Crispy Chicken Fingers

2 cups sour cream (16 oz.)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups crushed seasoned croutons
2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken tenders
1/4 cup butter, melted

In a shallow boel, combine sour cream, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
In another shallow bowl, add croutons.
Dip chicken tenders in sour cream mixture, then coat with croutons.

Place on a greased baking sheet.
Drizzle with butter.

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.
Serve with your preferred dipping sauce.


***I have been a little bit busy having a baby, so I hope to get back into the swing of posting! This particular recipe, my Mom found in a magazine and cooked while I was recovering at home after my little girl was born. It was so good!! I could have made a meal of just the chicken! Very moist and the croutons give it a GREAT flavor! We used regular seasoned croutons.***

Greek Seasoning

This stuff is great!

Cavender's seasoning is as distinctive in the foods of today as those prepared for the feasts of the ancient Greeks. Excellent on steaks, chops, roasts, meat loaf, chicken, fish, turkey, hamburgers, seafood's, and wild game. Use in all cooked vegetables, gravies, soups, stews, casseroles, eggs, poultry dressing and vegetable juices.

My sweet mother in law introduced me to this wonderful seasoning. I will post her "Greek Pasta Salad" recipe soon! Its so good!

Toaster Oven Chicken

I did it! I cooked chicken in my toaster oven! And it turned out so good.

I used defrosted chicken, I had 3 boneless skinless chicken breast. I made a pouch out of aluminum foil to put the chicken in. I then cut the chicken up into random pieces. And seasoned them with minced garlic, dried cilantro, salt, pepper & a fresh squeezed lime. Sealed up the pouch & cooked in my toaster oven on Turbo (not sure what your settings are) for 10 minutes. I opened the pouch up & separated the pieces, since they were kind of cooking together, in the juices. I left the pouch open & cooked another 8 minutes on Turbo. Took the chicken out of the pouch, & placed them on the already aluminum foil covered rack & cooked another 8 minutes. Really you know when chicken is done, so cook it until done.

We ate ours with tortillas, rice, salsa & sour cream....It's what was on the fridge! Hahaha

But you can of course season the chicken anyway you want. It wasn't chewy, or rubbery. It was just like I baked it in a normal oven, with no the mess. I had next to zero clean up.

Shrimp Etouffee

This is one of my most favorite recipes, so I thought I would share it. I cook it all the time.

1 onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
1 stick of butter
1 clove of garlic (I use a tablespoon of minced garlic)
1 can of Rotel (I use the mild)
1 can large can of cream of mushroom
1 pound of cooked shrimp or crawfish tails
Salt & Pepper

Saute first 4 ingredients until onions & pepper is soft
Add Rotel & cream of mushroom soup
Cook for about 15 minutes
Add shrimp or crawfish
Cook for just a few more minutes
Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Vickie's Tuscan Chicken

4 to 6 chicken breast
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1/3 can of water
2 red bell peppers julienned (I think the green ones are too bitter)
1 large onion cut in half and then sliced thin
1 tbsp garlic salt
salt and pepper

I cooked this in my crock-pot for several hours.
Before serving, I shred the chicken and it can be served over rice or pasta. I cooked a box of whole grain penne pasta and added it to the chicken.


****Side note from Crystal****
She brought us a bowl over to try & it was delicious! I'm gonna make some of it.

Razzy Banana Breakfast Cake

I stumbled upon this recipe last night (Razzy caught my eye), while searching the web. It sounds really good to me & I'll probably get the stuff to make it next time I buy groceries. I'll let you know how it turns out.





3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
1 ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
Frosting:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1 to 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter a 9" square baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine sugar, butter, eggs and banana. Beat until light and fluffy. Beat in milk, sour cream and almond extract. Stir in flour and baking powder just until moistened.
Pour half of batter into prepared pan and top with raspberries. Pour remaining batter over berries.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
In a small bowl, beat confectioners' sugar with butter and stir in just enough lemon juice to make a spreading consistency. Spread over warm cake.

Dana's Goulash

This recipe come from the great Michigna Mama, Dana.


*1 pound lean ground beef
* 1 cup chopped onion
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
* 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
* 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
* 1/2 cup water
* 1 1/4 teaspoons chili powder
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2/3 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
* 2/3 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large nonstick skillet, cook beef and onion
over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, water, chili
powder, oregano and salt. Bring to a boil. Add
macaroni. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25
minutes or until macaroni is tender. Sprinkle with
cheese; cover and cook 2-3 minutes longer or until
cheese is melted.

I always add more corn and I don't measure the cheese,
cuz my family loves melted cheese, I just cover it.
This recipe doesn't make enough so I usually do
another half recipe of it. Hope this helps.

Easy Broccoli Chicken Bake

I haven't made this one yet, but I thought it sounded good. Maybe this would be a good one for you to make, Mel.

1 tbsp butter, melted
10 1/2 oz can cream of mushroom soup
10 1/2 oz can cream of celery soup
1/2 tsp curry powder
1 cup mayo
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
2 cup broccoli, steamed
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup breadcrumbs

In a large bowl, combine melted butter, soups, curry, mayo & lemon juice. Stir in cooked chicken & broccoli.

Pour mixture into a sprayed 9in baking dish. Top with grated cheese & breadcrumbs.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 25-30 min, until hot & bubbly & the top is golden brown.

One good thing, about this is you can add or take away any ingredients.

Plus, make a good amount of chicken & whatever you don't use, go on, shred it & then freeze it. That way that part of the cooking of already done for you.

Recipe Request

This is from Mel.

I LOVE YOU GUYS FOR DOING THIS BLOG!!!!!!

With baby coming I am in need of yummy, EASY, casseroles or crockpot recipes- any ideas???

Pink Lemonade Ice Cream Cake

"Treat your friends to a sweet taste of summer any day of the year."

This is a Pampered Chef recipe that I have in a book of theirs titled: Delightful Desserts, from Easy to Elegant.




Crust:
51 Reduced-fat vanilla wafers, divided
3 tablespoons of margarine, melted

Filling:
2 cups of Fat-free, no sugar added vanilla ice cream, softened.
1 Can (6 ounces) frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed (3/4 cup)
1 container (12 ounces) frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed, divided.


Garnish: (Optional)
Lemon Slices
Pink Sugar crystals
Mint Leaves


1. Lightly spray a spring form pan with nonstick cooking spray. For crust, place 32 of the wafers in resealable plastic bag; crush into fine crumbs using a rolling pin. Place crumbs in a bowl. Add melted margarine; mix well. Press crumb mixture into bottom of pan. Line inside of pan with remaining wafers, slightly overlapping and rounded side of wafers next to collar.


2. For filling, combine ice cream and lemonade concentrate in a bowl. Beat until smooth with a steel whisk. Fold 3 cups of whipped topping into mixture. Pour mixture into crust. Freeze until firm. At least 3 hours.


3. When ready to serve, place dessert in refrigerator 15 minutes before slicing.


4. Run a utility knife around sides of dessert. Release the collar from pan. Garnish top with remaining whipped topping using the Accent Decorator. Add sugared lemon twist and mint if desired.


Yields 16 conservative slices or 8 hearty ones!


LOW FAT: Nutrients per serving
Calories 140
Total Fat: 3 g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0g
Carbohydrate 26 g
Protein 1g
Sodium 95 mg
Fiber 0 g


Diabetic exchanges per serving: 1 starch, 1 fruit (2 carb)


Kitchen Tips:
Prep time: 25 minutes
Freeze Time 3 hours

• Do not substitute frozen yogurt for ice cream in this recipe.


• While preparing Crust, place ice cream in refrigerator to soften, about 20 minutes


• To make sugared lemon twist for garnishing, cut lemon into thin slices. Make one cut to center of each slice. Roll rind of lemon in pink crystals. Gently twist cut ends in opposite directions.

Paula Deen's Three Chocolate Cookies

The other day D & I stopped by to see my Aunt Renee at work, where she greeted us with these delightful cookies she made. I knew immediately, I wanted to make them (I haven't done that just yet) & that I also had to post them here for everyone else to make them too!

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup milk chocolate morsels
3 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup almond brickle chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and shortening at medium speed until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in chocolate morsels and almond brickle chips. Drop cookies by 1/4 cupfuls about 3-inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheets. Remove to wire racks to cool.


This is what my Aunt Renee had to say...

I'm glad you like them. I love them, too! I use an ice cream scoop to measure with. I can only get 6 on a large cookie sheet (the pan I cook my brownies in). Making them that size yields 28 large cookies. I suggest investing in a roll of parchment paper and letting the cookies cool 5 - 10 minutes before taking them off of the cookie sheet, then put them on a wire rack to cool completely. Or, you could make a recipe of "Cake Release" and it will serve the same purpose. If you like to eat the cookies hot, right out of the oven, you can cover and store the cookie dough in the fridge and bake them when you want them. Yummo!!!

Recipe Pictures

Dana sent us these pictures of a recipe she got from The Recipe Place. Thanks Dana, for taking the time to not only visit us, make our recipes, but also share with us the what you have made. It makes keeping this blog going a joy. :)




Here are some pics of that Oreo Cookie Cake. The
first one is before it was cooked and the second was
right before the birthday boy ate it... I tweaked it a
little, I just mixed the cake batter with the
cookie/chocolate chip mixture and poured them all into
the pan together. It turned out really good, I did
think the oreo's would remain a little harder in the
cake than they did, but other than that it was really good.

Recipe Needed

I am in need of a simple "no Egg" recipe for homemade ice cream. The only thing is I have to have it before 7 pm on Wednesday! Please respond ASAP! Thanks!

Lauren's Yummy Peach Cobbler

1 Medium can of Peaches in Heavy Syrup
1 Large can of Peaches in Heavy syrup
1 box of butter cake mix
1 Stick of butter Melted
Pecans
Cinnamon Sugar

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
Drain large can of peaches, the pour peaches into the bottom of 9x13 dish
Pour medium can with juice into pan.
Drizzle Cinnamon sugar over peaches
Add Butter Cake mix
Pour melted butter over cake mix
Top with pecans

Bake 45 minutes- serve with vanilla ice cream or alone! Its so yummy!

We served this tonight to our home group of teenagers and they loved it!

NO BAKE "Better than Sex" Cake

This is one of my favorite recipes, but tonight I made it a new way and it was just as good and so much easier! Now its a NO BAKE cake and those are really good when you need a fast dessert or a dessert for church or a potluck.

1 box of ding dongs

1 8 oz cool whip container

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Carmel syrup (the kind you put on ice cream)

1/2 bag of Heath Bit of Brickle

Directions:

Break up the 12 ding dong cakes into the bottom of a dish

mix the entire can sweetened condensed milk with Carmel. (Use the milk can to measure out the Carmel)

Pour mixture over the ding dong cakes

Top with Cool Whip

Sprinkle Bit of Brickle over Cool Whip

Keep refrigerated until time to eat.

So sweet, and SO good! I've never found a person that didn't like it! Some can't eat much of it because its so sweet, but they always like it!

Now if you want to BAKE a cake, you can- just use German Chocolate cake mix. And when it comes out of the oven use a knife to poke holes in the cake. Pour the Carmel/milk mix over the cake and allow it to soak up into the cake. All cake to cool completely- then top with Cool Whip and bit of brickle. Refrigerate 30 minutes for best results.

Ideas Needed Please....

We are doing "home groups" with our students this summer and each Sunday night I prepare some type of food for the kids. This week I want to do "sweets" I need some ideas for some easy sweets to put together that they will enjoy. They also need to be easy to make! If you have a recipe or an idea, please comment! I have about 15 people to feed.

*Staci*

Maw Maw Kluttz's Oven Baked Chicken

This is a great alternative to fried chicken.

3 Tbsp. Butter
2/3 c Bisquick mix
1 1/2 Tbsp. paprika
Salt, Pepper
Chicken (legs, breast, thighs)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Melt margarine in pan. Stir together Bisquick, paprika, salt and pepper. Roll chicken in batter. Place in hot baking dish skin side down. Bake 35 minutes, turn chicken. Bake 15 minutes longer or until done (no pink.)

My Maw Maw makes this Chicken all the time and its delicious. Its always moist and just so tasty. One year for Christmas, my mom bought all the kids and grand kids and great grand kids a package of Bisquick with this recipe attached to it. As soon as I got back to Texas, I put the recipe on my fridge so that I wouldn't loose it! I just remembered that it was there and that I should post it on this site! That way its never lost!

Tasty Green Beans

Tasty Green Beans
(Serves 15)

4 Cans of green beans
1/2 package of bacon
1 chicken flavored bouillon cube

Cut bacon into bite size slices and cook just long enough to get a good amount of grease.
Add beans, bacon grease, bacon & bouillon cube into a large pot. Cook on low for 2 hours, stir occasionally. The longer it cooks, the more flavor you will have! Slow cooking is a big secret to a lot of foods!

This recipe is from my Mother in Law, she's a great cook! (No pun intended!)

Ding Dong Dessert

Box of Ding Dongs
Cool Whip
Cook & Serve Vanilla or Chocolate pudding

Break ding dongs up into a 9x13 pan.
Prepare Pudding as directed.
Pour hot pudding over ding dongs
Once pudding cools, cover with Cool Whip.

Sweet, Easy and Delicious!

Creative "Cool Dog"

I didn't invent this, but I did try one tonight. I think I could make them myself though! I thought I would post a picture. Has anyone ever heard of a "Cool Dog?" Its angel food cake for the bun, then you put ice cream in the center for the dog and top it with cool whip, Carmel or chocolate and sprinkles. You could do this and use the hot dog holders to keep it all together. Maybe for a kids party or something!

Fried Squash

This is a family favorite for me. Growing up when my moma would cook fried squash you could count me to be in the kitchen "helping" her every step of the way. As soon as they were cool enough I would have to try a few. She would fuss at me and say "Now Staci, if you keep eating them, there will be none left for supper!" My response was "that's okay!" I called tonight to get the recipe to make some for our family tonight and boy were they good! So I figure I would share it with all of you!

Heat Oil on Med-high in a skillet on the stove

Pour flour into a bowl add salt

Wash Squash

Slice Thin

Add squash to flour and mix with hands

Once the grease is hot, lay the squash into carefully, once the edges start to curl up or brown, simply turn over with a fork. Once you get them all turned over go back and start pulling them out.

*If you take your time your squash won't burn and they will be perfect! If you get in a hurry and turn up the heat too high, they will burn quickly*

*I served them with White Rice tonight and its real good with a slice of tomato*

Homemade "Cake Release"

My Aunt Renee, sent us this great idea!


For those of you who like to bake but hate it when your favorite cake sticks to the pan, try this homemade version of "Cake Release". It works every time!

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup oil
1 cup shortening

Mix well and store in an airtight container. Does not need to be refrigerated. A pastry brush works great for spreading.

Oreo Cookie Cake (Without Cream Cheese)

Ingredients:
***Cake***
24 Oreo Cookies, smashed into crumbs
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup margarine1 package butter cake mix -- (18.25 ounce)

***Glaze***
1 cup confectioners'
sugar3 tablespoons milk


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine chopped cookies, chocolate chips, flour and margarine. Set aside. Mix cake according to directions on package. Pour half of cake batter in pan. Sprinkle approximately 2 cups of the cookie mixture on top. Pour rest of cake batter over layer of cookies. Sprinkle remainder of cookie mixture on top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. To make the glaze: In a small bowl, mix 1 cup confectioners' sugar with 2 to 3 tablespoons milk. Drizzle glaze over warm cake.
This recipe for Oreo Cookie Cake serves/makes 10

Recipe Request

This request is from Dana.


Aaron's birthday is coming up and I am doing a
surprise party for him, but have never made any cake
except for a box cake. He loves oreo cookies and I
know there are recipes for them, but my problem is I
can't find one without cream cheese (he doesn't like
cream cheese)If anyone has one they have eaten or have
a recipe for a good one, please help me out. Thanks

~It's Official~

I am now an official member of the recipe blog! Thank you Crystal and Jamie for letting me be a part. I love having all the recipes online. I can look them up at any time and throw out all the printed sheets and hand written recipes that people have given me over the years.

My goal is to place some of my favorite all time recipes on here to share with others, as well as challenge you to put some "family" recipes from your own books online. My grandmother is the best cook I know- next to her would be my mother-in-law. I want to keep a collection of all the things they have taught me about cooking and learn as much as I can from all of you!

Take time to submit recipes when you can! This is a great resource! Use it!

And special thanks to Crystal for creating the blog and keeping it up for all of us to enjoy!

Fruit Salad

Staci, is becoming the only one sending in recipes lately. And here's another one from her.


1 Large Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 Large Cool Whip
3 Cans of Mandarin Oranges
2 Cans of pineapple chunks
5 bananas
1 bunch of grapes

Drain juice off of 1 can of pineapple and 1 can of oranges into a bowl. Mix in dry pudding mix. Mix well. Fold in cool whip. Add in fruit and refrigerate for 30 minutes prior to serving.

YIELDS: Many servings! You will need a extra large bowl to hold it all!
You can add other fruits as well, but this is a great combo!
You can also use "Sugar Free" pudding or Light Cool whip to make the dessert less in calories.

I made this for our church picnic.
It was a big hit! Thankfully I saved some for our family at the house!
Its a light sweet that is refreshing.

Chicken Salad

Eric has come to the rescue again & filled the recipe request!

Mayo
Bread Crumbs
Celery
Dry Italian Seasoning
Pecans
Skinless Chicken Breast
Celery Salt


Sprinkle Chicken Breast with Dry Italian Seas.
Coat with Mayo and Roll in Bread Crumbs
Put Chicken on a pan; casserole dish; etc.(lined with foil) and bake @ 350° for 1 to 1 ½ hours depending on the thickness of chicken breast. (cover chicken in pan with foil as well.)

EAT Chicken Breast as is.
MAKE Chicken Salad with leftover chicken.
Chop up the chicken, Celery, and Pecans.
Sprinkle a little of Celery Salt and pepper
Mix Mayo until desired texture reached

(Make Sandwich: add lettuce on bread.)

Broccoli Salad

This recipe comes from Staci.
My MIL makes this and its wonderful. I made some tonight and could have eaten just that for supper!

1 Large bunch of raw Broccoli cut from stalk into small florets
1 Cup of Mayo
1/2 Cup of Sugar (or splenda)
2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup of white raisins
Cashews/Almonds *Optional*
Bacon (Cooked Crispy) *Optional*

Place all ingredients (except broccoli) into a bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Mix well and Pour over broccoli. Ready to eat right away- or make the day before and allow flavors to mix in fridge. Great light tasting salad! Perfect for the summer!

Recipe Request

Staci is in need of a good recipe for Chicken Salad. If you have one you would like to share, then just e-mail it to me so I can post it. Thanks a bunch!

Mango Salsa

This recipe is from Denise. Here's what she had to say...

We were supposed to have a belated Cinco De Mayo party in the office here and I got the dates confused and made my salsa a week too early! So now people will get seconds. Everyone liked it, so I thought I would pass it along. (It makes a pretty large bowl)
This was actually based in part on a Paula Dean recipe, but she also had pineapple and green peppers in it, and no jalapeños or chili power to add zip - I altered it a bit)

Veggies & Stuff:
3 large tomatoes - peeled, seeded & diced (or 1 large can of diced tomatoes drained & diced smaller)
1 bulb of garlic - diced (approx 2 tablespoons of diced from a jar)
1 medium onion - diced
4 jalapeños - seeded & diced
2 large mangos - peeled & diced
1 can of corn - drained
1 can black beans - drained & rinsed
1 small can of chili pepper in lime juice (regular can of chilies is fine if you can't find the lime juice ones)
½ bunch of cilantro - finely chop top leafy portion - discard stems

"Sauce"
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1½ limes - squeeze juice from & include any pulp that falls out while juicing

Cut all veggies & mix in large bowl
Wisk together all ingredients for "sauce"
Pour ½ over salsa & mix. Pour remaining sauce over salsa & blend in.

Chill & serve.

Mama's Cornbread

I'm always on the lookout for a new cornbread recipe that would be comparable to my grandmother's! So when I received a copy of "ABC 33/40 Great Recipe Book" I was excited to find this one. It came from Sheriff Mike Hale of Jefferson County and this is what he had to say about it:

"Every Sunday after church, the whole family would go to Mama Hale's house for dinner. There was always a lot of folks there. All the cooking was good, but the cornbread was my favorite, hot with butter. Also, teh cornbread in a cold glass of buttermilk was good with the meal. Great food and memories!"

INGREDIENTS:
1 c. flour
1 c. corn meal
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. oil
1 c. buttermilk
2 eggs

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Spray cast iron skillet heavy with Pam
Combine ingredients and mix well
Pour in hot skilet and bake 20-25 minutes

Brittani's Favorite Chicken Lasagna

Staci sent this one in. She hasn't made it, but has eaten it & asked me to "Please post on the Recipe blog." So, here it is....




1-1.5 lbs chicken (I used tenders - but you can use thighs, whole and bone etc.)
2 jars of Alfredo sauce
3 cups of Italian style grated cheese
oven bake (no boil) lasagna noodles
milk

First cook chicken, then chop finely - or use a food processor to chop chicken finely;

In a 13 x15 pan (either spray with Pam or use non stick Foil to line pan)

pour a small amount of Alfredo sauce mixed with milk to thin out sauce..pour 1/4 cup or so over bottom of pan, then lay noodles, cooked grated chicken, cheese, sauce and repeat 3 more times,

Cover pan with foil - cook about 45-50 minutes at 350. Let set 5 minutes then serve.

Feeds 6 people.

Recipe Request

This is from Staci....

I need a recipe for bbq pork chops I have center cut chops and can't remember how to cook them! Its been 5 years since I've bought them! HELP ME!

Menu Idea

Nicole posted this on her blog & we snatched it! :)

This is what she had to say...

I made this the other night and it tasted as yummy as it looked! Its broccoli & carrots seasoned, chopped potatoes that were baked in the oven... I sprinkled S&P, cheese and added melted butter. The chicken was marinaded in Worcestershire and the last few minutes that it was baking I added cheese.

Recipe Picture

It's your "Food Buddies" Jamie & Crystal enjoying some *oh so delicious* Pineapple Casserole!

Banana Snackers

Here's a recipe that Nicole sent in.

I saw this recipe on one of my 'Twins' groups on xanga. Its a great healty snack for anyone and kids love it!

You need Banana's, Graham Crackers and a Ziplock bag

cut the banana's in 1 inch slices
crush up the graham crackers in the ziplock bag (fine like powder)
toss a few slices of the banana into the ziplock bag and shake!
the graham cracker coats the banana and it actually looks like little chicken nuggets!

Kids love it and they LOVE to help!

Daniel's Favorite Pasta Salad

I got this recipe from a co-worker years ago & made my own adjustments. That's the thing about Pasta salads, you can do pretty much anything with them. When I make it now, I literally have to make a bathtub of it. Daniel LOVES it. I made some today far church, for a lunch we had & the bowl was completely cleaned out! And people were asking for the recipe.

1 box of Bowtie pasta (I use the boxes from Walmart)

1 can of canned chicken

4 roma tomatoes, diced

1 can of corn

1 pack of shredded cheddar cheese

1 bottle of Italian dressing

Garlic salt

S & P

Cook pasta. I also cook it until it's still a bit chewy, that way it doesn't get mooshy. Drain & run under cold water until cool. Dice the tomatoes. Add those along with all ingredients, including pasta & stir until it's all well coated. **Remember you can add more of the ingredients. I doubled this recipe today for church. But when I make it for Daniel, I always add extra cheese, tomatoes & corn.

Ritz Chicken (EASY & FAST)

Staci sent in this yummy recipe!

Ingredients:
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter
1 can of cream of chicken & mushroom soup
4-6 Boneless Chicken breast
1 8 oz container of sour cream
Garlic, Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven 350 degrees
Cut up chicken into bite size pieces
Boil chicken, season with Garlic powder or fresh garlic, salt & pepper. Drain Chicken after cooked. (its okay to leave it a little pink, it will finish cooking in the oven)
In a separate pan, warm Soup & Sour cream, but do not boil
Melt butter on stovetop or microwave and then add crushed Ritz crackers to butter. Stir.
Using a 9x13 pan, place chicken on bottom, then add the soup/sour cream mixture and top with Ritz/butter mixture
Bake for 20- 25 minutes in oven. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes.

Yields 6 servings

Delicious! Moist, Creamy and perfect for any time of the year!

Paula Deen's Santa Fe Wraps

2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 1/2 ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 (4 1/4 ounce) can chopped olives
1 cup (4 ounce) shredded pepper jack cheese
2 tbsp salsa, plus salsa for dipping, optional
1/2 green onion tops, sliced
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
2 packages flour tortillas

In a large bowl, beat cream cream until creamy. Than add sour cream, green chiles, olives, pepper jack cheese, salsa, & onion tops. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer. Stir in spinach. Spread mixture evenly over the surface of tortilla. Roll up tortillas tightly & cut each tortilla crosswise into 6 slices. Skewer each with a wooden toothpick. Serve immediately or chill. Serve with salsa for dipping, if desired.

Chocolate Trifle

My cousin Amber makes this dessert alot & it's always a big hit.


Devil's food cake mix
1 large box of instant chocolate pudding
Cool whip
Toffee bits~ Heath bar


Make cake according to directions on the box.
Same as for the pudding.
Take 1/4 of the cake & crumble it into the dish, that you plan on using. Next layer 1/2 of the pudding. Layer of Cool whip. Layer of the Toffee bits. Repeat all layers. Keep refrigerated.

Recipe Picture

I made the Seriously Quick Creamy Chicken the other day. It was super good!

Tie-Dyed Cupcakes

I LOVE this idea! It was on Semi-Homemade as well. It's a great show if you've never seen it.





1 (18.25-ounce) box vanilla cake mix (recommended: Betty Crocker)
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup canola oil (recommended: Wesson)
1 (1.25-ounce) bottle colored snowflake sprinkles (recommended: Cake Mate)
1 (1.85-ounce) bottle rainbow sprinkles (recommended: Cake Mate)
Decorating gels, assorted colors (recommended: Cake Mate)
1 (12-ounce) container whipped fluffy white frosting (recommended: Betty Crocker)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-muffin) tins with cupcake papers; set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, water, and oil. Use a hand held electric mixer and mix on medium speed for about 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl and add both bottles of sprinkles. Mix for another 30 seconds.

Use a ladle to fill each lined muffin cup 2/3 of the way full. Using oven mitts, place cupcakes in preheated oven and bake for 21 to 26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean with no wet batter. Use oven mitts to remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting, about 15 minutes.

Once cool, spread 2 tablespoons frosting on each cupcake. Using various gel colors, start in the middle of the cupcake, make circles outwards to the edge of the cupcake Begin at the edge of the cupcake and drag the tip of a toothpick to the center of the cupcake to make a spider web effect. Repeat this step, turning cupcake as you go.

Rainbow Ribbon Cake

I saw this recipe on Semi-Homemade on the FoodNetwork. It's looks like a fun idea!




For the cake:
1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix (recommended: Betty Crocker)
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup canola oil (recommended: Wesson)
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon each flavored gelatin: lemon, orange, cherry, grape, lime, and blue raspberry (recommended: Jell-O)
2 cups boiling water
For decoration:
2 (12-ounce) cans white whipped icing (recommended: Betty Crocker)
Colored decorating icing: yellow, orange, red, purple, green, blue (recommended: Cake Mate)


For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together cake mix, water, oil, egg whites, and vanilla on low speed using an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl using spatula and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Divide batter into the prepared pans evenly and bake in the oven for 32 to 36 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Use oven mitts to remove pans from oven and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before turning over onto wire racks to cool completely. Trim off the tops of the cakes, to make a smooth surface.

Place 1 tablespoon of each flavor of gelatin in separate small bowls. Stir 1/3 cup boiling water into each and stir until dissolved. On the trimmed sides of the cakes, splash the different gelatin all over the cakes. Cover cakes, separately, with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.

For decoration:
Remove cakes from refrigerator. Unwrap the cakes and place 1 cake on a plate or stand and spread white icing evenly on top. Place the second cake on top and finish icing cake, top and sides with the white icing. Randomly place big dollops of the colored decorating icing all over the iced cake. Using a small spatula, swirl the dollops together to create a tie-dye/rainbow effect on the cake.

Seriously Quick Creamy Chicken

This is something that I threw together one day & it turned out great!

Boneless skinless chicken
can of cream of chicken soup
can of cream of mushroom soup
1 pack of brown gravy mix (I use the Walmart kind)
garlic salt or minced (I use minced)
S & P
You may also need to add a bit of water.

Put it all in the crockpot & cook until chicken is good & done. You can leave the chicken that way or shred it a bit. If you use the tenderloins, they pretty much brake up on their own. Serve it over egg noodles. See, I told you it was easy!

Recipe Picture

The other night I made the Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce & this time instead of putting chicken in it, I used shrimp. It was really good & actually easier to make than the chicken.

New Things

In case you haven't noticed, The Recipe Place, is now more user friendly. The recipes are now in Food Categories. At the end of each recipe there will be links to others recipes like that one. Also, the Recipe Categories are listed on the side bar, along with the number of recipes in that category. Let us know if this makes your time here much easier. And thanks to all who have been sending in recipes! Keep them coming along. :)

Espresso Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Ganache

I was looking for something special to make for my family on Valentine's Day. I found these 'fancy' cupcakes that looked and sounded sooo good! Thought I would pass it on to you!


Makes 12 cupcakes

CUPCAKES:

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
4 ounces (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk

MILK CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

2/3 cup heavy (whipping) cream
5 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped

WHITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

4 1/2 ounces white chocolate. finely chopped
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
Pinch of salt

TO MAKE THE CUPCAKES:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 12 cupcake wells with paper liners.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Stir in the espresso powder.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter with the granulated sugar until light, 1 minute with a stand mixer or 2 minutes with a handheld mixer.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Continue to beat the mixture for 1 minute with a stand mixer or 2 minutes with a handheld mixer.

On low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk in 2 additions, stirring until incorporated after each addition.

Pour the batter into the paper-lined cupcake wells. Bake until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then remove from the pans.

TO MAKE THE GANACHE: Place the cream in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and warm over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble around the edges, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove, add the chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and place plastic wrap directly over the ganache. Refrigerate until cold.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING: Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler. Stir until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

Sift the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Add the butter and salt and beat until smooth. Stir in the cooled white chocolate. Refrigerate until firm enough to frost the cupcakes, about 30 minutes.

Cut out about one quarter of the inside of each cupcake with a small paring knife. Fill the indent with the milk chocolate ganache. Frost each cupcake with the white chocolate frosting.

PLANNING AHEAD:
The cupcakes may be made a day in advance; wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. The ganache can be made several days ahead and kept refrigerated. The frosting can be made a day ahead and stored at room temperature. For maximum flavor and moistness, fill and frost the cupcakes the day you plan to serve them.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Domestic Chicky sent us this recipe.

Serves 4-6

Pre-heat oven to 350-f degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine:

2 Cups Shredded Cooked Chicken
1 Cup Shredded Cheese ( I use a cheddar/jack combo)
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 Cup milk
1/2 Cup sour cream
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes (canned tomatoes with jalepenos-mild)
1/2 packet taco seasoning (or more- to taste)

In a greased 2 qt baking dish, put a layer of crushed doritos (about 2 cups), then a layer of the chicken mixture. Repeat once more, ending with a layer of chicken mixture. Top with more shredded cheese, cover, and bake for 30-35 minutes, till bubbling hot.

You can add other items to this, depending on your preferences, like olives, green chiles, onions, etc…The chicken mixture would also make a great enchilada or burrito filling!

Enjoy!

Recipe Pictures

I made the Quick & Easy Chicken Pot Pie & it was seriously the BEST chicken pot pie I've even eaten & super "Quick & Easy." This is something I know I'm going to be making again & again.

(Semi)Semi-Homemade Ravioli Bake

One more from Nicki.

I got this recipe from a woman at church who has 8 children. I've made some changes to it, though. She uses homemade spaghetti sauce and I use sauce from a jar, because, you know, I'm just too busy with my 3 kids to make homemade sauce.


1 bag of frozen ravioli (I use cheese ravioli, but there are several kinds out there. My daughter swears that the circle shaped raviolis taste the best. So, when I feel like spicing things up, I'll sometimes mix circle and square shaped raviolis.)

1 medium size jar of spaghetti sauce (I use Prego Traditional. Or, as I mentioned before, if you have 8 kids or your more of a potato gnocchi-type person, you can make your own sauce.)

3 cups of shredded mozzarella (We love cheese.)

Take a large baking dish, pour a thin coat of spaghetti sauce in bottom. Layer bottom of dish with half of the frozen raviolis, cover with half the spaghetti sauce, and then half the cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and bake in a preheated 375° oven, for approximately 1 hour.

(Semi)Semi-Homemade Beef Stew

Another one from Nicki.

This is super easy and great to have after a day of playing out in the snow.


Pouch of Wyler's Beef Stew Mix

1 lb-1.5 lbs. of beef stew meat (We like lots of meat in ours, so I usually do at
least 1.5 lbs.)

Bag of baby carrots

1/2 bag of frozen peas

4-5 medium size potatoes, cubed

Lightly brown stew meat, then place in crockpot. Add Wyler's soup mix, water (amount given on back of soup packet), and vegetables. Stir, then set on High for about 4 hours, or until vegetables and meat are tender. It can stay in there for quite a long time, if you are going to be away for awhile.

(Semi)Semi-Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

Nicki sent in this recipe.

This is an easy chicken pot pie that I often make for families in the church. People seem to love that it's a bit different from traditional pot pie because it contains noodles.


Pouch of Wyler's Chicken Noodle Soup mix

1 lb. boneless chicken breast,
cooked and cubed (I boil the chicken in water until done.)

Small bag of baby carrots (chop carrots in half)

1/2 bag of frozen peas

Favorite pie crust (I use 2 boxes of Jiffy's-just add water-pie crusts.)
Follow directions on back of Wyler's soup mix pouch. You can do it on the stove-top or in your crock pot. I, usually, do the crock pot method. Empty the soup pouch contents into the crock pot, add water, add chicken, add vegetables, and set it on High for a couple of hours, or until the vegetables are tender.

I usually make the pie in a 13"x9" casserole dish, however, you could also make it in two 8" or 9" pie plates. Make enough crust for a bottom and top crust in the dish that you decide to use. Roll out crust for bottom and place in dish. Pour soup mixture in crock pot, into dish. Add pie crust on top, making sure to leave slits on the top crust to allow venting.

Bake in a preheated 375° oven for about 1 hour, or until crust is golden brown...or burnt.

Quick Chicken Quesadillas

I put these together last night & they were super good!

Cook your chicken the way you normally do.
I boil mine, in a bit of water, minced garlic, s & p, until it's completely done.
Once it's done, shred it with a fork.
Put back into pot with a taco season packet. I use the Taco Bell kind.
Once the chicken is coated in the seasoning, take off of heat, then add shredded cheese. Use whatever you like. I used Cheddar. Stir until the cheese is melted.

In a skillet, melt a pat of butter, lay a flour tortilla in the skillet & spoon some of the chicken/cheese mixture. Fold the tortilla over, so it looks like a taco. Cook on each side until a little crispy. Every time you put a new tortilla in the skillet, be sure to put a pat of butter. Serve with sour cream & salsa.

Changes

There are some new things happening here at the Recipe Place. I'm working on a new template, so you'll have to bare with the new bland look for now.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Coley sent in this new recipe.

1lb. ground beef
1 onion chopped
1 cup cooked instant rice
3/4 cup water
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup cheddar or mozzarella
S & P to taste
6 large bell peppers


In a large skillet brown the meat & onion over medium heat. Drain fat. Add rice, water, tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper to taste. Simmer until rice is tender. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cut the tops off of the bell pepper, clean out the seeds & insides. Fill with the meat mixture.

Place in a casserole dish & bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until peppers are as tender as you like.

Add cheese to the top as desired. Put back in oven for a few minuets to melt the cheese.

YUM-O!!!!!

Quick And Easy Pot Pie

I got this out of Paula Deen's magazine. I haven't made it yet, but plan on doing so next week. I'll let you know how it turns out, I'm sure it's gonna be a good one!

2 (10.75 ounce) cans of cream of chicken soup
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) package of frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups Bisquick backing mix
1/2 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine soup & next 6 ingredients. Stir in vegetables & chicken. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine baking mix & cheese. Add milk, stirring just until dry ingredietns are moistened. Drop batter by heaping tablespoons evenly over chicken mixture. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until biscuits are browned & pot pie is hot & bubbly.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I was looking for a recipe to make with my kids today, and ran across this one! It fulfills both of their desires... peanut butter and chocolate!

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup softened butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 (12 ounce) bag chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients and set aside.
Mix butter and peanut butter.
Add both sugars, cream well.
Add eggs and mix well.
Add flour mixture, mix well.
Fold in chocolate morsels.
Drop dough from rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet.
Bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 10-13 minutes.
Allow to cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes.
Remove to cooling rack to finish cooling.

Sopapilla Cake

Someone posted this recipe on Staci's blog. I thought it might make a nice addition to our lovely blog!

2 cans crescent rolls
2 cups sugar
2 - 8 oz. boxes cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
cinnamon to taste

Place 1 can rolls in bottom of 13X9 in. pan. Flatten to edges. Do NOT seperate. Mix cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, & vanilla w/ mixer. Spread over rolls. Place other can of rolls on top, do not seperate! Melt butter, add 1 cup sugar, stir. Spread on top. Sprinkle cinnamon across entire pan.

Bake @ 350* for 30 min. or until lightly browned. (crust looks like cinnamon toast, crunchy)

Recipe Request!

I have some pork chops in the freezer that I want to cook up. But I need a killer recipe! Come on, ladies and gentlemen!

Apple Dip

This one was requested by Bomba! Here you go!

1 block softened cream cheese (I use the reduced fat)
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1/2 bag Heath Bits O Brickle toffee pieces (not chocolate covered)

Mix well! It does better if refrigerated overnight.
Serve w/ apples!

The World's Best Marinade!!

Season thawed meat.
Cut small slit in center of steak/chicken/pork and insert one or two jalopenos.
Place meat in marinading container (or container larger enough for amount of food you're preparing).
Pour the following ingrediants over the top.
Marinade overnight.
Be sure and flip a couple of times.
Grill, bake, sautee, broil!

1 bottle Italian Dressing
1 bottle Worcestershire Sauce
1 bottle Teriyaki Sauce
Juice from a jar of jalopenos

Recipes...Recipes...Recipes

We need some new ones! Please send some along. And does anyone read this thing anymore??? If not, The Recipe Place may be a thing of the past. Comment to let us know if you are still stopping by.

Chocolate Presents

**EDITED**
Every year, my husband's work has a bake off. Last year, I entered my peanut butter pie and won 3rd place. But this year... I am shooting for first baby! Here is what we came up with:

Ingredients for brownies:

3/4 c. margarine or butter, melted
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 c. self-rising flour
1/2 c. cocoa

Ingredients for filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 box confectioners sugar, plus some

Pre-heat oven to 350. Mix brownie batter as directed. Pour batter into a 9 x 13 pan greased or lined with wax paper. Bake for 12-15 min. until toothpick test comes back clean.

Mix another batch of brownie batter. When first pan is completely cooled, remove from pan (if you use two different pans, make sure they are approx size). Then bake second brownie for 12-15 min.

While the second brownie is cooling, mix filling. Beat butter and cream cheese together, and then gradually add powdered sugar until all is well blended. Then chill until you are ready to use it.

Once the brownies are cooled, spoon filling onto one and spread evenly. Then place second brownie on top. Place in freezer until firm or hard (I did this overnight).

Once frozen, remove brownies and cut into strips. Then cut each strip into rectangles or squares. Be as neat as possible. I found it best, once the strips were cut, to turn the strips on their sides to avoid filling squeezing out of place and maintain shape.

Place squares on wax paper. Melt chocolate almond bark, and pour carefully over each square. Let cool thoroughly. Then cut away excess chocolate around the bottom. Tie bows around each package for presentation purposes!

Chocolate Cookie Bark

I saw these in the Kraft Food & Family magazine & knew that I wanted to make them. I gave them a trail run tonight, because these are what I am going to take to my family Christmas party. They turned out perfectly & are super easy. Plus they are a bit addictive once they are done. Also they are a treat that you can play with & make all different variations.



1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
(I used the Wal-mart semi-sweet Chocolate chips)
1 pkg. (6 squares) BAKER'S Premium White Baking Chocolate
(I used the Wal-mart white Choco chips)
2 Tbsp. peanut butter
10 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies



PLACE semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate in separate medium microwaveable bowls. Microwave until completely melted, following directions on package. Add peanut butter to white chocolate; stir until well blended. Crumble half the cookies over chocolate in each bowl; mix well.

DROP spoonfuls of the chocolate mixtures onto wax paper-covered baking sheet, alternating the colors of the chocolates. Cut through chocolate mixtures several times with knife for marble effect.

REFRIGERATE at least 1 hour or until firm. Break into 14 pieces. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

You can GO---->HERE to watch a video of how they are made, just in case!

Carrot Souffle

When I was younger, my parents often took us to Picadilly Restaurant. They served a carrot souffle. My parents had to force me to try it, but once I did I was hooked! Last year I found a copy cat recipe, and have been making it for holidays ever since.

2 lbs. carrots, boiled and chopped (you can use canned carrots)
1/2 c melted butter
1 c. sugar (May need to add a tad more)
3 tbsp. self-rising flour
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. powdered sugar (for dusting)

Preheat oven to 350.
Mash carrots.
Add butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, and eggs to mashed carrots.
Mix well and transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Sweet Potato Casserole

My grandmother make this casserole for years, until she passed it down to my mother. My mom used to make this casserole every year. The last three years, the task has fallen to me, and I have enjoyed knowing that I have been entrusted with a family recipe! I hope you enjoy it too! There are never leftovers! And the pecans on top come out candied and yummy!

2 lg. cans sweet potatos
1 lg. can Pet milk
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
3 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2- whole box brown sugar
whole pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Drain sweet potatos into a large mixing bowl.
Add pet milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and three shakes of salt.
Cream ingredients and put in a baking dish.
Fill dish 3/4 full.
Place whole pecans on top of casserole.
Mix butter and brown sugar and spoon or pour over pecans.
Bkae for 45 minutes.

Ham Rolls

This is something that is always at our family gatherings for the Holidays. I can still remember being a kid & getting all excited, when I would see a platter of these sitting on the table.







Sliced ham (lunch meat)
cream cheese
green onions

**I also add a little bit of garlic salt to the cream cheese.


Let the cream cheese sit out until it softens. Spread it onto the sliced ham. Then roll a green onion up in the ham. Cut them into little pinwheels. It's that simple. Enjoy!

Christmas Bark

This looks like a simple & cheap treat to make. And most of us already have this stuff in our cabinets.





1 sleeve of saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
12oz. semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place cracker in one layer on parchment lined baking sheet (with sides).
Melt butter & brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook for 3 min, stirring constantly.
Pour butter-sugar mixture over crackers. Spread evenly.
Bake for 15 min.
Remove from oven & sprinkle with chocolate morsels. When they start to melt, spread evenly over entire layer of crackers.
Sprinkle chopped pecans on top.
Refridgerate 1 hour.
Remove from refridgerator & crack into pieces.

Chicken 'N Dumplin's

Here are my Mom's world famous Chicken 'N Dumplin's, that have been requested. No matter when she makes these, everyone scrapes the pot clean!






6 chicken breast (can use whatever part of the chicken you want, even canned)
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cans chicken broth (If you use the whole chicken or chicken with the skin, you won't need the chicken broth. I used boneless, skinless breast, so I used the broth for more flavor)
4 cans water
1 large pkg. of large flour tortillas (cut into 1"strips or small wedges)
1 stick butter
1 tsp garlic salt (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook you chicken with the 2 cans of broth and 4 cans of water, salt and pepper till tender. I cook mine with the lid on so my broth doesn't evaporate. Take it out of broth and shred chicken into strips. Put back into broth with the stick of butter. Add the 2 cans of soup to the broth and. While liquid is rolling drop the tortilla pieces in, separated, not all at once. Every now and then give it a toss but don't over stir so the dumplins don't tear up. After you have all the tortilla pieces in, turn down to low simmer and let cook for about 15 minutes. Turn off and let them sit for about 15 minutes before you serve. ENJOY!!

Featured Recipes

It's that time again.....Time to start getting your Holiday menus ready & planned. We would love for ya'll to share some of your favorite recipes, so others can try them out this year. One of the best things about this time of year, is the food, the love that goes it making it & the family gatherings around all of the delicious goodies.

We are combining both months of:


since it's the Holiday season after all.

So send your recipes along....

Recipe Request

Does anyone have a recipe for Kettle Corn? I have found a thousand recipes online but they all call for 3 simple ingredients with white sugar and I know the kettle corn I am thinking of, that I love is not those ingredients. Thanks- Mel

Chewy Popcorn Balls

Kim sent in this recipe & what a perfect time for it.

Chewy popcorn balls that won't break your teeth. So Good!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 bag of marshmallows
1 stick of margarine
6 bags of microwave corn (kettle corn is good - just don't use
"buttered" corn)

Pop the corn and let cool
Cook marshmallows & butter into a syrup (not in microwave)
Use approx 2 bags of corn at a time in large bowl, big enough for mixing
Pour 1/3 of mixture over corn and stir until "really" sticky (may have
to reheat)
"Butter hands" before forming corn into balls

Depending upon the humidity of the day - these may be a complete flop -
never fear, you can always mash it in a cake pan and cut like rice
krispie treats.

Recipe Request!

I need a good recipe for POPCORN BALLS! We have a church life group this Friday night, and we are letting the kids dress up like heros and bringing some treats for everyone!

Potato Soup

1 cup of milk
2 tbsp butter
1 med onion diced
1/2 cup of ham (optional)
8 med potatoes, diced
S & P




Sweat the onions in the butter till translucent. Add & cook potatoes in just enough water to cover them. Cook till they are fork tender. Leave them in the liquid & mash until they are half lumpy, half creamy. Add cooked chopped ham & milk, stir. Let sit for 15 min before serving.

***Great with cornbread. Also, the last time I made it, I had cooked a ham a couple of months before, so I had cut up some of it & put it in the freezer just to use for this soup. So with the holidays coming up, there is sure to be leftover ham. So, freeze some. This is a cheap meal.

Vegetable Beef Soup

I grew up eating this soup & it's one of my all time favorites. I love it with cornbread. Mom, sometimes would clean out the fridge & just throw leftovers in the pot, so I never knew exactly what would be in it. But it was always delicious!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2 lb. ground chuck (beef or round)
1 big can crushed tomatoes
1 bag frozen vegetables w/ tomatoes & okra ( or large can of Veg-all)
6 med potatoes, peeled & diced
S & P
*Add leftover veggies from the fridge.

Brown meat & drain the grease. Add all ingredients & then water to cover it. Cook for 1 hour. Be sure the potatoes are done. Cook on med/low heat to keep from scorching.

**Instead of ground beef you can use stew meat or chicken.
Be creative & add things you like.

Baked Potato Soup

9 baking potatoes
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups whole milk
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup bacon bits, divided
4 green onions, chopped
10 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream



Prick potatoes with a fork and cook in the microwave, 3 or 4 at a time, and scoop out the flesh (while the others are cooking).
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook about a minute. Whisk in milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes, salt, pepper, 1/3 cup bacon bits, 2 tablespoons green onions and most of the cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream and heat through. Serve topped with remaining bacon, onions and cheese.

Breakfast Sausage Rolls

This recipe comes from one of my best friend's mother. I used to go home with her for weekends, and her mom would make these for us at breakfast. I called her mom up recently to ask for this recipe so I could make them for a baby shower. I ended up talking and laughing with her for an hour! So many memories!

1 box Bisquik
1 lb. Tennessee Pride sausage (this is the brand she recommends)
milk

Make sure sausage is at room temp.
Pour bisquik into large bowl.
Add milk until it looks like biscuit dough (will be slightly sticky).
Pour dough onto floured wax paper.
Kneed until dough is stiff or until dough won't stick to roller.
Roll dough out.
Take sausage and place spoonfuls on the dough until you've used all.
Then roll the dough into a large roll.

Put the roll into the freezer until stiff but not neccessarily frozen.
Then slice the roll into 1/2" or less slices.

Bake at 425 until brown on the bottom. That will happen first because the sausage will cook faster than the dough.
Then broil the top to brown them.

Serve them warm with jelly, jam, syrup, or honey. They are delicious!
Once you've sliced the entire roll, you can freeze whatever portion you don't want to cook for up to 3 months!

Corn Chowder

6 slices bacon
1 onion, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup water
2 cups milk
2 (14.75 ounce) cans cream-style corn
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste

Fry bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp; remove bacon, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside.
Saute onion in reserved drippings until tender; add potatoes and water. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Stir in milk, corn, salt, and pepper to taste; continue to cook, stirring frequently, until heated through. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon to serve.

Super Duper Chili

Anna sent us this recipe.

This is a YUMMY chili...That is sure to warm you up on those cold winter days!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 lb. bulk pork sausage
1 lb. ground beef
2 cans (15 1/2 oz) hot chili beans
1 jar (16 oz) salsa
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans (rinsed & drained)
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans (rinsed & drained)
1 can (14 /12 oz) diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
8 oz velveeta (cubed)
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

In soup kettle or dutch oven (or just a BIG saucepan is what I use), cook sausage & beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer for 30 min. or until heated through.

Yield: 14 servings

Enjoy!!

Featured Recipe ~ October

IT'S, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?! It's getting colder weather *finally* & what better thing to serve than soup! I love soup. I love to cook soup. I love to eat soup. It's great because you can make a big pot full that you can eat off of for days. Or freeze half of it for later. Soups are easy to create & are never boring.

Thanks Mel, for inspiring this months Featured Recipe.

So, if you have a soup, stew or chowder recipe you would like to share, then just send it along. Even a chili recipe would be good too.

Cheesy Potato Soup

We have a new recipe sent in by Mel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~








In pot on med-high heat add in this order....

3c water
1c diced celery
1c diced carrots
1/2 c diced onions
4 cups diced potatoes

Cook until the water is no longer clear and the ingredients are tender. While you are waiting melt in a saucepan...

1/2 c butter and then whisk in 1/2 c flour- let cook for a min

Once the veggies are ready add...

butter/ flour mixture
2 tsp salt
1 quart of milk
2- 3/4 inch slices of Virginia ham from the deli, cubed (tell them how thick to cut it at the deli counter) 1/2 pound of Velveeta cheese

Cover and heat on med to low until cheese is melted and soup is heated

Serve with a crusty bread

Beef Tips

This is my Mom's recipe. And I made it the other day & it was soooo good!!!









Beef tips or a roast
garlic
onion (chopped)
1 large or 2 small cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of water
rice or potatoes
1 packet of gravy mix (option)

You can buy the tips or do as I did and I bought a roast on sale and cubed it myself. I cut mine into about 1" to 1 1/2" chunks or cubes. I put those in my crock pot with some chopped garlic (I buy it already chopped in a jar), use garlic salt or garlic powder instead if you like. Just use the seasoning you guys like. I then added 1 large or 2 small cans of cream of mushroom soup (you can use cream of chicken instead or 1 of each)that I mixed with 1 cup of water. Pour this over your roast. It will look like there isn't enough liquid in the pot but your beef is full of fluid and it will cook out and make more gravy on its own. I then chopped a onion and put that in there. Salt and pepper . Also add the gravy mix too. I let mine cook for 8 hours. It all depends on your crockpot. Serve it over rice or mashed potatoes. I hope you enjoy.

One-Pan Chicken and Potato Bake

4 bone-in chicken pieces (1-1/2 lb.)
4 large potatoes, cut into wedges
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese



PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Place chicken and potatoes in 13x9-inch baking dish.
POUR dressing over chicken and potatoes; sprinkle with cheese.
BAKE 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through (180ºF). Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Recipe Feeback

Bettyhad this to say about the Pork Tenderloin Recipe:

I wanted to try something different and saw this on the blog. It was so easy to do and my husband and son ate it all!! I was planning on making open faced sandwiches with it the next day, but there was nothing left! I served it with corn on the cob and salad.

Decadent Chocolate Delight (Crockpot)

1 (18 oz.)package chocolate cake mix
8 oz. sour cream
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup water
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 (4 oz.) pkg. chocolate flavor instant pudding & pie filling mix.


Lightly grease inside of crockpot or slow cooker.
Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Pour into slow cooker.
Cover & cook on Low 6 to 8 hours or on High 3 to 4 hours.
Serve hot or warm with ice cream.

NOTE: I made this myself last night. It's great! But I did not have to cook it the full recommended time. Mine cooked in 2 hours on High. Can you guys tell I'm looking for easy and new stuff for football tailgates and parties?

Pizza Fondue

** A great food for get-togethers like football games!**

1/2 pound Italian sausage
1 cup chopped onion
2 jars (26 oz. each) meatless pasta sauce
4 oz. thinly sliced ham, finely chopped
1 pkg. (3 oz.) sliced pepperoni, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
1 loaf Italian or French bread, cut into cubes
1 pkg. whole mushrooms

Combine sausage and onion in large skillet until sausage is browned. Drain then transfer to crockpot. Stir in pasta sauce, ham, pepperoni and pepper flakes.

Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours. Serve fondue with cheese, cubes, whole mushrooms and bread cubes!

LIGHTER: Healthy Substitutions For Baking

Traditional Ingredients = Healthy Substitute

butter = Canola, mild olive oil, prune puree or applesauce

1 ounce of chocolate = 3 tablespoons cocoa

2 eggs = 1 egg + 2 whites or egg substitute

Cream, whole milk = Skim or lowfat (1%) milk
(in batters, muffins or
biscuit doughs)

Cream Cheese = Lowfat ricotta + yogurt;
(in cheesecake) light cream cheese

Ricotta cheese, whole-milk = 1/2 whole milk ricotta plus either part-
skim ricotta or lowfat (1%) cottage cheese

Sour Cream = plain yogurt

Whipped cream, ice cream = Frozen yogurt, Lowfat yogurt

1 cup whipped cream = 3 stiffly beaten egg whites
(in mousse mixtures) or 3/4 to 1 cup Yogurt Cheese

1 cup whipping or heavy = 1 cup evaporated skim milk
cream (for whipping)

Game Day Football Cake!

Because in the South, priorities are God, family, and football... I thought I would send you guys a recipe I have been holding onto for the start of this sporty time of year!! This way, you can literally eat, drink, and live football!




1 (18.25-ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 1/3 cups brewed double strength Maxwell House Coffee, chilled
3 cups Cappuccino Pudding Frosting, (recipe follows)
Grease and flour 13 x 9-inch baking pan; set aside.
Prepare cake batter and bake in prepared pan as directed on package, substituting coffee for the water. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely.
Trim corners and sides from cake to resemble football shape. Reserve trimmings for snacking or another use.
Frost cake with Cappuccino Pudding Frosting. Store in refrigerator.
Makes 15 servings.

Cappuccino Pudding Frosting:

1/2 cup chilled brewed strong Maxwell House Coffee
1/2 cup cold milk
1 (3.25-ounce) package Jell-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 (8-ounce) tub Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed
Pour coffee and milk into medium bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes.
Gently stir in whipped topping.
Spread onto a cooled cake or cupcakes.
Makes 4 cups frosting.

Variation - Easy Super Sunday Cake:
Bake cake and remove from pan as directed. Do not cut cake. Frost with Cappuccino Pudding Frosting. Just before serving, draw lines on top of cake to resemble yard lines. Place toy football players and decorations on top of cake.

Creative Leftovers:
Store cake trimmings in airtight container at room temperature. Cut into cubes, then layer with additional Cappuccino Pudding Frosting to make a quick-and-easy trifle.

Hello Everyone!!

In the spirit of the featured idea for September... I found a cooking tip on the Weight Watchers website that I thought would help you guys out when trying to come up with healthy sides for your meals.

"side dishes | Pan-roasting in a dry skillet is a fantastic way to up the flavor of vegetables without adding any fat. For a spicy kick, add a chopped jalapeno pepper to the pan when you roast."

Let us know if you have tried this before!

Jamie

Exciting News For The Recipe Place

Along with me, Crystal....We have 2 new contributors.

Jamie, who sends in more recipes than anyone.

And Staci, who's idea it was for The Recipe Place!

Be on the look out for what they have to share.

Featured Recipes

IT'S CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?

Since some of The Recipe Places readers, are now choosing a healthier way to eat, including myself, I thought that this month the FEATURED RECIPE, would be all things healthy including:

Sugar Free
Low Carb
Low Fat

So if you have anything you would like to share please send it along.