Marguerites Cookbook

A cooking blog all about making vintage recipes from a cookbook we inherited from our grandmother

Chicken in Rice

chickeninriceheader

Chicken dishes were some of the most plentiful recipes that graced the table during family dinners at Marguerite’s house in my life time. They were most frequently casseroles or plain baked chicken, but Marguerite did lots of chicken recipes. While I don’t remember this chicken in rice recipe from any Sunday dinners with her, I would have enjoyed it a lot.

Chicken in Rice

Here’s what Marguerite had to say:

Chicken in Rice recipe

Now there was one thing that did confuse me in this recipe: minute rice. I asked my mom, and found out that Minute Rice was a brand of quick cook rice. Turns out it does still exist, but I decided to go with a 90 second microwave option of another brand instead. Mixing all the ingredients was very simple and this was a very easy recipe to prepare. This was the second recipe where I’ve browned chicken before baking it (the first was the Chicken and Mushrooms recipe). I really like the way the chicken looks and turns out.

Chicken in Rice

I did end up baking this recipe for the entire 40 minutes because I felt that the rice mixture was still too watery after the first 30. I wasn’t sure I was happy after the 40 either, but I was already afraid I had over baked the chicken. After it cooled a bit out of the oven, the mixture thickened and it looked better. I did feel the chicken got a little dry, but it was still tasty. We both like this chicken in rice recipe alright. Shannon felt it was a little too similar to a casserole, but still liked it okay. I enjoyed some of the flavors in the rice mixture. I couldn’t tell exactly which ones I liked the most, but I think it was some of the flavors from the condensed soup. In the end, I do think my favorite part of this recipe is its simplicity. So if you are looking for a quick and simple chicken recipe for dinner, give this one a try!

Chicken in Rice

Chicken in Rice
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
30-40 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
30-40 minutes
Chicken in Rice
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
30-40 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 10 minutes
Cook Time
30-40 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Mix all ingredients together other than the chicken.
  3. Brown chicken in butter.
  4. Place rice mixture in baking dish. Place chicken in rice.
  5. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes.
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Hot Sausage Sandwiches

sausagesandwichesheader

Summer is just around the corner and so is hot dog cookout season. Okay, so that is a cruel lie since we are still in the dead of winter. But today we have a relative of the hot dog that is a good sandwich for this time of year. Marguerite’s teaching friend Marvelle’s Hot Sausage Sandwiches are a simple and easy meal that don’t take much work but are pretty darn tasty.

Hot Sausage Sandwiches

Here’s what Marguerite (and Marvelle) had to say:

Hot Sausage Sandwich Recipe

I love the details like specifically where to get the meat! Unfortunately, we’re at least 500 miles and some 50-60 years removed from the Mall Butcher Block, whatever that means. Maybe that’s a bigger deal than I thought, since I couldn’t find “sweet” sausage. I went for some fresh mild Italian sausage instead.

Hot Sausage Sandwich

This recipe was extremely simple having only four ingredients, not including water. I was able to quickly and easily chop up the veggies and get everything into the pot to simmer. Since I started by chopping the vegetables I also decided to toss them in the pot first. That was a mistake, because then I wanted to put the partially fried sausages closer to the bottom, and had to do quite a bit of shuffling of veggies to make it happen.  After that, the simmering went smoothly and cooking was underway.

Hot Sausage Sandwiches

I made sure to get good sandwich rolls, since I figured an Italian sausage covered in peppers and onions would require a hearty roll. Remember that time I didn’t listen to Marguerite’s advice and got cheap buns for our Pittsburgh Ham Barbecue Sandwiches? Well, lesson learned. Don’t these just look great in those buns?

Hot Sausage Sandwich

Now I’m not a huge fan of spicy things, so meals like hot sausage sandwiches don’t always sound appealing to me. However, since I used mild sausage it wasn’t too bad. I thought that the flavor of the meat turned out nice with the inclusion of the tomato paste being a nice addition. I also really like use of peppers and onions, which Marguerite does in quite a few different recipes. Overall, these hot sausage sandwiches were a success and a nice hearty but simple sandwich.

Hot Sausage Sandwich

Hot Sausage Sandwiches
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 sandwiches 20 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
4 sandwiches 20 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Hot Sausage Sandwiches
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 sandwiches 20 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Servings Prep Time
4 sandwiches 20 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Ingredients
Servings: sandwiches
Instructions
  1. Cut up green peppers and onions.
  2. Cut sausages into serving sized pieces if necessary. Fry to remove grease.
  3. Put sausages in a heavy pan and add the onion, peppers, tomato paste, and one can of water.
  4. Cover and simmer two hours.
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Spaghetti Sauce

spaghetti sauce header

Happy New Year from Marguerite’s Cookbook! Aaron here, and starting now on Marguerite’s cookbook, I will be writing the posts.  We decided that since Marguerite was my grandmother and Shannon consulted with me quite a bit when writing posts this past year, it would make more sense if they came from my perspective. And now, on to our first post of 2017!

spaghetti sauce

With the cold of winter all around us, now is a good time to have simple meals that can keep you warm. What could be better than a nice homemade spaghetti sauce? Marguerite’s spaghetti sauce is very simple with only a few basic ingredients, making it a perfect easy sauce recipe.

Here’s what Marguerite had to say:

spaghetti sauce recipe

We decided to skip the mushrooms in this sauce, because, not everything needs mushrooms. In typical Marguerite fashion, we were missing some information. Such as: how many ounces were the standard cans of ingredients back in her day?We turned again to my mom to ask what the typical can sizes would have been at the time. She distinctly remembered Marguerite using the small 6 0z cans of tomato paste. So with all my questions answered, it was time to make some sauce. While making this we totally couldn’t stop saying “sauce” in very bad long-island accents.

spaghetti meat sauce

As I mentioned before, this recipe has very few ingredients. Even though the spaghetti sauce has to simmer for quite a while, it was nice to only need about ten minutes of prep before this recipe was cooking on its own. Checking on it now and then, plus making sure to stir it occasionally, the three hours went by smoothly and at the end we had an easily made sauce. After cooking up some spaghetti (appropriate) to go with our sauce, it was time to try it out.

meat spaghetti sauce

The theme of this sauce was simple and that is also how it tasted. I really mean simple in a good way, in that there weren’t too many flavors crammed into this. I thought it was very tasty and I enjoyed it, but I also felt it was just a little too thin. Shannon thought it was delicious and it reminded her of her Italian grandmother’s homemade spaghetti sauce a bit as well. All in all, a great homemade spaghetti sauce!

meat sauce

Spaghetti Sauce
Print Recipe
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Spaghetti Sauce
Print Recipe
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
3 hours
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Brown ground beef with onion in a skillet.
  2. Combine tomato paste, spaghetti sauce, garlic, and 5 cans of water in a large saucepan. Add ground beef to mixture, and use final 6 oz can of water to rinse skillet.
  3. Simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
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Hot Christmas Punch

hot christmas punch header

I don’t know about you, but one of the things I enjoy about the holidays is curling up by the fire during these colder months. This week we made a hot Christmas punch recipe that is a perfect addition to that relaxing time on these cold December nights. Making this recipe made our whole place smell like the holidays!

Hot Christmas Punch

Here’s what Marguerite had to say:

hot christmas punch recipe

This recipe is full of many Christmas-time smells, such as cinnamon, that made for an enjoyable afternoon preparing this punch. One thing that did seem to be missing from Marguerite’s description was something to boil all those spices in, so we decided on a cup of water. The only time consuming part of this recipe was grating the peels of the orange and the lemon. After that, this hot Christmas punch was a snap!

Hot Holiday Punch

Aaron and I both really enjoyed this drink! Marguerite suggested either apple juice or apple cider in her original recipe, and Aaron decided he wanted to use apple juice and let the spices we were adding be the main flavor additions to this recipe. That was a good idea and the flavor turned out perfectly. It turned out like a “spicy” hot apple cider. We found the hot Christmas punch to be a tasty treat and may even consider making it for a party around Christmastime.

Hot Christmas Punch Drink

So this holiday season, if you’re looking for a warm beverage on a cool night, or for something to put you in the holiday spirit while decorating or wrapping presents, then this hot Christmas punch could hit the spot!

Hot Christmas Punch
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
10-12 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
10-12 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Hot Christmas Punch
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
10-12 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Servings Prep Time
10-12 10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Boil allspice, cinnamon sticks, cloves, peel, and bay leaf in one cup of water. At the same time, heat the juices and brown sugar in a large pot.
  2. Once the spices boil, strain water into juices. Heat punch until warm. Serve.
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Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie Header

What pie would be better to make as we approach Thanksgiving, than a classic homemade pumpkin pie?! Nothing quite beats a well executed pumpkin pie, and we were able to do just that. Of course, we used Marguerite’s perfect pie crust to go with this timeless pie.

Here’s what Marguerite had to say:

mother's pumpkin pie recipe

As you can see, this recipe is titled Mother’s pumpkin pie. That would be Marguerite’s mother, or Aaron’s great grandmother,  Allen. One of the best stories from Aaron’s mom regarding this pumpkin pie recipe is that she remembers Marguerite pouring the milk for this recipe straight out of a glass bottle (that was delivered by an honest to goodness Milkman!) As usual, Marguerite didn’t give us too much direction.

Pie Recipe

For as short as the ingredient list is, we should have had an easier time. The pie you see in these pictures may or may not be the third one we made (don’t ask.) But in our first failed attempts, we learned things to improve our process. On our first try, we just added all the ingredients together without any real order, rhyme, or reason. The successful change we made was to mix the dry ingredients into the pumpkin thoroughly first.  Then we beat the eggs well and add them, followed by the milk. The baking step was also a bit tricky for us, but in the end the pie came out of the oven looking just fine.

Pumpkin Recipe

Now, on to taste. Mercedes gave us the insight that those who tried Marguerite’s pumpkin pie liked it for its more mild pumpkin flavor, which Aaron also noted. Marguerite attributed this milder flavor to the higher concentration of eggs and milk versus pumpkin. Aaron liked this pumpkin pie well enough, although pumpkin is a little farther down his list of favorite pie flavors than others. I care not for pumpkin, and the small bite I sampled was not appealing to me. The crust, I could eat all day though.

Pumpkin Pie Piece

So where could we take this pumpkin pie to find willing taste testers? That’s right, Aaron’s co-workers. They all enjoyed it, and Aaron’s pretty sure they weren’t just being polite! One of them, who claimed to like pumpkin pie even more than any cake, ate a quarter of it in one sitting! We hope if you try Marguerite’s pumpkin pie this fall that you like it as much as Aaron’s work pals.

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
1 pie 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
60-70 minutes 30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
1 pie 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
60-70 minutes 30 minutes
Pumpkin Pie
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
1 pie 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
60-70 minutes 30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
1 pie 30 minutes
Cook Time Passive Time
60-70 minutes 30 minutes
Ingredients
Filling
Crust
Servings: pie
Instructions
Crust
  1. Blend flour and salt in large bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture using pasty blender or fork. Stir in just enough water with fork until dough holds together.
  2. TIP Test dough for proper moistness by squeezing a marble-sized ball of dough in your hand. If it holds together firmly, do not any additional water. If the dough crumbles, add more water by the tablespoonful, until dough is moist enough to form a smooth ball when pressed together.
  3. Shape dough into a ball. Flatten ball into a 1/2 inch round disk.
  4. Chill for 30 minutes or up to two days.
  5. Roll dough from center outward into a circle 2 inches wider than pie plate on lightly floured surface. Transfer dough to pie plate.
Filling
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Mix pumpkin, salt, nutmeg, and sugar well.
  3. Beat eggs well, and add to pumpkin. Mix together well.
  4. Slowly add milk, mixing ingredients together well.
  5. Pour into shell.
  6. Cook in oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 and cook until a knife inserted in the pumpkin comes out dry, around 40-50 minutes.
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Pumpkin Bread

pumpkinbreadheader Happy Autumn everyone! As the weather cools down around us and the leaves begin to change, that brings to mind one of the most popular fall flavors. Pumpkin. The most famous pumpkin recipe is probably pumpkin pie, but we’ve got that coming for you a bit closer to Thanksgiving.  Today we have a delicious pumpkin bread that really ushers in the fall season.

Here’s what Marguerite had to say:

 

This recipe is actually from another of Marguerite’s teaching colleagues and friends from her many years of teaching, Kathy Hoffman. You may notice it appears one thing is missing from this recipe. While making it, Aaron wasn’t sure the flour was mistakenly forgotten, but it was obvious once all the other ingredients were mixed together that this wasn’t going to turn into bread without flour.

Pumpkin Bread Loaf

After that, this pumpkin bread recipe was very simple to make. It was actually on the same page in the book as our zucchini bread recipe, and is very similar as far as ingredients and prep. I do not like pumpkin flavored things, but I found this pumpkin bread to be delicious! It tasted like autumn. That is, the spices masked the pumpkin flavor enough that I was able to enjoy this. I had too many pieces!

Pumpkin Bread

Aaron also loved how this pumpkin bread tasted more like spices than pumpkin. He also loved the color once it was baked, as well as the smell of the bread baking. He was so excited after tasting it, that he went right back into the kitchen and made another loaf with the remaining pumpkin we had! This was mostly because he knows his coworkers will eat it all up and there will be none left for us! We hope you enjoy this pumpkin bread recipe this fall with us.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Pumpkin Bread
Print Recipe
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Pumpkin Bread
Print Recipe
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix all ingredients together.
  3. Grease one pan for a large loaf or two pans for two smaller loafs.
  4. Bake approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
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Apple Compote

AppleCranberryCompoteheader

Time for another great fall recipe. And this time, surprise surprise, its a dessert! This apple compote had its ups and downs, but turned out okay in the end.

Here’s what Marguerite had to say:

AppleCranberryCompoteRecipe

Not Marguerite’s typical handwriting, huh? Well, as you will see as we go along, Marguerite also added magazine clippings of recipes that she must have liked into her cookbook as well. Aaron was excited to try this, because his mom would frequently make an apple dish during the holidays that he really liked. This recipe, however, did not quite turn out like that one.

AppleCranberryCompote

First of all, as anyone who has done apple dishes can attest, peeling apples is not an enjoyable task. That step took up over 90% of the prep time. Once that part of prep was completed, the rest of the recipe came together easily. When putting the ingredients together, we made a layer of apples, put the other ingredients on top, and then mixed them all together.

AppleCompote

When the apple compote first came out of the oven, we were concerned and unimpressed. It was still somewhat watery, while the apples seemed overcooked and dried out. There were a few thoughts we had as to why this happened. First we weren’t sure if we had put enough apples in. Then, since today’s cranberry sauce cans usually hold 2 less ounces than before, we thought that might add to it. Finally, this is our first recipe in our new oven, which always has its own complications. But, unlike our old apartment, this oven is at least a full sized one. Yay tiny apartment living!

AppleCranberryCompote

As you can see from the pictures, once we put this apple compote into individual serving dishes, they look pretty good! The cranberry sauce melded with the apples to give them a nice rich color, and the whole cranberries and raisins added to the visual interest of this dessert. I did not like the look of those cooked raisins though! I also felt that the apple compote was much too tart. I would have preferred it to be much sweeter.  Aaron did like this apple compote, although it wasn’t his favorite apple dessert.

AppleCranberryCompote

We hope you enjoy this warm apple compote as September gets cooler!

Apple Compote
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8 25 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 25 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Apple Compote
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8 25 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 25 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425.
  2. Core, peel, and slice apples into eighths.
  3. Combine all ingredients in 3 quart casserole dish.
  4. Cook for 40 minutes or until apples are tender but still intact.
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Pittsburgh Ham Barbecue Sandwiches

Pittsburgh Ham Barbecue Sandwiches

Chipped chopped ham is a Pittsburgh culinary tradition and one of those unique regional things you just can’t find anywhere else. So the fact that we made this recipe from Chicago was a little difficult. Oh? You’re not familiar with the term “chipped chopped ham?” Allow me to explain…

Pittsburgh Ham Barbecue

According to Isaly’s, the premier deli meat supplier in Pittsburgh, chopped ham is made from ham chunks and seasonings, all ground together and then smushed into a loaf. Then, it’s sliced super thin, making it both chipped and chopped. We found thin deli meat very easily, but we could not find chopped ham! We totally could have had some shipped to us here in Chicago, but we have poor planning skills, so we had to settle with ye olde thin ham.

Here is what Marguerite had to say:

Ham Sandwich recipe

Though it wasn’t in the instructions, Aaron decided to cube the ham. Cubing it certainly made it easier to “stuff” the buns more and get more meat on the sandwiches. I highly recommend this extra step.

Pittsburgh Ham Sandwiches

For as simple as the sauce recipe was, it certainly packed a lot of flavor. We we’re both huge fans of these ham barbecue sandwiches and we’re planning on making them frequently (and maybe ordering some chipped chopped ham from Pittsburgh.) Serving them with some potato chips and Pepsi was *muah*

Pittsburgh Ham Barbecue Sandwiches

Her note about purchasing “good buns” for the sandwiches was ignored by us and boy was it a mistake. The barbecue sauce makes the buns beyond soggy. If you’re going to make this, get good buns. Also, it’s very important to use Heinz ketchup in the sauce. Again, it’s a Pittsburgh thing…

Pittsburgh Barbecue Sandwiches

If you’re outside of the Pittsburgh area and don’t want to ship chipped chopped ham in (I totally don’t blame you if you don’t) the regular, thin sliced ham you can pick up in the deli section worked just fine for us. Now go enjoy some ham n’at!

 

Pittsburgh Ham Barbecue Sandwiches
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8 sandwhiches 5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 sandwhiches 5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Pittsburgh Ham Barbecue Sandwiches
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
8 sandwhiches 5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Servings Prep Time
8 sandwhiches 5 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: sandwhiches
Instructions
  1. Combine the ketchup, water, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and cinnamon.
  2. Put the barbecue mixture into a saucepan and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  3. Add the meat and simmer another 10 minutes.
  4. Serve on sandwich buns.
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Salmon Balls

Salmon Balls

Like I said a few posts ago, if there is food everyone likes some version of, it is probably potatoes. Baked, mashed, fried – you name it – they’re delicious. So any recipe with potatoes in it is bound to be good. The salmon balls were no exception.

Salmon Balls

Here is what Marguerite had to say:

Salmon Balls

The most difficult part of this recipe was definitely preparing the canned salmon. We had never worked with canned salmon before, and neither of us really enjoyed it. Getting the bits of skin and bones out was a long and messy process. Other than that, it was a pretty simple recipe with just a few ingredients.

Salmon Balls

As you can see, the salmon balls are not the largest. For that reason we feel that they are best served as appetizers before a meal. I really like salmon, it is one of my favorite fish. I thought the combination of salmon with breading tasted good, and like I said before, who doesn’t love potatoes in a dish? Aaron also enjoyed them, referring to them as “a simple version of crab cakes.” Next time we try these I would prefer to try and use fresh salmon, as we felt the canned salmon did not taste as good as fresh.

Salmon Balls

We hope the next time you are looking for an interesting yet simple party food or appetizer, you keep these salmon balls in mind!

Salmon Balls
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Salmon Balls
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4-6 20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4-6 20 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Boil the water and add the instant potatoes.
  2. After draining, boning, and flaking the salmon, combine with the two eggs and salt.
  3. Stir the salmon mixture into the instant potatoes until fluffy.
  4. Shape into 4-6 balls (they will be sticky.)
  5. Roll the balls in bread crumbs.
  6. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.
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Grilled Flounder

Grilled Flounder

This is a great flounder recipe that can be either baked or grilled. We choose to do a baked version of this recipe, but it can be made on a Foreman or a regular grill.

Grilled Flounder

Here is what Marguerite had to say:

Grilled Flounder

One of the best parts of this grilled flounder recipe is how few ingredients it takes to make the sauce. Simplicity is always a plus for us. Aaron was surprised that cocktail sauce plus mustard equaled barbecue flavor, however he hates flounder. He wants to try it again on another white fish. I want to try it again on a grill.

Grilled Flounder

This grilled flounder has a nice, tangy consistency to it. It’s the perfect flavor for a summer meal and definitely one we’ll try again as the weather warms up.

Grilled Flounder

Grilled Flounder
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 4 oz 10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 4 oz 10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Grilled Flounder
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
4 4 oz 10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 4 oz 10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
Servings: 4 oz
Instructions
  1. Lay fish in baking dish.
  2. Mix other ingredients and spread on fish.
  3. Bake 20 minutes at 450 degrees.
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