Cabbage soup, gelatin salad, beef dip for Kats

Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Many thanks to those who have shared recipes recently — keep them coming, everybody!

Rain is in the forecast this week and nothing soothes me better on a chilly rainy day than a bowl of soup.

This one from Jo Richards is hearty enough to fill you up and cooks in just about an hour. Richards notes it tastes even better the next day.

Cabbage Soup

1 ½ pounds ground beef, cooked and drained

1 head cabbage, chopped

1 (46-ounce) can V8 juice, plus more as needed 2 (28-ounce) cans stewed tomatoes

1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel

2 cups canned red beans, drained

2 envelopes Good Seasons Zesty Italian Salad Dressing Mix

1 (7- or 11-ounce) can corn niblets drained

Mozzarella, for garnish, optional

French bread, for serving, optional

In a soup pot, combine the beef, cabbage, 1 can V8, stewed tomatoes, Ro-Tel, red beans, salad dressing mix and corn. Mix together and simmer covered for one hour. Add additional V8 if desired to create the consistency you like. Top with mozzarella cheese and serve with French bread, if desired.

Congealed salads — aka Jell-O salads — are a contentious topic among foodies. Especially young ones vs older ones. As the Head Kat, I must remain neutral in these matters.

This one, shared by Patti Powell, promises to be different. I’ll let you be the judge.

Powell notes the recipe can be easily doubled.

A Different Jell-O Salad (Really)

1 small box orange flavored gelatin

½ cup boiling-hot water

1 small can crushed pineapple with liquid

½ cup grated cheddar cheese (sharp is the best)

1 small can mandarin oranges, drained

½ cup chopped walnuts

1 small tub Cool Whip

Mix the gelatin according to package directions but reduce the boiling water to ½ cup. Add the can of crushed pineapple and its liquid. Add the cheese, drained mandarins and nuts. Refrigerate until almost set, then fold in the Cool Whip and refrigerate.

Nancy Daily shares this cozy beef dip.

Serve it with chips or as a filling for pastry puffs. I think it would great for snacking on while watching the forthcoming awards shows or NFL bowl games, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Chipped Beef Dip

1 jar dried beef

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

½ cup chopped green onions

Dash seasoned salt

½ cup toasted pecans

Rinse dried beef well and pat dry with paper towels. Chop beef into very fine pieces.

In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, green onions and seasoned salt. Mix well.

Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle pecans over top of mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Serve with chips or as filling for pastry puffs.

REQUESTS

■ Meals for two for Brenda Wall.

■ Really good homemade tartar sauce for Ron.

■ Soda bread and crab “with a white or cheese sauce on toasted English muffin,” both served at the Copper Door on Rebsamen Road in the 1970s for Melissa Mylym.

■ The Garden sandwich like that served at Jimmy’s Serious Sandwiches for Peggy Hamm. According to Jimmy’s menu, the award winning sandwich features “Swiss, cheddar and provolone cheese, mushrooms, sunflower seeds and spinach pate on pumpernickel bread.”