One-dish wonders

This busy mom shares her favorite recipes for family-friendly weeknight meals that are great for company too.

Charlotte Skelton has a lot in common with many Southern Living readers. This on-the-go mother of three (including two teens) from Cleveland, Mississippi, juggles the responsibilities of an active family with a successful career. She also faces the universal challenge of serving her family a variety of great-tasting meals throughout the week. Charlotte's solution: stocking her freezer with one-dish meals. In fact, she's built a career around it.

"In 1992, I started making casseroles and gift baskets out of my house. Business took off pretty quickly, so I found a building downtown," remembers Charlotte. Today, A 1a Carte Alley is home to one of The Delta's most popular restaurants, along with a gift shop stocked with Southern necessities for the kitchen and table. Though her business has grown, the one thing that hasn't changed is Charlotte's love of recipes she can make ahead, freeze, and reheat. "They're convenient for weeknight meals-even for my finicky teens-and they make great gifts," she says.

Charlotte's recipes were a big hit with our Foods staff, and we think they'll be a home run with your friends and family too. Her passion for Southwest flavors explodes in Chicken Enchiladas. "This is one of my favorites, especially when company's coming," she explains. She also enjoys Italianinspired Beef Lombardi for a hearty weeknight meal. All of the recipes freeze well and can be easily lightened.

BEEF LOMBARDI

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

PREP: 10 MIN., COOK: 41 MIN., BAKE: 40 MIN.

1 pound lean ground beef

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes

1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1 (6-ounce) package medium egg noodles

6 green onions, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1 cup sour cream

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Garnish: fresh parsley sprigs

COOK ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain.

STIR in chopped tomatoes and next 4 ingredients; cook 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and bay leaf, and simmer 30 minutes.

COOK egg noodles according to package directions; drain.

STIR together cooked egg noodles, chopped green onions, and sour cream until blended.

PLACE noodle mixture in bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Top with beef mixture; sprinkle evenly with cheeses.

BAKE, covered with aluminum foil, at 350[degrees] for 35 minutes. Uncover casse-role, and bake 5 more minutes. Garnish, if desired.

NOTE: Freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bake as directed.

TO LIGHTEN: Substitute low-fat or fat-free sour cream and 2% reduced-fat Cheddar cheese. Reduce amount of cheeses on top to 1/2 cup each.

ONE-DISH BLACK-EYED PEA CORNBREAD

MAKES 12 APPETIZER OR 6 MAIN-DISH SERVINGS

PREP: 20 MIN., COOK: 5 MIN., BAKE: 1 HR.

This uniquely Southern recipe works as a tasty appetizer when cut into small squares or as a main dish when paired with a tossed green salad.

1 pound spicy ground pork sausage

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup white cornmeal

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

3/4 cup cream-style corn

1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeno peppers

1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles

COOK sausage and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes, stirring until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain.

COMBINE cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking soda.

STIR together eggs, buttermilk, and oil until combined. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. (Batter will not be smooth.) Add sausage mixture, peas, and remaining ingredients to batter, stirring well.

POUR into a greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

BAKE at 350[degrees] for 1 hour or until golden and set.

NOTE: Freeze baked cornbread up to 1 month, if desired. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bake, covered, at 350[degrees] for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes or until thoroughly heated. To reheat directly from the freezer, bake, covered, at 350[degrees] for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 10 more minutes or until thoroughly heated.

TO LIGHTEN: Substitute 1 (12-ounce) package reduced-fat sausage, fat-free buttermilk, 1/2 cup egg substitute, and 2% reduced-fat Cheddar cheese. Reduce oil to 2 tablespoons. Prepare and bake as directed.

CHARLOTTE'S KITCHEN AND ENTERTAINING TIPS

* Double the recipe when preparing items such as chili, gumbo, and spaghetti sauce. It doesn't really take much time, and you can easily freeze the extra batch for heat-and-eat weeknight meals.

* For easy uniform slices, freeze boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, or steak for 10 minutes. Then slice for a stir-fry or quick saute.

* Refrigerate brown sugar (with a half slice of bread in the bag) to keep it from clumping and getting hard.