Carla Hale - Country French Cooking: French Cookbook for Absolute Beginners

To kick things off, we have a delicious French dish you can make whenever you need to feed a large group of people. It is packed full of meat, it will leave your family feeling full for hours.

Makes: 6 servings

Total Prep Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of lean ground pork
• pound of lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• cup of water
• 1 tsp. of salt
• tsp. of dried thyme, crushed
• tsp. of powdered sage
• tsp. of black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. of powdered cloves
• 1, 9 inch double crust pie

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a saucepan set over medium heat, add in the ground pork and ground beef. Add in the chopped onion, minced garlic, water, dash of salt, crushed thyme, ground sage, dash of black pepper and ground cloves. Stir well to mix.
3. Cover and bring to a low boil. Lower the heat to low, cook for 5 minutes or until the meat is browned.
4. Pour the mixture into the pie crust. Place the second pie crust over the top and seal the edges. Slice slits into the top of the crust. Cover the edges with a sheet of aluminum foil.
5. Place into the oven to bake for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the aluminum foil. Place back into the oven to bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Remove and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

This is an easy and delicious French dish you can make whenever you are looking for something simple to prepare for lunch.

Makes: 4 servings

Total Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients for the sauce:

• cup of butter, soft
• cup of white flour
• 1 cups of whole milk
• Dash of salt and black pepper
• tsp. of mustard
• Dash of powdered nutmeg

Ingredients for the sandwich:

• 8 slices of white bread
• 5 ounces of ham, sliced
• 6 ounces of Emmental cheese, grated
• cup of parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Prepare the sauce. In a saucepan set over medium heat, add in the white flour and butter. Cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add in the whole milk and whisk to mix. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick in consistency. Season with a dash of salt and black pepper. Add in the mustard and powdered nutmeg. Whisk to incorporate. Remove from heat.
3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
4. Spread the sauce over the slices of bread. Place onto a baking sheet.
5. Top off with the sliced ham, grated Emmental and parmesan cheese. Bring two slices together to make a sandwich.
6. Place into the oven to cook for 5 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

These delicious French pastries are perfect to make whenever you are craving something on the sweeter side.

Makes: 8 servings

Total Prep Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of water
• cup of butter, soft
• 1 cup of white flour
• tsp. of salt
• 4 eggs, beaten

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1 cups of whole milk, cold
• 1, 3.4 ounce pack of French vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup of whipped topping
• 1, 12 ounce of semisweet chocolate chips
• Powdered sugar, as needed

Directions:

1. In a saucepan set over medium heat, add in the water and soft butter. Bring to a low boil.
2. Add in the white flour and dash of salt. Stir well until a ball of dough begins to form. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Add in the beaten eggs and continue to stir until smooth in consistency.
4. Drop the dough by 2 teaspoons onto a baking sheet.
5. Place into the oven to bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden. Remove and transfer onto a wire rack to cool. Slice a slit in the top of each puff to steam. Set aside to cool.
6. In a bowl, add in the cold milk and French vanilla pudding mix. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or until smooth in consistency. Cover and place into the fridge to chill for 5 minutes. Add in the whipped topping and chocolate chips. Fold until gently incorporated.
7. Pipe 1 tablespoon of the filling into the puffs.
8. Dust the top with powdered sugar and serve immediately.