Aunt Laura’s American Chop Suey

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

1 tablespoon Olive Oil     

1 lb. Hamburger

1 Onion, chopped

1 green Pepper, minced

2 ribs Celery, chopped

1 long hot Pepper, diced with seeds removed

3 cloves Garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 Bay Leaf

1 dash Allspice

1 sprinkle Bell Seasoning 

1 teaspoon red hot chopped Pepper (found in Ethnic food aisle)

1 can whole Tomatoes     

2 (8 ounce) cans Tomato Sauce   

1 lb. elbow macaroni, or any short Pasta

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add Olive Oil. Saute onion, green pepper, celery, hot pepper, and garlic. Add chili powder, bay leaf, allspice, bell seasoning, red chopped pepper, salt and pepper to taste and saute until vegetables are tender. 

Add hamburger and brown, then add whole tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer for 1/2 hour. 

Cook pasta and drain, then add to sauce mix. Stir well and serve!

Submitted By: Donna Richard, EMT-Paramedic

Massachusetts, USA

Dave's Chicken Parmesan...with a twist!

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

1 lb. Spaghetti (or pasta noodles of choice)

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 lb. 10 ounces Red Spaghetti Sauce

12 ounces Tomato Paste

0.75 lb. ground Linguica

8 slices Provolone Cheese

Crushed Bread Crumbs

Parmesan Cheese, for topping

Seasonings: Garlic Powder, Onion powder, Black Pepper, Crushed red pepper, Italian Seasoning

 Pre heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Coat chicken breasts in bread crumbs. Place in oven for 1 hour (Flip chicken over to cook thoroughly 30 minutes into cook time).

Pour red spaghetti sauce into a sauce pan on high heat. Mix tomato paste into sauce.

Fry the ground linguica in a pan for approximately 5 to 8 minutes. Stir linguica into the red sauce. Add seasonings into red sauce to the liking of your taste.

Cook sauce stirring on high heat for approximately 20 minutes, then bring to a low heat to simmer, and stir as needed.  Remaining cook time for sauce is approximately 20 minutes

Bring a pot of water to boil & add in your spaghetti noodles.  Leave spaghetti boiling for approx. 11 to 13 minutes. Stir often as to not allow spaghetti to stick together.

Once chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove heat from oven leaving chicken in the oven, at this time, you can cover chicken with 2 slices of provolone cheese each, allowing for the cheese to melt over top of the chicken to your desire.

Once spaghetti is boiled, remove & strain in a colander. Remember to rinse the spaghetti in hot water through colander to remove excess starch, and allow to drain.

Place spaghetti on a dish. Lay chicken over the bed of spaghetti, cover with sauce to your liking and enjoy!!

Don't forget parmesan cheese, additional crushed red pepper, and garlic bread.

NOTE: You can use fresh garlic, onions, & green peppers to blend into your sauce in place of seasonings... It's up to you & your taste buds.

Submitted By: David Gordon, EMT-Paramedic/Firefighter

Massachusetts, USA

Nanny’s Nanner Bread

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

1 1/2 cup Oil

2 1/2 cups Sugar

3 Eggs

3 cups Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda 

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 teaspoon Salt

6 tablespoons Buttermilk (buttermilk can be substituted with 2 tablespoons vinegar and 4 tabespoons regular milk)

3 large Bananas - mashed (its best to let bananas sit for 2-3 days from the time they're purchased until the skins start to turn brown before mashing them.)

Nuts can be added, but use no more than 1 cup per batch

 **This recipe will produce 2 loaves**

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Obtain and grease 2 loaf pans.

In a large mixing bowl, add oil, sugar, eggs, flour, baking soda, vanilla, salt, buttermilk and nuts, if using and mix until incorporated. 

Mash bananas VERY well. Use a mixer to mix bananas into bowl with other ingredients, as the mixture will be rather thick. Blend until consistency is thick, but somewhat runny.

Divide mixture evenly between 2 loaf pans and cook in oven for 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean after being inserted into middle of loaf.

Submitted By: Rebecca Hill, EMT

Ohio, USA

Norma's Un-Canny Rice Casserole

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

2 cans French Onion Soup

2 cans Beef Consomme

2 Cups Uncle Ben’s long grain converted Rice

1 stick Butter or Margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

In a 9x12 baking dish, add rice then pour the 4 cans of soup over rice. Cut butter into squares and spread evenly over rice mixture. Cook uncovered for 1 hour, or until rice is done. 

That’s it! People ask for this rice dish again and again! 

Submitted By: Norma Cottuli

Massachusetts, USA

Wendy’s Tipsy Holiday Sauce

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

1 box Powdered Sugar (Confectionery Sugar)

1 Stick softened butter

1 tsp. - 1 Tbsp. Vanilla

*optional Brandy or Whiskey in place of Vanilla 

In mixing bowl combine powdered sugar and butter, adding butter slowly until combination is firm but smooth.  Add Vanilla, or Brandy/Whiskey, to taste.

Can refrigerate for later use

Suggested use: Serve on desserts such as pies, cakes, etc.

Submitted By: Wendy St. Pierre, EMT-P Intern

Massachusetts, USA

Larry's FUBAR Potato Cakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

8 cups Mashed Potatoes

1 Egg, beaten

1 cup Sour Cream

1 1/2 cup shredded Cheese (cheddar is fine)

3 cups Panko Bread Crumbs (one cup to coat)

1/2 Onion, chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional: 1 Cup of the meat of your choice, cooked: Bacon, Ham, Ground Meat, etc

 After you prepare the mashed potatoes, in a mixing bowl add panko, meat, onions, salt, pepper and blend together good.  Form "cakes" with the mixture then coat the potato cakes by rolling them around the remaining panko.

Fry at 350 until golden brown with a nice crispy exterior, or can bake at 350 until browned.  

NOTE: If you do fry, like my local New Orleans chef, friend, and mentor Emeril Lagasse says: "when you fry, fry right or dont fry at all..." Most of us southerners can fry good and healthy!!  Frying doesn’t have to mean unhealthy anymore!!

Submitted By: Lawrence L. Lambert, EMT

Louisiana, USA

Guacamole

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

2 large cloves fresh Garlic, minced

2 ripe Hoss Avocados

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

1/4 teaspoon Paprika

1/4 teaspoon Cumin

1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder

1.5 tablespoons fresh Lime juice (approx 1/2 lime)

Cut avocado in half lengthwise and remove pit. Using a spoon, scoop out avocado into a small mixing bowl. Add minced garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, chili powder, and lime juice and mash with a fork until desired consistency. Serve immediately. 

Note: Make guacamole in small amounts, it will turn brown within 2 hours and does not store well. An extra squeeze of lime juice over the surface with delay browning process. 

Submitted By: John Harrell, EMT-Paramedic

Massachusetts, USA