Heinz 57 Casserole

I found this recipe years ago in a magazine or on the bottle of Heinz 57 Sauce. I used to make it on a regular basis but then as things happen....time went by and I forgot how to make it. So I thought surely I could find the recipe online but after hours of searching for it I gave up. One day about a year ago I was browsing thru one of my few cookbooks ( please sense sarcasm here) and there it was. YAY!


1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
! Tbsp. oil
2 cups hot water
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1/4 cup Heinz 57 Sauce
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
dash pepper
4 oz. uncooked elbow macaroni, (about 1 cup)

Brown ground beef and onion in oil. Drain off excess fat. Stir in water and next 5 ingredients. Add macaroni, mix well. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until macaroni is tender.

Winnie's Chicken Cacciatore

Billy Head helped a friend move some furniture last week and they thanked him by fixing dinner for him. He came home and said "You're Italian, right"? I said, "yeah....so" and he said..."then you know how to fix Chicken Cacciatore, right"? "Huh" I uttered. Well, Italian blood is in my veins but I must confess that during my 48 years I have never made Chicken Cacciatore. Thanks to Winnie Schamerhorn and her family recipe.... I have now scored brownie points with my husband and have made him Chicken Cacciatore. Here's the recipe plus my notes:

6 lbs chicken, cut up ( I used a package of breast tenderloins)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 medium onions, chopped (I used 1 onion- only b/c that's all I had, but 2 would be great)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup oil
2 cups water
1 can (16 oz) tomato sauce
6 tablespoons vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar (this sounded like a lot of sugar for me, so I started with approx 2 and I would add from there, if you like things sweet, keep adding until you get it the way you like it)
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons oregano
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

Dredge chicken in flour, salt and pepper and paprika. Saute onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil, remove and set aside. Brown chicken in the remaining oil, using as little as possible, until all pieces are browned. Remove and set aside.

Place tomato sauce and remaining ingredients in pan and blend well. Bring to a boil and add onions and chicken. Simmer 40 minutes to 1 hour covered. Serve over pasta. (I used linguine).

Note: Use red wine vinegar instead of cider for a better taste.

Some good ole baked beans

I've never really followed a recipe when I make baked beans, I just open a can of pork and beans and add a little of this and a little of that.... and they are never anything to write home about. So, I thought outside the box and found a recipe..... what a difference a written recipe makes. (Recipe courtesy of The Shiloh United Methodist Church's Country Cookbook)

Hearty Baked Beans

1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp. mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
2 (No. 2) cans pork and beans
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup drained tomatoes (I used the petite diced tomatoes)
3 to 6 slices bacon

Mix all ingredients, pour into a greased casserole. Bake in 300 degree oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

And you know the rest..... beans, beans, good for the heart..... beans, beans...... lol