Are you weary of chicken dishes? This one is a bit different and will fit into the homemaker’s schedule if the covered dish suppers start and her day is a busy one. This can be put together in the morning, refrigerated and baked later to feed the family or take out. The hostess who made this recipe suggests rice and broccoli as the go-with. This recipe used chicken breasts and thighs.

Chicken in Casserole 4 chicken breasts (8 half breasts) 9 thighs or thighs and legs 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup catsup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup water 1 tablespoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

1/4 teaspoon pepper Oil for browning

1/2 cup chopped onion

In frying pan, brown chicken pieces in oil. While chicken is browning, combine in another frying pan chopped onions with salt and pepper and brown in a small amount of oil. Add to the pan the sugar, Worcestershire sauce, catsup, water, vinegar and Tabasco. Simmer for 15 minutes. Place the browned chicken pieces in a buttered casserole; pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover the casserole and bake in a moderate oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until chicken tests done. Serve with the sauce in the casserole over the chicken.

When the fall season arrives, baked apples from the new crops will fit into any menu. Serve plain, with cream or with whipped cream. Easier than making an apple pie which will come a week later.

Baked Apples 6 medium tart apples, washed, cored 2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup maple syrup or brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup water

Wash, core and pare a narrow layer of the apple skin from the top of the apple.

Place in a baking dish; add the butter spices and brown sugar to the cavity of each apple, or a bit of the maple syrup. Add the water to the pan and bake in hot oven until soft, basting frequently with the water in the pan. Some apples bake more quickly, so watch for the softening of the apples.

Sugar and spice and raisins, currants and nutmeats mixed and baked will make lunchbox toters, snackers and visiting snackers happy, of course with flour, sugar, eggs and other ingredients, so that they will be known as hermits. Currants may be replaced with peanut butter chips, if desired.

Hermits

1/2 cup butter or margarine 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 2 tablespoons buttermilk or sour milk 2 eggs 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon soda

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped nuts 1 cup currants

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ginger

Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat eggs and add with the milk to the creamed mixture. Mix flour and spices with soda and salt and sift together. Add to egg mixture. Stir in nuts, raisins and currants. Mix all well and drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake in a moderate oven for about 12 minutes or until done. Remove from baking tins to a wire rack to cool.

With cooler weather, does baked fish with cheese sauce appeal as a supper dish? Mashed potato and pickled beets are suggested with this menu.

Baked Fish Fillets 1 pound fish fillets 1 tablespoon chopped onion 8 slices of tomato 1 cup fine bread crumbs 2 tablespoons soft butter or margarine Salt and pepper to season crumbs 1 cup shredded cheese

1/4 cup butter or margarine 4 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk

Place fish in a buttered baking dish. Prepare a cheese sauce by mixing the 1/4 cup of butter with the flour; blend in salt (we also add a sprinkle of Cayenne pepper to this). Cook until blended. Add milk slowly, mixing all the time and cook until thickened and smooth. Add chopped onions and shredded cheese. Mix thoroughly. Spread over the fish. Top fish with the sliced tomatoes. Combine bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons soft butter. Add salt and pepper to season and spread over the tomato layer. Bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until fish flakes when tested with a fork.

As a change from tossed and fruit salads, using a variety of fruits, make a jellied Waldorf salad.

Waldorf Salad Mold 1 1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail 1 package lemon flavor gelatin

1/4 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups chopped, unpared apples

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup broken walnut or pecan meats

Heat 1 cup of the cranberry juice cocktail to the boiling point; remove from the heat and stir in the lemon flavor gelatin until dissolved. Add remaining juice and salt. Stir well and cool until partially set. Stir in the apple, celery and nuts. Pour into a water-rinsed mold and chill until firm.

Brownie Schrumpf of Orono has been the NEWS’ recipe columnist for 36 years.