Another cookbook review:

 

This week I'm doing another cookbook review of a book I've used so often: Slow Cookers, Casseroles & Skillets by Gooseberry Patch.  You can find it on Amazon here, but it looks as if a new edition of it may be coming out in August.  I do love the version I have, but I'm sure the new one will be good as well.  I checked on Thriftbooks and it is out of stock there.  Unlike most of the books I get from Gooseberry Patch, this one was neither a Thriftbooks find nor a cookbook I received in exchange for a recipe.  I actually won this one in a giveaway, and I have been very glad that I did!

As the title notes, there are three categories in the contents of this cookbook: Savory Slow Cookers, Cozy Casseroles, and Speedy Skillets.  Each category has three subcategories: Just 5 Ingredients; Easy Family Meals; and One-Dish Dinners.

From the Just 5 Ingredients! category of the Savory Slow Cookers section, I have made Pennsylvania Stuffed Peppers,  Georgia Tomato Roast, "Rotisserie" Roast Chicken, and Carol's Cheesy Potato Bake.  That cheesy potato bake is so easy, and is a hit at every potluck I take it to.  I use a homemade substitute for cream of chicken soup.  So good!  a couple of want-to-try recipes in this category are Italian Sausages & Peppers and Company Chicken Dijon.  

From the Easy Family Meals category, I've tried the Chicken Sausage & Pasta -- very good!

From the One-Dish Dinners category of slow cooker recipes, the Sausage & Peppers Sauce is a good one.  I've sometimes used a package of frozen red and green pepper strips in place of the chopped green pepper.  I've also tried the Homestyle Chicken Stew, and noted it was "Very good!"

In Cozy Casseroles, from the Just 5 Ingredients! category, I've made John's Spinach & Red Pepper Chicken a number of times.  It is very, very good and so easy.  I don't usually use the full bottle of Italian dressing.  Grandma Hodges' Chile Rice is another I've made quite a few times and it's a good side with hamburgers or any Mexican main dish.

In the Easy Family Meals category of casseroles, I have made the Tex-Mex Spaghetti Pie probably dozens of time.  It is so good and so easy.   I've also tried the Best-Ever., Must-Have Meatloaf, and it is very good but I don't like it as well as my regular meat loaf recipe.  Grandma Jeanette's Mashed Potatoes are just like my make-ahead mashed potatoes, a definite keeper recipe.  I would also like to try the Baked Chicken Chimies and Loaded Cheeseburger Pie from this section.  That last one may go on my menu soon, in fact!

From the One-Dish Dinners category of casseroles, I've made the Easy Chicken Divan numerous times.  I use my homemade cream soup substitute instead of the cream of chicken soup it calls for.  I'd like to try the Layered Ravioli Florentine and the Deep-Dish Sausage Pizza.  I'm pretty sure I've tasted Fu-Man-Chew before.  Decades ago, a lady at a church we visited made a casserole with similar ingredients, and I loved it.  I may have to try this one!

 
Now, from the Just 5 Ingredients! category in Speedy Skillets, I've made the Cheesy Chicken & Rotini and labled it "Excellent!".  On the side dish skillet reeipe Zucchini Parmesan, I've labeled it "Wonderful!"  I've also made the Smoky Cabbage and called it "Excellent!"  I added Cajun seasoning to taste in this one.  A couple of recipes I'd like to try in this category include Beefy Taco Skillet, which sounds intriguing (one cuts flour tortillas into 1-inch squares to cook with the other ingredients) and Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta.

In the Easy Family Meals category of skillet meals, there are several I've made over and over.  Busy-Day Lasagna Toss, Quick Skillet Spaghetti, Mexican Skillet Spaghetti Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo -- I've labeled each "Excellent!" and I've even had granddaughters email me for the recipes.  Cube Steak in Savory Gravy is one I'd like to try.

For the One-Dish Dinners category of skillet meals, I've only tried one of the recipes -- Linguini & Vegetables -- but it was delicious.  "Leftover" Fried Rice sounds a lot like my own homemade fried rice recipe.  One-Pot Sausage Dinner sounds good and easy,  as does Hamburger Gravy, which the recipe suggests could be served over pasta, rice, potatoes, or even pierogies.  It would be fun to try it over pierogies, I think.

So there you have it -- another cookbook review.  I highly recommend this one!