Recipes
Savory Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut into cubes
- 1 large russet potato, peeled and cubed
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cubed
- 1/2 cup of frozen peas
- 1 16oz can of chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 2 disks of pie crusts for 10" pie (ready-made or homemade)
Directions
In a large skillet heat the olive oil till it's almost smoking and add the onions and sauté them. Stir them to coat with oil and then add the cubed chicken and cook till the onions are translucent and chicken is cooked through stirring often. Remove to a bowl.
Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth to boiling and add the potatoes and carrots to cook them through, simmering about 15 minutes. Reserving the chicken broth, strain out the potatoes and carrots and add them to the chicken. Add the peas as well.
In the same sauté pan heat 1 tablespoon butter and add 2 tablespoons flour. Stir continuously over medium heat to boil it and cook it till it's straw colored, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the reserved chicken broth and cook whisking till it boils and thickens. Stir in all the vegetables and chicken, and parsley and taste for seasonings. Add salt and pepper as needed.
Place a homemade or ready-made pie crust in the bottom of a deep-dish 10-inch pie pan.
Pour the chicken and veggies over the bottom crust then place the top crust over and crimp the edges. Cut 3-4 small slits in the top crust or use a small cookie cutter to remove a portion of the top crust, leaving a cut-out design. Place on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes or until the pie is hot and bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
Serves 4.
Chocolate Baked Bananas Over Ice Cream
Ingredients
4 whole bananas in the peel 4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 4 tablespoons Nutella (optional) (found near peanut butter in the grocery store) 1 pint ice cream, flavor of your choice
Directions
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Place the banana on a work surface with the ends pointing up. Using a small sharp knife cut a horizontal slit down the inside so you can open the peel like an envelope and stuff it. Being careful not to rip open the peel, spread 1 tablespoon of Nutella in each slit and add one ounce of chocolate chips. Close up the banana peel and wrap the banana in foil. Repeat with the remaining bananas. Place bananas on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until the inside of the bananas are soft and warm and the chocolate is melted.
Before removing the bananas from the foil, remember to be careful as the banana and the melted chocolate will be hot.
To serve, place 2-3 scoops of ice cream into oval dessert bowls. Carefully remove each banana from the foil and peel the baked bananas and place on top of the ice cream.
Makes 4 servings.
Baked Ham n' Egg Hash Browns
Ingredients
3 cups frozen shredded hash-brown potatoes, uncooked 3/4 shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese 1 cup diced cooked ham or shredded deli ham 4 eggs, beaten 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk 1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart casserole. Spoon shredded potatoes on the bottom, top with the cheese and ham. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, evaporated milk and salt. Pour egg mixture over ham mixture in casserole. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees; if chilled, bake 55-60 minutes. Let stand five minutes before serving. Makes about six servings.
Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups water (total) 1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained 1/2 cup onion or 2 Tablespoons dried onion 3/4 cup chopped green pepper (or any sweet bell pepper) 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup dry long-grained rice (Optional: 2 teaspoons dried basil or 6 crushed basil leaves)
Directions
In a large saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups only of the water with the beans, onion, bell pepper, garlic and oregano. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add salt, optional basil and remaining 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil again, then lower the heat to simmer and stir in the rice. Cook for 20 minutes, or to your favorite level of softness. Makes about six to eight servings.
Best Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped or 1 Tablespoon dried onion 1 clove garlic, chopped 3 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce 1/2 cup Burgundy or merlot wine (Burgundy gives a deeper flavor) 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 Tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup grated American cheese, about 4 slices, or 1/2 cup grated mild cheddar cheese 1/2 lb. dry spaghetti, broken in half
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large no-stick frying pan or Dutch oven, sauté meat, onion and garlic. Add tomato sauce, wine, oregano, sugar and salt. Cover, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (It really makes a difference if you can take this amount of time! Otherwise 20 minutes will serve to heat everything.) Cook spaghetti and drain. Put half the spaghetti in a greased 3-quart casserole, and then add half the sauce and 1/4 cup of the grated cheese. Add the remaining spaghetti and sauce, and stir everything with a large spoon. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Best if baked for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes about six to eight servings.
Soy Simmered Chicken Wraps
Ingredients
3 boneless chicken breast halves 2 large onions, chunked Small flour tortillas (pkg. of ten) wheat or white (Optional: 10-16 oz. of cooked chopped broccoli) 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup water 2 Tablespoons honey 1/8 teaspoon ginger 2 Tablespoons peach or apricot jam 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Directions
In a slow cooker, or a large pan on the stove, layer the onions and the chicken breast. Allow at least three hours in the slow cooker on medium, or at least one hour on the stove---the longer the better, but you don't have to do anything to it while it cooks. Spoon out the chicken onto a cutting board, and with a knife and fork, shred the chicken as finely as you'd like. In a small saucepan, stir all sauce ingredients together over medium heat until the mixture starts bubbling, then let it simmer for five minutes on low heat to thicken. In a serving bowl, stir sauce and onion into chicken; if you'd like, add cooked chopped broccoli. Makes about six to eight servings.
Three-Cheese Macaroni Extravaganza
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles Water for boiling noodles (Optional: 1 or 2 onions, chopped) (Optional: 1 to 2 Tablespoons margarine for sautéing onions) 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is best, but the canned type works too) 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup shredded mild or sharp cheddar cheese 1 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cup bread crumbs or dry stove-top stuffing
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium pot, boil macaroni in water until you can just cut it with the side of a fork; drain and set aside. In a medium saucepan, sauté the onions in the margarine until they are clear and tender.
In a 3-quart greased casserole, stir together the macaroni and milk. Sprinkle with the cheeses and onion, then stir it all together. Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top. Cover and bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves six to eight.
Twisty Soft Pretzels
Ingredients
3/4 cup warm water 1/2 envelope yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg, beaten Pinches of salt or cinnamon-sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together warm water, yeast and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, mix salt and flour with a large spoon. After 5 minutes, stir yeast mix into flour mix. With well-floured hands, shape dough into 6-inch rods, initials, animals or traditional twisted pretzel shapes. Brush them with the beaten egg and place on a greased cookie sheet. If desired, sprinkle them with extra salt or cinnamon-sugar. Bake for 12 minutes at 425 degrees.
Sensational Cinnamon Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
1 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons cream of tartar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 Tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on low to combine the shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. In a separate, small bowl, stir together the 2 Tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to use later. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for about an hour.
With well-floured hands, pinch bits of dough and roll them into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar until coated. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 8 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees, being careful not to over bake. Makes about five dozen. Store in a covered container.
Pumpkin Cake
Ingredients
1 pkg. yellow or white cake mix 1/2 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs 1 cup canned pumpkin 3/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon Dash of nutmeg 1/4 cup water (add 2 tbl. of water if eggs are small)
Directions
Put cake mix in a large bowl. Make an indentation in the center and pour in the oil and one egg. Mix using mixer at medium speed, then add the rest of the eggs one at a time, beating after each one. Add pumpkin, sugar, spices, then water. Bake in greased and floured tube pan in 350 degree oven for 60-70 minutes. Cool before removing from pan. Makes a moist and delicious cake — no frosting required.
Apple (Not Too) Crisp
Ingredients
4 cups (about 8 large apples) peeled, coarsely sliced apples (MacIntosh and Rome apples work well; avoid Delicious apples) 1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup margarine, chopped into small bits
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9in by 13in pan, spread sliced apples. Sprinkle with the water and cinnamon. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar and margarine with a pastry cutter or fork, until mixture becomes fine crumbs. Sprinkle crumb topping over apples. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Cover with foil while warm to soften topping. Makes about eight servings.
Quick Cake-Mix Cookies
Ingredients
1 box cake mix (Any flavor, the size it takes to make two inch rounds) 3 eggs 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup vegetable oil 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients using an electric mixer until well blended and creamy (about 1 minute). Using a tablespoon, drop onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 9 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes about 4 dozen. Store in a covered container.
Lime-Graham Cheesecake Nibbles
Ingredients
Crust 1 1/2 cups graham-cracker crumbs (about 9 double-square crackers, crushed) 3 Tablespoons margarine, melted or 1 1/2 cups gingersnap crumbs (about 24 to 30 gingersnap cookies, crushed) 3 Tablespoons margarine, melted Filling 2 eggs, separated 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened 3/4 cup sugar 3 drops green food coloring 2 Tablespoons lime juice 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two muffin tins with 24 cupcake papers. In a medium bowl, stir together the crumbs and margarine. Spoon 1 Tablespoon of the crumb mixture into each paper. Press down the mixture firmly with the bottom of a small juice glass.
In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together egg whites and the salt until the mixture forms soft peaks. Set aside. In a large bowl, use the mixer to beat together the cream cheese, sugar, food coloring, lime juice and flour, until fluffy. Add the yolks until well mixed, then use a spoon to fold in the whites.
Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the lime mixture into each paper. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool on the counter for 20 minutes, then keep refrigerated. Makes two dozen.