Easy Casserole Meal – Homemade Fudge Recipes
Today’s Tips – Fudge:
- Line your pan with greased foil, plastic wrap or, better yet, parchment paper, making sure the foil comes up over the edge of the pan. Then, you can just lift it out of the pan for easier cutting.
- I have used almost every method known to man to find an easy way to cut fudge. After 40 plus years of fudge making ( I started when I was in the womb, because I’m not that old I’m sure
I had almost given up until last year when I made a discovery that changed my life. I used a square metal scraper, sometimes called a dough cutter, with a rocking motion to cut my fudge. It works so well that I can hardly wait to make my fudge this year so I can cut it. - You don’t always have to put fudge in pans. When slightly cooled, pour onto plastic wrap that has been sprayed with Pam and roll into logs. Chill and then slice.
- To add an elegant twist to homemade candy and cookies that you give as gifts, place them in cellophane bags and tie with a pretty ribbon. The fact that no wrapping is needed is an added bonus. You can place several bags of different things into a decorated box or basket for a larger gift.
Today’s Menu:
Back to Basics Casserole*
French Bread, warmed, spread with butter and garlic powder.
Cinnamon Apples*
Today’s Recipes:
*Cinnamon Apples
4 apples, peeled and cored
Water
1/4 – 1/2 cup cinnamon candies
Place apples and candies in sauce pan and add enough water to cover. Cook until apples become tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir every once in awhile to help the candies dissolve. Apples will be a beautiful bright red.
(This is a great way to use your leftover turkey. You can use chicken too. If you don’t have much time, use frozen veggies. Just cut down on the cooking time and, if not using frozen potatoes, cook them first.)
*Back to Basics Casserole
3 cups turkey or chicken, cubed and cooked
3 medium carrots, cut into bite sized pieces
3 celery stalks, cut into bite sized pieces
3 red potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
1 (10-3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
1/2 – 3/4 soup can of water
Salt and pepper to taste
Place the turkey in a well greased 2 quart baking dish. Layer the rest of the veggies on top of that. Mix soup, water, salt and pepper. Then pour over everything. Bake at 350° for 60 to 75 minutes until tender. If using frozen veggies, cut time in half. Makes 4-5 servings.
Even though this is a pretty common fudge, it is still my all time favorite. I could do without every other candy or cookie at Christmas, if necessary, but please, please don’t take away my fudge! One of the highlights of my life was the first year after my kids had left home and I made fudge. I got to lick the whole pan by myself! I thought I had died and gone to heaven! You see, empty nesters, there is a bright side to being home alone!
Millionaire Fudge
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 Tbsp. butter
Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add:
2 1/2 large (8 oz. each) Hershey’s candy bars, slightly crushed*
1 (12 oz.) bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Nuts, chopped
Beat until well blended. Pour into 2 greased 9×13 pans for thicker pieces and for thinner pieces add another 8×8 pan. Before you start, be sure to have your pans all ready, your candy bars crushed, nuts chopped and every package opened and ready to dump in as soon as it is done boiling.
*I use milk chocolate candy bars, but my son-in-law and grandson love dark chocolate so I sometimes use dark chocolate and milk chocolate together. You can even substitute milk chocolate for the semi sweet chips. You can easily tailor it to your own personal preferences.
Last year after Halloween, my daughter found a good deal on Hershey’s Kisses for 50 cents a bag, so I used those in place of my candy bars. That is why I say stock up after Halloween!
Speedy Fudge
1 1/2 lbs. white candy coating
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
Pinch of salt
1tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups gum drops, chopped*
Line a 9×9 inch pan with foil. In a sauce pan, melt candy coating, milk and salt over low heat (or use a double boiler). Remove from heat and add the vanilla and gum drops. Spread into the 9 inch pan, cover and chill. Use the foil to lift the fudge from the pan and cut.
You can experiment with this recipe by using different kinds of candies or substituting chocolate candy for the white and 2 Tbsp. peanut butter or peanut butter chips instead of the gum drops.
*To make chopping easier, use a pair of kitchen shears dipped in warm water. This works great for cutting anything sticky like marshmallows and candy.
You can use just red and green gum drops or multi colored.
For more helpful tips and easy recipes like these, check out our Dining On A Dime Cookbook!
Photo By: rfduck
I really love your newsletters and appreciate the fudge tips. Will give the recipes a try. If you really want to make quick fudge try the San Francisco fudge recipe at the Ghirardelli chocolate website. Their chips make an excellent fudge, but I use the store brands for every day fudge. Their recipe uses the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate, chips, mini marshmallows (I’ve subbed a cup of the mallow. creme) vanilla and nuts. This basic recipe can be used with other flavored chips and add-ins. I sometimes add chopped caramels (like Kraft) to make a turtle fudge. Keep up the great work!
I make a version of Millionaire Fudge which we call Arkansas Fudge. The recipe came from a co-worker from Arkansas about 40 years ago. It wouldn’t be Christmas without a pan or two.
My daughter doesn’t like nuts (except cashews) so before adding the pecans, I take out enough for a small pan for her.
I’ve been ill and haven’t had the energy to do any Christmas baking or fudge making so far this season. That is why when I was at the store yesterday, a frozen “Chocolate Silk Pie’ jumped into my cart
I made my sister’s homemade fudge last week for a party – but lined the square dish with wax paper instead of foil thinking I’d outsmart her and do my own thing. Trying to pull it out of the pan – the wax paper kept tearing and was embedded into the fudge in places and I was thinking, “If I get this out – I’ll never use wax paper again!” My siser had also warned me it was hard to cut.
Eureka – it is wax paper – glass bowl – no foil – so I popped it into microwave for 15 seconds. When I pulled it out I used a spoon to get under the edge and it came right out of bowl, wax paper peeled right off too. I placed it on a cutting board and grabbed a big knife – and tho I had to press really hard – it really wasn’t that difficult to cut either.
Try it!!
I really like that Back to Basics Casserole. Sounds easy and yummy and comforting.
Hi all! Thank you for the very nice recipes. I will prepare the casserole and apples this evening.
Question: Do I have to chop the apples before boiling them, or do I boil them whole? Sounds like a lot of water. Appreciate your answer. Thanks!
Yes, chop them.
I so appreciate all of your tips and recipes!!! I have been reading your email/tips for awhile now, I also own a copy of your Dining on a Dime. I appreciate all of your hard work, I too have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and some Fibromyalgia,I know that there are days that it is difficult to even get up off of the couch, so it is truly amazing that you do all you do to help the rest of us out!!! Keep up the wonderful job!
I remember that one year my mother’s fudge did not set properly. She poured it into a platter, and it was just kind of soupy. I remember my cousin ate it with a spoon! I think he ate the whole platter! The gumprop fudge sounds yummy! I want to make that!
The easiest way I found to cut fudge is to put it in the freezer for a few minutes,then place on a cookie sheet and cut it with a pizza cutter.It zips through so fast,the fudge doesn’t have time to stick.I make 10 to 12 pans every year so I had to find a really easy way to do them.