Thursday, January 31, 2008

Biscuits & Gravy


1 pound sausage (crumbled)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups milk
Salt and black pepper to taste
8 prepared biscuits

DIRECTIONS
Crumble and cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat until browned. Stir in flour until dissolved. Gradually stir in milk. Cook gravy until thick and bubbly. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot over biscuits. Refrigerate leftovers.

Easy Baked Ravioli

2 tsp. Italian dressing
1 medium red pepper
1 small onion (finely chopped)
15 oz. spaghetti sauce
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
1 pkg. (9 oz) Ravioli cooked and drained
1/2 C Shredded mozzerella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat dressing in a large skillet on medium heat. Add peppers and onions. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in sauce and crushed red pepper.

Spread 1/2 C of the sauce in the bottom of a shallow 11x7 baking dish.

Cover with layers of half each of the ravioli, remaining sauce mixture and cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil. Bake 25 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 3-4 servings.

--SIDE NOTE: This is from the Kraft magazine and is typed as their instructions. When I made it, I made more Ravioli than called for (almost a full 16 oz. bag) and added a little extra sauce and cooked it in a smaller but DEEPER dish. I liked it this way better--and it gave us leftovers.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

No-Bake cookies


1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Mix butter or margarine, cocoa, sugar, milk, and salt together in saucepan. Once sauce comes to a rolling boil, let boil for 1 1/2 minute.

Stir in oatmeal, peanut butter and vanilla. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper. Allow to cook and harden.

Makes 42 cookies  2 pt+

Monday, January 28, 2008

Fruit Dip


Fruit Dip

1 - 8 oz Cream cheese (softened)
1/3 C powdered sugar
1 (8 oz) flavored yogurt
1 1/2 C whipped cream (or more, depending on how thin you prefer it)

Beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in yogurt and whipped cream. Serve with fresh fruit!

***I made these little fruit cups with fresh lettuce leaves in my old fashioned ice cream dishes (I bought them at a dollar store a few years ago) and then fill the glasses with fresh fruit--

Breakfast casserole


8 bacon strips, diced
1/4 cup crushed cornflakes
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup small curd cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4-1/2 C parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 1/2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes

DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels. Drain, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings. Stir reserved drippings into cornflakes; set aside.

In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, parm cheese, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in hash browns. Pour into a greased 9-in. pie plate. Sprinkle with bacon and the cornflake mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

***I like to use the precooked bacon too and just mix a small amount of melted butter with the cornflakes--just for ease of making.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Chili Cheese Bean dip

This is a dip I made up on the spot because we were having company and I wanted it for our Mexican food feast! We loved it and decided it would be a permanent recipe in our family.
1 (small) can of chili con carne
1 can of refried beans
1/2 C sour cream
a few dashes of red pepper flakes
4 oz velveeta cheese

Mix beans and chili together in a blender or with a handblender (milkshake kind--I can't think of the exact name right this second)--even a small food chopped would work. You want the beans and chili to be well blended and smooth. (Though, I suppose you don't have to--this was just the look I was going for) Add your sour cream, red pepper flakes and cheese. Heat in the microwave until heated through and the cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Breakfast Pizza

1 pound sausage or bacon
1 C frozen hash browns
1 C cheese
2 TBSP parm cheese

EGG MIXTURE:
5 eggs
1/4 C milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper



Cook bacon and drain grease. Spoon onto crust. Sprinkle with hash browns and cheese. Beat egg mixture together and pour carefully over all other ingredients on the crust. Top with parm cheese and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.

***this is also wonderful with other veggies that you might put in an omlet***

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Sunday, January 20, 2008

German Pancakes

A favorite warm breakfast in our house!



Original recipe:

6 eggs
1 C Flour
1 C fat free Milk
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

2 Tbsp. butter (I used brummel and brown)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Melt 4 TBSP butter in 1 1/2 qt casserole dish in oven(***side note: the original recipe calls for a 9x13 pan, but I love mine thick and choose to do it in a smaller pan so it is more substantial.) Meanwhile, in a BLENDER or with a hand mixer, mix all ingredients VERY WELL. Pour into preheated pan and bake at 450 for 25 minutes. Serve with 1 tsp powdered sugar (0 pt+) and lite or sugar free syrup.
Yum!

Each recipe makes 6  (1 piece) servings - 5 pt+

Steak Soup

If you try no other recipe from my blog, you MUST try this one! We love this soup in our house. It is hearty and delicious--a real crowd pleaser!
1 pound ROUND STEAK trimmed of fat
1/2 pound extra lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 C chopped celery
1 C onion (finely chopped)
1 C tomato (diced)
3 tsp. season salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 C water
4 beef boullion cubes
1-2 tsp kitchen bouquet
flour/water mix (make a rue)

***if you are wondering about the carrots in my picture, it is because I always add them. They are not part of the original recipe, but we love them--just add with everything else and simmer.

In a large pot, brown your meat and the saute onion and celery in the drippings (I just leave all the meat in as well) Add seasonings, boullion, tomatoes and water. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours (you can also do this as a crockpot soup if desired). Make a rue to thicken the soup and cook for a few more minutes. Then remove from heat and add 1-2 tsp kitchen bouquet. Enjoy!!!

Serving size: 1 CUP
Servings: approx. 7

4 points+


In case you don't know what kitchen bouquet is, you can find it in the marinade aisle. If you haven't used it before, you will love it! This is a staple in our house--we love it for gravies and marinades, and beef-based soups/stews. Here is a pic in case you need some guidance.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Grasshopper Cookie Parfait

Okay, after we made our yummy parfaits the other day, I got thinking of all the other ways we could make it. I had planned on making grasshopper pie for dessert, but shortly before our company arrived, I realized that I hadn't made it yet...

And thus we have Grasshopper Cookie Parfait. This recipe is still in the works because I used leftover cream cheese topping from our fruit pizzas with extra whipped cream. So, I need to figure out the right measurements for that part. But for the rest, here goes:

1 package of chocolate pudding (4 servings) prepared
15 grasshopper cookies (finely crushed)

Cream cheese mixture:
check back in a day or two!

Mix crushed up cookies in pudding and layer chocolate mint/cream cheese/chocolate mint.
Top with whipped cream.

Refrig. for 30 minutes

If you have leftovers, I found these great little take-along containers that would be perfect for a sack lunch. PERFECT size and you still get the whole parfait effect! :)

Homemade french bread

This is a delicious recipe--makes 2 LARGE loaves. Yes, you CAN make french bread from scratch!

2 tbsp dry active yeast
4 C hot water
6 cups flour
1 1/4 tablespoon salt
1 /2 C white sugar
1/2 C vegetable oil
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1 egg white, beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS

Put water, sugar, oil, and salt in a bowl. Add 6 C flour (your yeast should be included with the flour if you are using dry active yeast) and mix together until it makes a thick batter. Cover with a dish towel and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir down, and repeat this 4 more times. (every ten minutes)

WILL FINISH THIS ONE TOMORROW!

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Mini Fruit Pizzas


The following recipe is to make one large round pizza. You can make mini ones by using a large cookie cutter to make individual sized ones.

1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
2 squares (1 ounce each) white chocolate baking squares
2 Tbsp. milk
1 package cream cheese (8 oz)
1/4 C powdered sugar
1 C thawed, whipped topping
1/3 C semi-sweet chocolate
1 tsp. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape cookie dough into a ball and place in the center of a large pizza stone or baking sheet. Use lightly floured rolling pin and roll dough to a 12-inch circle (about 1/4 inch). Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are set. (cookie will be soft--don't overbake) Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. Carefully loosen cookie from baking stone using serrated knife. Cool completely on pan.

Place white chocolate and milk in small bowl. Microwave on high 1 minute; stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Microwave an additional 10-20 seconds if necessary. Combine with cream cheese and powdered sugar; mix well. Fold in whipped topping. Spread mixture evenly over cookie.

Arrange fruits over cream cheese mixture. We love to put mandarine oranges, strawberries, kiwi, and bananas. Place chocolate morsels and vegetable oil in small bowl in microwave, uncovered, on high for 30 seconds or until chocolate is smooth. Drizzle over chocolate and fruit. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

***originally from Pampered Chef cookbook--altered to our liking.

Easy Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

I made this recipe up after trying a million recipes. I love it because it is so incredible easy and it isn't too spicy for my kids, but has just the right kick! :)

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can Southwestern Style Pepperjack soup (or Nacho Cheese soup--both are from Campbells)
1 1/2 C milk
1/2 C soup cream
1/4 C salsa
2 C cheddar cheese (divided)
1 can chicken - drained
8 tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix soup, milk, sour cream, salsa, and 1 C cheese together. Put about 1 C of this mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. (a little more if necessary to lightly cover the bottom) Add chicken to the mixture in the bowl. Put about 1/4-1/2 C filling in the center of each torilla and roll up. Place tightly together in pan. Pour remaining soupy mixture over the enchiladas and top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Chicken & Bows

I was trying to think of a more exciting name than Chicken and Bows...but I just couldn't. So, straight from the Simple & Delicious magazine, I present to you Chicken and bows...

I love this recipe for a variety of reasons. While my kids love peppers, most kids don't. This recipe presents a great way to put a veggie they might not normally eat in without it being overpowering. The second reason I love it it because it makes a TON of food and is VERY FREEZER FRIENDLY! So, without planning to or making special arrangements, you have another night's meal ready to freeze and reheat for a quick dinner another night. The meal on a whole was not very expensive at all--and divided by 12 would make it a very budget friendly meal. VERY tasty, very easy--the kids gobbled it right up!

1 package (16 ounces) bow tie pasta
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (I used pre-cubed chicken that I got as a manager special at the store, so mine is cubed)

1 cup chopped sweet red pepper
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2 cups frozen peas
1-1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a seperate pan, cook chicken and red pepper in butter over medium heat for 5-6 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Stir in the soup, peas, milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Drain pasta; add to chicken mixture and toss to coat. Serve half of the mixture immediately.

Cool remaining mixture; transfer to a freezer container. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Transfer to an ungreased shallow 3-qt. microwave-safe dish. Cover and microwave on high for 8-10 minutes or until heated through, stirring once. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

Monday, January 14, 2008

Chocolate Peanut Butter Parfait

Here is the recipe, in all it's glory. Sorry it took me a few days to get this done! I have been running!! :) This is a super easy recipe, especially to make with the kids! We had so much fun making it for a family night treat!

3 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

ADD milk gradually to peanut butter in medium bowl, stirring with wire whisk until well blended. Add whipped topping; stir until well blended. Set aside.

PREPARE pudding as directed on package. Spoon half of the pudding evenly into six parfait glasses; top with peanut butter mixture. Cover with remaining pudding.

REFRIGERATE at least 30 min. or until ready to serve. Store any leftover desserts in refrigerator.

We topped ours with whipped cream and toffee bits, because that was what we had on hand. It was delicious! Next time I am going to have some crumbled peanut butter cup to put on top though!! :)

Fiesta Chicken Corn Chowder


Apple Crisp (topping)

This is always a great backup dessert recipe if we have last minute company come or just want a delicious, warm treat. Made from staple food items (at least in my house), we always have the ingredients on hand!


Apple crisp topping:

2/3 C brown sugar
1/2 C flour
1/2 C oats
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 C Butter (slightly softened)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients EXCEPT butter all together. Mix butter in with a pastry cutter until crumbly texture. Sprinkle over apple pie filling. I say this because I only ever use home-canned apple pie filling--and my mom has the recipe for that one. It is SUPER delicious...nothing like it! :)

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until browned.
Serve warm with ice cream (drizzled with caramel for extra yum!)

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Wrapped Meatballs



16 precooked meatballs
1 package of refrig. crescents
Marinara sauce
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thaw meatballs in microwave--set aside. Cut each crescent in half and place one meatball on each half. Roll the crescent around each meatball and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and dip in marinara sauce.
This makes a great appetizer or party food, but we also eat it for a kid-friendly dinner. They are the perfect size for little hands! :)

Chicken Green Bean Casserole

No, this isn't a side dish--a delicious combo of wild rice, chicken, and the good ol' Thanksgiving favorite sidedish, this is a true family favorite in our house!

Chicken Green Bean Casserole

1/2 C Miracle Whip (or Mayo)
1 can chicken
1 can Cream of Celery soup
1 pkg Uncle Ben's Long grain & Wild rice
1 Can of Durkee french fried onions
1 Can french cut green beans

Cook Rice according to package directions. In a large bowl mix green beans with half of the juice, soup, miracle whip, and chicken. Blend well. Once the rice is finished, add it to the bowl mix. Put in an 8x8 pan and sprinkle fried onions all over the top (we LOVE these!) Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.(this is great for turkey leftovers and also freezes well--just don't freeze with onions!)
If you are questioning my math skills because this technically has 6 ingredients but I put it in the less than 5 category, it is SOOOO easy that it might as well have 5-- :) And WORTH IT! Yum! The kids gobble this up every time!

Taco Soup

TACO SOUP
1/2 pound ground beef
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 can whole kernal corn with liquid
2 C water
1 small onion
1 can Kidney beans undrained
2-3 TBSP Taco seasoning (I like a little more, personally. But this is a good place to start)

Brown the mean & onion in a pot and drain well. Put back and add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 15 minutes. Top with sour cream, cheese, and corn chips.

LEFTOVER IDEAS:I love to use leftover taco soup for my taco salad as well. I just drain almost all the brother and add another tablespoon or so of taco seasing. Grab your lettuce and fresh cheese, sour cream or dressing, and you are all set! This mixture freezes really well too, so we usually have taco soup one day, a few days later have taco salad, and then freeze the rest for another taco salad later.Another thing we do with our leftover mixture (once made ready for taco salad) is make some quick boxed Spanish rice and put the rice, beans, meat mixture and cheese on tortillas for ultimate burritos. Yummy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
1-2 pounds chicken nuggets
8 oz. swiss cheese, cubed
8 oz. ham, diced
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C milk

Place nuggets as the bottom layer of a baking dish. Add cubes of swiss cheese and small pieces of ham. Mix cream of chicken soup with 1 C milk. Mix well and pour over the rest of ingredients in the dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Brown Sugar Meatloaf


Brown Sugar Meatloaf
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 pound of ground beef (you can omit sausage and use only ground beef too)
1/2 pound maple sausage
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs (or bread crumbs)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a bread pan. Press half the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the half the ketchup over the sugar. Save the other half of both these ingredients to put on the top.In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup.Top with ketchup/brown sugar and bake in preheated oven for about 70 minutes or until juices are clear.

***After that time, I usually turn off the oven and let it sit in there while we are setting the table and the oven is cooling down--lets the juices really mix with the meat.

Cream Puffs

Once again, thank you Kraft magazine for this quick and easy recipe. If you have never cooked with puff pastry, you should definitely try it! This was SO fast and easy--hardly an clean-up! And certainly perfect for any 3 year old princess' tea party! :)




1 sheet frozen puff pastry (1/2 of 17.3-oz. pkg.), thawed
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1/2 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface; roll pastry out to 10-inch square. Cut into nine circles with 3-inch cookie cutter or rim of glass. (we used shapes for ours. Hearts for Valentines day--) Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
MEANWHILE, pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Cover. Refrigerate 15 min.
CUT pastry circles horizontally in half. Spoon pudding mixture evenly into bottom halves of pastry; cover with tops. Drizzle with chocolate. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pumpkin Pie cake

Even if you don't like pumpkin, TRY THIS DESSERT! You will be hooked!! :)
pumpkin pie cake
Batter:
1 Lg can pumpkin
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 C sugar
1 can fat free evap. milk
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
----------
topping:
1 box of yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cups of light butter (melted)
whipped topping

Now, there are technically two ways to serve...one way would be the 9x13 pan--in which you would pour it into your greased pan and sprinkle yellow cake mix (unprepared--just pour the mix right from the box) over the batter. Pour melted butter over the top. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Top with whipped topping or icecream.

Going this route you can decide on your serving size--
cut into 15 pieces will be 10 pt+
cut into 12 pieces will be 12 pt+
cut into 18 pieces will be 8 pt+


OR, you can do what I like to do:
Taking (3) 8x8 pans (I like to buy disposable tins for this! It freezes GREAT and is easy to reheat and eat!) , evenly distribute pumpkin mixture (seems like mine was approx 2 C each). Pour it into your greased pans and sprinkle yellow cake mix (unprepared--just pour the mix right from the box) over the batter in each pan. (again, I think this was approx 1 1/2 C-2 C each.). Pour melted butter evenly over the top of each pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Top with whipped topping or icecream.

If you do it this way, you will have THREE desserts, or you can serve them all at once. :) I slice each pan into 9 slices. This dessert really does freeze nicely, and reheats quickly! Just slide your disposable tin into a gallon size ziplock bag and toss in the freezer! :)

27 servings (9 slices per 8x8 pan)  5 pt+    (which I find to be PLENTY!!)

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

This spot is saved for my favorite chicken noodle soup recipe...now, if only I could find it! :)

I love a good bowl of chicken noodle soup--is is just something that soothes the soul. I have a favorite chicken noodle soup recipe--it is thicker (almost stew-like) and SO delicious! But somehow in our move, I have lost it. Now, what I also love about chicken noodle soup is that it is a good "clean out the fridge" food. I had some veggies, chicken, and all sorts of random noodles I needed to use, so the one in the picture is really just a good base with some basil and oregeno and all my leftovers. But it was rather good. I am now in search of that delicious creamy soup recipe. Anyone ever had it? If so, please post the recipe!!! :) In the meantime, I will
be on the lookout...

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Shepherd's Pie

Quick and easy, comfort food from my childhood days!
v-day food 004
--8 oz  lean Ground Beef
--1 can of green beans (drained)
--1 can tomato soup (condensed)
--approx 1 1/2-2 C mashed potatoes (I use instant in a pinch...4 servings)
--3/4 C reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Brown and drain ground beef. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an 8x8 pan, put cooked ground beef, top with green beans, pour condensed tomato soup over that, and then top with potatoes. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Serves 6   5 pt+

Monday, January 7, 2008

Inside-Out bacon cheeseburgers

Inside-Out bacon cheeseburgers
--everything you love about a bacon cheeseburger, stuffed inside--

I got this recipe from Kraft Foods magazine--it is one of our favorite burger recipes!


1 lb. ground beef
3 Tbsp. KRAFT Ranch Dressing, divided
4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled
2 KRAFT Singles, cut into quarters
4 hamburger buns, split, lightly toasted
4 lettuce leaves
8 slices tomato

PREHEAT grill to medium heat. Mix meat and 2 Tbsp. of the dressing. Shape into 8 thin patties. Mix remaining 1 Tbsp. dressing and the bacon. Spoon about 1 Tbsp. of the bacon mixture onto center of each of 4 of the patties; top with 2 Singles quarters and second patty. Pinch edges of patties together to seal.
GRILL patties 7 to 9 min. on each side or until cooked through (160°F).
COVER bottom halves of buns with lettuce and burgers. Top with tomatoes and top halves of buns.

Cheddar Ham Soup

2-3 red potatoes, diced
2 C water
1/2 C sliced carrots
1/4 C chopped onion
1/4 C butter (cubed)
1/4 C all purpose flour
2 C milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C cubed ham
1 C frozen peas (thawed)

In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, water, carrot and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk, salt, pepper. Bring to a boil and stir for another 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted. Stir into undrained potato mixture, and add ham and peas. Heat through.
SERVES 7

Brown Sugar & Cinnamon Swirl french toast


Strawberry Kolachy Rolls

I have to admit, I cheated with this recipe and used Rhodes sweet bread--just wanted to try it out and there was the recipe on the back. I want to try it again with my homemade cinnamon roll dough recipe, and then I will post that too.



As per the Rhodes dough bag--

1 loaf Rhodes Sweet Dough (thawed)
cherry (or Strawberry) pie filling

glaze--
1 C powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter (melted)
1/2 tsp vanilla
2-3 tablespoons milk

Cut loaf into 8 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a 3 inch circle. Plcae circles on a large baking sheet coated with a non-stick cooking spray. Cover with coated plastic wrap and let rise until double. Remove wrap. With fingertips, press indentation in the center of each roll. Bake immediately at 350 degrees for 8 mibutes. Remove from over and quickly fill each indentation with 1-2 tablespoons of pie filling. Bake for an additional 8-12 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Combine glaze ingredients and brush each roll lightly with glaze while still warm. Once they have cooled, brush with glaze again.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Parmesan Ranch Chicken

Parmesan Ranch Chicken
--Each juicy bite is packed with flavor!--

ranch chicken

1 EGG, beaten well
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 packet Ranch salad dressing mix
8 (4 oz) chicken breasts (though I usually only cook 4 at a time, and just freeze the other half of the mix for the next time)

***I like to take my chicken breast and slice them in half, horizontally, so it is a thinner breast. Makes cutting so much easier and they cook nice and even!

Mix breadcrumbs, parm cheese, and ranch mix together in a bowl (I like to do mine in a baggie so I can toss my chicken for coating). In a separate bowl,beat eggr. Rinse your chicken and pat dry--then dip in egg mix. Proceed to coat your chicken (bag or bowl) with the ranch mixture. Place in a 9x13 pan, uncovered, at 375 for 50 minutes...

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
(Chocolate doesn't get much better than this!)
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped nuts, optional
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cups hot water


Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Mix the flour, sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Pour in the milk and oil and blend. Stir in the nuts, if desired. Pour into an ungreased 9x9x2-inch square pan. Stir the brown sugar and cocoa together. Sprinkle over cake batter. Pour the hot water over the batter.Place dessert into oven carefully. Bake at 350-degrees F. for 45 minutes. While hot, cut into squares; invert each square onto a dessert plate and spoon sauce over the cake. Garnish with whipped topping and chocolate curls as desired.