In the Kitchen With Sherri Caraballo

These recipes were contributed by Sherri Caraballo, a Burleson resident, and originally appeared in the BurlesonNOW September 2016 issue.

Poor Man’s Beef Stew Casserole
Serves 4-6 people.

• 6 russet potatoes
• 4 cups water
• 1 stick butter
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 onion, chunked
• 1 15-oz. can tomato soup
• 1 15-oz. can Veg-All
• 1 2-inch-thick wedge Velveeta

1. Boil potatoes in water. Drain and mash together with butter. Keep warm in oven.
2. Brown beef with onion; drain. Add soup, Veg-All and cheese. Mix and heat, stirring well.
3. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Turkey Tetrazzini
Serves 4-6 people.

• 1 small pkg. thin spaghetti
• 1 small/medium onion, sliced
• 1/2 stick butter
• 2-3 cups leftover Thanksgiving turkey, shredded
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 3-oz. can sliced mushrooms with juice
• 1 15-oz. can chicken broth
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Place onion and butter in a pan. Sauté 10-15 minutes.
3. Combine spaghetti and onion with remaining ingredients in a large bake-ware dish, stir and cover. Bake at 350 F for one hour.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

• 2 lbs. hamburger
• 1 packet French onion soup mix
• 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1 14.5-oz. can sauerkraut, drained
• 1 12-oz. can whole cranberry sauce
• 12 oz. chili sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water1. To make meatballs: Combine first four ingredients and form into balls
  slightly larger than golf balls. Place meatballs in baking dish.
  2. To make sauce: Combine last five ingredients. Cover meatballs with the sauce. Bake uncovered at 350 F for one hour. Can be served with rice or favorite side dishes.

Snickers Caramel Apple Salad

• 1 5-oz. pkg. vanilla instant pudding
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 12-oz. tub Cool Whip whipped topping
• 6 apples
• 6 regular size Snickers candy bars
• 1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

1. Whisk contents of vanilla pudding packet with milk and Cool Whip until well combined.
2. Chop up apples and Snickers into small bite-sized pieces. Stir into pudding mixture.
3. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with caramel ice cream topping. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Party Punch

• 1 orange
• 1 lemon
• 2 liters 7Up or Sprite
• 1 12-oz. container cranberry juice
• 1 12-oz. container frozen orange juice concentrate
• 1 12-oz. container frozen lemonade concentrate
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1-2 lbs. ice

1. Slice the citrus into rings. Cover and refrigerate.
2. Fifteen minutes before guests arrive, combine next five ingredients in a punch bowl. Stir gently until concentrates are thawed.
3. Place lots of ice into punch bowl. Decorate with citrus rings.

Chicken Cordon Bleu in a Crock-Pot

• 1 lb. bacon
• 6-8 boneless chicken breasts, fresh or frozen 
• 1 small bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 15-oz. cans cream of chicken soup
• 2 cloves garlic or 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste 
• Paprika, to taste
• 4-6 slices provolone cheese
• 6 cups rice, cooked

1. Cook bacon and set aside to cool; crumble.
2. Brown the chicken in bacon grease for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove chicken breasts from the pan; discard grease.
3. In a Crock-Pot, combine green onions with soup and seasonings. Crumble bacon into the mixture; stir well. Set chicken breasts into Crock-Pot. Stir, cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
4. Before serving, place provolone cheese on top until melted. Chicken will fall apart. Serve over rice.

Mom’s Homemade Stuffing
Serves up to 8 people.

• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 lb. mild sausage, browned
• 1 lb. ground sirloin, browned
• 1 to 1 1/2 15-oz. cans chicken broth
• Cracked black pepper, to taste 
• 1 12-oz. bag Pepperidge Farm Cubed Stuffing or dried bread

1. Sauté celery and onion in butter for 10-15 minutes.
2. Put all ingredients in a Crock-Pot and heat on low for 4-6 hours. Check and stir each hour. Add more broth, as necessary, to insure stuffing is moist, but not soggy.