If you love to cook, you've come to the right place! Every recipe you'll find here has been made by one of us in our home kitchen. Each one is good enough to share with our friends.

Sunday, June 2, 2013

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.