Thursday, August 26, 2010

Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice by Kim

courtesy of Southern Living Magazine December 2009

1 lb dried red beans
3/4 lb smoked turkey sausage, thinly sliced
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp Creole seasoning
Hot cooked long grain rice
Louisiana Hot Sauce
Garnish: Finely chopped green onions, finely chopped red onions

1. Combine first 8 ingredients and 7 cups of water in a 4-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 7 hours or until beans are tender.
2. Serve red bean mixture with hot cooked rice and hot sauce. Garnish if desired.
Makes 10 cups.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Cajun Chicken Pasta by Kim

12 oz linguine, prepared according to package directions
2 lb chicken breast cut into bite sized chunks
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
1 1/4 tsp salt, divided
1/4 cup butter
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 (8oz) pkg fresh mushrooms
2 green onions (white and light green parts only), sliced
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Sprinkle chicken evenly with Cajun seasoning and 1 tsp salt. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat; add chicken and saute 5 to 6 minutes or until done. Remove chicken.
Add bell peppers, mushrooms and onions to skillet and saute 9 to 10 minutes or until tender and liquid evaporates.
Return chicken to skillet; stir in half and half, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. (I like to also add more Cajun seasoning here to taste.) Cook, stirring often, over med-low heat 3 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add cooked linguine; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Avacado-Tomato Toss by Kim

courtesy of Southern Living Magazine, August 2009

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 medium avocados, halved and cut into chunks
4 large romaine lettuce leaves, shredded

Whisk together first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Add tomatoes, red onion, and avocados, gently stirring to coat. Serve over shredded lettuce.

Chicken and Green Chile Enchiladas by Kim

From Southern Living, August 2009. Josh loves this too, and it went great with the Avocado-Tomato Toss as a side, which I will post as well.

3 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2/3 cup Onion and Garlic Mixture (see directions at end of recipe)
2 (4 oz) cans chopped green chiles
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
3 (10 oz) cans enchilada sauce, divided
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Mexican four-cheese blend, divided
8 burrito sized tortillas

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Stir together first 4 ingredients, 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, and 1 cup cheese.
Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll tortillas up and place, seam-side down, in a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese.
Bake, covered, 20 minutes; uncover and bake 10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown.

Onion and Garlic Mixture:
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Saute onion in hot oil over medium heat 8 minutes or until tender; add garlic, saute 2 more minutes. (Can be stored in fridge up to 5 days.)

Chocolate Fudge Pie by Kim

This is rich, delicious and EASY! Thanks Southern Living Magazine...you've done it again!

1/2 (15 oz) pkg refrigerated pie crusts
6 oz unsweetened chocolate baking squares
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
Garnish: fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Fit pie crust into 9 inch pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under and crimp. Bake according to package directions. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling (about 15 minutes).
Meanwhile, microwave chocolate in a large bowl at HIGH 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30 second intervals. Whisk in milk until smooth; let stand 2 minutes. Fold half of whipped topping into chocolate mixture until combined; pour mixture into crust.
Cover and chill 4 to 8 hours (the longer the better). Spread remaining whipped topping over pie; garnish, if desired.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The Perfect Baked Potato by Lisa

For so long, I could never get baked potatoes right. One day, I decided to make them for a friend, and I was determined to figure out the secret to these things. I read up on baked potatoes on the Internet, and I found it! I've always been taught to wrap the potatoes in aluminum foil and bake. Apparently, this steams instead of bakes them, and the result is an entirely different texture. Away with the foil! After scrubbing your spuds (scrub good if you want to eat the yummy skin this method will produce), rub the potatoes in olive oil and roll in Kosher salt. Bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on the size of your potato and the type of oven you are using. That is it! Enjoy your perfect baked potato!

Friday, March 12, 2010

Pillsbury Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread by Kim

Delicious option for brunch or breakfast for a group.

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube cake pan (bundt pan).
2. In large plastic food-storage bag, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon. Separate dough into a total of 16 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Shake in bag to coat. Arrange in pan. Mix brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces.
3. Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Raspberry White Chocolate Dream Bars by Kim

Found these online and made them for a Bunco party....YUM!!

1 Box white cake mix
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 sticks melted butter
1 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds)
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
12 oz. white chocolate chips

Combine cake mix, milk, butter and nuts. Makes a very gooey dough. Spray a 9x13 in. pan and spread half of the dough into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
Melt jam in the microwave (about a minute on high) and spread on top of hot crust. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over jam. Crumble remaining dough on top and bake an additional 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Skillet Chicken Thighs by Kim

This recipe came from my mom and it is definitely a house favorite for my whole family. I really like it served over Parmesan cous cous. It is just enough for me, Josh and the boys because of how much the thighs shrink...for more people, doubling the recipe would be necessary. Also great as leftovers.

4-6 chicken thighs, bone in
salt, pepper and paprika
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp catsup
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tsp dry mustard
1 Tbsp instant minced onion

Remove skin and fat from chicken. Sprinkle thighs with salt, pepper and paprika. In a 10-inch skillet, melt about a Tbsp of butter or margerine over medium-high heat; add chicken and brown on both sides. In a cup mix together all remaining ingredients; pour over chicken. Cover tightly and cook over low heat until chicken is tender - about 40 minutes. If sauce is not quite thick, remove chicken and keep warm; reduce sauce by boiling. Pour thickened sauce over each thigh.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Cake Balls by Lisa



My friend, Kimberly Lombard, gave me this great idea for Valentine's Day treats for the kids' parties. I used a combo of Paula Deen's recipe, Kimberly's, and my own.

1 pkg. cake mix (I used strawberry to be festive)
1 16 oz. container prepared cake frosting (I used cream cheese frosting, but I may try regular next time to see if the balls harden better.)
1 pkg. chocolate bark for melting (I used white)
Food coloring (optional)

Prepare the cake mix. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Break up the cake while still warm. I used a hand mixer. Mix in the tub of frosting until well blended. Place bowl in fridge for about three hours or so.

Take out and form mixture into balls on waxed paper. Put in freezer for an hour. This will help the chocolate to harden quickly later.

Melt the white chocolate according to package directions. Set aside a small amount for a colored drizzle. You can pick up each ball with a toothpick to dip, but I just did it a little messier by throwing each one at a time into the pot with the chocolate and rolling around until coated. Then, I placed on wax paper to harden. You can drizzle with another color at this point if you would like.

Finally, for a cute presentation, after the chocolate has hardened, very carefully insert a small stick inside each ball (on the ugly flat side), wrap with some cellophane, and tie a little bow. So yummy! So cute!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Beef Patties with Rice by Kim

This is my own version of a dish Josh grew up with.

1 lb ground chuck
Dale's seasoning
seasoned salt
garlic salt
pepper
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
brown rice, cooked according to package directions

Season ground beef to taste with Dale's, seasoned salt, garlic salt, and pepper and mix well (squishing it together by hand works best). Shape into 4-6 patties. Place in glass baking dish and bake at 400 degrees to desired doneness (I bake mine about 30 minutes...leaves a tiny bit of pink in center). Remove from oven and drain off grease. Stir together Cream of Mushroom Soup and milk and pour over patties. Bake for about 10 more minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and brown at edges. Serve over brown rice.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Creamed Corn by Kim

1 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup quick-mixing flour, such as Wondra
3 (16 ounce) pkgs frozen whole kernel corn, thawed and drained
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)

In a 3 1/2 quart electric slow cooker, whisk together milk, cream, sugar, salt, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and flour until smooth. Stir in the corn.
Cover and cook on the high heat setting 3 to 3 1/2 hours, stirring once or twice, until bubbly and thickened. Serve, garnished with the cheese and parsley.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Meat Loaf by Kim

This is Grandma Brooks' recipe and it is wonderful!! Thanks for sharing it with us!

2 lb ground beef
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 eggs
1 cup prepared bread crumbs
salt and pepper
large chopped onion
1/4 cup ketchup
Combine all ingredients and shape into 2 loaves. Place in shallow baking pan; bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Drain off grease.

Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup butter
Bring to boil and pour over cooked meat loaf. Bake 5 more minutes.

Norman's Spicy Tomato Sauce by Kim

from Southern Living Magazine; serve over spaghetti, or pasta of your choice!

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1 lb ground beef
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning (or to taste)
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can Spanish-style tomato sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp honey

Brown ground beef, onion and minced garlic in dutch oven and drain. Stir in Italian seasoning, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 40-45 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in salt and honey.

Mexican Chicken Salad by Kim

A twist on regular chicken salad with a kick of spice!

1 carrot, coarsely sliced
1 rib celery, sliced
1 lb boneless chicken tenders or breasts
4 canned jalepenos, seeded and diced
1/3 cup mayonnaise
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp ground cumin (or to taste)
1 tsp chili powder (or to taste)

Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add carrot, celery and chicken. Cook 10 minutes or until done. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes. Drain liquid and discard veggies. Let chicken cool, shred into bite-sized pieces. Mix well with remaining ingredients and add seasonings to taste. Makes 2 cups.

Mexican Sheath Cake by Kim

My Grandmother always made this at Thanksgiving/Christmas, and now my mom does...and so do I! I've eaten it at the holidays for as long as I can remember.

Cake:
Sift together in large bowl:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
Bring to rapid boil and then pour over sugar/flour mixture:
1 stick oleo
4 Tbsp cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup Crisco
Stir above mixture well and add:
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs well beaten
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
Mix well and pour into greased 16x11 pan. Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Icing (make while cake bakes):
Bring to a boil:
1 stick Oleo, cut up
6 Tbsp milk
4 Tbsp cocoa
Remove from heat and add:
1 box powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
Beat well and spread on cake as soon as removed from oven.

Artichoke Dip by Lisa

I got this recipe out of my Pampered Chef cookbook seven years ago. I haven't made it in a while because I've been pregnant so much and it contains feta cheese, but every last drop is gone when I make it for parties!

1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
4 oz. feta cheese, chopped
1/4 c. red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed (I used minced!)
1 cup mayo
3 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Chop artichoke hearts, cheese, and bell pepper. Place in bowl. Add garlic, mayo, green onions, and oregano. Mix well and pour into baking dish. I usually bake in what I plan to serve it in. Top with almonds if desired. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Serve with some pita chips or crackers.

Five Cup Salad (Ambrosia)

I'm not sure from where this recipe orignally came in Jason's family. Jason says he remembers eating it at Grandmother Brooks' house every year. I got it from Jerri and make it for Jason at special occasions.

1 cup mandarin oranges
1 cup marshmallows
1 cup coconut
1 cup pineapple
1 cup sour cream

Stir all ingredients together and put in fridge until ready to eat!

Dr. Pepper Pork Ribs by Lisa

I got this recipe from my friend Jen Barnes in a Christmas newsletter about five years ago, and it is definitely a favorite in our household!

Pork Ribs (I usually get a couple of slabs)
Dr. Pepper
Salt and Pepper
BBQ Sauce

Salt and pepper your ribs. Cut to desired size. Place in crockpot. Pour Dr. Pepper over the top. I usually just pour until they are all covered, so I'm not really sure how much I put in the pot. Cook on low for about 7-8 hours. Remove ribs from crockpot and pour out the DP. Put ribs back in with BBQ sauce for another hour.

Vidalia Sweet Onion Cornbread by Lisa

I wanted a fun cornbread recipe to make for Connor's John Deere country 5th birthday party, and I found this recipe from Paula Deen. I really liked it, and it was pretty easy, so I am putting it on the blog! I didn't use the dill weed when I made it for the party b/c my sister-in-law, Kim, doesn't like dill, but I might try it the next time. It doesn't really need it.

1/4 c. butter (1/2 stick)
1 Vidalia or other sweet onion
1 8 oz. pkg. cornbread muffin mix
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. whole milk
1 cup sour cream
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dried dill weed

Melt butter and saute onion until tender, not brown. Remove from heat and add muffin mix, egg, milk, sour cream, and 1/2 cheese, salt, and dill. Stir and pour into 8x8 greased pan. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 450 for thirty minutes until set and toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!