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A Few Family Favorites

© Donna Smith

"I'm making something new for dinner tonight."

You should see the fear on my family's faces when I say those words. I've been known to try some pretty strange recipes. The Beetloaf wasn't a hit. Neither was the Tasty Tuna Tarts. I got turned up noses when I served Crème de la Prunes. And when I served the platter of steaming Fruit Stuffed Oysters with Cilantro Pepper Sauce, the whole family went into hiding for three days. What made them come out? THE FILE.

Only a few recipes I make are worthy of The File. Maybe 1 out of 10 gets the privilege of being written up on a small index card and filed away under the appropriate heading. My family has to love a recipe for me to put it in The File. Not like it, love it.

I thought I'd share with you some of my family's all-time favorite recipes. We'll start with one of my husband's favorites.

Chicken Chow Mein Casserole

I couldn't decide whether to put this under my favorites or his. Actually everyone loves this stuff, my husband is just the one to eat the most of it.

1 cup chopped celery
1 large onion, chopped
2 (10 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms, or 1 package fresh
1/2 cup cashews
2-3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 bag or large can or chow mein noodles

Cook the celery and onions in a little butter until tender. Add the soups, drained mushrooms, cashews, and the chicken. Mix well. Turn into a baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Add 3/4 of the chow mein noodles. Mix well. Bake 10 minutes more. Top with the remaining noodles and bake about 5 more minutes. Note: If you're using fresh mushrooms, cook them along with celery and onion.

Now one of Ashlee's favorites.

Ravioli Lasagna

My oldest loves this recipe so much my husband and I have to tell her to stop eating it. One day we're not going to stop her and see how much she could actually consume. We haven't done it yet because we're afraid she might explode.

1 package Rosetto frozen cheese ravioli
1 28-ounce jar Ragu spaghetti sauce (I use the Parmesan and Ramono Flavor)
1 pound ground beef
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
Grated Parmesan cheese

Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Drain. Spoon 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom of an 11x9x2 inch-baking dish. Layer with half of the frozen ravioli. Cover with half of the ground beef and 1 cup of the Mozzarella cheese. Cover with 1 cup of the sauce. Repeat layering with ravioli and ground beef. Top with remaining sauce, making sure the sauce covers the ravioli completely. Bake, covered, at 425 degrees. Sprinkle with the Mozzarella and some Parmesan and bake about 5 minutes more.