Let’s Cook!

 I have an extensive collection of cookbooks, and a few of them are my favorite to use. The lesser used books get pushed to the back of my cupboard and I forget about them. You should see my books, I would never be able to give them away because I write all over them. I will mark the recipes as good, or “I like but hubby does not” and I even have a few marked in large letters “Yuck!” Or I will write comments such as “needs more seasoning” or some other recommendation. The other day I pulled out one of those long-forgotten books and found this recipe that I had marked as “good”. This one is pretty easy to make too! Mashed potatoes go wonderfully with this recipe

Chicken and

Celery Casserole

4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless

salt and pepper 

4 oz cream cheeses, softened

1 10 3/4 oz can cream of celery soup

parsley (fresh chopped or dried

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a sprayed 11×17 baking dish. in a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the soup and mix well. Spoon over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees. Sprinkle lightly with parsley. for 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken cooked through.

In that same book I found this recipe marked with stars. This is a super easy slow cooker recipe to make.

Pot Roast with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

2 – 2 1/2 lb boneless beef chuck roast

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

10 3/4 oz can cream of mushroom soup

Place roast in a slow cooker. Sprinkle with dry onion soup mix. Top with soup. (no need to stir). Cover and cook on high for one hour, then on low for 8 hours, or until meat is tender. Slice and serve with mashed potatoes or noodles.
Note about the above recipe, if you like lots of gravy for your mashed potatoes, I suggest you double the soup mix and cream of mushroom soup.
With this cool season coming up, please share your favorite fall recipe with us. If you have a great recipe calling for pumpkin, or perhaps a special Halloween treat, please send to letscook!@heraldpubs.com or mail to Mascoutah Herald, PO Box C, Mascoutah IL 62258. Please tell us something about your recipe, did you find it in a cookbook, or maybe it has been passed from your grandma? Also, please include your town, as this column is printed in multiple papers in Illinois and Missouri. If you wish to remain anonymous or don’t want your town included, I will honor your wish. I would really love to hear your funny story that probably wasn’t so funny at the time about a cooking experience or mishap! Thanks and Happy Cooking!