Cajun Chicken Cheesy Casserole

This is for my  picky 30 year old son who loves Mac & Cheese and Spicy Chicken. So, I  combined them both to come up with a great new casserole. The grilled Cajun chicken is spicy and two cheeses combined make this a hit, I think my son might even give me 4 stars. This is a great variation of Mac & Cheese and can serve 8 or more.

Cajun Chicken Cheesy Casserole

Recipe and photos by Miss Kate's Cookbook

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

1 10 oz can of cream of chicken soup

1 lb of grated Colby jack cheese  (you can use sharp cheese)

16oz of Velveeta Cheese

3 cups of milk

1/2 cup of sour cream

17 oz of spaghetti noodles

2 Tbs of Cajun seasoning

First, for the Cajun seasoning pick the one that you like the flavor of from your market. Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and toss to coat. Heat your grill or  in a large skillet with olive oil over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken and cut into bit size pieces.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.


In a mixing bowl, combine half of Colby cheese, Velveeta cheese, chicken soup, milk, 2 Tbs of Cajun seasoning, and the sour cream in a glass bowl and microwave for 6 minutes or until cheese is melted.


Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl combine and toss the pasta, chicken, and the bowl of melted cheeses. Pour into a 10 x 13 baking dish. Top with the rest of the Colby cheese, bake for 30 minutes. Remove and let stand for 15 minutes. 
Bon Appetite !


Click here for a printable version of this recipe - Miss Kate's Cookbook

Boilermaker Tailgate Chili



Football season is almost here and my two sons wanted me to make them chili. I remember having parties in the parking lot of Mississippi State University back in 1975. Go Bulldogs! We had chairs, tables, ice coolers, and the tailgates were all down.  So, this isn't southern chili but it's some of the best chili I have made in a long time. There are many of flavors going on in this chili and the combination makes for a mean dish.

 Boilermaker Tailgate Chili
Adapted recipe and photos by Miss Kate's Cookbook
Original Recipe by All Recipes

Ingredients
    2 pounds ground beef chuck
    1 pound bulk Italian sausage
    3 (15 ounce) cans chili beans, drained
    1 (15 ounce) can chili beans in spicy sauce
    2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
    1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
    1 large yellow onion, chopped
    3 stalks celery, chopped
    1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
    1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
    2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
    1 tablespoon bacon bits
    4 cubes beef bouillon
    1/2 cup beer
    1/4 cup chili powder
    1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Heat a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan, and cook until evenly browned. Drain off excess grease.

Pour in the chili beans, spicy chili beans, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the onion, celery, green and red bell peppers, chile peppers, bacon bits, bouillon, and beer. Season with chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, hot pepper sauce, basil, salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, and sugar. Stir to blend, then cover and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

 After 2 hours, taste, and adjust salt, pepper, and more chili powder if necessary. The longer the chili simmers, the better it will taste. Remove from heat and serve, or refrigerate, and serve the next day.

To serve, ladle into bowls, and top with sour cream and shredded Cheddar cheese. Bon Appetite !

The salad is spinach, purple seedless grapes, and cantaloupe in Kraft's Raspberry Vinaigrette.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe  - Miss Kate's Cookbook

Southern Style Ambrosia



One of my favorite desserts that my Grandmother made was Ambrosia. We always had it every Christmas, but she would make it in the summer as a special treat. Eating Ambrosia is like stepping make in time, like being in the Old South, sitting in a wicker rocker on a large front porch and as you rocked your chair back and forth, you could here the squeaking of the old boards of the front porch. The taste of the oranges and the pineapple delights your taste buds. The cherries give you a burst of sweetness and the coconut and pecans make it resistible.

Southern Style Ambrosia 
Recipe by Kate Koestler (Mamaw) and photos by Miss Kate's Cookbook

6 cups halve orange sections, seeds and membranes removed
3 cups pineapple (fresh is best but can works also)
3 cups coconut shredded
1 1/2 cups maraschino cherries, halved, drained, and rinsed
3/4 cups of pecans, chopped
--powder sugar to taste (depends on how sweet you like it)

Combined all the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Make sure you drain and rinse the cherries, so they don't turn the Ambrosia red.

Above is a picture of how the oranges should be cut up. With no seeds or membranes. Also make sure you place the oranges in a collander to drain the juices till you mix all the ingredients. Do not worry it will make its own juice once you mix everything.
Now, chill it for at least 6 hours. Bon Appetit !

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - Miss Kate's Cookbook