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I haven’t fired up the grill yet this year. Actually, I need to purchase a new gas grill, but when it’s still snowing as it is this morning, I haven’t really gotten the grilling bug. On my birthday weekend, I did have some awesome porterhouse steaks on the grill at daughter Andrea’s and pork chops on the grill along with homemade potato pancakes at son Darin’s. Sometimes it’s not so bad to get another year older!

Here’s a couple of easy recipes to share today using the indoor oven.

Cordon Bleu Casserole

12 oz. fettuccine Florentine, regular fettuccine or wide egg noodles

1 tbsp. butter or margarine

8 oz. fresh mushrooms (sliced) or 2 small cans sliced mushrooms

1-1/2 cups cooked, diced chicken or turkey

1-1/2 cups diced smoked ham

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 5-oz. can evaporated milk

1-1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook fettuccine as directed. Do not overcook. Drain and return to pot.

While pasta cooks, heat butter in a medium saute pan. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Combine chicken or turkey, ham, soups and evaporated milk in a large bowl. Add mushrooms and half of the shredded Swiss. Toss half of the soup mixture with the cooked fettuccine. Spray a 9x13” baking dish with nonstick spray and pour in the fettuccine mixture. Top with remaining soup mixture, spread to distribute evenly and sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until heated through. Toss lightly before serving to distribute the sauce.

Makes 8 servings.

Since this makes eight generous servings, it’s the perfect dish to take to potluck dinners at the office, church or to family gatherings.

Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

3 medium baking potatoes

1/3 cup reduced fat ranch dressing

1 cup reduced fat (2 percent milk) sharp cheddar cheese

2 green onions, thinly sliced, optional

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Wash potatoes, dry and slice into wedges. Place potato slices in a bowl and toss with the dressing. Spread potatoes in a 9x13-inch glass baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with the cheese, return to the oven and bake for 5 minutes more, until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with the sliced green onions, if desired.

And on another note, I had a request from the Tomah Memorial Emergency Room for a maple fudge recipe. Although I haven’t made it for probably 20 years, I used to make this one at Christmastime - in the old days when I used to have more time to bake! It’s easy; hope it works for you.

Maple Syrup Fudge

2 c. maple syrup

1 tbsp. light corn syrup

3/4 c. half and half

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 c. coarsely chopped walnuts

Combine maple syrup, corn syrup and half and half in 1-1/2 qt. saucepan. Place pan over moderate heat; stir constantly until mixture starts to boil. Continue cooking mixture without stirring until it reaches 234 degrees on candy thermometer or until a small amount of syrup forms a soft ball in cold water. Remove pan from heat, do not stir. Let mixture stand until it cools to lukewarm, about 110 to 120 degrees. Beat mixture until it thickens and begins to lose its gloss. Add vanilla and walnuts; pour immediately into a buttered 8”x8”x2” pan. When cool, cut into squares.