Grilled Sandwiches

Combining grilled cheese and a basic sandwich

bread
butter
cheese
lunchmeat
condiments and vegetables

Heat griddle or flat pan over medium. Butter one side of each slice of bread (use 2 slices per sandwich). When pan is hot, place bread (butter side down) on pan and place cheese on half the bread. When cheese begins to melt, heat meat on griddle and add to sandwich on top of cheese. When bread is toasted as desired, move sandwiches to plates, leaving open faced. Add condiments and vegetables on empty side of bread. Close sandwiches, cut, and serve.

This recipe is totally customizable. I like ham and cheddar on wheat bread with mustard, lettuce, pickles, and tomatoes. Aaron likes his without the vegetables (maybe a few pickles on the side). Zeke likes his cold so he can disassemble it to eat it. :)

Beef, Tomato, and Macaroni Soup

Loertscher re-creation of the Dairy Keen's classic - fondly known simply as 'Dairy Keen soup'

1 can tomato juice (12 oz)
1 can V8 juice (12 oz) - we use the spicy hot flavor
1/3 lb hamburger
worcestershire sauce
tabasco
penné pasta
parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Brown hamburger and combine with vegetable juices in medium pot. Add worcestershire sauce and tabasco to taste. Heat soup until hot.
Place pasta in bowls, spoon soup over the top, and top with cheese.

Serves 2-3.

Chicken Noodle Soup

a classic

4 chicken breasts or thighs
chicken bullion (enough for 6 cups broth)
egg noodles (8 oz or 4 large handfuls)
1 medium carrot
3 stalks celery

Place chicken in soup pot and add 8 cups water. Turn heat to high. While water is heating, chop carrots and celery and add to pot. Stir occasionally. When water boils, reduce heat but keep at a low boil. Add noodles. Chicken should be cooked through at this point; remove from pot and let cool slightly. Add bullion and stir until dissolved. Chop chicken into bite size pieces and return to soup. Cook until noodles are nearly done, then turn off heat and let cool to a comfortable eating temperature.

Serves 4 generously.

Shepherd's Pie

Mom Carlile makes this receipe. I've seen others that use tomato sauce or tomato soup and they just don't appeal to me like the cream of mushroom soup does.

.5 lb ground beef
1 can green beans (not French cut)
1 can mushrooms
onion to taste
1 small can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups mashed potatoes (instant or real)
shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef with onion. Place in an 8x8 pan. Mix in cream of mushroom soup. Layer green beans and mushrooms on top. Cover with potatoes, and top potatoes with cheese. Bake at 350 °F for 20 minutes or until soup is bubbling.

Serves 3-4.

French Bread Pizza

My mom tried this a while back, and I revived it recently when I wanted quick pizza. A few weeks ago, Aaron perfected it.

1 loaf French bread
1/2 jar pizza sauce (about 1 cup)
8 oz shredded mozzerella cheese

pizza toppings, such as:
ham
pepperoni
olives
mushrooms (cook fresh ones on the stove first)
green pepper
pineapple
...

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Cut bread in half lengthwise and place on a cookie sheet. Spread with sauce and cook for 5 minutes. Add toppings and cheese, and bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbling. Let cool for 3-4 minutes before slicing.

Serves 4-6.

Chicken Stuffing Casserole

Another Loertscher family recipe. Also a good use of Thanksgiving leftovers.

1 c shredded or chopped cooked chicken
1 package chicken stuffing
1 c chicken gravy

Prepare stuffing according to package directions. Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray and layer half the stuffing in the bottom. Top with half the chicken and half the gravy. Repeat layers and bake for 30 minutes at 350 °F.

Serves 2-3.

Easy Chili

Another easy Loertscher recipe. I don't know the origin. Great for potlucks or large family gatherings.

½ lb hamburger
2 cans kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
½ onion, chopped
½ c ketchup
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Brown hamburger with onion. Add to large pot or slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients plus as much water as needed. Mix well. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes on the stove or several hours in the slow cooker.

Serves 4.

Ham Fried Rice

Aaron taught me how to make this Loertscher family favorite.

rice
1 green pepper
1/4 onion
1/2 lb ham
soy sauce
3-4 eggs

Cook enough rice to make 4 cups. While rice is cooking, dice pepper, onion, and ham and place in a wok or large skillet. When rice has only 5-10 minutes of cooking time remaining, cook ham and vegetables with soy sauce until vegetables soften. Move ham and vegetables to the side and add eggs one a time, breaking the yolk and stirring to cook scrambled. Mix eggs with ham, turn off the heat, and add rice. Mix together, adding soy sauce to taste.

Serves 4.

Tuna Casserole

I think of college when I think of tuna casserole - probably because we ate a lot of it one semester when we weren't working!

1 can (6 oz) tuna
1 package (8 oz) egg noodles
1 can (10 oz) cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c milk
1/2 c shredded cheese

Boil water and cook egg noodles according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, open and drain the tuna and open the soup. Drain pasta and add tuna and soup to the hot (now empty) pot. Stir to combine. Add milk and half the cheese and stir until well combined. Return the hot pasta to the pot and mix to coat pasta with the sauce. Mix in the rest of the cheese.

Serves 2-3. To stretch it, add more noodles, milk, and cheese.