what's cooking wednesdays: my grandmama's kitchen

when the beau and i went to visit my grandparents a few weeks back, he fell in love with the meal my mom's mom {my grandmama} made for us, specifically her hot chicken salad and homemade yeast rolls.  she was sweet enough to provide me with the recipes and last week i tried my hand at recreating the meal.  the beau and i agreed it was a success and both recipes will be going into the remake file.  you can find both recipes below.  consider yourself warned:  if you master the art of the yeast rolls, you will find yourself dreaming of these on a regular basis.  they are that good.

photo found here

grandmama's rolls
1 cup boiling water
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 1/2-1 3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs, well beaten
2 pkgs dry yeast
1/2 tsp. sugar
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

in large mixing bowl add boiling water to shortening and stir until shortening is all melted. add 1 cup sugar, the salt and then beaten eggs.

place yeast in lukewarm water according to package directions. {note from grandmama: make sure the water is not too hot but not too cool-hot to touch but not boiling. this is important! if not hot enough it doesn't work and if it is too cool, it won't work.} mix well and add 1/2 tsp. sugar to activate the yeast. combine the yeast mixture with the first mixture. sift flour into the mixture and stir until the mixture is sticky but not too dry; you can add some flour when ready to roll out. blend well and place in refrigerator {covered. grandmama uses plastic wrap}. leave overnight and let rise. you can take as many or as few out as you choose, roll out dough, cut in circles, dip in melted butter and and fold like an envelope. place on greased cookie sheet or pie pan, cover and let rise for about 2 hours or until double in bulk. bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until brown. this mixture will keep in fridge for a week.

one more IMPORTANT note from grandmama: making rolls comes with experience so don't give up if the first time if they aren't what you want-just keep working at it!
 

photo found here

 
hot chicken salad
1-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast {i just used 2 cans of cubed chicken.  so much easier.}
1 cup chopped celery
1 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 cup seasoned salad croutons
1/4 cup slivered almonds, chopped and toasted
1 cup soft bread crumbs {i used whole-wheat bread in a pitiful attempt at making this dish healthier.}
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
 
in a small saucepan, whisk flour and milk until smooth. bring to a boil over medium heat;cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. remove from the heat.


in a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, onion, salt, and pepper until smooth. whisk in the milk mixture. stir in the chicken, celery, water chestnuts, croutons and almonds.

spoon into a 2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

combine bread crumbs and butter; stir in cheese. sprinkle over casserole. bake, uncovered, 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted. {note: i baked it for an additional 7 minutes and then turned the broiler on so the top could get nice and crusty.}
 
bon appetit!