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Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Apple Cinnamon Bread

3 Large Eggs
1 1/2 c. Sugar
3/4 c. Vegetable Oil
2 c. Flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
3 Honeycrisp Apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 c. chopped nuts
Whipped Cream or Ice Cream

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8 inch square baking pan. In large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, and oil until blended. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well combined. Stir in apples and nuts. Spread batter in pan and bake 65 to 70 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Serve w/whipped cream or ice cream.

Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup white Karo Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup margarine

6 cup Rice Krispies
1 bag Chocolate Chips

Mix first four ingredients and bring to a boil. Stir in Rice Krispies. Put in 13x9x2 greased baking dish. While warm, top with chocolate chips. Let melt. Spread out or top with favorite topping.

Soft Caramel Dip

50 wrapped caramels
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sour cream

Unwrap and melt caramels over low heat in a double boiler. Combine cream cheese and sour cream and mix well. Stir into caramel. Mix until well blended (this may take several minutes). Serve as a dip for apples, oranges, strawberries or any other fruit chunks.

Rollo Pretzels

Rollos
Pretzels
Peanuts

So easy, and so good!! Line a baking sheet w/tin foil. Place pretzels in a single layer on sheet. Using your thumb, slightly flatten 1 Rollo, then place on top of pretzel. Place 1-2 peanuts on top of each Rollo. Heat in oven at 375 for 5-6 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from the pan. These taste the best once they are completely cooled. I will usually freeze them for a few minutes.

Chex Party Mix

6 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 Ts garlic powder
3 Cups corn chex
3 Cups rice chex
3 Cups wheat chex
1 Cup mixed nuts
1 Cup bite size pretzels
1 Cup bite size bagel chips
Heat oven to 250. In a ungreased large roasting pan mix chex, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips. In a pan bring butter, Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic and onion powder to a boil. Pour over the top of chex mix and stir until evenly coated.
Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool about 15 minutes.

Chex Muddy Buddies

½ c peanut butter
1 c. chocolate chips
½ c butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3 cups powdered sugar
10-12 cups of Chex Rice Cereal

I know that this recipe differs slightly from the “official” Chex recipe, but after much testing, this seems to work better.
Melt peanut butter, chocolate chips, and butter in a large bowl in the microwave 1-2 minutes. Add vanilla. Gently mix in the cereal. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Add half of the mixture to a gallon size baggies filled with half of the powdered sugar. Shake to coat. Pour on a cookie sheet cover with wax paper to cool. Repeat with the second half of the mixture and powdered sugar.

Mini Haml Tarts

Bread
Mayo or cream cheese
Shredded cheese, any flavor
Chopped ham

Line a greased mini muffin tin with a square of regular bread, pressed into each muffin cup until the bread takes the shape of the muffin cup. Spread on a mixture of mayonnaise or cream cheese, shredded cheese and chopped ham. Bake at 350' for 5-10 minutes.

Chicken Spaghetti

1 pkg. spaghetti noodles
2 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
1 16 oz Velveeta Cheese, Mexican flavor
½ can Diced Green Chilies
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
Milk to the consistency that you want it

Cook and season chicken w/Mexican seasoning and then cut into small pieces. Combine cheese, soup, and chilies on med. heat, making sure that you don’t scorch the cheese. Stir until cheese is melted, add chicken. Serve over spaghetti.

Chili Mac

1 Box Velveeta Shells and Cheese
1 Can Chili (any variety, we prefer beanless)

Prepare Velveeta as directed, heat can of chili on the stove and add to the pasta. Super easy!

Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
4 ounces sliced ham
4 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
1 (8 ounce) package herbed dry bread stuffing mix
1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix together the cream of chicken soup and milk in a small bowl. Pour enough of the soup into a slow cooker to cover the bottom. Layer chicken breasts over the sauce. Cover with slices of ham and then Swiss cheese. Pour the remaining soup over the layers, stirring a little to distribute between layers. Sprinkle the stuffing on top, and drizzle butter over stuffing. Cover, and cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours, or 2 to 3 hours on High.

Princess Pasta

2 T Butter
1 T Minced Onion
4 oz Mushrooms, washed and sliced
1/8 tsp Salt
4 oz Ham, thin slices
1 T Fresh Parsley, minced
1 lb. Penne or Mostaccioli Pasta
1/2 pt. Whipping Cream
1 C Grated Parmesan Cheese

Mix butter and onion in skillet on medium heat. Saute until soft and white. Add mushrooms and salt. When mushrooms are done stir in ham and parsley. Remove from heat. Cook pasta and drain. Return pasta to pot on medium high heat. Pour in the cream and stir pasta until the cream begins to bubble. And 3/4 c. Parmesan cheese. Blend well and remove from heat. Stir in the ham mix, holding some back for the topping. Pour the pasta into a casserole dish, scraping the cream from the pot. Cover with the remaining ham mix and then sprinkle with the last 1/4 c Parmesan cheese.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Cheese Balls

1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 cup fresh shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces cold cream cheese
1 lb of your favorite deli meat
A box of your favorite crackers

Mix first three ingredients. Using a rubber spatula works best. Make sure the cream cheese comes straight out of the fridge or the mixture wont hold together. Immediately serve with crackers and top with deli meat.
For an extra fun twist roll into small balls and roll in walnuts

Parmesan Chicken

6-8 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) cut in half
1 c crushed Pepperidge Farm herb seasoned stuffing mix
2/3 c Parmesan cheese (not fresh grated)
1/4 c parsley
melted butter

Combine the crumbs, cheese and parsley. Dip the chicken in melted butter, then roll it in the crumb mixture. Place chicken in greased casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for one hour. Uncover the last 15 minutes to crunch up the chicken. I like to broil it for a minute or two after for extra crunchiness.

Serve over your favorite pasta and sauce.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Chicken Salad Croissants

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 8 ounce can of crushed pineapple
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

12 small croissants

Mix the first seven ingredients together. Cut croissants in half and spread salad inside.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Chocolate Almond Creme Brulee


Ingredients
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 whole vanilla bean
1 (3.52-ounce) Toblerone chocolate almond bar, finely chopped
6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar, plus more for topping



DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Pour the cream into a medium saucepan over low heat. Using a paring knife, split the vanilla bean down the middle, scrape out the seeds and add them to the saucepan. Put the vanilla bean in there too for extra flavor. Bring the cream to a brief simmer — do not boil, or it will overflow. Stir in the chocolate and remove the vanilla bean. Remove from the heat.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of sugar with a whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick.

Slowly pour the chocolate cream into the yolks, continuously whisking. Do not add hot cream too quickly or the eggs will cook. Whisk until well combined.

Fill a baking dish a 1/4 full with water. Set 4 6-ounce ramekins in the water bath. Using a ladle, divide the custard into the ramekins, filling about 3/4 full. Bake until barely set around the edges, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the water and cool. Refrigerate the creme brulee until completely cold, about 2 hours or up to overnight. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of each one, caramelize the tops with a creme brulee torch and serve.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Cheesy Tator-Topped Chili

Ingredients
6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), corn oil or vegetable oil
2 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons (very red) chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
Pinch of cinnamon
Salt
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 bottle stout beer
1-1 1/2 cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons butter
7 scallions, white parts finely sliced (use tender green parts for garnish)
1-1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 cups extra-sharp white cheddar, shredded

Preparation
In a large pot, boil the potatoes until they are fork-tender.While the potatoes are coming up to a boil, pre-heat a deep skillet or wide, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and ground beef and crumble up the meat as it cooks, using the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher, for about 8 minutes, until brown and caramelized.Add the onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, salt and tomato paste to the meat and cook another 5 minutes. Add the beer and stock, and stir to loosen any bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until thickened. Season the chili with salt to your taste.Once the potatoes are done cooking, drain and return them back to the same pot. Place the potatoes back over the heat, shaking them around a bit to dry them out. Add the butter and the whites of the scallions to the potatoes, and sauté the scallions 1-2 minutes, until tender.
Remove the potatoes from the heat then add in the milk, egg yolks, salt and ground black pepper. Mash them up with the potatoes masher. Fold the cheese into the potatoes and allow it to melt.At this point the chili should be ready to be poured into a casserole dish and topped with the cheesy scallion potatoes. Place the chili tater-topped casserole into the oven and brown the top, about 2-3 minutes. Garnish with the reserved green scallion tops and serve.

Sasha and I saw this dish prepared on the Rachel Ray cooking show. She decided she wanted to make it for my birthday dinner. It was delicious! I had never had cummin before and had no idea what I was missing out on all these years. (The stores were out of ground cummin, so we processed the cummin seeds in the vita-mix.)

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Pork Tacos and White/GreenSauce from family reunion, by Sandee

Pork Tacos
1 large Pork Roast
Brown the roast in a frying pan and then place in a large baking/roasting pan.In a blender place:
1 jalapeno pepper (cut seeds out)
1 onion
3 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
1 cup water
1 tsp. chili pepper
1/2 tsp. cayene pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 bunch cilantro
Blend the above ingredients in blender pour over the pork roast in the roasting pan.
Place 3 bay leaves and the other half of the cilantro on top of the roast/sauce.
Cover.
Bake at 325 for 5 to 6 hours. (I cook my port roast in a large crock pot that I have. I cook it on low for 8-10 hours.)
When done cooking throw the cilantro and bay leaves away.
Take the meat out of the pan and "pull" the pork apart.
It will be very tender and easy to pull.
Mix with the meat 2 jars or cans of Herdez Salsa Verde sauce.
Serve with corn tortilla shells and shedded cabbage, cut limes and white sauce/green sauce.

White sauce/green sauce
2 cups of mayonaise
1 clove of garlic
1/2 bunch of cilantro
2 TBSP water
2 TBSP white vinegar
1 jalapeno pepper (cut seeds out)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
Blend in blender. (I doubled the recipe for the family reunion)

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Chicken Enchiladas

4 Chicken Breasts
1 package tortillas
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 pint (2 cups) fat-free sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese

Boil chicken breasts until done and cut into cubes. Mix together chicken, cream of chicken, and sour cream. Stir in a couple handfuls of cheese.

Spread a layer of chicken mixture in the bottom of a large glass dish. Put tortillas in the dish and put two or three spoonfuls of chicken mixture in each tortilla. Roll the tortillas closed. The tortillas will stay closed if you squish lots of them together. Spread any remaining sauce on top.

Sprinkle cheese over all the tortillas. Cover with tinfoil. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted.

Monday, July 28, 2008

ROLO COOKIES

Rolo Cookies
1 c. butter or margarine
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
13 oz bag Rolo candies

Cream butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Add cocoa, baking soda, and flour. Take one tablespoon dough, wrap around rolo candy, roll into ball and roll in granulated sugar. Bake at 375 for 7-10 minutes. Be very careful not to over cook. You can also try this recipe with out the rolo candies.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Philadelphia Oven Baked French Toast

1 Italian or French bread
1 pkg (250 g) Philadelphia Brick Cream Cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup maple syrup

Cut bread into 8 to 10 thick slices. Beat cream cheese with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Add eggs, milk and maple syrup.

Dip bread slices in mixture and place in large casserole dish. Pour remaining liquid over bread. Let stand 1 hour or overnight in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Place slices of soaked bread on 2 greased baking sheets and bake for 20 minutes, turning once, or until golden brown. Serve immediately with maple syrup and fresh fruit.

Yogurt Fruit Dip

1 container of Cool Whip
2 individual containers of Yogurt (strawberry, raspberry, lemon etc.)
Fruit

Mix Cool Whip and Yogurt together and serve with fruit.

Brown Sugar Fruit Dip

1 Cube of cream cheese, slightly softened
Approx. 1 cup of unpacked brown sugar
1-2 tsp of vanilla
Fruit

Mix together until smooth. Serve with Apples, bananas etc.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Decadent Ham Sandwiches

Sliced ham (lunch meat, or from the deli)
Swiss cheese slices
8 dinner rolls
1 cup butter
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tsp. onion powder

Put together ham and swiss sandwiches on dinner rolls. Arrange them in a glass baking dish.

Melt butter and Worcestershire sauce over medium heat, then add onion powder. Pour this sauce in sandwiches and over them. Make sure they are closed tightly.

Bake sandwiches at 350F for 10 minutes.

Apple Bread

2 Med. Granny Smiths apples
1/2 cup butter or marg. (soft)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tsp vanilla
2 Cups flower
1 Tsp baking soda
1/4 Tsp salt

Mix all dry ingredients except sugar together and set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Stir in eggs, lemon juice and vanilla. Peel, core and coarsely chop apples. Stir in dry ingredients then apples.


Streusel...

In separate bowl mix
1 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tsp Cinnamon.

Pour 1/2 Batter in pan, then spread 1/2 streusel, then rest of batter and streusel on top. Bake at 350 for 55-60 Min.
Makes one loaf or three minis

Multi Use Bread Dough

Warm 1 cup milk for 1 minute. Pour into pan. Add 2 Tablespoon butter or margarine, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp yeast and 2 Tablespoon sugar. Add 3 cups flour. Mix. Let raise for approximately 30 minutes or more. Shape, put in a bread pan and let raise more.

Dark Pan cook 325 degrees for 25 minutes (approx)
Regular/Glass pan cook 350 degrees for 25 minutes (approx)

Brush with butter. Can be used for bread, rolls, pizza dough, pretty much anything you need bread for.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Alfredo Sauce

8 oz Cream Cheese
¾ c. Butter (not margarine)
1/3 c. Parmesan Cheese
¼ tsp. garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves for flavor
1 c. milk

On very low heat, melt & stir together cream cheese and butter in a nonstick pan. This will take awhile, be patient. Do not let this boil. Add parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Add milk (up to 1 ½ cups) to consistency you like your sauce. Serve over noodles.

Beefy Cheese Spirals

2-3 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1-1 1/2 lbs. Hamburger
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce
1/2-1 cup sour cream
2 1/2 - 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook pasta in boiling water until tender. Brown hamburger and drain. Add spaghetti sauce and let simmer for 5 mins. Spray 9x13 pan with Pam. Put half the pasta in pan. Top with half the meat sauce mixture. Dollop sour cream by spoonfuls around the meat mixture. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella cheese. Spread the rest of pasta, meat sauce, and cheese on top of the first layer. Cover and bake 350 for 30 mins.

Beef Taco Bake

1 lb ground beef
2 cans Campbell’s Creamy Ranchero Tomato Soup
½ cup water
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
4-5 Tortillas, either corn or flour. (I use corn for this recipe)
Sour Cream 6-8 oz
Season All or Taco seasoning

Brown hamburger, drain. Season with season all or some taco seasoning. Not too much, but I ALWAYS season my meat, makes such a difference.
Cut the tortillas into bite size pieces.
Add soup, salsa, water, 2 cups cheese, and sour cream until blended. Remove from heat. Mix in tortillas and spoon into a baking dish. Cover so it doesn’t get too crispy on top.
Bake at 400 for 30 min and then sprinkle last cup of cheese over top.
**Serve with sour cream, Guacamole, etc.

Crock Pot Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 16-oz. can chili beans, with liquid
1 15-oz.can kidney beans, with liquid
1 15-oz. can whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
2 c water
1 14.5-oz. cans peeled and diced tomatoes
1 4-oz. can diced green Chile peppers (adjust to taste)
1 1.25-oz. package taco seasoning mix
Garnishes such as corn chips, shredded cheese and sour cream.

In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned over medium heat. Drain. Place all items in crock. Mix to blend. Cook on low for eight hours. You can remove some of these items according to your family's preferences.
Top bowls with corn chips, shredded Cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Homemaid Oreo Cookies

2 packages devil's food cake mix
1 1/2 c. shortening
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all four ingredients together, roll into small balls. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Do not overcook! Allow to cool and then spread cream cheese frosting between two cookies.

Harvest Soup

3 tortillas, cut in strips
2 T oil
1 cup salsa
2 14-oz cans chicken broth
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken breast
1 small can of corn
1 large zucchini, coarsely chopped
sour cream

In a large saucepan combine salsa and chicken broth; bring to a boil over med-high heat. Stir in chicken, corn and zucchini; heat through.Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook tortilla strips in hot oil until crisp. Drain on paper towel.Serve soup in bowls, top with tortilla strips and sour cream. 3-4 servings.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

German Pancakes

8 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cube of butter

Put cube of butter into 9x13 pan, place in oven and then preheat to 400. While butter is melting beat the other 4 ingredients together. Pour in pan over the melted butter and return to oven for 20 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese
1 c. butter
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. powdered sugar

Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
1 2/3 c. sugar
1 c. oil
1 can (16 oz) pumpkin
2 c. flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
In a bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir dry ingredients together. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together and pour into an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Cool the cake completely before frosting with the cream cheese frosting!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 c. flour
1 c. sugar
2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
2 c. oats
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1½ c. butter
1 can pumpkin (16oz, although I usually use 1 ½ cans)
2 bags Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips


Heat oven @ 350
Combine butter, sugars, and egg. Next, add soda, cinnamon, and vanilla. Mix in the pumpkin and oats, stir, and then add the flour. Finally, add the chocolate chips.
Spoon small spoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Do not over cook. This will make a lot of cookies, probably 6-8 cookie sheets full.

Twice Baked Potatoes

6 Potatoes
1 cube butter
1/3 cup milk
Chopped Onions/ Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper

Bake potatoes depending on the size, for about 2 hours. Then cut the tops off of the potatoes and spoon out all of the insides into a bowl. Mix 3/4 of the butter, milk, onions, salt and pepper. Now spoon all the insides back into the potato skins. Divide the rest of your butter evenly over the top of your potatoes. Sprinkle some more salt and pepper on top and bake for another 30 to 40 min.

Orange Julius

1 Large can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 1/2 Cans water
1 1/2 can milk
1 Teaspoon vanilla
1/4 Cup sugar

Blend all ingredients and serve. You can also blend with ice to make a little crunchy.

Better than Sex Cake

1 box Devils' Food cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 Heath candy bars, crushed
1 tub Cool Whip

Bake cake as directed on box. Once cooled, cut several slits all over the top of the cake. Pour entire can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the candy bar pieces on top. Carefully spread the cool whip over the cake. Sprinkle with remaining candy bar pieces. Refrigerate at least one hour. Serve cold, and refrigerate leftovers.

Easy Cheesecake

8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. cool whip
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 graham cracker pie crusts

Beat until smooth, first five ingredients.
Pour into pie crusts.
Refrigerate one hour before serving.
Top with cool whip or fruit.

Caramel Turtles

1 1/3 cups pecan halves
18 squares caramels, individually wrapped
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice or break pecan halves lengthwise to make slivers for the four feet, head, and tail. For each turtle, arrange 6 nut pieces in a loose circle on foil-lined cookie sheet. Unwrap one caramel square and cut it in half. Set one half on top of the cluster of nut pieces. Once all turtles have been put together (and without disturbing the arrangement), place the tray of turtles in the oven for about 3 to 4 minutes. The caramels will melt onto the nuts, creating the turtle's shell. Remove the tray from the oven and set a few chocolate chips on top of each caramel. Return to oven for a few seconds to melt the chocolate. Spread out the melted chocolate with the back of a spoon if you'd like. Remove foil with candies on it from the baking sheet and allow them to cool completely. Makes 36 turtles.

Chicken Rolls

1 pkg Cream Cheeese
2 c. Cooked Chicken-diced
½ tsp. Pepper
1 Tbsp. Chives
2 cans Crescent Rolls
Dressing mix, crushed (optional)
Combine cream cheese, pepper, and chives. Heat until smooth, over medium heat. Add chicken and mix. Unroll rolls and put about ¼ c. of mixture of wide end and roll up. You can roll in dressing mix if desired. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Serve with chicken gravy.

Fried Ravioli

Olive oil, for frying
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups Italian-style bread crumbs
1 box store-bought cheese ravioli (about 24 ravioli)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 jar store bought marinara sauce, heated, for dipping

Pour enough olive oil into a large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees F. While the oil is heating, put the buttermilk and the bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Working in batches, dip ravioli in buttermilk to coat completely. Allow the excess buttermilk to drip back into the bowl. Dredge ravioli in the bread crumbs. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet, and continue with the remaining ravioli. When the oil is hot, fry the ravioli in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to paper towels to drain.
Sprinkle the fried ravioli with Parmesan and serve with a bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

6 Chicken Breasts
1 (16 oz) jar of salsa
½ pkg. of taco seasoning

Layer in crock pot and cook on low for 5-6 hours. During the last hour stir chicken to shred. Serve with your favorite taco toppings. This makes a ton of shredded chicken, so either cut recipe in half or plan on freezing some for later.

Green Chile Enchiladas

2 chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces
(1) 8 oz package cream cheese, cubed (makes it easier to mix if it’s cubed)
(1) 4.5 oz can diced green chilies
(2) 10 oz cans green Chile enchilada sauce. (I use Old El Paso for both this and the chilies).
Cheddar cheese
(1-2) small cans of sliced olives (optional)
Flour tortillas

Cook chicken until no longer pink (medium to med high heat). Add cubed cream cheese and chilies until melted. Add olives if desired.
Lightly spray 13x9x2 pan, pour thin layer of enchilada sauce over bottom.
Spoon chicken into tortillas. Roll and place seam down.
Pour remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas cover with cheese and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, until warm throughout and cheese is melted. I like to sprinkle some olives on the top before adding the cheddar cheese.

Harvest Soup

3 tortillas, cut in strips
2 T oil
1 cup salsa
2 14-oz cans chicken broth
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken breast
1 small can of corn
1 large zucchini, coarsely chopped
Sour cream

In a large saucepan combine salsa and chicken broth; bring to a boil over med-high heat. Stir in chicken, corn and zucchini; heat through.Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook tortilla strips in hot oil until crisp. Drain on paper towel.Serve soup in bowls, top with tortilla strips and sour cream. 3-4 servings.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Chicken Quesadillas

3-4 chicken breasts, chopped.
1-2 cans Campbell’s Southwest Style Pepper Jack Soup
Sour Cream 8-16 oz, depending on how much you want
Cheddar Cheese
1 small can olives
Flour Tortillas

Cook chicken until no longer pink. Add soup and sour cream until melted. Leave heat on low. Add olives.
Butter one side of two tortillas, add chicken mix in between these, butter side out. Don’t put too much in or it will spill out. Sprinkle in some cheddar cheese.
Fry both sides of tortillas in a skillet on med to med high heat until crisp.

Fruit Salsa and Chips

3 Medium apples, peeled and finely chopped (Honeycrisp, Gala, Pink Lady)
1 Pound fresh strawberries, washed and finely chopped
1 Kiwi, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
A little sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit
1 package four tortillas

Mix fruit together with the Fruit Salsa and Chips:
orange juice. Cut flour tortillas into pie shaped piece. Fry in hot oil on both sides. Remove and drain on paper towel. Sprinkle a small amount of sugar on each piece and use to dip in fruit salsa.

Mummy Dogs

Rhodes Dinner Rolls thawed, but still cold
Bun length hot dogs
Mustard and Ketchup

For each mummy dog, cut one dinner roll in half. Roll each half into a 22-24 inch rope. Wrap one rope around hot dog from bottom up 4 1/2 inches. Cut a 1 1/2 inch piece off of the second rope and set aside. then wrap the second rope around the hot dog from the bottom up 4 1/2 inches going the opposite way. Wrap the 1 1/2 inch pieces around the top of the hot dog. Place mummy dogs on a sprayed baking sheet. If desired, brush with egg. Bake at 350' for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, cool slightly and add mustard eyes. Serve warm with mustard and ketchup.

Crock Pot Chicken

4-6 Chicken Breasts
8 Ounces Cream Cheese
1 Package Dry Zesty Italian Dressing Mix
2 Cans Cream of Chicken Soup OR 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup & 1 small can of evaporated milk.

Mix cream cheese, dressing mix, and soup. Pour over chicken. Cook 6-8 hours on low in the crock pot. Serve over potatoes, rice or egg noodles.

Fried Burritos

Frozen chicken breast strips (chipotle flavored is best)
Black beans
Diced tomatoes
White rice, cooked
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheeses (I like cheddar and pepper jack)
Special ranch dressing*

Cook chicken on stove until warm; add beans, tomatoes, and rice. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until hot. Put everything in tortillas, sprinkle with cheese, fold tortilla over once, and fry. Once golden brown on both sides, open and drizzle with my special ranch dressing.

*special ranch dressing: really good- leftover from my meal at Costa Vida.

Oven Baked Ribs

1 can Consume soup
½ c. brown sugar
3½ Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic salt
½ tsp. ginger

Mix all ingredients together; pour over about 3 lbs. country style ribs. Let marinate 1 hour (or more). Bake at 350 for about 1 ½ hours or until sauce “caramelizes”, flipping ribs about halfway through.