Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas

1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tblsp. oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked, shredded
1 1/2 cups salsa, divided
4 oz. cream cheese
1 Tblsp. cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup shredded cheddar & monterey jack cheese, divided
1 4oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
Flour tortillas

Cook and stir onion and garlic in oil in large skillet on medium heat 2 minutes.
Add chicken, 1/4 cup salsa, cream cheese, cilantro, and cumin. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese and green chilies; mix well.
Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla; roll up.
Place, seam side down, in 13x9 inch baking dish; top with remaining 1 1/4 cups salsa and 1/2 cup of cheese.
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. Makes 4 servings.

Potato Chip Chicken and Pepper Jack Easy Mac

Potato Chip Chicken

1 4oz. pkg. potato chips, crushed and mixed on waxed paper (or shallow dish)
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
Dash of pepper
4-8 chicken breasts or legs
1/2 cup butter, melted

Dip chicken in melted butter. Roll in mixture. Place in pan, skin side up, not touching. Pour remaining butter and crumbs over all. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.



Pepper Jack Easy Mac

2 cups (8 oz.) dry elbow macaroni
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded pepper jack cheese, divided
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
chopped jalapenos (optional)
1/2 - 1 cup broken tortilla chips (your choice of color)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Cook macaroni in large saucepan according to package directions; drain. Return to saucepan. Add cheddar cheese, 1 1/2 cups pepper jack cheese, evaporated milk, black pepper, and jalapenos to macaroni; stir until combined. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Combine remaining 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, tortilla chips, and red pepper flakes in small bowl. Sprinkle over the top. Cover tightly with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 8-10 servings.

Helping my honey

I made these Homemade Protein Bars last night for Jason. He is really trying to watch what he eats now. So, I'm trying to be a good wife and help him with it. I also found him a recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie that he tried this morning. He really liked it too. He added his protein powder to make it more beneficial for him. I really enjoy opportunities to be the helpmate to my husband that God has designed me to be!

Independence Day Recipes

One of my friends wanted everyone to post on facebook their recipes they made for the 4th of July. So, I thought I would post mine on here and then post on facebook! We had company all weekend so we only made a couple of things because everyone else who came over brought stuff too!

First I made our Chicken Wings and Sausage Dip (aka Evil Dip) that I posted on here before. They are SOOOOO yummy. There were NO leftovers!! :-)

Then I made my Bacon wrapped 'lil smokies -- aka "Swine on Swine".

Bacon wrapped 'Lil Smokies
2 pkgs. 'lil smokies
1 pkg. bacon
brown sugar

Wrap each little smokie in a quarter of a piece of bacon (cut bacon in half and then cut that piece in half lengthwise). Place them on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes or until bacon is cooked.

Also, our friend Olga made guacamole this weekend. I discovered a new trick. Place the pit of the avacodo in your guacamole to keep it from turning brown. I couldn't believe it.....it works! Everyone kept telling her she left the pit in there. She had to keep explaining that she knew that and why she left it there. It was pretty funny.

Happy Birthday to my Honey!

Yesterday was Jason's 28th Birthday. He LOVES cheesecake so I tried a new recipe and thought I would share it with everyone. It was really easy and really good!

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Pie
1 (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 (14oz.) can sweetened, condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 egg
3 Tblsp. plus 1 tsp. lemon juice, divided
1 (9 in.) graham cracker crust
1/2 cup raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth, add egg and 3 Tblsp. lemon juice; mix well.
Pour 1/2 of the batter into crust. Combine remaining 1 tsp. lemon juice with preserves in small bowl. Spoon half of the preserves over batter.
Pour remaining batter on top. Using knife, swirl remaining preserves into decorative pattern on top.
Bake 55 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate. Enjoy!!

Great dips for entertaining!

I was making a dip for my Creative Memories Workshop tonight and thought I would put up some good dip recipes that are great for when entertaining guests. The first one is the one I made for tonight.

Spinach Stadium Dip
(thanks to Karen Meyer)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, well drained
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Mix...Chill...Serve...that simple!!
Great with veggies or sourdough bread. I buy the Melba snack bread and it's great on that too!


Bruschetta
(thanks to my mom)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 tomatoes chopped
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup mozzerella cheese

Mix all ingredients except cheese. Put on toasted bread and then top with cheese.


Sausage Dip (aka Evil Dip)
(thanks to Crystal Zavala)
1 pkg. Jimmy Dean sausage
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
2 pkgs. cream cheese

Mix all in a crockpot and let it cook down. Stir occasionally. Serve with tortilla chips. Beware: VERY ADDICTING!!


Layered Dip
1 pkg. cream cheese
tomato, onion, and green pepper -- chopped and mixed together
salsa
cheddar cheese

Spread cream cheese on plate. Then layer in this order -- veggie mix, salsa, and then cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

Coconut Cream Pie

Coconut Cream Pie
2 1/2 cups milk
2/3 cup sugar
4 Tblsp. corn starch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup angel flake coconut
3 egg yolks
2 Tblsp. butter or oleo

Meringue: (I like whipped cream instead)
3 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar

Mix milk, sugar, egg yolks, salt, vanilla, and oleo in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; add coconut and cornstarch which has been moistened with enough water to be well dissolved. Continue to boil until thick. Pour into baked pie crust. Top with meringue of the beaten 3 egg whites beaten until stiff to form peaks. Add 1/4 cup of white sugar and beat well to be sure sugar is dissolved well. Sprinkle extra coconut on top and brown in 350 degree oven until lightly browned. (If using whipped cream, put pie in refrigerator after pouring in pie crust and then top with whipped cream.)

Christmas baking

My mom and I did some baking today (Isaac "helped"). It was a good day to stay inside since the roads were still pretty bad from the storm last night. So, here's some pictures along with the recipes we used.

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies
2/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1Tbsp. + 1 tsp. milk
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Cream shortening, sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and milk. Beat until light and fluffy. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half and wrap tightly in wax paper. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Flour surface lightly. Roll dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut in desired shapes. Sprinkle before baking with colored sugar and candies or leave plain to frost when cool. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Cool slightly. Remove to cooling rack. Yield: 3 dozen (depending on size and shape)


Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup shortening
4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat all together on low for 15 seconds and then high for 2 minutes.







Peppermint Bark
1 lb. chocolate (I used dark)
12 oz. white chocolate
3/4 tsp. peppermint extract
10 6-inch candy canes

Bring water to boil in the bottom of a double boiler. There should be some space between the water and the upper portion of the double boiler. In then meantime, line the bottom of an 11x17 or similarly sized cookie sheet with sides with aluminum foil or wax paper. Once the water is boiling remove it from the heat and replace the top of the double boiler. Put about 3/4 of the chocolate in the double boiler first and melt until it is smooth. Add in the rest of the chocolate and 1/2 tsp. of the peppermint extract. Stir until all the chunks have melted. Pour the melted chocolate into the lined cookie sheet and spread so the thickness is just under a quarter of an inch. Let the chocolate sit for a moment so it cools slightly and then place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. While the first layer chills, crush the candy canes. The size of the broken pieces should be about the size of a pea. Take the bottom layer of chocolate out of the refrigerator so it warms slightly before the second layer is applied. Again boil water in the bottom of the double boiler. Clean out the upper portion of the double boiler with hot water only, no soap, and dry thoroughly. Once the water is boiling, remove it from the heat and put the top of the double boiler back on. Place 3/4 of the white chocolate into the double boiler and stir until it is melted. Add the remaining white chocolate and 1/4 tsp. of the peppermint extract
and stir until smooth. Pour this evenly over the first layer of chocolate. This layer will be thinner than the first. Sprinkle the top with the pieces of crushed candy canes. Again let it sit for ten minutes before placing it in the refrigerator to set. After an hour the bark should be ready to be broken into pieces. Store in an airtight container in a cool place or freeze.

* I used the microwave to heat my chocolates -- just be careful not to over cook it!! Read instructions on package on how to heat in the microwave.
** Recipe from Sugar Savvy






Oreo Truffles
1 pkg. oreos
1 8oz. pkg cream cheese
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tblsp. shortening
1 pkg. vanilla almond bark

Crush oreos into bits (food processor works good). Cream together the oreo bits and cream cheese in a heavy duty mixer or use hands and work all together like dough (DO NOT USE HAND MIXER!!). Roll mixture into small balls or use a melon baller. Freeze until solid (about 2 hours). Melt almond bark. Use 2 forks or toothpicks to coat the truffle. Place on waxed paper covered cookie sheet and refrigerate until the almond bark sets. Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1 Tblsp. shortening in microwave (30 seconds - stir - 30 seconds). Place in ziploc bag and seal. Trim small triangle off corner and squeeze to drizzle truffles. Makes about 50.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just want to wish everyone a VERY Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for all of the great blessings God has shown upon us this year -- what a GREAT God we serve!! I have a loving husband, a good kid, and a great family who all love the Lord -- and for that I am truly thankful. I am excited about spending Thanksgiving with all of our family. It should be a good day.

Psalm 136:1

"O give THANKS unto the LORD;

for he is good:

for his mercy endureth for ever. "

I also want to share a recipe with you that has become a request every year. It is for Chocolate Cream Pie -- yum, yum!!

Old-fashioned Chocolate Cream Pie

1 baked pie shell

5 Tblsp. flour

1 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

5 Tblsp. cocoa

2 cups milk

3 eggs, separated

1/2 cup oleo

1 tsp. vanilla

Sift flour with sugar, salt, and cocoa. Add milk. Stir until smooth. Place in a double boiler (or a saucepan -- that's what I use) and cook for 12 minutes. Stir to prevent lumping. Beat egg yolks. Add to the above mixture and cook for 3 minutes. Stir often. A wire whip is helpful for the stirring process. Remove from fire and add oleo and vanilla. Mix. Cool slightly and pour into pie shell. This makes a 9-inch pie. Top with Cool Whip.

Tried and True Casseroles

I made my Taco Casserole for dinner tonight and thought I should put the recipe on here. And then I remembered that I made Chicken Broccoli Casserole last week and I had the leftovers at work and Keely wanted me to post that recipe on here too. So, here they are -- and they are a couple of my go to recipes when I can't think of something to cook -- they are always good. Jason only likes a few casseroles and these are two that he will eat.

Taco Casserole
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup water
1/2 cup Taco Sauce (medium)
1-4oz. can diced green chiles
1-2.25oz. can sliced black olives, drained, divided
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning Mix
1 pkg. (12 count) Taco shells, broken in pieces
2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes (optional)
1/8 cup sliced green onions (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12x8 baking dish (I use a 9x13). Cook beef, onion, and garlic in skillet until beef is browned; drain. Stir in water, taco sauce, chiles, 1/4 cup olives and seasoning mix. Cook over low heat 3-4 minutes.
Layer half of the broken taco shells on bottom of prepared dish. Cover with half of meat sauce; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Repeat with remaining shells, meat sauce and cheese.
Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Top with remaining olives, tomatoes and green onions. (I like to serve with chips and top with sour cream -- it's a great nacho dip).


Chicken Broccoli Casserole
5 whole large chicken breasts
2-10oz. pkg. frozen broccoli
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tblsp. lemon juice
1 heaping teaspoon curry powder
Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Ritz Cracker Crumbs

Salt & pepper chicken and wrap in foil. Cook slowly until tender. Debone, cut into large bite size pieces. Barely cook broccoli in salt water. Mix together soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and curry powder. Use 8x12 deep casserole dish. Place broccoli in bottom of dish. Place chicken evenly over broccoli. Pour sauce over the top. Completely cover with grated cheese then with the cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until hot all the way through. Serves 10-12 (I usually split the recipe in half for our family.)

Zuppa Toscana Soup from Olive Garden

Update: This recipe is VERY good -- tastes very much like the Olive Garden soup. It is a little spicy though -- so if you don't like spicy food better use mild Italian sausage. :-)

So, it has been chilly the last couple of days so I thought soup sounded REALLY good right now. I went through my soup recipes, but just nothing sounded good. I thought ... "the potato soup from Olive Garden sounds really good." So, I googled for the recipe -- I knew somebody had probably came up with something similar to that soup. I found a recipe and tried it today. It is simmering on the stove right now. I'll be anxious to see if it tastes close to the one from Olive Garden. I will add to this post later and let you know if this recipe is good or not!

Zuppa Toscana Soup

5 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup light cream
2 medium russet potatoes
4 cups chopped kale (I didn't know what this is -- it's a type of cabbage -- so you could substitute cabbage or spinach)
1 lb. hot Italian sausage
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Combine the stock and the cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Slice the unpeeled potatoes into 1/4 inch slices, then quarter the slices and add them to the soup. Add the kale. Grill or saute the sausage. When cooked and cooled, cut the sausage in an angle about 1/2 inch thick. Add the sausage to the soup. Add the spices and let the soup simmer for about 2 hours. Stir occasionally.

College Football & Food

My NE Cornhuskers were soooooo close to a win today -- I can't believe our quarterback made that last play -- he will never be able to live that down. It was a REALLY good game though. I hope we are on are way to a great team again!! Go Huskers!!

Also, here's a good recipe for those fun football get-togethers. I got it out of Taste of Home magazine. Really good!

Ham & Cheese Sandwich Loaf

1 loaf sourdough bread
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 medium green pepper, cut into strips
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into strips
1 celery rib, sliced
3 green onions, sliced
2 Tblsp. olive oil
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 pound shaved deli ham
1 cup shredded Colby cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Cut bread in half horizontal. Hollow out top and bottom halves, leaving 1/2 in. shells. (Discard removed bread or save for another use.)
In a large skillet, saute the mushrooms, peppers, celery, and onions in oil until tender. Remove from the heat; set aside.
Combine the mayonnaise, Italian seasoning and pepper; spread over bread. On the bread bottom, layer half of the ham, vegetable mixture and cheeses. Repeat layers, gently pressing down if needed. Replace bread top. Wrap tightly in heavy-duty foil. Bake at 400 degrees or grill, covered, over medium heat for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Cut into wedges with a serated knife. 8 servings

Lots of Apple Recipes!

Since I just went to the apple orchard and since we have LOTS of apples, I thought I would post about some good recipes that I have made using apples!! These are all REALLY good recipes!

Apple Dumplings (from the kitchen of my friend Arlene)
2 tubes crescent rolls
2 Granny Smith apples (or whatever you have)
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
8-12 oz. Mt. Dew (or Sprite, 7-Up, Squirt, Mellow Yellow)
Cinnamon

Peel and core apples. Slice into 8 pieces each. Roll up 1 slice in 1 triangle of crescent dough. Repeat with remaining fruit. Place in 13"x9" dish. Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in sugar and vanilla. (Don't caramelize or dissolve completely. Keep it lumpy.) Pour over dumplings. Pour soda around contents of pan. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Bake @ 350 degrees for 40 minutes.


Apple Pie
1 package refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts)
6 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples
3/4 cup plus 1 Tblsp. sugar, divided
2 Tblsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. apple-pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tblsp. butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 Tblsp. milk or cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Fit 1 pie crust into a 9 inch pie pan. Mix apples, 3/4 cup sugar, flour, apple-pie spice and salt in large mixing bowl until apples are coated. Turn apple mixture into pastry-lined pie dish; spread evenly. Scatter butter pieces over top of mixture. Fit top crust over apple mixture. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust around edges. Press edges together to seal; flute. Brush top crust with milk. Make slits in top crust with knife to create steam vents. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake pie until golden, 40-45 minutes.


Apple Crisp
4 medium tart cooking apples, sliced (4 cups)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Cream or Ice Cream, if desired

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of 8 inch square pan. Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except cream until well mixed; sprinkle over apples. Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.


Chicken Salad
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
2/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped tart apple
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tsp. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Croissants

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cherries, celery, apple and pecans. In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, salt, and pepper; add to chicken mixture an mix well. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken salad onto each croissant.

Bruschetta Recipe

My mom gave me this recipe yesterday plus tomatoes from her garden. So, we are going to try tonight at dinner -- but I have already taste tested it!! It is good.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup shredded mozzerella (or grated parmesan)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except cheese. Put on toasted bread and top with cheese.

Grilled Chicken Wings

Here's a new recipe we tried today and they were SOOOOOOOOOOOOO good!!!

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound chicken wings
1 1/2 cups Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing
2 cups KC Masterpiece Original BBQ sauce (optional)

Directions:
Light grill. Mix garlic, red pepper and salt: rub onto wings. Pour ranch dressing into large plastic ziploc bag; add wings. Shake bag to coat wings.

Remove wings from bag; place on aluminum foil, fold into cooking pockets and seal tightly (I put 5-6 wings in each foil packet). Place pockets on main grill rack for about an hour and a half. Remove wings from pockets and finish directly on grill over moderate flame (they are really tender -- so be careful of meat falling off the bone -- I think I might get one of those grill baskets for this part). Turn every two minutes until wings develop a crust. Baste wings with KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce (we forgot to do this -- but they were great without it -- so that's why I put optional). Serve warm -- VERY GOOD!!

Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

I had someone that wanted the recipe of the spaghetti sauce we made the other day. So, here it is!!

20 cups tomatoes
3 1/2 cups onion
1 bell pepper
4 stalks celery
1 Tblsp. pepper
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tblsp. oregano
3 Tblsp. salt
1 Tblsp. garlic or powder
8 - 6 oz. cans tomato paste

You can use a blender to chop up the tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, and celery. Then simmer all ingredients for one hour. Makes approximately 8 quarts. We put it in freezer bags and then when we use it we add it to half a jar of store bought spaghetti sauce to just thicken it up a little.