Caramelized Ham and Swiss Buns

These are FANTASTIC!!  The sweetness of the brown sugar combines with the horseradish to make an unbelievable taste in your mouth.  Simply divine.

You make them a day ahead and bake them before you want to serve them.  They are easy and delicious!  I made them for our Christmas party, but they would make an excellent brunch or dinner anytime.  You could also serve them as an appetizer before dinner.

I will definitely be making these again!  This time I doubled the recipe, but forgot to double the sauce.  It was a happy accident because I wouldn't have wanted more sauce!  The amount was just perfect.  I think I might half the sauce if I only made 12 sandwiches in the future.

Based on the leftovers, I think I better make 36 instead of 24 for next year's party!

The recipe comes from the December 2013 issue of Taste of Home.

Caramelized Ham and Swiss Buns

1 package (12 ounces) Hawaiian sweet rolls, split

1/2 cup horseradish sauce
12 slices deli ham (I used Black Forest Ham from Giant Eagle's deli)
6 slices Swiss cheese, halved (I bought a brick and shaved it on the cheese grater)
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard (I used Dijon because that's what I had)
2 tsp poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Spread roll bottoms with horseradish sauce. Layer with ham and cheese; replace tops. Arrange in a single layer in a greased 9 in.square baking pan. 

In a small skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour over rolls. Refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350. Bake, covered, 25 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 5-10 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Peanut Butter Balls

Chris dipping the peanut butter balls in chocolate!

We are not Christmas cookie baking people.  Sure, Chris makes chocolate chip cookies from time to time, but we don't "do" the frantic baking thing at the holidays.  As a result, I never get as many peanut butter balls as I require.

This year, I saw this recipe floating around Facebook, and I asked Chris if he would make it for our Christmas party.

I will warn you, it was a bit of mess! But these are THE BEST peanut butter balls I've ever tasted!  He did use his hands to mix the peanut butter part, as directed in the recipe.  He used milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet, which makes them just a little bit sweeter.  I actually prefer milk chocolate, so maybe that's why I loved these so much!

So here's the recipe.  (The personal notes are from the original poster -- I'm sorry I don't know who that was to give her/him credit!)

No Bake Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

1-18 oz. jar of smooth or chunky peanut buter - I prefer smooth
1 - 16 oz. bag of confectioners sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
 
chocolate almond bark
or
chocolate candy melts
or
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips & 2 tsp. shortening

In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, confectioners sugar and melted butter until the mixture is crumbly. For the next step, the best way that I've found to make a smooth filling is to use your hands to mix everything together.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Roll the peanut butter filling into 1 inch balls and line the baking sheet with rows of the balls. Set the baking sheet in the freezer for 5-7 minutes to chill the peanut butter balls for easier dipping.

Herbed Mustard-Coated Chicken

I used to make this recipe all the time, but it's been years since the last time we had it!  Thankfully I remembered what cookbook it was in after all these years.

This is a simple, delicious recipe that doesn't take long to make.  It comes from the Pillsbury cookbook Chicken, Beef & Pork from August 1998.  I think it might be one of the first cookbooks I ever bought!

Tonight I served it with a boxed pasta and steamed fresh green beans in garlic butter with fresh pepper.

Herbed Mustard-Coated Chicken

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp Italian dressing
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
2 Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dry parsley
2 Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dry thyme
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 Tbsp butter, melted
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease a 15x10x1 baking pan (I just use my glass 13x9 pan).  In small bowl, mix salad and dressing.

In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, and pepper.  Mix well.  Add butter.  Toss to mix well.  (To save a step, I melt the butter in the bowl first and dump the rest in!)

Place chicken in greased pan.  Spread mustard mixture on both sides of chicken.  Spoon bread crumb mixture evenly on top of chicken.  Press firmly.

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and juices run clear.  If desired, slice chicken breasts diagonally before serving.

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

The boyfriend found this recipe, and while I'm not big on Brussels sprouts, I figured I would try it.  I cheated and used bread crumbs instead of buying a loaf of french bread for a two ounce slice.  I also ended up cooking the sprouts longer than indicated in the braising portion because they didn't seem as tender as I would have liked (and since I so rarely cook them, it's harder to judge if they're done!).  Next time I would use the low setting on our broiler (we have "high" and "low" and no recipe seems to ever indicate which), as I used the high setting and the topping ended up slightly overdone.  But, overall, a good recipe, and a much more palatable way to eat Brussels Sprouts!

2 hickory-smoked bacon slices
4 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1 (2-ounce) slice French bread baguette
3 tablespoons butter


1. Preheat broiler.
2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings; crumble. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots to drippings in pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add Brussels sprouts and 1 cup water; bring to a boil. Cover pan loosely with aluminum foil; cook 6 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are almost tender. Uncover and remove from heat. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; toss to combine. Spoon Brussels sprouts mixture into a 2-quart broiler-safe glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Place bread in a food processor, and process until finely ground. Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Add cooked, crumbled bacon to toasted breadcrumb mixture. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over Brussels sprouts mixture. Broil 3 minutes or until golden and thoroughly heated.

White Chicken Chili Soup

So, the other day on facebook, a friend commented on a friend of her's pin on pinterest (the beauty of social media!), a white chicken chili recipe.  I've never had white chicken chili and truthfully, had been a bit leery of it.  But this recipe seemed easy and with two cups of shredded cheese and a cup of sour cream I figured it must taste pretty good.  I'm so glad I tried it, another tasty recipe to add to the collection!  Since I'm lazy, I used two 10 oz cans of chicken.  Also, I opted for the Mexican blend cheese.  I brought it to a low boil and then reduced the heat to let the soup simmer for the 30 minutes.

4 cups chicken broth
4 15.5 oz. cans Great Northern Beans drained and rinsed
2 cups shredded chicken
1 small can diced green chilies
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese Monterrey Jack or Mexican Blend

In a large pot, add broth, beans, chicken, green chilis, cumin, garlic powder, oregano and pepper. Simmer on low-medium heat for 20-30 minutes, or until it is heated through.
Right before serving, stir in sour cream and cheese until it is all blended and melted.

Orange Julius

I have fond memories of when trips to the local shopping mall included a stop at the Orange Julius place.  This recipe was found in the Taste of Home Low-Fat Country Cooking cookbook.  I'm not sure it's exactly like the way they used to make it, but it's close and it's tasty.

1 can (6 oz) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 cup skim milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10-12 ice cubes

In a blender, combine orange juice concentrate, milk, water, sugar, and vanilla.  Cover and blend until smooth.  With blender running, add ice cubes, one at a time, through the opening in the lid.  Blend until smooth.  Serve immediately.  Yield: 5 servings

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

This isn't very good for you.  But OH is it worth it!

Lately I've been tweaking recipes, either because I don't have exactly what the recipe calls for or I want to jazz it up a bit.  Here is what I did instead:

• I never buy garlic salt, so I used minced garlic.  I think it was a little less than 1/2 tsp.
• I've never even heard of onion salt!  I chopped up 2 green onions from the garden instead.
• I use penne all the time.  I thought gemelli would be more fun!
• When I read this recipe I was surprised it didn't have any mustard in it.  So I added about 2 Tbsp of dijon.  I think the sauce would have tasted flat without it, so I highly recommend adding it.
• Next time I think I'd also add some thyme to it.

This recipe appeared in the September/October issue of Taste of Home.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

3 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened and cubed
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic dalt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 cups sliced cooked chicken breast
3/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
3/4 cup cubed fully cooked ham
3 Tbsp dry bread crumbs

My additions:
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 to 1 tsp thyme
chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook pasta according to directions for al dente.  Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat cream and cream cheese over medium heat until smooth, stirring occasionally.  Stir in one cup of cheese, onion powder, garlic salt and pepper until blended.

In a bowl, combine chicken, bacon, ham, and pasta.  Add sauce.  Toss to coat.  Transfer to a greased 13x9 baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with bread crumbs.  Bake, uncovered 18-22 minutes or until heated through.

Chicken Bundles

This recipe is actually called "Turkey Bundles," but I'm much more likely to use chicken in a recipe than turkey.  Unless, of course, it's Thanksgiving.

I did make a few changes to the recipe.  I added some carrots and peas.  I substituted celery seed for celery salt.  I used softened cream cheese and half the milk.  And instead of seasoned bread crumbs, I used plain and sprinkled a little poultry seasoning on top of each one.  Oh, and I hate water chestnuts.  So I skipped them.

Since I added the veggies and had some extra chicken, I went ahead and used all the crescent rolls to make eight.  The recipe calls for one 8 oz and one 4 oz tube of crescent rolls to make six, which is odd.

This recipe was in the October/November 2013 Taste of Home.

Chicken Bundles

4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp whole milk
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
1 green onion, chopped
2 tubes crescent rolls (one 8 oz and one 4 oz)
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp seasoned bread crumbs

1.  Preheat ove to 375.  In a large bowl, beat the first five ingredients until smooth.  Stir in chicken, water chestnuts, and green onion.

2.  Unroll both tubes of crescent dough and separate dough into six rectangles.  Press perforations to seal.  Place 1/3 cup of chicken mixture in center of each rectangle.  Bring four corners together above filling.  Twist and pinch seams to seal.  (The picture shows them this side up.  I make a mess out things when I seal them, so I prefer to put that on the bottom.)

3.  Place bundles on a baking sheet.  Brush tops with butter.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Blackberry coffee cake

I found this recipe years ago, when looking for a dessert to make with some blackberries I had (or that's how I'm remembering it anyway.  The name on allrecipes is odd, but the cake is amazing!  It's always a hit and it's easy!  You mix up the dry ingredients, cut in the butter (I use butter not margarine as it calls for), then put some of that aside for the crumb topping - isn't that easy!? - before mixing in the eggs and milk to make the cake batter.  Also, I always add more fruit than the 1 cup that it calls for.  Who doesn't like a bit more fruit!?  As some of the comments indicate, it does take longer than 25 minutes to bake through.  Check it at 25 just to be sure, but it generally takes closer to 50 in my oven.  The cake is very adaptable, I've used raspberries and frozen berries if they're out of season.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup margarine
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup milk
1 cup blackberries

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan.
2) In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 3/4 cup of crumb mixture, to be used as a topping for the cake. Mix eggs and milk together and then blend into remaining mixture in bowl.
3) Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle blackberries evenly over the top. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over fruit.
4) Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Wells Cesear Salad

While I've seen many versions of Ceasar salad (I have a small cookbook devoted to them!), this is the version I almost always make.... Many, many years ago at college, while I worked in Dining Hall (as nearly all first years did), I saw one of the cooks making up a batch of Cesaer salad - which I should mention was always a hit when it was put out on the regular salad bar.  I took to making single servings of it for myself when I wanted it but it wasn't out, and then sometimes some friends asked for me to make it for them.  I brought the dish home and it's become one of my family favorites, particularly during holiday dinners.  Because I only observed her making it, I can't guarantee I didn't miss an ingredient, and this is one of those that I've *always* eyeballed.  I have no idea of quantities.

A heart of romaine lettuce (or leaves off a head, but a single heart from a package of 3 hearts makes a nice amount for a dinner for 4)
Some bacon bits - about a palmful, but to taste
Some grated parmesan cheese (using Kraft or store brand is fine), a couple three shakes, again to taste
Croutons, about half a package, give or take
Ranch salad dressing, a good amount, start light and then add as needed, feel free to experiment with other versions of ranch or try a creamy Ceasar

Tear lettuce into bite sized pieces, add bacon bits, parmesan, and croutons.  Pour in some salad dressing - mix well to combine, add more if needed.  Lettuce and croutons should be lightly coated.  Serve immediately.  Can be prepped ahead of time by washing and tearing the lettuce, adding the bacon bits and parmesan and storing bowl in the fridge.  Just before serving, add the croutons and dressing as the croutons will start to get soggy.

Summer Vegetable Cobbler

I have discovered the best recipe on the planet for zucchini. 

This recipe is PERFECTION.  It's patterned after a fruit cobbler, but it is savory.  It sort of reminded me of a meatless chicken a la king.

I tweaked it a little, based on what I had.  I used a green pepper instead of a red one, and a purple onion.  The biggest change I made was because my baking powder expired over 2 years ago.  Instead I used the Bisquick recipe for cheddar biscuits.  (2 cups Bisquick, 2/3 cup milk, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar -- I did use fresh basil too!)  I sprinkled a little bit of Parmesan over the top too.

The recipe suggests it is a vegetarian main dish.  I made it as a side dish.  But I could have eaten a whole plate of it!!!

It appeared in the June/July issue of Taste of Home magazine.

Summer Vegetable Cobbler

2 Tbsp butter
3 small zucchini and/or summer squash, sliced
1 small sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

For biscuits:

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp cold butter
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp minced fresh basil
2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400.  In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add zucchini, red pepper, and onion.  Cook until zucchini is crisp-tender, about 10-12 minutes.  Add garlic.  Cook 1 minute longer.

In a small bowl, whisk flour, milk, salt, and pepper.  Stir into pan.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until sauce is thickened.  Spoon into a greased 8-inch square baking dish.

For topping, in a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs.  Stir in cheese and basil.  Add milk.  Stir just until moistened.  Drop by rounded tablesoonfuls over filling.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until filling is bubbly and biscuits are golden brown.

Mom's Potato Salad

This is my mom's recipe for potato salad, which as far as I'm concerned is PERFECT and is what all potato salad should taste like!

It calls for Nance's Sharp & Creamy Mustard, which is tough to find outside Central New York.  Substitute whatever mustard you like.  Nance's is really tangy, which is what I love about this recipe.  I would imagine a dijon would be a nice exchange.

 

My mom's secret is to rinse the pickle relish so it doesn't make the mayo funky.  My grandma always said the vitamins were in the skins, so you should boil the potatoes skin-on and peel them afterwards.  That is really difficult to do!  I sacrifice any vitamins that might be in the skins and I just peel them first.

Mom's Potato Salad

2 1/2 pounds red potatoes

1/3 small jar of sweet pickle relish, rinsed

2 radishes, finely diced like confetti

1/2 green pepper, finely diced like confetti

1/2 bottle of Nance's Sharp & Creamy Mustard  (I think the bottles have gotten smaller!  Half of a 10 oz bottle wasn't quite as "zingy" as I've made it before!)

Mayo to the desired texture (I only use Hellman's)

Boil the red potatoes whole until they are cooked through, but not mushy.  Rinse them in cold water and let them cool enough to handle them.  Cut in cubes of desired size.

Add relish, radishes, pepper, and mustard.  Stir to combine.  Add mayo until potato salad is of desired consistency.  

Enjoy!

Oh So Good Chicken (chicken rice casserole with salsa and sour cream)

My cousin mentioned a few weeks ago (on facebook) that she was planning to make this dish for dinner that night.  I asked and she found the recipe for me and I'm so glad she did.  It's a fairly easy dish to throw together and very tasty!  I used regular (as in not minute) rice as that's what I had in the cupboard.  I used an 8 oz package of pre-sliced mushrooms (which yields slightly more than the two cups the recipe calls for, but I like mushrooms), and two 4.5 oz cans of chicken.  Yes, cooking the chicken myself would have probably given it a slightly better flavor, but with the sour cream, salsa, and cheese, it wasn't that noticeable (and certainly easier since I didn't have any leftover chicken on hand).  I also guessed at the 4 oz of cheese, just used about half (well, a little bit more than half) of the package.  The recipe doesn't state (and none of the comments I looked at really said) the size of the casserole dish.  I ended up using a big mixing bowl to get everything evenly incorporated, but my square baking dish (approximately 8x8, 2 quart).  One comment did mention adding some chips (to make it more presentable, which I don't think is necessary - it looks fine the way it is!) but which I think would be tasty.  Others also mentioned adding black beans, black olives, corn, green onions, and hot sauce - which I think would make for a very different dish!  Alas, I've gotten out of the habit of blogging recipes, so I completely forgot to get a picture!  (edited 8-18-13 to add photo - recipe shown doubled, in a 13x9 dish).

INGREDIENTS:
4 teaspoons olive oil
6 tablespoons sour cream
4 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
2 cups cooked white rice
8 ounces boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute mushrooms.
2. Combine mushrooms, sour cream, cheese, salsa, rice, and chicken. Place in a greased casserole dish.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 35 minutes.

Orange Blueberry Freezer Jam

I've never made jam of any kind before, so trying a freezer recipe first seemed like a good idea.  This recipe is simple and uses just a few ingredients.  Right now the jam is still sitting at room temperature, so I haven't tried it yet, but I DID lick a bit of it from the bowl and it tasted amazing!

This recipe is from the August/September 2013 issue of Taste of Home.  It is shown on a toasted baguette with a slice of brie.  YUM!

Orange Blueberry Freezer Jam

2 1/2 cups sugar
1 medium orange
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, crushed
1 pound (3 oz) liquid fruit pectin

Rinse four clean 1-cup plastic containers with lids with boiling water.  Dry thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Place sugar in a shallow baking dish and bake 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, finely grate 1 Tbsp peel from orange.  Peel and chop orange.

In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, warm sugar, grated peel and chopped orange.  Let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the pectin.  Stir constantly for 3 minutes to distribute pectin.

Immediately fill all containers to within 1/2 inch of tops.  Wipe container rims.  Immediately cover with lids.  Let stand at room temperature until set, up to 24 hours.  Jam is now ready to use.

Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 12 months.  Thaw frozen jam in the refrigerator before using.

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

This recipe was inspired by one I saw in the June/July 2013 issue of Simple & Delicious.  The filling is more like what I use to make Buffalo Pasta Chicken Bake.  I took what I liked from each recipe and made up my own!

Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas

4 flour tortillas
1 package of chicken tenders, trimmed
1-2 celery ribs, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 carrot or 6 baby-cut carrots, diced
2 Tbsp oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced and divided
salt & pepper
1/4 to 1/2 cup Buffalo wing sauce (to your taste - I use Red Hot Buffalo flavor)
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
blue cheese, ranch dressing, or sour cream for serving, optional

Cut tenders in half and cook in 1 Tbsp oil with 1 garlic clove, salt and pepper.  Cook until browned on both sides and there is no more pink in the middle.  Remove from pan and shred or chop.  I use the Pampered Chef chopper which is FANTASTIC.  Mix in hot sauce.

In same pan, pour in remaining 1 Tbsp oil.  Cook celery, onion, carrots and remaining garlic clove until vegetables are tender, but still crunchy.  Stir into chicken mixture.

Lay a tortilla on a large dinner plate.  Fill one side with 1/4 of the chicken mixture.  Top with cheese.  Fold in half and place in panini press, holding it down for 10 seconds.  Cook for 1 minute and 15 seconds, or until golden brown.  Repeat with each tortilla.

Double Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

Chris made this for dessert this weekend and it is truly decadent!  Rich, thick, and delicious.

Instead of making the crust, Chris bought a pre-made chocolate crust, and it was just as good.  Most store bought crusts are smaller than a pie plate, so he had some extra filling that we ate separately as pudding!  If you skip making the crust yourself, this is a no-bake pie -- which is great for summer!

We also just had Redi-Wip on top of each piece as we cut it, because we weren't going to eat a whole pie by ourselves!  He was afraid if he made the homemade whipped cream, it would fall as the pie sat in the fridge for a few days.  Again, it was just as good that way.

The recipe comes from the June 2012 issue of Woman's Day.

Double Chocolate Banana Cream Pie

30 chocolate wafer cookies
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
8 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
3 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
3 bananas
1 cup heavy cream
cocoa, for dusting

Heat oven to 375.  In a food processor, pulse the chocolate wafers to form fine crumbs.  Add the butter and pulse to combine.  Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.  Bake until the crust is set and fragrant, 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the microwave according to the package directions.

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the cornstarch, salt and 1/2 cup sugar.  Add the milk and whisk until fully incorporated.  Whisk in egg yolks.  Over medium-low heat, whisking often, bring the mixture to a simmer.  (It will take 12-15 minutes)  Continue to simmer, gently whisking, until the mixture as thickened, 2 minutes more.  Remove from heat and whisk in the chocolate until fully incorporated.

Pour half the chocolate pudding mixture into the crust.  Cut the bananas in half lengthwise and arrange them cut side down across the pie, cutting the ends as necessary to fit.  Top with the remaining pudding and smooth the top.  Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until chilled, at least four hours and up to one day.

Ten minutes before serving, using an electric mixer, beat the cream and remaining 2 Tbsp sugar in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.  Spread the whipped cream over the pie.  Dust with cocoa, if desired.

Beef Stroganoff

I have been making this recipe for more than a decade.  It is always delicious, and simple to make.

The beef is easier to cut if it's partially frozen.  I usually use a bottom round roast that I take out of the freezer the night before and thaw in the fridge.  By the time I get home from work, it's perfectly thawed enough to cut it easily.  Raw beef can be squishy and hard to cut in thin strips.

It comes from Pillsbury's cookbook New Chicken, Beef & Pork from August 1998.

Beef Stroganoff

8 oz (4 cups) uncooked medium egg noodles
1 tsp parsley
3 Tbsp butter
1 8 oz package fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 lb boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 1-inch strips
1 can condensed beef broth
2 Tbsp ketchup
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup sour cream (I usually use half this amount)

Cook noodles as directed.  Drain and place in serving bowl.  Add parsley and 1 Tbsp butter.  Toss to combine.  Cover to keep warm.

Over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp butter in a large skillet.  Add mushrooms, onions and garlic.  Cook 2-3 minutes or until tender. (Remember:  Mushrooms suck up the liquid quickly, then let it all out again!)  Remove mushroom mixture and set aside.

In same skillet, melt remaining 1 Tbsp butter.  Add beef and cook and stir until brown.  (Note: DO NOT OVER COOK!  Leave it a little pink -- it will finish cooking in the next step.)

Reserve 1/3 cup beef broth in small container with tight-fitting lid.  Add remaining broth, ketchup, and mushroom mixture to skillet.  Mix well.  Add flour to reserved beef broth and shake to blend.  Gradually add to beef mixture, stirring constantly.  Cook and stir until thickened.

Stir in sour cream.  Cook until thoroughly heated.  DO NOT BOIL.  Serve over noodles.

Chicken Pomodoro with Garlic Spaghetti

I am a sucker for a cream sauce.  That's why when this recipe arrived in my email from Cuisine at Home, I tried it within a week!

It was everything I hoped it would be.  Not too complicated, but delicious enough to make me think I was eating out in my own dining room!

The Garlic Spaghetti was also very good as a side dish.  Next time I might serve the chicken over the spaghetti instead, and put the cream sauce over the entire dish.  (The cream sauce is FANTASTIC!)  I have no clue what ricotta salata is, so I skipped it.  I think it probably adds quite a bit to the dish, so I'll scope out the specialty cheese section next time I grocery shop.

One lemon is perfect to make enough lemon juice for the sauce and lemon zest for the spaghetti.

Cuisine at Home is a great cooking magazine with no ads at all.  Some of the recipes are a bit exotic, but the step-by-step instructions are so thorough, they are usually very easy to follow.  And I've learned a lot about techniques, ingredients, and complicated recipes that turn out not to be so complicated after all!

Chicken Pomodoro

If you don't like to cook with alcohol or don't have it on hand, you can replace the vodka with an equal amount of chicken broth.

Makes: 4 servings; Total time: 30 minutes

2	boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved, pounded to ¼-inch thick (8 oz. each)
	Salt and black pepper
2	Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2	Tbsp. olive oil
1⁄4	cup vodka
1⁄2	cup low-sodium chicken broth
1⁄4	cup heavy cream
1	cup halved heirloom cherry tomatoes
2	Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1⁄4	cup minced scallions

Season cutlets with salt and pepper, then dust with flour. Coat a large sauté pan with nonstick spray. Add oil and heat over medium-high.

Sauté cutlets until brown, 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer cutlets to a plate.

Off heat, deglaze pan with vodka and cook until liquid evaporates. Add broth and cream and reduce until thick, 2–3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Return cutlets to pan and cook to warm through, 1 minute per side.

Serve cutlets with sauce and garnish with scallions.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 301 cal; 16g total fat (5g sat); 93mg chol; 149mg sodium; 6g carb; 1g fiber; 25g protein

Garlic Spaghetti

Ricotta salata is a salty, mild-flavored cheese with a crumbly texture similar to feta.

Makes: 4 servings; Total time: 25 minutes

8	oz. dry spaghetti
2	Tbsp. olive oil
2	Tbsp. minced garlic
2	Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1	Tbsp. minced lemon zest
	Salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
1⁄2	cup crumbled ricotta salata

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Reserve ¹⁄₂ cup pasta water; drain remaining water.

Heat oil in same pot over medium-high. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in pasta water, parsley, zest, and spaghetti; toss to coat. Season spaghetti with salt, black pepper, and pepper flakes, then stir in ricotta salata.

Nutrition Information
Per serving: 329 cal; 12g total fat (4g sat); 17mg chol; 211mg sodium; 43g carb; 1g fiber; 10g protein

Pistachio Cake

I found this recipe in the book Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray.  A novel about a woman that loves to bake!  In the back are the cakes that she makes throughout the book.  This one is cited as from Gourmet Magazine, May 2001.  This is more of a cake that might be served at tea time or a snacking cake.  Not as much of a dessert cake, but still quite lovely.

3/4 cup shelled natural pistachios (4 oz) (If you are using salted pistachios, omit the 1/4 tsp salt in the ingredient list)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350*.  Butter a 13x9 metal cake pan (I used glass as we don't seem to have a metal one), then line bottom with wax paper.  Butter paper and dust with some flour, knocking out excess.
Pulse pistachios in a food processor until finely ground (be careful not to overprocess into a paste).  Add 1 cup flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt and pulse once or twice to mix.
Combine milk and vanilla in a measuring cup.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.  Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Alternately add pistachio flour and milk in batches, beginning and ending with flour, and mix at low speed until just combined.
Spread batter evenly in cake pan and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, about 20 minutes  (it took 30 minutes for mine).  Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a thin knife around sides of cake and invert onto rack.  Remove paper and invert cake onto a platter.  Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
Cooks's note: Cake can be made 1 day ahead.  Cool completely and keep, covered, at room temperature.

Rigatoni Roasted Red Pepper Bake

I cut this recipe out from a can label for something made by Contadina.  I made it once awhile back and made a few notes on it.  I tweaked it today and really liked it!

I thought it was to dry as written.  So I doubled the diced tomatoes to two cans (undrained) and skipped the water.  I also buy plain tomato paste and doctor it up myself.  In addition to the salt and pepper listed, I added basil and oregano.  Just add a little and keep tasting it until you get it how you like it.  I can't find diced peppers with roasted peppers in it, so I dice some up myself and add it separately.  I used about 1/2 cup.

This recipe is budget-friendly and is made with ingredients you're likely to have on hand.

Rigatoni Roasted Red Pepper Bake

8 oz dry rigatoni
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 gloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (14.5 oz) Contadina Recipe Ready Diced Tomatoes, Roasted Red Pepper (I used 2 cans)
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste with Italian seasonings (I bought plain and added my own)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and garlic.  Cook 2 minutes.

Combine undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, plus 3/4 cup water (I skipped the water).  Add to skillet.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Stir in pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.  Pour into baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Chicken Fricassee with Peas

This recipe for Chicken Fricassee (or Frickin' Chick-a-see, as I like to call it!) pairs carrots, peas and ham with chicken in a delicious wine sauce.  The sauce is rather thin. If you want to make it thicker, you can simmer it longer or reduce amount of liquid.

The recipe calls for serving it over orzo, which I have not yet tried.  Tonight I served it with a boxed Parmesan pasta.

I'm not exactly sure where this recipe came from.  I clipped it from a magazine or newspaper several years ago.

Chicken Fricassee

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 tsp butter

3/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots

1/2 cup diced ham

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup Chardonnay or other dry white wine

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

2/3 whipping cream

3 cups hot orzo (I don't serve it with orzo)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken; cook until browned, about 3 minutes on each side.  Remove from pan.

Add onions, carrot, ham and garlic to pan; saute until lightly browned, about 4 minutes.  (I add a little more butter if needed).  Stir in broth and wine, scraping to loosen browned bits.

Return chicken to pan.  Bring to a boil.  Add peas.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is done, about 10 minutes.

Remove chicken from pan with a slotted spoon; keep warm.  Add whipping cream.  Cook, uncovered, over medium heat 8 minutes.

Spoon 3/4 cup cooked orzo onto each of 4 plates.  Top each with a chicken breast, 1/2 cup sauce, and 1 Tbsp parsley.

No Bake Nutella Cheesecake

Chris made this amazing cheesecake for our Valentine's Day dinner!  

The recipe comes from the website My Baking Addiction.  It calls for making adorable little individual cheesecakes, but we didn't have enough small bowls to use up the filling.  So Chris just put it in a pie pan and made a big cheesecake instead.

This recipe is DIVINE.  Make it.  It's rare to find a recipe that is so simple and this good!!!

No Bake Nutella Cheesecake

For the Crust
12 Oreo cookies, crushed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup Nutella
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

For the Garnish
whipped topping, optional
chocolate shavings, optional
toasted, chopped hazelnuts, optional

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the Oreo cookie crumbs and melted butter. Evenly divide the crumbs between your individual serving dishes and press into the bottoms of the dishes to form a crust layer.

2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and Nutella until smooth. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped topping until well blended and no streaks remain.

3. Evenly pipe or spoon the filling into individual serving dishes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

4. If desired, garnish with additional whipped topping, chocolate shavings, and/or toasted, chopped hazelnuts.

Beer Macaroni & Cheese

What a yummy mac and cheese!  Although it doesn't call for much beer, it's just the right amount to make a very good sauce.  And the bacon takes it over the top.

I used a special reserve extra sharp cheddar which has a great taste, but doesn't melt well.  The texture of my sauce was a little grainy.  The fontina is tangy enough, so I think next time I'll make it with regular cheddar instead of something quite so sharp.

I halved the recipe -- as written you can make it in a 9 x 13 pan which will feed a crowd!  Plus it's awfully rich, so you can't eat as much as you THINK you can.

This recipe comes from the February/March 2013 issue of Taste of Home.

Beer Macaroni & Cheese

1 pkg (16 oz) elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp ground mustard
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups 2% milk
3/4 cup amber beer (I used Sam Adams Boston Lager)
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 cups (8 oz) shredded fontina cheese
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 Tbsp minced chives
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions

Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add garlic.  Cook and stir for 1 minute.  Stir in the flour, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth.  Gradually whisk in the milk, beer and cream.  Bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Reduce heat.  Stir in 2 cups of cheddar, the fontina, and 1 Tbsp of the Parmesan until melted.  Add chives.

Drain macaroni.  Stir into sauce.  Transfer to a greased 3-quart baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining cheddar and Parmesan cheeses.

Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.  Top with crumbled bacon.  Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken Fajitas

I put fresh avocado in mine -- delicious!

Last night I tried Chicken Fajitas in the crock pot -- another Crockin' Girls recipe.  This one I found on their website, rather than in the cookbook.  I think it was the recipe of the week last week.  Anyway, it is actually from the Reynolds kitchens, which I assume is a sponsor of Crockin' Girls because they make crock pot liners.

It was really delicious!  But next time I'm cutting WAY back on the seasonings.  It calls for TWO packets of fajita seasoning, and I think one would be plenty.  I also used 1 cup of salsa, because 3/4 cup didn't seem like enough to me.

The best part of this recipe is you can just throw the chicken tenders in without cutting them up raw.  When it's done, you stir up the filling and the chicken breaks apart into large chunks.

Chris topped his with sour cream, and I put fresh avocado inside mine.  I put shredded cheddar inside all of them!

This is what they look like before wrapping them up.  (This one was for Chris -- no avocado!)

 

The filling warmed up on the stove top for lunch leftovers!

Chicken Fajitas

1 Reynolds® Slow Cooker Liner
2 Pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 large green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
3/4 Cup chunky salsa
2 Packages (1.4 ounces each) fajita seasoning mix
1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
16 (10-inch) flour tortillas
Shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream (optional)



Directions

Open slow cooker liner and place it inside a 5- to 6 1/2 quart slow cooker. Fit liner snugly against the bottom and sides of bowl; pull top of liner over rim of bowl.

Place chicken in slow cooker liner and add onions and bell peppers on top of chicken.

1. 
   Mix salsa, fajita seasoning mix and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Pour over chicken. Place lid on slow cooker.
   
   Cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours until chicken is done.
   
   Carefully remove lid to allow steam to escape. Gently stir chicken and sauce with a plastic or wooden slotted spoon. Spoon 1/2 cup of chicken mixture into center of each tortilla; add desired toppings and fold tortilla over filling. Do not lift or transport liner with food inside. Cool slow cooker completely; remove liner and toss.

Buffalo Chicken Soup

Tonight we tried another recipe from the Crockin' Girls cookbook -- and it's another winner!

If you like chicken wings, you will LOVE. THIS. SOUP.

I love chicken wings, but I'm not a huge fan of hot food.  If you're like me, you'll want to drink a big glass of milk with this meal!  I might experiment with a little less hot sauce next time -- maybe 3/4 of a cup instead of a whole cup.  I use Frank's Red Hot Wing Sauce Buffalo.  It's tangy, and tastes like wings, rather than just a bottle full of hot.

This recipe requires a bit more prep work than other slow cooker recipes, but it is worth it!  One tip about cutting celery.  Take a knife and cut down the entire length of the celery 4 to 5 times, but don't go all the way through to the end so the strips are still attached on one side.  Then slice the strips crosswise to make diced celery.  The strips will stay together nicely as you chop.  Way easier than cutting the rib the other way and trying to cut up each little smiley face piece!

I served it with Awesome and Easy Creamy Corn Casserole.

Buffalo Chicken Soup

1 Tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, diced
2-3 cups cooked chicken, diced
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 tsp garlic salt (I used minced garlic instead)
1 cup bottled Buffalo wing sauce (mild or hot)
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese (I used extra sharp NYS cheddar)

Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and celery and saute for about 5 minutes.  Scrape veggies into the slow cooker.  Add cooked chicken to slow cooker.

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat until just foamy.  Whisk in the flour to make a roux, stirring well to incorporate all the flour.*  Cook 1-2 minutes, or until the roux is slightly golden. (This happened in about a minute for me)  Scrape into the slow cooker.

Stir in broth and milk.  Add garlic salt and wing sauce.  Still well.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours.

Stir in cheese about 20 minutes before serving.

* When making a roux, when you first add the flour you will think, "Oh my God!  I've ruined it!"  Don't panic!  Just keep whisking it and it will smooth out!

Little Meats and Gravy (Beef Tips)

Tonight we tried another great recipe from the Crockin' Girls cookbook!

Little Meats and Gravy is really beef tips.  It's almost like a beef stroganoff, minus the onions and mushrooms.  I could hardly believe the cream of chicken soup turned into a rich, brown gravy.  I served it over egg noodles.

A few tips:

It's much easier to cut up a beef roast if it's partially frozen.  Thaw it overnight in the fridge and it will be more firm to cut.  If it's still too frozen, microwave it for a minute or two.  But DO NOT cook it.

If you want to thicken the gravy, as mentioned in the recipe, mix 1/3 cup of COLD water with 4 Tbsp flour in a container with a tight-fitting lid.  Shake until mixed thoroughly.  Stir it into the beef mixture and turn the crock pot up to high while your noodles cook.

Little Meats and Gravy

Ingredients

• 2 Pounds chuck or stew beef, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 Package onion soup mix
• 2 Cans low sodium cream of chicken soup
• 2 soup Cans water
• 1 Package cooked noodles, rice or potatoes for serving                       

Directions

1. Step One

   Combine all ingredients into 6 quart slow cooker; stir.

2. Step Two

   Cover and cook on LOW for 8–12 hours or on HIGH for 5–6 hours. If you've frozen this recipe you can cook it for 10-12 hours on LOW.

3. Step Three

   Thicken, if desired, and serve over noodles, rice, or potatoes.

Angel Chicken

For Christmas this year my sister got me the Crockin Girls cookbook -- what a fantastic collection of recipes for the slow cooker!

I tried the Angel Chicken last night and it was fabulous!  We got home a little later than expected, and the chicken was still not overcooked.  Next time I think I would double the recipe but leave the chicken the same, just to make more of the delicious sauce!

It's not a very photogenic recipe, so I skipped taking a picture.  I found that the chicken shredded rather than cut nicely as shown in the Crockin' Girls photo!  I shredded the chicken and added it back into the crock pot, which created a creamed chicken sort of texture.

Angel Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 to 6 Chicken Breasts
• 1/4 Cup Butter (I just cut it up in cubes and mixed it in)                      
• 1/2 Package Dry Italian salad dressing mix
• 1 Can Cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 Cup Dry white wine
• 4 Ounces Cream cheese with onions and chives
• 1 Box penne pasta
• Chives, for garnish                       

Directions

1. Step One

   Put all ingredients in the slow cooker except pasta

2. Step Two

   Cook on low for 7-8 hours

3. Step Three

   When the chicken mixture is done, prepare penne pasta according to package directions; drain

4. Step Four

   Mix pasta with chicken. Serve in a large bowl with chives sprinkled on top

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

We ate for the first time at P.F. Chang's on Monday,   and had their chicken lettuce wraps.  The boyfriend really enjoyed them and found a few versions online.  I attempted one of them tonight.  The filling came out well, but even though the recipe says that Boston lettuce works, we found that it couldn't hold the filling very well, just not strong enough.  Also, I couldn't find the Asian chili pepper sauce, so I followed the note and used the cayenne pepper.

ingredients:

16 Boston, bibb or butter lettuce leaves
1 pound ground chicken breast
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Asian chili pepper sauce (see Note)
1 can (8 ounce size) sliced water chestnuts, drained, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

directions:

Rinse lettuce leaves, keeping them whole. Set aside to drain. 

Cook chicken in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often to break up the meat. Add onion, garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar and chili sauce. Cook until the meat is crumbled and brown. Add water chestnuts and green onions. Cook until onions begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. 

Stir in sesame oil. Arrange lettuce leaves on the outer edge of a platter. Spoon meat mixture in center. Allow diners to spoon meat mixture into lettuce leaves and eat like a taco. 

cook's notes:

Asian chili pepper sauce can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets. Some brands contain garlic, which is fine. You can use 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes instead.

Turkey or Chicken Tetrazzini

I had intended to make this with our leftover Thanksgiving turkey.  But we ate it all.  So I cooked some chicken breasts to shred instead!

This recipe comes from The Repository, our local newspaper.  What I loved most about it is the delicious sauce.  And by not cooking the linguine all the way, it doesn't get mushy when you bake the casserole itself.  I love mushrooms, but Chris does not.  I didn't have any, so I skipped it.

Also, this makes A LOT.  I halved the recipe and we still had lots of leftovers.  If you have a big family, leave it as is!  It serves 8.


Turkey Tetrazzini

6 tablespoons butter
1 pound mushrooms, sliced 1 inch thick
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup flour
3 cups milk
1 can (14 1/2-ounce) chicken broth
3/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 pound linguine, broken in half
4 cups cooked turkey meat, shredded (about 4 cups)
1 package (10-ounces) frozen peas, thawed

Preheat oven to 400.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter, add mushrooms and onions, season with salt and pepper. Sauté until tender. Remove.

For sauce:
In same saucepan, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, gradually add milk, broth, and wine. Bring to a near boil, reduce to medium and simmer 10 minutes, whisking often. Add 2 cups Parmesan and the thyme and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta half the time on package. Drain and return to pot. Fold in sauce, turkey, peas, and mushrooms. Divide between two shallow two-quart baking dishes, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake until browned on top and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Notes: Top with cheddar or provolone cheese last 10 minutes or butter Italian bread, dice and spread on top.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza

This is super easy and really tasty!  I don't normally make recipes that use so many pre-made ingredients, but sometimes you just want something quick and simple.  And yummy!

This comes from the April/May 2010 issue of Taste of Home.  I don't have a picture, but I'll get one next time I make it!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pizza

1 tube refrigerated pizza crust (13.8 oz)
1/2 cup Alfredo sauce
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Swiss cheese
1 1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
10 breaded chicken nuggets, thawed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces*
1 cup (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Unroll dough into a greased 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan (or whatever you would normally make pizza in!).  Flatten dough and build up edges slightly.  Bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes or until edges are light browned.

Spread with Alfredo sauce.  Sprinkle with garlic salt and Swiss cheese.  Top with ham, chicken nuggets and mozzarella.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

* When making chicken nuggets, I sometimes find that they get soggy if you let them just sit out to "thaw."  You might want to cook them first to keep the coating crunchy instead.

Margarita Chicken Quesadillas

I made these last summer, but never blogged the recipe OR took a picture of it!  I'm trying to clean up my To Blog Magazine Pile, so here you are!

This comes from the April/May 2012 issue of Taste of Home.

Margarita Chicken Quesadillas

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 oz each)
3/4 cup thawed frozen limeade concentrate
1 large onion, sliced
1 each orange and yellow sweet pepper, julienned
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 flour tortillas (10 in)
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (I used 2 cups cheddar and no Mont. Jack)
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges, optional

Place chicken in large resealable plastic bag.  Add limeade concentrate.  Seal bag and turn to coat.  Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.

In skillet, saute onion and peppers and oil until tender, season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; use long-handled tongs to coat grill rack.  Drain and discard marinade.  Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat, or broil 4 inches from heat for 5-8 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 170 degrees.  Cut into 1/4 inch strips, set aside.

One one half of each tortilla, layer MJ cheese, chicken, pepper and onions, and cheddar.  Fold over.  Place quesadillas on a baking sheet.  Combine butter and lime juice and brush over the tortillas.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges.  Sprinkle with cilantro.  Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

This is one of the best soup recipes I have ever made.  EVER.  Try it.  You will thank me.

I'm normally disgusted by anything crumbled up in my soup.  But the pie crust stands up to the broth and really makes this soup taste like a pot pie.  Even still, I only crumble a little bit at a time, just in case. :-)

This recipe comes from the December 2012 issue of Food Network Magazine.  Their recipes are often complicated, but this one is simple and yummy!  There's a fair amount of chopping, but that's never really bothered me.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

1 disk refrigerated pie dough
freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp plus a pinch of poultry seasoning
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
salt
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I usually buy regular)
1 cup half-and-half
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, chopped
1 10-oz package frozen peas and carrots

1.  Preheat the oven to 425.  Unroll the pie dough onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with pepper and a pinch (I used a little more than that!) of poultry seasoning.  Cut into wedges.  Bake until puffed and golden, about 10 minutes (mine were better at around 8 minutes).

2.  Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and 1/2 tsp salt and cook, undisturbed (this makes the chicken golden on the outside), 2 minutes, then cook, stirring, 1 more minute.  Transfer to a bowl.

3.  Add the celery, onion, flour, 1/2 tsp salt, and the remaining 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning to the pot and cook, stirring, 1 minute.  Stir in 2 cups water, the broth, the half-and-half, and potatoes; cover and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, 10 minutes.  Add the peas and carrots and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes.  Return the chicken to the pot and simmer until cooked through, about 1 minute.  Serve with the crust wedges.

Serves 4