Holiday Ambrosia Salad

The holidays are almost here and for my family that means spending time together sharing making special memories. It also means one other very important thing… food. If you haven’t caught on by now around here we like to eat. I know you’re thinking who cares about food. I’ve got a house to clean and decorate. Then I need to buy a ton of presents. I’ll worry about the menu later. I know that’s what I keep thinking too. But, take just a minute to remember those holidays of your childhood. If you’re like me then maybe you remember a few presents if they were particularly good or really bad maybe a crazy relative. Probably before you thought of about those things you remembered your family (the normal ones) and then that special dish that you only had at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Maybe it was dressing or green bean casserole. Maybe it was a special cake or pie. Every family has at least one dish that they look forward to every year. For us that's this Ambrosia.

My MeeMaw (hey don’t laugh this is the South we call our grandparents funny names) made Ambrosia every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It was as certain as the turkey. For a few years after she passed away no one made it. I’m not really sure that anyone noticed or if they did no one mentioned it. It just wasn’t on the table. Then a couple years ago I started hosting Thanksgiving in our home. So when it came time to plan the menu Ambrosia was at the top of the list. One of the most precious moments of that first Thanksgiving was my Daddy telling me he’d like me to it again for Christmas. I still smile thinking about his smile and words.

Okay enough sappy talk. Here’s the recipe.

Recipe

What You’ll Need:

1 15 oz. can fruit cocktail in juice (drained)

1 11 oz.  can Mandarin oranges (drained)

1 8 oz. can pineapple tidbits (drained)

1 cup Maraschino cherries (drained)

1 cup marshmallows

8 oz. tub of whipped cream

Putting It All Together:

In a large bowl stir together fruit cocktail, Mandarin oranges, and pineapple using a rubber spatula

Add in whipped cream a spoon full at a time until it’s well combined

Chill in the refrigerator over night

(Sometimes a broken cherry will turn the salad pink in places. So yours might not look exactly like mine. But it will still taste great!)

Happy Cooking Y’all

Susanne

P.S. The Hubby was so excited when he came home and found out there was Ambrosia in the fridge. He loves when blogging meets eating!

Chicken and Rice Casserole

One of my very favorite comfort foods since I was a little girl has always been Chicken and Rice Casserole. There’s something so comforting about this dish. Maybe it’s the creamy texture or the simple flavor but there is something about this casserole that reminds me of home.

The key to making this version of chicken and rice is that the rice is boiled in chicken broth. The broth brings extra flavor to the chicken. 

Aside from being my favorite comfort food this casserole is fantastic  for  other reasons. It’s easy to make. It’s inexpensive. It will feed a lot of people. The leftovers are great for lunch the next day. Oh and did I mention it’s delicious? Well let me tell you again, it’s delicious!

Recipe

What you will need:

2 cups of white rice

2 cups of chicken broth

2 chicken breasts (or about a pound)

2 tablespoons of butter

1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 can (4 oz.) of mushrooms (I used pieces and stems but button mushrooms would be fine too)

Salt and pepper to taste

Putting it all together:

Prepare 2 cups of rice following package directions substituting water for chicken broth.

Shred cooked chicken and set it aside

In a large sauce pan melt 2 tablespoons butter

Once the butter is melted add in cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soups, blend together

Add in mushrooms

Add shredded chicken to skillet and stir into mixture

Salt and pepper to taste

Stir rice into mixture allow it to sit for 2-5 minutes

Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish and bake a 350⁰ for 30 minutes

Happy Cooking Y’all,

Susanne

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