Au Gratin Potatoes

I realize that there are a million versions of this recipe and, if you grew up with them like I did, I am sure you believe that the version you are familiar with is the best. Well, I'm going to tell you that this is the TRUE best. I absolutely love these potatoes. So much so that I will eat them cold, right out of the pan, the next day. I have never made them by myself before and so this was a great adventure for me. They turned out wonderfully and I am excited to make them again. The picture is courtesy of Kraft Foods.

AU GRATIN POTATOES


5 - 6 good sized potatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Chives and pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes, washed and cut in half. Cook just until potatoes are getting soft. Using a cheese grater, grate the potatoes like you are shredding a block of cheese. (This is easily accomplished if you are wearing an oven mitt on your grating hand. The potatoes should be soft enough that the potato peel will pull away during grating and can be discarded.)

Place shredded potatoes in a bowl. Mix together all ingredients other ingredients with the potatoes and place in a greased 13x9 pan. Top with extra cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes.

Slow Cooker Golden Chicken and Noodles

Tuesdays are our long days around here. Jake and I both work and then I have mutual until 8:30 pm (sometimes later) and Jake has school until 8:15 pm. When we get home we definitely don't want to be worrying about making dinner. This month I have been making things in the crockpot so that we can just dish up and enjoy when we walk in the door. This great recipe from Campbell's Kitchen didn't disappoint. I was pretty wary about the ingredient list because 1/4 cup of lemon juice seemed like WAY too much to me but we loved the flavor. There are quite a bit of carrots in this recipe so if you aren't a big carrot fan I would cut back the number - but they are delicious and a great compliment to the chicken. The picture and recipe are courtesy of Campbell's Kitchen and can be found here.

SLOW COOKER GOLDEN CHICKEN WITH NOODLES

From Campbell’s Kitchen

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
8 large carrots, thickly sliced (about 6 cups)
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)
4 cups egg noodles, cooked and drained
Chopped fresh parsley

1. Stir the soup, water, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder and carrots in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken and turn to coat.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with the noodles. Sprinkle with the parsley.

Time-Saving: This recipe may also be cooked on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup

I love coming across recipes that are quick and easy to put together and very tasty. I love Chicken Enchilada Soup and this one didn't disappoint. I think the entire soup came together in about 15-20 minutes and doesn't call for any ingredients that I didn't already have on hand except for the enchilada sauce. I will definitely be making this one again. The recipe below is my altered recipe. The picture and original recipe are courtesy of Bettycrocker.com and can be found here.

CHEESY CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP
From Bettycrocker.com

2 cans (10 3/4 oz each) condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup with 30% less sodium
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
2 cups chicken, cooked and cut into small pieces
Taco seasoning
2 cups frozen corn
Crushed tortilla chips

1. In 3-quart saucepan, mix chicken soup, enchilada sauce, milk, and cheese.
2. In a skillet cook chicken pieces and season as desired with taco seasoning. (We also used a little bit of chipotle seasoning.)
3. Add cooked chicken and frozen corn to soup mixture.
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. Top individual servings with tortilla chips.

Fresh Berry Gratin

This is a recipe that I found over at Mindika Moments. It looked so simple to put together and delicious that I had to try it. My dad's birthday was a few days ago and since I am always asked to bring the desserts I thought this was a perfect opportunity to try it out! It was fabulous! Definitely one of my favorite desserts and I usually don't like chunks of fruit in things. This was the perfect combination of flavors with the sour cream and the cream cheese and the tartness of the berries. I used all four of the berries and although I bought the strawberries fresh because they looked so beautiful, I bought the other three (raspberries, blueberries and blackberries) frozen. To avoid the mushy taste that normally comes from frozen fruits, I put them in a strainer in the sink and let them thaw out naturally for several hours. NO rinsing. They turned out just perfect and saved me a pretty penny. The photo is courtesy of Mindika Moments and can be found here at her wonderful site!

FRESH BERRY GRATIN
(Recipe from Emily Nuttall, friend of Mindika)

48 oz. mixed fresh (or frozen) berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries or blueberries)
16 oz. cream cheese
2 C. sour cream (you MUST measure this out - a 16 oz. container is only about 1 1/2 cups)
½ C. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/2 C. brown sugar

1. Wash berries. Slice or cut to desired size.
2. Place in the bottom of a 9x13 pan, or divide into individual ramekins.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla until well combined.
4. Top the berries with the cream cheese mixture.
5. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the cream cheese mixture.
6. Place under a broiler for 4-6 minutes or until the brown sugar starts to caramelize. Watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.
7. Serve immediately.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This is a classic family recipe that I grew up with. It has also been my favorite pregnancy food. A bowl of this stuff can make even the worst pregnancy days alright again. And with the extremely cold weather we have been having lately this is a great way to warm yourself and your family up.

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

1 1/2 lbs. noodles (we like the thick egg noodles)
3 chicken breasts
1 package baby carrots
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
3-4 cubes chicken bouillon
Onion powder to taste or one onion cut into thick pieces and separated

Cook chicken breasts in approximately 8 cups water with carrots and shake a bit of onion powder in. If you use the real onion you will take out the onion pieces (they don't go in the soup they are just for flavor). Start noodles cooking in a separate pan. Cook until carrots are soft. Take out chicken breasts and carrots but KEEP THE WATER. (Use a strainer on top of the pan). Add chicken bouillon and cream of mushroom soup to "juice." Cut up chicken and carrots to add to soup. Add noodles. Salt and pepper to taste.

*This recipe makes a HUGE pot of soup. If you have less people to feed cut the recipe in half, or even in fourths.

Variation on a Favorite - Chicken Stir Fry Wraps / Pasta!

Quite a while ago I posted a recipe for Chicken Stir Fry Wraps from Delectable Dining. I told you then that this dish is very versatile and cuold be done a number of different ways. Well, we tried a different way this time! Instead of serving the chicken mixture in lettuce leaves (which is delicious) I tossed it with Vermicelli noodles and topped with feta cheese. It was SOOO good. Light and spicy - it is defintiely one of my new favorite pasta dishes. Give it a try, or try the original - you can't go wrong!

CHICKEN STIR FRY WRAPS
From Delectable Dining

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves; halved horizontally and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons grated, peeled fresh ginger
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on how much heat you prefer)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
12 to 16 Boston lettuce leaves (about 2 heads)

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over high heat. Add half of the chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until opaque throughout (about 2-4 minutes). Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Add the remaining tablespoon oil to the pan, along with the onion and the bell pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until the onion is tender and golden. If the onion is browning too quickly, reduce the heat.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch mixture. Remove from the heat. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices; toss to coat. Serve in the lettuce cups.

New Year's Recipes

My mom and I made a bunch of things for our New Year's Eve celebration and they were all delicious! We were so full and I was wishing I could have a couple of extra stomachs for the night. My favorite recipe was the Greek 7 layer dip. We are huge Greek food fans at our house and it hit the spot perfectly! Thanks to Our Best Bites for the recipes and pictures. Please visit their fabulous site by going here.

7-LAYER GREEK DIP

Adapted by Our Best Bites from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened (I used low-fat)
1 tsp. dill weed or Greek seasoning (salt free--go for a mix that just has herbs)

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 c. hummus
1 c. seeded, diced cucumbers
1 c. seeded, diced tomatoes
1/2 c. chopped Kalamata olives
1/3 c. chopped green onions (about 3 green onions completely chopped)
1/2 c. crumbled Feta cheese
1/8-1/4 c. minced fresh parsley

With an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, seasoning, garlic, and lemon juice until light and fluffy. Spread in the bottom of a pie plate or a small, shallow baking dish. Then spread a layer of hummus. In order, create layers by sprinkling the cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, onions, Feta cheese, and parsley. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with pita chips, fresh vegetables, and/or flatbread.

CHEESY ROASTED RED PEPPER DIP


7oz jar roasted red peppers (about 1C diced)
4 C grated pepper jack cheese (3/4 lb)
8oz cream cheese (I use low-fat)
3/4 C mayonnaise
2 T minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350. Remove peppers from jar and blot excess water with paper towels. You want to make sure they are dry so they don't add moisture to the dip. Then dice 'em up.

In a bowl, soften cream cheese in microwave so it will be easier to stir. Add in mayo, onion, garlic, and dijon. Stir to combine and then add in grated cheese and the diced peppers. Place in an 8x8-ish dish (pie plate works). At this point you can pop it in the fridge if you're going to cook it later and you can even make it a couple of days ahead of time. Place in the oven and cook for 30-45 minutes. Baking time depends on the dish. It will start to bubble and brown on the outside edge, and you want it to be bubbly all the way through to the center. It will be nice and golden brown on top, especially around the edges. Mine usually takes 40-45 min.

CHICKEN-BACON STUFFED PIZZA ROLLS

recipe by ourbestbites.com

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough (make sure it is big!)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
sharp cheddar cheese (I used a 50/50 mix of mozzarella and cheddar)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
about 1 C shredded, cooked chicken.
3/4 C mayo
3/4 C milk

First take 1 teaspoon of your ranch dressing mix and combine it with 1 1/2 T parmesan cheese. Set aside. Combine the remaining ranch mix with 3/4 C mayo and 3/4 C milk and place in the fridge to chill.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400-425 degrees.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings.

I grab the four corners first and then squeeze the seams shut. Then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish). Brush with melted butter or olive oil and sprinkle with the parmesan-ranch mixture.

Place your rolls in the oven. I've noticed baking time really depends on the type of dough I'm using. Whether it's different brands from the store, or homemade dough, they all take different amounts of time. Set your timer for 10 minutes and check on them after that. They may take up to 15 or 20 to be done. Take them out when they're lightly golden on top.

Serve them warm with a side of freshly made ranch dressing for dipping.

Note:
These can also be baked individually in a mini-muffin tin. This might work better for serving depending on the situation. You're making 24 rolls, so it fills up the pan perfectly. They cook quicker this way than in a pie pan so keep an eye on them. Mine only took about 8 minutes whereas the ones in the pan took about 13-15.