Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs

I was looking for a simple way to prepare chicken legs.  I came across this recipe.  It is nice because you can change the flavor by changing the spices.  I used Margarine instead of butter because I heard that butter burns easier than margarine.  I used different spices like salt, garlic, onion, and paprika.  If you click on the link at the bottom of this recipe there are pictures to go with each step on The Pioneer Woman's website.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 30 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 24 whole Chicken Legs
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 Tablespoon Hot Salt (or You Favorite Seasonings)
• 1/2 cup Lemon Juice (or To Taste)

Preparation Instructions

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a saucepan. Pour ½ cup of lemon juice (fresh or bottled). Now add your seasonings. In this case, 1 tablespoon of Morton’s Hot Salt. You can use whatever seasonings makes your skirt fly up, be it minced garlic, salt and Cayenne pepper ... let your imagination run wild. Stir it together until combined.

Rinse and pat your chicken legs dry. With metal tongs, transfer them one by one into the butter mixture and place on a baking sheet. Once all of the chicken legs are coated and on the baking rack, take a pastry brush and give them one last coating of the butter mixture. Sprinkle them with some more of your seasonings.

Place them into a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes. If they need a bit more color, turn on the broiler for a couple minutes and watch them closely. Remove them when they are nice and golden brown.

The Pioneer Woman

Mrs. Fields Eggnog Cookies and Frosting

I had to come up with a cookies recipe for a cookie exchange this year. I love to bake and have tons of cookie recipes but I wanted to find a recipe that was more for the holiday season and different than what usually appears on holiday cookie plates in our family. Here is the winning recipe. Keep in mind the frosting recipe makes more than enough frosting for 6 dozen cookies. I doubled the cookie recipe and used one frosting recipe. The cookies turned out wonderful. Another thing to note is the frosting takes some time to set up so make sure you have time to let them sit before they are packaged away.  Happy Holiday Baking to all!


Yields: 3 dozen cookies
1 recipes of the Frosting yields enough for more that 6 dozen cookies.

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup SALTED butter, room temp (Mrs. Fields calls for this)
1/2 cup eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 300F.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Chill dough.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets, 1″ apart. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg or skip this step and sprinkle on the nutmeg after you ice the cookies. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown.

Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately with spatula.

Eggnog Icing
3 C. confectioners’ sugar
1/4 C. softened butter or margarine
1/3 C. commercial eggnog (use as much as you need)

In small mixer bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar and butter or margarine until well blended. Gradually beat in eggnog until icing is smooth. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Leave of Absense

Whoa!  Where has the time gone since I last posted?  I haven't posted a recipe in two months... yikes!  I make a bunch of freezer meals over the weekend and will be posting the recipes as I try them.  I will be having freezer meatloaf and mashed potatoes tonight.  Stay tuned!

Apple Pie Filling for the freezer

Got more apples?  Use this recipe to save them for the middle of winter when a nice warm pie sounds delicious or you need a quick homemade dessert.  This is one of the few recipes I'm going to post that I have a not try and never will.  I don't like cooked fruit, especially apples.  My boyfriend wanted to use some of the apples from his apples tree for pie filling.  Sounds like a challenge for me to find a way to freeze pie filling for future use.  This recipe is also very easy to cut down to the amount of apples you have.  The ingredients are all easily divided in to fourths.

Yields: enough for 4 piesIngredients:

•           16 cups apples, peeled and thinly sliced

•           4 tablespoons lemon juice

•           4 cups white sugar

•           1 cup cornstarch

•           4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

•           1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

•           1 teaspoon salt

•           8 cups water

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice and set aside.

2. Pour water into a Dutch oven over medium heat. Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add apples and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.

4. Ladle into 4 freezer containers or gallon freezer bags, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Cool at room temperature no longer than 1 1/2 hours.

5. Seal and freeze. Can be stored for up to 12 months.

6. You can also make pies right away.

Apple Bread

Looking for something to use your fall apple on... Try Apple bread, similar to zucchini bread.  It freezes as well.  I would suggest using a food processor to grate the apple but it can be done with a hand grater, just messier.

1 ½ C flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 beaten egg
1 C sugar
1 ½ C finely shredded, peeled apple
¼ C cooking oil
½ C chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

1. Grease the bottom and ½ in up sides of an 8x4x2 in loaf pan; set aside. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
2. In another medium bowl combine egg, sugar, apple, and oil. Add apple mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy) fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. (It tastes just as good if you eat it warm).

Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

The credit for this recipe goes to Vanessa and probably her mom.  It was so yummy and perfect because you make it the night before.  What is better than Hot ham and cheese sandwich and a bowl of soup on a cool fall day.  And another great thing about this recipe is that it took about 15 minutes to prep the night before.  Make the sauce first and while it cool assemble the sandwiches.

1 dozen small buns (dollar buns)
1/2 lbs. deli ham (or enough to fill the sandwich)
1/2 lbs. Swiss cheese (or enough to fill the sandwich)

Sauce:
2 sticks butter
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. poppy seeds
4 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. yellow mustard

Mix all sauce ingredients in sauce pan, bring to boil. Cool.
Assemble sandwiches, place in 9x13 pans.
Spoon cooled sauce on top of buns.
Cover & refrigerate overnight.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes covered with tinfoil & 5 minutes uncovered.

Turkey Burger with Zucchini and Carrot

I was trying to figure out something to do with zucchini that I had.  This recipe sounded interesting and wasn't any harder to mix up than a a regular burger.  It turned out really good.  The burger has lots of flavor and is super healthy.  I just used regular hamburger buns and I didn't make the mayo mix.  I used 1 lbs. of Ground Turkey Breast and it made 4 large size burgers.

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound ground turkey
• 1 medium zucchini, grated
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 slices crusty bread
• 4 small leaves Boston lettuce
• 4 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional)
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1. Heat broiler. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, zucchini, carrot, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and egg. Form the mixture into 4 patties.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the patties, turning once, until no pink remains, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
3. Meanwhile, place the bread on a baking sheet and brush with the remaining oil. Broil until golden brown and crisp, about 1 ½ minutes.
4. Transfer the bread to individual plates. Top with the lettuce and burgers. If desired, combine the mayonnaise and lemon juice and serve with the burgers.

 Real Simple Recipes - Turkey Burger with Zucchini and Carrots

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

I don't think this recipe could have gotten any easier.  The hardest part was cutting up onions or maybe buying the groceries.  Who doesn't love a recipe that takes 10 minutes to assemble... 8 hours later dinner is done.  I tried it because of the cream cheese variation.  Most stroganoff's use sour cream so I thought I would give this one a try.  I also added thick cut mushrooms to bulk it up a little.  I made egg noodles to serve it over and made a salad as a side.  It was the perfect amount for 4 adults.

Ingredients

• 1 pound cubed beef stew meat
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 ounces cream cheese

Directions

1. In a slow cooker, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce and water.
2. Cook on Low setting for 8 hours, or on High setting for about 5 hours. Stir in cream cheese just before serving.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-beef-stroganoff-i/detail.aspx

Lemon PoppySeed Upside Down Cake

Beware... this is a very dense cake but if you cut it in thinner slices it is a perfect amount.  Not much to say about this one expect it is easy to make.  My cake got pretty brown on the bottom side but it didn't taste over done, I just think the sauce started to caramelize.  My friend that tried it said I could bring this dessert anytime I wanted.  I also frosted mine with cool whip.

Cake:
1 pkg Lemon Poppyseed Bread Mix
1 egg
8 oz Sour Cream
1/2 c. water

Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. lemon juice

Cake: Mix all ingredients together until moistened well.  Spread into lightly buttered 1 1/2 to 2 quart crockpot.

Sauce: Combine ingredients over medium heat.  Bring to a boil then pour over cake batter in crockpot. 

Cover.  Cook on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.  Edges will be slightly browned.

Turn off heat and let cake stand 30 minutes with cover slightly ajar to let steam escape.  When cool enough to handle, invert cake on to a serving platter.  Garnish with whipped cream.

Stay tuned....

for the following recipes in the next few days:

Cheesy chilada Bake (freezer meal)
Upside Down Lemon Poppyseed Cake (Crockpot)
Beef Stroganoff (Crockpot)
Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches (Crockpot)

I'm very busy this summer so I have been depending heavily on my crockpot and freezer meals.  I made 5 freezer meals 2 weeks ago for my sister and myself and as I try them I will be posting those recipes too.

Crockpot Egg Casserole

This was a huge hit on vacation at my cabin! It was very nice to wake up and breakfast was done.  Try different variations with this recipe.  I used ham I had frozen in the freezer and mozzarella cheese.  It only took about 6 hours in the crockpot and I would go any longer than that.  Don’t want to stay up till the wee hours to start the crockpot.  Use a timer that would use if you wanted your lights to turn on while you were gone on vacation.  It doesn’t the same thing for a crockpot.  I used a 7qt. crockpot for this recipes and it was pretty much to the top of the crockpot. 

Ingredients:

• 32 oz. bag frozen hash brown potatoes
• 1 lb. cooked ham, cubed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 12 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Preparation:
Spray inside of slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. In small skillet, cook onion and green pepper in olive oil until crisp tender. Let cool about 10 minutes. Place one third of the frozen hash brown potatoes in the slow cooker. Add one third of the ham, onion, green pepper and cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk and seasonings until well mixed. Pour over the ingredients in the slow cooker, cover and turn on low. Cook for 8-10 hours, until casserole is set and eggs are thoroughly cooked. Serves 12

If you have a new hotter cooking crockpot, you'll need to check this after 6 hours. It will probably be done after 7 hours. The eggs should reach a temperature of 160 degrees F.

Sisters

If you know my sister and I we are nothing alike when it comes to the kitchen.  I love to cook and try new recipes and she would rather eat cereal everyday than cook dinner.  So I spent yesterday making freezer meals for her and of course I made some for me too.  She sent me this quote yesterday that is very fitting for her but also could apply to any of us at one time or another.

"Recipe: a series of step-by-step instructions for preparing ingredients you forgot to buy using utensils you don't own to make a dish the dog won't eat."
-Unknown

Haha!  I love it.  I will be working on getting the freezer meal recipes posted but it may take a little time.  There are 5 recipes and I'm leaving for a week long vacation on Friday.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes w/ Buttercream Frosting

I saw this recipe on a facebook page and had to try it.  Who doesn't like to eat the cookie dough when making cookies?  Don't worry this doesn't have any raw eggs in it so it is safe to eat as much as you want... ok it isn't safe for your butt or thighs.  It was a two step process since you have to make the dough and freeze it over night but I made extra and than it is ready for another time (or just to eat)!  The cupcake recipe below makes more than 24 cupcakes.  I would probably half the recipe next time I make it.  Overall very good recipe!  I will make them again sometime.  The link to the blog that I got the recipe from is included at the bottom if you are a visual person and want to see pictures to make you drool!

For the cookie dough:2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp milk
1 tbsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

For the cupcakes:3 sticks softened butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:3 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cookie dough directions:

Combine the butter and sugars in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 mins. Beat in milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Beat in the flour and salt until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Using a 1.5 tbsp scoop, shape the dough into balls or tubes. Freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet overnight.

Cupcake directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total).  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar.  Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir together to blend.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated.  Blend in the vanilla.

Using a 3 tbsp scoop, fill the prepared cupcake liners 2/3 full with the cupcake batter. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.

Bake at 350 for 16-18 mins.

Frosting directions:

Combine the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.  Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth.  Beat in the salt, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips!

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Read More http://www.kevinandamanda.com/whatsnew/new-recipes/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-cupcakes.html#ixzz1RzpXnboP

Orange and Ginger Chicken

The rice was amazing and really easy to dress up.  The chicken was good too but I cut myself doing the dishes and got side tracked with the bleeding and forgot about the chicken.  It got a little too done and the orange zest lost its flavor.  I will for sure make the rice again and probably the chicken again when I'm not bleeding. I would also put more ginger in the breading that the recipes says.  All in all... it was a good dinner.

Ingredients:

1          cup uncooked basmati or regular long-grain white rice

2          cups Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

1          egg

2          tablespoons milk

1          cup Original Bisquick® mix

1/2       teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2    teaspoons grated orange peel

4          boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb), each cut in half

1/3       cup canola or vegetable oil

3          tablespoons orange marmalade

1/4       cup sliced almonds

1          tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1          medium orange, cut into 8 slices

Directions:

1. In 2-quart saucepan, heat rice and broth to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 20 minutes.

2 .Meanwhile, in small bowl, beat egg and milk with fork or wire whisk. In shallow dish, mix Bisquick mix, ginger and orange peel. Dip chicken into egg mixture, then coat with Bisquick mixture.

3. In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until browned on outside and juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F).

4. When rice is cooked, fluff with fork and stir in orange marmalade. Place rice on serving platter; arrange chicken on rice. Sprinkle with almonds and parsley. Garnish with orange slices.

Recipe courtsey of Betty Crocker

Orange Rhubarb Spread

Who doesn't have a bunch of extra rhubarb laying around?  Ok, well I don't but I know people or I can go to the farmer's market and get some for cheap.  I'm not a fan of rhubarb cakes or anything that has chucks of rhubarb in it so when my sister came across this recipe in my freezer meal cookbook I had to try it.  I think it has great flavor.  The orange juice offsets some of the sweetness from the 4 cups of sugar in the spread.  Dont let the color turn you off... my rhubarb was more green than red so it looks like pea soup.  I added a little red food coloring to make the color a little more presentable.

Ingredients

4 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb

2 cups water

1 can (6 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 package (1-3/4 ounces) powdered fruit pectin

4 cups sugar

Directions

• In a large saucepan, bring rhubarb and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 7-8 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Drain and reserve cooking liquid. Cool rhubarb and liquid to room temperature.

• Place the rhubarb in a blender; cover and process until pureed. Transfer to a 4-cup measuring cup; add enough reserved cooking liquid to measure 2-1/3 cups. Return to the saucepan.

• Add orange juice concentrate and pectin; bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to a full rolling boil; boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from the heat; skim off foam.

• Pour into jars or freezer containers; cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover and let stand overnight or until set, but not longer than 24 hours. Refrigerate or freeze. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks and freeze for up to 12 months. 

Thai Chicken Noodles

I was trying to use ingredients I had at home.  I found this Thai Tango Mild Peanut Sauce in my fridge and so I made dinner around this sauce.  The sauce is originally from Tastefully Simple but I don't think it is available any more.  I'm sure you could find a peanut sauce at the grocery store.  I found the recipe on the Tastefully Simple website.  Both my boyfriend and I really liked this recipe.  Highly recommended.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 - 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 Tbsp. Garlic Garlic
1 green pepper, chopped
4 oz. can mushrooms, drained
1 small onion, chopped
12 - 16 oz. prepared fettuccine pasta
1/3 - 1/2 cup Thai Tango Mild Peanut Sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large skillet; add chicken and sauté until no longer pink. Add Garlic Garlic, green pepper, mushrooms and onion; sauté until vegetables are tender (about 5 minutes). Add prepared hot pasta to chicken mixture; stir in Thai Tango Mild Peanut Sauce. Toss to coat; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Wild Rice-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This recipe is a little time consuming but very yummy!  The stuffing could be made ahead of time.  I made it for a birthday dinner and it went well with the Brandied Carrots recipe on my blog. 

This recipe is for 6 chicken breast halves, which will make good planned-overs, but you can scale it back for 2-4 breasts.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Stuffing:
1 large onion, minced
2 ribs celery, minced
2 medium carrots, minced
3 c. cooked wild rice
10 mushrooms, chopped (optional)
1/4 c. roasted sunflower seeds (optional)
4 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. sage
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
additional salt and pepper

Gravy:
1 can Cream of Something soup
1 can milk or water
1/4 c. dry sherry or vermouth

Pat the breasts dry with paper towels. Preheat the oven to 350.

In a skillet, cook the onions, celery, and carrots in 2 Tbsp. butter until the onions are translucent and begin to brown. If you are using mushrooms, add them and cook them until tender. Add the seasonings and cook 1 minute. Stir in the wild rice and sunflower seeds (if using) until it is well combined with the other ingredients. Check the seasonings and then allow the stuffing to cool enough to handle.

Use a thin, sharp knife to cut a pocket inside the chicken breast, with the entry hole at the top of the breast. Take care not to cut a pocket in your hand. Alternatively, you can butterfly the breast and wrap it around the stuffing.

Stuff the breasts. If you wind up making some extra holes, it's OK--just stuff them as best you can. Sprinkle the breasts with salt and pepper.

In a frying pan or a stove-top safe roasting pan, heat the remaining butter to medium-high. Fry each breast briefly, doing your best to keep the guts inside (it will still taste good). Place the breasts in the roasting pan and surround them with any remaining stuffing.

Mix the cream soup with the milk and sherry (this is easiest if you heat it in the microwave). Pour it over the breasts and wiggle them around a bit so that the soup mixture coats the bottom of the pan. Place in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the breasts reach 155 in the center. Remove from the oven and allow them to rest 5 minutes. Serve with gravy spooned over, green veggies and cranberry sauce.

Egg Casserole

Want a very unhealthy egg bake that tastes yummy?  I have a recipe for you.  This was pretty tasty but as you can see it isn't very good for you.  It is a little on the salty side.  You probably could half the recipe and make in a 8x8 pan.  Best part of this recipe is you can assemble the night before and just bake it in the morning.

1 dozen hard boiled eggs (sliced)
1 lbs. bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 cups crushed potato chips
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup onion
4 tbsp flour
3 cups milk
2 cups Velveeta cheese, diced

Sauce:
Cook together butter and onion until onions are clear.
Mix flour and milk.  Heat until this thickens.  Add cheese.
Put butter and onion in sauce

Put 1/2 of the 1st three ingredients in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Then pour over 1/2 of the sauce.  Repeat layers (make 2 layers).

Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour.

New Recipes

I promise I have new recipes.  I just keep forgetting them at home and when I get home the last thing I want to do is look at a computer.  I have put it on my list to remember to grab the recipes tonight and put them in my work bag.  Most are new freezer meals that I made for my sister for her birthday present.  Stay tuned....

Wild Rice Chicken Dinner

This is another freezer meal so please note the serving sizes.  I halved the recipe and made 2 - 8x8 pans.  I posted the original recipes but it is easy to adjust this recipe.  The green beans don't have to be thawed, mine were frozen and it tasted fine.  To make this recipe even easier, put the chicken in the crock pot in the morning, start the rice when you get home or make it ahead of time.  The rest of the recipe take about 15 minutes.  It is a fast recipes if you take a little time and planning ahead.


Serving size:
2 casseroles (6-8 servings each)


Ingredients:
2 pkg (8.8oz each) wild rice
2 pkg (16 oz each) frozen french-style green beans, thawed
2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) cream of celery soup, undiluted
2 cans (8 oz each) sliced water chestnuts, drained
2/3 cup chopped onion
2 jars (4 oz each) sliced pimientos, drained
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 tsp pepper
6 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup slivered almonds, divided


Directions:
Heat the rice according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the green beans, soup, water chestnuts, onion, pimientos, mayo, milk and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in chicken and rice, cook 3-4 minutes longer or until chicken is heated through.


Transfer half of the mixture to a serving dish; sprinkle with 1/2 cup almonds.  Serve immediately.  Pour remaining mixture into a greased 13x9 pan, cool.  Sprinkle with remaining almonds.  Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.


To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the fridge overnight.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until heated through.

Oh-So-Good Granola Bars

So I try a new granola bar recipe.  I don't think I picked the right combination of dried fruit for mine but I will make this recipe again with a few adjustments.  I will cut back on the amount of fruit bit (too overpowering with 16oz), add a few more dark chocolate chips, and maybe try almonds instead of walnuts.  All in all... definitely a hearty granola bar and good for a breakfast on the run or a mid-morning snack.

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1/2 cup Grape-Nuts cereal
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 16-ounce package mixed dried-fruit bits
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dark-chocolate chips

Directions:

1. 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Set pan aside.
2. 2. In a large bowl, combine oats, both flours, ground flaxseeds, Grape-Nuts, and ginger. Add egg, applesauce, honey, brown sugar, and oil; mix well. Stir in fruit bits, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and chocolate chips.
3. 3. Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool completely on a wire rack. Use edges of foil to lift cooked granola from pan, and cut into bars.

Super Simple Bacon, Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I made this for a dinner with some friends.  Start to finish 20 minutes.  It is great if you are in a hurry.  I used bagel chips but you could serve it with chips, crackers or bread chunks. 

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (10 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crisp, about 12 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Cool; chop coarsely.
2. Stir together the bacon, spinach, artichoke hearts, sour cream, mayonnaise, and Parmesan cheese until well combined. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Super-Simple-Bacon-Spinach-and-Artichoke-Dip/Detail.aspx

Brandy Carrots

Again a big thank you to Linda Hallman for this recipe.  Super duper easy to make and gives cooked carrots a new spin.  Of course the carrots can be cleaned and cut up ahead of time which makes for an easy vegetable dish the day company is coming.

1 1/4 lbs carrots - cut into strips
1/4 c. melted butter/margarine
1/4 c. brandy
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Put carrots in an oven safe covered dish.  Mix other ingredients together and pour over carrots.  Cover and bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees.

Opulent Chicken

Shout out to Linda Hallman for this recipe.  This is an awesome recipe.  And with the advice from Linda, it is perfect to make the night before and warm it up the next day.  We (Bf and I) made this on Wednesday night and put it in the fridge over night.  Then when we were getting ready for our dinner guest we put it back in the oven to reheat.  You couldn't even tell it was made the night before.

We used chicken thighs instead of chicken breast.  Either will work.  Please don't let the artichoke heats scary you away.  I'm not a fan of artichokes either but once everything is cooked you can't even tell they are in the dish.  I actually forgot they were in the chicken dish until we were clean up dinner, then it dawned on me.  We served with Brandied Carrots and part wild rice and part white rice.  Makes a fancier meal that can be done ahead of time.  My 6 qt. dutch oven worked perfect for this recipe and fit 8 chicken thighs with no problems.

8 chicken thighs or breasts
Paprika
Salt
Pepper
1/4 lbs butter (1 stick)
1 - 15oz can of artichoke hearts
1/2 lbs fresh mushrooms
1 pinch tarragon
3 tbsp flour
1/3 c. sherry
1 1/2 cups chicken bouillon

Slather the chicken in paprika, salt, and pepper.  Saute in 1/2 stick butter until golden brown.  Place the chicken pieces in a large serving casserole and add the artichokes among them.  Put the mushrooms and the remaining half of the butter in the same skillet you used for browning the chicken.  Season with the tarragon ans saute for about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle the flour in gently and add the sherry and bouillon.  Simmer for 5 minutes and pour the sauce over the chicken and artichokes.  cover the casserole and bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees.

Recipe taken from Saucepans and the Single Girl

Fun tip I learned today.... pan sizes

How much does a 9x13-inch pan make?

• A 9x13-inch pan holds between 12 and 14 cups and has 117 square inches of surface area.
• Therefore, halving pretty much any recipe that goes into a 9x13-inch pan means that you need a pan that holds between 6 and 8 cups and has about 60 square inches of surface area.
• Fortunately, most of us have such a pan! An 8x8-inch pan holds 8 cups of volume, and has 64 square inches of surface area.

The 8x8-inch pan is just slightly bigger than a halved 9x13, so if halving a recipe you may want to reduce the baking time by about 5 minutes, and check on the casserole then. But ultimately, this has always worked well for me. When halving a basic 9x13 casserole, cut the recipe in half and bake it in an 8x8-inch pan.

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/halving-casseroles-tips-for-reducing-the-size-of-a-recipe-137981

Beef Stew Bake

This is one of my favorite recipes my mom makes.  It is great because you can use leftover stew or buy stew in a can.  This recipe would be easy to cut in half as well.  You would use a 8x8 pan and reduce the cooking time.

Beef Stew Bake

1/2 cup butter
3 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
3 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheese
2 tbls. sugar
1 large can dinty moore beef stew
(3 cups of left over stew can be
used in place of canned stew)

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in a 9x13 pan in the oven.  Combine all ingredients, except the beef stew.  Pour batter over melted butter. Spoon the beef stew over batter, leave some of the batter exsosed.
DO NOT STIR.
Bake for 6o to 65 minutes. 

Chocolate-eclair Icebox Dessert

This was made for another college friends dinner night.  I was told that this was the best dessert I have ever made.  It guess you could say it as a success.

Ingredients:
22 (1/2 sheets) of graham crackers, divided (14 oz box)
Cooking Spray
3 cups milk
2 (3.4 oz) pkgs of vanilla instant pudding mix - DO NOT USE SUGAR FREE
1 (8 oz) softened cream cheese
1 (8 oz) Cool Whip

Glaze: 
1/4 cup milk
2 tbsp softened butter
2 tbsp honey
2 ozs unsweetened chocolate (melted & cooled)
1-1/2 cup powdered sugar
Optional: Flavored liquor (1/4-1/2 cup)

Directions:
Arrange 7-1/2 graham crackers sheets in bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan sprayed with cooking spray
Combine 3 cups milk with pudding mix and cream cheese in a bowl
Beat at low speed for 1 minute or until thick
Fold in Cool Whip and optional liquor (such as, Kahlua, Cappacino, Irish Cream, Amaretto, etc.)
Spread half of pudding mixture over graham crackers.
Top with 7-1/2 more graham crackers,
Repeat with remaining pudding mixture
Top with 7-1/2 more graham crackers
Glaze:
Combine milk thru chocolate ingredients and beat well with mixer
Gradually add 1-1/2 cup powdered sugar to milk mixture
Beat well
Spread chocolate glaze over graham cracker
Place wooden toothpicks in each each corner and middle so cover does not touch chocolate glaze
Cover very loosely with plastic wrap
Chill at least 12 hours

Basic Red Sauce

I never thought red sauce could be so easy to make.  I decided to take on the challenge of red sauce when two recipes I was making called for red sauce.  Little did I know, if it was this easy I would have been making this a long time ago.

Ingredients:
1 (12oz) can tomato paste
2 cups hot water
2 tbsp dried parsley
2 tbsp minced onion
1 tbsp minced garlic (about 9 cloves)
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

Directions:
Mix tomato paste and hot water in a large bowl until smooth.  Stir in parsley, onion, garlic, sugar, salt, basil, oregano, and thyme.
Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes; mix well.  Do not cook.
Measure sauce into appropriate portions for immediate use.  Divide remaining sauce evenly among 1-quart freezer bags for later use.

To use sauce:
completely thaw one bag in the refrigerator.
Use in a recipe calling for tomato sauce, or simmer in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 20 minutes and pour over your favorite pasta.

To us in a meat sauce, brown and drain 1 lbs lean ground beef for every 8 cups of sauce; add cooked beef to sauce and gently reheat. 

Vegetable Lasagna

I was a little unsure of this recipe.  I'm not a huge fan of most vegetables so I didn't know if I would like this one or not.  It looked amazing when I was making it.  You could add more vegetables if you would like.

Ingredients:
12 oz cottage cheese
1 egg; lightly beaten
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided 2/3 cup and 1/3 cup
2 3/4 c. red sauce (I made a homemade red sauce)
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 cups assorted vegetables in bite-size pieces (mushrooms, zucchini, carrots, onions, green and red pepper)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Mix cottage cheese, egg, and 2/3 cup Parmesan in a large bowl.
Spread 1/4 cup red sauce in the bottom of a 9x9 pan

Assemble in the order below:
Layer 1 -
2 uncooked noodles
3/4 red sauce
1/2 cup  vegetables
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Layer 2:
2 uncooked noodles
3/4 red sauce
1/2 cup  vegetables
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Layer 3:
2 uncooked noodles
1 cup red sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Wrap pan in plastic and the with foil and freeze

To cook lasagna:
1. Thaw in refrigerator or bake it straight from the freezer.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
3. Remove plastic wrap and foil from baking dish and replace foil.  bake for 45 minutes if thawed.  1 hour if frozen.  Remove foil and continue baking until lasagna is bubbling and cheese is browned.

Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup

This is so yummy!  Mine serving of this never made it to the freezer.  Make sure that the cream cheese is softened.

Ingredients:
5 celery ribs, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp butter
4 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
4 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped
1/4 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1 pkg. (8oz) cream cheese, softened and cubed
1 bottle (12 oz) beer or nonalcoholic beer

Optional toppings: cooked and crumbled bacon, chopped green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and salad croutons

Directions:
In a Dutch oven or large frying pan, saute celery, carrots, and onion in butter until almost tender; add broth, broccoli, red pepper, salt, and pepper.  Combine flour and water until smooth; stir into pan.  Bring to a boil.  reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until thickened and vegetables are tender.

Stir in cheeses and beer; cook until heated through and cheese is melted, stirring occasionally (do not boil).  serve desired amount with toppings of your choice.  Cool remaining soup; transfer to freezer containers.  Freeze for up to 3 months.

To use frozen soup:
Thaw in refrigerator overnight.  Transfer to a saucepan.  Cover and cook over medium-low heat until heated through, stirring occasionally (do not boil).

Sweet Asian Chicken

This is another freezer meal.  You basically make a marinade in a freezer bag, add the chicken and freeze.  I gave this as a gift and I included a bag of frozen stir fry veggies and rice to make a complete meal.  I also cut the chicken in to 1-inch pieces instead of leaving as whole chicken breasts.  Please note that this recipe makes 3 entrees which make 4 servings each.

Ingredients:
12 chicken breasts
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. lime juice
1/2 tsp. curry
3 tbsp. minced garlic
2 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
Rinse and trim chicken as desired.  Divide chicken evenly among three freezer bags
Combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, and curry powder in a medium bowl.  Divide marinade evenly over the chicken. 
Measure 1 tbsp minced garlic and 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes into each bag.
Seal and freeze.

To use chicken:
Completely thaw one entree in the fridge.
Heat 2 tsp. of oil in a wok or a large skillet.  Stir-fry chicken over medium heat for about 25 minutes or until pieces pull apart easily or are no longer pink in the center.  Serve with noodles, rice, or sweet Asian coleslaw.

Italian Chicken Roll-Ups

Another very simple freezer meal.  Tastes similar to Chicken Cordon Bleu but probably a little healthier.  Not much to this one other than be careful what kind of freezer container you choose because the toothpicks can poke a hole in a freezer bag.

8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)
8 thin slices deli ham (4 oz total)
4 slices provolone cheese, halved
2/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 c. grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley
1/2 c. milk 

Directions:
Flatten chicken in 1/4-inch thickness.  Place a slice of ham and half slice of cheese on each piece of chicken.  Roll up from a short side and tuck in the ends; secure with a toothpick.

In a shallow bowl, combine crumbs, Romano cheese and parsley.  Pour milk into another bowl.  Dip chicken rolls in milk, then roll in crumb mixture.

Wrap each of four chicken roll-ups in plastic wrap; place in a large freezer bag.  Seal and freeze for up to 2 months.  Place the remaining roll-ups, seam side down, on a greased baking sheet.  Spritz chicken with cooking spray.  Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until juices run clear.  Remove toothpicks.

To use frozen chicken: Completely thaw in the fridge.  Unwrap roll-ups and place on a greased baking sheet.  Spritz with cooking spray.  Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until the juice run clear.

Yield: 8 servings

Ham 'n' Cheese Quiche

This is a very easy freezer meal and works great if you have leftover ham.  Make one for yourself and give one as a gift.   Need an idea for a new mommy to be... freezer meals are a great gift (so I have been told).  It can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

2 pastry shells (9 inches)
2 cups diced fully cooked ham
2 cups (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tsp dried minced onion
4 eggs
2 cups half and half cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:
Line unpricked pastry shells with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil.  Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes.  Remove foil; bake 5 minutes longer.

Divide the ham, cheese, and onion between the shells.  In a bowl, whisk eggs, cream salt and pepper.  Pout in shells.  Cover and freeze one quiche for up to 3 months. 

To use from frozen: Completely thaw in the fridge.  Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking.  Cover edges of the quiche with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting.