Slower Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

-4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3 inch pieces      

-3 potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces

-1 onion, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces     

-4 cups water

-1, 4 pound corned beef brisket with spice packet

-1/4 head of cabbage, coarsely chopped or sliced

                                         

Place the carrots, potatoes, and onion into the bottom of a slow cooker, pour in the water, and place the brisket on top of the vegetables.  Sprinkle on the spices from the packet, cover, and set the cooker on High.  Cook the brisket for about 8 hours. An hour before serving, stir in the cabbage and cook for 1 more hour.  Serve with rye bread, swiss cheese, and mustard.

Libby's Chicken Tacos

These are Adam's absolute favorite tacos and the recipe of my friend Libby.  I tried to replicate them last night and got rave reviews.

-2 rotisserie chickens, meat shredded (or 4 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded)
-3 poblano peppers (roasted, skins removed, and diced)
-Medium onion, chopped
-1-2 tbsp chili powder
-1-2 tbsp cumin
-can of chipotle in adobo sauce (I use the sauce only....about 1 tbsp)
-2 cans of diced tomatoes

I roast peppers right on my gas cooktop.  You can also use your grill or broil in your oven. Blacken and blister skins of peppers.  Place in a paper or plastic bag.  Seal bag and let sit for a few minutes. Pull skins off peppers and seed them.  Chop up peppers and set aside.  Cook onion in pan in a little olive oil.  Once onions are translucent, add in chicken, peppers, spices, and diced tomatoes.  I use about 1 tbsp of the adobo sauce (or as much as I can strain out of the jar) but don't add in any chipotle peppers.  You can chop some and add in if you like.  Do a small amount at a time and test...they are so spicy and add a lot of heat.  Simmer on stovetop until flavors are melded (at least 15+ mins).   Serve on tortillas with your favorite toppings.  We like these on white corn tortillas with some mexican cheese and sliced avocado.  Libby serves with a squeeze of lime.

From the kitchen of Libby Chapman.

Lemon Garlic Dump Chicken

-1 – 2 tsp minced garlic (I like more so I used 2)
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 Tbls parsley flakes
-2 Tbls lemon juice (or the juice of one whole lemon)
-4-6 chicken breasts (or 8 to 10 chicken tenders)


Place all ingredients into a 1-gallon freezer bag and freeze.



Thaw chicken. Pour chicken and marinade into a baking dish, turn chicken to coat. Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes.


OR

Thaw and grill in a cast iron skillet on the stove, or outside on the barbecue grill, until no longer pink inside.

OR

Place the frozen chicken in the crockpot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (or high for 4-6 hours.)

Chicken with Wine and Mushroom Sauce

-4 skinless chicken breasts

-1 tbsp plain flour, seasoned

-1-2 cups chicken stock

-8 ounce pkg sliced mushrooms

-1/2 onion, diced

-Thyme

-3/4-1 1/2 cups red wine

-1 tbsp mild olive oil, vegetable oil

Toss the chicken in the flour, then tap off the excess (I season with salt and 5 pepper mix). Mix 1 tsp of the excess flour with a little chicken stock and set aside. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then add the chicken, mushrooms, onion, and thyme. Cook over a medium-high heat for about 5-10 mins, turning the chicken breasts over once until golden.

Lift the chicken out, then set aside. Pour in the wine and the remaining stock and boil for 5 mins or until reduced by half. Add the flour and stock mix, stirring until the sauce thickens a little. Put the chicken back into the pan, along with any juices from the plate, then simmer for 5-10 mins or until cooked through and the sauce is glossy.

Haystacks

-12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips. melted
-1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread coconut in a single layer on parchment. Place in oven until golden and toasted, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to color evenly. Remove from oven; let cool completely.     


In a medium bowl, combine toasted coconut and melted chocolate. (I melt chocolate in the microwave....stirring after 30 second increments...you can also slowly melt using a double boiler). Stir gently until combined. Press about 1 tablespoon coconut mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or candy papers. Repeat with remaining mixture. Place in the refrigerator until candy is set, about 20 minutes. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Chocolate Peanut Clusters

-1/2 cup  Milk Chocolate Chips
-1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

-1 tablespoon shortening (do not use butter, margarine, spread or oil)

-1/2 cup unsalted, roasted peanuts

-1/2 cup salted, roasted peanuts

                                       

Place chocolate chips and shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 minute; stir. If necessary, microwave at MEDIUM an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Stir in peanuts.  Drop by teaspoons into 1-inch diameter candy or petit four papers. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.  Makes about 2 dozen candies.

Creamy Chicken Bake

-2 1/2 to 3 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (4 large breasts)
-1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (10 3/4 ounces, condensed )
-1 can Cream of Chicken Soup (10 3/4 ounces, condensed)
-1 Cup Sour Cream
-8 oz can Mushrooms drained (stems and pieces - or use fresh)
-1/2 Cup Water
-1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
-1 teaspoon Chives (chopped) 
-Few dashes of Paprika  
-Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease (non-stick cooking spray) a 9x13 baking dish or similar size. Place chicken breast in baking dish in a single layer - lightly salt and pepper.  In a medium size bowl mix soups, sour cream, onion powder, mushrooms, chives and water.  Next, evenly pour over top of chicken and lightly sprinkle with paprika.  Bake on middle rack for approximately 1 hour, until chicken breast is cooked thoroughly.

Mississippi Roast

-1, 3-pound chuck roast
-1 packet of dry ranch seasoning mix
-1 packet of dry au jus gravy mix
-6 tbsp. butter
-¼ cup water
-5-6 pepperoncini

Add ¼ cup of water into the insert of your slow cooker then place the chuck roast on top.  Sprinkle the dry ranch seasoning mix on top of the chuck roast, then sprinkle the dry au jus mix on top, then place 6 tbsp. of butter on top of the roast, and finally 5-6 pepperoncini around the roast. Cook on low for 8 hours.  Shred and serve with gravy/sauce.

Spinach and Artichoke Pasta

-6 Tablespoons Butter
-4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
-2 bags Baby Spinach
-2 cans Artichoke Hearts, Drained And Halved
-3 Tablespoons Flour
-3 cups Whole Milk
-1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
-Salt And Pepper, to taste
-1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
-1-1/2 cup Mozzarella Or Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
-1/2 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (less Or More)
-12 ounces, weight Penne, Cooked Until Al Dente
-1/2 cup Seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs
-Crushed Red Pepper, To Taste

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot or skillet. Add garlic and throw in the spinach. Stir it around until it's wilted, about 1 minute. Remove spinach from heat and set aside.


Add 2 tablespoons butter to the same pot and raise the heat to high. Throw in the halved artichokes and stir it around until they get a little color, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the artichokes from the pot and set them aside.


Reduce the heat to low. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the pot. When melted, sprinkle in flour and whisk until it's combined. Pour in milk and whisk to combine. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until starting to thicken. Add Parmesan, Mozzarella/Monterey Jack, salt and pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir to melt, and if it's overly thick, splash in chicken broth.


Add artichokes and pasta, tossing gently to combine. Gently fold in spinach, then pour the pasta into a serving bowl. Sprinkle the top with crushed red pepper flakes and plenty of Panko breadcrumbs for crunch.


Serve immediately!


From the kitchen of The Pioneer Woman.

Posted by Ree | The Pioneer Woman on October 8 2012

Baked Mac and Cheese

-2 cups dry macaroni

-2 tsp. salt

-1 can evaporated milk

-2 large eggs, beaten

-3 cups cheddar cheese shredded

-½ stick butter

-½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 13 baking dish.  Cook macaroni w/ 2 tsp. salt until dente, drain, set aside.  In large bowl, beat eggs and whisk in milk until blended.  Add 2 cups of cheese, ½ tsp. salt and melted butter.  Add cooked macaroni.  Pour into baking dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

From the kitchen of Mary Stoup.

Scott's Corn Bread

-1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
-1/4 cup oil
-3 eggs
-1 small can corn, drained
-1/2 carton sour cream (about 4 ounces)

Mix ingredients together.  Pour into a greased pie plate.  Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 37 minutes.

Tortilla Pinwheels

- 1 pack of 10 flour tortillas

-16 oz of whipped cream cheese

-8oz of sour cream or jalapeño dip made with sour cream.

-Chives chopped.

-8oz shredded cheese

-1 can of diced black olives

-8-16 oz of finely diced or pureed ham....finer the ham is diced the easier to spread.

Mix all ingredients together and spread thin over tortillas. Roll tortillas.  Fill ends of tortillas with some of the mix. Refrigerate for 1 hour to stiffen rolls.  Remove and slice.  Tip - 50% more cream cheese will make mix stiffer.

From the kitchen of Kristi Eberhart.

Zucchini Bread

This is one of my favorites...reminds me of my Grandma!  Seems like she was always ready with a slice of zucchini bread when we stopped by her house.


*1 1/2 cups of flour
*1 teaspoon cinnamon
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
*1 teaspoon vanilla
*1 cup sugar
*1 cup finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini  (1 cup peeled and shredded apple can be substituted for this)
*1/4 cup oil
*1 egg
*1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


Grease a bottom and sides of bread pan.  In medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.  Set aside.


In another bowl, combine sugar, zucchini, oil, egg; mix well.  Add dry mixture to zucchini mixture.  Stir until moistened (batter will be lumpy).  Fold in nuts.


Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove loaf from pan.  Cook completely on wire rack.  Wrap and store overnight.

Chicken Gloria

A new favorite in our house...


-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

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.

Source: http://foods-exclusive.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-to-recipes-food-chicken-gloria.html

III Forks Off the Cob Cream Corn

-10 ears of fresh corn, shucked, cooked and off cob (or large bag -2.5 pound bag - of frozen corn)
-1 cup heavy cream
-1 cup milk
-2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon white pepper
-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
-1/2 teaspoon Accent seasoning
-1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
-1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
-4 ounces unsalted butter
-2 tablespoons flour

In a large saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients.  Slowly bring it to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for three minutes.

In a separate pan, melt the butter until  it begins to pop, then stir the flour into the butter.  Add  the butter and flour mixture to the simmering corn.  Stirring occassionally, allow to simmer for three more minutes.  Keep warm until served.

From the kitchen of Deatra Smith...courtesty of Chef Vogeli, Executive Chef at III Forks in Dallas, Texas.

Alice Springs Chicken

Scott absolutely L-O-V-E-S the Alice Springs Chicken at Outback.  Tried this recipe just for him and it was a keeper!
 

Honey Mustard Marinade:
-1 cup Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
-1 cup honey
-1/2 cup mayonnaise
-1 teaspoon lemon juice

Chicken:
-4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
-1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
-2 cups sliced mushrooms (10-12 mushrooms)
-2 tablespoons butter
-Salt and pepper
-Paprika
-8 slices bacon, cooked
-1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
-1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
-2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley (I use dried)
 

Use an electric mixer to combine the mustard, honey, mayonnaise, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Whip the mixture for about 30 seconds. Place chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour in about 1/3 of the marinade. Seal the bag and press out as much air as you can and marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours. Chill the remaining marinade until later. **I typically cut the above marinade recipe in half and marinate the chicken in all of it. I don't use the extra marinade as a sauce. ** 

After the chicken has marinated, remove chicken from bag and discard the marinade that it has been soaking in.   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and heat an ovenproof frying pan large enough to hold all four breasts and 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. (If you don't have an ovenproof frying pan, transfer the chicken to a baking dish).

Sear the chicken in the pan for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Remove pan from heat but keep chicken in the pan. As the chicken is cooking, in a small frying pan saute the mushrooms in the butter. Brush each seared chicken breast with a little of the honey mustard marinade being sure to save a little extra that you can serve on the side later with the dish.

Season the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika ( I am usually pretty generous with the paprika, I love the flavor). Stack two pieces of cooked bacon, crosswise on each chicken breast. Spoon the sauteed mushrooms onto the bacon, being sure to coat each breast evenly. Sprinkle 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese evenly onto each breast followed by 1/4 cup of cheddar.

Bake the pan of prepared chicken breasts for 7-10 minutes or until cheese is thoroughly melted and starting to bubble. Sprinkle each breast with 1/2 teaspoon parsley before serving. Put extra honey mustard marinade into a small bowl to serve on the side.

Recipe courtesy of ZipList.com.

Macaroni & Cheese

 

Here's my go to mac and cheese recipe...adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. 

You can easily divide this recipe in half.  Use a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish (9X9) if you do.

-6 pieces bread cut in cubes (I use 3 sleeves crushed Ritz crackers for the topping instead)
-8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
-5 1/2 cups milk
-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
-2 teaspoons kosher salt
-1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
-1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
-2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano
-1 pound elbow macaroni
-12 sliced of bacon, cooked crisply and chopped (my addition)

 Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish (9X13); set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. **As mentioned about, I used crushed Ritz crackers instead of bread for the breadcrumbs.  Combine Ritz crackers with the butter and set aside.

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. **I typically use pecorino Romano since it's half the price of Gruyere.  Set cheese sauce aside.

Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.

Reindeer Noses

This is our new favorite Christmas treat.  I hate baking...I burn everything.  These are so easy and YUMMY.  How can you go wrong with chocolate and pretzels?  The kids think they are fantastic and loved their job of unwrapping all the kisses. 

-Waffle shaped pretzels (I use a one pound bag of Snaps made by Snyders)
-Hershey Kisses and/or Hugs (I use 3 bags, 11 ounces each)..you can also use a chocolate melt if preferred
-Green and Red M & M's

Preheat your oven to 225 degrees. Now, spread the round pretzels on a cookie sheet so that they lie flat. Place unwrapped kiss on each pretzel.

Place the cookie sheet into your oven. Allow the kisses to melt.  It will take about 5 minutes depending on your oven. If you press on the kiss and it squishes all the way down, they’re ready. Take them out.

Now, press one M & M into each kiss. Push them around a little so that chocolate touches all of the edges of the pretzels.

I saw another version of these made with a Rolos instead of Hershey's kiss and then a Pecan on top.  Oh my, I will have to try those next year!

Nutella Bites

This is the boys new favorite after school snack!  I think I saw it on Pinterest at some point.

-Pillsbury crescent rolls
-Nutella

Unroll and separate dough as if you are going to make crescent rolls.  Scoop 1-2 tablespoons of Nutella (or a little peanut butter too) at the large end of the crescent roll.  Roll up as you would to make the rolls and bake according to the package directions.  Serve with a big glass of milk.

I have pictures to upload, but I've run out of storage space on this blog and trying to figure out if I am willing to pay for extra storage.

Italian Wedding Soup

I attempted making wedding soup this weekend for the first time.  I've been hesitant to make it...nothing quite compares to my mom's or grandma's.  After combining a few recipes online, this is what I came up with...

It turned out pretty tasty with three happy boys gobbling it up tonight.  If you visit this blog regularly, you can tell that I like to freeze a lot of meals.  The less time cooking, the better.  Therefore, this is a double recipe.  We ate half tonight and I froze the other half.

Soup:
-olive oil
-1 onion, chopped
-1-2 cups celery, chopped (about 2-3 stalks)
-1-2 cups carrots, chopped (about 20+ baby carrots)
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-1 bay leaf
-1 teaspoon dried thyme
-1 teaspoon dried basil
-1 teaspoon dried oregano
-84 ounces chicken broth...this is 2 extra large cartons, or 6 cans of chicken broth of chicken broth
-4 cups water
-8 ounces orzo (or ditalini, pastina or any other tiny pasta)
-2 cups escarole, sliced thin (you can use spinach in place of the escarole, but I grew up with the traditional Italian version with escarole)
-Parmesan cheese

Meatballs:
-1 pounds meatloaf mix
**I can never find this so I make my own:
-3/4 pound ground beef
-1/2 pound ground pork
-1/4 pound ground veal
-3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
-1 eggs
-1/8 cup Parmesan cheese

Mix meatball ingredients together and roll small meatballs the size of a marble. (If forming the meatball is difficult, cover and refrigerate first.

 

In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil. When the onion starts to turn a golden color; add garlic, carrot, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in chicken stock and herbs.  Gently add in meatballs.  Simmer lightly, until veggies and meatballs are cooked through (about 10 minutes).  Add in orzo and escarole and gently simmer for about 10 minutes until pasta is cooked.  Serve immediately. 

 

Garnish soup with Parmesan cheese before serving if desired.