This will soon be a family favorite! Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
1 (8 oz) can Pillsbury Crescent Rolls 8 oz cream cheese 1/4 cup butter 2-3 cups cooked and shredded chicken 1 egg 1 sleeve Saltine Crackers crushed 1 can cream of chicken soup 1/4 cup milk 2 spoons full sour cream 1/2 cup shredded cheese
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 F
Soften 1/4 cup butter and 8oz. block of cream cheese. Then stir to a smooth consistency. Add cooked shredded chicken to the bowl.
Lay out the 8 crescents on a cookie sheet. Stretch the crescent out.
Place a couple spoon fulls of the creamy chicken mixture into the center of the crescent to fill it. Then fold the crescent around the mixture so that none of it is showing. I’ll call this the “pillow”. In a separate smaller bowl, put the egg and a little bit of water, maybe a couple Tablespoons worth and beat together.Dip the “pillow” into the blended egg. After dipping into the blended egg, proceed to dip it into the crushed saltine crackers and place on cookie sheet. Repeat for the remaining 7 crescents.
Cook the pillows at 400 F for 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them your oven might cook them quicker.
For the sauce topping: Put can of cream of chicken and milk into a sauce pan. Add as much milk as you want to get it to the consistency you want i.e. thicker or runnier. When hot enough add 2 spoon fulls of sour cream and cheese to your liking.
This pasta salad will be a Springtime favorite! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
Red Wine Vinaigrette: 1 bunch fresh basil, stemmed and leaves chopped (about 2 cups) 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1 clove garlic 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Antipasto Salad: 1 pound fusilli pasta 1/2 cup hard salami, cut into strips (about 3 ounces) 1/2 cup smoked turkey, cut into strips (about 3 ounces) 1/4 cup provolone cheese, cut into strips 1/4 cup grated Asiago cheese 2 tablespoons green olives, halved and pitted 2 tablespoons roasted red peppers, cut into strips 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions: Vinaigrette: In a blender, add the basil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Blend until the herbs are finely chopped. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing is smooth.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
In a large bowl, toss together the cooked pasta with the remaining salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Serve and Enjoy.
Ingredients: Cooking spray All-purpose flour, for dusting 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of a 17.3-ounce package), thawed 1 teaspoon dijon mustard Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 4 large portobello mushroom caps (or any other mushrooms you like) 1/3 cup breadcrumbs 2 cups shredded cheddar and/or muenster cheese 1 large egg, beaten 1 shallot, thinly sliced 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 6 ounces mache or other salad greens (about 6 cups) 1 pear, thinly sliced
Instructions: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and mist with cooking spray.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 14-inch square and cut into four 7-inch squares. Brush the center of each with mustard and season with salt and pepper. Place the mushrooms gill-side up on the pastry and season with salt and pepper.
Toss the breadcrumbs and cheese in a bowl and sprinkle over the mushrooms. Fold in the pastry edges, pleating to fully cover the mushrooms; press to seal. Brush both sides of the pastry with the beaten egg. Place seam-side down on the baking sheet, make slits in the top and bake until golden and crisp, 25 minutes. Let cool slightly.
Meanwhile, combine the shallot, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl, then whisk in the olive oil. Toss the dressing with the salad greens and pear. Serve the salad with the mushroom pies.
fried green olives
Drain olives and remove the pimentos (reserve in a dish). If you are lucky enough to find Queen size olives un-stuffed…go for it. I however, am not willing to pay $7 for 20 un-stuffed olives. So I buy the jumbo jars at Sam’s Club and remove the pimentos. If you use a sharp knife, you can pull them out easily. 60 olives took me less than 5 minutes.
Keep the olives on a paper towel to remove the moisture. Save the pimentos for use in Pimento Cheese Spread!
Mix together 4 oz of cream cheese (I use low-fat) with 1 cup of finely grated pepperjack cheese, and 1 tsp of tabasco sauce. Put into a doubled up sandwich size ziploc bag (I one bag inside another for a little added strength, could also be done with a pastry bag).
Snip the corner of the bags and pipe into each olive until it is filled to the surface. Do not overfill or they will explode when frying.
After they have one coat, place in the freezer for another 30 minutes. Refrigerate the egg mixture.
Coat olives a second time and return to the freezer. (You may need to add a little more of the bread crumbs). Once the coating is set, you can transfer them to a large ziploc bag and store in the freezer.
When ready to eat, heat your frying oil of choice and add about 6 olives at a time. (I use a sauce pan with about 1 cup of vegetable oil over medium high heat). If you have a deep fryer, you could fry more than 6 at a time.
Place on a paper towel to drain and cool for a few moments before consuming.
Onion Herb Focaccia a light and delicious appetizer for your Holiday spread! Enjoy!
Instructions: On a floured surface, roll out 1 pound refrigerated pizza dough into a 10-by-15-inch rectangle; press into an oiled rimmed baking sheet. Mix 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary and/or oregano, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and a big pinch of sea salt. Brush half of the herb oil over the dough, then set aside until puffy, about 1 hour. Make dimples in the dough with your fingers and top with thin onion slices and shaved parmesan. Bake at 400 until golden, about 20 minutes. Brush with the remaining herb oil.
This roasted chicken is so easy, you and your Family will love it!!! By using cut up pieces of chicken instead of the entire chicken it is less work and cooks up faster and more evenly. The Parsely Drizzle is a MUST!! So tasty!
Ingredients: For the Chicken: 3 1/2-pounds of cut chicken pieces, breasts, thighs and legs Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 sprigs fresh rosemary 4 sprigs fresh thyme Olive oil, for drizzling The rind of 1/2 lemon, zested
For the Parsley Drizzle: 1/2 bunch parsley 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 lemon, juiced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degree F.
Trim off any excess skin or fat from the chicken. Place the chicken pieces in an 11 by 13-inch baking pan, or any pan that that they fit in without crowding. Season the chicken pieces generously with salt, pepper, olive oil, the herbs, and the lemon zest. Toss through all the seasonings and then arrange the chicken piece skin side up in the pan. You can season the chicken pieces and set them up in the roaster up to a day before you cook them. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Roast until the skin is nicely browned and there is no pink near the thigh bone and the juices run clear, about 35 to 40 minutes. Check both white meat and dark meat. If the white meat is done before the dark meat, take it out and set it on the serving plate until the dark meat is done.
For the parsley drizzle, wash and dry the parsley. Remove the leaves from the stems and chop the leaves finely. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and use immediately to garnish the roast chicken. Enjoy!!
A perfect leftover for your stuffing….Fried Stuffing Bites!!! Delicious, Enjoy!
Ingredients: Leftover stuffing 2 eggs 2 teaspoons milk 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs 1 cup cranberry sauce 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup walnuts Oil, for frying
Instructions: Preheat oil to 350 degrees F.
Cut leftover stuffing into bite-sized cubes and set aside. In a small bowl whisk eggs and milk. Coat each stuffing bite with this egg wash, then dredge in the bread crumbs until fully coated and set aside. In a food processor blend cranberry sauce, pepper and walnuts and set aside. Once oil is at temperature fry each piece of stuffing until golden brown about 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel and serve with cranberry pesto. Enjoy!!
Delicious Pie, Enjoy this Pecan Pie!!!
Ingredients: Pie Crust: 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup vegetable shortening or lard 3/4 cup salted butter, cut into pieces 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
Filling: 1 cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 cup corn syrup (light or dark) 1/3 cup melted salted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 whole eggs beaten 1 cup (heaping) chopped pecans
Instructions: First, whip up the pie crust: Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the vegetable shortening and salted butter. Work the butter into the flour using a dough cutter until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles.
Add the egg, 5 tablespoons cold water and the white vinegar. Stir until just combined. Divide the dough in half and chill until needed. (You will only need one half for this recipe, reserve the other half for another use.)
Next make the filling: Mix the granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, vanilla and eggs together in a bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out one dough half on a lightly floured surface to fit your pie pan. Pour the pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell. Pour the syrup mixture over the top. Cover the top and crust lightly/gently with foil.
Bake the pie for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans. The pie should not be overly jiggly when you remove it from the oven (though it will jiggle a bit). If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set. Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe. Sometimes it takes 50 minutes, sometimes it takes 75!
Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.
Butternut Squash Soup! You will LOVE this creamy soup on those cool Fall nights!
Ingredients: 1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 medium onion, chopped 6 cups chicken stock Nutmeg Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions: Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Serve.
Everyone will enjoy this tasty sandwich.
Ingredients: 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each) Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon paprika Peanut oil, for frying 1 large egg 1/2 cup nonfat milk 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour 1 tablespoon malted milk powder 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard 1 sour pickle, cut into 8 slices, plus 1 tablespoon pickle juice from the jar 2 teaspoons white vinegar 4 soft hamburger buns, split 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
Instructions: Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets. Place the cutlets between 2 pieces of heavy-duty plastic wrap and pound to 1/8-inch thick with a mallet or heavy skillet. Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon each pepper and paprika.
Heat about 2 inches peanut oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees F. Meanwhile, whisk the egg, milk and 2 tablespoons water in a baking dish. Whisk both flours, the malted milk powder, confectioners sugar, baking soda, dry mustard, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon paprika and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper in another dish. Toss the pickle slices, pickle juice and vinegar in a bowl and set aside.
Working in batches, dip the chicken in the egg mixture, turning to coat, then dredge in the flour mixture and shake off any excess. Fry the chicken in the hot oil until golden brown, about 4 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed. Drain on paper towels.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spread the cut sides of the buns with some of the butter and lightly toast in the skillet, buttered-side down; spread with more butter. Put 2 pickle slices on each bun bottom; top with a piece of chicken and cover with the bun tops.
