Aunt Helens Potato Filling Food

NANA'S PA DUTCH POTATO AND BREAD FILLING

Steps:

• Boil potatoes until tender; drain. Place in large bowl and mash with 4 tbsp butter, milk and chicken stock.
• While potatoes are cooking, in a large skillet over med-high heat, melt 3/4 cup butter; add chopped celery, onion, and parsley; sautee until tender -- about 7-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and add the toasted bread cubes. Cook, stirring frequently, for another 4-5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and fold into the mashed potato mixture. Fold in the beaten eggs and stir everything together well.
• Pour into a greased/sprayed 13" x 9" (or larger) pan. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until lightly browning on top.
• Serve.

JULIA CHILD'S AUNT HELEN'S FLUFFY PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Separate eggs and set aside.
• Using a mixer, blender or large bowl, blend pumpkin, the 2 cups of the sugars, 1 teaspoon salt, molasses, bourbon or rum (if using), cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, egg yolks, cream and milk until smooth. Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, if the mixture is stiff: it should be a soft purée.
• In a clean bowl, whip egg whites until foaming. Whip in a pinch of salt, then gradually whip in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until shiny white peaks form. Beat 1/4 of the whites thoroughly into pumpkin mixture; gently fold in the rest.
• Immediately ladle filling into the shells, filling to just below the rim of the pan. Place in oven and bake just until rim of crust begins to turn gold, 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake another 25 to 30 minutes, until a tester inserted into the filling 2 inches from the rim comes out clean. (The center should still be a bit wet; it will cook more as it cools.) If the rim of the crust starts to get too brown, cover it with aluminum foil.
• Immediately turn oven off, leave door ajar (stick in a wooden spoon to hold it open if necessary) and let sit 20 to 30 minutes more as the oven cools; this will prevent the filling from turning watery. Serve warm, or let cool, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let pie come to room temperature before serving.

AUNT HELEN'S BEEF STEW

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• 2. In a large roaster, combine all ingredients except peas. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 250 degrees for 5 hours.
• 3. Before serving, stir in the peas. (The peas are my own addition because I like them -- they were not in Aunt Helen's original recipe. Feel free to omit them if you don't like them.)

AUNT HELEN'S GREEN CONGEALED SALAD

Steps:

• Dissolve jellow in boiling water; add vinegar; chill til thickened.
• Whip evaporated milk; fold into thickened jello together with remaining ingredients.
• Turn into buttered 8 cup mold and chill til firm.

AUNT HELEN'S POTATO FILLING

Steps:

• Peel, cut, boil and mash potatoes. Saute celery, onion and bread crumbs in butter. Add to potatoes. Lightly beat eggs and add to potatoes with half of parsley. Add milk - make moist!! Season with plenty of salt and pepper. Sprinkle rest of parsley on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.