These are favorite foods from my childhood and beyond, from my mom’s kitchen.  I have included 2 casseroles, 2 stews and 2 cakes.  My family of 4 ate all of these many, many times when I was a child and teen.

These are my two absolute favorite casseroles that my mom made when I was growing up. They originated from a church cookbook. I remember that book well. It had a white cover and white spiral binding. It’s all tattered now, with yellowed pages. Just what a well loved cookbook looks like.

CHICKEN AND RICE CASSEROLE

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 fryer cut in serving pieces

2 cans of water

½ cup of raw rice

1- Place rice in bottom of large pyrex dish that has a cover.

2- Place chicken pieces next.

3- Add soup and liquid.

4- Bake 350 for 2 hours.

Variations:

- My family always bumps up this recipe. Use 1 ½ c rice. Use 2 cans of favorite cream soup and 2 cans water. Pour ½ of soup and water mixture over rice and stir to mix. Take 3 large chicken breasts with ribs and skin and cut each piece in half crosswise. Arrange over rice. Pour remaining soup and water mixture over the top. Cook 1 hour. Remove from oven and remove chicken. Stir rice. Replace chicken pieces and return to oven for remaining hour.

- Substitute pork chops and tomato soup.

PORK CHOP CASSEROLE

2 medium potatoes sliced

2 medium onions sliced

4 pork chops

Cheddar cheese sliced thin

Flour

Milk

- In bottom of large sized lightly greased casserole dish, arrange a layer of onions, sliced but not separated. 

- Top with a layer of potatoes. 

- Arrange pork chops on top of potatoes and dust liberally with flour. 

- Repeat with layers of onion and potato.

- Top with cheese.  

- Add milk until it reaches the level of the pork chops. 

- Cover and bake at 350 for 50 minutes.  Remove cover for last 10 minutes. 

Variations:

- My family usually increases this one as well.  Try with 6 pork chops and double potatoes and onions.  Leave cheese off until the last 10 minutes.  Shredded cheese works well.  The juice from the milk and meat is out of the world.  Try saturating a piece of bread with the juice. 

Mom fixed these two stews for supper as far back as I can remember.  These stews are the kind of staples that you just cook, have always cooked, and never use a recipe.  They are both nice cool weather treats.  Most would call the second one salmon chowder, but we call it salmon stew.  In fact, I don’t think I ever had a “chowder” at my parents’ table. 

HAMBURGER STEW

2 cans tomato soup

2 cans water

2 medium onion, chopped

4 medium potatoes, diced

2 lbs hamburger

Salt, pepper, chili powder

1- Break hamburger up into small chunks. 

2- Add soup and water. 

3- Add potatoes and onions. 

4- Season to taste. 

5- Simmer over medium heat for 45-60 minutes. 

Variations: 

- I use 1 large can of tomato juice, or 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce and 1-2 cans of water. 

SALMON STEW

1 large can of salmon, skin and bones removed

2 medium potatoes, diced small

1 medium onion, diced fine

2 cans evaporated milk

- Boil potatoes and onions until soft.  Pour off excess water, leaving about 2 cups. 

- Add milk and salmon.

- Heat thoroughly, but do not boil. 

- Serve with 1-2 tablespoons ketchup per serving of stew. 

- Add crushed saltine crackers if desired. 

Variations:

- I bake a full fillet of salmon, baked with a little Paul Prudhomme’s salmon seasoning or Lawry’s seasoned salt and garlic with parsley. 

- I use 2 cans of evaporated milk and 1 pint of heavy cream. 

Mom has always had a sweet tooth.  We had some kind of cake or pie around almost any given time growing up.  When I was in my teens, baking cakes began to appear on my chore lists.  I have to say liked baking no more than sweeping the garage or mopping the kitchen.  These are 2 of the cake recipes that were relatively easy, and therefore often on my chore list.  They are both family favorites, especially the lemon cake.  Both are extremely moist because of the glaze and the icing. 

LEMON JELLO CAKE

1 package yellow cake mix

1 package lemon jello

2/3 c water

2/3 c Wesson oil

4 eggs

2 tsp lemon extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

1- Combine ingredients, mixing in slowly.

2- Bake in tube pan, greased and dusted, 1 hour at 325 degrees.

Glaze:

2 c confectioner’s sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

Grated rind of 1 lemon

1- Mix ingredients.

2- While cake is warm, spoon glaze on cake. Glaze will be runny. Keep spooning glaze onto cake and let it soak into cake.

PETER PAUL CAKE

1 box double dutch cake mix

1 c buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1- Mix ingredients together. 

2- Bake at 325 degrees, in 3 layer pans that have been greased and dusted, for 25 minutes.  You can use a sheet pan and bake 45 minutes. 

Icing: 

1 c evaporated milk

1 ½ c sugar

20 large marshmallows

2 c flaked coconut

1- Bring milk and sugar to a boil. 

2-Add marshmallows.  Cook slowly until they are melted. 

3- Add coconut.  Stir to combine. 

4-Apply icing to top of layers.  This will soak into layers. 

Now you have 6 favorite recipes from my mom’s kitchen.  Try one or try them all.  Deliciousness is guaranteed.