Blueberry Cobbler

This is another fantastic Pioneer Woman recipe.  I had seen it originally in her first cookbook, but didn't have any desire to make it until I saw her make it on the first season of her show on Food Network.  I've actually already made this a couple of times, but am so excited to eat it, I forget to take a picture.  I don't like typical fruit cobblers.  This one is sorta a twist between a cake and a cobbler.  I have always made it with frozen blueberries and served it with vanilla ice cream.

The case

Ingredients:

• 1/2 stick butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar 
• 1 cup self-rising flour 
• 1 cup whole milk 
• 2 cups fresh (or frozen) blackberries 
• Whipped cream and/or ice cream, for serving

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish with butter.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup sugar with the flour and milk. Whisk in the melted butter. 
3. Rinse the blackberries and pat them dry. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Sprinkle the blackberries evenly over the top of the batter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the blackberries. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 1 hour. When 10 minutes of the cooking time remains, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over the top. Top with whipped cream or ice cream . . . or both!

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Besides BBQ and bacon, I haven't really experimented with neither the eating or cooking of pork.  Two random occurrences made me decide to make this pork loin.  First, last Monday I had pork tenderloin at the Cooks Market.  I always eat chicken, but for some reason that night I decided to try the pork.  It was really good!  I immediately went home and found a few recipes that I wanted to try.  Then, Wednesday my friend Kayla and I were talking about Pinterest and she mentioned this recipe to me.  She had tried it and said it was wonderful!  I took those two events as a sign.  And here we are...

The case: Adapted from CC Marriage Factory

Ingredients:

• 2 (1 pound) boneless pork tenderloins (If using 1 (2 lb) loin half the rub)
• 2 teaspoon ground sage
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup water

Glaze

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1-2 garlic cloves minced

Directions:

1. Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 
2. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan.  Heat on medium high until mixture starts to bubble.  Lower to a simmer and stir until thickened. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin Printable

The ruling:
Hands down one of my favorite recipes that I've ever made.  I think pork loin is going to be my new best friend.  This stuff was ridiculously yummy!  I loved the spicy/sweet/tangy flavor and it went perfectly with the pork!  Thanks Kayla! 

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Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

I've been making these mashed potatoes since we got married.  They are my absolute favorite- and I've tried a lot of mashed potato recipes.  I can't believe I'm just not posting the recipe.  This recipe comes from Ina Garten.  I've never tried one of her recipes that I didn't like.  In fact, she just might be my culinary hero.  

The case:
Ingredients:

• 3 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled
• Kosher salt 
• 1 1/2 cups milk 
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 1/2 cup sour cream 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and place them in a large pot. Cover the potatoes with cold water and add enough salt so the water tastes quite salty. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan, making sure it doesn't boil. Set aside until the potatoes are done. 
3. As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander. Place a food mill fitted with a small disc/blade over a glass bowl. Process the potatoes through the food mill, turning the handle back and forth to force the potatoes through the disc. 
4. As soon as the potatoes are mashed, slowly whisk in enough of the hot milk/butter mixture to make the potatoes very creamy. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the sour cream and pepper and whisk to combine. Taste for seasoning and serve hot.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

I know a lot of you have probably seen the Hellman's commercial for this Parmesan chicken.   I figured it had to be worth trying if the whole commercial was centered around it and it is featured on their homepage.

The case:
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lbs.)
• 4 tsp. Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Combine Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise with cheese in medium bowl. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Evenly top with mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs. 
3. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

The ruling:
This is some of the most moist baked chicken I've ever had.  I like how the mayo mixture and breadcrumbs are only on the top.  That way you aren't left with soggy wanna be crumbs on the bottom.  I used mayonnaise with olive oil and fresh, finely shred Parmesan cheese.  I can see this being a regular kid friendly meal in the future.  

Chicken Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken) and Simple Basmati Rice

We've only had Indian food once at a wedding, but both Michael and I really like it.  We've been wanting to try it again ever since, but let's just say we're fresh out of Indian restaurants in our small town!  So, I figured I'd try to make it at home!  The rice recipe is from Aarti Sequeira, Food Network Star winner (love that show) and the second is a popular recipe from All Recipes.

The case:
Simple Basmati Rice from Aarti Sequeira
Ingredients:

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 3/4 cups water 
• Large pinch salt

Directions:

1. This is the most important part: Wash the rice! Place the rice in a large bowl and fill with fresh, room temperature water. Swirl your hand through the water and the rice; the water will go cloudy. That's all the starch that we're trying to remove in order to have individual grains of rice. Once you've swirled your hand around for a minute or so, pour off the water, taking care not to lose any rice. Repeat this washing process until the water runs clear. Usually, this takes 3 or 4 changes of water.
2. Fill up the bowl 1 more time and let the rice soak for 30 minutes. 
3. At the end of 30 minutes, drain the rice. Fill a medium saucepan with 1 3/4 cups water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. 
4. Add the rice, stir, and wait until the water comes back to a full boil. When it does, turn the heat down as low as it can go, and then cover. Cook for 15 minutes. 
5. At the end of 15 minutes, cut the heat. Let the rice sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; you should see that every grain of rice has grown a little longer and is separate from its brothers and sisters. 

Chicken Makhani Adapted from All Recipes
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil1/4 white onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup tomato puree (used diced tomatoes pureed in the food processor)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch black pepper
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 teasponnspoon cornstarch
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/3 cup pureed low salt cashews

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute onion until soft and translucent. Stir in butter, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon garam masala, chili powder, cumin and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomato puree, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in heavy cream and yogurt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat, and season with 1 teaspoon garam masala and cayenne. Stir in a few spoonfuls of sauce, and simmer until liquid has reduced, and chicken is no longer pink. Stir cooked chicken into sauce.  Add cashews.
3. Mix together cornstarch and water, then stir into the sauce. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.

The ruling:
This is different but in a good way. Michael said it was one of the most flavorful dishes he's ever had.  The more we ate, the more we liked it! 

Roasted Tomato Soup

This recipe has been 2 years in the making.  Let me start off by saying, in general I don't even like tomato soup.  Campbell's tomato soup does absolutely nothing for me.  Panera is just about the only place I'll eat tomato soup, and it isn't from lack of trying it other places.  The bare bones of this recipe came from Gina and Pat Neely on Food Network.  I've added a few final touches to make it perfect.  For an extra special touch, I add precooked cheese tortellini at the end!

The case:
Ingredients

• 4 pounds, tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 6 Tablespoons olive oil
• 6 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar   
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• Pinch sugar 
• 3 tablespoons butter 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 4 cups chicken stock 
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 
• 1 cup heavy cream 
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (freshly grated works best)
• 3 tablespoons chiffonade fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange tomatoes, flesh side up, on 2 wire racks set on sheet trays. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, making sure they are well covered. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. 

 

Roast in the middle rack of the oven until tomatoes are brown and tender, about 1 hour. Cool slightly. 

Melt butter in 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion for 2 minutes, add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes, and then mix in tomato paste for a few more minutes. 

Add chicken stock and cayenne. Add heavy cream and heat over low heat. Bring up to a boil then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, peel skins off tomatoes.  Add the roasted tomatoes and basil to the pan. 

 

Puree with an immersion blender. (Or put 1/2 at a time in a regular blender) 

  

At this point, I didn't feel like mine looked quite tomatoy, which means red enough.  So I added a can of diced tomatoes and pureed a bit more.

Add Parmesan and cream cheese.  Stir until well blended and cheese is melted.  Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish generously with homemade croutons. 

Roasted Tomato Soup Printable

Garlic Breadsticks (FROM SCRATCH)

Trying this yeast thing again.  It's from Our Best Bites, and since I've loved most of the recipes I've tried from there, I figured I'd give it a try.  The description claims it's a great starter baking recipe.  

The case:
Recipe from OurBestBites.com

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. yeast
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3-4 1/2 c. flour

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.
2. Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.
3. Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl. Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
4. Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.
5. Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it's okay if they're close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life's greatest pleasures!
6. Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes. When there's about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks (just put a ziploc bag on your hand, grab some softened butter, and have at it) and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning or the powdery Parmesan cheese in a can and garlic salt. Or you could sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar.

Garlic Seasonings
Recipe from OurBestBites.com
Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. powdered Parmesan cheese 
• 2 tsp. Kosher salt 
• 2 Tbsp. garlic powder 
• 2 tsp. oregano 
• 2 tsp. basil 
• 2 tsp. marjoram 
• 2 tsp. parsley

Instructions:

1. Combine ingredients in a jar (preferably one with a sprinkle top) and shake.  Sprinkle on top of breadsticks or combine 1 1/2 Tbsp. seasoning with 1/2 c. of softened real butter and spread on a loaf of French bread (cut in 1/2 lengthwise). Wrap in foil and bake at 375 until butter's melted. If you want, you could also pop it open-faced under the broiler for a few minutes so it gets brownish and crispy.

The ruling:
I can't believe I made homemade bread and it actually turned out well!  This bread was good, but I'm not too big of a fan of the garlic seasoning.  I can't wait to use this dough for pizza. 

Angel Sugar Cookies

I'm determined to try all the recipes I want to try in Pioneer Woman's cookbook before her new cookbook comes out.  If you've read any other of my baking posts, you know one thing I hate to do is bake.  I don't have the patience to measure out everything perfectly, especially when I take the time and then my food is a disaster.  These things don't happen with cooking.  When you cook, you simply adjust flavor.  

The case:
Angel Sugar Cookies from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 2 whole Large Eggs
• 1 cup Canola Oil
• 2 sticks Butter, Softened
• 1 cup Sugar, Plus Extra For Sprinkling
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 4 cups Plus 2 Tablespoons, All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Cream Of Tartar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together eggs, oil, butter, sugars, and vanilla. 
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate dough one hour. 
4. Using a cookie scoop, drop balls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. 
5. Smear a dab of butter all over the bottom of a glass, then dip the glass in granulated sugar. Use the glass to flatten each ball of dough, dipping again into the sugar each time. Repeat until all are flattened. 
6. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until cookies are just barely turning brown. Don’t overbrown! 
7. Allow to cool before eating. Cookies are ultra crumbly! 

Angel Sugar Cookies Printable

The ruling:
These are some of the lightest, crispiest cookies I've ever had period.  I love how thin they are, yet still chewy!  I'm going to try to add icing tomorrow.  What could be better?

Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs

The best thing about chicken legs are that they are cheap!  And easy to eat.  Ryder is almost a year old and I'm thinking more and more about quick dishes that he would enjoy eating one day.  I remember loving chicken legs as a child. I'm hoping these will be a yummy, healthier alternative to the classic fried version. 

The case:
Spicy Roasted Chicken Legs (Adapted from Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:

• 12 whole Chicken Legs
• 1 stick of Butter
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic power
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup Lemon Juice

Instructions:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan. Pour in lemon juice (fresh or bottled). Add your seasonings.
2. 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 with a wired cooling rack. 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. 
3. 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. 

Roasted Chicken Legs Printable Version

The ruling:
Mission accomplished! These were perfect- quick, easy, kid friendly!  I was afraid they might be too spicy but they really weren't!  Next time I'm going to experiment with lemon pepper seasoning.

Baked Brie Bites

Brie is a new love of mine.  I don't have many recipes to make with Brie so I was excited to see these on Plain Chicken's website.  I also love the mini phyllo tarts!  Such a great ingredient.  These couldn't be any simpler, hope they taste as great as they look.

The case:

mini phyllo tarts

Ile de France brie, cubed

brown sugar

chopped pecans

honey

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place a cube of brie in each phyllo tart.  Sprinkle each tart with approximately 1/2 tsp brown sugar.  Top with approximately 1/2 tsp chopped pecans and a dollop of honey.  
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until brie is melted. (use more or less of each ingredient according to your preference)

The ruling:
Okay I liked these at first, but they left a funny taste in my mouth.   I won't be making these again but I still like the idea of the brie in the phyllo cups...

Daphne Oz's Smoothie

I've tried a couple of recipes for Smoothies, my favorite being Alton Brown's, but I still haven't found the perfect recipe.   This was from one of the first episodes of The Chew, which has become one of my favorite daily activities.  There actually haven't been that many recipes I've wanted to try, but I'm still constantly learning more about cooking and food!

The case:
Ingredients:
1/2 cup yogurt
1 cup fresh fruit (Daphne used 1/2 cup blueberries)
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
1/2 banana (optional)
1 tablespoon psyllium husks
3 ester-c capsules (500 mg)
1 cup ice (if fruit is frozen, no ice needed)
Some water or juice to blend for consistency

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy (Note: Of the 1 cup fruit, Daphne used 1/2 that cup with blueberries. It's your choice what to make that 1 cup consist of). If you have trouble blending, try adding a little water to thin the smoothie. Make sure to have at least two 8 oz glasses of water with each serving of smoothie to help the psyllium husks expand so they digest properly.

The ruling:
This is the best smoothie recipe I've ever tried.  I didn't add the ester-c caps or psyllium husks, but used Greek yogurt, 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup strawberries, and a splash of milk.

Slow Cooker French Dip

Here is another delicious looking dish from Our Best Bites.  Yesterday, I was flipping through my cookbook deciding what dish to try next.  I left the book open at this page when I went running after Ryder.  Michael happened to walk by and saw this lovely recipe and wanted to know when I planned on making it.  So last night after church, I ran in the store to get the ingredients I needed.  French Dips are our go-to menu item in restaurants.  I've tried making them a couple of times, but we haven't found anything even worth making again.  Hopefully, this will be a go-to French Dip dish. 

The case:
Recipe by OurBestBites.com
Ingredients: 
- 1 2.5-3 lb. beef roast (you can use a frozen roast if you want)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
- 2 c. water
- 2 cans beef broth
- 6-8 large buns (or more...6 would be VERY generous servings!)
- Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced.


Directions:
1.  Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper.
2. When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You're not cooking the meat, you're just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices. 
3. Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onion soup mixes. Pour water and beef broth over roast.
4. Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. It's hard to screw this part up; basically, the longer it cooks, the more tender it will be. But you know it's done when you pop a fork in it and the meat just falls apart. When meat is ready, shred with a fork.
5. Place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty. 
6. Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy!

The ruling:
This was yummy!!!  A great alternative to eating out!  This is officially on our regular rotation.  It's going to be hard to just eat a roast now.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

I wanted to have a final "tailgating" party for the biggest college football game of the year.  Michael grilled wings and I made pizza rolls, but I also wanted to try something new.   These seemed like the perfect missing piece, especially since I had all the ingredients.  Once again, they're from my favorite new cookbook- Our Best Bites!

The case:
Recipe by OurBestBites.com

Ingredients:
- 1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
- 1/4 C green salsa
- 1T fresh lime juice
- 1/2 t cumin
- 1 t chili powder
- 1/2 t onion powder
- 1/4 t granulated garlic
- 3 T chopped cilantro
- 2 T sliced green onions
- 2 C shredded cooked chicken
- 1 C grated pepperjack cheese
- small corn tortillas
- kosher salt
- cooking spray

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.  You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.
3. Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.
4. Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges. 
5. Then roll it up as tight as you can.
6. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top. 
7. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.  Dip 'em in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or this dressing.

The ruling:
Another winner!  I was surprised at how crisp these got baked in the oven.  Of course, taquitos are going to be better fried, but I will definitely continue to make these instead.  So easy!  And the filling was yummy!  I served them with sour cream and Pioneer Woman's Salsa.    

Marlboro Man Sandwich

I have been thinking about making these forever.  Michael loves Philly cheese steaks and these reminded me of them. My mom's close friend made them to rave reviews, so I decided it was time for me to give them a try!

The case:
Ingredients
1 whole Large (or 2 Small) Onions
2 sticks Butter (lots And Lots Of Butter)
2 pounds (to 3 Pounds) Cube Steak (tenderized Round Steak That's Been Extra Tenderized)
Lawry's Seasoned Salt (or Similar Seasoned Salt)
½ cups (approximately) Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco Sauce, To Taste
4 whole French/deli Rolls (earthgrains Are Best!)
Preparation Instructions

Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside.

Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry’s.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter over high heat (in same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown. Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides.

Add 1/2 cup (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 tablespoons butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine. 

Butter halved French rolls and brown in skillet.

To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half, and devour!

The ruling:
Let me first start by saying I'm not a big red meat eater.  Every once in a while I like a good burger or steak, but on a regular basis, I'm a chicken girl.  With that said, I LOVED this sandwich.  We added peppers, mushrooms, and provolone cheese to this delicious sandwich!

Top 11 of 2011

Oh this was so hard! And this year with pregnancy and a newborn I didn't do NEAR as many recipes as last year.  I originally wanted to do a typical top 10, but I just couldn't get it down to only 10.  There were several more I really wanted to include, but I'm happy with this list.  Well here we go, my top 11 favorites of this year, in no particular order:

1. Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup
2. Alice Spring's Chicken
3. 7-Up Biscuits
4. Creamy Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
5. Cake Batter Blondies
6. Poppy Seed Bread and Honey Butter
7. Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff
8. Whatever Floats Your Boat Brownies
9. Easy Baked Potato Wedges
10. White Chicken Enchiladas
11. Chicken, Bacon, Mushroom Casserole

Poppy Seed Bread

One of my favorite blogs is Our Best Bites.  It was created by two friends to share recipes with each other and their friends.  They are my kind of cooks!  A couple weeks before Christmas while browsing their site, I noticed they had a cookbook! I immediately called my mom and told her I wanted it for Christmas.  Believe it or not this was the present I was the most excited about getting.  And let me tell you it does not disappoint!  I know all the financial gurus (David Ramsey, etc.) say not to buy cookbooks.  Why would you with the internet these days?  But as a book lover, there is something about turning the pages, and seeing the recipes, that inspires me in a way that the internet simply doesn't!  I can't tell you how many recipes I want to try in this book. Finding those on the internet just wouldn't be the same.

The original recipe is Almond Poppy Seed Bread (found here) but since I don't care for almond extract, I left it out, therefore took off the Almond from the name here.  

The case:
Ingredients:
3 c. all-purpose flour
2 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/8 c. canola oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring

GLAZE
3/4 c. white granulated sugar
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. butter flavoring

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, oil, sugar, and flavorings and beat for 2 minutes. Alternate adding in flour mixture and milk and then mix until just combined. Add poppyseeds and mix until just combined. Pour into prepared pans (5 mini pans or 2 regular loaf pans) and bake (35-40 minutes for mini pans, 1 hour for large pans; keep an eye on them). When done, place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes and then remove from pans and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. While cooling, prepare glaze by combining all glaze ingredients. Drizzle over loaves and allow to harden.

 Okay there is one thing I left out.  I actually tried 2 recipes from Our Best Bites today.  The only thing that could possibly make this cake better, any bread for that matter, is honey butter.

The case:

Honey Butter

Ingredients:

2 sticks real butter, (close to room temp- works best when slightly chilled still.)
2/3 C honey
¾ C powdered sugar

Directions:
(If your butter is too soft, you’ll end up with a gooey mess, so I just leave it out on the counter for about 20 minutes or so before beating and it turns out nice and fluffy)
Just place it all in a bowl and beat with an electric hand-mixer for 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed.  Serve at room temp

The ruling:
I'm in love with this bread!  It would be good as a dessert or a sweet breakfast.  It would be fabulous alone, but with this butter, oh my word.  It's incredible!  It has to be the powdered sugar.... I think I'm going to go eat another piece!

Mahogany Chicken Wings

I can't believe I've never posted this recipe!  When Michael and I first got married, I was obsessed with finding wing recipes.  We love ALL kinds of wings- spicy, sweet, and savory.  This was one of the first recipes I tried and has remained one of our favorites!  The recipe came from All Recipes.  I use dark Karo instead of molasses simply because I don't keep molasses on hand.

The Case:
Ingredients
3 pounds chicken wings, split and tips discarded
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons chile sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Directions
1.  Place chicken in a shallow, medium dish.  I cover with aluminum foil for easy clean up.
2.  In a medium bowl, mix soy sauce, honey, molasses, chile sauce, ground ginger and garlic. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate approximately 1 hour, turning occasionally.
3.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4.  In a large baking dish, arrange chicken in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven approximately 50 minutes, brushing with remaining soy sauce mixture often and turning once, until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear.

*I make extra sauce and boil it with a little cornstarch and pour it over the finished wings.  And of course serve with ranch!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms are another one of my favorite appetizers. I've tried lots of recipes and this one is my favorite!

The case:
Ingredients
3 slices bacon
1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 drops Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes ground black pepper
1 pound mushrooms, stems removed
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until crisp and evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate; crumble the drained bacon into a bowl. Stir in the cream cheese, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper until evenly mixed. Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps and place into an 8x8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Asparagus Bundles

A couple years ago, my friend, Lindsey, made a recipe similar to this using green beans.  One of the foods I loathe in life is green beans.  She thought the bacon and sweet sauce would help me get past the green beans, but nope, I strongly disliked her dish.  I've never known whether I truly disliked the dish or whether it was simply the green beans I couldn't get past.  I am excited to be trying a similar recipe using asparagus (my favorite veggie) instead.  This little beauty came from Trisha Yearwood's cookbook.

The case:
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
- 12 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 stick butter
- 1 T soy sauce
- 1/2 t garlic salt
- 1/2 t ground pepper

Directions:
1.  Preheat the oven to 450
2.  Divide asparagus into 12 bundles.  Carefully wrap 1 piece of bacon around each bundle, starting from 1/2 inch from the bottom of the tips.  Lay the bundles in a low sided casserole dish.
3.  In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, soy sauce, garlic salt, and pepper.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Pour the hot mixture over the asparagus.
4.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until the spears have begun to wilt and the bacon is fully cooked. 

The ruling:
Yep, it was just the green beans I didn't like!  This dish was delicious!  Michael raved and raved.  I actually only made 3 bundles since it was only the two of us and I didn't think it would be good left over, plus I wasn't sure if I would like it.  I didn't want to be wasting two of my favorite things: bacon and asparagus.  He was mad I didn't make more.  We both would've eaten several of these!  The only thing I did differently was to broil for a few minutes before I took it out of the oven to get the bacon a little crispy.

Crockpot Potato Soup

My new obsession, Pinterest, is supplying a lot of my new recipes these days. This potato soup is no exception.  I'm a little apprehensive about using frozen hashbrowns in a soup, but never know till you try.  This could be an economical meal for a family. 

The case:

Ingredients:

1 30oz. bag of frozen, shredded hash brown

3 14oz. cans of chicken broth

1 can of cream of mushroom

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

1 pkg. cream cheese (I used low fat)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar (freshly shredded please)

Directions:

In a crockpot, dump everything except the cream cheese and cheddar cheese.  Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat.  About 1 hour before serving, add cream cheese and cheddar.  Cook about 30 more minutes, stirring frequently.  Serve with extra sprinkling of cheddar and sour cream if desired.

The ruling:
So the truth is, I've already made this a couple of times, which already shows you how much I like it.  I've included my additions/modifications in the recipe above.  It's perfect for warming you up on a chilly day!  Modifications can be easily made to this base to suit your own taste buds.  I think I'm going to try it with some Rotel and pepperjack cheese next time.

Pioneer Woman's White Chicken Enchiladas

I can't tell you how long I've had this recipe in mind to make.  I've had it bookmarked, printed out, and pinned, but never got around to trying it.  Well, I'm finally getting around to it.  We love Mexican food around here and I'm always looking for a new recipe to try.  I've made sour cream enchiladas before and these look very similar, but add a few more flavors.

The case:

Ingredients
2-½ cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken
2 cups Reserved Broth From Chicken
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
12 whole Corn Tortillas
1 whole Large Onion, Diced
3 whole 4 Oz Cans Whole Green Chilies, Diced
1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Finely Diced
1 teaspoon Paprika
½ cups Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 cup Sour Cream
2-½ cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Picante Sauce (optional)
Cilantro, Chopped

Preparation Instructions

1. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften (do not allow to become crisp.) Place tortillas on a large towel or stack of paper towels to drain.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process. Add chicken, half of the green chilies, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and set aside. 
3. In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the other half of the chilies. Reduce heat, then stir in sour cream. Add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. 
4. To assemble, spoon chicken mixture on top of tortillas, one by one. Top with plenty of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. 
5. Pour cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you’d like, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro. Serve with picante sauce, if desired.

The ruling:
I shouldn't have waited so long.  I'm such a huge fan of these enchiladas!  I could go on and on.  They were bursting with flavor and had such a delicious creaminess.  They're like Mexican comfort food.  The only difference I made was that I only had enough filling for 8 enchiladas, which fit perfectly into a casserole dish.  

White Chocolate Smore Bars

One of my top favorite recipe blogs is Picky Palate.  I'm not even a big dessert person, but I'm always pinning her desserts to try.  Now I happen to not be a big dark chocolate fan, but I LOVE white chocolate!  I always wanted the cookies and cream Easter bunny growing up.   I'm excited to see what this combination of ingredients turns out like.

The case:
Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 large egg
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
4 1/2 full graham crackers
10 ounce bag white chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with tin foil that’s been generously sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure foil goes all the way up and over the edges for this one. It will be a full pan 
2. Place cake mix, egg, and butter into a large mixing bowl. Mix with hands until a nice dough forms. similar to a cookie dough. Press half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
3.  Layer with graham crackers, white chips then marshmallows.
4.  Top with remaining half of dough pressing evenly. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over top.
5.  Then bake for 28-33 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown on top. Remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes then take a plastic knife and run along edges to loosen marshmallow (this will make your life easier when pulling foil out of pan to remove bars. Let cool completely then remove bars from pan with foil edges. Cut off all edges if desired, about 1/2 inch each side. I save the edges to snack on too. Cut bars into squares and serve. They are delicious room temperature or chilled. 

The ruling:
These were a royal pain to make, but absolutely delicious! Man, this dough is sticky.  I cringe whenever I see a recipe that says mix with hands.  I couldn't get a lot of this mess off my hands so I didn't have enough to spread over the top.  I ended up making a second batch of dough and spreading about a 1/4 of it over the top.  It reminded me a lot of my cake batter blondie recipe.  Next time I make them, I'm going to pour some evaporated milk over the top. 

Slow Cooker Honey Chicken

I've got to start blogging my recipes again! I've been trying lots lately, mainly because of Pinterest!  And I've already started forgetting which ones I've made and if I did or didn't like about them!  

The case:
Ingredients:

3/4 pound chicken (of your choice)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup chopped onion (or 1/16 cup onion flakes)

1/8 cup ketchup

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions:

Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours. Chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve over rice or noodles.

To bake chicken as a 30 minute meal:

Dice chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper, place in 8x8 pan. Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

The ruling:
I made this is the crock pot and served it over brown rice.  There was a funny aftertaste to this recipe that I wasn't a fan of.  I will not be making it again.

Cake Batter Blondies

Michael and I both love cake batter ice cream.  So when I saw these on Pinterest, I knew I had to try them right away.  They originally came from a blog called Girl Meets Life. 

The Case:

ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1/3 – 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

directions: Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add the milk slowly – you want the batter to remain as dense as possible. Then mix in the rainbow sprinkles and white chocolate chips. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

The Ruling:
There isn't much to say except these are yummy delicious fabulousness. I cooked them for 5 additional minutes after some comments claimed they seemed to mushy.  I will be using this recipe for many years to come.