Over the Hill Party Main Courses and Side Dishes
The nibbling is over and now people are ready to chow down. Show ’em you’re prepared with these easy to fix party favorites, complete with fancy Over the Hill names that show you put some real thought into this.
Early Bird Special
(a/k/a Sloppy Joes)
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup water or beef broth
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup ketchup
How to prepare:
Sauté ground beef, onion, pepper, garlic and celery. Stir in water or beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup and flour. Cook uncovered for about 20 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on toasted buns.
Turn up the Thermostat: It’s Chili!
Ingredients:
3 lb ground beef
2 large onions, chopped
3 cans tomato soup
42.5 oz diced tomatoes
2 15.5-oz cans dark red kidney beans
Chili powder
Salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper
Habenero sauce
How to prepare:
Brown ground beef with salt pepper and chopped onion; drain. In crock pot, add beef mixture, tomato soup, tomatoes and remaining ingredients.
Let simmer for 4-6 hrs, then taste. If it doesn’t have enough kick for you, add cayenne pepper or habenero sauce as desired.
Serve with Tostitos chips, cheddar cheese, sour cream and chives. Serves 6-8
Get Off My Lawn!
(a/k/a Green Bean Casserole)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups sour cream
32 ounces style green beans, seasoned
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
How to prepare:
Brown onion in butter, add flour and mix well. Add sour cream and stir until mixed well. Drain water off green beans; put in large bowl. Pour mixture over green beans, add salt and pepper.
Stir. Pour in baking dish; add shredded cheese over top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Exlax Casserole
(a/k/a Mexican Casserole)
Ingredients:
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 diced green pepper
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup sour cream
1 cup small elbow macaroni (uncooked)
1 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoons salt
How to prepare:
Brown sausage, onion and green pepper in a large skillet. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes. Pour into a casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350.
Phonograph Records
(a/k/a/ Thin Crust Pizza)
Follow this recipe very carefully without making any mistakes. Or buy some frozen pizzas and heat them before serving. Or just order some pizzas and have them delivered.
Ingredients:
Dough:
2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 package active dry yeast (or pizza yeast)
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoons of salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sauce:
10 ounces tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoons black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
Topping:
6 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
sliced mushrooms, peppers, onions, anchovies
pepperoni slices
pre-cooked and crumbled ground beef or sausage
garlic and onion powder
salt and pepper
How to prepare:
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Whisk together flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the yeast mixture. Stir dough until it begins to form a ball, then knead until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Brush bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and brush with oil. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise for about 90 minutes. Remove dough and knead lightly for several minutes, dusting with flour. Roll out dough into a 12-13 inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer to a round pizza pan. Cover the pan with a towel and allow crust to rise for 20-30 minutes.
Chop garlic, onions and pepper coarsely. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, herbs, olive oil and seasonings. Spread sauce mixture evenly over the crust. Sprinkle with the grated mozzarella and Parmesan. Arrange optional toppings over the cheese; drizzle or spray very lightly with olive oil.
Bake at 450 for 20-25 minutes.
