Freezing Corn / Canning Corn

 I don't remember Mom canning corn. I remember getting corn out of the freezer, they'd be on the door of the upright freezer in those white cardboard canning boxes.

My Version of Canned Rotel

I used frozen tomatoes that had been in the freezer for a few years. I thawed them in the oven in multiple pots while I cut the peppers and onions and got the jars ready. 

For the peppers, I used about a pound of jalepenos, the rest were mainly orange peppers with a few red and yellow. 

I used two medium sized onions as I didn't think there was enough. 

After it had simmered and I was ready to jar it up, I scooped four scoops of the veggies in each pint jar, then I added enough of the liquid to have a one inch head space. 

That left amount of mostly just liquids left. I pureed that and added that in separate jars to make juice. When the juice jars came out of the waterbath, the liquid had separated. I waited until the jars had coold and shook them so that it was mixed well again. 

I plan on using the juice for macaroni beef saute or something similar.

The recipe and pictures are from The Homemade Mess Facebook post from 8/28/26

I haven't used the canned Rotel yet, so I can't report on whether I want to use it again. I will have to try it soon though because there are more tomatoes I'm going to have to can.

Pasty Crust

 1 cup boiling water

1 cup vegetable shortening

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

Combine boiling water and shortening, stir until shortening metals. Cool for several hours until shortening hardens on top. Add flour & salt, mix with fork. Divide into 10-12 pieces. Roll each out and add filling.  Top filling with one teaspoon of margarine and seal edges. Make a slit on the top to let steam escape. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Calico Beans

1 pound ground beef, browned

1/2 pound bacon, cooked and cut up into small pieces

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cup ketchup

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vinegar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons salt

5 16 ounce cans of beans, drained (butter, kidney, lima, pork & beans, etc)

Mix all ingredients together in either a crock pot (if cooking it that way) or a large bowl (if canning is the process you are using)

If cooking in crock pot, use high heat for a couple hours until the onions are cooked and flavors are well blended.

If canning pressure, use meat times.

If water bath canning, process three hours.

Note: The beans taste better the next day after the flavors have been able to blend, so I usually can the beans. 

Jalepeno Cheddar Bread

Place ingredients in machine in this order

1 cup lukewarm water

1 small can chopped jalapenos w/ juice

4 ounces cubed chopped sharp cheddar cheese

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tablespoons gluten

1 1/2 tablespoons cubed margarine

1 1/2 tablespoons powdered milk

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Set bread machine at 1 1/2  pound loaf and let machine do it's magic.

Hamburger Steaks & Gravy

 

For the Hamburger Steak Patties

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

• One 2.5 ounce package real bacon bits 

• 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt (must be seasoned salt) 

• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef

• 1 large onion  very finely diced

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoons fresh black pepper

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 cup all purpose flour

For the Brown Onion Mushroom Gravy:

• 1 large onion chopped

• 1 cup of beef broth

• 1 cup of water

• 1/4 cup of all purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

• 1 Tablespoon Kitchen Bouquet browning & seasoning sauce

• 2 cups of freshly sliced mushrooms

Instructions

In a Large bowl combine all the patty ingredients EXCEPT for the flour and olive oil & mix well. Shape into 4 to 6 hamburger patties - all the same size. In your flour you set aside, dip each patty so both sides are well coated. In a large- semi-deep cooking skillet, on medium heat heat the olive oil and place each of the patties in the pan. 

Cook until browned on both sides, remove and set aside--reserving all the pan drippings for the gravy. In the pan with the drippings, add in the sliced onions to the skillet, add a tablespoon of water, and cook over medium heat until lightly caramelized, stirring frequently. 

In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the beef broth, water, 1/4 cup of flour, seasoning salt, pepper, Worcestershire and gravy master,until well combined. Pour this mixture into the skillet with the onions and stir constantly, until mixture begins to thicken. Return your cooked hamburger steaks to the skillet, flipping a few times to coat each side with the gravy, you want to make sure they absorb the gravy on each side. Add in your sliced mushrooms, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook, covered, for about 20 minutes longer being sure to flip them every 5 minutes to keep them coated well..

Please note this is MY version of the original recipe found here: https://myincrediblerecipes.com/southern-hamburger-steaks-with-onion-mushroom-gravy/

Bonnie's Chicken & Rice Casserole

 I remember Mom making this for when we’d have the speaker over after the meeting on Sundays. We’d come home from the Kingdom Hall and the house would smell so good. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Salt and pepper three pounds of cut up chicken. 

Dust with flour.

Fry in oil.

In a roaster pan combine:

• 1 cup uncooked rice

• 1 envelope onion soup mix

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup

• 2 cans water

Mix well, lay fried chicken pieces in mixture. 

Cover the roaster pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the rice is done & chicken is tender.