Colorado Pie (and Condensed Tomato Soup)

Does anyone know why this is called Colorado Pie? I like to hear the history behind recipes and their names.

The original recipe didn’t call for potatoes and also had more meat in it. I had only thawed a 1/2 pound of meat so I added the potato to fill it out. It was delicious and I think I’ll always do it this way. The pie still felt plenty meaty to me.

I have to be honest and tell you that the kids did not like this. They were in awful moods this evening, though, so perhaps they aren’t good judges. Brad was not around (it’s rye chopping time!) so he didn’t have any. But I loved it! Very easy meal.

Colorado Pie

Adapted from More with Less

1/2 pound ground beef or venison

1/2 of an onion, chopped

1 medium potato, cut in small cubes

2 cups fresh or frozen green beans

salt

pepper

1 recipe condensed tomato soup (recipe below)

1 double whole wheat pie crust (I doubled this recipe)

Cook the potato and green beans until soft.

Brown the meat and onion. Use a little oil or butter if the meat is very lean. When brown, add the cooked veggies, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the soup.

Roll out the bottom crust and fit into the pie pan. Do not crimp. Roll out the second crust and when it’s ready, pour the filling into the pan and then top with the second crust. Cut off excess around edges, crimp, and cut a few slits in the top. Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and crust is done.

Serves: 4 – 6

Condensed Tomato Soup

Adapted from More with Less

2 T fat (butter, oil, etc.)

3 T unbleached flour

1/2 cup spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup water

Melt the fat in a small pan. Whisk in the flour. Slowly pour in the sauce and water, mixing all the while. Cook, whisking constantly, until bubbly and thick. Use in any recipe that calls for condensed tomato soup.

Yield: about the same amount as a 10-oz can of condensed soup

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Tuna Salad

Since I gave you my egg salad recipe, I might as well post my tuna salad. It’s almost the same ingredients, just has some celery added for a bit of crunch.

Tuna, egg, and chicken salads are lunches that I sometimes serve when there are no leftovers from supper the night before. The kids only recently decided that they like tuna and I’m happy about that. I love the stuff!

Tuna Salad

2 small cans tuna, drained (I use water-packed…feed the juice to the dog or cats…they love it!)

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 t prepared mustard

pinch salt

1/2 a stalk of celery, finely minced

sweet pickle juice

Mix the tuna, mayo, mustard, salt, and celery. I like to use a potato masher and really smash up the tuna. Add enough pickle juice to make desired consistency. Serve as you wish. We like it on bread with tomatoes and lettuce if we have them. I also like to make tuna melts…toast the bread, smear with tuna salad, top with cheese and melt in the microwave or under the broiler. Yummy!

Serves: 4

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Yammy Turkey

I can’t say my whole family liked this dish but I loved it. It’s pretty much just turkey gravy with mashed sweet potatoes on top. It’s like a slice of Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving is over.

The potatoes make this dish so sweet. That’s why I loved it but also why Brad wasn’t a fan. I guess he doesn’t like sweet gravy. Which, admittedly, is a little weird to think about but I still enjoyed it.

I took these pictures before I baked the casserole since the light was better in the afternoon when I assembled it. Just imagine that the gravy bubbled up on the edges of the mounds of potatoes and the tips of the potatoes darkened a bit. Very pretty, if I do say so myself.

Yammy Turkey

Recipe adapted from my Aunt Amber’s

1/2 cup chopped onion

butter, for sauteing

3 cups chopped cooked turkey (or chicken)

2 1/2 cups turkey gravy (a thick gravy works better than a thin one)

3 – 4 cups mashed sweet potatoes

1/2 cup hot milk

salt/pepper to taste

Saute onions in a bit of butter until soft. Add turkey and gravy. Pour into a casserole dish. Beat potatoes and milk together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Dollop on top of the turkey. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until heated through and bubbly around the edges. Serve immediately.

Serves: 6

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Savory Bread Pudding

This one’s for my friend Roni. I mentioned it in my last weekly menu post and she was quick to request the recipe!

This recipe hails from Taste of Home. I was recently gifted a subscription and I got my first magazine over the weekend. So of course I leafed through it and chose several recipes to try this week.

I originally planned to skip the sausage called for but then I found some browned venison in the refrigerator that needed used. So I threw that in. I think it’d be delicious without it, though. The herbs and tomatoes really flavor this dish. I also used whole milk instead of heavy cream because I never have cream around…I always make it into butter!

Savory Bread Pudding

Really adapted from a current Taste of Home recipe

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 pint canned tomatoes, well drained (save the juice for soup!)

1 cup browned venison

1/2 cup chopped onion, sauteed in a bit of oil or butter

1 1/2 t dried basil

1/2 t oregano

1/2 t granulated garlic

1 T Sucanat or brown sugar

2 cups bread cubes

3 eggs

3/4 cup whole milk

pinch salt

1/4 t pepper

2 T Parmesan cheese

Combine the cheddar cheese, tomatoes, meat, onions, herbs, sugar, and bread cubes. Put into a greased 8-inch baking dish. Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour over the bread mixture. Top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until set in the middle. Let sit 5 or 10 minutes before cutting in squares and serving.

Serves: 4-6

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Chili Pie

When my bloggy friend Jackie first posted this recipe, I made it immediately. We like chili and I needed an idea for supper that night so chili pie it was. And I’ve made it quite a few times since. I guess we think it’s delicious.

I was happy to find this recipe not only because it is tasty but also because I liked the thought of serving chili with potatoes. Usually we do cornbread or rice but I like to incorporate potatoes into our diet because they are such a healthy starch. (As long as they aren’t loaded with lots of fatty things, anyway. Not that I’m bashing fat but come on, when a recipe calls for a few potatoes and then cups of sour cream or butter, that’s going a bit far.)

Anyway, potatoes are loaded in vitamins C and B6, and potassium, just to name a few of the main nutrients. I’ve heard of people who eat a potato a day to combat depression. Potatoes must have something worthwhile in them!

Chili Pie

Adapted from Jackie’s recipe

1 1/2 pounds ground venison or beef

1 small onion, diced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

4 t chili powder

1/2 t cumin

1 1/2 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

2 cups cooked kidney beans

2 cups canned diced tomatoes

1 cup plain tomato sauce

3 medium (1 1/4 pounds) unpeeled potatoes

1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

Brown the meat and onions in a bit of oil or butter. When nearly finished, throw in the garlic and seasonings. Give it a good stir and then add the beans, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Simmer until thick, 20 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, julienne the potatoes. Cook in boiling salted water until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Do NOT overcook them or they will turn to mush. Drain well in a strainer. (I save the potato cooking water to use in bread baking…it’s got lots of good potato starch in it!)

Assemble: Put the chili mixture into a deep casserole dish. Top with the potatoes and then the cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees until good and hot and the potatoes are crispy around the edges, maybe 30 or 40 minutes. Serve with a side of something green.

Serves: 6 – 8

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