Broccoli & Cheddar Soup

Who doesn't enjoy a nice hot bowl of creamy soup on a cold and snowy winter night?  This soup is delicious served with a piece of crusty bread.

2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp celery seed
2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup peeled and diced potatoes
3 cups small broccoli florets
1 cup light cream (or 3/4 cup heavy cream + 1/4 cup milk)
2 TBS flour
3/4 cup packed shredded light sharp cheddar cheese (3 oz)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp black pepper
Hot pepper sauce (optional) and salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat.  Add onions, celery and garlic.  Cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add thyme, tarragon and celery seed.  Cook 30 more seconds.  Add broth and potatoes.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low.  Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add broccoli and simmer 5-7 more minutes, until broccoli and potatoes are tender.

Carefully transfer soup to a blender (or use an immersion blender).  Pulse on and off until soup is coarsely pureed (still slightly chunky).  Return pureed soup to the pot over low heat.  Whisk together cream and flour until smooth.  Add to soup.  Increase heat to medium and cook until mixture is bubbly and has thickened, stirring constantly.  Add both cheeses and pepper.  Heat until cheeses are melted.  Add a few shakes of hot pepper sauce (if desired) and a pinch of salt, if necessary.

Makes 6 servings

Source:  The Looneyspoons Collection - Janet & Greta Podleski

Kimberly

Granola Bars

These granola bars are nice and soft with good-for-you ingredients.  It's nice to have these on hand when you need a quick breakfast or snack.  

2 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped raw almonds, pecans, pistachios or walnuts  **See Note**
1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries or dried cherries  **See Note**
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, letting the paper overhang on two opposite sides so you can easily remove the bars from the pan.

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix well.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, honey, butter and vanilla.  Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients. Stir until dry ingredients are completely coated with the pumpkin mixture.

Pour the wet granola mixture into the prepared pan and spread it evenly to the edges.  Using your fingers, press down firmly on the granola so that it's tightly packed in the pan.

Bake on the middle rack for about 25 minutes, until the top turns a light golden brown and feels dry to the touch.  Remove pan from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.  Lift bars from pan using the parchment paper and transfer to a cutting board.  Using a large knife, cut the granola bars into 16 bars about 1 1/2 x 4 inches each.  

Wrap bars tightly in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

**Note:  The smaller you chop the nuts and cranberries (or cherries) the better the bars will hold together.**

Makes 16 bars

Source:  The Looneyspoons Collection- Janet &Greta Podleski

Kimberly

Slow Cooker Kielbasa Soup with Kale & White Beans

This is a hearty soup that warms the tummy!

1 - 14 oz pkg Kielbasa, sliced

1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 (15.5 oz) cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained & rinsed
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
5 cups kale, chopped into small pieces
8 cups chicken stock
16 oz pkg sliced mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste

Place the sliced Kielbasa in a skillet and brown over medium heat.  Place in the slow cooker.  If there is a lot of grease, you may want to drain it off first.  In the same pan, add the diced onion and garlic.  Cook until tender.  Add this to the slow cooker.
Place all of the remaining ingredients into the slow cooker except for the mushrooms.  Stir to combine.  It will appear as if there is too much kale.  As it cooks the kale with wilt into the soup.

Cook on low for 7 hours.  During the last hour and a half before the soup is done, add the sliced mushrooms.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Source: www.themessybakerblog.com

Serves: 6

Janice

Garlic Croutons

I'm not a fan of store-bought croutons because they can be so hard and not very flavorful.  I made this recipe and decided this will be my go-to crouton recipe.  Depending on how large your bread slices are you may want to make a recipe and a half of the butter/garlic mixture.

6 slices bread, trim crusts, cube (let bread sit out a few hours or overnight)
3 TBS melted butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a bowl, mix together the melted butter, garlic powder, parsley and salt.  Add the bread cubes.  Toss until well coated.

Spread onto a rimmed cookie sheet or a 9x13 pan.

Bake for 15 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and crunchy.  Stir a few times during baking.

Source:  www.savorysweetlife.com

Janice

White Gull Inn Coffee Cake

Whenever we visit Door County, Wisconsin, we always stop at the White Gull in for breakfast and share a piece of their wonderful coffee cake.  Now that I have the recipe, our family can enjoy it any time.

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 TBS cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Coffee Cake:
2 cups sour cream
2 tsp baking soda
4 cups flour
1 TBS baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) butter; softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups pitted, frozen Montmorency or other tart cherries, thawed and drained 
   ** I use fresh raspberries instead of the cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

To make topping, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon and walnuts in a small bowl; set aside.

Stir together sour cream and baking soda in a small bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix flour and baking powder.  In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs to creamed mixture, one at a time.  Stir in vanilla and beat until fluffy.  Add sour cream and flour mixtures alternately to creamed mixture; blend thoroughly.

Spread one half of batter in prepared pan and cover with cherries (or raspberries).  Sprinkle one-third of reserved topping over cherries.  Spread remaining half of batter on top and sprinkle remaining two-thirds topping evenly over cake.  Bake 60-75 minutes.  Cover with foil after 30 minutes if cake is browning too quickly.  Test for doneness by inserting knife in center.  Serve warm.

Serves 12

Source:  The White Gull Inn - More Favorite Recipes From Our Kitchen

Cindy

7-Up Biscuits

This recipe intrigued me so I just had to give it a try.  Wow...so easy and delicious!  These biscuits are so tender they just melt in your mouth.

4 cups Bisquick
1 cup sour cream
1 cup 7-Up
1/2 cup melted butter

Mix together Bisquick, sour cream and 7-Up. Dough will be very soft....don't worry.

Gently knead and fold the dough a couple times...just until the dough ingredients are all incorporated.  You may need to lightly dust the dough and your hands with additional Bisquick so you can handle without it sticking too much to your fingers.

Dust your surface with Bisquick, pat dough out to about a 1/2 inch thickness and cut biscuits using a round cookie cutter or the rim of a drinking glass.

Melt butter in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan.

Place biscuits on top of the melted butter and bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 12 biscuits

Janice

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

I received this recipe from a friend years ago and finally decided to make them.  Why did I wait so long? These are so delicious.  If you are a heavy chocolate dipper like I apparently am, you may want to make a recipe and a half of the chocolate dip.
 
 








4 TBS butter (do not melt)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (finely grind in a blender or food processor)
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 cups chunky style peanut butter
 
1 - 12 oz pkg (2 cups) chocolate chips
1/4 bar paraffin wax, shaved
 
Mix together the butter, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and peanut butter.
Roll into balls, place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Refrigerate overnight.
 
Melt the chocolate chips and paraffin wax in a double boiler.  Dip the candy in the melted chocolate and set set on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Place the candies in the refrigerator for a few minutes until completely cooled.  When dipping the candy, keep the double boiler on the heat to keep the chocolate warm.
 
Makes about 60 candies
 
Janice

Snowmen

I made these little snowmen for my Sunday School class.  The kids thought they were so cute!  They are super easy to make, too!

mini powdered sugar donut
candy corn
mini chocolate chips

Janice

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake and "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting

This is the most decadent chocolate cake you will ever eat.  It is so rich and dark and chocolatey.  It will knock your socks off!
 
  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Cake:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling strong coffee
 
Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour two 9 inch round baking pans. 
 
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Stir in boiling coffee (batter will be thin).  Pour into pans.
 
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.  Cool completely.
 
For cupcakes:  Line 2 1/2 inch muffin cups with paper baking cups.  Fill 2/3 full with batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes.  Cool; frost.  Makes about 30 cupcakes
 
Frosting:
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter
1 cup Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
 
Melt butter.  Stir in cocoa. 
 
Alternately, add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed to spreading consistency.  Add more milk, if needed.  Stir in vanilla. 
 
Makes about 3 cups frosting

Source:  Hershey's
 
Eileen

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

This Sweet Potato casserole is a wonderful Fall dish.  We especially enjoy this at Thanksgiving.  Everyone loves the crunchy pecan topping.



Potato Mixture: 
3 large eggs
5 lbs fresh sweet potatoes, boiled, drained, peeled and mashed (6 cups)
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp vanilla
 
Topping:
1 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup plus 2 TBS flour
1 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
 
Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 baking dish. 
 
Potato Mixture:  Beat eggs in a large bowl.  Stir in potatoes until well blended.  Add remaining ingredients; mix well.  Spread evenly in prepared baking pan.
 
Topping:  Mix sugar, flour,  nuts and oatmeal in a bowl.  Work in the butter with your hands until well blended.  Sprinkle evenly over the top of the potato mixture.
 
Bake 1 hour until the topping is browned and bubbling.
 
Serves 12
 
Source:  Home Cookin' is a Family Affair

Cindy

Mom's Stuffing

Stuffing or dressing...what do you call it?  I call it DELICIOUS!  My Mom made this recipe for many years every Thanksgiving.  Now this is the recipe that I make, as well. 

3 sticks butter
3 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 - 2 cups chopped onion
1/3 cup chicken broth

1 TBS poultry seasoning
1 cup raisins
2 (14 oz) bags Brownberry Sage & Onion Stuffing
1 - 2 TBS celery leaves, chopped

2-3 cups chicken broth

In a saucepan, stir together the butter, celery, onions and 1/3 cup chicken broth.  On medium heat, cook until celery is soft, about 15 - 25 minutes.

Mix together the poultry seasoning, raisins, stuffing cubes and celery leaves.  Add this to the butter/celery mixture that you just cooked.  Stir in the remaining 2-3 cups chicken broth.
 
Place in a large bowl or pan, cover and refrigerate over night.
 
This will be enough stuffing to stuff a 14-15 lb. turkey with some extra left over.
 
Cook the extra stuffing in a buttered 9x13 pan for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. You may need  to add extra broth before cooking if it doesn't seem moist enough. 

Serves 14-18 people

Kimberly

Green Bean Casserole

I wanted to change things up a bit this Thanksgiving and make a Green Bean Casserole that was just a little bit different than the traditional casserole.  The addition of cheese made this dish rich and creamy.  Next time I make this I may add water chestnuts for a little crunch.

9 cups frozen cut green beans (3 - 1 lb bags)

1 1/2 TBS butter
1 1/2 TBS flour
1 cup milk
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
6 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 jar (4 oz) diced pimientos, drained
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/3 cup French's French Fried Onions - in the casserole 
1 1/3 cup French's French Fried Onions - on top of the casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the green beans in the microwave according to the package directions. 

While the beans are cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan.  Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened.  Reduce heat; add the soup, cheese, pimientos, Worcestershire, soy sauce, salt and pepper.  Cook and stir until cheese is melted.  Pour over the beans; toss to coat.  Stir in 1 1/3 cup French Fried Onions to the bean mixture.

Transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring twice.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/3 cup of French Fried Onions and bake an additional 5 minutes. 

Serves: 8-10

Source:  Modified from Taste of Home's Holiday Celebrations Cookbook-2005

Eileen

Creamed Corn in the Crockpot

I think creamed corn in a can is delicious....I even eat it cold!  However, after eating this creamed corn, I doubt I will ever eat it from a can again.  This recipe is for a crockpot, however, I am sure it would taste just as wonderful made on top of the stove.  If you make it on the stovetop, you may want to stir occasionally and watch so it doesn't burn.

 

4 cups frozen corn, thawed (1 lb bag)

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup milk
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Thaw the corn in the microwave.  Cut up the cream cheese and the butter into chunks.  Add all of the ingredients to the crockpot.  Don't worry about mixing thoroughly, just throw it all in.

Cook on high for 1 hour, stir, then cook an additional hour.  You may puree about a 1/4 of the mixture in a blender if you like your corn a little thicker and creamier. 

Serve with additional black pepper sprinkled on top.

Serves 4-6

Source:  www.mostlyhomemademom.com

Kimberly

Raspberry Pretzel Salad

This salad is almost like a dessert.  I've never met anyone that didn't LOVE this salad...it's that good! 

1 - 6 oz package raspberry Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cold water
2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (or fresh frozen) (not in syrup or juice)
1 1/2 cups crushed pretzels (we prefer to use Butter Snap Pretzels...they look like window panes)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted
2 TBS sugar
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 cup freshly whipped cream

In a small bowl, combine the Jell-O and boiling water.  Stir until all the gelatin is dissolved.  Add the cold water and stir.  Place in the refrigerator and cool until it begins to gel.

Add the raspberries to the Jell-O, pour into a 9x13 pan and place in the refrigerator to set.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a separate bowl, mix the crushed pretzels with the melted butter and 2 TBS sugar and spread into a 9x13 pan.  Bake 10 minutes, then remove and stir.  Set aside to cool.

After the gelatin has set, beat the cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar and the freshly whipped cream together until it is well blended.  Spread this mixture over the gelatin.  

Let set in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Just prior to serving, top with the pretzel mix.  Gently press the pretzels down a little into the cream cheese layer.

Serves: 8-10

Source:  Farm Recipes and Food Secrets from the Norske Nook - Helen Myhre

Mark and Marianne

Tomato Bisque

My niece was home this weekend and mentioned how she was hungry for Tomato Bisque and would love to have some while she was away at college.  I thought I would surprise her by sending some back with her.  I sampled a bowl as soon as it was done. This is some mighty tasty soup!  It would go great with a grilled cheese sandwich.

4 TBS butter

2 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp dill weed
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil

5 cups (1-28 oz can and 1-15 oz can) crushed tomatoes
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
4 cups chicken stock or broth (2 cans)

2 TBS butter
2 TBS flour

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper

4 tsp honey
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup half and half

In a large pot, melt 4 TBS butter.  Sauté garlic and herbs on medium low for about 1 to 2 minutes, until garlic is lightly browned.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken broth.  Heat to a simmer.

In a separate small saucepan, make a roux with the flour and remaining 2 TBS butter, whisking constantly over medium heat for 3 minutes, without browning.

Add roux to soup, whisking to blend.  Add salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil to thicken, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes. 

Add honey, cream and half and half.  If you prefer a smoother soup, you may use an immersion blender for several minutes.

Makes approx. 11 cups

Source:  Whowantsdinner.blogspot.com

Janice

Hearty Beef Barley Soup

This recipe comes from The White Gull Inn located in Door County, Wisconsin.  This is one of our favorite restaurants.
 
Serve this hearty soup with a piece of rustic bread and you have a complete meal. 
 
This makes a big batch of soup.  It did not all fit in my 5 quart Dutch oven.  I had to use two different pots to cook this in and then combined both pots together when the soup was finished cooking.  I'm glad I did not cut the recipe in half.  I shared some of the soup and froze some for later!         
 

4 TBS (1/2 stick) butter
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery*

1 cup diced carrots*
1 cup diced red peppers (optional)
2 1/2 - 3 lbs beef round stew meat  (you may need to cut into smaller pieces)
1 lb sliced mushrooms*

1 tsp dried thyme (optional)
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp pepper
1 bay leaf (optional)
4 quarts beef stock
1 3/4 cups barley (don't be tempted to add more barley, the barley expands and thickens up)
 

*Cut the celery, carrots and mushrooms into 1/2" thick slices as they shrink quite a bit.

In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Lightly season the meat with salt and pepper.  Brown the meat in the stockpot in small batches.  You do not want to over-crowd your pot or your meat will steam instead of sear.  Remove the meat from the pot and set aside.
 
Add garlic, onions, celery, carrots and peppers to the pot.  Sauté until the onions are tender.  Add the meat back to the stockpot with the vegetables.  Add the mushrooms, thyme, onion powder, pepper, bay leaf and beef stock.  Bring to a boil.
 
Cover pot.  Reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Meat should be tender.
 
Stir in barley and continue to simmer (covered) for 30-45 minutes or until barley is tender.

If soup is too thick, you may add more beef stock or water.

Serves: 10-12
 
Source:  The White Gull Inn - More Favorite Recipes from Our Kitchen  
 
Janice

Sausage Meatballs

I've been craving spaghetti and meatballs lately, so I decided to make my own meatballs from scratch.  Instead of using my usual ground beef, I opted for sausage for a little extra flavor.  They turned out absolutely delicious.  Since I'm not a fan of fennel, I simply left it out of the recipe.

There is a delicious recipe for spaghetti sauce on this blog if you want to make your own. 

1 1/8 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 tsp water
12 ounces ground pork
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 large egg yolks
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fennel seeds, coarsely ground (use a spice grinder or crush using the bottom of a heavy skillet)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp pepper
1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, and broken into 1-inch pieces

Adjust the oven rack to upper middle position and heat oven to 500F degrees.  Place wire rack in a foil lined rimmed baking sheet. Spray wire rack with vegetable oil spray.

Dissolve salt, baking soda and water in a large bowl.  Add ground pork and fold gently to combine.  Let stand for 10 minutes.

Place the following ingredients in a food processor: bread, cream, Parmesan, egg yolks, garlic, ground fennel seeds, oregano, pepper and pepper flakes.  Pulse until just combined, about 10 pulses, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Add ground pork (do not wash out bowl) and pulse until mixture is well combined, about 5 pulses.

Transfer half of the pork mixture in the food processor to the now-empty large bowl.  Add sausage to the pork mixture in the food processor and pulse until just combined, about 4 pulses.  Transfer sausage-pork mixture to a large bowl with pork mixture.  Using hands, gently fold together until mixture is just combined.

Lightly shape mixture into 1-3/4 inch round meatballs (about 1 ounce).  Use a light touch when rolling the meatballs to prevent them from being dense.  You should have about 24 meatballs.  Arrange meatballs, evenly spaced, on prepared rack and bake until browned, about 15 minutes, turn each meatball over about halfway through baking.

If you are making spaghetti and sauce, place your prepared spaghetti sauce in a large pot and simmer until hot.  Add meatballs to sauce and gently simmer, turning them occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Cover and keep warm over a low flame.

Make pasta and transfer pasta to a large serving platter. Top with meatballs and sauce. 

Serves 4 to 6

Source:  Cook's Illustrated Magazine

Janice

Sweet Honey Corn Bread

Corn bread goes great with any Mexican meal or with chili.  I served this warm with a little sprinkle of sugar on top. 

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 to 2/3 cup honey (or you may use sugar)
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray or lightly grease a 9 inch round cake pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder.  Stir in honey, egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. 

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Serves 6

Source:  The Taylor House

Janice

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This Chicken Enchilada Casserole is easy and delicious.  If you buy a rotisserie chicken or have chicken already shredded and in the freezer, this dish can be on the table in no time at all.  It's great for a busy weeknight dinner.  The chilies in this recipe are not hot at all.  They add a mild Mexican flavor to the dish.

Vegetable oil spray
6  7-inch flour tortillas (I used Chi-Chi's brand 'Flour and Corn Enchilada Style Tortillas')
2 10-ounce cans enchilada sauce, such as Old El Paso
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 4.5 oz can mild chopped green chilies, drained
3 cups cooked and shredded chicken
3 cups (12 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Garnish with any or all of the following:
tomatoes
sliced black olives
green onions
cilantro

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a skillet with vegetable oil spray and heat over medium-high heat.  One at a time, add the tortillas to the skillet and cook, turning them every 30 to 40 seconds, until they are well toasted.  Using tongs, transfer them to a cutting board to cool.  When cool enough to handle, slice them into strips 1 to 2 inches wide.  I also cut each strip into thirds.

In a medium size bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the enchilada sauce, the sour cream and green chilies.  Stir in the shredded chicken.

Spread a thin layer of the remaining enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.  Add a single layer of the tortilla strips to completely cover the bottom of the pan, followed by half of the chicken mixture and one third of the Jack cheese.  Repeat layering with the tortilla strips, chicken, enchilada sauce, Jack cheese, tortilla strips and ending with the cheese on top.  

Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is bubbling, 5 to 10 more minutes.  Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with desired garnishes before serving.

Serves:  6 to 8

Source:  In The Kitchen With David - David Venable

Janice

Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

I was at an Amish bakery and found a pan of day-old cinnamon rolls on special.  I knew right away that I needed them to make this delicious recipe. 

Bread Pudding

5 to 6 cups of Cinnamon Rolls cut into 1 1/2" pieces.  

Place cinnamon roll cubes in an 8 x 8 inch greased baking dish.

Whisk together:

1 cup whipping cream
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
1 TBS vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour the mixture evenly over the cinnamon roll cubes, pressing down slightly to make sure all the cubes are soaked.  Let stand for a half hour for the custard to fully absorb.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45-50 minutes until the custard is set and no longer liquid in the center. Let the bread pudding stand for about 20 minutes before serving. Serve with a generous drizzle of homemade caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce:

2 cups sugar
2/3 cup butter, cut into small cubes
4 TBS water
1 cup whipping cream

 

Mix the sugar and water in a large saucepan. NOTE: I use a large saucepan of about 3 quarts or larger because the sugar foams up when you add the butter and cream so make sure you have a large enough pot.

 

Boil the sugar and water over medium heat until the mixture begins to turn a light to medium amber color. The real skill in making caramel sauce does come with experience and knowing the point at which the color is perfect. Good advice for beginners is that it is better to be a little too light in color rather than a little too dark because too dark a caramel can often taste a little burnt. It is very easy to burn this mixture which can happen very quickly once the proper color is achieved, so have your butter and cream at the ready, as timing is crucial for this recipe.

 

Do not stir the boiling sugar, this can cause it to crystallize. If you find the sugar starts to crystallize, use a pastry brush to brush water around the inside edge of the pot as it boils. You may have to do this several times. Carefully swirling the pan occasionally is also helpful to avoid crystallization of the sugar.

 

When the color is right, quickly add the butter and stir quickly until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat immediately and pour in the whipping cream, stirring constantly until the sauce is uniformly smooth. Cool completely. Store in an airtight plastic container or in a mason jar. This sauce is fantastic with almost any apple dessert or for great caramel sundaes.

 

Notes:

You will want to prepare the ingredients and have them at the ready. Timing is very important in a good caramel sauce, so having the butter and cream ready at the crucial point is critical to the success of your sauce. You will also want to be very careful when preparing caramel sauce; when the sugar syrup hits the right stage to add the butter and cream it will be over 300 degrees so it is important to take particular care. It is also very important to use a proper sized pot. Although the recipe only makes about 2 cups, you will need a 2 1/2 to 3 quart heavy bottomed saucepan because the sugar syrup will foam up considerably and produce a considerable amount of steam when the butter is added and again when the cream is added. 

Makes 3 cups of caramel sauce

Serves: 6 to 8 

 

Source:  rockrecipes.com

 

Kimberly