Molded salad with strawberries, pineapple, chopped pecans and sour cream is cool, colorful and delicious. Many readers share with Diane Shelton a recipe that includes bananas among the ingredients.
Marilyn Hobbs and her husband are fond of the hash brown casserole served at Cracker Barrel Restaurants. Bonnie Dreher and Vicki Yurkovich found the recipe on the Internet and note that www.copykat.com offers a number of restaurant recipes.
Carol Souder asked for the recipe for dumplings that are rolled out instead of dropped.
Melissa Myers sent her recipe for homemade chicken and dumplings. Both of Melissa's grandmothers, true Southern ladies from Dover, Tenn., made the delicious dumplings. Melissa shares an equally tasty shortcut.
For: Diane Sheldon of St. Petersburg
From: Alice Janusz of Largo
Recipe: Strawberry Nut Gelatin Salad
Strawberry Nut Gelatin Salad
1 6-ounce package strawberry gelatin
1 cup boiling water
2 10-ounce packages frozen strawberries, thawed
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 8-ounce carton sour cream
Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add next four ingredients. Pour half of mixture into 6-cup mold and chill until set.
When set, spread with sour cream. Top with remaining salad mixture. Refrigerate until firm.
Serves six to eight.
Alice notes that raspberry gelatin and frozen raspberries or lemon gelatin with apples are two variations.
From: Mickey Jones of South Pasadena, Fran Hadley of Homosassa Springs and Cassadaga, N.Y., Joanne Hippo of St. Pete Beach, Marilyn Cochran and Mary Maybee of Dunedin, Catherine Svedberg and Alcena Morrison of Sun City Center, Kay Robers and Butch Clees of St. Petersburg, Betty Gallagher and Joyce LaFalce of Largo, and Judy Fought and Helen Morales of Spring Hill
Recipe: Strawberry-Banana Molded Salad.
Strawberry-Banana Molded Salad
2 small packages strawberry gelatin (or 1 large package)
1 cup boiling water
2 10-ounce packages frozen strawberries, thawed
1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
3 medium bananas, sliced and halved (some mash the bananas)
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts
1 pint sour cream
Combine gelatin and boiling water; mix well to dissolve. Add berries and juice, drained pineapple, bananas and nuts.
Pour half into 8- by 12-inch dish; refrigerate.
When firm, spread with sour cream. Carefully spoon remaining half of gelatin mixture on top. Refrigerate until set.
Mickey adds that this also makes a nice dessert.
For: Marilyn Hobbs of Spring Hill
From: Bonnie Dreher of Floral City and Vicki Yurkovich of St. Petersburg
Recipe: Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Hash Brown Casserole, from www.copykat.com
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Hash Brown Casserole
1 2-pound package frozen hash browns, thawed
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 16-ounce carton sour cream
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
Place potatoes in a greased 9- by 13-inch pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Melt butter in the microwave. In a bowl, combine onion, sour cream, cream of chicken soup and melted butter; mix well.
Pour over potatoes; sprinkle with grated cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until all is completely warm and cheese begins to melt.
Serves 12.
For: Carol Souder of Palm Harbor
From: Melissa Myers of Treasure Island
Recipe: Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
1 3-3 1/2-pound whole chicken (Melissa says that you can use any whole chicken, but she prefers a roaster)
Approximately 2 quarts water (to cover chicken)
2 to 3 stalks celery
1 whole onion
Salt and black pepper to taste (for broth)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
Place chicken, water, celery and onion in large Dutch oven or stock pot. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat. Simmer for approximately one hour. Salt and pepper to taste.
Once chicken is tender and at the "fall off the bone" stage, remove from heat. Remove chicken and let cool. Debone and set aside.
Remove onion and celery; discard.
(Melissa often removes the cooked onion and celery, purees them, then returns the puree to the chicken stock.)
Set meat aside and remove 3/4 cup of the chicken stock. Leave remaining broth in the pan.
For dumplings: Combine flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the reserved 3/4 cup chicken broth; stir with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened.
Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead. Pat the dough until about 1/4-inch thick.
Cut the dough into strips, approximately 4- by 1/2-inch pieces. Sprinkle the pieces with additional flour.
Bring the broth to a boil; gently drop the dough strips one at a time into boiling broth. Stir gently after each addition.
Reduce the heat to low; cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken pieces.
(Be careful not to let the heat get too hot: Dumplings will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. Stir often, but gently.)
Melissa's shortcut: Follow the recipe for the broth and chicken, but then use frozen dumpling strips. She buys them in the freezer section near the bread and bread dough. Melissa was skeptical at first, but found them excellent.
Melissa says that this is a standard potluck dish, and she always brings home an empty pan.
