Friday, May 30, 2008

Parmesan Chicken

This recipe is courtesy Mandi Perrero

I made this recipe last Sunday night and Brad told me it was probably the best chicken that I have ever made him. I didn't use as much butter as called for - probably only about 3/4 stick of butter, and next time I will probably try using less - to cut the fat a bit. I also used the reduced fat Ritz and it was still really good.


2 cups crushed Ritz crackers
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
2 tsp garlic salt
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 cans cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cracker crumbs, parmesan cheese, and garlic salt. Dip each piece of chicken in butter (1/2 cup) and then into the crumb mixture. Arrange in a greased 9X13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with melted butter (1/4 cup). Bake for about 45 minutes. Heat cream of chicken soup and sour cream in saucepan. Heat until warm and serve over chicken.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Hamburger Buns

This recipe is courtesy of my Grandma Richards

8 cups flour
2 Tbsp yeast
2 cups warm water
3/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp salt
3 eggs
sesame seeds, optional

Combine 4 cups flour and yeast in large mixing bowl. Add water, oil, sugar and salt. Mix together. Add eggs. Mix for 3 minutes. Add remaining flour so you have a soft dough. Knead for 5 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once so top of dough is also greased. Cover and let rise until double - about 1 hour.
Divide dough in to 3 sections. Cover and let rest 5 minutes. Divide each section into 8 balls. Press flat between hands to create a 3 1/2 inch circle. Place on greased cookie sheet. Brush water on top of buns and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Brush tops of buns with melted butter.


Quiche

This quiche is not as fancy as the ones with the crust - but it's pretty easy and tasty!

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup Bisquick
1/3 tsp salt
5 Tbsp melted butter (I only use about 2-3)
1 1/2 cup grated cheedar cheese
1 cup diced ham
1/2 cup mushrooms (I leave these out)
1/2 cup green onion

Mix first 5 ingredients with mixer on low for 12 minutes. Add the other 4 ingredients. Pour into greased pie plate or 8X8 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Fast and Easy Pizza Dough

This recipe is courtesy Kim Cortright

3 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp yeast
7-9 cups flour

Mix 1st 3 ingredients in bowl. Add half of the flour and mix to make a paste. Sprinkle the yeast over the paste and then mix in. Add the rest of the flour. Knead on low speed for 8 minutes. Roll into pizza. Add whatever toppings you like. Bake at 500 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

**I usually half the recipe and then press the dough into a large cookie sheet.


Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

These are seriously the best cinnamon rolls I have ever tasted!! I found them on Allrecipes - and then realized my friend Heidi also had found them. I am craving them right now just thinking about them!!




1 cup warm milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Softened butter
Cinnamon
Brown Sugar
Walnuts, Raisins, optional

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt


Mix first seven ingredients in your mixer. I usually mix the yeast and the liquid first and then let sit for 5 minutes - so I know it's working. Then I add it to the flour mixture. My sister adds it all together at once. It works either way. Let machine knead dough about 10 minutes. Transfer the dough into a greased bowl. Let rise until double - about 1 hour.
After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar and cinnamon. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. I use a long piece of thread that I slide underneath the dough and then bring up to the top - criss cross the thread and pull tight so it cuts the dough. Hopefully that makes sense! Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Enjoy!!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Best Ever Texas Chocolate Cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Caramel icing:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup milk
2 to 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring cocoa, water, oil and butter to a boil. Gradually add to dry ingredients; mix well. Combine eggs, buttermilk and vanilla; gradually add to batter and mix well (batter will be very thin).
Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For icing, in a heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and milk. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium. Do not stir. Cook for 3-6 minutes or until bubbles form in center of mixture and syrup turns amber. Remove from heat; transfer to a small mixing bowl. Cool to room temperature. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spread over cupcakes. Yield: 2 dozen


***Instead of buttermilk you can use 1/3 cup regular milk and 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Chicken Pillows

2 cans crescent rolls
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup Stove Top dressing

Sauce:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup water with 1 beef and 1 chicken bouillon cube

Mix chicken, cream cheese, and walnuts together in a large bowl. Place spoonful of mixture in middle of crescent roll dough. Fold crescent roll dough to enclose over the chicken mixture. Roll the chicken pillow in the stove top dressing and place on greased cookie sheet. Follow cooking directions on crescent roll package. Heat sauce ingredients on stove top until hot. Place chicken pillow on bed of rice and pour sauce on top.

Chicken and Potato Bake

4 bone-in chicken pieces (I usually just cut up boneless skinless chicken breasts - but I think it dries the chicken out a bit. I think next time I will probably just put in the whole chicken breast.)
4 large potatoes, cut into cubes
Italian Dressing
Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl pour Italian dressing and parmesan cheese over chicken and potatoes and mix together. Place chicken and potatoes in a 13X9 inch baking dish. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Recipe courtesy of Nicole Handy. This recipe was originally a chocolate chip cookie recipe - but we added the white chocolate chips and Macadamia nuts instead of semi sweet chocolate chips.

2/3 cup shortening

2/3 cup margarine or butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup chopped Macadamia Nuts

12 oz. pkg. white chocolate chips


Heat oven to 375. Mix shortening, butter and sugars well. Add eggs and vanilla and mix. Combine dry ingredients and add. Add nuts and chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or till light brown. Yield: 7 doz.