raised!

This is the dough now doubled in size!

 

Now that your dough is double divide into about 6 pieces.

Roll out each piece so you have a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick! Cut into rectangles as large or as small as you wish. I cut mine in 3 x 5 inch rectangles not precise just eyeballing them. Lay on parchment or wax paper covered cookie tins & place in a warm spot until almost double in size but not completely doubled! Once they have risen you are ready to fry!

                                                                            

These are ready for their second stage of rising! take them to just about double in height & then FRY! I did the warm oven trick with these & they rose fast!

Place shortening in a large deep skillet & heat. Shortening should be 2 inches deep once melted. Make sure oil is hot enough to fry by dropping in a small piece of your dough that you pinch off a Fasnacht. it should sizzle & float, do not have oil so hot that it is smoking I fried mine on medium high! Drop in 4 or five Fasnachts at a time. Let them get golden crispy brown & then flip them carefully to their other side. Once both sides are very brown & Fasnacht is puffy carefully remove from oil onto a tray that you have covered with a double thickness of paper towel, blotting each Fasnacht to remove extra oil. Set them aside to a paper towel covered surface & continue to fry up the rest. Let them cool as long as you can BUT I always eat a few warm covered in powdered sugar! Once cool place a good 3 cups of powdered sugar in a gallon size zip plastic bag or a container that has a lid. Add one or 2 completely cooled Fasnachts in the bag or container & shake until Fasnacht is coated well! REMOVE & GOBBLE!

                                                             

Three Dozen Fried Fasnachts ready for their SUGAR COATING!

HAPPY FASNACHT DAY & CELEBRATE with a traditional or a Sweet Potato Fasnacht! The traditional recipe is on the February 2011 Archive of this blog! BOTH ARE YUMMY!







Today I am EXCITED!

Today I am attempting a BRAND NEW recipe that NO ONE has ever come up with as far as I can see! I scoured the WEB & so far not one hit for this idea. I am as I am typing creating the NEW, the EXCITING, the ONE & ONLY, for Judy's Foodies, my very own SWEET POTATO FASNACHT! I make Fasnachts every year, for those of you who might not know the Fasnacht is a donut always made the day before LENT. The Fasnacht has mashed potato in the dough. They are SCRUMPTIOUS, light fluffy sweet & a once a year treat!
                                                   

This is a Fasnacht! Crispy outside & heavenly soft inside! Traditionally these are left plain NO POWDERED SUGAR & then dipped in Molasses as eaten but tradition has gone by the wayside & powdered sugar, cinnamon & sugar, & even glaze has taken over! Today I will debut the SWEET POTATO FASNACHT for YOU!

Frybread Authentic Native American Recipe

                                                                          

This recipe is in honor of my Native American husband Frank. He has been craving some good frybread so I attempted to make some & I got to BIG thumbs up from him! Frybread is just what the name states, dough that is fried. Crispy outside & feather soft inside. This bread is very versatile & my be served in numerous ways. Traditional it is served with stew for dipping, or like the pictures shows & my favorite, drizzled with honey & sprinkled with cinnamon. Frybread is served hot & it is luscious! ENJOY!

2 Cups Bread flour or regular flour but bread flour insures a nice fluffy Frybread!

1 & 1/2 TBS Baking Powder

1 TSP Salt

1 & 1/4 Cups Milk warmed to just passed room temperature

Oil enough to fry dough 2 inches deep

Add all the dry together. Stir in the milk mixing with a spoon. Let sit for 10 minutes. Heat oil 2 inches deep in a large skillet to medium high heat that bubbles when you drop in a small bit of the dough. Now go to the dough & divide into 4 equal portions. Pat at on a floured surface using well floured hands, dough will be sticky so use enough flour so it is not sticky. Pat into 8 inch rounds, they do not have to be perfect. Drop one at a time in the hot oil frying until bottom is crispy brown  then carefully turn bread over to brown the other side. About 2 minutes each side give or take. Remove puffy browned frybread to paper towels draining well. Continue with each portion until all is cooked! Serve hot! These may used to make Frybread tacos or Pizza just topping with meats, cheeses & sauces desired. Like I said I love the honey & cinnamon version (taste like an amazing donut) or as my husband likes best as a Native American Taco! The possibilities are endless! HAPPY FRYBREAD EATING, FOODIES!

                                                                        

This is a Frybread Taco! Just make some Frybread, cook up your favorite Taco meat with your favorite spices. Spread warm Refried Beans on the hot Frybread, cover that with shredded lettuce, top with the meat & then sprinkle with lots of Cheddar Shredded Cheese, add whatever you wish, I like chopped Tomatoes, Salsa or Taco Sauce & Sour Cream! YUMMERS!

This is Frybread topped with pulled pork & cheese!



Cheesy Chicken Divan, Judys Foodies Style!

                                                                        

 

Creamy & Delicious this Chicken Divan is elegant but simple too! Great for family or guest because it makes a large deep casserole for hearty servings!

 

4 Cups Cooked Rice

4 Cups Cooked Chicken torn into nice sized pieces

1 Onion Chopped

1, 1LB Package of Broccoli Florets Thawed

1LB Velveeta

4 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

4 Cups Milk

4TBS Flour

4 TBS Butter

3 Cups Crushed Keebler Club Crackers with following stirred in to the crushed crackers

1 tsp. Garlic Powder, 1 tsp Onion Powder, 1 tsp Poultry Seasonings, 1 TBS Dried Parsley Flakes.

Cook Rice according to package ( I use Uncle Bens), & place cooked rice in the bottom of a large deep pan 10x15 preferred, spread chopped onion over the rice evenly. Now spread out the chicken. Next layer on the Broccoli. Now in a deep sauce pan melt the butter then whisk in the flour. Now slowly whisk in the milk & whisk & cook until thick & bubbling. Now stir in the Velveeta & 2 cups of the Cheddar Cheese. Cook until smooth & melted over a low heat. Now pour sauce over the casserole EVENLY! Cover with foil & bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Meanwhile crush up those crackers & add the seasonings! Once casserole has baked 1 hour remove from the oven & sprinkle 2 cups of the Cheddar Cheese over the top. Next spread on the crushed crackers EVENLY! Return to the oven & bake another 1/2 hour! SERVE! Watch so the crackers on top do not get to brown, if starting to brown to much cover back up with the foil! ENJOY this is WONDERFUL!

 



Nuts About Chocolate Cake

                                                                          

This is an intense Chocolate Cake! Any Chocolate Lover would LOVE to dig into it! You MUST use Mini Chocolate Chips so they bake throughout the batter regular chips would sink. As for the nuts, Sliced Almonds worked very well, you may use Chopped Walnuts, Chopped Pecans or Coconut for this cake , all would be delicious! Mix it up, Foodies!




1 & 3/4 Cup Cake Flour ( or regular flour minus 1 HEAPING TBS)
1 TSP Baking Powder
1 TSP Baking Soda
1 TSP Salt
1 TSP Cinnamon
3/4 Cup Cocoa
1 & 1/2 Cups Sugar
Combine well now add:
1/2 Cup Shortening to make fine crumbs
Now add:
1/2 Cup Cold Coffee
1/3 cup Sour Milk
Beat well. Now add:
1/3 Cup more Sour Milk
2 Eggs unbeaten
1 TSP Vanilla
Beat well to combine.
Now stir in 1 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips Semi Sweet or Milk Chocolate your choice! I used semi sweet & 2/3 Cup Sliced Almonds. Fold into the batter. Bake in a 9x13 prepared pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until cake test done! Frost with your favorite frosting or try this Fudge Frosting.
FUDGE FROSTING:
4 Cups Confectioners Sugar
1 Cup Cocoa
Dash of Salt
1/3 Cup Boiling Water
1/3 Cup Butter SOFT
1 TSP Vanilla
Mix all dry together. Add boiling water & butter & beat well. Add vanilla & beat again! FUDGIE GOODNESS!