Cabbage Rolls - Old-Fashioned Slow-Cooker Comfort Food

Now and then, That Man will request something specific for dinner, and more often than not, that specific something will be cabbage rolls.  He remembers going to a friend's house, the friend's wife making cabbage rolls, and his thinking they were the greatest thing ever!  

Because tradition has it that you should eat cabbage on New Year's Day for prosperity, I usually make cabbage rolls around that time, if not on the day itself.  Honestly, it's been quite a while since I last made cabbage rolls - probably three or more years.  Somehow, the thought of dealing with the cabbage leaves seems, well, hard.  It's really not, though the thought of them is, sort of.  

Once I decide to make cabbage rolls, the actual deal with the leaves isn't bad at all.  And I get extra wife-points for fixing one of his favorites.  So worth it!

This recipe is based on one in the original edition (1975) of Crockery Cookery by Mabel Hoffman, from the time when slow cookers were the new, trendy kitchen gadget and very few had removable crocks - yikes!  But there are a lot of very good recipes in there.  Sadly, the paperback binding on my copy is disintegrating.  I expect I'll soon have to cut the pages out, punch holes in them, and put them in a three-ring binder.  Better than losing a book I use often!

No guarantee of how "Swedish"
these are, but they are delicious!

Swedish Cabbage Rolls

12 large cabbage leaves
1 beaten egg
1/4 c milk
1/4 c finely chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 t onion powder
1 lb lean ground beef
1 c cooked rice
12-oz bottle chili sauce (or 1 1/2 c ketchup)
1/4 c brown sugar, packed
1 T lemon juice
1 T Worchestershire sauce

There are a few ways to prepare the cabbage leaves before you fill them:

1. Immerse the leaves in a large pot of boiling water for about 3 minutes, until limp; drain.  These are the instructions in the original recipe.  That's all right for about the first 4 outer leaves, but as you proceed, the leaves get tighter and tighter on the cabbage, and it gets progressively more difficult to pry them loose without tearing them, and you want them whole.
   
   
2. Freeze the whole head of cabbage overnight, then take it out to thaw in the morning.  The leaves are supposed to release from the head easily, and they're already limp enough to work with.  I don't have any firsthand experience with this method - I've only heard of it, and it sounds like it should work, but I rarely have a cabbage-sized space available in the freezer, so I haven't tried it myself.  Maybe next time - after the turkey, ham, and corned beef brisket are gone.
   
   
3. Place the whole head of cabbage in the microwave for one minute at high power.  The next 3 or 4 leaves will release fairly easily.  This is the method I've used the last few times I've made cabbage rolls.  I just repeat until I have the number of leaves I need.  They aren't as limp as they would be with the first method, which is quite okay with me because they're going to be in the slow cooker most of the day, so I'd rather the leaves start out more on the raw side.

Combine egg, milk, onion, garlic, and seasonings.  Add meat and rice and combine well.  Place about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture in the center of each leaf.  Fold in the sides and roll ends over the meat, kind of like making a small burrito.  Place in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker.

Combine the rest of the ingredients, and pour over the cabbage rolls.  Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours. 

I serve them with dinner rolls or french bread.

Chicken Alfredo Casserole - Easy Comfort Food from the Pantry

I was moping around the house, wondering what to fix for dinner.  No motivation.  Just down in the dumps, sort of.  I needed some Comfort Food.  I stared blankly into the turntable cabinet, and finally, inspiration!  Chicken alfredo casserole to the rescue!

Nothing to thaw, nothing exotic.  Just pantry and refrigerator staples.  I did liven it up a bit by steaming some fresh asparagus from the garden for a side dish.


Chicken Alfredo Casserole

8 to 16 oz farfalle (or pasta of your choice)
1 jar (14 1/2 oz) alfredo sauce (I like Prego)
12 oz canned white meat chicken, undrained
9 oz jarred whole button mushrooms, drained
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Italian blend cheese, divided
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook pasta according to directions on the box.  While the pasta cooks, mix the remaining ingredients together in a large bowl, reserving 1 cup of the shredded cheese for the topping. 

When the pasta is al dente, drain and then add it to the mixture in the bowl.  Mix everything together well.  Place the mixture in a sprayed 9" x 13" baking dish, and spread the remaining shredded cheese over the top.  Cover with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and return to the oven for an additional 5 to 10 minutes to melt and brown the cheese.  Remove from the oven and allow to sit about 5 minutes before serving.

NOTE:  You can use anywhere from 8 to 16 oz of pasta, depending on what you like.  Me, I LOVE pasta, so I use the whole 16 oz.  If you use less, you may want to use a smaller baking dish.  You may want to adjust how much alfredo sauce, too, if you use the full 16 oz of pasta and like your pasta saucy.  Have FUN with it!

Sloppy Joes (From Mom's Recipe Card File)

Like everyone else staying home because of the coronavirus pandemic, we've been eating at home, which means I've been cooking and cooking and cooking.

When I want to make something I can count on to please everyone, I often fix Mom's "Barbecue," or Sloppy Joes!  It's a simple, all-pantry-ingredient recipe (except for the buns) that we never tire of eating.  Great comfort food.  I make it about every other week.

I make a large-ish batch so I'll have leftovers.  It freezes well, but we usually end up eating it all in a couple of days.  Something else I like to do is to mix all the sauce ingredients up and freeze that.  Then all I have to do is grab a container of sauce out of the freezer and add it to 2 pounds of lean ground beef and 1 cup of chopped onions, browned.  I usually make two to four containers of sauce at a time.  So convenient!


Sloppy Joes

2 lb lean ground beef
1 c chopped onions
1 1/2 c ketchup (I like Heinz)
3/4 c sugar
3 T mustard
1 T prepared horseradish (or to taste)
1 T vinegar
1 1/2 t celery seed
1 1/2 t Worchestershire sauce

Brown the ground beef and onion.  If not using lean ground beef, drain; if using lean ground beef, cook until nearly all the juices have evaporated.

Add the remaining ingredients, simmer about 20 minutes.  Serve on sandwich buns.

Creamy Wild Rice Soup (A Comfort Food Recipe with Options)

This is a creamy, hearty soup that hits the spot if you've been working outside in the cold.  I originally got the recipe from the mother of a girl in my daughter's Girl Scout troop.  It's quick and easy, especially if you use leftover rice, prepackaged shredded carrots, and frozen mirepoix vegetables for the onion and celery.  When I fix long grain and wild rice for a side dish, I always make twice as much as I need so I can use the leftovers to make this soup.


Creamy Wild Rice Soup

6 T butter
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped celery
1/2 c flour
3 c chicken broth
2 c cooked wild rice OR long grain and wild rice blend
12 oz cooked chicken OR 1/3 c chopped cooked ham
1 c milk OR half-and-half
1/2 c shredded carrots
3 T chopped or slivered almonds
1 1/2 t salt
1/2 t white pepper

In a 3-quart saucepan, melt butter and brown onions and celery.  Stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Blend in broth, bring to a boil and cook 1 minute, whisking smooth, until thickened.  Add the remaining ingredients and heat to a simmer, then serve.

NOTE:  If you want, use 2 12-oz cans of chicken breast, reduce the broth to 2 cups and add the broth from the cans with the broth specified in the recipe.

Chicken with Cream Biscuits (A Non-Trendy Comfort Food Recipe)

This recipe is inspired by a blogger I follow, The Frugal Girl.  I tweaked her version some because I'm lazy (!) and didn't want to make the biscuits for the topping completely from scratch, plus I like to make roux for sauces in the microwave because it's easy to control and doesn't burn.  If you want something more like a biscuit-topped chicken pot pie, you could add a package of frozen peas and carrots with the chicken.

The first time I made this, the biscuits for the topping were a surprise super hit and elicited specific positive comments; they are tender and creamy and delicious.


Chicken with Cream Biscuits

2 c Bisquick baking mix
2 t sugar
1 c heavy cream
6 T butter
1/3 c flour
1 1/2 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c milk
1 T chicken base
1 t salt
1/2 t white pepper
3 c cooked, diced chicken

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together Bisquick, sugar, and cream until completely moistened.  Roll or pat out on a lightly floured surface to about 3/4 inch thick.  Cut into rounds with biscuit cutter or small tumbler.  Let the biscuits rest while making the filling.

[This step can be done either on the stovetop or in the microwave]:  Melt butter, stir in flour, and cook about 1 minute.  Stir in remaining ingredients except chicken.  Bring to a boil, whisking frequently.  Cook until thickened.  Add chicken and bring back to a boil.

Pour chicken and gravy into a buttered or sprayed 2 1/2-quart casserole or baking dish.  Arrange biscuits over the top.  Bake 25-30 minutes, until biscuits are browned and filling is bubbling.  Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

NOTE 1:  Instead of cutting the dough into rounds, you can shape it to fit the dish, covering it edge to edge.  Personally, I like the individual biscuits.

NOTE 2:  If you want to use canned chicken breast, you'll need 3 12-oz cans.  Drain the chicken, reserving the broth to replace some of the broth called for in the recipe.

Quick "Lasagna" (From Mom's Recipe Card File)

I've been browsing my recipe cards, and came across something Mom used to make when I was a kid.  I always loved it, but I'd forgotten about it after learning how to make "real" lasagna.  It's most definitely not even close to real lasagna, but it doesn't have to be real to taste good, right?

Quick "Lasagna"

1 lb  ground beef
14 oz tomato-based pasta sauce
8 oz egg noodles (CHEAPO ones, not the nice thick homemade style ones!)
8 oz cream cheese
1 c cottage cheese
1/2 c sour cream
3 green onions, sliced
2 T bell pepper, chopped (any color you prefer)

Brown ground beef.  Add pasta sauce and heat thoroughly.  While the meat sauce is heating up, cook the noodles as directed on the package, and drain.  In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients, then add the noodles and mix well.

Spray a 3-quart casserole dish with non-stick spray.  Put the noodle mixture in the dish, then top with the meat mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.


I serve this with a salad and dinner rolls.

Deviled Eggs (From Mom's Recipe Card File)

Summer is cookout, pitch-in, and picnic season, and there are certain foods you just kind of expect to see on the table - fried chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, brownies, baked beans, potato salad, watermelon, corn on the cob, and deviled eggs.  Whenever we'd have a family get-together, That Man's sister would make deviled eggs for an army, and The Girl and I would be in hog heaven.

Here's my mom's recipe for deviled eggs (my favorite).  Be sure to measure the wet ingredients.  You don't want the yolk filling mixture too soft - it should be able to hold its shape.  If you're making a large quantity, you can use a stand mixer for mixing the yolk filling.  Even That Man said they were "pretty good" last time I made deviled eggs.  Coming from him, that's high praise, indeed!



Deviled Eggs (1/2 dozen whole eggs)

Notice the mid-1970's
Tupperware - oooooh, vintage!

6 hard cooked eggs
2 T Duke's or Hellman's mayonnaise, or Miracle Whip
1 t vinegar
1 t yellow mustard (you can be fancy schmancy and use Dijon, I guess)
1T sugar
1/4 t salt
1/4 t paprika

Halve the eggs lengthwise, and put the yolks in a bowl.  With a fork, break up the yolks until they are fine and mealy.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Spoon yolk into each egg white cavity, mash down slightly with a fork and sprinkle with additional paprika.


Instead of a spoon, you can fill a cake icing bag with the egg yolk mixture and pipe it into the egg white.  Refrigerate!

Chicken Velvet Soup from L. S. Ayres (A Vintage Non-Trendy Comfort Food Recipe)

The flagship L. S. Ayres department store in Indianapolis closed in 1990.  It was nine floors of shopping Nirvana.  In the basement were a pharmacy, florist, music department, books and magazines, stamps and coins, greeting cards, and the bargains and closeouts from all the other floors.

The first floor had cosmetics, jewelry, accessories, and all the typical "entry" departments.  There were floors for furniture, linens and kitchenware, and clothing - the higher, the more expensive the clothes, until you got to the Crystal Room - WAY out of my price range!

There were beautiful brass and glass elevators, but I like riding the escalators to the eighth floor - the top floor - where there were a Godiva candy kiosk, auditorium, hair salon, and the famous Ayres Tea Room, haunt of "ladies who lunch" and downtown workers.  One of the iconic menu items was the Tea Room's Chicken Velvet Soup.  There's nothing like it.  I've been to plenty of restaurants that list Chicken Velvet Soup on the menu, but when I've ordered it, it's turned out to be plain old cream of chicken soup, sometimes even with vegetables in it - blashphemy!  The real thing has a smooth, creamy, velvety feel on the tongue and a pale golden color.  The Indianapolis Star newspaper published the recipe several years ago, and I finally got around to making it.  Perfection!!!


CHICKEN VELVET SOUP

3/4 c butter
3/4 c flour
1 c warm milk
2 c hot chicken stock
1 c warm cream
4 c chicken stock
1 1/2 c chopped cooked chicken
1/4 t salt
dash white pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan and blend in flour.  Add warm milk, 2 cups of hot chicken stock, and warm cream, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil.  Turn down to let simmer.

Add remained chicken stock and cooked chicken.  Add salt and pepper.  Bring back to a boil, then serve.

NOTE:  I used some shortcuts when I made this recipe, and it came out exactly how I remembered it to be.  Instead of chicken stock, I used chicken broth fortified with chicken base (Tone's or Better Than Broth are good choices).  Instead of cream and milk, I used half-and-half.  I used canned (GASP!) white meat chicken.  And, I did it all in the microwave!  (I halved the recipe.)