2/28/09

Chicken Pillows

Filling
3-4 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
6 oz. cream cheese (can use fat free)
1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms
1 sm. can olives
dry chives (or fresh green onion tops)
¼ tsp. poultry seasoning
¼ -½ cup shredded cheese
2 can crescent rolls

Gravy
1 c. chicken broth (off boiled chicken)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cube beef bouillon
1 cube chicken bouillon

Soften cream cheese. Mix in chives, mushrooms, olives, poultry seasoning, cheese and chicken. Separate rolls and put 1 to 2 tablespoons cheese/chicken mixture on wide end of roll. Roll up, tucking in sides to seal. Bake in ungreased pan 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes. Serve with gravy over top.

*If you use canned chicken broth you won't need to use the bouillon cubes. The gravy will be too salty.

Hawaiian Haystacks

3 c. cooked, diced chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can milk (soup can)
2 pkg. chicken gravy mix

Mix soups, milk and gravy (in powder form) together stir until smooth. Add diced chicken and warm through. Serve over cooked rice. Garnish with mandarin oranges, pineapple tidbits, onions, celery, green pepper, cooked green peas, grated cheese, tomatoes, slivered almonds, chow mein noodles, and soy sauce.

Chicken, Rice and Broccoli Skillet

1 T. oil
4 boneless chicken breast halves
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 2/3 c. water
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 c. uncooked Minute rice
2 c. broccoli

Heat oil in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken and set aside. Mix soup, water, paprika and pepper; pour into skillet and heat to boiling. Stir in rice and broccoli. Top with chicken. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Season chicken with additional sprinkle of paprika.

Rice-A-Roni Meatballs

If you ask my 6-year old what his favorite food is he will say, "meatballs" and this is the type he is talking about!

1 lb. hamburger
1 pkg. Rice-A-Roni (beef flavor)
2 2/3 cups water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Egg noodles

Mix uncooked rice with hamburger. Make into 1-inch balls. Brown in pan. Mix flavor packet from from Rice-A-Roni and water; pour over meatballs. Cover and cook for 22-25 minutes. Add soup; simmer until warmed through and has a nice gravy. Serve over egg noodles.

Honey Baked Pork Chops

6 boneless pork chops
½ c. honey
¼ c. cider vinegar
¼ tsp. ground ginger
1 clove minced garlic
2 T. soy sauce

Place honey, vinegar, ginger, garlic and soy sauce in blender and mix well. Place pork chops and honey mixture in a baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350-degrees for 1 hour. Turn pork chops occasionally while baking.

*You can also mix all ingredients together and freeze until ready to bake.

2/27/09

Pan Toasted Veg

A no brainer, but a staple in my house.

I put a very little bit of olive oil in a big frying pan - enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

Slice zucchini or yellow squash or mexican green squash, mushrooms, eggplant OR The BEST is Frozen green beans from Costco.

toss in pan with a few dashes of seasoned salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Cook on Med. Hi until slightly toasted.

2/26/09

Beef and Broccoli

This is not my recipe - it is from Essential Mormon Celebrations by Julie Badger Jensen page 14. It is so yummy and easy!

1 lb top round beef steak
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T. sugar
1/4 c. white grape juice or apple juice
2 T. cornstarch
1 c. water
2 c. fresh broccoli florets, stems removed (I double or triple this - can't have too much broccoli!)
4 T. vegetable or olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. sesame oil

Cut beef steak into 2 inch strips, set aside.

Combine soy sauce, sugar, juice, cornstarch, and water in a small bowl, set aside.

In a large skillet (I use a wok), stir fry broccoli in 2T oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Place broccoli in another dish.

Add remaining oil in the same skillet and heat on medium high heat. Add beef steak and cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour soy sauce mixture over meat and cook until slightly thickened. Stir in sesame oil.

Remove from heat, stir in broccoli. Serve over hot steamed rice. Makes 8 servings.

I like to continue heating to soften the broccoli just a bit more. This is super yummy!

Enjoy!

2/23/09

Lemon Bars from scratch!

Not to toot my own horn but........... TOOT TOOT! These are the best!

CRUST
1 cup butter
dash of salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour

FILLING
4 beaten eggs
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup flour
6 tbsp. lemon juice

Combine butter, salt, powdered sugar, and 2 cups flour. Mix well. Press into a 9*13 pan. Bake at 350' until golden brown around the edges. About 15 minutes. LET COOL.

Combine eggs, sugar, flour and lemon juice. Pour onto cooled crust and bake for 25 minutes at 350'.

Let cool again and dust with more powdered sugar!!!!!

Ham n' Hashbrown Bake....

Good ol' stand by!

1 30 oz. bag frozen hash brown shreds
1 10.5 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pint sour cream
1/2 small onion
1 package ham lunch meat
shredded cheddar cheese


Saute onion in a small dab of butter
Dice lunch meat (I buy the the meat that is kind of stacked, it's easy to dice)

Combine sour cream, soup, onion, diced ham, and 1/4 of the cheddar cheese
Then add the hash browns still frozen

Bake at 350' covered for 45 minutes

Uncover and add the remaining cheese. Continue to bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.

This is when I add salt and pepper per individual serving!

Mmmmmmm!!!!!

2/21/09

Bisquick Pie


Bisquick Pie is a favorite around our house. It is very versatile - when I make it I am usually just cleaning out the fridge! This is basically a crustless quiche. The basic recipe for the "egg part" of the quiche is:

1 1/2 c. milk

3 eggs

3/4 c. bisquick

Mix all ingredients and pour over fillings in pie plate. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

Now for the fillings - you just arrange them in a pie plate and pour the "egg part" over the top. I use about a cup each of 2 or 3 main fillings then I always add sauteed onions, about 1/2 cup or so.

Some of the different fillings I have used are:

-ham, broccoli, cheddar cheese, onions

-ground beef (browned and drained), cheddar cheese, onions

-bacon, swiss cheese, onions

-sausage (browned and drained), cheese, onions


Other things I have thought about, but haven't done:

-pepperoni, mozzarella, olives

-chicken, broccoli, cheddar

-chicken, bacon, and tomatoes (club style)


Enjoy! Please leave a comment if you have any other great filling ideas! I'd love to try something new!

2/19/09

Enchiladas

Ok Michelle. This one's a recipe from memory - it's been passed all around my family from my uncle who served his mission in South America somewhere :}. I change it a little pretty much every time I make it, so adjust accordingly for your family's liking.

The original recipe goes like this:

1# ground beef, browned with minced onions,drained
1 small carton cottage cheese
1 small can sliced or diced olives
1 large can tomato sauce
Grated cheddar cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 package flour tortillas

Hold a tortilla in your hand, and stack a scoop of each ingredient along the width of tortilla. Roll up tightly, and place in greased 9x13 baking dish. Continue until meat, olives, and cottage cheese are used up. *Depending on how you measured your ingredients, you may need to use another smaller pan for extra enchiladas. I do pack them in pretty tightly though. Spread extra tomato sauce over top of enchiladas, and top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes, or until edges are golden and you can see the sauces bubbling.

* I have adapted this a ton of ways, but my favorite way is to make up a box of Rice-A-Roni Mexican rice (or from scratch if you're feeling ambitious), and add it to the mix. I've also used jarred enchilada sauce in place of the tomato sauce. It's much more flavorful that way, but I don't usually keep it on hand, so tomato sauce is easier to use. Add a teaspoon of ground cumin and 1 T. chili powder to the tomato sauce, and it tastes pretty close to enchilada sauce. I hope this didn't confuse. :)

For Your Information

I just wanted to point you ladies to a website that I LOVE. This is the chef, Joyce Doughty, that I worked for all those many years ago. Her daily blog has a TON of little tidbits of info that help anyone who likes to cook. Check it out!

Sugar Cookies

For years I hunted for a sugar cookies recipe that would suit me. I tasted this recipe that I got from my friend, Erica, and it has replaced all the other recipes I was holding on too. These are best topped with Cherry Frosting.

1-1/2 cups shortening
1 cup butter
2-1/2 cups sugar
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
1 T. vanilla
1 T. almond extract
1 tsp. salt
8 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup oil
1 French Vanilla cake mix
8 cups flour

Mix butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, milk, sour cream, vanilla and almond extract. Stir together salt, baking powder, oil and cake mix; stir in with butter/sugar mix. Slowly add flour until mixture is only slightly sticky (it will take all 8 cups of flour).

Bake at 350-degrees for 10-minutes. Let cookies rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack. They might not look done after baking 10 minutes but they will continue cooking while resting. This is the key to keeping them soft.

This recipe makes a TON of cookies. It is easier to mix if you have a Bosch or a Professional size Kitchen-Aid mixer.

*I put a small amount of powdered sugar on the counter to roll the cookies out. It doesn't toughen the cookies like flour does. Because of all the 'oils' in the recipe it doesn't really stick to the counter anyway.

Cherry Frosting

This is the best frosting I've ever had. It's the only recipe I use for sugar cookies.

1 cube butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 bag powdered sugar
1 container cherry or cream cheese flavored frosting (Betty Crocker or other brand)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp almond extract

Microwave butter and milk until it pops and is super hot. Stir in powdered sugar until it thickens and cools. Add frosting, vanilla and almond extract.

Homemade Marinara

I found this recipe on this website (which I LOVE by the way)and just had to try it. This is my adapted version. I realize that this looks like a lot more work than most are willing to go to, but trust me. The end result is well worth the cooking time in this recipe! Not to mention, if you happen to plant waaayyy too much zuchinni and squash in your garden (ahem, who me?), it is a great way to sneak them to your kids without them even knowing they're getting veggies!

1 medium zucchini
1 medium crookneck squash, peeled
1 large white onion
1 C. celery
1 T. minced fresh garlic (or more to taste)
1 T. olive oil
2 T. sugar
2 T. salt
3/4 t. pepper
8-10 tomatoes OR 3 cans stewed tomatoes
2 T. basil


Chop finely (or food process) all veggies, except tomatoes. I grate my veggies in my KitchenAid slicer attachment. Saute in large braising pot with the oil. When vegies are limp and shimmering, add tomatoes with juice, and the sugar, salt, and pepper. Puree all together with immersion blender (or in blender - you may need to do small batches). Allow to simmer for 3-5 hours without lid. It should reduce about 1/3. I like to let it cook the full 5 hours so that the flavor is really strong, and the watery liquid has mostly evaporated. At this point, chop basil finely(or use dried), and stir in. Remove from heat, and serve immediately, or let cool completely. From this point, I portion out what my family will eat in one meal, and put it into a freezer ziploc. Then freeze. To reheat, I just turn the frozen block out into a large pot, and slowly reheat. *This is where I add 1 pound of browned, drained Italian sausage or add these to the sauce. Serve with pasta!

Penne Pasta Casserole

This is one of those recipes you can make when you don't have much preparation time or when you are in one of those "I just don't know what to make" moods.

1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 lrg. onion or 1 T. dried minced onion
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic & oregano
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
12 oz. (3 1/2 - 4 cups) uncooked penne pasta (cook according to pkg. directions)
3 cups (12 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet until beef is crumbled and no longer pink; drain. Stir in diced tomatoes and tomato paste and 1/2 cup water. Season to taste; heat through.

Coat a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Combine cooked pasta with meat-tomato mixture and 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Pour into baking dish; top evenly with remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered in a preheated 350-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

*My husband and kids are not fans of tomato chunks so I puree the diced tomatoes in the blender with the tomato paste and water.

2/18/09

Meatballs ala Family Fun Magazine

These are really very tasty. They freeze really well, so you can make a double (triple, quad, etc.) and just pull out what you need from a freezer ziploc. I've used an entire "chub" of ground beef to make a large batch - and they stayed tasty even after a month or so in the freezer. They're also pretty versatile. We use them with marinara, pesto, or barbecue-sauce soaked on a toasted bun.

1/4 C. onion
1/2 C. parsley (3 T. dried)
1/2 C. parmesan cheese
1/2 C. bread crumbs
1 1/2 T. worchestershire sauce
2 eggs
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper

Put all ingredients in large bowl and mix well with your hands. (I used to think this part was gross - but once you can get past the raw meat thing, it really is just like playing with playdough!) Portion out walnut-sized balls, and place on a baking-rack lined cookie sheet that has a lip. *The baking rack holds them out of the grease - You can put them straight on the pan, but be prepared for a little puddle of grease around each one. Don't worry about spacing either. I line them up with just a little space between each, and they cook just fine. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. If you decide to freeze them, cool completely, and pile into a ziploc in a single layer. Simply reheat them when you need them.

Mushroom chicken in the crockpot

I am making this tonight for my own family and as a meal to bring to somebody else (I hope they like it!)

SUPER SIMPLE!

In the crockpot:
one can of cream of mushroom soup
one packet of Lipton "Recipe Secrets" onion soup mix (near the soup at Grocer) - any flavor
(DO NOT add water or milk... avoid the temptation - chicken makes a lot of "water" in the crockpot!)

stir those up

add 2 to 3 pounds of chicken. I have used legs, and boneless, skinless breasts... whatever

I put my crockpot on low for four hours, but you know your crockpot best.

The last time I made this, I added a can of black beans, a can of corn and a can of green chiles to the pot in the last hour, and my family loved it. We ate this with mashed potatoes and green salad.

Tonight for the meal I am taking... I think I will make baked potatoes and a green salad.

p.s. Thanks for adding me to your little group, I am excited to find some new recipes!

2/16/09

Chicken 'cordon blu'

OK so this isn't the real thing. But its yummy! And my kids think its a fancy meal when we call it that.

I'm leaving amounts out because it is pretty adaptable...just use as much chicken as your family will eat. And slice the ham and cheese to match the amount of chicken you use. For just my family I only use 1 can of soup 'cause the kids don't like the sauce. But when I make it for company I use 2 cans.

Chicken breasts pounded THIN and cut in half or thirds depending on how big the breasts are. (I like the pieces to be about as big as my hand- not palm- when flattened.)
Sliced ham (I use lunch meat)
Mozzarella (or swiss) sliced fairly thin
Italian seasoned bread crumbs
Can(s) cream o' soup (mushroom or chicken)
Milk (1 can of soup = 1/2 soup can of milk)
Seasoning to taste (pepper, garlic etc.)
Parmesan cheese grated
toothpicks

Lay out flattened chicken piece, top with ham and sliced cheese. Fold in 1/2 and secure with toothpick. Place in greased 9X13 dish. Repeat with all chicken, ham & cheese.
Sprinkle generous amount of bread crumbs over chicken.
Mix soup, milk and seasonings in bowl. Pour around chicken pieces in dish. Top with grated parmesan. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. Check for done-ness, remember the ham may turn the chicken pink....

I serve this with rice or buttered pasta, and a green salad.

*Note- I like to make this Saturday afternoon and refrigerate it till after church on Sunday. (We have 8:30 church) When we get home I throw it in the oven (still covered in foil) at about 350 for as long as it takes the rice to cook. It is always nice and bubbly when the rice is ready to serve.

2/15/09

Porcupine Meatballs

This recipe is a family favorite.

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. uncooked rice
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 15oz can tomato sauce
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Mix meat, rice, water, and spices. Roll into balls and place in ungreased 9x13 pan. Mix tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over meatballs. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes longer or until done.

Enjoy!

2/9/09

Delicious Pancakes

Yet another Doughty's Restaurant staple that we love around here. This is the only way I like to eat my pancakes!!! I posted it here over the holidays, which is when we have them the most!

2/8/09

Chocolate Oatmeal Cake

I got this recipe from The Essential Mormon Cookbook by Julie Badger Jensen on page 24. I made it for our "young married" activity this weekend and it was to die for.

Yes - we are still attending the young married activities - our kids are still young, so we can pretend, right?

This is very moist and delicious. I warmed up some leftovers in the microwave today for about 10 seconds and it freshened it up! Yummy!

1 c. quick oats
1 ¾ c. boiling water
½ c. butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1oz squares of unsweetened baking chocolate (I never buy this, so I mix 3 T. cocoa powder w/ 1 T. oil – this is equivalent to 1 oz of unsweetened baking chocolate J)
1 ¾ c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 c. chocolate chips (I used ½ dark chocolate and ½ milk chocolate – because that’s what I had)

Place oats in a bowl, pour boiling water over oats and let stand for 10 minutes. In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Remove pan from heat. Add brown and white sugar to butter and stir until well blended. Add eggs and oatmeal mixture. In a separate bowl heat baking chocolate squares in microwave just until melted (or not if you made your own). Add to mixture. Blend dry ingredients together and add to mixture. Stir in ½ of the chocolate chips. Pour mixture into greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle top with remaining chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

2/7/09

Cilantro Lime Rice

Substitute chicken broth for the water. Add a small can of diced green chiles to the broth cook rice according to directions. When rice is done add juice from a lime or the bottle, couple drops will do. Add some fresh cilantro and stir it up. I leave the cilantro out all the time. Enjoy

Beef Enchiladas

1 lb Ground beef, cooked
enchilada packet (McCormick is the best)
1 can fire roasted dice tomatoes, regular diced works also
sour cream
cheese, chedder is bedder!
tortillas, I like flour

In a blender add the packet according to directions and can of tomatoes. Blend so your kids can't see the tomato junks. Mix with your beef and simmer. Use a slotted spoon and scoop out the beef mixture trying to drain the sauce. Place a spoon full of sour cream and a little cheese. Roll it up and place in the pan. Continue until meet is gone, pour remaining sauce over top add some cheese. Cover and bake for 40-45 min at 350. I always remove the cover and cook without it for the last 10 minutes.

2/5/09

Broccoli Rice Casserole

My mom used to make this all the time growing up. You can add ham or chicken, but I like it just like this!

1 lb Velveeta cheese
2 c. cooked rice
12 oz pkg frozen broccoli, thawed
1 can cream of whatever soup (we use cream of mushroom)
1/4 c. milk

Melt cheese together with soup and milk. Add broccoli and rice. Mix well. Pour into a 9x13 pan. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy!

Dinner in a Pumpkin (Or not)

This one is controversial in our house. I LOVE it, the others, not so much. They do love it when I leave it out of the pumpkin - so take that for what it is. My SIL just asked for the recipe - so I know I'm not crazy to like it. It does make a really cheap, hearty meal however it is presented!

1 medium size pumpkin
1 small onion, chopped
2 T. veg. oil
1-2# ground beef
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 4oz can mushrooms (I leave these out)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 C. cooked white rice
1 can water chestnuts(blech) OR 1 C. carrots and celery, finely chopped

Brown onions, meat, and veggies in the oil. Drain, add all ingreds except rice. Saute for 10 mins. Stir in rice. (Serve at this point) OR Cut off top of pumpkin. Scoop out insides. Put rice mixture in pumpkin. Bake on cookie sheet 1 hour at 350 degrees. Serves 6-8

2/3/09

Buttered Pasta

This is probably a no brainer, but it's a family favorite. We serve it alongside grilled chicken and steamed broccoli. YUM!

Boil your pasta. Drain and return to pot. Add 1 T. minced garlic and anywhere from 1/2 to a whole cube of butter, depending on your tastes. Then add parmesan cheese, as much or as little as you like. Mix well and serve immediately.

Potato Chowder

Here is the original recipe I got from my visiting teacher when she brought this yummy dish after I had my second baby. It is a winter time favorite at our house.

8 cups peeled/diced potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3 cans (14 oz each) Chicken broth
1 can Cream O Chicken (or mushroom) soup
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
Crumbled bacon- optional
Snipped Chives- optional
1 cup frozen veggies- optional

Combine first 5 ingredients in large crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours (high 3), or until potatoes are tender. Add cubed cream cheese and stir. Cook for one more hour (high 1/2), stir occasionally. garnish with bacon and chives if desired.

Now here is how I modify it:
When I go to add the cream cheese, I spoon off about 1/2 cup of the broth and add it to the cream cheese. I use my immersion blender to mix it together till smooth. Then I stir it back into the crock pot. I then use the immersion blender to puree SOME of the potatoes, but not too many.
My family also really likes it when we add shredded turkey (or chicken) or small chunks of ham. I add it at the same time as the cream cheese.
I don't add the veggies, and I use a little less than 1/4 tsp pepper.

Great with bread bowls!!