Spaghetti Pie

6 oz. Spaghetti (3 cups cooked)

1 lb. fresh sausage or ground beef

2 T. margarine

2 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

½ cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 cup Ricotta cheese

Directions:  Cook spaghetti.  Drain.  Stir margarine in to hot spaghetti, then add eggs 

and Parmesan.  Form spaghetti mixture into a “crust” in a greased, large pie plate.  

Spread Ricotta cheese.

In skillet, brown meat.  Drain fat.  Stir in spaghetti sauce and heat through.  Turn 

meat mixture into spaghetti crust.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  

Sprinkle with Mozzarella; bake until melted, about 5 minutes.

Comment:  Use Ragu thick sauce.  Feel free to add favorites like mushrooms, 

peppers, onions.

Roast Chicken

5-6 lb. roasting chicken

Kosher salt

Pepper

Large bunch fresh thyme, plus 20 sprigs

1 lemon, halved

1 head garlic, cut in half

1 apple, cut in slices

2 T. butter, melted

1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced

4 carrots cut into 2” chunks

1 bulb fennel, tops removed, cut in wedges

Olive oil

Directions:  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  

Remove chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out.  Remove any excess fat 

and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry.  Liberally salt and pepper the inside 

of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and 

all the garlic.  If space, some apple slices as well.  Brush the outside of the chicken 

with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper.

Tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under 

the body of the chicken.  Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan.  Toss 

with salt, pepper and additional thyme sprigs and olive oil.  Spread around bottom of 

the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.

Roast the chicken for 1½ hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a 

leg and thigh.  Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with 

aluminum foil for about 20 minutes.  Slice the chicken and serve.

Comment:

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

½ green pepper, chopped

1 can tomato soup

½ cup ketchup

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Accent (a brand of seasoned salt)

½ tsp. pepper

Directions:  Brown beef.  Add onion and green pepper; cook until tender.  Add soup, 

ketchup, and seasonings.  Simmer uncovered 30 minutes.

Comment:  Grandma Ruth Romer’s classic!  For a kick, add shot of Worchestershire. Elizabeth's favorite birthday meal.

Chicken Parmesan

2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 T. plus ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

½ tsp. basil

½ tsp. dried oregano

¼ tsp. sugar

Salt & Pepper to taste

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved crosswise

½ cup dry bread crumbs

8 oz. spaghetti

½ cup Mozzarella cheese

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:  In a large saucepan, heat garlic and 2T. oil over medium heat until garlic 

starts to sizzle.  Stir in tomatoes, basil, oregano, sugar, pinch of salt, pepper.  Bring 

to a simmer; simmer until sauce thickens a bit and flavors meld, 10-12 minutes.  

Cover and keep warm.

Put chicken pieces between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound until the cutlets are 

about ¼” thick.

Bring 2 quarts of salted water to boil in a large soup kettle.  Preheat boiler.

In a pie pan, beat egg until well blended.  In another pie pan, mix bread crumbs and 

more pepper.  Working one cutlet at a time, dip both sides in egg, then bread crumbs.  

Put cutlets on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet.  (This step helps breading stay 

put.)

Heat remaining oil over medium-high heat in a skillet.  When oil starts to shimmer, 

add cutlets and sauté, cook pasta in boiling water.

Top browned cutlets with portion of cheeses.  Broil cutlets until cheese melts.  Drain 

pasta.  Put a cutlet and a portion of pasta on plate, spoon sauce as desired.  Serve 

with extra Parmesan.

Comment:  Usually up the garlic.  Some people add thyme to taste.

Chilaquiles with Chicken & Green

Chili-Tomatillo Sauce

1 bag of tortilla chips (light and no salt)

3 ½ cups green chili-tomatillo sauce (recipe follows)

1 ½ cups cooked, shredded chicken

1 small onion, cut in slivers

2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese

Sour cream to garnish

Directions:  Grease a 9” x 12” baking dish.  Layer one-third of the chips on the bottom 

of the dish.  Drizzle with some sauce, followed by half of the chicken, half of the onion, 

and a third of the cheese.   Repeat for another layer.  Top with remaining chips, more 

sauce and remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees until golden and bubbly.  Serve with 

sour cream.

Green Chili-Tomatillo Sauce

2 T. vegetable oil 1/3 cup finely chopped onion

2 T. minced garlic ½ cup thinly sliced green onion

1 ½ cups peeled, rinsed, quartered, fresh tomatillos, or Canned & drained

1 ½ cups roasted green chilies, hot or mild

¾ cup chicken broth ½ cup heavy cream

1 T. salt, or to taste Fresh lime juice to taste

Directions:  Heat oil in saucepan and sauté onion for 2 minutes.  Add the garlic, cook 2 

minutes more, stirring occasionally.  Pulse the tomatillos in a food processor until finely 

chopped.   Add to saucepan, tomatillos, chilies, green onions, chicken broth and cream; 

bring to boil and lower heat so the sauce is barely simmering.  Cook for about 40 

minutes.  Season to taste with salt and lime juice.

Comment:  Tomatillos are a green fruit that can usually be found next to the tomatoes.  

The amounts of this dish are somewhat arbitrary.  You may want more chips or cheese 

or chips or onion in your layers.  As it cooks, the chips assume a noodle-like texture.  

It’s a New Mexican lasagna.  Fun recipe Elizabeth and I discovered on our Santa Fe 

Cooking School adventure.