Mainly For Meals
Chicken-Fried Dinner Patties
When I first made these many years ago.....I had my husband stay away from the kitchen. When time to taste, asked him to guess what they were made of and he guessed chicken. Used to do that in my classes also. Most didn't guess it was oatmeal because the texture is similar to meat, especially as the patties cool. Often I'll make a double batch.
These tasty meatless dinner patties have been a popular sample at my seminars/classes for many years now. Try them soon! They are healthy and very easy on the budget. You could round out this meal with mashed potatoes, cream gravy (or make gravy from extra sauce used for the patties), vegetable such as broccoli, or carrots, or green beans. Also perhaps whole wheat dinner rolls. **Make your own white sauce (see below) or you can use cream soup if wish, but making your own will save money! When using the canned cream soup: add half a can or so water or milk to dilute it before spooning on the patties for the simmer stage (if using a full can of soup diluted as suggested, there will be sauce left to use as gravy).
Patties:
3/4 c. quick oatmeal
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
2 large eggs
2 to 3 tsp. Montreal steak seasoning
scant 1/2 tsp. ground sage
3 T. oil for cooking (may need more)
___________________________
Sauce:
1 can cream soup: mushroom or chicken
1/2 can water or milk (or a full can if wanting some gravy, see notes above)
dash of garlic powder, optional
Mix the quick oats, onions, eggs, seasonings. In large fry pan or skillet: heat oil on medium high. Using an ice cream scoop or large spoon: put in hot oil, smooth mixture with back of scoop/spoon to the size of a medium hamburger patty. Brown well on both sides, turning only once. Patties will be lightweight at this point. Turn heat to lowest simmer.
While the patties are browning, make the sauce. Spoon sauce over browned patties, carefully turn and spoon on remaining sauce. Cover, let simmer on lowest heat for 20 minutes or longer, until patties have absorbed most of the sauce. Remove from pan carefully, the patties are tender at this point after absorbing the sauce, but will firm up as they cool. Makes about 6 patties.
**White Sauce in a Jar
Simple to make, inexpensive, uses ingredients you can easily keep on hand. Good for many uses. Makes 1 and 1/4 c. sauce (same as a can of cream soup). We put the dry ingredients into a pint jar, add lid, ready to go when needed.
3 and 1/2 T. nonfat dry milk powder
3 T. unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 and 1/4 c. water
1/2 to 1 T. butter (or oil)
Put in glass jar with tight lid, shake until smooth: dry milk powder, flour, salt, water. When smooth, place into a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with wire whip, until sauce starts to thicken a bit. Turn heat to medium, cook/stir for 2 minutes (sauce gets thicker....keep on cooking/stirring....the flour must be well-cooked). Remove from heat, cool a minute, stir in butter (or oil); Mix thoroughly. Ready to use. Can completely cool and refrigerate for up to 1 week.