Two Broccoli Casseroles

I two have recipes for broccoli casseroles that I love. One recipe comes from my sister Sharee and the other recipe from my twin sister, Denise. They are both very good but they are very different. Sharee's recipe is a little easier to prepare. Denise's recipe isn't difficult,it just involves a little more time. I hope you'll try them both and see which one is your favorite. I thank my sisters for these recipes and for what they mean to me. I love you both and consider you two of my best friends. I am blessed to have you!

Cheesy Broccoli Casserole

16 oz. frozen chopped broccoli
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz. Velveeta Cheese
Ritz Crackers
2 T. margarine

Thaw broccoli and place in 13 x 9" dish. Spread soup over broccoli then top with slices of Velveeta cheese. I just cover the broccoli with one layer of cheese. Top with crushed Ritz crackers. Dot margarine over crackers. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

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Broccoli with Walnuts

3 10 oz. packages frozen chopped broccoli thawed
1 stick margarine, melted
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 T instant chicken granules
2 c. milk
2/3 c. hot water
6 T. margarine
2 c. Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix
2/3 c. chopped walnuts

Arrange broccoli in buttered 9 x 13 dish. Melt one stick of margarine in small saucepan. Add flour and chicken granules. Cook a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add milk gradually and stir until smooth and thick. Pour this over broccoli. Melt 6 T. margarine in hot water. Add stuffing mix and toss to combine well. Add walnuts. Spoon on top of broccoli and bake uncovered in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

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Cream of Wild Rice Soup

There are certain types of food that I feel belong to specific seasons. Soup is one of those foods and I think fall and winter are perfect seasons to debut some great soup recipes. Last weekend I attended a retreat for pastors' wives and we were served this amazing chicken soup. I was thrilled to get the recipe because it is my new favorite soup. Serve it with a nice crispy popover and it will be a perfect meal for a cool evening. It's on my menu for this week--how about you? Here's to the first day of fall . . .

2 c. cooked wild rice
1 large onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced or shredded
1 celery rib, finely diced
1 c. finely diced ham
1/2 c. butter
4 T. flour
8 c. chicken broth
1 c. cooked diced chicken
4-5 slices crisp bacon
salt and pepper to taste
1 c. light cream or half and half

Prepare the wild rice in a 4-5 quart dutch oven. Set aside. Saute' onion, carrot, celery and ham in the butter about 3 minutes or until the vegetables have softened slightly. Sift in the flour a little at a time, stirring and cooking until the flour is blended in well, but not browned. Slowly add the chicken broth stirring until all the flour/butter/vegetable mixture is blended well. Add the wild rice, cooked chicken and bacon and season to taste. Heat thoroughly. Add the cream and reheat gently, but do not boil. Yields 12 servings.

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Overnight French Toast

My husband and I have recently relocated from Indiana to Kentucky (cheers for being back in the South!). We have already been blessed to have had overnight company. I love having the opportunity to share our home with others. It's so great to be able to sit down over a good meal and catch up. When friends and family come to visit, I certainly don't want to spend tons of time in the kitchen. I'm so thankful for this recipe for Overnight French toast sent to me by a fellow pastor's wife while I was in Tennessee. It can be made the night before and simply baked in the oven in the morning. I served this recently when we had our first overnight guests and served it with sausage and a fresh fruit bowl. This was my first time to make this dish but it certainly won't be my last! Do you have a favorite overnight recipe to share with me? Send it my way!

12 slices day-old French bread (I used sourdough--enough to fill a 9x13 dish)
5 eggs
2 1/2 c. milk
1 c. packed brown sugar, divided
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
1 c. chopped pecans
2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

Arrange bread in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, 3/4 c. brown sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle pecans over egg mixture. Combine butter and remaining 1/4 c. brown sugar; drizzle over the top. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with blueberries. Bake 10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Yield: 6-8 servings

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Possibly a New Favorite Chocolate Cake!

An added blessing of our recent move to Eastern Kentucky to begin a new pastorate is being much closer to my parents and both of my sisters. This past weekend my husband and I took the opportunity to visit my twin sister, Denise, and her family in Eastern Tennessee, only 2 1/2 hours away. Denise, also a pastor's wife, is a great cook and entertains many guests in their home almost weekly. In fact, I doubt that a week goes by when they don't have a guest in their home for a meal.

Denise continues the tradition of our mother serving Sunday dinner following morning worship. Yesterday she served a delicious rosemary chicken dish as the main course. The meal was topped off with this sinfully chocolate cake which was decadent to say the least! Believe it or not, the recipe actually comes from Cooking Light. I think the "light" part is in the reduced fat mayonnaise but you won't notice. Try it--I think you'll have a new favorite too. And if you have given up having dinner after church on Sunday morning, I encourage you to try it again too. Times spent around the table discussing things learned that morning in worship enhance a great meal! Blessings!