CMT News

ALMOND CHICKEN CASSEROLE
8 - 10 chicken breast halves
One 2 1/4-ounce package sliced almonds
One 10 3/4-ounce can cream of celery soup
One 10 3/4-ounce can cream of chicken soup
One 10 3/4-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup celery
3 tubes Ritz crackers crushed
1 1/2 sticks melted butter
Place chicken breasts in a large skillet and add waer to cover. Cook over medium heat until tender. Meanwhile, place the almonds in a shallow pan and toast in a 300 degree oven for 5 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Tip the almonds into a plate and set aside. Drain and cook the chicken and tear into bite sized pieces, Put the chicken in a large bowl and add the three cans of soup, the sour cream and the celery and mix well. Spread the chicken mixture in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Mix the crackers and butter and cover the casserole with the crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

SWEET STEWED TOMATOES
4 cups diced tomatoes
4 T bacon drippings or butter
1 cup diced onions
2 cloves diced garlic, minced
seasoned salt and pepper
3 T sugar
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1 T cornstarch
3 T milk
1/4 cup Parmesan
Heat drippings or butter in a skillet and saute onion and garlic, stirring to prevent burning. Add salt and pepper, and tomatoes;
cover pan and cook over medium-low heat 35 minutes. Add sugar and parsley. Mix cornstarch and milk until smooth. Bring tomatoes to a boil and pour in the cornstarch mixture, stirring slowly. Add Parmesan (if using).

ASPARAGUS CASSEROLE
2 T butter
2T all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Two 15-ounce cans asparagus spears, drained
1 cup grated cheese
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
salt and pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
Heat the butter in a skillet, stir in flour, mixing well, then add milk all at once. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly, until thick and creamy, set aside. Arrange half of the asparagus in the bottom of a buttered 2-quart casserole. Top with half of the cheddar and half the egg slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Pour half of the sauce on top. Repeat the layers beginning with the remaining asparagus. Top with bread crumbs and bake for 30 minutes.

STEWED APPLES
(From Pam Tillis)
4 or 5 Granny Smith apples, peeled amd sliced
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 T butter
1 t vanilla
Put apple slices in a medium saucepan with orange juice, brown sugar, butter and vanilla. Cook over medium heat until tender; about 10 - 20 minutes.

PECAN PIE SQUARES
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick melted butter
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 t vanilla extract
2 cups chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9 x 13 pan. For the crust mix cake mix, butter and 1 egg. Measure out 2/3 cup of this mixture and reserve for the topping. Pat the remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together the reserved crust mixture, the remaining three eggs, the corn syrup, sugar and vanilla. Stir in the pecans. Pour this mixture over the patially baked crust. Increase oven heat to 375 degrees and bake for 30 minutes or until the cake is set. Let cool and cut into bars.