Spaghetti Sauce

1/2 lb bacon chopped
2 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 c. finely chopped onions
1 c. finely chopped green pepper
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 (2 lb 3 oz) cans Italian plum tomatoes
3 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
1 1/2 c. dry red wine (optional)
5 t. oregano
5 t. basil
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 c. chopped parsley (fresh)
2 t. thyme
1 bay leaf, crumbled
2 T. salt
freshly ground pepper

Fry bacon until crisp in a wide six quart sauce pot. Remove bacon and all except 2 T. of fat. Save both bacon and extra fat. Add ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until brown, stirring occasionally. Stir in onion, green pepper and garlic and cook 10 minutes. Add more bacon fat if needed. Mash plum tomatoes with a spoon. Stir the tomatoes and tomato paste, bacon, one cup of wine (optional) 4 t. each of oregano and basil and all remaining ingredients into the sauce, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Taste after and hour of cooking and correct the seasoning, herbs vary and so do personal tastes. If you make the sauce early, cool and refrigerate it until an hour or two before dinner. Let it warm to room temperature before you reheat it. 10-15 minutes before serving, blend in one teaspoon each of oregano and basil and 1/2 cup wine, if you wish. Serve sauce in a tureen and let everyone ladle it out onto plates of spaghetti. Be sure to provide plenty of grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

Part of the success of a sauce depends on what is underneath it. The spaghetti should be cooked al dente, just on the chewy side, which means boiling it 8-10 minutes - drained well and eaten while it is piping hot. Figure 3 lbs. of noodles for 12 people and cook it in plenty of rapidly boiling water. you will Need 2 enormous pots, the 10 qt size if you can get them. One handy trick when you're trying to get a lot of pasta into pots quickly is to float a spoonful of oil in the water. When you stir in the spaghetti the oil will help keep the strands from cooling - cooking in clumps and stop the water from boiling over. "Spaghetti" comes in many sizes, from fine vermicelli to wide linguine, but the thinner the the pasta the easier it is to twist around a fork.

Meatless Spaghetti

6 minced garlic cloves
1 c. chopped celery
1 medium onion, chopped
2 T. cooking oil
6 small zucchini chopped
1 green pepper
1 can sliced ripe olives
4 beef boullion cubes
1 jar sliced mushrooms
1 can diced tomatoes
2 large cans tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) tomato paste
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. grape jelly
2 t. dried basil
2 t. dried oregano
2 t. dried parsley
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 lbs. spaghetti

Serves 14

Saute onion, garlic, celery in oil - add zucchini, green pepper and olives - add remaining ingredients and simmer one hour

Dijon Pot Roast and Vegetables

1 (3 lb) boned chuck roast
3 medium onion (cut into 2 inch edges)
1 1/2 lb. carrots cut into inch pieces
2 bay leaves (I omitted these)
1/2 c. beef broth
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
3 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 t. dried thyme
1 1/2 t. dried parsley
3/4 t. coarsely ground pepper
1/2 t. salt
3 cloves crushed garlic

Place roast in a 5 qt. slow cooker; (browned) add onion, carrots. Pour above ingredients over meat and cover and cook for 8 hours on low heat setting. Remove meat and vegetables to make gravy (3 1/2 T. all purpose flour and 3 T. water)
Serve over cooked wide egg noodles

Chicken Tetrazini

Annie Banana

Boil 1 whole fryer, seasoned with salt, pepper and onion. Cool and debone.

Break and cook until tender 8 oz. spaghetti noodles.

Stir together:
Spaghetti noodles
2 c. cubed chicken
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 c. pimento
1/4 c. green pepper, chopped

Mix together:
1 c. water
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/4 c. cheddar cheese, grated

Mix into noodle mixture. Pour into 9x13 pan. Sprinkle 1/2 c. grated cheese over top.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Basic White Sauce

Heat and stir - that is all there is to it

1,2 or3 WHITE SAUCE BUTTER-BALLS

1 c. cold milk

To make thin white sauce: In a small saucepan, combine 1 WHITE SAUCE BUTTER-BALL and milk. Use wire whisk to crush butter-ball. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture is smooth and slightly thickened. To make medium white sauce: Prepare as above using 2 WHITE SAUCE BUTTER BALLS. To make thick white sauce: Prepare as above using 3 WHITE SAUCE BUTTER-BALLS. Makes about 1 cup.

Variations:
A la King Sauce: Saute 2 tablespoons finely chopped green pepper in 2 teaspoons butter or margarine. Add sauteed green pepper and 2 tablespoons chopped, canned pimento to medium white sauce.
Creamy Rich Sauce: Substitute heavy cream for half of the milk in medium white sauce.
Onion Sauce: Saute 1 thinly sliced large onion in 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine. Add to medium white sauce.
Curry Sauce: add 1 teaspoon curry powder to medium white sauce
Herb Sauce: Add 1 teaspoon crushed dried parsley and 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed dried dill weed to medium white sauce.
Cheese Sauce: add 1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese to medium white sauce. Stir until cheese melts; do not boil.

White Sauce Butter Balls

White sauce make from these butter-balls is smooth and delicious

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 T. salt
1/2 t. t. ground white pepper
2 c. butter or margarine, softened

Line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper; set aside. In a sifter, combine flour, salt and white pepper. Sift into a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream in butter or margarine until smooth. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Place in freezer until butter-balls are frozen. Remove frozin balls from baking sheets. Place in a firm freezer container with a tight fitting lid or in 1 or 2 heavy-duty plastic bags. Label container or plastic bags with date and contents. Return to freezer. Use within 6 months. Makes about 28 WHITE SAUCE BUTTER BALLS.

To use these go here

Stroganoff

1 lb. beef stew, cut up
1 T. butter
2 1/4 c. broth
2 T. ketchup
2 t. minced garlic
1 t. salt
1 c. mushroom
1/2 c. onion
2 c. chopped carrots
3 T whole wheat flour
1 c. plain yogurt
5 c. noodles