Aunt Suzie's Oh So Good Cake

Cake:
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
1 (17-oz) can fruit cocktail
2 slightly beaten eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup pecans

Glaze:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 stick butter
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350^F.  Grease and flour a 9x13" pan.

Stir the sugar and flour together in a large bowl.  Add the fruit cocktail (juice and all) and the eggs and beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.  Pour into the prepared pan.

Combine the brown sugar, coconut and pecans.  Sprinkled over cake batter.

Bake at 350^ for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Meanwhile, in a small pan, combine the sugar, evaporated milk, and butter.  Bring to a boil and cook about 4 minutes or until it thickens.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla until well mixed.

Remove the cake from the oven, and while still hot, pour the glaze over the cake.

Cool completely and serve.

This cake brings back so many happy memories of our summers in Jacksonville.  We'd spend the mornings at the beach, then, after a nap!, we'd play in the yard late in the afternoon while Daddy and Uncle Gene manned the grill.  Mom and Aunt Suzie would make the rest of our dinner in the kitchen and start the ice cream which we kids would take turns churning!

I called Aunt Suzie in 1977 for this recipe.  I wrote it on the back of a receipt from Lake Gas Co, which also brings back great memories.  Grandpa worked there for so long and he and Granny lived right on the property.  I spent so much time with them when I was growing up.

Granny's Cream of Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

1 can Campbell's Tomato Soup
Milk
4 slices Bread
2 slices Kraft American Cheese
Butter

Open the Campbell's soup and spoon it into a small pot.  Fill the empty soup can with milk.  Whole milk - not Skim!  Stir well.  Set the pot over medium-high heat and, stirring occasionally, warm it until it's just about to boil.

Meanwhile, unwrap the cheese slices and place each one between 2 slices of bread.  Melt a little butter on a griddle over medium-high heat.  Place the sandwiches in the melted butter and cook until the bottom side is golden brown.  Flip and cook until that side is toasty.

Now, pour your hot, creamy Tomato Soup into bowls and top each with a pat of butter.  Cut the sandwiches into 4 triangles each and serve with the soup.  A perfect lunch for 2!

There are definitely better tomato soups than Campbell's and I've made Tomato Soup from scratch that was awesome.  But only Campbell's will do for this meal.  It's the way Granny made it.  Also, the sandwiches must be cut into 4 small triangles.  This is comfort food!

Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can cream of chicken with herbs soup

4 soup cans water

32 oz carton chicken broth

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

3/4 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cups diced, cooked chicken

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

16 oz pkg wide egg noodles

1/2 cup sour cream

Combine both cans of soup, water, broth, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, pepper, chicken and vegetables in a stockpot. Stir well and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until just done. Stir in sour cream until well combined and serve hot!

Adapted from a recipe @ Taste of Home.

Cathy's Macaroni and Cheese

I may be biased, but my family's recipe for Macaroni and Cheese is the BEST Mac and Cheese I have ever eaten. Period.

Macaroni and Cheese

16-oz box elbow macaroni
Cheese, shredded - lots of it
Butter, 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Milk or Half and Half, or a combination
Garlic Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Cook the macaroni in boiling, salted water as directed on the package to al dente (or the minimum amount of time listed in the cooking instructions).

Butter a casserole dish or a 9x13" pan and leave the rest of the butter in the pan, cut in chunks. Drain the macaroni and pour into the buttered pan. Season to taste with the garlic salt and pepper. 

Stir in the cheese. You must use at least 2 cups of shredded cheddar. We always throw in a couple of handfuls of whatever other kind of cheese we have on hand. Do NOT skimp on the cheese!  Here's what it should look like.  This is about 2 cups of shredded Velveeta and 2 cups of shredded Sharp Cheddar. 

Stir the cheese into the macaroni and level it out.

Pour in enough milk to come to the top of the macaroni. 

 Now, stir it around and level it out again. The milk should be just under the top layer of elbows.  Like this:

Bake about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let set 5 to 10 minutes before serving.  

This is excellent as is, or you can add cubes of just about any kind of cooked meat - smoked sausage and ham cubes are my favorites.  Or bacon.  Bacon is always good!  

Delicious!

Note:  I used Shredded Velveeta in this batch and I didn't like it as much.  It was good...but it tasted like Velveeta.  John liked it.  I prefer real cheese and preferably a combination of mild and sharp Cheddar plus a little shredded Swiss or Jack.  

Hurry Up Turkey Pot Pie

2 cups chopped cooked turkey breast
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups Bisquick
1 cup milk
4 Tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 350^F. Place the turkey and peas & carrots in a greased 2-quart casserole. Combine the soup, chicken broth and thyme in a small bowl until well mixed. Add salt and pepper if desired. Pour over the turkey. Stir together the Bisquick and milk and pour it gently over the turkey mixture. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

This was quick to make and tasted really good. Classic comfort food!  Adapted from Paula Deen's Hurry Up Chicken Pot Pie.