Hagen Family Table

Heavenly Halibut

This is an adaptation of my dad's recipe. He never measures, so I did my best to write some approximations down. It's all about "to taste."

Butter a casserole dish. Place halibut fillets or steaks in dish and dab the fish with butter pats.

Season to taste (salt, lemon pepper, garlic powder, and dill).

Mix mayonnaise (2 cups), sour cream (1 cup), and dry mustard (1-1/2 Tbsp); slather over halibut.

Don't be stingy with the mayo mixture; liberally coating all the pieces of fish will keep them tender (and it bakes into a yummy sauce).

Sprinkle chopped green onions, sliced fresh mushrooms, and grated cheese over entire dish.

Cover and bake at 350, about 35–45 minutes (depending on thickness of fillets). Use a fork to check the halibut . . . you want the meat tender and flaky, not rubbery (overcooked) or translucent (undercooked).

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Southwestern Spuds

The original recipe (Taste of Home's Quick Cooking) calls for cooking this dish in the microwave, which I actually don't like to do, so I throw it in an oven along with some pork chops.

3 large potatoes

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups shredded cheese, Mexican blend

1 c. sour cream

3 green onions, chopped

1 can (2-1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained

Peel and slice potatoes. Arrange 1/2 of the potatoes across the bottom of a greased 8x8 baking dish. Salt and pepper the potatoes. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese across the potatoes. Repeat layers.

Bake covered at 375 for about 30 minutes (or 45 minutes if baking with pork chops).

Before serving, spread sour cream over the top and garnish with the olives and green onions.

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Dijon Pork Chops

Yet another recipe adapted from Taste of Home's Quick Cooking. I don't think it's possible to find an easier way to prepare pork chops, short of ripping them out of the package and throwing them unseasoned on a grill. The dijon gives them a yummy tang and the bread crumbs provide a nice texture.

6 pork chops

1/2 c. Dijon mustard

1 c. seasoned bread crumbs

peppercorns

Liberally spread mustard on both sides of pork chops. Place in a greased shallow baking dish. Grind pepper over the chops. Lightly press bread crumbs onto tops of chops.

Bake uncovered at 375 for about 30 minutes, unless you're baking them at the same time as potatoes—then give yourself about 45 minutes.

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Sour Cream Enchiladas

The first time I ever ate this meal was at Marv and Emagene Hartshorn's house in Haines, Alaska. My mom took home the recipe and it became a family favorite. Decades later, I've adapted the recipe for my own family. My husband and kids love this dish, and it's always been a winner with company. I usually double the recipe, and freeze a pan for later.

1-1/2 lb. ground beef*

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1/2 envelope taco seasoning

8 whole wheat flour tortillas

1/2 c. mild taco sauce

1 c. shredded cheese, Mexican blend

4 Tbsp. butter

6 Tbs. flour

2 tsp. OR 2 cubes instant chicken bouillon granules

2 c. water

1 c. sour cream

1 sm. can green chiles, chopped

*I've also used shredded chicken, which is quite tasty

Cook beef, onion, and taco seasoning. Drain.

Divide meat between tortillas. Top each with 1 Tbsp. taco sauce and 1 Tbsp. cheese.

Roll up. Place seam side down in baking dish.

(This is the perfect recipe to use whole wheat or multigrain tortillas, because the sauce is so yummy, your family will never even notice the switcheroo.) Speaking of sauce . . .