Tasty Tuesday - Homemade No-Bake Cheesecake

Some people ONLY like baked cheesecake. Some ONLY like what I prefer to call cream cheese pie - which is technically unbaked cheesecake. I happen to be a fan of both. But there is one particular restaurant who has a cheesecake that I just absolutely LOVE. Fortunately for my figure, the restaurant is located where my parents live and not here in Indy. Nevertheless, I've been wondering for years what sort of recipe they use for their cheesecake.

While browsing cheesecake recipes the other day (why yes, that is my idea of fun), I discovered this one.

Oh. My. Goodness.

This is almost identical to the restaurant cheesecake that I love so dearly except for one tiny discrepancy. I think this one is actually a little bit better. Yes, better!

It's easy, it's delicious, and it's oh so fattening! So give it a try. I bet you'll love it! (Even my husband who doesn't care much for unbaked cheesecake thought this stuff was amazing.)

10-lb Cheesecake

• 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Beat in the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until well blended and smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Pour filling into crust and smooth the top.
3. Refrigerate until firm, 2 to 3 hours.

Once this baby is firm (or before that, if you prefer), top it with fruit if you'd like. Personally, I like it just the way it is, but I may try some raspberry mixture and whipped cream next time. (They have this variation at the restaurant I spoke of earlier and it is DEEE-LISH!)

Man, now I really wish I had some cream cheese in the house....

Tasty Tuesday - The BEST Cinnamon Rolls On Earth

It was really funny that Gretchen just posted this exact recipe on her other blog just a few days ago when I was already planning to post it here today, but...oh well.

Plus, I have a picture. So there. =P

Seriously though, these cinnamon rolls are AHH-mazing. And I'm not just saying that because I'm pregnant! I know some non-pregnant people who happen to think they are amazing as well! :)

The recipe is entitled "Clone of a Cinnabon", but I wouldn't let that fool you. Personally, I don't think these taste much like a Cinnabon at all. But I digress.

This recipe is for a breadmaker, but there are easy alterations (can I even use that word when referring to cooking?) to be had for non-breadmaker-ers.

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup margarine, melted
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, softened

• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Now, I don't really care for cream cheese in my icing, so I just skipped the cream cheese and added enough milk to make the consistency I was looking for. But if you like cream cheese icing, please...be my guest.

If you don't believe me when I say that these are the best things on earth, you can click here to go to the recipe link where you can read reader reviews! :)

Mmmmm! I might just have to go eat one now!

Tasty Tuesday . . . Some Favorite Bread Machine Reicpes

Heidi talked about getting a new-to-her bread maker last week. I have had my new-to-me bread maker for almost a year now and I love it and I use it multiple times a week. I thought I might list some of my favorite recipes that I have used and do use quite a bit in case you might like to try some of them.

English Muffins - well worth the time and MUCH better than store bought!

Buttery Bread Machine Rolls - the BEST rolls ever, seriously my family requests that I bring them to every gathering (sorry no picture)

Pizza Dough - my new favorite recipe - actually titled "Kittencal's Best Garlic Pizza Dough for the bread machine"


Whole Wheat Hamburger and Hot Dog buns (I used them with my sloppy joes)


Bread Machine Donuts - all I have to say is YUMMY!


Pita Bread - easy and very good!


So there you go, some fun things to try in your bread maker besides bread. Can you tell I like my bread maker? How about you? What are some of your favorite bread machine recipes?

For more kitchen tips and recipes please check out Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace and I am Blissfully Domestic at Blissfully Domestic and Tasty Tuesday.

Happy Baking,
Gretchen

Tasty Tuesday - Chicken and Stuffing, Round 2

Several months ago, I posted a crockpot recipe for chicken and stuffing. While it was pretty delicious, it had a few flaws.

1. The recipe called for stuffing crumbs, which didn't exactly turn into stuffing - more like a really thick gravy. Once the recipe had become leftovers the next day, THEN there was stuffing. But you know, I like my recipes to turn out the way they're supposed to before a 24-hr period has passed.

2. (And this isn't really a flaw to most people, but...) it's a crockpot recipe. And while I love crockpot recipes....sometimes, I'm kinda bad at planning ahead. I typically prepare dinner during the afternoon hours when my kids are napping and, well, crockpot recipes don't really work if they aren't started until 2pm.

So last week I tried an oven version of this dinner, using my head knowledge of cooking (which is pretty little) and whatever ingredients I had on hand. I like my recipes to be flexible, so using what I have on hand rather than running to the store all the time is really helpful when it comes to saving money.

Over the past few months, I have become a stalker of two cooking blogs that I absolutely LOVE. One thing that their readers often express appreciation for is their PILE of pictures in each blog post. I admit, it does help to be able to see what the cook is doing. Plus, I really like taking pictures. (I guess that goes with the photographer territory?) So, in an attempt to be as cool as this blog and this blog, I have several pictures for you today!

I know you're jumping for joy on the other side of that screen. Don't even try to deny it.

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Modified Chicken and Stuffing

6 chicken breast halves
4-ish cups bread cubes
2 cans cream of chicken
1 cup chicken broth
thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper (sorry, I don't measure)
4 T. melted butter or margerine

1. Grease 9x13 inch pan.

2. Chop bread into cubes. I used hot dog buns because the "best by" date had already come and gone and I had no hot dogs in the fridge.

3. Spread bread cubes into greased pan.

4. Mix chicken broth, cream of chicken, and seasonings.

5. Melt butter and pour over bread crumbs. (And let me just tell you...taking a picture while pouring is...um....a lot harder than it might appear.)

6. Pour 3/4 of the creamy chicken mixture over bread cubes.

7. Wash and dry chicken. Cut each breast in half. (This is not actually necessary, but since it probably cooks a little faster, I generally do it this way.)

8. Place chicken pieces on top of bread crumbs in pan. Add remaining creamy chicken mixture to the tops of the chicken pieces.

9. Cover and bake in 400 degree oven for 1 hr or until done.

10. Eat. This time around, I wound up with quite a bit of soggy goodness at the bottom and then more "gravy". I'm not sure what it is about this recipe, but apparently it still needs tweaked. I just cut up some more bread cubes and put the gravy on top w/ the chicken. It worked out okay, but I will keep perfecting it. My husband suggested trying it with dried bread cubes and I think that might work better.

Tasty Tuesday - Strawberry Shortcake Parfait

For the past few days, I've been visiting with my family in WI. Yesterday we enjoyed Easter dinner complete with this new dessert recipe that I threw together. Since I firmly believe that "secret recipes" are totally lame and, in all honesty, a pretty arrogant way of raising yourself to a level you don't deserve, I will share it with you, because...well....this dessert was pretty darn good. And of course, I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't share it.

The idea for the Strawberry Shortcake Parfait came from this super easy and DELICIOUS recipe that I made last summer. Ok, so the rough measurements for your ingredients are:

1 angel food cake, baked and cooled
2-4 lbs stawberries, each strawberry cut into fourths
1-2 tubs of cool whip
2 small packages of vanilla instant pudding

I realize those measurements are absolutely non-standard, but that's because I have no idea what size bowl, dish, cups, etc. you will be putting this in. I personally LOVE to make little individual desserts in glasses, but wasn't able to do that yesterday, so mine was made in this "vase":

When you make this dessert depends on how soggy you mind your angel food cake being. I made it a day in advance and it was, ehhh, pretty soggy. But delicious. I think I would have liked it better if I had made it JUST before eating time, but oh well.

Tip #1: If you want juicier strawberries, cut them up, put them in a bowl, and throw about 1/2 cup of sugar on top. Let sit for 30 minutes or more before layering.

Tip #2: Make sure you're READY to layer once you starting mixing the pudding. You'll have to whisk it for 2 minutes and as soon as you're done, it starts to set. So be sure you're ready when you get to that step.

Alright, so break your angel food cake into 1-inchish size pieces. Then layer your food in the following order:

1. Angel food pieces
2. Pudding
3. Strawberries
4. Cool whip

I layered this twice in the "vase" I was using, but again, how you do it will depend on what you're using. Obviously you'd probably not layer those things more than once for individual cups.

Garnish the top with a few leftover strawberries and you're set! Yummmm!

(The relatively ugly, half eaten-version of Strawberry Shortcake Parfait is below.)

(Sorry.)

Tasty Tuesday . . . Twice Baked Potatoes

I was searching for a side dish that would freeze well to do for my cooking club. I came across this recipe. It is so good! I made it tonight and I had some filling leftover so I just put that in a casserole dish and baked it to go along with our meatloaf and green beans! I thought I would post the recipe for you with my changes (because I always have some). This recipe calls for 10 lbs. of baking potatoes which are on sale at Aldi for $1.99. If you don't want to do this many than just cut the recipe in half. If you practice the pantry principle (always have your pantry stocked or try to) then you should have most of this on hand. I always try to have cream cheese on hand in case I want to make my Alfredo sauce or something else yummy.

Kell's Twice Baked Potatoes

• 
  
10 lbs baking potatoes
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream, divided
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2-1 cup milk
garlic powder parsley or chives
salt

1. Scrub the best sized 12 potatoes in the bag. Poke each with a fork and bake in oven at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
2. While those bake, peel the rest of the potatoes and boil until soft. Drain.
3. Cut baked potatoes lengthwise and scoop insides into a bowl. You should end up with 24 shells. Place these on cookie sheets.
4. In mixer with wire whisk, combine one package cream cheese, one stick butter, and 1/2 cup sour cream until blended.
5. Add scooped insides of baked potatoes and a little less than half of the boiled potatoes and mix on low speed.
6. Add some milk and mix until it is the consistency you like.
7. Add garlic powder, parsley or chives, and salt. I just add it until it tastes good. I think about 1 1/2 teaspoons of each.
8. Fold in half of the shredded cheddar. You can use more or less, whatever you like.
9. Fill shells heaping and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until tops start to brown.
10. While those bake, repeat the recipe with the rest of the boiled potatoes. Place mixture in two baking dishes (foil bread pans work well) and freeze for later. ***To bake, thaw completely and bake in oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until top starts to brown.
11. I freeze 8 of the baked filled shells individually for lunches, 8 more get frozen in a foil pan for later, and 8 end up being a side dish to dinner!

***My changes - I omitted the chives and/or parsley and I added bacon. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

For more kitchen tips and recipes please check out Kitchen Tip Tuesday at Tammy’s recipes and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace.

Tasty Tuesday . . . Creamy Chicken Casserole

There are several versions of this, but this one is my version. I may have *mentioned* before that I try to use regular ingredients so instead of cream of chicken soup that some recipes call for I make my own. Also, again I am not very good about measuring so . . . By the way my husband loves this.

2 cups of cooked chicken
1 cream of chicken soup substitute (recipe follows)
1 cup of sour cream
Salt and Pepper to taste (and of course I add garlic salt or powder to everything too)
Bread crumbs
2 T of butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray and then put chicken in the bottom. Stir soup substitute and sour cream and seasonings together and pour over the chicken. Melt 2 T. of butter and stir with the bread crumbs and top the casserole with the breadcrumbs. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cream of chicken soup substitute

*There are many of these recipes floating around too.

2 T. of butter
3 T. of flour
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in saucepan and then add flour (like you are making a roux). Lower heat to medium-low and slowly add the broth whisking the whole time. Then remove from heat and add the milk and whisk that mixture until there are no lumps. I put mine back on to heat if it isn't thick enough once everything is together. That is it or at least that is what I do.

For more kitchen tips and recipes please check out Kitchen Tip Tuesday at Tammy’s recipes and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace.

Tasty Tuesday - Recipes From My Freezer Cooking Spree

First of all.....HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! I admit I have no idea who the man was, but it feels odd not to wish you a happy St. Patrick's Day, so there ya go. (Are you wearing green today?)

I apologize for the delay in posting these recipes, but you see....at the time I did the freezer cooking, we knew I was pregnant and would soon be too sick to cook, but we weren't quite ready to share that news with all of you. Two days after I finished my freezer cooking spree, I began my bout with morning sickness....and I'm still sick.

Several of you asked for the recipes of the items that I made and froze. A few more of you expressed that you had interest in freezer cooking but weren't sure which foods could be frozen and how. While I'm certainly no pro at freezer cooking, I do have a bit of experience so I'll share what I know.

I'm relatively confident when I say this: Most foods can be frozen. Some foods, like vegetables, require blanching before being frozen while other foods, like meats, can be directly put into the freezer. There is a list of freezer cooking resources at the bottom of this post that you will find very helpful in your quest to begin learning about freezer cooking. I'd also encourage you to check out Gretchen's other blog. She regularly posts about Once-A-Month-Cooking and usually posts all of her recipes for those meals as well.

Now, onto my recipes....

alfredo sauce

English muffin pizzas - Slice each English muffin in half, add a tablespoon of tomato sauce (or pizza sauce), sprinkle on some pizza seasoning and add mozzerella cheese (and other toppings, if desired). When ready to bake, just pop in the oven til cheese is melted!

turkey soup - Boil down a turkey carcass (or make chicken or turkey broth w/ bouillon), slice up carrots, celery, and onions; add turkey and any kind of noodle; boil for 10 minutes; serve w/ homemade bread - YUM!

waffles

2 lg eggs
2 c. flour
1 3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 T. sugar
4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt

Beat eggs until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and beat just until smooth. Pour into waffle maker and cook to desired doneness.

pancakes

1 1/4 c. flour
1 egg
1 1/4 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. sugar
1 heaping t. of baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/4 c. oil
pinch of salt

Mix with mixer until smooth. Let sit 10 minutes before cooking on griddle at 325 degrees.

pumpkin muffins

chicken pot pie, biscuits, and a loaf of french toast (all three recipes are in the same post)

calzones

Crust:

5-6 c. flour
2 T. sugar
2 t. salt
4 1/2 t. yeast (2 pkgs)
6 T. oil
2 c. very warm water (120-130 degrees)

Mix 2 c. flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add oil and water. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes, scraping bowl. Stir in enough flour until dough leaves sides of bowl. Knead 5-8 minutes on floured surface until smooth and springy. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes. Then prepare crusts into 10-inch circles).

Insides:

Place any combination of veggies, meats, and cheeses (I prefer mozzerella and ricotta) inside, fold over, and seal. Brush with egg and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

oatmeal chocolate chip breakfast cookies - Okay, I honestly have no idea what I put in these. I have a basic recipe that I completely altered to make my cookies. I know there was oatmeal, flour, sugar, banana, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and probably all other normal baking ingredients (i.e. baking soda or powder, salt, etc.). If I ever come up with an ACTUAL recipe, I'll be sure to post it. :)

________________________________________________________________


For further information on freezer cooking, I highly recommend checking out the following books:

Once a Month Cooking


The Best Freezer Cookbook


Freezer Cooking Manual


.....and the website 30daygourmet.

Tasty Tuesday . . . Burrito Pie (freezer meal)

This is another freezer meal recipe by my friend Lindsey. This is one of my husband's favorites especially if you use homemade tortillas.

Ingredients:
2 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 t. minced garlic
1 (2 oz.) can black olives, sliced
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chile peppers (I omit these)
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers (I omit these)
1 (16 oz.) jar taco sauce
2 (16 oz.) cans refried beans
12 (8 inch) flour tortillas
9 oz. shredded cheese
1 packet of taco seasoning

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Saute ground beef for 5 minutes then add the onion and garlic and saute 5 minutes more. Drain excess fat. Mix in the olives, green chile peppers, tomatoes with green chile peppers, taco seasoning and taco sauce. Stir mixture thoroughly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
-Here is where I differ from the recipe. This is what I do:

3. Spray non-stick spray on casserole dish. Layer tortilla layer, add meat and then cheese. Spread next tortilla layer with refried beans and top the meat and cheese (bean side down). Then add another layer of meat and cheese and once again top with a tortilla spread with refried beans (bean side down). Repeat layers and finally top with more cheese. At this point you can freezer your burrito pie and save it for later.

4. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly. If frozen, thaw first and then bake as directed. Serve with sour cream, lettuce, additional salsa, etc. if desired.

This will make a 9 x 13 inch pan. I usually do it in two smaller pans and freeze one.

Thanks again Lindsey!

For more kitchen tips and recipes please check out Kitchen Tip Tuesday at Tammy’s recipes and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace.

Panko Chicken . . . Tasty Tuesday on Thursday

I missed Tasty Tuesday this week so I am doing it on Thursday. This recipe is from my friend Lindsey who is a part of our cooking club.

4 chicken breasts
1 egg
1 T water
1 cup Japanese Panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
olive oil for frying

Directions:
1. Pound chicken with cooking mallet to flatten.
2. Flour chicken lightly, and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
3. Mix 1 egg with 1 T water.
4. Dip chicken into egg mixture.
5. Mix 1 cup Panko bread crumbs with 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in Ziplock bag. Dip chicken into mixture to coat.
6. Bring oil to medium heat in skillet. Fry on each side for 5 minutes.

This is so good. We have had it twice now. After it is fully cooked, Lindsey freezes it. I just thaw it overnight and then fry it up a little more to heat it up.

Brownies . . . Is there anything better?

I made these brownies this week. I am always on the look out for homemade brownies that are as fudgy as the mix kind and these are the BEST brownies ever - really (except for my friend Amanda - you are still the brownie queen). I posted them on my other blog this week. Anyway, my husband absolutely loves these and he isn't the biggest fan of desserts (weird I know). And I know what you are going to say, yes, Gretchen, you put 1 cup of butter and over 2 cups of sugar in anything and it will taste good. Well, live a little and enjoy these brownies - just don't eat the whole pan and have a salad before and a big glass of water afterwards to make yourself feel better.

Thanks King Arthur!

Fudge Brownies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 cups chocolate chips

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 15 3/4 ounces sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3 3/4 ounces Dutch-process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 6 1/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 12 ounces chocolate chips

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan

2) In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

3) While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.

4) Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.

5) Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.

6) Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan.

7) Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving. For more kitchen tips and recipes please check out Kitchen Tip Tuesday at Tammy’s recipes and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace.

Tasty Tuesday . . . Bacon Cheeseburger Roll Up

This is one meal that my husband really loves. I know it may not be the healthiest, but it is easy and you can add a salad and it won't be that bad. The original recipe is from Kraft. I made just a few small changes.

1 lb. lean ground beef

4 slices Bacon, chopped- Sometimes I just omit the bacon

1 small onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups (8 oz.) Shredded Cheese - the original recipe calls for Velveeta (I personally don't use a "cheese product" I prefer to use real cheese)

1 homemade pizza crust - this crust is quick and easy and good

Then I just follow the instructions:

HEAT oven to 400°F. Brown ground beef with bacon and onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain.

UNROLL dough onto baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Press into 15x8-inch rectangle; top with meat mixture. Top with shredded cheese. Roll up, starting at one of the long sides. Rearrange if necessary so roll is seam-side down.

BAKE 20 to 25 min. or until golden brown.

This meal is even easier if you have a frozen pizza crust on hand that you have pre-made and some frozen ground beef that you have already cooked up. It makes for a quick week night meal!

For more kitchen tips and recipes please check out Kitchen Tip Tuesday at Tammy's recipes and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace.

-Gretchen

Tasty Tuesday . . . Smoky Corn Chowder

We had a Ladies' Soup Cook Off at my church on Saturday. It was a good time. We got to try out various different soups and vote on our favorite. Well, I was excited when the soup that I chose as my favorite won first prize. It was delicious! So I thought I would share the recipe with you today. Normally, I am not a fan of chowder-type soups, but this one was so good!

Smoky Corn Chowder
by: Carol Stephens

1/ c. chopped yellow onion
4 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 c. milk
1 17-oz. can whole-kernel corn, drained (I'm sure you could use frozen as well)
12 or 16 oz. pkg. smoked sausage links, drained and sliced

In a saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender, but not brown. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add milk all at once. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thick and bubbly, about 1 minute. Stir in corn and sausage. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

For more kitchen tips, please visit Tammy's Recipes.

Also check out Tempt my Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace.

Tasty Tuesday . . . Trudy’s Microwave Manicotti

This is a recipe from my husband's cousin. She gave me a little recipe book when I first got married with easy recipes. This one is pretty easy and very good.

2 Eggs, beaten
1 pkg Cottage Cheese (15 oz)
1 t Italian seasoning
¾ c Parmesan cheese, grated
1 t Garlic salt
½ c Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 T Parsley flakes
1 t Minced onion
½ t Salt
¼ t Pepper

8 Manicotti shells
1 c Mozzarella cheese
1 jar Spaghetti sauce

Mix Italian seasoning, garlic salt and the spaghetti sauce and set aside. Cook 8 manicotti shells and drain. Combine the first 10 ingredients in a bowl and then stuff each shell with some of the filling. Take a glass dish and spread half of the sauce in bottom and put stuffed manicotti in a row and then top with the rest of the sauce. Cook for 13-16 minutes in the microwave. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese at the end of the cooking time.

-Gretchen

Tasty Tuesday . . . Copycat recipe - Applebee's Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl

I have gotten quite a craving for Asian type foods lately. I tried to recreate the Applebee's Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl at home. My husband actually liked mine better, but mine was not as spicey as Applebee's. Also, do not be afraid because it looks like a lot of ingredients; it really is not difficult. Here is the recipe that I used, but below are the changes that I made:

• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup cornstarch, plus
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• oil (for frying)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic *I just used garlic salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind *I omitted this because I did not have any.
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce *I definitely did not have this, but I used: 1 t peanut butter, 1/4 c. soy sauce, 1/4 c. molasses
• 1 dash cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• salt and pepper

Directions

Cut chicken into 2-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Stir in egg, salt, pepper and oil. Mix well and set aside.

Stir cornstarch and flour together in another large bowl and mix well. Add chicken mixture to the flour mixture, stirring to coat each piece well.

Pour enough oil to be at least 1/2-inch deep in a wok or heavy skillet and set over high heat. When it reaches 375 degrees F (hot!) carefully add chicken pieces in small batches and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and crisp. Do not overcook or chicken will be tough. Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Continue frying chicken in small batches until all are nicely browned and crisp.

Set aside while you make the glaze:.

1 teaspoon minced garlic.

1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange rind.

1 cup orange juice.

1/2 cup hoisin sauce.

Dash cayenne pepper.

1/4 cup granulated sugar.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Cool the oil in the skillet slightly, then remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil and set over medium heat. Sauté garlic in oil for 1 minute (if the oil is too hot the garlic will turn bitter). Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil. Allow to boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens to your liking, stirring frequently.

Pour glaze over chicken. Serve chicken over a bed of cooked white rice. Garnish with slivered almonds and crispy noodles. Applebee's tosses the chicken and orange glaze with an array of stir-fry vegetables like broccoli, snow peas and red peppers.

My glaze never completely thickened but it did turn out pretty yummy.

You can see more kitchen tips at Tammy's Recipes.

-Gretchen

Tasty Tuesday . . . Cheesy Potatoes

My mother-in-law makes these potatoes for us. We love them. My husband keeps asking me to make them. They are so rich and yummy.

2 lbs. frozen hash browns (she uses the shredded ones)
16 oz. French Onion dip or sour cream
1 stick margarine (or butter), melted
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 c. shredded cheese
Crushed potato chips

Place frozen hash brown in large bowl. Combine soup, dip, and melted butter; pour over hash browns and mix well. Add cheese and fold together. Pour into a casserole dish and bake at 340 for an hour or until center bubbles. Sprinkle potato chips over top and bake 5 minutes more.

Mom's note (from my mother-in-law) - This is an extremely forgiving recipe. When I'm feeling lazy I just cut the margarine in chunks and don't melt it. You can also use any type of cream soup if you don't have cream of chicken.

Healthier note - my grandmother-in-law also makes this. She uses plain non-fat yogurt instead of sour cream and she also makes her own cream of soup to be a bit healthier. She also uses corn flakes smashed up instead of the potato chips.

Tasty Tuesday . . . Snow Cream

My dad and my uncle used to make snow cream for us when we would all be at my grandparents house. It was so delicious. As usual we don't really measure things so the measurements are my best guesses.

Pan of Snow (no yellow snow, ha!)
1 teaspoonful of vanilla
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of milk

When you get the snow use a big pot to put it in like a pot you would use for stew or soup. Add the vanilla and about a cup full of sugar. Start with 1/2 cup of milk and add enough until you have the consistency of thick slush. Taste it and make sure it is sweet enough and then you will have your snow cream.

It was so yummy when I was young. My grandparents lived out in the country so we usually tried to use freshly fallen snow. I survived so I am pretty sure environmental toxins had not gotten into the snow yet. Try it - live a little!

Tasty Tuesday - Meals I Love

My mom's not much of a cook. She doesn't like cooking, so I don't think she'll be offended by that. What she does make, she makes amazingly well, but again....she doesn't really like to do it. But since I happen to like cooking, oftentimes when I visit my parents I want to do a little bit of that while I'm there.

HOWEVER.....

It never fails that I don't have the right recipe on my blog and then have to call my husband and have him relay the recipe to me over the phone. Not only is this dangerous (you know how things can be misconstrued on the phone), but it's also slow since my husband is usually at work when I think of the recipe I want.

So, I've decided to post a few of the recipes that I love and that I may decide to make while I'm visiting my parents this weekend. It's possible that one or more of these recipes have been posted before, but you can just skip over that one/those. :) This post is more for me than for anyone else, but it never fails that if I tell someone about a recipe, they want me to post it here. So this time, I can say, "I'm way ahead of ya!" I'm including the links to the original recipes if available, although I have altered some of these.

Ok, these are a few of my favorite things......*insert music here*.......

Baked Oatmeal - I just tried this recipe for the first time a few weeks ago. It. Is. Awesome. Normally I hate oatmeal - and I do mean HATE - but this stuff is amazing.

Grease 8x8 pan. Mix together the following, adding milk last:

1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 c. oats
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 c. milk

Pour into pan. Bake @ 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until lightly browned. For a double batch, bake in 9x13 pan.


Really Easy Breakfast Casserole

6-8 slices of bread
1 lb. of sausage, cooked and drained
1 dozen eggs
8 - 12 oz. grated cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Spray casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Layer bread in the bottom of pan. Sprinkle the bread with sausage. Pour beaten eggs over sausage. Sprinkle cheese over eggs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.


Biscuits Supreme

2 c. flour
1 T. baking powder
2 t. sugar
1/2 t. cream of tarter
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. shortening
2/3 c. milk

Mix together dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Make a well in center of mixture and add milk. Stir til moistened. On floured surface, knead dough 10-12 times. Pat to 1/2 inch thickness and cut into biscuits. Bake @ 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.


Chicken Pot Pie

4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
8 oz. sour cream
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 box frozen peas and carrots
Pillsbury pie crust (or make your own)

Mix together sour cream and soup. Mix chicken with veggies. (Add a little water if it's too thick.) Pour into unbaked pie shell. Cover with another pie crust and seal. Bake @ 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until golden brown.


French Toast

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. milk
1/4 t. salt
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 c. sugar
dash of cinnamon
6 slices bread

Mix all but milk and bread together. Add milk. Dip bread into milk to cover both sides. If desired, sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture. Cook over medium-high heat on a greased griddle until browned.


Meatloaf/Meatball -I don't really have definite measurements for these. If someone asks for the recipe, I usually just make them up, which is what I'm going to do here. :)

1 lb. ground beef
2-3 c. bread crumbs
1/2 - 1 chopped onion (we like onion!)
1-2 eggs
1 T. mustard
1/4 t. chili powder
1 T. Worcestershire
salt and pepper to taste

Meatballs: Form ball. Baked on greased cookie sheet (with sides!) @ 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Meatloaf: Form into log. Bake on broiler rack @ 350 degrees for 1 hour or until meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees.

Tasty Tuesday - Preparing A Menu

Some people create their meal plans a month in advance. Some people do it when they see the sales ads. Some people don't do it at all. I have tried all of these and have yet to find my nitch (although I'm pretty sure the last one doesn't work AT ALL).

Something that I've done is to create a list of meals that we can make with different kinds of meat. We eat a lot of meat in this house, but I absolutely despise pork, so we mainly just eat ground beef and chicken. Occassionally, I'll purchase a roast or a turkey or something special, but in general our freezer is stocked with those two meats. Since it does happen on occasion that we have NO meat in our home (it's a sad sad day), I also like to have a list of things we can eat that DON'T include meat.

I'm going to share my lists with you, but I want to warn you....I'm learning how to cook. And I'm learning how to eat new things. I tend to stick to what I know, even at restaurants, so experimenting with new foods in not my favorite thing in the world. It's unknown territory. It's change. And change is bad. HOWEVER...for my husband, I do try. So here goes:

Ground Beef:

• meatloaf/meatballs
• tacos
• sloppy jo
• spaghetti w/ meat sauce or meatballs
• cheeseburgers
• chili
• lasagna
  

Chicken:

• chicken pot pie
• oven-fried chicken
• chicken stir fry
• chicken casserole
• grilled chicken
• battered chicken fingers
• chicken tacos
• chicken sandwiches
• chicken noodle/dumpling soup
• chicken and rice bake
• chicken and stuffing
  

Roast Beef:

• roast beef dinner
• pulled beef sandwiches
• beef stew
• beef vegetable soup

Ground Sausage:

• sausage potato soup
• Really Easy Breakfast Casserole
• omelets
  

Meatless:

• pasta w/ red sauce or alfredo sauce
• grilled cheese sandwiches w/ soup
• breakfast (toast, eggs, fruit)
• veggie stir fry
• PB&J
• cheese pizza
  

I'm sure if you have lists like this, yours are MUCH longer, but again....I'm trying. It helps for me to keep these lists around so when I take a look at the sales ads or when I suddenly realize at 4pm that I forgot to plan dinner, I can grab these, look over them, and find something to make.

What things have you found helpful in your menu-planning? Do you plan by the day, week, month, or not at all? Please share your menu-planning tips! (I obviously need them!)

Tasty Tuesday - Using Leftovers

There seem to be an excessive amount of leftovers at this time of the year and I'm always curious how other people use all that extra food. Considering our most recent holiday was Thanksgiving, we had LOTS of turkey leftover. Besides just eating it for 5 days straight with mashed potatoes and gravy, I also made some turkey soup and threw in what vegetables I had in the house. (Conveniently I actually had carrots, celery, and onion, but that's so rare it normally would have been canned veggies or other leftovers from the fridge.) I had considered making a turkey pot pie but never got around to it.

What dishes have you found to be a great use for your leftovers? Not just turkey - anything! Do you make casserole dishes? Stews? Breakfast items? I tend to do a lot of soups because they're just so easy, but I would love to hear what all of you do!