Monday, November 24, 2008

Chicken Pot Pie

2 tbsp Italian dressing
1 lb bonelss skinless chicken breast
2 cups frozen mixed veggies
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 lb Velveeta cheese, cut up
2 puff pastries (I used pie crust dough)
1 egg, lightly beaten

PREHEAT oven to 400. Heat dressing in large skillet. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 minutes or until cooked through. Stin in veggies, soup and Velveeta. Put 1 crust on bottom on 9 inch pan and spoon mix in.

Put other crust on top and fold under edges; press onto top of baking dish to seal. Brush crust with egg. Cut several slips in top crust to permit steam to escape.

PLACE dish on baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Black Bottom Cupcakes


Ingredients:

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
dash salt
1 small bag milk chocolate chips

Cupcake Batter:
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
3 cups flower
2 cups sugar
2 tsps baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups water
2/3 cup oil
2 tbsps vinegar
2 tsps vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Cream the sugar and cream cheese. Mix in the egg and salt. Now stir in chocolate chips. Set the filling aside.
Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Next add water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Mix well.
Fill cupcake liners and little more that half full with chocolate batter. Drop a generous teaspoon of filling on the top of each in the middle.
Bake for 20 minutes. 10 minutes into baking, sprinkle some extra chocolate chis on top of each cupcake.

Makes 3 dozen.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375, then turn it down to 350 just prior to baking.

Beat the butter with an electric mixer until it is soft, then add sugar. Beat about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time beating until they are well combined.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk them to incorporate them.

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar and beach it just to combine. Add 1/2 of the liquids (milk and vanilla), scrape down bowl and beat to combine. Continue adding the dry and wet ingredients alternately making sure you END WITH THE DRY.

Fill muffin tins 1/2 of the way and bake for about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool, then frost.

yields: 12-14 cupcakes

Chocolate Buttercream Icing

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup milk (plus a few tbsp to adjust consistency)
1 tsp vanilla

Beat butter and cocoa until smooth, then add sugar 1 cup at a time, beating with each addition. Add milk and vanilla and beat for about 3 minutes

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 (18.25 ounce) package butter cake mix
2/3 cup water

1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Combine 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup butter or margarine. Cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each one. Add cake mix alternately with the water. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.


Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes or until cake tests done. Allow cakes to cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Assemble and frost with Peanut Butter Frosting once cool.


To Make Peanut Butter Frosting:

Combine 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, and 1/2 cup butter or margarine cream together until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar. Mix in enough cream to make the frosting of a spreading consistency. Apply to cool cake.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Cheddar Potato Pie

1 lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup A1 Steak Sauce
2 cups hot mashed potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

PREHEAT over to 350. Brown meat with onion in large skillet; drain. Add steak sauce; bring to boil. Spoon into 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.

MIX potatoes and cheese; spread evenly over meat mixture.

BAKE 12 to 15 minutes or until heated through.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Savory Beef & Noodles

1 lb ground beef
1 can french onion soup
1/2 cup beef gravy
1 can mushrooms
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp water
egg noodles

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the soup, gravy and mushrooms. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine flour and water until smooth; stir into beef mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over hot cooked noodles.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Turtle Pumpkin Pie

1/4 cup & 2 tbsp of caramel topping, divided
1 graham cracker pie crust
1/2 cup & 2 tbsp pecans, divided
1 cup cold milk
2 pkg Jello Vanilla Flavored Instant Pudding
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tub Cook Whip, thawed

POUR 1/4 cup caramel topping into crust; sprink with 1/2 cup pecans

BEAT milk, dry pudding mixes, pumpkin and spices with wisk until blended. Stir in 1 1/2 cups whipped topping. Spread into crust. Top with remaining whipped topping.

REFRIDGERATE 1 hour. Top with pecans and drizzle remaining caramel with fork.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Venison, Sausage and Black Bean Chili

1/4 lb spicy chicken sausage
cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb venison cut to 1/2 inch pieces
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chopped plum tomato
1 cup water
1 tbsp ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 can black beans
Jalapeno

Remove casings from sausage. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage, onion, and garlic to pan; saute 5 mins or until onion is tender, stirring to crumble sausage. Add venison; cook 4 minutes or until venison is browned. Stir in tomato paste; cook 3 mins, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth and next 5 ingredients (through cumin), scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour and 15 mins or until venison is tender. Stir in black beans; cook 10 mins or until thoroughly heated. Top each serving with jalapeno slices.

Friday, September 26, 2008

Kevin's Favorite Cookie

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup & 2 tbsp oatmeal
1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate and peanut butter chips; stir until smooth. Stir in granola and pecans. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper-lining baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Potatoes and Chicken Fiesta

1 box of Scalloped potatoes
2 1/4 cups boiling water
3/4 cup of milk
2/3 cup of shredded taco style cheese
1/3 cup salsa
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Heat oven to 450. Cut chicken into bitesize chunks; cook in skillet.

Prepare potatoes by directions on box.

Combine all ingredients in 2 quart casserole dish.

Cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Shanghai Chicken & Noodles

Prep Time: 15 min
Total: 25 min
Makes: 6 servings

What You Need:
1 1/4 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts,
cut into 1/4 inch slices
12 oz uncooked fettuccine
1 bag stir-fry or chop suey vegetables
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup hoisin sauce

Cook and drain fettuccine as directed on package.

Meanwhile, spray nonstick wok or 12-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until brown. Add vegetables and mushrooms; cook and stir about 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and chicken is no longer pink in center.

Stir hoisin sauce into chicken mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Add fettuccine; toss until well coated and heated through.

Calories: 385
Fat: 7g

I also added bamboo shoots and water chestnuts.
I found the hoisin sauce in the oriental section at Wal-Mart,
but I think we'll try stir-fry sauce next time.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Golden Crusted Pork Chops

Golden Crusted Pork Chops w/Green Beans

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 40 min
Makes: 6 servings

What you need:
1 pkg. (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
3 tbsp. Miracle Whip Dressing
3 tbsp. Grey Poupon Hearty Spicy Brown Mustard
6 bone-in pork chops
3 cups frozen green beans
2 tbsp Italian dressing

PREHEAT oven to 425. Prepare stuffing as directed on package.
Mix Miracle Whip and mustard; set aside.

PLACE chops in 13x9 baking dish; brush with half of the mustard mixture. Turn chops over; brush with remaining mustard mixture. Top with stuffing; cover with foil. Bake 10 min.

MEANWHILE, place beans on large sheet of foil; drizzle with Italian dressing. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to seal packet. Uncover chops; place bean packet in over. Bake chops and beans 20 min. or until chops are cooked through (160F) and beans are heated through.

Calories: 470
Fat: 23 g

Hamburger Helper

1 box Velveeta shells & cheese
1 lb. hamburger meat
1 can Rotel tomatoes/peppers

Brown the hamburger.

Prepare noodles as box advises.

Once cooked, combine noodles, hamburger and Rotel.
Then add cheese.

We love this, so quick and easy.
YUMO