Broccoli Salad

 

Salad-

5 cups broccoli florets (bite size)

8 slices bacon, cooked crisp-tender and coarsely chopped

1/3 cup red onion, chopped

1/2 cup Craisins

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing-

1/2 cup Best Foods mayonnaise

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup Hidden Valley Coleslaw Dressing

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl and add to the salad, stirring until everything is covered. Chill for several hours. Enjoy!

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Writing on my blog hasn't been a priority over the last couple of years, but since my daughter told me that she thinks of my blog as her personal recipe box, I have decided to post more of the foods I know she enjoys eating. I'm not going to worry about perfect pictures, because I do not make money off my blog. Isn't it nice not having to scroll through a ton of pop-up ads?! So, here you go Katelyn. Let me know how they turn out. :)

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

2 c. Bisquick

2/3 c. milk

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. basil or oregano flakes (optional)

Heat oven to 400 degrees (some people bake biscuits in a hotter oven, but I never set my oven over 400.) Melt butter in a small bowl in microwave and add garlic powder and basil/ oregano. Mix Bisquick, milk, and cheese until a soft dough forms. Add a tablespoon of milk at a time, if the dough is too crumbly. Drop by large spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with melted garlic butter. Put back in oven for one minute. Remove and brush again and put back in oven for one more minute. At this point the biscuits should be a light golden brown and ready to serve. 

Makes 8 large biscuits.

Roasted Red Pepper Linguine

The recipe for my Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce has been such a hit on Pinterest and Yummly, that I want to share another dish, Roasted Red Pepper Linguine. By adding two simple ingredients, garlic and roasted red peppers, to the mouth-watering Alfredo Sauce, a rich roasted flavor is created. 

INGREDIENTS-

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup butter

1 cup half and half 

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 (12 oz.) jar Roasted Red Peppers, drained

8 oz. Linguine

DIRECTIONS-

Place drained peppers in a food processor and chop until desired consistency. (I found the brand below at Walmart, near the pickles and condiments.)

If you want to add only half of the jar of peppers, go for it!
Never be afraid to make minor changes to a recipe to suit your taste. 

In a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter. Add cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, half and half and the chopped, roasted peppers. Stir over low heat until smooth.

Cook Linguine according to package directions. Drain and combine with sauce. 

Serves: 4-6 

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Ingredients-

12 oz. mini penne pasta

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 cup Olive Garden Signature Italian Dressing (You can find this at Wal-Mart.)

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice

ground black pepper- to taste

salt- to taste

1 (2.25 oz.) can sliced black olives

4 green onions. sliced

6 large leaves Romaine lettuce, thinly sliced

1½ cups grape and/or cherry tomatoes

3/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

8 oz. package Tyson’s Grilled and Ready Chicken Breast Strips, cut into bite size pieces

1½ cups croutons

Directions-

1) Cook pasta according to package. Drain and rinse with cool water.

2) Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, Olive Garden Italian dressing, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add green onions and olives. Fold in pasta, chicken and Parmesan cheese. Chill.

3) Just before serving, stir in Romaine lettuce, tomatoes and croutons. 

Inspiration for this salad came from Christin at Spicy Southern Kitchen. I made a few adjustments to the recipe, including omitting Worcestershire sauce and adding Olive Garden Italian Dressing as well as sliced black olives. 

Taco Pizza

Taco Pizza is simple to make. When using a Boboli pizza crust, you can easily prepare, bake and serve the pizza within 30 minutes. If you want to switch things up a bit, try Pillsbury Pizza Dough and follow the baking directions on the can. Are you good at making homemade pizza dough? If so, and you have a little more time to prepare, go for it! 

Ingredients:

1 Boboli Pizza Crust
1 1/2 cups canned refried beans (click here for delicious slow cooker refried bean recipe)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 package taco seasoning mix
2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese (Monterey Jack would be yummy as well)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 small can sliced black olives
2-3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
lettuce, shredded
tortilla chips, crushed (optional)
Salsa, for garnishing

Directions:

Cook ground beef and taco seasoning according to directions on seasoning package. Drain.

Layer ingredients on pizza crust in this order: refried beans, 1 cup sour cream, taco meat, green onions, cheese, olives and tomatoes.

Bake in 425 degree oven for 10 minutes, or according to your pizza crust package directions.

Garnish with shredded lettuce, crushed chips, salsa and remaining sour cream.

Slow Cooker Refried Beans

Homemade Refried Beans taste so much better than the kind you buy in the grocery store. They are super easy to make and fairly inexpensive. Once you try this recipe, you'll never eat canned refried beans again.   J

Ingredients-

1 small bag dried pinto beans
1 medium/large yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (I really like to use the jar of minced garlic from Costco.)
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
32 oz carton chicken broth, or enough to completely cover ingredients in slow cooker

Directions-

Prepare beans by placing them in a large bowl, covering with water and letting them soak overnight. 

In the morning, transfer beans to a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil on stove. Let boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let the beans soak in the hot water for 1 hour.

Drain beans and add to slow cooker that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Add the chopped onion and spices. 

Pour chicken broth over all. Add water if broth does not completely cover ingredients.

Cook on high for 6-8 hours, or until beans are really tender. Ladle beans into food processor and mash/puree until beans are the consistency that you like (we like ours more smooth than chunky), adding broth from slow cooker if needed. 

At this point, you can serve the refried beans as a side dish, topped with shredded cheese, OR you can freeze the beans for later use. They are perfect on tostadas and nachos, alongside chili rellenos (click here for a Pinterest favorite recipe) or wrapped in enchiladas and burritos.

Creamy Refried Beans

Recipe adapted from  Money Saving Mom

Farmer's Casserole

3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (thawed)

3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup cubed fully cooked ham

1/4 cup chopped green onions

4 eggs

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 tsp. mustard (prepared, not powder)

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

Place hash browns in a glass baking dish that has been lightly coated with oil. Sprinkle with cheese, onions and ham. Whisk eggs, milk, mustard, pepper and salt and pour over all. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake, uncovered, 55-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean.

Yield: 6 servings

Talitha's Italian Wedding Soup

My daughter-in-law, Talitha, has always loved to experiment with cooking and is very good at it. She would like to be a professional chef and someday open her own sandwich shop, but for now, Talitha is happy cooking for her little family. She told me, "Now that I have a husband, I find I love cooking even more." Chase (my son) does like to eat! The two of them are a match made in heaven.  :)

Here is a soup recipe Talitha shared with me. Someday, when she's not busy raising little boys, I'd like to see her start her own cooking blog. I think she'd be terrific at it!

Ingredients-

2 teaspoons oil- olive or vegetable
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 glove garlic, minced
2 cups diced zucchini
2 cups diced yellow crooked neck squash
1 cup diced red bell pepper
3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth
1 cup uncooked macaroni or pasta shells
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
Parmesan cheese- grated


Directions- 

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in zucchini, yellow squash and bell pepper. Cook until crisp-tender. 

Stir in broth and macaroni/shells. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for approximately 7 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Stir occasionally. 

Add spinach. Cook 1 minute or just until wilted. Top with grated cheese.

Makes six (1.5 cup) servings.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup- Recipe and Picture Tutorial

Typically, blog posts with recipes that include a lot of photos make me nuts. As a seasoned cook, when looking at a recipe, I want to get directly to the ingredients and instructions and I don't need to see each and every picture of the process. However, I am posting this recipe mainly for my girls, who have never attempted to make chicken noodle soup, let alone debone a chicken. 

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup is delicious, especially in the cold winter months, and definitely worth learning. Although it is time consuming, homemade soup tastes so much better than the stuff in a can! It is also easy to freeze for those times when you or someone you love has a cold or the flu.

Step 1- Cooking the Chicken and Stock

1 whole chicken- 4-5 pounds

4-5 celery stalks, with leaves

4-5 medium sized carrots

1 onion, quartered

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 ½ teaspoon parsley flakes

Place chicken and vegetables in kettle. Add just enough water to cover all. 

Add salt, pepper and parsley.

Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for approximately 2.5 hours, or until thickest parts of chicken are cooked.

Cool in pot about 30 minutes. Remove chicken from broth, allowing it to sit on a large plate until cool enough to handle and debone.

This is the part where you're going to have to get your hands messy (Katelyn). Just
pick the meat off, discarding the skin and bones into a plastic bag on the counter. :)

Strain the broth and vegetables into a large bowl. (For easy pouring and less mess, I like to place the bowl inside my sink.) 

Discard the vegetables and save the chicken stock (broth), pouring back into your large kettle.

Step 2- Making the Soup

2 cups carrots, sliced

½ cup celery, sliced

2-3 tablespoons grated onion (fresh, not dehydrated)

1 cup dry noodles (I prefer thick pasta like the kind in the photo below. They taste more like homemade noodles than Barilla or American Beauty.)

2-3 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon sugar

Add vegetables to seasoned (salt, pepper and sugar) chicken stock. Bring to boil and add pasta (If you like a lot of noodles in your soup, you may want to add more than 1 cup). Cook according to directions on your pasta package. (This can take up to 20 minutes.) Add chicken and serve.

More motherly advice (aka TIPS)

*Test the chicken stock with a small spoon and add seasonings according to your taste. It's better to add spices gradually than to end up with salty soup.

*If your finished product has more noodles or chicken than you prefer, add 1 or 2 cans of prepared chicken broth (Swanson, Great Value, Etc).

* Do not try to make soup using only chicken breast. I promise, it will not taste as good. Using a whole chicken, with the dark meat, skin and fat, is important for flavor.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

1 can chicken broth
2 cups water
2 or 3 bouillon cubes
2 stalks broccoli (approx. 1 lb.)
3 carrots
1 small onion

Cut broccoli, carrots and onions into small pieces. Cook until tender in the chicken broth, water and bouillon cubes. 

Strain broth from vegetables into a large bowl. Add water, if needed to make 3 cups broth.


White Sauce-

6 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup flour
1 cup milk
3 cups broth (from vegetables above)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Melt butter or margarine. Add flour and whisk in broth, stirring constantly. Mixture will thicken quickly. Whisk in milk until desired consistency. Stir in shredded cheese until melted. Add cooked vegetables and serve.

Grandma's American Hamburger Soup

This is my mother's hamburger soup recipe, so she deserves full credit (although I tweaked ingredient amounts a tad bit). I'm going to get strait to the process, because it bugs the living crud out of me when fellow bloggers post recipes and I have to scroll and scroll through several pictures and waaaay too many words to find instructions. So, without further ado...and yes, it's ado, not adieu. Adieu is French for good-bye and I am not ready to say good-bye... yet. I'm stating without further fuss or excitement. (sigh) 

American Hamburger Soup

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 cups cubed potatoes

3 medium carrots, sliced

2 Tablespoons minced parsley (optional)

1 cup celery, sliced

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 quarts canned tomatoes

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic button, chopped

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 quarts water

4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

dash of Allspice

 1/4 cup rice (optional)

Put hamburger into a large pot and cook until it barely loses its color. Do not brown. Drain off fat. Add all other ingredients together with meat and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer several hours, until vegetables are tender.

Enjoy!

Peach Pie with a Splash of Bourbon

8 fresh, large peaches
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup tapioca
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1 (2 pack) package of Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts
3 Tablespoons Bourbon
1 Tablespoon Milk

Place a jelly roll pan in oven and preheat to 425 degrees. 

Peel and slice ripened peaches into a large bowl. Drizzle with Bourbon. In a separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar, 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, salt, tapioca, flour and oats.

According to package directions, prepare bottom pie crust for a 9" dish.

Sprinkle dry ingredient mixture over peaches and fold gently. (Do not over-stir and make the peaches mushy.) Toss into prepared bottom pie crust. 

Situate the top crust over the peaches. Tuck edges of top crust under the bottom crust. Crimp edges and cut slits in top. 

Lightly brush milk onto top crust and sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon sugar.

Cover pie crust edges with foil to prevent burning. ( Click here for nifty tip! )

Place pie on preheated jelly roll pan in the oven. (I set the oven rack lower than center, but not at the very bottom.)

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 375 degrees and bake 40 minutes longer. Take foil off of crust 20 minutes before removing pie from oven.

Cool completely.

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Sticky Finger Salad

This is my knock off recipe for Sticky Finger Salad, a favorite when dining at Winger's. In fact, after eating my Sticky Finger Salad at home a few times this summer, my husband actually ordered one when we went to Winger's for lunch last week. As we left the restaurant, he told me he thought my version was better. 

Here are the simple, yet tasty ingredients needed:

Romaine Lettuce

Cherry tomatoes, Halved

Cheddar Cheese, Grated

Craisins (Do not leave these out. They make the salad!)
Red Onion- Thinly Sliced (optional, but so good)

Croutons

Ranch Dressing (We like Hidden Valley, but use your favorite.)

Breaded, Frozen Chicken Strips

Frank's Hot Sauce

Brown Sugar

Follow Six Sisters' Stuff's 'Winger's Sticky Fingers Copycat Recipe'. (I only use about half the amount of hot sauce for my husband's and Cody's sake, otherwise, I follow their recipe to a T.)

While the chicken strips are baking, prepare salad on plates, then top with warm sticky finger's and ranch dressing. Yum. Yum.

Francie's Meatballs

Francie, a friend of mine, shared this recipe with me many years ago and it has become a family favorite. The only thing I do differently is use brown sugar instead of white. (Those of you who read my blog regularly know of my love affair with brown sugar.)

Francie's Meatballs

2 pounds extra-lean ground beef

1/2 c. soda crackers, crushed (about 15)

2 eggs

2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 small onion, finely grated

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and form into egg size balls. Place in large baking dish.

Sauce

Mix the following and pour over meatballs:

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cups ketchup

1 1/2 cups water

Cover with foil and bake 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.

Here are links to some other recipes that include my favorite ingredient...brown sugar!

Brown Sugar Zucchini Bread  

Brown Sugar Banana Bread  

Caramel Popcorn  

Gingerbread Cookies 

Fresh Blueberry Pie

Ingredients-

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 cups fresh blueberries
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon milk
dash of salt
pastry for double crust pie (I always use Pillsbury Pie Crust. You can find it in the refrigerator section of the grocery store. To read why and learn tips for preventing crust edges from burning, see this post .)


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Wash and drain blueberries and place in large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together sugar, flour and salt. Add sugar mixture to blueberries and toss gently to coat. 

Prepare a 9 inch pie crust, as directed on box, and fill with blueberry mixture. Drizzle with lemon juice and dot with butter. Add the top crust. Seal and flute edge. Brush top of crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Cover edge of crust with foil ( click here for clever tip ). 

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 25 minutes more, or until crust is golden brown. 

Cool and serve with whipped cream or ice cream. We prefer Breyer's Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Enjoy!

Chicken Alfredo Lasagna Roll-Ups

6 Lasagna Noodles 
Easy Homemade Alfredo Sauce (see recipe here)
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
Italian Seasoning
Parmesan Cheese- shredded 
Mozzarella Cheese- shredded

Prepare Alfredo Sauce.

Preheat Oven to 350*. 

Pour a little Alfredo Sauce in bottom of a 9 x 9 dish that has been sprayed with cooking oil.

Cook lasagna until al dente, approximately 9 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent sticking. Lay noodles on wax paper and blot dry with paper towels (don't skip this step or the pasta will be hard to handle). Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning. 

Spread approximately one tablespoon of Alfredo Sauce and some shredded chicken over each noodle. 

Add a little bit of cheese and roll up, securing with toothpicks. 

Place roll-ups in prepared dish, seam side down, then pour the remaining Alfredo Sauce over all. If desired, sprinkle with more Italian Seasoning.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Recipe Inspired and Adapted from Artsy Fartsy Mama .

How to Make THE Best Deviled Eggs

There are a couple of different occasions when our family enjoys eating deviled eggs. The obvious one is Easter and the other, maybe not so obvious, is when sloppy joes are on the menu for dinner. Like peanut butter and jelly, chips and dip or cake and ice cream, deviled eggs and sloppy joes are just two foods that Cody (my son with autism) insists go hand in hand.

There are two key ingredients in my deviled eggs that make them "the best"...

#1- Miracle Whip (along with Mayo) 

You may use any brand of mayonnaise that you'd like, but do not substitute
salad dressing for Miracle Whip. It will not taste as good. Trust me on this.

#2- Sweet Pickle Juice

Any brand of sweet pickles will do. Remember, you are only using the juice.

Deviled Eggs   

14 eggs- hard boiled, cooled and shelled 

1/3 cup Miracle Whip

1/3 cup Mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon mustard

2 Tablespoons Sweet Pickle juice

1/2 teaspoon salt (no more or they will be too salty)

pepper- dash

yellow food coloring- optional

paprika- for garnish

Remove yolks from hard boiled eggs and place in food processor with all ingredients except paprika. Mix until smooth and fluffy. 

Discard the whites of two eggs, but fill remaining 24 egg halves with  mixture. Garnish with paprika and keep refrigerated. 

I spooned the yolk mixture into the egg whites for quick eating.
However, if you would like to make the eggs look prettier, use your
favorite icing tool and pipe the yolk mixture into the egg whites.

Yields: 2 dozen