Zellwood Corn and Sausage Casserole, Crunchy Sausage Casserole, Swiss Chicken

In my younger years we lived in Apopka, and my parents still do. Not far from Apopka is Zellwood, and it is famous for the Zellwood Corn Festival. This started out very small, and now is attended by thousands.

---

Zellwood was home to many muck farms. These were farms growing vegetables for our (our Country) consumption, many thousands of acres of them grown on the shoreline of Lake Apopka. Long story short, the state accused the farmers of being the major cause of Lake Apopka being polluted, which is a crock, but without getting into the politics, the state made the farmers sell out, all but just a couple. The gas and oil from outboard motors don’t hurt the lake, the runoff from the surrounding towns waste water plants don’t hurt it, only the farmers… We keep doing this and one day…we wake up hungry… this though is another story for another day. Here’s a recipe for a Zellwood corn and sausage casserole. It is economical, filling, and tastes great. Zellwood Corn and Sausage Casserole:

• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ lb. pork sausage
• Pinch of black pepper
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1-1/4 cups milk
• ½ cup grated cheese
• 1-1/2 cups whole kernel corn

Brown your sausage; drain off all fat except two large tablespoons. Add flour, and stir until blended. Add milk and stir until mixture thickens and boils. Add corn, salt and pepper. Place in shallow pan. Arrange tomatoes over top, and then top with your grated cheese. Place under broiler for 4 to 5 minutes until tomatoes are cooked and the cheese melted. Crunchy Sausage Casserole:

• 1 (6 oz) package long grain and wild rice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 pound mild bulk sausage
• 1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (2-3/4 oz) package of sliced almonds
• 1 large onion
• 1 (8 oz) can mushrooms, drained and sliced

Cook rice according to the directions. Cook sausage, onion and beef in skillet. Drain drippings; add rice, mushrooms, water chestnuts, soy sauce and mix well. Put in 2 quart casserole and refrigerate overnight. Take out of refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake on 325 for 50 minutes. Swiss Chicken:

• 6 boneless chicken breasts
• 2 cups stuffing mix, and I stick of margarine
• 6 slices Swiss Cheese
• 1 can cream of chicken soup and ½ cup of sherry

Arrange chicken in pan, pour liquid over it, and then put one cheeses slice atop each piece of chicken. Sprinkle your stuffing mix over this, and dribble the melted butter over everything. Bake on 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.