- 6 chicken thighs or 3 large chicken breast
- 5 C. water
- 1 T. bacon grease
- 1 med. onion, chopped
- 1/2 C. red or green bell pepper, diced
- 2, 10 oz cans petite diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- 15.5 oz. can chili beans
- 2, 16 oz. cans kidney beans, drained
- 1 T. chili powder
- 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp. cumin
- 1 C. frozen whole kernel corn
- salt to taste
How to Make It
Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil and cook until the chicken has cooked through, approx. 35-40 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate to cool. Strain the water that the chicken cooked in, reserving the liquid (you should have 4 C. liquid), set aside. In the same pot add the bacon grease and melt over med. high heat. Add in the onion and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in both cans of tomatoes, with juice, the tomato paste and the 4 C. reserved liquid (if you don't have enough add some chicken stock to make 4 C.) Add in all the beans and seasonings, stir to combine well. Shred the chicken and add to the pot, lowering the heat to med. low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the corn and cook and additional 10 minutes, season with salt to taste. Serve with shredded cheese, chopped green onions and your favorite bread for dipping...I had cornbread with ours.
- Classic White Cake
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 2-1/4 cups cake flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 6 large egg whites
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons butter (1-1/2 sticks), softened
- Strawberries and Cream Filling
- 1-1/2 cups (3.4 ounce package) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
- 1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip
- 4 to 5 cups sliced fresh strawberries
- Confectioners’ sugar (to decorate top of cake)
How to Make It
- Set racks in upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 13″ x 9″ rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper that you have cut to fit the pans. Spray the edges of the pans and parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray.
- Pour milk, egg whites, vanilla and almond extracts into 2-cup glass measure, and mix with fork until blended.
- In a large bowl, stir together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and beat with a hand mixer on low speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add half of the milk mixture to the flour mixture and beat for about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides with a rubber spatula. Add remaining milk mixture and beat for an additional 30 seconds, just until combined.
- Divide batter evenly between two prepared pans. Use a rubber spatula to smooth tops. Bake 16 to 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
- Let cakes rest in pans for 3 minutes. Loosen from sides of pans with a knife, if necessary, and invert one of the cakes onto a large sheet of heavy duty foil, parchment paper side up. Invert the second cake on top of first layer, parchment paper side up, stacking the cake layers. Allow cakes to cool completely then fold foil over at the edges to secure the cakes and refrigerate until ready to assemble. Can be refrigerated for up to one day.
For the filling:
- Prepare vanilla pudding according to package directions. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble cake.
- Wash and slice strawberries.
- To assemble the cake:
- Place one cake layer on a large rimmed baking sheet that is larger than the cake. Spread 1-1/2 cups of the vanilla pudding on the cake layer then top with half of an 8 ounce container of Cool Whip. Place one layer of sliced strawberries on top of the Cool Whip. Top with second cake layer and press down lightly. Scatter remaining sliced strawberries on the pan around the cake for decoration. Dust top of cake with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with additional Cool Whip on the side.
- 2 - lbs ground beef
- 1 - 48 oz jar spaghetti sauce
- 2 – tablespoons sugar
- 1 (16 oz) - pkg medium egg noodles
- 1/2 - cup margarine or butter
- ½ - teaspoon onion salt (or onion powder)
- ½ - teaspoon garlic salt (or garlic powder)
- ½ - cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 - 12 oz pkg shredded mozzarella cheese
How to Make It
Preheat oven to 350º Brown meat and drain fat. Add spaghetti sauce and sugar to meat; simmer 20 minutes. Cook noodles as directed (AL dente); drain and toss with margarine, salts and Parmesan cheese. Spray two 9x13 pans with non-stick spray. In both pans layer half the sauce, all the noodles, rest of sauce; top with mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil; bake 45 minutes.
You can also add some sauteed green bell peppers, onions and mushrooms to the sauce. Make sure the person you are gifting this wonderful casserole to likes the veggies. If not just leave them out.
Note: Since this recipe makes enough for two casseroles, plan one for your family and one for a friend.
- 3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, trimmed and filleted in half lengthwise
- 1/3 cup of flour
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 1 (8 oz) container of sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1/2 cup of sherry wine
- 1 small can of condenced cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 6 slices of Muenster cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper, dredge lightly in flour to coat both sides. Shake off excess.
- Add oil to frying pan and brown chicken in batches on both sides. You don’t need to cook the chicken completely. It will finish cooking in the oven. Transfer the chicken to a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Add the butter to the frying pan and let it melt over medium high heat. Add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and brown mushrooms until golden. Then add the sherry wine and cook for another minute or two. Add the creamy mushroom soup and milk and mix well.
- Pour sauce over the chicken breasts, cover with foil and bake in oven for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top each piece of chicken with one slice of Muenster cheese. You can fold the cheese in half if it is too wide for the breast.
- Place chicken back in oven uncovered and broil for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Top with chopped fresh parsley and serve.
- This dish goes well with rice or noodles because there is usually extra sauce in the baking pan.
- The recipe can easily be doubled to feed a crowd.
- 2 lbs cut-up chicken
- Sauce mixture
- 4 eggs
- 1⁄3 cup water
- 1 cup hot sauce (I use Louisiana Hot Sauce, Tabasco might be hotter)
- Seasoning blend
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1⁄4 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
- 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Dredging mixture
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
How to Make It
Heat peanut oil in a large deep pot to 350°F (do not fill more than half full--you don't want a hot-oil spill-over accident!).
For sauce mixture: in a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs with the water.
Add hot sauce and whisk together well.
Pour this mixture into a large plastic zip-top bag.
For seasoning mixture: In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
For dredging mixture: In a another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Rinse and pat dry chicken pieces with a paper towel.
Cut breast pieces in half across ribs.
Sprinkle chicken generously on both sides with seasoning blend.
Drop a few chicken pieces of chicken into bag of sauce mixture and squish around to coat thoroughly.
One piece at a time, roll chicken in flour mixture and drop into hot oil.
Don't crowd chicken pieces--I cook about half the chicken at a time.
Fry chicken until brown and crisp.
Drain on paper toweling.
Dark meat will take about 14 minutes, white meat about 10 minutes.
Remember smaller pieces cook faster than the larger ones.
You can check for doneness by piercing to the bone in the thickest part with a fork.
If the juices run clear, it is done
- 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 5 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon clove
- 1 cup butter or 1 cup margarine, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup mashed potatoes
- 4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1 cup raisins
- 3⁄4 cup maraschino cherry, drained and coarsely chopped
Caramel Frosting
- 3⁄4 cup butter
- 1 1⁄2 cups brown sugar, packed
- 1⁄4 cup milk
- 1 1⁄2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 pecan halves
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease and flour two 9-inch layer pans.
- Sift flour with cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and cloves.
- In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter with sugar, potato, and egg yolks until light and fluffy.
- At low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture.
- At hight speed, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- With whisk or rubber scraper, fold egg whites into flour mixture.
- Stir in nuts, raisins and cherries.
- Turn into pans.
- Bake 40 minutes.
- Let stand 1 minute before turning out to cool.
- For Caramel Frosting:.
- Melt butter in medium saucepan.
- Remove from heat.
- Add brown sugar, stirring until smooth.
- Over low heat, bring to boiling, stirring.
- Boil, stirring one minute.
- Remove from heat.
- Add milk.
- Over low heat, return just to boiling.
- Remove from heat and cool to 100°F on candy thermometer.
- (Bottom of pan will feel lukewarm.).
- To cool quickly, set pan in ice cubes.
- Gradually add confectioners sugar.
- Beat at low speed until blended inches.
- Beat at high speed until frosting holds its shape - about 30 to 60 seconds.
- Add vanilla.
- Spread half on bottom layer of cake, letting it drip down sides.
- Place second layer on cake.
- Spread remaining frosting, allowing it to drip down sides.
- Swirl top of cake with back of spoon.
- Arrange pecans on top of cake.
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- ¾ stick (6 tbsp) of butter
- 8 oz spaghetti noodles
- 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chilis, drained
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 lb Velveeta (I used 2% milk Velveeta)
- salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
How to Make It
Boil chicken breasts in water in a large pot (I used a 5 qt chili pot). Save 3 ¼ cups of the chicken broth for cooking the spaghetti.
While chicken is cooking, sauté the pepper and onion in butter until soft. Remove from heat.
Remove the cooked chicken from the pot, and set aside. Drain chicken broth, reserving 3 ¼ cups for the spaghetti. (I poured the liquid through a mesh colander into a measuring cup to remove any “impurities.” After I emptied the pot I rinsed it before reusing it.) Cook the spaghetti in reserved chicken broth, according to package directions.
Once spaghetti is cooked do not drain. Reduce heat to medium. Add Ro-Tel and Worcestershire; cook until liquid is mostly absorbed.
Cut the Velveeta cheese into small cubes and add to pot; stir until melted.
Add the pepper and onion.
Tear the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the spaghetti mixture. Salt and pepper well (optional).
Stir until all ingredients are well blended. Serve immediately. (Velveeta gets rubbery again when it cools off.)
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 2 large zucchini, sliced into half moons
- ¼ cup green onion, chopped (I used about ⅓ cup)
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 (7 oz) can green chilis, undrained
- 3 cups cooked white rice (1 cup uncooked rice yields 3 cups cooked)
- 1 cup light sour cream
- 2 cups Pepper Jack cheese, shredded and divided
- 1 large tomato or 6 cherub tomatoes, sliced (I omitted these)
- ground black pepper, to taste
How to Make It
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Sauté ground beef, zucchini, green onion, and spices in extra-large skillet until meat browns and veggies are crisp tender. Drain grease.
Add green chilis, rice, sour cream, and 1 cup Monterey Jack; stir to combine.
Grease a 9″x13″ baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the meat and rice mixture into the dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. (If you are excluding the tomatoes like I did, top the casserole with the remaining cheese before you stick it in the oven and skip the last step.)
Top with remaining Pepper Jack, sliced tomatoes, and pepper to taste. Return to oven until cheese melts and tomatoes are hot – about 5 minutes.
The green chilis do not make this dish spicy at all; they only add flavor.
Pepper Jack cheese is spicy; however, the heat is very mild in this dish. I think the sour cream balances out the heat. (If it helps, I am a mild to medium heat kind of girl.)
If you don’t have an extra-large skillet, cook the meat and veggies in a large skillet then combine with the next set of ingredients in a large bowl.
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 can tomato juice (about 10 - 12 ounces)
- 3/4 cup oatmeal, uncooked
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Press firmly into an ungreased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes (uncovered). Mix together 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons mustard and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Spread over top of meatloaf and finish baking for about 15 more minutes (uncovered) until brown around edge.
- Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls Recipe
- •1 large head cabbage
- •1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
- •3/4 cup quick-cooking rice
- •1/2 cup chopped green pepper
- •1/2 cup crushed saltines (about 15 crackers)
- •1 egg, lightly beaten
- •1 ounce onion soup mix
- •1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
- •1 can (46 ounces) V8 juice
- •Salt to taste
- •Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
How to Make It
•Cook cabbage in boiling water just until leaves fall off head. Set aside 12 large leaves for rolls; drain well. (Refrigerate remaining cabbage for another use.) Cut out the thick vein from the bottom of each reserved leaf, making a V-shaped cut; set aside.
•In a large bowl, combine the tomato sauce, rice, green pepper, cracker crumbs, egg and soup mix. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.
•Place about 1/3 cup meat mixture on each cabbage leaf; overlap cut ends of leaf. Fold in sides, beginning from the cut end. Roll up completely to enclose filling. Secure with toothpicks if desired.
•Place cabbage rolls in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Pour V8 juice over rolls. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until filling reaches 160°. Just before serving, sprinkle with salt and cheese if desired .
- 1 box yellow or lemon cake mix
- 4 ounces vanilla or lemon instant pudding pack
- 2 ounces poppy seeds (save some for icing)
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup cooking oil
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
How to Make It
- Combine all ingredients in bowl, and mix on medium speed for one minute. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl, then beat one more minute.
- Pour into well greased floured tube pan.
- Bake at 350 for 40 minutes to one hour.
- Cool in pan for 15 minutes than turn out on serving plate.
Icing:
- To make icing, combine powdered sugar & water until a creamy paste if formed, about 1/2 cup worth, add remaining poppy seeds. Spoon over warm bundt cake.
- 2 - lbs ground beef
- 1 - 48 oz jar spaghetti sauce
- 2 – tablespoons sugar
- 1 (16 oz) - pkg medium egg noodles
- 1/2 - cup margarine or butter
- ½ - teaspoon onion salt (or onion powder)
- ½ - teaspoon garlic salt (or garlic powder)
- ½ - cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 - 12 oz pkg shredded mozzarella cheese
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 350º Brown meat and drain fat. Add spaghetti sauce and sugar to meat; simmer 20 minutes. Cook noodles as directed (AL dente); drain and toss with margarine, salts and Parmesan cheese. Spray two 9x13 pans with non-stick spray. In both pans layer half the sauce, all the noodles, rest of sauce; top with mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil; bake 45 minutes.
- You can also add some sauteed green bell peppers, onions and mushrooms to the sauce. Make sure the person you are gifting this wonderful casserole to likes the veggies. If not just leave them out.
- Note: Since this recipe makes enough for two casseroles, plan one for your family and one for a friend.
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 2 cans apple pie filling
- 1 jar caramel
- 1 stick butter
How to Make It
Butter 9x13 pan
Pour apple pie filling in
On top put the DRY cake mix
Then drizzle caramel over.
Pour melted butter throughout.
Bake 350 for 45 minutes
- 2 lbs. beef stew meat, cubed
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 chopped celery stalk
- 1 chopped onion
- 4 sliced carrots
- 4 diced potatoes
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
How to Make It
- Set the crock pot on low. In a bowl, mix together the salt, pepper and flour. Add the cubed beef and coat it in this mixture. Once the beef is entirely covered, empty the entire bowl into the crock pot. Add in the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook on either low for 8 hours or high for 6 hours .
- 3 cups sliced mushrooms FRESH OR canned
- 2 sweet onions sliced
- (add a little garlic to the onions and mushrooms when you saute them)
- 1Tbs butter
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese, Shredded
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- salt pepper and garlic to taste
How to Make It
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- saute mushrooms and onions in pan with 1Tbs butter just til tender. Dip chicken into beaten eggs, then roll in bread crumbs.
- In skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Brown both sides of chicken in skillet. Place chicken in pan, arrange onions and mushrooms on chicken, and top with mozzarella cheese. Add chicken broth and cream of mushroom soup together and stir til blended then pour over top of mushroom, onion and chicken..
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1 (2-inch) piece Parmesan cheese rind, optional
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieces, *see Cook's Note
- 2 cups diced cooked rotisserie chicken, preferably breast meat
- 1 cup grated Romano cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Kosher salt
How to Make It
- In a large stockpot, bring the chicken broth, lemon juice, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind, if using, to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add the carrots and simmer until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add the broken pasta and cook until the pasta is tender, for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken and heat through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and the Parmesan rind and discard. Stir in 1/2 of the cheese and the parsley. Season with salt, to taste. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
- You can use any short pasta from your pantry as a substitute for spaghetti
- 1) CHICKEN
- 2) PACKET DRY ITALIAN SEASONING MIX
- 3) 1/2 CUP BROWN SUGAR
How to Make It
- MIX THE ITALIAN SEASONING PACKET AND THE BROWN SUGARCOAT CHICKEN ON ALL SIDESLINE PAN IN FOIL BECAUSE THE DRESSING/SUGAR WILL CARAMELIZE BAKE AT 350 DEGREES UNTIL IT'S GOLDEN BROWN 25 MINUTES ON EACH SIDE.
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 16 ounces crushed pineapple, undrained
Icing:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup coconut
- 1 cup nuts
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
How to Make It
- Place first 6 ingredients in a bowl & mix until blended with spoon.
- Pour into 13×9 inch cake pan.
- Bake at 350°F 35-40 minutes.
- For Icing: Mix butter, sugar and evaporated milk together and cook over medium heat until a little thickened. (This usually takes about 5 minutes at a boil).
- Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.
- Pour over hot cake.
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- Pastry for a Single-Crust Pie
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup mint-flavor semisweet chocolate pieces - OR - 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
- Whipped cream, for serving
- Crushed candy canes, for serving
How to Make It
- In a small saucepan, combine butter and chocolate. Cook and stir over low heat until melted; cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350. Prepare pastry for a single-crust pie in a 9-inch pie dish.
- For filling, in a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, flour and vanilla. Stir in melted chocolate and the chocolate pieces (and pepper mint extract if substituting.) Pour filling into the pastry-lined pie plate.
- Bake in the preheated oven about 55 minutes or until filling isevenly puffed and edge of filling is slightly cracked. Cool on a wire rack about 20 minutes or until slightly warm (center will sink slightly as pie cools.) Top each serving with whipped cream and, if desired, garnish with a mini candy cane or crushed candy canes. Makes 8 servings.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 softball-sized onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped (optional)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 tablespoons steak sauce, such as A-1
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 4 dinner rolls
- Cheese sauce (see below) or sliced provolone or Cheez Wiz
- Optional toppings: shredded Romaine, sliced tomato, sliced raw white onion, 4 tablespoons mayo mixed with a splash of red wine vinegar and a shake of oregano
Cheese sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup provolone, shredded
How to Make It
- In large skillet over medium-high heat add the oil. Add the onion and green pepper and cook until soft and starting to brown. Add the ground beef and cook about 5-6 minutes. Drain off the fat, then stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil and cook about 2 minutes.
- Toast the rolls and set aside.
- If making the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the cheese.
- To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll. If serving as a cheesesteak hoagie, spread the mayo mixture on the top bun and add lettuce, tomato and raw onion on top of the meat.
