Cooking Marathon

My friend Missy had mentioned that she needed several meals for her in-laws, who are in poor health and cannot cook for themselves. Missy, the very busy mother of two children, didn't know where she would find the time to cook for them - so I volunteered to test out several of my "save to try" recipes for them. Here is a selection of what I made.

Chicken Pot Pie
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cups diced red potatoes
2 cups diced onion
2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used canned)
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrot
1/4 cup parsley flakes
2 teaspoons thyme
3 Tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (I boiled chicken in broth first for this)
1 cup frozen peas
1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Preheat oven to 375. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the oil, potatoes, onions, mushrooms, celery, carrots, parsley (some rosemary and sage too if you are feeling musical) and thyme. Saute for 5-10 minutes, then reduce the heat to low and sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring.

Stir in the milk and the broth, increase to medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the chicken, peas, salt & pepper.

Spoon the mixture into a casserole dish or individual crock dishes. Roll out the phyllo dough and cover the dish(es). Place the dish on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until top is golden.

Meatloaf
1 pound of ground chuck
1 roll of Jimmy Dean sage sauage
3 eggs
1 cup of italian style breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parsley
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup classico, four cheese pasta sauce

Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix the ingredients together by hand or using a mixer. Form a loaf and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the center reaches 160F.

Parmesan Chicken Risotto
3 Tablespoons olive oil
6 green onions
1 cup risotto rice (arborio)
1 cup dry white wine
1 quart chicken broth
4 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup parsley flakes
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (I used some of the boiled chicken)
(package frozen vegetables, if desired)

In a large (deep) sauce pan, over medium heat, saute the onions in olive oil. Add the rice, cook for 3 minutes, or until you hear a clacking noise (similar to glass beads knocking around). Add the cup of wine and stir until the wine is absorbed. Add the chicken broth one cup at a time, adding the next cup only after the first is absorbed (when you can stir the rice and get a path cleared behind the spoon). Cook until the rice is soft (past al dente) and has a creamy consistency, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove from heat (mixture will thicken slightly) and add the butter, parsley flakes and cheese, then the chopped chicken and frozen vegetables.

Enjoy!