Tuna Tater Pie

Mom probably found this recipe to try out during Lent when there would be no meat on Fridays. This recipe is just like a shepherd's pie, but with tuna. And it is delicious. I was worried that MDS might not like this pie because he can be skeptical of casseroles, but he liked this recipe and even ate leftovers. 

This recipe works well with leftover mashed potatoes, or you could take a shortcut and use instant mashed potatoes. The final step of broiling the dish so that the potatoes brown is very important for the dish. When I made this recipe, I used a standard pie dish. Individual serving size dishes could be used instead.

Tuna Tater Pie

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. grated onion
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire 
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. mustard
• 2 cans tuna, drained
• 10 ounce package frozen mixed veggies, thawed
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 2  cups mashed potatoes

Mix 3/4 cup mayonnaise with next five ingredients. Stir in tuna, veg, and celery. Turn into baking dish. Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir together mashed potatoes with 1/4 cup mayonnaise. Pipe or spoon over the pie. Broil four inches from heat for ten minutes or until light brown. Enjoy!

New England Meat Pie

This meat pie is delicious but does take some time to make because there are a number of steps. If you have some time, this recipe is worth it. I am not sure the origin of this recipe. It has all the common elements of a savory pie--meat and vegetables. 

When I made this recipe, I used a 10x6 loaf pan but the pieces did not stay together. Next time I make this recipe, I might use a 9x9 pan or a classic pie pan. I think that the pieces would stay formed better. Also, when I made this recipe, I used pie dough to form the lattice on top instead of cheese. Also, Mom's recipe calls for cans of tomato sauce with onion, but I just added minced onion to regular tomato sauce.

New England Meat Pie 

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp. minced onion
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 10-ounce package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 1/2 tsp. crushed thyme
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 12-ounce package hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 3 Tbsp. oil
• 5-6 slices American cheese, cut into 1/2 inch strips

Combine beef, 2 tablespoons tomato sauce, egg, bread crumbs, and salt; shape into one-inch meatballs. In a skillet, lightly brown meatballs; drain fat. Stir in rest of tomato sauce, mixed vegetables, thyme, and pepper; simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, press potatoes over bottom of 9x9 baking dish; drizzle with oil and place under broiler until lightly browned. Spoon meatball mixture over potatoes; arrange cheese in lattice pattern on top. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Pizzaburger Loaf

This recipe is a variation on classic meatloaf, with a bit of pizza flair. It is easy to make and easy to eat. Many of the ingredients are pantry staples. Meatloaf is a classic American dish. But these modifications make it a little more pizza-like, combining two great American dishes into one.

This recipe is a nice cold weather meal. The loaf is in the oven for more than an hour and is so comforting to eat fresh from the oven on a cold day. When I made this recipe, I used shredded mozzarella instead of sliced because that is what I had on hand. I also used less salt.

Pizzaburger Loaf 

• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 cup soft bread crumbs
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp. basil
• mozzarella cheese 

Combine onion, tomato paste, and water in a saucepan; simmer for 20 minutes. Mix together beef, egg, bread crumbs, salt, oregano, and basil. Add 1/2 cup prepared sauce and blend well. Form into a loaf and place in a 10x6x2 baking dish. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes. Pour sauce over; arrange cheese on top. Bake 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Greek-style Macaroni Bake

This recipe is a variation of the classic Greek Pastitsio, which is similar to lasagna. This recipe has some preparation involved before it goes into the oven to bake, so it does take a bit of time. But the ingredients are common enough that you might have them around the house ready to use.

Just like Pastitsio, this recipe used cinnamon and nutmeg to create a delicious and unique flavor. I actually used a bit more cinnamon than the recipe calls for because I like the flavor. When I made this recipe, I used a 9x9 pan, but you could easily scale this recipe up just a little bit for use in a 13x10 pan to feed a crowd.

Greek-style Macaroni Bake 

• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 8 ounces elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

Brown beef and onion. Drain fat. Stir in next 3 ingredients. Set aside. Combine mayonnaise and flour; stir into milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thick (do not boil). Beat eggs, cheese and nutmeg. Gradually stir into sauce. Add macaroni. Spoon half macaroni mix into baking dish. Cover with meat mix. Top with remaining macaroni. Bake at 325 for 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Banana Walnut Cake

This recipe comes from my Grandma's recipe collection. When looking to use leftover bananas, I usually think of banana bread. This banana cake is a lighter, less dense variation on banana bread. Due to the difference in the portions of the ingredients, the banana flavors comes through stronger in this cake than in banana bread. I highly recommend giving this recipe a try.

Like many of Grandma's recipes, there are not very clear instructions. I decided to use a 9x9 cake pan, which worked out perfectly. Adjust the baking time to suit the pan used. Also, there is a step to mix the milk with the lemon juice and vanilla, which I believe is a substitute for buttermilk. I just topped this cake with some powdered sugar. MDS thinks a good cream cheese frosting would be nice on this cake. Maybe next time.

Banana Walnut Cake

• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/3 cup flour, sifted
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup mashed bananas

Mix together the shortening, sugar, eggs, and bananas. Blend in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix together the milk, lemon juice, and vanilla. Blend the milk mixture into the batter. Fold in the walnuts. Pour batter into a greased 9x9 cake pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until cake is done. Cool. Enjoy!

Sunburst Pound Cake

I am not sure why this recipe is called Sunburst Pound Cake. This recipe is a somewhat classic pound cake using cream cheese, and it is delicious. Because this cake takes a long time in the oven, it is a great recipe to try on a cold day. The resulting pound cake has a classic taste.

The recipe calls for baking in a bread pan. I decided to make this recipe in a bundt pan because I like the look of the resulting cake. The recipe lists cake flour, but I used all-purpose flour. Cake flour results in a slightly finer texture cake, but all-purpose flour works fine here. Pound cake does not need frosting, so I just sprinkled this cake with powdered sugar. But a nice sugar glaze or any type of frosting would also be delicious.

Sunburst Pound Cake 

• 1/2 pound butter (room temperature)
• 8 ounce cream cheese (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 eggs
• 2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1/2 tsp. double acting baking powder

Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time; beat one minute after each egg. Add flour and baking powder. Blend well. Pour into buttered bread pan. Bake at 350 for 1/2 hour; then lower heat to 300 and continue baking for 1 1/2 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool. Enjoy!

Old-fashioned Blueberry Muffins

When the weather is cold, enjoying fresh baked goods still warm from the oven is such a treat. These muffins certainly hit the spot. I especially liked that this recipe includes orange and cinnamon as flavoring to give these muffins just a slightly different flavor from standard blueberry muffins.

When I made this recipe, I left out the nuts but I think chopped or sliced almonds would be terrific. I did not actually measure the blueberries, but I might have added too many because some muffins had a lot of blueberries sunk to the bottom. For the sugar in the topping, I used turbinado sugar which is a less refined sugar that has a bit more of a caramel flavor.

Old-fashioned Blueberry Muffins 

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp grated orange rind
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 egg
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 2 tsp. sugar 
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Sift together flour, half cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in orange rind. Combine milk, oil, and egg. Add to flour mix, stirring only until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in blueberries and nuts. Spoon into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Combine 2 teaspoons sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of batter. Bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool. Enjoy!