Yummy Creamy Chicken

This comes from Justgetoffyoubuttandbake.com Realy good. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour and brown on both sides. Transfer to baking dish. For the sauce: 1 cup milk 1cup whipping cream or half & half 1 cup chicken broth 1 1/2 cups Cheddar, Swiss or Colby cheese – grated 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (optional) 2 tablespoons butter or use 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon bacon grease 2 heaping tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon onion powder or use sauteed onions instead 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional) 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar Directions for sauce: Over medium heat, melt butter and add the salt, pepper, pepper flakes, onion powder and the sugar. Whisk together. Add the flour, and stir quickly until the roux is bubbly and smooth. Continue whisking and slowly add the milk, cream, chicken broth. ( I combine all of this together, then just pour it all in at once) Continue whisking over medium heat until it has thickened – about 10 to 15 minutes. Turn heat to low! Add the grated cheeses. (Cheddar, Colby, Swiss & Parmesan) Stir well until nice and smooth and creamy. Squeeze in 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice if desired. Note: If the sauce seems a bit too thick after all the cheese has been added, simply add a bit of chicken broth or milk and stir well. This sauce should not be as thick as pancake batter. You will want it a bit thinner. If you want additional seasonings add them. Pour the sauce over top the browned chicken in a 9×13 inch glass baking dish. Toss in about 4 pieces of crumbled bacon. Reserve some for the top as garnish. Cover the chicken with foil, and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 -60 minutes. Cooking time will depend on the THICKNESS of your chicken breasts. When it pulls apart easily with a fork, it’s ready and tender. Place a chicken breast on top of pasta, mashed potatoes, rice or cooked veggies or eat the chicken as is. (That is still my favorite way!) Spoon extra sauce over the top of each breast and crumble additional bacon on top if desired.

Clam Chowder

This recipe is from the food network. I thought it was good when I made it but it is even better the next day as left overs. Ingredients 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 medium onion, finely diced 2 celery stalks (reserve tender leaves) trimmed, quartered lengthwise, then sliced into 1/4-inch pieces 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock 2 cans chopped clams in juice 1 cup heavy cream 2 bay leaves 1 pound Idaho potatoes, cut into 1/2- inch cubes Salt and freshly ground black pepper Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/new-england-clam-chowder-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback Saute onions celery and carrots in butter till onions are soft. Add potatoes and broth and cook till tender. Add clams and juice with cream and bay leaves. Warm through and serve.

Southwestern Egg Rolls

If you have ever had Chili's Southwestern egg rolls you know they are to die for. I crave them all the time. I decided to make them I searched a few recipes out and combined them to make my own version. I baked mine to feel a little better about myself and they were really good but to be honest I missed that crunch you get at Chili's when they are fried. So do which ever one you want. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half (cooked dices realy small or shredded) 2 tablespoons minced onion 2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels 1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained 2 tablespoons frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 5 (6 inch) flour tortilla Stir all together and fill tortillas with mix. Fold like burrito place seam side down in baking dish. Bake at 375 for 15 min then flip for another 15 min. That way they get crispy on both sides. Or you can fry them :). I found a hidden valley dry mix packet for spicy ranch. I made then and then took an avocado and smashed it and stirred it in. So then I used that as a dipping sauce for them. I thought that was pretty good with it.

Ranch Potatoes

Another yummy recipe from Callie. She made this for us one night and I wanted it for breakfast the next day it was so good. 6-8 russet potatoes, peeled and diced into bite sized cubes 1 cube real butter, melted 1 package dry ranch dressing mixture Boil cubed potatoes in a large pot until they are just starting to get tender. If overcooked, they'll be a mushy mess, so err on the side of undercooked here. Drain and mix with melted butter and ranch dressing. Spread out on a sheet pan and pop in the oven to bake until they start to get slightly browned and crispy!

Million Dollar Cake

This is a recipie I stole from my awesome sister in law Callie Ball. She made this once and it was so good. I don't like frosting so it was just perfect for me. Million Dollar Chocolate Cake 1 c. boiling water 3/4 c. cocoa 1 1/4 c. sugar 1/2 c. butter 2 eggs 1 3/4 c. flour 1/4 c. cornstarch 1 t. baking powder 1 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt 1 c. any combination of buttermilk, plain yogurt and or sour cream 1 t. vanilla raspberry preserves (I used freezer jam) 1 c. cream 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips (I used semi sweet) Sprinkles (if desired) Pour boiling water over cocoa and stir until smooth. Set aside. Cream butter 1 minute, then add sugar. Cream 3-5 minutes (may still be a bit crumbly). Add in eggs and mix another 2 minutes. Pour flour, cornstarch, powder, soda, and salt. Whisk well until it looks "lighter" or you could sift! Add the dry ingredients and sour milk alternately to creamed mixture. (I did 3 dry and 2 wet). Mix well, but do not over mix. Beat in cocoa and vanilla until well combined. Bake in 2 greased and floured 8 inch cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool for 5 minutes, then turn out on a cooling rack. Cool completely. When cooled, even out cake tops with a serrated knife (this allows you to "sample!) Lay first cake right side up and spread with raspberry jam. Use as much or little as you want! Top with the next cake upside down. Put chocolate chips in a bowl and set aside. Heat cream in a saucepan until it simmers. Pour hot cream over chips and let sit 5 minutes. Stir until combined. Let sit 5 more minutes. When cooled, slowly spoon over cake, seeing that it drips over to cover the edge! Let set 5 minutes. When done, place a cookie cutter on the cake and sprinkle with colored sugar. Use a spoon to get to the edges. When filled in, lift off cookie cutter.

Black bean and Mango Salsa lettuce wraps

The Bountiful Basket universe must have wanted me to make this. One week I got butter leaf lettuce, mangos, red onion, and jalapenos. When searching what to make with it I came across this and tried it out with chicken instead of pork. It was good but I thought there was too much lime juice next time I will reduce the amount in the mango salsa.
.
1-½ cup 100% Apple Juice
2-½ teaspoons Chili Powder
½ teaspoons Ground Cumin
1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
1 dash Cayenne Pepper
¼ teaspoons Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 pound Lean Pork Tenderloin, Trimmed Of Fat (I used chicken breasts)
1 whole Red Onion, Thinly Sliced
2 cans (15 Oz. Size) Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed
12 whole Large Butter Lettuce Leaves, Trimmed And Washed Thoroughly
FOR THE MANGO SALSA:
2 whole Mangoes, Peeled, Cored And Coarsely Chopped
½ cups Red Onion, Coarsely Chopped
½ cups Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
¼ cups Lime Juice
1 pinch Salt
1 teaspoon Honey
2 Tablespoons Fresh Jalapeno, Chopped

n a slow cooker, whisk together apple juice, chili powder, cumin, oregano, brown sugar, garlic powder, cayenne and black pepper. Add pork tenderloin and sliced red onion. Heat on low for 6-8 hours, until cooked through and pork is shreddable.
Shred pork in slow cooker, then fold in black beans. Continue to heat on low for 30 minutes, until heated through.
For the mango salsa, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes prior to serving.
To assemble the wraps, spoon 1/4 cup bean, onion and pork mixture into the center of each butter lettuce leaf. Top with mango salsa and eat like a taco!

Crockpot cheesey chicken chili

This was pretty good I liked it and it was so easy prep time was about five min. The next day as I was eating leftovers I thought this would be good as an appetizer too. Enjoy it with corn chips.
Crockpot cheesey chicken chili

1 can black beans
1 can corn, or frozen corn
1 can diced tomatoes with chilis undrained
1 package dry ranch dressing mix
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 Cup salsa
1 8 oz package cream cheese
2 chicken breasts (I used 3 breasts)

Drain and rinse black beans. Place chicken at bottom of pot, top with all other ingredients except cream cheese *if using frozen don't add yet add with in the last half hour.Stir together to mix then place cream cheese on top. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6-8 hours (if chicken is frozen) If not frozen 4 hours is better.. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

http://www.plainchicken.com/2012/01/slow-cooker-cream-cheese-chicken-chili.html

Best cookbook ever. :)

I could post this whole book on here and some recipies I still might. But if anyone is looking for a good christmas present for a cook...or looking for a good cookbook for themselves look into this one. "Our Best Bites" I have made a lot of the recipies in it and loved them all. I have looked at their blog for inspiration often and am realy enjoying it.

Apple Butternut Squash Soup

My brother and sister in law are always making something yummy and they often share with us :) They made this soup and I really liked it. I am copying them an putting in on my blog to make sometime. They added cinnamon to it as well and I liked it with it in there.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
2 cups cubed butternut squash
1 cup diced carrots
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 quart chicken stock
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
1/2 cup light cream
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped chivesin wine and cream. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper; simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Broccoli ideas

I am usually quite boring in my Broccoli preparation. I usually just steam it. But I wanted to try something a little different and went to my tried and true allrecipies.com and found these two. They are yummy

Garlic Broccili with Cashews
Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/3 cup butter
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped salted cashews
Directions

Place the broccoli into a large pot with about 1 inch of water in the bottom. Bring to a boil, and cook for 7 minutes, or until tender but still crisp. Drain, and arrange broccoli on a serving platter.
While the broccoli is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and garlic. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Mix in the cashews, and pour the sauce over the broccoli. Serve immediately.

Garlic Broccoli with Lemon

Ingredients

2 heads broccoli, separated into florets
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a large bowl, toss broccoli florets with the extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper and garlic. Spread the broccoli out in an even layer on a baking sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven until florets are tender enough to pierce the stems with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and transfer to a serving platter. Squeeze lemon juice liberally over the broccoli before serving for a refreshing, tangy finish.

Two twists on Mashed potatoes

Rosemary Garlic mashed potatoes

I made this up and didn't measure but I am going to guess. You can play around with it with your families taste.

onions or shallots finely diced 1/2 cup
garlic minced 3-4 Tablespoons
Fresh rosemary and oregano minced 2 Tablespoons of each

Saute all the ingredients together in olive oil until fragrant and tender.
Cook potatoes like you would for mashed potatoes normally smash and add butter and milk like normal. Stir in the herb olive oil mixture. I have had a lot of compliments on this and my kids even like it.

Cauliflower Mashed potatoes

Cook mashed potatoes as usual but also boil cauliflower with the potatoes. Smash and add butter, milk and shredded gruyere cheese. My kids don't even know they are eating two vegetables :)

French Dip Sandwiches

This is another awesome recipe from Rosie. I love that it is easy and delicious. I made it for big groups of people and it was a big hit.

1 Can Chicken Broth
1 Can Water
1 pkg dry Italian dressing
1 pkg Au Jus
1 Roast

Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook 6-10 hours depending on size of roast. Shred serve on hard rolls. Dip in juice.

Rosies Fresh Apple or Rhubarb Cake

I made this recipe with Rhubarb and Strawberries and it was really good. I am sure it will be just as good with Apples. The cake is good, the cake with the sauce is amazing! This is from my wonderful Rosie.

4 C apples slices or cubed
2 C Sugar
2 C flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
1 t salt
2 eggs
3/4 C veg oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 C chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl stir together apples and sugar. Add dry ingredients, stir well. In separate bowl, beat eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into apple mix. Blend until thoroughly moistened. Stir in nuts. Bake in 9 x 13 pan for 50 min.

Dessert sauce
1 C sugar
1/2 C Margarine
1/2 C Evaporated milk
1 tsp. Vanilla

Place all ingredients in saucepan stir. Bring to boil and cook 3 min. Serve warm over Apple cake.

My Favorite Wheat Bread

I recently got a Bosch and have started making bread. I have tried a lot of different recipes and they are all good but when I tried this one I was sold. My friend Amy White gave it to me so thanks Amy. The only draw back is it doesn't double as well as other recipes. It only makes two loaves. But I make two batches back to back and it is not too bad.

2 1/2 C warm water
1/2 C honey
1T yeast
2 vitamin C tabs crushed (500 mg each)
1/4 gluten flour
1/3 c oil
2 t salt
1/2 C flax meal (optional but it really is great try it!)
6 C whole wheat flour

Combine the water, honey and yeast. When bubbles appear and next five ingredients and 2 cups of the flour. Stir and let sit for 1/2 hour or more. Then add remaining flour and knead until elastic and smooth. Let rise until doubled. Punch down and form into two loaves. Let rise in pans until 2-3 inches above the tops of your pans. Preheat oven to 350 and bake 25-35 min.

Chicken a la King

This is really yummy and it looks pretty too. :) I could post it here but this lady has awesome pictures and instructions so I will allow her to take the credit.


http://www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com/?p=2546