White Chicken Lasagna

My family really loves lasagna; in my opinion my husband makes the best traditional lasagna I have ever had.  But, I really wanted to try white lasagna, when it comes to pizza I am a bigger fan of the white sauce over the red so I figured white sauce lasagna must be good too.  I think this was a great recipe but I would have liked a little more sauce so next time I will up the milk by another 1/2 c and also maybe instead of just using milk I might change to half and half for a more creamier sauce.  Other than that this lasagna really did taste wonderful, it was a very nice change from the traditional lasagna I am used to.

• 2 C. - Boneless Skinless Chicken (I used a store bought rotisserie chicken)
• 1 14oz. - Can Artichoke Hearts (chopped)
• 1/2 C. - Chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes (I used some packed in herbs and olive oil)
• 8 oz. - Package Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
• 1/2 C. - Parmesan Cheese (grated)
• 2 8oz. - Cream Cheese (softened)
• 1 C. - Milk (or 1 1/2c. half & half)
• 1 Tbs. - Garlic (minced)
• 2 Tbs. - Chopped Basil (I used the kind in a squeeze tube)
• 12 - Lasagna Noodles (cooked)

SIDE NOTE ON NOODLES: (generally we don’t cook the noodles first, but being not enough liquid to cook properly, it would be best to cook at least half way through, too ensure being done)

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Combine the chicken, artichokes, tomatoes, 1 c. mozzarella and the Parmesan.  Beat the cream cheese, milk and garlic with a mixer until well blended and smooth, then stir in the basil.  Mix half of the sauce with the chicken.  Spread half of the remaining sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish: cover with 3 of the noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture.  Repeat layers of noodles and chicken two more times then top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes or until heated through. Remove the foil and place under the broiler until brown and gooey.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

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Isabel Sanford's Boston Chicken

My husband bought me a new cook book that we will be featuring this month, The Dead Celebrity Cook Book. This book is so cool, it has some of my all time favorite people and their famous recipes listed in it. It has people like Lucille Ball, Johnny Cash, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, and more, it features over 145 stars of stage and screen. My first pick from the book is Isabel Sanford (1917-2004), We all grew up watching her play Weezy on the Jefferson's. I loved how she always kept her cranky husband George under control, she is truly missed.

4 - Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (the book calls for 8)
4 - Whole Russet Potatoes (washed)
1 C. - 1000 Island Dressing
1 C. - Apricot / Pineapple Jelly
1 Packet - Instant Onion Soup Mix
1 Dash - Cinnamon
1/4 C. - Grated Onion
Cooking Spray

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spray a baking dish with some cooking spray then lay the chicken in the dish, cut the potatoes in half length wise and place around the chicken. In another dish mix the rest of ingredients together and spread evenly over the chicken and potatoes. Cover the entire dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil, turn up the oven to 375 degrees and bake for another 15-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Plate the chicken and potatoes and serve more sauce drizzled over the top. This dish when we read it sounded very odd and kinda creepy strange, but then we thought hey let’s try something different. To our surprise this dish was actually very good , the flavors really went together nicely.

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Chicken Enchilada Chowder

Were Back !!!

With Tuesday being Valentine’s Day I thought it would be a good idea to spice things up at the dinner table so then maybe, we could have some carry over heat for later in the night..... This simple slow cooker recipe will do the trick nicely. This is amazing and very flavorful chowder that even someone who normally doesn't do spicy food will love. I simply adore doing anything in the slow cooker, place everything inside, turn it on, and walk away while it does all of the work. That gives you the rest of the day to be with your special someone doing whatever your heart’s desire.

1 - 15oz. - Can Black Beans
1 - 14.5oz. - Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes (diced)
1/2 C. - Chopped Onion
1/2 C. - Chopped Yellow or Orange Bell Pepper
1 - 19oz. - Can Enchilada Sauce
2 - 10 3/4oz. - Can Cream Of Chicken Soup
2 C. - Milk
1 - 14.75oz. - Can Cream Corn
1 - 4oz. - Can Green Chiles (chopped)
1 - Small Jalapeño (chopped)
2 - Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 C. - Monterey Jack Cheese (shredded)
1 C. - Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips

In a 5 quart slow cooker combine black beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, peppers and chilies. In a large bowl mix together the cream of chicken soup and enchilada sauce, gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Lay the chicken on top of the veggie mixture and top with the soup mixture, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. When the chowder is ready pull out the chicken and shred the meat, then place the meat back into the slow cooker and stir in the cheese. Let the chowder cook until all of the cheese is melted. Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream and tortilla chips.

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Southwest Chopped Salad

We have been going at least once a week to “The Canyon Grille”; they are our new “Go To” place in Beaverton. As far as we are concerned they have the absolute best burgers in town, I am a creature of habit and always have the same burger when we go. My husband on the other hand likes to step out of the box and try new things; his new favorite item at Canyon is the chopped southwest salad. The owners Perry and Opel are such fantastic people, very caring and compassionate about their food that they don't care when Ed and I come in and make changes to their existing menu items. Perry has actually started doing it himself, we came in the other night and he was telling us about a cool new sandwich he was thinking about creating...sorry to say it must stay a secret at this time. If any of our followers or anyone who reads our blog that lives in the Beaverton area, I would highly suggest if you have not tried “The Canyon Grille” you really need to make time to go in and visit with Perry and Opel and devour one of their awesome burgers or one of the many fabulous items on the menu. Keep in mind this place is extremely tiny but well worth the wait for the best food in town!

*** FYI...The Normal Southwest Chopped Salad on the Menu at "The Canyon Grille" does NOT come with the Pulled Pork. ***

The Canyon Grille: The Canyon Grille Website

8825 SW Canyon Rd
Beaverton, OR
503-292-5131

Mon-Fri 11-8
Sat 9-7
Sun 9-2ish

The following recipe is either for 1 very large salad or 2 small....

2 C. - Iceberg Lettuce
2 C. - Napa Cabbage
1/2 C. - Cilantro Leaves (chopped)
1/2 C. - Corn Kernels
1/2 C. - Black Beans
3/4 C. - Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
1 Small - Diced Tomato
1/4 C. - Ranch Dressing
1/4 C. - Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce (plus 2 tbs.)
3 - Chopped Crispy Chicken Strips (deep fried)
1 C. - Multi Colored Tortilla Chip Strips (fresh gourmet)
1/2 C. - Pulled Pork (optional)
4 Stripes - Crispy Bacon Chopped (optional)

In a large bowl mix the lettuce, cabbage, corn, beans, cilantro, cheese and tomato. In another small bowl mix the bbq sauce and ranch together, pour half the dressing over the salad and mix well. In a large salad bowl or 2 small bowls place the tortilla strips in the bottom and top with the salad mixture, sprinkle more chips around the perimeter of the bowl. Toss the chicken strips in the leftover 2 Tbs. of bbq sauce and place on the salad, then sprinkle the bacon pieces then layer on the pulled pork and drizzle on the rest of the salad dressing.

ENJOY !

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Sour Cream Chicken

Thanks to Pam at Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner for sharing this recipe on her blog, we had it for dinner tonight and it was amazing. She is so correct about this being a moist and tangy dish; it worked great over some Jasmine rice. I am usually not a fan of anything with mushrooms in it but my husband simply loves them so I still made this dish with them included, I did change the recipe just a little to make it more Dunkin friendly so if you want to see the original recipe please check out Pam's wonderful blog. This made a fantastic supper on a rainy Sunday night in Beaverton, YUMM-O!

3 - Chicken Breast (cubed)
4 oz. - Cremini Mushrooms (sliced)
1 C. - Sour Cream
1 C. - Chicken Stock
1/2 Tsp. - Salt
1 Tbs. - Johnny's Garlic Seasoning
1 Tsp. - Smoked Paprika
1/2 Tsp. - Pepper

Place the sour cream, chicken stock, salt, pepper, paprika and Johnny's in a bowl and combine well. Add the mushrooms and mix to combine. Place the cubed chicken in the bottom of a baking dish and cover with the sour cream mixture. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Serve over rice or noodles.

Note: After cooking the sauce was a little too thin for our liking, I made a slurry of milk and cornstarch to thicken the sauce on the stove top.

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Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder

The weather has changed and fall is in the air and on the ground in the form of rain, I really love this cold and rainy weather. That being said, it is now officially soup weather and I could not be more excited. What a better way to kick off soup weather than using fresh off the cob sweet corn in a chowder, Yumm-o.

1 Lbs. - Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (cubed)
2 C. - Fresh Sweet Corn Kernels
2 - 10 3/4 oz. - Cream of Potato Soup
2 - 4 oz. - Cans Green Chile Peppers
1 Packet - Cheese Taco Season Mix
3 C. - Chicken Broth
1 - 8 oz. - Sour Cream
4 oz. - Velveeta Cheese (cubed)

In a slow cooker combine the chicken, corn, soup, chile peppers & taco season mix, stir in chicken broth and mix to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. After cooking stir about 1 cup of the hot soup into the sour cream, then stir the sour cream mix and the cheese cubes into the pot of soup. Cover and let cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve with some Mexican cornbread for a wonderful body warming fall meal.

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Crispy Orange Chicken

I have stumbled upon another great recipe in our America's Most Wanted cook book, this time it is from the fabulous restaurant of Apple Bee's. I can honestly say that I have never tried this dish in the restaurant so I have nothing to compare it to, but it turned out scrumptious. We really love Asian food and it has gotten so expensive to go out for it so making this recipe at home was a big winner for us. It could not be any easier, more cost effective and downright delish!

3 - Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (cut into cubes)
1 - Egg (beaten)
1 1/2 Tsp. - Salt
1/4 Tsp. - Ground Pepper
1 Tbs. - Vegetable Oil
1 C. - Flour
1 Tsp. - Cornstarch

Glaze:

1 Tsp. - Minced Garlic
1 C. - Orange Juice
1/2 C. - Hoisin Sauce
1/4 C. - Sugar
1 Tbs. - Sesame Seeds
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper

Place the chicken into a bowl along with the egg and oil, stir to combine. In another bowl mix the flour and cornstarch together. Dredge the chicken in small batches in the flour mixture until evenly coated, then cook in a deep fryer set at 375 degrees for 4 minutes then drain on paper towel, continue cooking the chicken until all pieces are fried. While you are cooking the batches of chicken make the sauce, in a sauce pan add a little more oil and sauté the garlic over medium heat just until tender, be careful not to burn it. Add the remaining items and bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, then turn down to simmer and let reduce until thick, make sure to keep an eye on it and stir constantly so it does not burn. We served the chicken over jasmine rice and drizzle the sauce over the top; this chicken would also be good with a sweet and sour sauce or putting the sesame seeds into the batter and serving it alongside egg fu yung brown gravy for dipping.

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Cap ' n Crunch Chicken Strips

My husband bought me what I think is the coolest cooking book ever, America's Most Wanted Recipes. Inside you will find some of today's top restaurants sharing their most popular recipes, I have found so many items that I just simply have to try. Like the dinner we had just last night, at first I thought it sounded a little strange but after thinking about it more it really did sound good. This recipe comes to us from Planet Hollywood....it was fabulous!

2 C. - Crushed Cap'n Crunch Cereal
1 1/2 C. - Crushed Corn Flakes Cereal
1 - Egg
1 C. - Milk
1 C. - Flour
1/2 Tbs. - Onion Powder
1/2 Tbs. - Garlic Powder
2 Lbs. - Chicken Breast (cut into strips)
Vegetable Oil - (for frying)

Combine the cereal in a large bowl, beat the egg with the milk and set aside. Stir together the flour and spices then set aside. Dip the chicken into the flour mixture and shake off the excess, then dip into the egg mixture and then fully coat the strips in the cereal mixture. Set into a preheated deep fryer set at 320 degrees and cook for 4 minutes or until golden brown. When done drain on some paper towel and enjoy. My husband really loved them with a side of honey mustard sauce we created for dipping.

Spicy Brown Honey Mustard Sauce

1 Tbs. - Spicy Brown Mustard
2 Tbs. - Honey

Mix the 2 items together and let them sit in the fridge to mingle the flavors while you are cooking the chicken.

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Sausage Shrimp Chowder

HAPPY 200th POST...

I really love to eat soup in the winter; I also think I have been pushing it with my husband with all of the soups and chowders we have been having lately. Don't get me wrong he likes soup but I think I have a bigger love for it than he does, that is until now. On Sunday we created chowder that he simply loved, it was such a quick and easy chowder to toss together too. I mean come on, just how can you go wrong with a soup that has sausage, shrimp, taters and corn.

3 Tbs. - Butter
1 Small - Onion Diced
2 Tbs. - Chopped Garlic
1 Lbs. - Bulk Sausage (I used Chicken Basil Garlic)
1 lbs. - Medium Raw Shrimp (peeled & deveined)
4 C. - Chicken Stock
3 C. - Half & Half
2 - Par-Boiled Potatoes (diced)
2 Tbs. - Garlic Powder
2 Tbs. - McCormick's Steak Seasoning
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, do not brown. Add the sausage and stir to break it up, cook for 7-10 minutes or until cooked through. Raise the heat to medium high and add the shrimp, broth and seasonings. Cook for about 5 minutes then add the half & half, stir in the potatoes and simmer for another 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve with some crusty bread.

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Thai Peanut Soup

I came across a very interesting soup recipe in my new cook book, The Best of Mr. Food Weeknight Quickies. The soup sounded very good and very different from anything I have ever seen before, it made me think of that wonderful peanut sauce that you dip chicken into. I love the flavor combination of the sauce and chicken, so I altered his recipe to create a whole new one.

¼ C. - Butter
1 - Small Onion (diced)
2 Tbs. - Flour
2 C. - Chicken Broth
1 C. - Milk
1 C. - Heavy Cream
1 C. - Smooth Peanut Butter
2 C. - Rotisserie Chicken (diced)
1/2 C. - Peanuts (chopped)
2 Tbs. - Thai Seasoning
1 Tbs. - Johnny's Garlic Seasoning
Salt & Pepper

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, reduce the heat to low and add the flour, stir until well blended and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add the chicken broth, milk and chicken, cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the soup is thick and bubbly. Stir in the cream and peanut butter and cook for another 5 minutes. Add in the seasonings and peanuts and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve hot garnished with black sesame seeds.

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Chicken Salad

We finally had our first nice day of spring today (between the dark clouds and drizzle), so I wanted something to commemorate this sunny Sunday so I tried my hand at making my first ever chicken salad. I really just kind of threw things together that I have had in various types of salad and my husband created a sauce that he thought would complement the ingredients well. Our daughter is home from Denver for spring break so she got to be our taste tester....she thought it was awesome!!!

½ C. - Chopped Cashews
1 - Lemon Pepper Rotisserie Chicken Breast
1 C. - Sliced Red Seedless Grapes
1 - Small Diced Gala Apple
2/3 C. - Miracle Whip
2 Tsp. - Lemon Juice
2 Tsp. - Honey
2 Tsp. - Dijon Mustard
1/8 Tsp. - Paprika
Salt & Pepper

Dice the chicken into a mixing bowl; toss it with the grapes, apples, and nuts. In another bowl mix together the ingredients for the sauce and season to taste. Combine the sauce with the chicken mixture until fully combined. Serve cold either on crackers as a snack, on bread for a Sammie or as we did in hollowed out apples for a light lunch.

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Cheesy Chicken Noodles

It has been another cold, windy and rainy day here in Beaverton again...imagine that! So I decided to use that wonderful crock pot again to create another quick, simple, easy and fabulous dinner. If I have not mentioned it before and I think I have, I just absolutely LOVE using my crock pot. It is just so much fun to gather single items from the pantry, cupboard, fridge and freezer and toss them into one pot and just be able to walk away. Then to return a few hours, later to a steaming, bubbly, hot and outrageously awesome smelling dinner.

6 - Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
2 Cans ( 10 ¾ oz) - Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 C. - Milk
1 C. - Heavy Cream
½ C. -Diced Onion
1 Tbs. -Chopped Garlic
½ Tsp. -Dry Basil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cooked Pasta

Place the chicken into a greased crock pot. In a bowl combine the remaining items other than the pasta and pour it over the chicken. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour then reduce heat to low and cook for another 5-6 hours. Serve the chicken and sauce over the cooked pasta.

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Thai Peanut Chicken

Slow Cooker/Crock Pot Installment # 4.....At work the other day a friend gave me my first taste of Thai food. I must say it was very good, I did at first think it to be very odd to pair chicken with a peanut butter sauce but I was very happily amazed on how great it was. I wanted to share the new find with my husband, so again I started rummaging through my cookbooks and surprisingly enough found a slow cooker version. I am now so saddened to say it was In my opinion simply hideous, my husband on the other hand felt that it was OK, but just not my best work. He too thought the concept was good but the end product just was not. We really think it would have been so much better to cook the chicken and sauce in the slow cooker but to have cooked the rice separately. By cooking it all together the rice just got too gummy, sticky and gloppy. It would have been nice to have perfect fluffy rice then to ladle the chicken and sauce down over it. Oh well I guess this was a live and learn from meal or a trial and error dish that I now how to make much better the next time.

1 ½ C. - Jasmine Rice
6 - Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breast ( cut into cubes)
1 Can ( 14.5 oz) - Chicken Broth
1 Can ( 14 oz) - Coconut Milk
2 Tbs. - Thai Seasonings
6 Tbs. - Jiffy Honey Roasted Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter
2 Tbs. - Lime Juice
2 - Scallions (sliced)
Dry Roasted Peanuts For Garnish

Place the rice into the bottom of the slow cooker, top with the chicken. In a medium sized bowl , whisk together the remaining ingredients then pour over the chicken and rice. Stir to combine all of the ingredients then cover and cook on low for 4 ½ hours. After plating garnish with the chopped dry roasted peanuts.

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Chicken Bake

Even though it is only Tuesday it has already been a very busy week, I was very hungry and wanted something hot and comforting for dinner but also something extremely simple and easy. I was going through some old recipes that I used to make when the kids were younger and I came across one of the best chicken dinners that we used to love making together. This was a good dish to hide a few veggies in also and they never really seamed to notice, or maybe they just never let on.

1 Box (6oz) - Stuffing (any flavor)
1 2/3 C. - Water
4 - Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 Can (10 3/4oz) - Cream of Chicken Soup
1/3 C. - Sour Cream
½ Medium - Onion (diced)
1 C. - Frozen Corn, Peas or Beans
1 Tbs. - Garlic (chopped)

Mix contents of season packet, stuffing, and water; set aside. In a small frying pan cook the onion and garlic in some EVOO until soft and translucent then add it to the reserved stuffing mix along with your frozen veggie of choice. Place the chicken into a 13x9 baking dish then stir the soup and sour cream together and pour it over the chicken. Top with the stuffing mix and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30-35 minutes. Serve with fruit or salad for a great quick, easy and tummy satisfying meal the whole family will enjoy.

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Maple Bourbon BBQ Glazed Chicken

This was my birthday weekend and my husband surprised me with a family dinner Sunday night, my sister-in-law made pasta salad and got the best chocolate peanut butter ice cream cake ever made, my mother-in-law made my favorite potato dish, Au Gratin. My father-In-law made me fresh fruit salad and my wonderful husband made me the most incredible BBQ chicken,
everything was out of this world delish!

Brine:

5 - Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
5 C. -Water
4 - Strips of Lemon Peel
6 - Juniper Berries (cracked)
1/3 C. - Kosher Salt
3 Tbs. -Sugar
1 - Bay Leaf
1 - Gallon Zippy Bag

Glaze:

2/3 C. - Orange Juice
1/3 C. - Pure Maple Syrup
2 Tbs. - Wild Turkey Bourbon
2 Tbs. - Brown Sugar
2 Tbs. - Soy Sauce
1 Tbs. - Dijon Mustard
A healthy pinch of Cayenne

Brine; In a large bowl combine the water, salt and sugar, stir until dissolved. Transfer the water mix to a gallon zippy bag and place the rest of the ingredients inside. Place the zippy bag into a large bowl and keep in the refrigerator overnight or at least 2-4 hours . When you are ready to BBQ take the chicken out of the brine and rinse it off then pat it dry with a paper towel. While the BBQ is heating up make the glaze for the chicken. Combine all of the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until it reduces by half, make sure to whisk every few minutes. BBQ the chicken for about 7 minutes each side then glaze with the sauce and cook on each side for another 7 minutes. Garnish with a few lemon rings.

My husband found this wonderful recipe on finecooking.com

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Chicken Dunkin Style

Last night for dinner we had a craving for a good old classic meat and potato dinner, and what is more classic than Chicken Cordon Bleu? We had everything we needed to make this scrumptious chicken along with a few more things to give this dish a Dunkin twist. This was our first time to ever make this dish and we were both very pleased with how easy it was and how wonderful it turned out.

2 - Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
2 - Slices of White American Cheese
2 - Deli Slices of Honey Ham
2 - Pieces of Bacon (cooked)
¼ Tsp. -Chopped Garlic (divided)
1 - Egg
1 C. -Panko Bread Crumbs
Smokey Mesquite Seasoning
Plastic Wrap

Lay the chicken out onto a cutting board and with a sharp paring knife cut the chicken open like a book, being careful not to cut the entire way through. Lay each piece of chicken between plastic wrap and pound them out thin. Once pounded lay half a piece of cheese down on one side of the chicken then sprinkle half of the garlic over the cheese. Lay down half a piece of ham, top that with one strip of bacon, the other half of the ham and finish with the other half piece of cheese. Fold the opposite side of chicken back over and secure with damp toothpicks, repeat with the other piece of chicken, and sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the Smokey Mesquite seasonings. Break the egg into a shallow dish and place the Panko crumbs into another shallow dish, when ready dredge one piece of chicken into the egg and then coat in the crumbs. Place the chicken on a wire rack that is sitting on top of a baking sheet, repeat with the other piece of chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, when the chicken is done baking cook in a 325 degree deep fryer for 1 ½ minutes per side or until golden and crispy.

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Sick Day Chicken & Dumplings

My husband has been sick 2 times in the last 2 months, I was so proud of that fact that I came out untouched each time. Looks like my luck as run out, I got up this morning and was feeling a cold coming on. You know what I speak of, the sore throat, sore eyes and the all over achy body feeling, at that very moment I knew that I was in need of some comfort food. Of course not just any comfort food will make you feel better, at least not for me. My mother has always given me chicken soup to make me feel better. I wanted to take it up a few notches and go with something comforting and hearty, my feel better dinner WINNER is chicken & dumplings.

Chicken Stock:

4 - Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
2 Q. - Water
½ C. - Sliced Celery
1 - Small Onion (chopped)
½ C. - Sliced Carrots
2 - Fresh Parsley Sprigs
1 - Bay Leaf
1 Tsp. - Salt
¼ Tsp. - Black Pepper
1 Tsp. - Johnny’s Garlic Season
1 Tbs. - Chicken Base

Dumplings:

¾ C. - Flour
1 Tbs. - Parsley
1 Tsp. - Baking Powder
¼ Tsp. - Salt
Dash - Nutmeg
1/3 C. - Milk
1 - Egg (beaten)
1 Tbs. - Oil

Gravy:

¼ C. - Flour
½ C. - Milk
¼ Tsp. - Salt
1/8 Tsp. - Pepper
1 Tsp. - Johnny’s Garlic Season

In a large stockpot combine the ingredients for the stock. Slowly bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and simmer for 60 minutes, skimming the surface as foam rises. In a large bowl combine the dumpling ingredients, mixing just until moist. When the broth is done drop the batter onto the simmering stock, cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes. Do not take the lid off the pan while the dumplings are simmering, when the dumplings are done remove them to a bowl and the chicken to a cutting board. Strain the broth and discard the veggies, putting 3 cups of broth back into a soup pot bring it to a boil. (The remaining broth can be frozen for 4-6 months.) Combine the gravy ingredients until smooth and stir into the boiling broth, cook and stir until thick. Once you reach your desired thickness add back in the dumplings and the cut up chicken, simmer for about 5 minutes to just warm up the chicken and dumplings again. Serve hot and enjoy.

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Creamy White Chili

My mother-in-law has been telling us about a white chicken chili she had at her cousin’s house a few weeks ago, Mom and Dad both keeps saying how great it was and how they really liked it. My husband loves a good chili too so I look through my new cook book and found a recipe that I think sounds similar to the one they had. I made a few additions and one subtraction and it really turned out wonderful, very creamy, very thick and just enough kick to know you were eating chili.

2 - Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (cubed)
1 – Medium Onion (chopped)
1 – Small Can Mushrooms (chopped…optional)
1 ½ Tsp. - Garlic Powder
1 Tbs. - EVOO
1 – 15 ½ oz. - Great Northern Beans
1 – 15 ½ oz. - Cannellini Beans
1 – 14 ½ oz. - Chicken Broth
2 – 4 oz. - Green Chilies (chopped…I used 1 can)
1 C. - Frozen Corn (optional)
1 Tsp. - Salt
1 Tsp. - Cumin
1 Tsp. - Dried Oregano
½ Tsp. - Pepper
¼ Tsp. - Cayenne Pepper
8 oz. - Sour Cream
½ C. - Heavy Cream

In a large soup pot sauté the chicken, onion, mushrooms, and garlic powder in EVOO until the chicken is no longer pink. Add the beans (liquid too), broth, chilies, corn and seasonings, bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and heavy cream. Serve immediately with a side salad or good crusty bread.

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Hawaiian BBQ Chicken

During the winter months I really love to use my crock pot to make Sunday night dinner, because if you’re anything like us on Sunday we are busy with housework and when night falls it’s nice to have dinner all ready and waiting for you to sit down and enjoy it after a hard day of chores. I have a cook book of 101 things to do with a slow cooker and this is just one of the great recipes I have made out of it.

4 to 6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
1 – 8 oz. Crushed Pineapple
1 – 16 oz. Jack Daniels Honey Smokehouse BBQ Sauce
4 to 6 C. Cooked Rice

Place meat into a greased 3 ½ to 5 quart slow cooker. Combine the pineapple and BBQ sauce and pour over the meat. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. When the meat is done, use 2 forks and then shred the chicken, stir into the sauce then serve over rice.

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Reindeer Snacks

Last night was our car club Christmas party; we do it pot luck style with an ornament exchange game and a white elephant gift exchange. We have so much fun with this gathering every year; the people associated with the club are a blast. This year I wanted to take a hot dish so I chose meatballs, I looked around and found what we thought to be a very interesting and holiday style sauce for the meat balls; it was a big hit with all of our friends.

2 Lbs. - Meatballs (pre-cooked)
1 16oz. - Can Jellied Cranberry Sauce
1 12oz. - Heinz Chili Sauce

In a sauce pan warm the chili sauce and cranberry sauce until the jellied cranberry sauce has completely melted into the chili sauce, while the sauce is heating place the meatballs into a slow cooker. Once the sauce is ready pour it over the meatballs and stir to combine, turn the slow cooker onto high and let cook for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Stir the meatballs once every hour to try and keep meatballs evenly covered in the sauce. Once cooked place some toothpicks alongside the slow cooker and watch them disappear.

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