Creamy Chicken and Vegetables

I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and made it tonight. I did change a few measurements and enhanced some flavors. This was what I ended up with:

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 lbs red potatoes, cleaned and cubed
1 lb bag baby carrots
3 stalks celery, washed and cut into chunks
1 onion, chopped
3 pkgs Chicken Gravy mix
2 T chicken soup base (or 3 tsp chicken bouillon)
1 c chicken broth
3 T butter or margarine
½ c white wine (optional)
1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
1 tsp leaf thyme
½ tsp sage
½ tsp poultry seasoning
2 T brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 c heavy cream

In my crockpot, I layered the vegetables on the bottom then covered them with the chicken pieces. I mixed the gravy mix, chicken soup base, broth, wine, spices and seasonings in a bowl and then poured it over the chicken and vegetables. I added the butter on the top. I set my crockpot on high for 6 hours and let it do its magic.

When the potatoes were tender, I scooped out the chicken and veggies, and poured the broth into a skillet, adding the heavy cream and heating it thoroughly. The broth will be thin, but it's excellent!

You can also thicken up the broth with a little cornstarch and put everything into a pie crust and make a chicken pot pie with it.

DELISH!

The best $30 I ever spent

 Elite 5-qt Pressure Cooker by Maxi-Matic

EC-500

If you follow my recipes, you've seen that I frequently talk about using my pressure cooker to make roasts and chicken. I was given my first pressure cooker almost twenty years ago. It was used, but I didn't care. I'd tasted a roast that my mother-in-law had made in one and I knew this was a pan I needed in my kitchen. Now, my former MIL wasn't one of those women who enjoyed cooking and did it for fun. She was what I call a cook-for-necessity woman. It wasn't that she was a bad cook (although don't get me started on the horrible burrito pie she tried to make me eat once. Bleh!), she just didn't enjoy it. She did it for function, not fun. That being said, the roast she made in her pressure cooker was the best I'd ever tasted and I told her as much. So when she discovered a pressure cooker at a garage sale, she picked it up for me along with a replacement seal from the local hardware store and I was on my way to fork-tender roasts in no time.

Speaking of time, that's the best thing I love about using one: it takes a fraction of the time to make dinner using a pressure cooker when compared to regular cookware.

When I've told people the secret to perfect roasts and killer chicken broth, the one resounding response is "I'm afraid of pressure cookers. I've heard horror stories about them blowing up!"

Here's the thing: they won't blow up. Believe me, I've tried.

Have they? Sure. Forty years ago before numerous safety mechanisms were added to prevent it from happening.

As long as you follow directions on the enclosed instruction manual (or a cookbook specifically designed for pressure cookers, such as this one that I own: Pressure Perfect by Lorna Sass) you'll be fine. And, just in case you're not, the safety valve (which is slightly smaller than the eraser on a pencil) will burst first and send screaming steam to alert you. You turn off the heat, let the pan cool off and you're fine again. You replace the little valve piece and you're on your way again. (See? I told you I've tried!)

Something awesome about pressure cookers is there are so many to choose from and you don't have to buy top-of-the-line cookware to get good results. Like I said, the one I bought cost me $30 at Target. Of course, they also sell them for upwards of $200. For my family of four, I've gotten by with my 5-qt just fine, though I could easily use a larger one, too. Find one you like, try it out and see what you think. 

In the coming weeks, I'll be posting more pressure cooker recipes to show you how easy it is. In the meantime, put 4-5 frozen chicken breasts in a 5qt PC with 2 c of water or broth (and veggies like celery and carrots, if you like). Bring to a boil (the steam will cause the valve to toggle and hiss). Turn down the heat just enough to make it stop hissing but still wobble on the knob. Cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat completely and let set until the pressure button releases and you can open the pan safely. Shred the chicken and return to the broth. Cook frozen noodles according to package directions and mix with the chicken & broth. Perfect chicken noodle soup. Every time.

Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Dip

2 c powdered sugar
1 - 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 - 15oz can pumpkin pie filling
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger

1 box gingersnaps, vanilla wafers or graham crackers

Mix together the sugar and cream cheese. Beat in remaining ingredients until well-mixed and fluffy. Refrigerate and store in airtight container. Serve with cookies or crackers. Can also be used as frosting on a spice cake.

Monkey Bread

When I talked about making monkey bread this morning, I got a lot of blank stares and "Do I wanna know?"s in my timeline. There are still people on this earth who don't know what monkey bread is?

Seriously?!

That must be fixed this instant.

Meet monkey bread:

Please forgive the atypical crappyness of the picture.
I was busy trying not to breathe and/or set off my smoke alarms.
(See warning below.)

This sinful piece of deliciousness has been a staple in my family since I was a teenager. I usually make it once a year - on Christmas morning but have slacked off these last few years. Since I had the ingredients and it sounded good, I made some this morning.

It's truly the simplest breakfast dish on the planet.

4 tubes refrigerator biscuits, separated & quartered
2/3 c sugar
1 T cinnamon
1½ sticks butter/margarine
1 c sugar
1 T cinnamon

Mix the first sugar and cinnamon together and toss with the biscuit pieces.

Melt butter and combine with the second sugar/cinnamon mixture. Bring to a low boil.

In a greased 9x13 pan or Bundt pan, loosely and evenly layer sugared biscuit pieces. Pour the melted butter/sugar mix over them and bake at 350° for 30 mins. Make sure you set the pan on a cookie sheet! I skipped that step this morning and nearly died from smoke inhalation. Rookie move.

Let cool for 15 mins before turning onto a plate. Also make sure you don't pick pieces off the top when they're fresh out of the oven. They're only about 3° cooler than lava at that point and you will melt your face off. Don't ask me how I know that.

OUBad burger?

Not this month.

Most of you don't have the first clue what I'm talking about. Let me fill you in.

Earlier this month, Wahlburger's (Hingham, MA) sponsored a burger contest for their restaurant. Winner would get their burger on the menu for a month, some signed Wahlburger's merchandise and, of course, bragging rights.


I submitted one recipe: A stuffed chili dog burger topped with yummy (and spicy) toppings. It is reminiscent of the Juicy Lucy I've heard about where the toppings are on the INSIDE of the burger. It calls for a hot dog, chopped up and mixed with chili and cheese sealed inside two quarter-pound patties. It's topped with sauerkraut, onions, Sriracha and spicy mustard. It's freakin' PERFECTION. (And, from a restauranteur's standpoint, all the items are currently on the menu at Wahlburger's, so it was totally price-conscious, too.)

Someone else won the contest this month with a chicken burger, but much to my surprise, my burger made top ten!

TOP FRIGGIN' TEN!

I'm over the moon right now! I have faith it'll eventually end up on the menu, but for now, I'm taking those top-ten bragging rights and strutting like a rooster right now. SO stoked!

Here's the article for those who care to read it.

Spicy Thai Noodles

I tried a recipe today for spicy noodles and I'm not exactly sure how they thought it was worth eating because it was AWFUL! WAY too much oil and not enough other good flavor. I might as well have soaked plain noodles in vegetable oil and called it dinner. Gross!

Thankfully I'm competent in the kitchen and was able to salvage the recipe by adding some flavors and removing some others.

My husband can't stand Thai food and he inhaled two bowls of this and asked for more. He was bummed when I told him it was gone. This recipe will make four to six servings, depending on how much you want, but it should most likely be doubled if you're cooking for more than three people because they will want seconds. It's that good. :)

If youv'e never had Thai food, you should be aware that when they say "spicy," they're not kidding. This has a great heat and isn't for tender tummies. It's not overpowering, but does bring some fire.

1 16oz box linguine pasta
¼c sesame oil (you will have extra)
1-2 T crushed red pepper flakes
6T honey
6T soy sauce
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 bunch green onions, diced
2 chicken breasts, cleaned and cut into thin stir-fry strips (pork or beef can also be used)
3-4 button mushrooms, sliced
sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

While pasta cooks, in a small sauce pan combine oil and red pepper flakes and cook over medium-low heat for about five minutes, then strain out the peppers, reserving the oil. Using a small amount of the pepper oil, stir-fry the chicken with a little dash of soy sauce and a pinch of ground ginger.

In a separate dish whisk together the ginger, honey and soy sauce along with 3-4 T of the pepper oil (refrigerate the rest for next time in an airtight jar or bottle). Combine with the noodles, carrots, onions, mushrooms and chicken. Stir well over medium heat until thoroughly warmed. Garnish with sesame seeds (and crushed red pepper flakes if you prefer it to be hotter).

This is the most delicious dish I've ever made and it's as simple as can be. It can be eaten hot or refrigerated overnight and eaten cold the next day.

Optional ingredients
(mix and match to taste - adding when you put the other vegetables in)
¼ C coconut milk (or heavy cream, if you're not fond of coconut milk)
10-12 oz fresh cut broccoli (or frozen)
2-3 T fresh cilantro
one thinly sliced onion
green pepper strips

Baked Beans

I've never made baked beans before, but I did know that I didn't want to use some random recipe I found on the back of a can. I wanted to impress people, so I scrolled through at least two dozen recipes online and picked and chose which ingredients I wanted to add to mine. Again, this was used to create a LOT of beans for a class reunion, so unless you're planning on using this at a potluck, I'd cut this recipe in half.

1 #10 can (large, bulk sized cans) of pork and beans, drained
½ lb bacon, fried & crumbled with the drippings
1 full onion, diced
½ c barbecue sauce
¼ c beer of your choice (stale beer is fine to use)
1 c brown sugar (separate into ¾ c and ¼ c)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper (separate into two ½ tsp)
2-3 dashes cinnamon
1 T "All Purpose Seasoning" (typically a salt/pepper/garlic/onion mix)
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
2 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp seat salt, coarsely ground

Chop bacon into bite sized pieces and put in hot skillet over medium heat. Add ¼ c brown sugar, ½ tsp black pepper and cook until crispy. Don't drain the drippings.

Put beans in a large baking dish (aluminum pans work best because there's no clean-up afterward) and add bacon, its drippings and the remaining ingredients & seasonings. Mix well, cover with foil and bake for 35-45 mins at 350°. (You can also skip the baking part and put them in a crockpot instead. 6-8 hours on low, 3-4 hours on high. This saves you from heating up your kitchen in the blazing summer sun.)

If you're feeling particularly adventurous, skip the canned beans and make them from scratch using navy beans (you can find the instructions on how to cook those on the bag). I haven't felt that adventurous yet, thought I'm sure it's coming.

Vidalia Pasta Salad

***UPDATE***

So, I discovered that unless I go to Sam's club or order it online, I can't find this particular salad dressing. What I *CAN* find, though, is Ken's Sweet Vidalia Onion dressing (they have a light version, too!), which tastes exactly the same and is a lot cheaper. I've found that dressing almost everywhere I shop for groceries, including Walmart & Target, so it should be easier to make this recipe.

I came up with this recipe while in Sam's Club the other day buying groceries for my class reunion that my husband and I were preparing for. I'd picked up the typical Italian dressing that goes in every pasta salad ever known to man and when I saw the Virginia Brand Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette (Sorry, folks at Virginia Brand, you have it spelled incorrectly), I decided to change things up a little. It's super easy, but it does make a lot, so condense according to your needs.

2 bags tri-colored rotini pasta
¾ C Virginia Brand Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette dressing (about half the bottle)
1 envelope Vegetable Soup/Dip mix (I used Lipton, but Knorr works well, too)
¼ C Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta per package directions, making sure you lean toward the side of undercooked rather than over-cooked. The pasta will absorb some of the dressing causing them to plump up, so you don't want it real soft to begin with. Drain and rinse in cold water until there's no heat left in the noodles. Shake off excess water and put in a large mixing bowl. Add the dressing and the soup mix, stirring well until all the pasta is coated with dressing. Just before serving, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top.

Optional ingredients:

• Chopped cooked chicken breast
• Crumbled bacon pieces
• Diced pimientos
• Croutons
• Sliced olives
• Chopped red and green bell pepper
• Sliced fresh mushrooms

Meatball Soup

Can you tell I'm trying to make space in my freezer?

I've been in a total Italian mood this week. Pasta, tomatoes, rich flavors. Can't get enough of it. I've been looking online for recipes to use for this particular dish for a couple weeks and nothing looked even remotely appealing. So I remedied the situation. Enjoy the fruits of my labor.

4-6 C beef broth
1 c spaghetti sauce
1-14oz envelope vegetable Soup/Dip Mix (I used Knorr, but store brand is fine, too)
1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes (I use petite cut)
10-12 meatballs (your own or store-bought, your choice - frozen is fine)
1 c fresh kale, stems removed (too bitter) and chopped finely
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 bag frozen cheese tortellini (most any type of pasta will do, as will diced potatoes)
Parmesan or Mozzarella cheese (optional)

Mix the beef broth, spaghetti sauce and soup mix together. Add the meatballs, tomatoes, kale and spices. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmering 10-15 minutes.

In a separate pot, cook the tortellini according to package instructions. When read to serve, ladle the soup into bowls and add the tortellini. (I tried putting the tortellini directly in with the soup and they absorbed too much water, making them mushy. I would rather starve than eat mushy pasta, but if you like that sort of thing, knock yourself out.) If you choose to use potatoes instead of pasta, make sure to add those in with the soup, increasing your simmering time 5-10 minutes to allow the potatoes to cook thoroughly.

You can sprinkle Parmesan cheese on it when serving or serve it French Onion style by putting it in mugs, adding Mozzarella cheese over the top and baking it until it melts. I wasn't that patient.

Also, this recipe doesn't call for a lot of kale but you have to buy it in larger bunches so you'll probably have plenty left over. I clean mine, cut it up into more manageable sized pieces and freeze it. You can pull it out, run it under hot water and add to soups, stews and sauces for added color and taste. Frozen spinach would work too.

This soup is freaking AHHH-mazing, if I do say so myself. It's got excellent flavor without a lot of effort.

Tomato Alfredo Sauce

Confession time. I totally cheat at Alfredo sauce. I can't, for the life of me, make a decent true Alfredo sauce using cream, butter and cheese. I can't. I screw it up EVERY time. The consistency is perfect and then something changes chemically/physically when I add the cheese. I've tried every type of cheese I've ever seen/heard of going in Alfredo sauce - cheap, expensive, rare, doesn't matter. It all turns to a lumpy mess when I cook it. If y'all have suggestions on how NOT to screw up Alfredo, lemme know. That being said, this is my version. To me, it tastes similar enough to the real thing that I don't mind it, but if you know of a better "real" Alfredo, you're welcome to use it in exchange for mine.

Al-fake-o sauce
2 T butter
2 T flour
2-3 C heavy cream (milk can be used in a pinch, but it can curdle if you're not careful)
3/4 C Parmesan cheese (don't be skimpy and buy fake cheese. You'll regret it.)
¼ tsp garlic powder
pinch of basil (oregano or Italian seasoning work well, too)
salt & pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk together with the butter and let heat until the doughy consistency is gone and the roux returns to a somewhat soupy state. Let it brown a little while to get the raw flour taste out of it, ten minutes usually does the trick. Add the cream all at once, stirring constantly until the lumps are whisked out of it. Mix in the spices and let it come to a simmer. It will be extremely soupy at this point and that's okay. It's supposed to be. As it cooks over medium heat, the sauce will thicken to the right consistency. When you're ready to serve, stir in the cheese, a little bit at a time so it can melt. You can serve over hot pasta of your choice at this point or you can add the tomato-ey part. Also good with steamed broccoli or asparagus.


Now the tomato-ey part! (I love imaginary words, can you tell?) Anyway, I cook a lot in the winter, which means all spring and summer I've got a pantry and freezer full of food to use up. Remember those meatballs I froze last winter? I've still got 150 of them left. I also had some leftover spaghetti sauce that I needed to use up. A dish was born. A dish my finicky family won't touch, but I like it well-enough.

The Rest of the Ingredients
10-12 Fresh or pre-packaged meatballs (store-bought is fine, just make sure they're thawed completely)
½-¾ C leftover spaghetti sauce or your favorite store-bought sauce, any flavor
1 tsp fresh minced garlic (1-2 cloves)

I tossed about 10 meatballs in the food processor and let them spin until they were a ground-up, ravioli filler consistency. (There's another secret recipe of the day, kids!) You don't want them totally pureed, but chunky will do nicely. Once your Alfredo sauce has finished cooking, add the meatball mixture to the sauce along with your spaghetti sauce and garlic. You can substitute a can of Italian style diced tomatoes if you want a looser texture. I just used what I had on hand. You can also use Italian sausage instead of the meatballs. Again, I just used what was in my freezer.

Cook over medium heat (add extra cream or spaghetti sauce if it gets too thick) until the sauce is bubbly. Serve over hot pasta with steaming garlic bread.

Pecan Grape Chicken Salad

Del-freaking-licious.

1 grilled chicken breast, cubed
¼ c grapes, halved
2-3 T diced red onion
½ medium Granny Smith apple, chopped
handful of chopped pecans
3 T light mayo (or use Greek yogurt)
1 tsp lemon juice
pinch of sugar, salt and pepper to taste

Mix together and serve with crackers or on a sandwich.

Zuppa Toscana

This is adapted from the Olive Garden version. It's delicious. :)

1lb Italian sausage
1 onion, diced finely
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ c wine (to deglaze the pan)
½ tsp crushed red pepper
2 c fresh kale
4 russet potatoes, peeled & cubed
4 c chicken stock
1 c water
1 c heavy cream
salt and pepper

In a large pot, brown the Italian sausage and drain with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper, cooking until the onions are transparent. Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon or wire whisk to deglaze the pan. Return the sausage to the pan and add the potatoes, kale, chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 20 mins or so until potatoes are tender. When done, remove from heat and add cream. Serve with salt & pepper to taste.

Marinara (new recipe)

Every once in a while, I'll fiddle around with a recipe when I see something on the food network that makes me question something I've done with a recipe in the past. My spaghetti sauce recipe is an example of that. I love making it and it's delicious, but it has a lot of spices in it. But I couldn't help thinking that there had to be an easier recipe out there. So I played around with ingredients and looked at hoards of recipes online and I think I've finally perfected it. It's the perfect blend of sweet and tangy. Because I'm not adding meat to it, I added beef bouillon which you can leave out if you add meat. Try it and see what you think.

As always, I make enough for an army, so you may wanna have freezer bags handy.

1 #10 can of tomato sauce (this is roughly 6-7lbs of tomato sauce)
1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes (chopped) (Or you can use diced tomatoes if you want more texture)
1 sweet onion, diced
2 heads garlic, roasted and mashed (full heads, not cloves)
¼ c olive oil
¼ c dried basil
¼ c dried oregano
½ c parsley
1 T seasoned salt (I use Lawry's)
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp beef bouillon

In the olive oil, cook the diced onions and mashed garlic until a golden color. Add to it the tomatoes, then slowly stir in spices and bouillon. Bring to a low boil, then simmer over low heat 2-3 hours.

Potato Soup

This recipe might be a little on the difficult side if your house isn't like mine. We save all bacon drippings in a jar in the fridge. And if you don't know how to make a roux, you'll never get this to work. It will taste awful and you'll blame me, but that's fine.

Warning: It's not low fat or healthy. That being said, it's pretty damn good.

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3-4 T bacon drippings (you can also include crumbled bacon pieces, too. I just didn't have any)
2-3 T flour
16 oz chicken broth
1 c milk (heavy cream or half-and-half can also be used)
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp celery seed (or 1 stalk finely diced celery)
dash onion powder
½ tsp chives
1 tsp parsley
¼ tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
1 tsp chicken soup base (you can also use the little packets that come in ramen noodles - I used the one from a pkg of creamy chicken ramen and it worked perfectly)
salt and pepper to taste

In a separate sauce pan, bring potatoes to a boil and cook until almost done. You still want a slight crunch to their texture. In the meantime, heat the bacon drippings over med-high heat and using a wire whisk stir in the flour until you get a roux. Let it cook down (as stated in the link above the picture) and then, add milk all at once, followed quickly by the chicken broth. If you add it slowly, it'll clump up and you'll have a mess.

Check your potatoes and drain if they're done. Set aside.

Add your spices and stir the creamy soup mixture until small bubbles start forming around the edge of the pan. Do NOT let it come to a full boil or the milk will curdle. Add the potatoes and stir while cooking it over a low heat until everything is warm. This is a great soup to serve with crusty French bread. You can add shredded cheese or sour cream, if you choose, but it's delicious by itself, too.

Enjoy!

Salsa Chicken (Crock Pot)

1 3lb bag frozen chicken breasts (boneless skinless)
1 jar salsa (I use mango flavored)
hot sauce to taste (I use cholula)

Put the frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot on low. Cover with salsa and hot sauce (if you choose). Cook on low 6 hours (high 4-5hrs). Serve with rice or shred and serve inside tortilla shells with taco fixings.

Easiest. Meal. EVER.

Beanless Bean Dip

1 2lb box Velveeta, cubed
1 can Hormel tamales
2 can Hormel Chili, no beans

Remove tamales from their paper wrappers and smash with a fork. Mix ingredients together in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook on medium power for 10 mins. Stir well and cook for another 10 minutes on medium power or until cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Easiest. Dip. EVER.

Chicken Fajitas (Slow cooker)

2-3 lbs thawed/fresh boneless/skinless chicken breasts (Do NOT use frozen - salmonella is not in the cards today, kids!)
2 pkgs Fajita mix
2 onions
3 green peppers
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
2 T hot sauce (I use Cholula)
1 c water
1 tsp salt

shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla shells
sour cream
salsa

Put chicken breasts in the slow cooker on low. Mix fajita mix with water, hot sauce and spices. Pour over chicken breasts and cover. Cook on medium for 4-5 hours. Limit the times you lift the lid (remember, every time you open it up, you add 20 mins to the cook time!) and let it cook without interruption. Julienne onions and peppers. After at least 4 hours, shred chicken using a fork and return to the broth in the slow cooker. Add peppers and onions and replace cover. Let cook for an additional hour or until vegetables are tender. Serve with cheese, sour cream and salsa on tortillas.

This chicken is great for use in chicken enchiladas or my chicken tortilla soup recipe.