Mini Corn Dog Muffins

I'm still a kid at heart. I actually love most foods that children like.  Hot dogs and corn dogs are one of those foods that children often like. I have actually loved hot dogs since I was a young child. To be honest hot dogs were one of the few things that I actually ate when I was young. My poor mom would have to go to special places to find foods that I would actually eat. Well these little corn dogs are definitely something I would have and still enjoy eating. I love that they are baked. It make these a little healthier.

 

Mini Corn Dog Muffins

Ingredients:
1/4 cup melted butter (4 TBS)
1/4 cup sugar (I use 1/4 cup minus 1 tbs because I don’t like my cornbread very sweet)
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-4 all-beef hot dogs, cut into 1″ bites

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add egg and whisk to incorporate. Add the buttermilk and whisk to incorporate.
3. In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, cornmeal, flour, and salt, and stir to combine. Slowly whisk into the wet ingredients.
4.  Spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray, and spoon 1 Tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup. Place one hot dog bite into the middle of each cup.
5. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown. Cool in mini muffin tin for 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, and re-heat for 20-30 seconds before serving.

Note: I halved the original recipe. You can easily double this if you want more :)
Makes 18-24 mini muffins (original recipe says 24 but I can only get 18 out of the batter)

Creamy Crock Pot Spaghetti

Who would have ever thought that spaghetti could get any easier? Spaghetti for many of us is that go to recipe when we don't want to cook anything, or we just don't have time. Somehow this recipe took that concept, and made it even better. Really the only part of this recipe that takes any time at all is cooking the meet. Then you throw everything in and you can continue on your merry way, not worrying about a thing. A few hours later you have the most delicious spaghetti ever! My husband went back for not just seconds but thirds. This recipe will definitely be appearing in our house again! I threw some pureed zucchini in with the sauce. It doesn't change the taste and you get some more  veggies in your meal! This recipe also makes a ton so I have left overs which I love taking to work.

Creamy Crock Pot Spaghetti

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or salt
3 jars 26 ounce pasta sauce
2 cups pureed zucchini (optional)
1 pound spaghetti noodles
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
4-8 ounces cream cheese
1-2 cups chicken broth

1. Cook/brown beef in a medium skillet over medium heat until crumbled and browned Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Drain fat from pan if necessary.
2. Pour one jar of pasta sauce and pureed zucchini if using into bottom of crock pot on high heat. Break spaghetti noodles in half and place noodles over sauce. Pour cooked beef over noodles, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and top with cubes of cream cheese. Pour another jar of pasta over cream cheese, close lid and let cook on high for 3 hours. After 3 hours, give a good stir (will be thick) and add last jar of pasta sauce and 1-2 cups of chicken broth (more if you want a thinner sauce). Close lid and let cook another hour or until ready to serve.
Makes 10-12 servings

Recipe Source: Picky Palate

Stovetop Broccoli and Cheese Chicken Pasta

I am always looking for new dinner recipes. We honestly eat very simple dinners around my house. This recipe was very tasty. I also loved it because I had all of it on hand. I love when I can make a dinner and not have to go to the grocery store to get everything that is in the dish. I mean don't get me wrong I love going to the grocery store (this actually is true) but mostly because I love food. This recipe was fairly easy, very tasty, and didn't take too long to make. It is also very kid friendly. Again lets be honest, almost everything i like, kids like...I don't think I have gotten my big girl taste buds yet. I was thinking that this recipe is actually quite healthy, but then I remembered the cube of butter that is in the sauce. I personally don't think butter is bad for you, but it definitely isn't low fat or low in cholesterol.  But again, I love butter and use it a lot of recipes!

  

 Stovetop Broccoli and Cheese Chicken Pasta

1 pound thin egg noodles
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 pound broccoli florets, steamed
1-1 1/2 cups milk

1. Prepare egg noodles according to package directions, drain and run under cool water to stop cooking.

2. Melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper, whisking until thick and combined. Slowly whisk in chicken broth until combined. Increase heat to high and whisk until thick and bubbly. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheese until melted.

3. Transfer cooked noodles to a large dutch oven or pot over low-medium heat. Add chicken, broccoli and cheese sauce, stirring; will be thick. Stir in milk to loosen sauce to your liking. Serve immediately. This dish does best when served as soon as possible. If needed to be prepared ahead of time, add additional milk or chicken broth to loosen sauce.

Makes 6 servings

Recipe Source: Picky Palate

Simple Shredded Chicken

I was having lunch with a good friend of mine the other day and she let me in on a little trick. I thought this trick to be ingenious therefore I decided I must share it with all of you! This trick is all about making your life easier when it comes to chicken.

For a while now I have been cooking chicken in my crock pot in large batches, then shredding it, then putting it in freezer bags and freezing it in 1-2 lb increments.  That way whenever a recipe calls for chicken I can just pull some out and either let it thaw on the counter, in the fridge, in the microwave, or on the stove. It all depends on how much of a hurry I am in. I have loved doing this. It saves me a ton of time when I am in a hurry to get dinner on the table.

Now for the new trick. Every time I make a big batch of chicken the part I don't enjoy (the rest is super easy) is actually shredding the chicken. I have been shredding it just with two forks one piece at a time. Well my friend told me that all you have to do is take the cooked chicken, place it in your kitchen aid mixer bowl with the flat blade attached and turn it on. The kitchen aid mixer will do all the grunt work for you. She fed me some of her chicken, and it was shredded perfectly. I obviously had to try this little tactic out. Well I'm happy to report that I tried it, and it works! My life has just been made easier.

Simple Shredded Chicken

6-8 chicken breasts
2-3 cups chicken stock or broth

Place chicken breasts in your crock pot. Pour chicken stock or chicken broth over the chicken. It doesn't have to cover the chicken completely. Cover with lid. Turn the crock pot on low. Allow to cook for 6-8 hrs or until chicken is done. My crock pot cooks hot and even on low it cooks in about 4 hours.  Once chicken is cooked remove chicken (save the leftover broth for later) from crock pot and place in kitchen aid mixer bowl with flat blade or paddle attached. Turn your mixer on low speed and watch the magic happen. Once your chicken is shredded to your liking add back in a small about of the broth that the chicken was cooked in. I have found that this helps the chicken not be dry when reheating. If you are using the chicken immediately then this step isn't necessary.

I have used my shredded chicken an all of these recipes:

White Chicken Chile

Individual Chicken or Turkey Pot Pies

Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Chicken Croquettes

Southwestern Style Chimichangas

These are just a few of my favorites, but really the possibilities are endless! Happy chicken making!

Simple Creamy Carrot Soup

I love soup. I don't think soup should only be eaten when it is cold. In light of Easter yesterday I thought this recipe was perfect. Ok carrots don't really have anything to do with Easter, more the Easter bunny, but since I am a huge fan of Easter egg hunts I think that carrots do have a place in Easter! This soup definitely has a carrot flavor. If you aren't a hug fan of carrots, then this soup might not be for you. If you do enjoy carrots then this soup is definitely worth a try. The flavor is unique, but I love the carrot and rosemary combo. I am also pretty excited about how healthy this soup is!

Simple Creamy Carrot Soup

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds peeled carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
32 ounces chicken broth
2 strips precooked bacon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions
Place oil in large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, garlic, thyme and rosemary. Cook for 15 minutes, until carrots are fork tender. Remove herb sprigs and transfer carrots and vegetables to blender (I used our Kitchen Aid blender). Puree, using the soup button if you have one. Add chicken broth and continue to puree. Transfer to large saucepan over medium heat and add bacon strips. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Simmer until ready to serve.

Makes 6 servings

Recipe Source: Picky Palate

Crock Pot Freezer Meals

I will be honest, I have been horrible at making meals recently. I am always game to make a yummy treat, but a meal? I am just lazy sometimes and always want something fast and easy. I have decided that instead of trying to fix my laziness with meal time I should try and compensate for it. That is when I decided that I needed to make these freezer crock pot meals. I have made freezer meals in the past (which I love) but I still need to take them out, put them in the oven, and wait for them to cook. Sometimes I don't have time for that. These freezer crock pot meals I can pull out of the freezer, put them directly into the crock pot, and take off for my crazy day. When I come home the food is ready for me to eat! This is my kind of meal! I'll be honest I haven't tried all of these, but these are some that I found and that looked good so I thought I would share them with all of you.

Brown Sugar Chicken

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, I did 4
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Sprite (I will add this once I add everything to the crockpot)
2/3 cup Vinegar
3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Add all ingredients to Gallon Size Freezer Bag, except for the Sprite. When you are ready to cook this, put all ingredients into a crockpot, add the sprite and let cook for 3-4 hours on high.

Honey Garlic Chicken

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, I used 4
3 Garlic Cloves, smashed and chopped
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil (I used Fresh)
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/3 cup Honey
Add all ingredients to Gallon Size Freezer Bag. When you are ready to cook this, put all ingredients into a crockpot and let cook for 3-4 hours on high.


BBQ Chicken

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, I used 4
Chopped Green Pepper
Chopped White Onion
BBQ Sauce, I used Sweet Baby Rays (but use whatever you have in your stockpile)
Combine all ingredients in a Gallon Size Freezer Bag. When you are ready to cook this, put all ingredients into a crockpot and cook for 3-4 hours on high.

Beef Bourguignon

3 pounds beef roast, or beef stew meat (I used a chuck roast I had in the freezer)
6 slices bacon--no need to cook (I used turkey)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced in rings
1 cup carrots (chopped or baby, your choice)
4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 tablespoon herbs de provence (here's a recipe to make your own)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste (not pictured, oops!)
2 cups red wine (you can use non-alcoholic if you wish)

The Directions.
Use a 6 quart slow cooker. In the bottom of your stoneware, smear around the olive oil. Then lay down 3 slices of bacon. Add sliced onion and garlic. Put the meat into the pot on top of the onion and garlic, and sprinkle on dried spices and herbs. Toss the meat to distribute the spices to all sides. Add tomato paste. Lay the other 3 slices of bacon on top of the meat, and throw in the carrots. Pour wine over the whole thing.
Cover and let cook on low for 8-9 hours, high for 4-5, or until meat has reached desired tenderness. If you are using a roast, you may want to flip the meat about an hour before serving so more liquid is absorbed into the meat. You can also cut the meat into chunks and return to the pot, if you would like more moisture to absorb.
Serve with whipped mashed potatoes, and a ladle full of crock juices.

Applesauce Chicken

4 frozen chicken breast halves or thighs (I used 2 of each)
1 1/2 cups of applesauce
1 T dried onion flakes, or 1 yellow onion, chopped finely
1 T apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, I used them, and added more to the adult servings)

The Directions.
Mix all ingredients together in a gallon size freezer bag. Label and place in freezer until ready to use.

 On cooking day take out of freezer and place contents of bag in a 3 or 4 quart crockpot (this is the best size for this, but I did use a 6 quart). If your pot cooks fast, err on the lower end of cooking time.

Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4.
Serve with rice or quinoa.

Recipe Source: Crazy Coupon Lady, CrockPot365

Grandma's Dutch Oven Chicken (Crock Pot Style)

This is a recipe for my grandma's Dutch Oven Chicken. I will be honest, it is not one of the photogenic foods out there, but oh it sure does taste great! My grandma would always make this in a crock pot, and I always loved it. A few years ago I decided to see if it would work in a crock pot. I love crock pots because I don't really have to think about it. I through everything in it, leave for several hours, and come home to a house that smells amazing! Well lucky for me the crock pot version of this meal works great!

Grandma's Dutch Oven Chicken (Crock Pot Style)
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 4-6 hrs
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:
6-8 chicken breasts
6-8 slices of bacon
3 cans cream of chicken soup
16 oz sour cream
8 oz monterey jack cheese - shredded
1 small round container chicken flavored stove top stuffing
1 cube (1/2 cup) butter

Cut bacon into smaller pieces. Lay bacon on the bottom of the crock pot. Place chicken on top of bacon. In a medium bowl combine sour cream and cream of chicken soup. Pour soup mixture over top of chicken. Sprinkle shredded cheese over top of soup mixture. Sprinkle dry stove top stuffing mix over top of cheese. Place small chunks of butter evenly over top of stuffing mix. Cover with lid of crock pot and let cook on low for approximately 6 hrs.  My crock pot cooks a little hot and it was done in about 5. Test a piece of chicken for done-ness prior to serving.

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

I love easy dinner meals. I do not enjoy spending hours on a meal unless I have the time and really want to (trust me these days are very few and far between). That means most nights I am wanting to make something quick and easy. If you want to know my deep dark little secret (really its no secret to those that know me) we eat Mac and Cheese at least on a weekly basis (I have a deep love in my heart for mac and cheese). For me there are many nights each week at approximately seven o'clock where I am left asking myself what we should eat for dinner. Since I ran into this recipe it has made a few of my nights much easier. I absolutely love these tasty bite sized little dinner snacks, and they take hardly any time at all to make! I knew after the first time that I made them that the recipe was a keeper for sure. I have made them with regular pepperoni and turkey pepperoni. Both taste great, the regular pepperoni is just more greasy and leaves the puffs being a little bit more greasy as well. I don't have kids yet but I know these things would be very kid friendly.

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup whole milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 oz turkey pepperoni, (about 1/2 cup) cut into  smaller pieces
4 oz low-fat sausage, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup pizza sauce

Pre-heat the oven to 375°. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping. My husband is all about the pizza sauce but personally I prefer to dip them in ranch.

Enjoy!

Recipe Source: Adapted slightly from: Make Ahead Meals

Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks

This is another great post courtesy of Pinterest. I saw this a while ago and have had it in the back of my mind. Today I finally decided to make it and guess what...It's fantastic! I mean really how can you go wrong with garlic butter, two cheeses, and bread? These are all some of my favorite things! To be honest I used to have a slight problem with marinara sauce. I have almost completely gotten over my problem, but as a kid I didn't even like pizza. I mean what kid doesn't like pizza? Well I have never claimed to be a normal eater, but surprisingly my tastes have expanded to include pizza. I actually really enjoy pizza now, but if the option is there I will still usually get one with a white sauce or something kinda different. Regardless of my current pizza likings, this garlic cheese bread is a perfect companion for any pizza, or really any meal. We kinda ate it as our entire meal (again, I'm not claiming that my eating habits are normal). 

You can make this with your favorite pizza dough, but just in case you don't have a favorite pizza dough recipe I have put one on here as well.

Cheesy Garlic Bread Sticks
yield: 1- 12 inch pie

Ingredients:
1/2 recipe Fail-Proof Pizza Dough (recipe below)
2 tablespoons softened salted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese {use the real stuff!}
1/4 pound grated mozzarella cheese
{salt & pepper, if desired}

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone inside. {If you don’t have a pizza stone, use an upside down cookie sheet}

Mix butter and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.

Spread pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle on parchment paper. {This makes it easier to transfer to the pizza stone.}

Spread the butter and garlic mixture over dough and top with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Top with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper, if desired.

Bake 9-10 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes before cutting. Serve hot, with marinara {if desired}. 



Basic Pizza Dough
yield: 2-12 inch pizzas, approximately 1 lb. of dough


Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey {or sugar}
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
3 cups bread flour {give or take 1/2 cup…depending on the heat & humidity}

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking. Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix.

Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it it doesn’t stick to your hands.

Once you reach this stage, turn the mixer on high to knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on and walk away! Resist the temptation to stop earlier than 6 minutes! That seems to be the magical number. It should look something like this when it’s done! The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean!

Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn’t dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours. That’s it!

Recipe Source: Lauren's Latest

Mama Mondola's Chicken Soup

I hope all of you had a fabulous Christmas and New Years! As one of my new years goals I have decided to eat less sugar. For me this means that for the month of January I have decided to cut out all cane sugar from my diet. In case you haven't noticed my dessert section is my largest section on this blog. That is because I LOVE desserts. I would say almost all of them contain cane sugar. This is going to be a fun challenge for me. I'm not saying I won't post desserts. I will just have to be more creative in using honey, agave, and xylitol.

Well to start off this no sugar month I decided to post this delicious soup. One of my husband's and my favorite restaurants is Carrabbas. My husband always gets this soup. It is hearty and full of flavor. He decided a while back that he wanted to make it. We have made it a few times since then and absolutely love it. This is a big recipe so be prepared. We honestly didn't have a pot big enough to hold the whole soup so we used less (a lot less) water. The flavor is still amazing it is just slightly more like a stew than a soup.

MAMA MANDOLA'S CHICKEN SOUP (MINESTRA DI POLLO)
From Carrabba's
Makes 1 1/2 Gallons

5 celery ribs
4 medium carrots, peeled
1 large yellow onion
2 medium potatoes, peeled
1 large green bell pepper
1(14-ounce) can imported Italian plum tomatoes
1(5-pound) hen, washed and cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 quarts water (for soup) or 6-8 cups water for stew
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dice celery, carrots, onion, potatoes and bell pepper into 1/4-inch pieces. Chop tomatoes; reserve all juice.

Place vegetables, tomatoes with their juice, chicken pieces, parsley and garlic in a 10-quart stockpot. Add water. Season with salt and pepper. This can also be done in a crock pot (my personal preference)

Slowly bring soup to a boil over low heat. Skim off foam that rises to the surface; may have to skim 2 or 3 times. Partially cover pot and simmer 2 hours.

When soup is finished, remove chicken pieces with a slotted spoon. Let cool.

Meanwhile, mash vegetables in the bottom of the pot with the back side of a large cooking spoon or a potato masher.

When chicken has cooled enough to handle, remove skin and bones and return meat to soup.

Notes: Soup is best served the day after it is made. Refrigerate and remove fat that solidifies on the surface of the soup. Serve soup with rice or small, stubby pasta such as pastina, tubetti or small elbow macaroni. For better flavor, cook the rice or pasta in the soup when reheating. Add freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, if desired.

Chick Fil-A Sauce

I am not a huge fast food person. Even as a kid I have very few fast food places that I actually would eat at. My husband and I still rarely go out to a fast food place to eat. Chick Fil-A is one of those places that we actually go to. We always get the same thing every time we go. I always get their chicken nuggets with their Chick Fil-A sauce and he always gets their chicken sandwich on wheat (yes you can get a wheat bun) with fries and their Chick Fil-A sauce. The first time I tried the sauce I was quite skeptical. It is a mix between a barbecue sauce and a honey mustard sauce. I actually really don't like mustard, but I decided to try it anyways and boy am I glad I did. I haven't gotten another sauce from them since! Well in all my foodie ways of course I have been dying to try and figure out how to make it. Well the other night I did and I think we got pretty close!

Chick Fil-A Sauce

1/2 cup Mayo
2 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbs honey
1 tbs smokey BBQ sauce

Directions
Whisk all ingredients together. Serve as a sauce for chicken nuggets, fries, chicken sandwiches, hamburgers, or anything else you might want it on. I also think it could be quite yummy as a salad dressing, but I will have to try that one out later.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I found this recipe years ago and absolutely loved it! A good friend of mine recently asked me for the recipe and I had honestly kinda forgotten about it. I was so excited she reminded me about it that I just had to make it! This recipe has all the flavor of traditional chicken cordon bleu, but is much easier to make. I love it because I can honestly throw it together in  under 10 minutes, have it in the oven and ready to eat it in no time at all! I typically am all about making everything from scratch, but sometimes it is very nice to have a meal that is quick and easy with practically no prep on your part. What can I say...life gets busy sometimes!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Bake Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
1.5 lbs popcorn chicken ** (I prefer the popcorn chicken, but regular chicken nuggets can be used)
8 ounces Swiss cheese, cubed
8 ounces cubed ham
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Place chicken  in a glass baking dish, along with the Swiss cheese, and ham. Stir together the soup with 1 cup milk, pour over casserole.
Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

**If you prefer to make the breaded chicken from scratch that is definitely an option and will taste just as delicious, it just take a little more time.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Allrecipes

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

Tis the season...for soup! I absolutely love soups. To be specific I love creamy cheesy soups! Since it has been getting quite cold around these parts I have been wanting and making more and more soups. I love something warm when its all cold outside. This soup fits all of my criteria for a soup that I love. I also kinda love that it is pureed until smooth. I love smooth creamy soups, and if you have children (or picky husbands) they won't even know that there is cauliflower in it!

Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

2 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk**
1 1/2 cups water**
1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
Season with salt and pepper as desired

**Can substitute 1 can {12 oz} evaporated milk and 2 cups water for the 2 cups milk and 1 1/2 cups water.

In a large saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in flour and salt. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and water.

Add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes.

In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. {Don't let this step deter you from making the soup! Blending it is really easy and so worth the extra 3 minutes. The most annoying part are the added dishes!}

Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Serve soup with remaining cheese as a garnish.

Recipe Source:Adapted slightly from Utah Deal Diva

Super Simple Pizza Dough

I will be completely honest with all of you. Most days I don't plan what we are going to eat at all. I am always thinking last minute hmmm what should we have for dinner? I know this isn't the best way to be, but for right now it is just how it always seems to end up. Well recipes like this one are a dream come true for me. Granted this dough might not be the absolute best pizza dough ever in life, but for how quick and easy (almost no rising time) it is you can't beat it! This dough is exactly what it sounds like, a very basic dough that is perfect for my last minute pizza cravings. And to be quite honest I really enjoyed the dough (I may or may not have wrapped the dough around some extra mozzarella to make it stuffed crust)

Super Simple Pizza Dough

Yield 1 14-inch thick crust pizza or 2 12-inch thin crust

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or as needed *
1 envelope instant or rapid rise yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup very warm water (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F)
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
Cornmeal


Directions
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, undissolved yeast, and salt. Stir very warm water and olive oil into flour mixture. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 to 6 minutes. Cover; let rest on floured surface 10 minutes.
Lightly oil 1 (14-inch) or 2 (12-inch) round pizza pan(s). Sprinkle with cornmeal. Shape dough into smooth ball. Divide and roll dough to fit desired pan(s). Top pizza as desired. Let rest in a warm place for about 10 minutes prior to baking.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes or until done. Baking time depends on size and thickness of crust and selected toppings.

*For whole wheat pizza dough replace 1 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.


Recipe Source: Allrecipes

White Chicken Chili

I don't know about you all, but around here it is starting to get cold and I'm not sure I'm ready for it. We have had a beautiful fall (kinda unusual), but it has been so great that I don't want to see it go. I actually had frost and ice on my car this morning as I left for work. I cried a little then refused to scrape it and resorted to using my windshield wiper fluid. It actually turned out to be a very beautiful day, I just wish it were warmer. Since Mother Nature doesn't seem to be listening to my requests for shorter winters (preferably the month of December only) and it continues to get cold around here I decided that I should give in and make this soup to console myself. Luckily this soup is fantastic and eased the pain of cold weather, at least until tomorrow.

I got this recipe from a gal I work with. She brought a big pot of this to a work pot luck years ago. I am not a huge chili fan and was slightly skeptical if I would like it. I almost didn't try it that is how skeptical I was. Everyone kept raving about it so I gave in and tried a little. Boy am I glad that I did! This really is the best chili I have ever had. It has a very subtle kick to it, but just enough to give it a delicious flavor. The best part is that it comes together pretty quickly.  I usually make a big batch of chicken in a crock pot, shred it, and keep it in the freezer with 2 lbs in each bag. Then when I'm ready to make anything that calls for chicken I can just pull one out and use it.

White Chicken Chili
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients:
2 lbs shredded chicken
3 cups chicken broth
5-6 (15 oz) cans white beans drained.
1 (6 oz) can fire roasted whole chiles sliced
1 (16 oz) jar chili Verde salsa
1 tbs minced garlic
1/3 cup white cooking wine
1 pint sour cream

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except the sour cream in a large pot. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes to make sure everything is heated through and all the flavors are combined. Just prior to serving mix in sour cream.


Thanks Hailey for the amazing recipe!

Individual Chicken (Or Turkey) Pot Pies

Every year I get a turkey from work for Thanksgiving. It is actually a really good turkey. The problem is that we usually get it the day before Thanksgiving, and we have already made plans to eat another turkey. So what do I do with my turkey? Well it stays in my freezer until it's almost time to get another one. Then I remember a wonderful holiday called Canadian Thanksgiving. They celebrate Thanksgiving about a month before we do. It is a great excuse to get with my Canadian friends and eat a delicious turkey with all sorts of other great foods. Now what do I do with all my millions of pounds of left over turkey? I make these chicken pot pies, but with turkey! I made them 2 different ways. One involves more crust, and one involves less. You can choose how you want yours.

Individual Chicken (or Turkey) Pot Pies

1 ½ pounds chicken (about three medium-size chicken breasts) cooked and shredded
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup potatoes cut into small cubes
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
2-3 stalks celery, chopped (about ½ cup)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
½ cup flour
1 cup milk
3/4 cup frozen peas
Pie Crust - about enough for 2 pies

Place chicken broth and potatoes in a large pot. Cook on medium high until potatoes are tender. Time varies depending on how large your potato pieces are. Pour the broth and potatoes through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup and reserve broth. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add shredded chicken to bowl and set aside. Return the pot to the stove top (no need to wash if you used it to cook the chicken).

Heat the olive oil in the now-empty pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, shred the chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer the cooked vegetables to the bowl with the chicken; set aside.

Over medium heat melt the butter in the empty pot. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes, taking care not to burn the bottom. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat and stir the chicken, vegetables and peas into the sauce.

There are 2 options on how to make your individual pie:

Option # 1 - Less crust option:

Roll out pie crust to desired thickness. Place ramekins on dough and cut out circles to fit ramekins. Scoop filling into each individual ramekin. Place dough circle on top of each filled ramekin. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.

Option # 2 - More crust option:

Roll out pie crust to desired thickness. Cut out a large circle, big enough to be able to fit into a jumbo muffin tin(I used a bowl and traced it with my knife). Place one circle into each jumbo muffin spot. Press down gently on each dough circle to get it to take the form of the muffin tin. Scoop approximately 1/3 cup of filling mixture into each spot. Cut out a smaller circle and place it on top of each individual pie. Press slightly with fingers to get edges to seal. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. To make them easier to remove from muffin tins you could line them with tin foil prior to placing dough in tins. This option you could also freeze and use later. You could bake them prior to freezing, or you could freeze them with dough still raw. Whichever you prefer.

 This recipe made enough for me to do 4 ramekins and 6 jumbo muffin tins with a little bit of filling left over.

Browned Butter and Sour Cream Cornbread

Those of you that know me, or who read my blog frequently might know that I have an affinity toward browned butter. I have used it in several recipes, and have always loved the results. It adds such a richness to the flavor of things. Well today when I was at work I saw this recipe and knew I had to try it! This corn bread is not too sweet. It is a perfect sweetness for spreading some honey butter or just honey on top.

Browned Butter and Sour Cream Cornbread

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups stone-ground cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream

Instructions

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling often until lightly browned and nutty, about 4 minutes. Pour into a medium bowl, and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rub an 8-inch cast-iron skillet with the oil; place in oven to heat.

In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add eggs and sour cream to cooled butter, whisking well. Pour into dry ingredients, and stir just to combine, taking care not to overmix. Pour batter into skillet. Bake until golden and a toothpickinserted in the center comes out almost clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in skillet 5 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack.

Recipe Source: Relish

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

Oh how I love food! There are a few restaurants at which I always seem to get the same thing over and over again. Olive Garden is one of those places for me. I have tried to figure out how they make such good Alfredo sauce. I have tried several different recipes, all of which have turned out good, but not quite the same. The other day I was talking with some of my wonderful co-workers discussing food (of course). Olive Garden, their bread sticks, and their Alfredo sauce came up. We were all stuck on the idea and practically salivating just thinking of it. I called my sweet husband and had him go pick us some up. It was wonderful! While we were on their website we realized that they had recipes. They actually have their Alfredo sauce recipe on their site. I of course had to try it just so I could share with all of you my results. I'm not really sure that it is 100% the same, but the taste is pretty much amazing. This is the best Alfredo sauce I have ever made. I will continue to try and tweak it to see if I can't get it to taste just like the real stuff.

Alfredo Sauce

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time:10 minutes
Serving Size:4
Ingredients

1 1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup imported Parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 cup imported Romano cheese, grated

6 egg yolks from fresh jumbo eggs

Salt and black pepper to taste


Procedures

HEAT milk and cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it begins to simmer. Turn off heat. Slowly whip in cheese, then remove from heat.

PLACE egg yolks in a separate bowl and slowly whip in a portion of the hot milk and cream mixture. Slowly add egg yolk mixture back into remaining cream mixture. Place back on very low heat and continually stir until simmering. Take sauce off heat so it thickens. (This will increase temperature of egg yolks, known as tempering).

SEASON to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Recipe Source: Olive Garden

Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

I want you all to know that I don't eat horribly all the time (unless I'm on a cruise). I actually really enjoy eating healthy. My one requirement for eating healthy is that it still has to taste good. I love adding whole grains to things to make them healthier. The greatest thing about this salad that it's not only healthy but it tastes great too! Even if you have never had quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah in case you were wondering) this recipe is quick, easy, and bound to be a crowd pleaser.

Quinoa and Black Been Salad

Ingredients
2 tsp onion powder
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 can corn kernels
1 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional - I personally hate cilantro so I left it out)

Directions
Place quinoa in a bowl of water and let soak for about 10 minutes. In a rice cooker combine the rest of the ingredients add in the quinoa and let cook in rice cooker until done (approx 20-30 minutes). Serve warm or cold. Serve as a side dish or a main course.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Allrecipes

Chicken Enchiladas

Have I mentioned that I am on a freezer meal kick right now? Well if not, I am. It has been a lot of fun making things and I have already started eating some of them! I knew I wanted to do chicken enchiladas. I have never made them to put in the freezer, but I thought they would work quite well. I realized that I had never actually made the traditional chicken enchiladas. I have made several different varieties of chicken enchiladas, some of which I am sure I will post on here eventually. Growing up my mom mostly made us cheese enchiladas (well at least that's all I remember). I always liked those enchiladas. I am sure there is absolutely nothing healthy about them and that is why I loved them. When I moved off to college I had a roommate that was very picky. She introduced us to a very simple, basic, non-mexican style enchilada. These were the two styles of enchiladas that I was used to. I have since started trying even more types of enchiladas and love them all! This recipe is one that I just threw together so I could put it in the freezer. I wasn't really sure how it was going to turn out. The other day we decided to eat some of the freezer enchiladas and I was very happy with the results!

Chicken Enchiladas

2 lbs shredded chicken
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 clove minced garlic
1 cup mozzarella (or cheddar) cheese
8 flour tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce

Combine shredded chicken and cream cheese. Mix until cream cheese is well combines with the chicken.  Mix in cumin, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. With a spoon or fork scoop out a small piece of chicken and taste it. If it isn't quite as flavorful as you would like ad a little more spices (I have a hard time using exact spice measurements) Mix in 1/2 cup mozzarella or cheddar cheese (whichever you prefer). Using one tortilla at a time place a couple tbs of chicken mixture along center of tortilla. Roll up tortilla around mixture. Place in a 9X13 pan or 2- 8X8 pans. Repeat with remaining tortillas until chicken mixture is gone. Drizzle enchilada sauce over rolled tortillas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and heated throughout.

Freezer directions: Prior to baking place pan in freezer and let freeze over night. You can then soak pan in warm water for a few minutes and remove frozen enchiladas from your 8X8 pan and slide it into a gallon size zip lock freezer bag. This frees up you pan and gives you more room in your freezer. Return bag to freezer until ready to use. On baking day remove frozen enchiladas from bag and place back in 8X8 pan. Place in cool oven and set temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.