Recipe Alert: Shepherd's Pie with a SPOOKY twist

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 10 min. Bake: 30 min.

MAKES: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef

• 2 cups frozen peas and carrots

• 2 cans (12 ounces each) home-style beef gravy

• 2 cups frozen corn

• 2 teaspoons dried minced onion

• 6 cups mashed potatoes

                  (can use instant)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cook beef over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles and drain.
2. Set aside 16 carrot pieces for eyes; add remaining frozen peas and carrots to pan. Stir in gravy, corn and onion. Spoon into two greased 2-qt. baking dishes or eight greased ovenproof 2-cup baking dishes.
3. Place mashed potatoes in a large resealable plastic bag; cut a 2-in. hole in corner of bag. Pipe ghost-shaped potatoes onto beef mixture; add carrot pieces for eyes. Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes or until heated through. 

Yield: 8 servings.

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

KAMSTUTZ09

Recipe of the Day: Hungarian Chicken Paprikas & Dumplings

Hungarian Chicken Paprikas & Dumplings

Ingredients

3 Tbsp  Vegetable Oil
1 Vadalia Onion, Chopped
1 Whole cut up Chicken, skin in tact
2 Tbsp Sweet Paprika
3 Chicken Bullion Cubes (1 per cup of water added)

Add later to broth:
1 pt Sour Cream
1/2 Pt Water
4 Tbsp Flour
3 Tsp Seasoning Salt

For Dumplings:
4 Eggs
3 Cup Water
6 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Tsp Salt

Directions

• In a large pot place the oil and chopped onion. Cook over medium/high heat until translucent.(you don't want them brown, just tender) 
• Take off heat. 
• Add the Paprika.  Mix it well.
• Put chicken parts in the pot and brown slightly with the onion/paprika mixture.(do it in batches if you have to and add additional oil in small amounts if needed)

NOTE: I buy a whole chicken and cut it up myself. Make sure the chicken pieces you use are whole with the skin in tact. It adds to the flavor.

• Add water to almost cover chicken. Bring to a boil, and add chicken bullion cubes ( a good rule is 1 cube for every one cup of water...just eyeball it. Also add the Seasoning Salt. 
• Cover and simmer for 25 minutes with a regular pot, or about 15-20 minutes with a pressure cooker.
• While the chicken is simmering,Mix the sour cream,water and flour together with a hand mixer or a Kitchen-aid mixer. Whip it very smooth and set aside.
• When the chicken is done,remove the chicken pieces to a colander to cool.
• Slowly add the sour cream mixture a little bit at a time to the broth, stirring constantly to incorporate into the broth.

OPTIONAL: You can de-bone the chicken, or leave the pieces in tack. I spoil everyone and skin and de-bone it and add it back to the sauce.

FOR THE DUMPLINGS:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• In a mixer combine eggs,water and flour and salt. Mix together to form a soupy dough. 
• When water is boiling, scrape the dough into the water a spoonful at a time. This is easier if you dip the spoon onto the boiling water,so the dough will not stick to the spoon. 
• After you scrape the dough into the boiling water, they should cook for about 7 minutes. When they rise to the surface, they are done. 
• Drain and rinse. It makes alot of dumplings! But that is ok, they will be gone in no time!
• Serve up a big helping of dumplings, and pour sauce over them. Serve with the whole chicken pieces, or if you de-bone it, it will be placed in the sauce.

 All of my senses come alive....truly a wonderful comforting food!

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

KAMSTUTZ09