chelsea'srecipes

The Chick's Fabulous Pasta! (fondly referred to as "Chick's Pasta")
6 chicken breasts, skinned and boned
2 tbsp. tarragon flakes, (fresh is amazing)
1/2 c. flour
pepper to taste
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. white wine
2 c. (28 oz.) tomatoes, diced or mushed
1 can black olives, no pits, drained
1 can artichokes (slice in quarters or bite size pieces)
12 mushrooms
garlic (to taste)

Cut up chicken in bite size pieces, roll in mixture of flour, tarragon, pepper and brown (good and golden) in butter and olive oil. Set aside in a dutch oven or large oven skillet. Add white wine and deglaze the pan, pour over chicken. (mmm) Saute mushrooms with garlic until tender (don't overpower this dish with garlic, I use enough to flavor but not dominate), add artichokes, olives, tomatoes and gently stir together. Pour over chicken, cover, Bake in oven for 45 minutes at 325. Check to not burn, the idea is to thoroughly heat. Serve over pasta. (You can save the baking until the next day by covering the dish and putting in the refrig.) Bon appetit!

Infamous Bloody Mary
Heather Legier
Use 1/3 vodka to the amount of bloody mary mix you use. Add 1 Tbs. cocktail sauce, 3 drops Tabasco, dash of Worcestershire, splash of olive juice, dash of pepper, and 1 tsp. lime juice.

White Strawberry Sangria
Alli Maddox

1 750-ml. bottle dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
½ c. strawberry Schnapps
¼ c. sugar
2 c. sliced fresh strawberries
Ice

In a 2-qt. pitcher, stir together wine, strawberry schnapps, and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add sliced strawberries and chill for 1-4 hours. Serve over ice. If desired, garnish with whole strawberries. Makes 5 or 6 (8-oz.) servings.

Artichoke Bruschetta
Erin Walsh
This takes no time at all to prepare, and the results are fantastic!

1 6-oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, patted dry, chopped
½ c. grated Romano cheese
1/3 c. finely chopped red onion
Pinch of cayenne pepper
5 to 6 Tbs. mayonnaise (can use less and it will still be fine)
French bread baguette, cut into rounds. (Can also serve on tomato slices for low-carb folks)

Place first 3 ingredients in bowl. Mix in enough mayo to form a thick spread. Preheat broiler. Top bread rounds with spread. Arrange bruschetta on baking sheet. Broil until spread is heated through and begins to brown (usually takes about 5 minutes, but I always keep an eye on them).

That’s it! Prepare for friends to gobble them up! I usually can’t get them to the table fast enough, and have some friends that just wait right at the stove.

Black Bean & Salsa Party Dip
Stephanie Denney
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 can black beans, drained
Salsa (can use regular or some type of sweet salsa, like peach)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Fritos
Preheat oven to 350°. Press cream cheese in bottom of a 9-inch glass pie pan. Spread drained beans over cream cheese and layer with salsa, then top with cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbling. Serve with Fritos.

Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe
Amanda Schalich
This was the “overall” category winner for our pot luck lunch today. This would be the best at a Super Bowl party!
1 8-oz. bottle ranch dressing
2 blocks or containers of cream cheese
1 bottle Frank’s hot sauce
Shredded chicken (whatever amount you want)

Mix all of the above ingredients together. Put in a 9x13 pan, top with 2 cups of cheddar cheese and bake at 375° for approx. 20 minutes.

Cereal Snack
Dad
2-3 Tbs. butter, melted
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Lawry’s seasoning salt

Mix above ingredients together.

2 c. Rice chex
2 c. corn chex
2 c. cheerios
1 c. dry roasted peanuts.
Toss above into butter mixture. Microwave on high 4 ½ minutes, stirring every 1 ½ minutes.

Crabbies
Erika Ray
1 jar Kraft Old English cheese
1 stick butter, softened
2 cans crab meat (completely drained)
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
4 drops Tabasco
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1 tsp. lemon juice
¼ tsp. salt
1 pkg. English muffins, split.
Mix cheese and butter thoroughly. Mix in remaining ingredients and spread over split English muffins. Freeze on cookie sheet. Once slightly frozen, English muffins are easier to cut. Cut into quarters and place in oven on Broil for about 8 minutes or until bubbly and a little browned.

Hot Shrimp Dip
Robin Mason
3 green onions, chopped
½ stick butter
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 lb. shrimp, cooked and chopped
Salt to taste
Touch of minced garlic
Optional:
2 T. Durkee’s
Dash of Tabasco

Heat all ingredients over low heat until hot. Best when used in a chafing dish.

Jalapeno-Chicken Crescent Pinwheels
Lisa Carr
A yummy and pretty appetizer.
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ c. chopped cooked chicken
¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro
2-3 Tbs. finely chopped sliced jalapeno chilies (from 12-oz. jar)
2 Tbs. finely chopped green onions
1/8 tsp. salt
1 can Pillsbury Crescent rolls

Heat oven to 375°. In small bowl, mix all ingredients except dough until well combined, set aside. Unroll dough, separate into 2 long rectangles. Place 1 rectangle on a long cutting board; press perforations to seal. Spread half of cream cheese mixture on dough rectangle to within ½-inch of edges. Starting with one long side, roll up rectangle; press seam to seal. Cut roll into 16 slices; place slices, cut side down, on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough rectangle. Bake at 375° for 14-16 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Mini Crawfish Pies
Natalie Miranda
½ stick butter
1 c. finely chopped onion
½ c. finely chopped green pepper
½ c. finely chopped celery
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. freshly cracked pepper
½ c. diced tomatoes
1 lb. crawfish tail meat (comes in 1-lb. frozen packs - $10)
2 Tbs. finely chopped parsley
2 Tbs. flour
1 c. water
3 pkgs. Phyllo dough appetizer cups (Athena – 15 per pkg)

Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet. Add onion, green pepper, celery, and peppers and sauté until golden and wilted, approx. 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for 4 to 6 minutes until flavors begin to blend. Mix in crawfish tail meat and parsley and cook for 2 to 4 minutes until the crawfish tails begin to shrink and curl.

Add flour to water and mix well. Pour into pan with the rest of the mixture and mix well. Cook until sauce begins to thicken, approx. 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 15 minutes to overnight.

Place appetizer cups on a cookie sheet and fill with about a teaspoon of the pie filling, making sure to get at least two crawfish tails in each cup.

Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Pizza Dip
Stephanie Denney
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 14-oz. jar pizza sauce
2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
1 6-oz. can ripe olives, drained and sliced
2 oz. sliced pepperoni, chopped
Dip-sized corn chips
Preheat oven to 350°. Press cream cheese in bottom of a 9-in. glass pie pan. Spread pizza sauce over cream cheese and layer remaining ingredients. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Serve with corn chips.

Ranch-Bacon Dip
Stephanie Denney
1 packet Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dip mix
1 container (16-oz) sour cream
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
¼ c. crisp-cooked, crumbled bacon (you can use Bacon Bits)
Potato or corn chips, for dipping.

Combine dip mix with sour cream. Stir in cheese and bacon. Chill at least 1 hour. Serve with potato or corn chips.

Rotel-Sausage Dip
Mike Golden & Caryn Jenkins
2 lbs. Velveeta cheese
2 8-oz. cans ROTEL diced tomatoes & green chilies
1 lb. of HOT sausage
2 tsp. Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. chili powder

Brown sausage and drain. Cut Velveeta into cubes and melt in microwave. COVER WHEN HEATING. Add sausage, rotel, chili powder, and Worcestershire and stir. Return to microwave for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Sausage Cheese Balls
Mom
1 lb. spicy sausage
1 ½ c. shredded cheddar
1 ½ c. Bisquik
Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients together (this is easiest when done with your hands). Roll into small balls. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Seven-Layer Mexican Dip
Sheri Festoso
1 can refried beans
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 8-oz. container sour cream
1 8-oz. container guacamole
1 c. shredded cheese
1 diced tomato
1 chopped green onion
1 can diced black olives

In a rectangular dish, spread the refried beans as the first layer. Mix taco seasoning & sour cream together and spread as second layer. Then spread the guacamole. Sprinkle the cheese, tomatoes, onions, and olives on top. Serve with any kind of chip.
You can use the fat free beans and low-fat/no-fat sour cream to make it a little healthier. Also, if making for Lisa, leave off the onions, olives, and tomatoes on half!

Texas Caviar
Sheri Festoso
1 can black-eyed peas
1 can shoe peg corn
1 small can green chilies
1 diced green pepper
Several chopped green onions
1 diced tomato
1 small can black olives
1 bottle Italian salad dressing

Drain all canned items, then mix together. Add the dressing. The dip is better if it can marinate in the dressing for several hours or overnight. Any kind of tostito chip will do, but Scoops are best.

Vidalia Onion Dip
Lara Armstrong
4 cups sweet onions, preferably Vidalia
2 cups Parmesan cheese
24 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ c. mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 450°. Saute onions until soft but still a little crunchy. Mix all other ingredients in and place in a 2-quart baking dish (I use a square pyrex one). Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Serve with chips or crackers.

Cranberry Apple Casserole
Elizabeth Bearden
A real crowd pleaser – especially during the holidays!
3 c. red apples, peeled and chopped
2 c. fresh cranberries
½ c. + 2 Tbs. flour
½ to 1 c. sugar (your preference)
3 packages of Cinnamon & Spice instant oatmeal
½ c. brown sugar, packed tightly
1 stick butter, melted

Combine cranberries and apples. Toss with 2 Tbs. flour. Add sugar and toss well. Put the fruit combo in a greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Combine the ½ c. flour, oatmeal, butter, and brown sugar. Spoon over the fruit and bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Egg Casserole
Liana Norton
Wonderful for brunch!
Big pan
6-8 slices bread, buttered, butter-side down in pan so bottom is covered
Sliced cheese to cover bread
8 to 10 eggs, beaten with milk (about ½ cup or so)
Meat – cooked ham, bacon, or sausage (or all)
Mushrooms, onions, other seasonings you like. I also put a big squir of mustard in the mix.
Your favorite shredded cheese.

Preheat oven to 425°. Pour egg mixture over bread and cheese. Add your meats, mushrooms, etc. Everything should be covered by egg mixture. If not, add a little more milk. Sprinkle some of the shredded cheese on top. Bake in hot oven for about 40 minutes. Add rest of cheese on top, bake for about 10 more minutes.

Monkey Bread
Katie Rodgers
Obviously you can tell I’m in some dire need of cooking lessons or something!
Go buy some biscuits…buttermilk or whatever
Cut the biscuits in quarter pieces
Get a big plastic bag and fill it with sugar and cinnamon
Melt some butter in a bowl
Take the biscuits and dip them in the melted butter, then throw them into the bag full of sugar and cinnamon.
Maker sure the biscuits are completely covered, every piece, with sugar and cinnamon.
Then get your Bundt cake pan and start stacking the biscuit bits, one on top of the other.
Not sure if you butter then pan first or not…I’m going to say it’s probably a good idea.
Do all those steps and fill the bundt cake pan to the top.
Bake at 350° or 400° - not sure about that either. Oh, and I’m definitely not sure how long it needs to be in the oven. Just keep checking and use a toothpick to check if it’s ready. It’s not done if dough sticks to the toothpick.

No matter what, biscuits, butter, sugar, and cinnamon are a delicious combination even if it comes out looking bad.

Italian House Salad
Amanda Schalich
Really pretty salad – good for parties!

Vinaigrette
1/3 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
2/3 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. dried parsley
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. salt

Salad
1 large head red leaf lettuce, torn
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained (not marinated)
1 6-oz. can pitted ripe olives, drained
4 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 small red onion, thinly sliced into ½-inch rings
½ lb. provolone cheese, shredded.

Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl. Place salad ingredients, except cheese, into a large separate bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss. Sprinkle with provolone.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Laurie Walker
This is a great recipe!
1 ½ c. crushed pretzels
4 ½ T. white sugar
¾ c. butter, melted
1 c. white sugar
2 (8-oz.) pkgs. Cream cheese
1 (8-oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (6-oz.) pkg. strawberry flavored gelatin
2 c. boiling water
1 (16-oz.) pkg. frozen strawberries

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix together the pretzels, sugar, and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Set aside to cool completely.

In a medium bowl, beat the sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together the gelatin mix and boiling water. Mix in frozen strawberries and stir until thawed. Put in refrigerator until almost completely jelled. Pour over cream cheese mixture in pan. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 1 hour

Cheddar Bacon Biscuits
Anna Faye Sturm
3 c. all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
8 Tbs. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 c. chopped fresh chives
6 bacon slices, finely chopped and fried until crisp
1 ½ c. milk

Preheat oven to 400°. Lower rack to the last holder (bottom 1/3 of oven). Lightly grease muffin or biscuit pan – could use cookie sheets and pat out the biscuit dough into small handfuls.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the butter until it resembles a course meal texture. Add in cheese, chives, and bacon, using a fork. Add milk, and stir with a spatula until combined. Divide batter in pan. Bake until golden, about 30 minutes, when a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack. Invert pan to release. Makes 7 large muffin-sized biscuits.

Corn Souffle
Erin Perez
1 can creamed corn
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp. garlic salt
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 350°. In a corningware dish, pour the vegetable oil in the dish and smear along the bottom and sides. Whisk the 2 eggs and then pour into the dish, then pour in the cornbread mix, creamed corn, garlic salt, and half of the package of cheese. Mix all together in the dish. Bake (uncovered) 45 minutes or until the center rises and is a golden color. Put the remaining cheese on top of the soufflé and put it back in the oven until the cheese is melted (about 5 minutes).

Creamy Potato Casserole
Courtney Gober
1 (2-lb.) pkg. frozen hash brown potatoes
1/3 c. chopped green onions
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 (10.75-oz.) can condensed cream of potato soup
¼ c. butter
2 c. sour cream
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. In a small pot, heat the soup, butter or margarine, and sour cream over low heat. Combine potatoes, green onions, and 1 c. cheese into large mixing bowl. Mix in the heated soup mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle one cup of cheese over the top of the casserole. Bake 30-45 minutes. Serve warm.

Golden’s Baked Beans
Mike Golden & Caryn Jenkins
This makes a good bit and is good to take to parties/potlucks.

16-oz. can of baked beans with no meat
1 lb. ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
¾ c. chili sauce
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs. brown sugar

Brown ground chuck in skillet, adding onions and garlic as the meat is cooking. In a large pot, heat baked beans on low-medium heat. Add browned meat, chili sauce, Worcestershire, and brown sugar to beans. Let beans simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Not Your Everyday Green Bean Casserole
John Sheffield
Mmmmmmm!
1 can French-style green beans
1 can shoepeg white corn (the secret ingredient) *must be shoepeg
1 can cream of mushroom soup or cream of celery soup
½ c. sour cream
½ c. grated cheddar cheese
1 tube Ritz crackers

Place beans and corn on bottom of baking dish. Mix sour cream, soup mix, and cheese together and pour on top of beans/corn. Pound tube of Ritz crackers into little pieces and place on top of dish. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Beef Stroganoff
Frazer Childs
I make this all the time and my friends do, now, too. It’s so good!
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg. sliced mushrooms
1 bunch of green onions
1 8-oz. container of sour cream
1 8-oz.(ish) jar of beef gravy
1 pkg. egg noodles
Brown meat with onions. Add mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are tender. Add sour cream and gravy. Heat until warm. Serve over noodles.

Black Bean Burrito Bake
Amanda Schalich
1 (6-oz.) can green chilis, chopped
½ c. sour cream
1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained
1 c. frozen whole kernel corn, thawed
4 (8”) flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1 c. bottled salsa
¾ - 1 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine sour cream and chilies in medium bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add corn and black beans to sour cream mixture. Spoon ½ c. bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas and place, seam side down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread salsa over tortillas; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Chicken Cutlet Parmesan
Beth Witengier
I stole this recipe from Martha Stewart – I love chick parm! Mark Strausman of the restaurant Campagna in New York City and Beth Witengier of Beth’s Chicken Parm Café promise that this fried chicken stays crispy even after it’s baked in the sauce.
3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 3-lbs), split and trimmed of fat
2 c. milk
4 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
6 large eggs, beaten
6 c. seasoned dry bread crumbs
Pinch of salt
½ c. extra-virgin olive oil
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 c. Tomato sauce (Beth’s Chicken Parm Café uses Newman’s Own Marinara Sauce)
½ lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (or prepackaged, preshredded mozzarella like Beth’s Chicken Parm Café)

Using a meat tenderizer or a heavy skillet, pound chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic until about ¼ inch thickness (seriously, do this…it makes a HUGE difference). Place milk, flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate shallow baking dishes (I recommend pie pans to avoid a big mess). Season the eggs with a pinch of salt. Dip each breast in the following order: milk, flour (shake off excess), eggs, and bread crumbs (press down firmly while coating w/bread crumbs).

In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil over med-high heat until sizzling. Arrange chicken breasts in pan without crowding, cooking in batches if necessary. Reduce heat and cook until golden brown and juices run clear when poked with fork, 3-to-5 minutes per side. Remove to a baking sheet lined with paper towels; pat off excess oil.
Place ½ c. of the warm tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Add 3 of the cooked breasts to the baking dish; cover with ½ c. of the tomato sauce and half the sliced mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and sauce, and top with mozzarella. Transfer to broiler and broil until cheese is melted and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the broiler and serve immediately.

OR

1-2 bottles of red wine
The number to your favorite pizza joint

Chicken Divan
Kendra Godbold
This is yummy with a salad and bread or all by itself!

1 whole fryer chicken or 4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped/deboned
2-3 cups broccoli (can substitute two cans of drained artichoke hearts), chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. curry powder (can sub nutmeg, but curry is best)
Seasoned bread crumbs
Cheddar cheese, grated

Mix soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and curry powder in a bowl. Mix chicken and broccoli or art hearts into the soup mixture. (If you don’t have enough mixture, add more mayo or another can of soup). Pour into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Completely cover the top of the dish with bread crumbs and sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes.

Chicken Enchilada Ring
Katie Monti
2 c. coarsely chopped chicken (about 12 oz.)
1 c. (4-oz.) shredded cheddar & Monterey jack cheese
1 can (4-oz.) chopped green chilies, undrained
½ c. sour cream
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
½ to ¾ c. salsa
1 clove fresh garlic
1 lime (optional)
2/3 c. crushed corn tortilla chips
2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 tomato
1 avocado
Salsa
Preheat oven to 375°. Mix together chicken, cheese, chilies, sour cream, and taco seasoning. Add salsa and mix. Crush tortilla chips and reserve 2 Tbs. Add the rest to the chicken filling. Mix well.

Sprinkle reserved chips on cutting board. Unroll crescent dough and press, sticky side down, into chips. (This step is optional). Tear rolls into triangles and place, chip side down, on a pizza stone in a circular sunflower pattern. Overlap wide ends (with the points of rolls hanging over the outside edge of the stone), leaving about a 5” diameter in center. Roll overlapping dough to flatten slightly.

Scoop filling into widest part of dough. Bring points of triangles over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. (Filling will not be completely covered). Bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

For garnish, cut a tomato into 8 wedges. Cut a lime into 4 slices and cut each in half. Arrange between openings of ring. Chop an avocado and serve wedges with sour cream and salsa.

Chili
Ben Riley
I saw Elvis at a truckstop off I-70, just East of Topeka, Kansas.
2 cans Bush’s Texas-style chili starter
¼ c. chopped onion
2 lbs. ground beef
1 can extra-hot Rotel (10-oz.) – diced tomatoes with peppers
2 cans mild Rotel (10-oz)
¼ cup leaded beer (not that watery stuff)
A few dashes of a hot sauce

Brown ground beef with ¼ cup of chopped onion. Drain. Add the cans of chili starter. Add entire can of extra-hot Rotel. Add a few dashes of hot sauce. Drain most of the liquid out of the cans of mild Rotel and add them. Add beer and stir. Let simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer, stirring occasionally for an additional 10 minutes or until chili is the desired thickness.
Serving suggestions: if you let it thicken enough, you can put the chili on soft flour taco shells and add sour cream, cheddar cheese, and choppeds green onion.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas
Robin Mason
1 T. butter or margarine
1 med. Onion, chopped
1 (4.5-oz.) can chopped green chilis, drained
1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, cut up, softened
3 ½ cups chopped cooked chicken breast
8 (8-oz.) flour tortillas
2 (8-oz.) pkgs. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 cups whipping cream

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat; add onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add green chilis, sauté for 1 minute. Stir in cream cheese and chicken, stirring constantly until cream cheese melts.

Spoon 2-3 T. chicken mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up and place, seam side down, in a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese and drizzle with whipping cream.

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings
Michael Carr

One large chicken (whole)
2 cans Hungry Jack biscuits (8-count)
Lots of pepper

Take whole chicken, empty out gizzards and liver, and wash. Rub with salt. Place in crock pot with one cup of water. Cook low 6 hours or high 4 hours. Take chicken out of pot to cool. Drain stock and pour drained stock back in crock pot. After chicken cools, debone and place meat in crock pot. Take biscuits, quarter them, and flake off two or three layers at a time, dropping them into the crock pot. Turn crock pot to low for about an hour. Pepper to taste.

Easy Gumbo
Mike Golden & Caryn Jenkins
1 box ZATARAIN’S gumbo mix w/rice
1-2 lbs. of shrimp or chicken
1 lb. smoked sausage (optional)
2 small packages of frozen okra
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 stalks of celery, chopped (optional)
Cayenne pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste

If using chicken, cut into cubes, salt and pepper, and stir-fry in a skillet with vegetable oil or canola oil. Drain when done. Then take a large saucepan and add 6 cups of water, meat, sausage, okra, onion, celery, and gumbo mix. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and (if you like it hot) add a few dashes of cayenne pepper and Tabasco. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

If you use shrimp or seafood, bring six cups of water to a boil and add seafood. Boil for 30 seconds, then add gumbo mix, sausage, onion, okra, celery. Stir, reduce heat, and (if you like it hot), add a few dashes of cayenne pepper and Tabasco. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Easy Salmon
Erin Walsh
This is the easiest and quickest thing in the world, and is unbelievably good!
2 4-oz. salmon fillets
1/3 pkg. dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
2 Tbs + 2 tsp. water
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/3 c. fresh sliced mushrooms
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly butter on 9 x 13-inch baking dish. In a cup, combine salad dressing mix, water, and lemon juice. Arrange salmon fillets in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Pour the water mixture over the top and place the sliced mushrooms over the salmon. Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes, basting with sauce. Can be served alone or with some angel hair pasta.

Flank Steak with Soy-Honey Marinade
Frances Riley

2 Flank steaks (about 3 ½ lbs. total), trimmed of fat.

Marinade:
½ c. low-salt soy sauce
½ c. rice vinegar
1/3 c. honey
2 tsp. ground pepper
3 Tbs. minced fresh ginger

Put the flank steaks in a large plastic Ziploc.
To make the marinade: combine the marinade ingredients in a 2-cup measuring cup. Pour out and reserve ½ cup of the marinade. Pour the remaining marinade over the flank steaks and seal the bag, pressing out any air. Set aside at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Fire up the grill and cook the flank steaks over hot coals. Cook to your desired way (I prefer rare). *Remember flank steaks aren’t too thick and don’t need much time on the gril.

Transfer steak to a carving board, then slice across the grain into slices. Serve immediately.
Ideas for serving: Some marinated kabobs with olive oil and whatever herbs you have. Wash down with a nice Ridge Zinfandel. Enjoy!

Fried Salmon Patties
Mike Golden & Caryn Jenkins
16-oz. can of pink salmon
1 large egg, beaten
¼ c. milk
½ c. flour
¾ c. vegetable or canola oil
Crumble salmon and mash the small bones up. Add egg and milk and mix well. Add flour and mix. Heat oil on medium and use a large spoon to drop mix into oil. Cook until golden brown, flipping with a spatula.

Grandma Angie’s Spaghetti & Meatballs
Angel & Patrick Williams

The Sauce
1 large can of tomato paste (18-oz)
1 small can tomato paste (6-oz)
3 large cans water + 2 small cans water
2 tsp. granulated garlic (you can also use fresh garlic, approx 1 tsp.)
½ to 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Approx. ½ onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
½ to 1 tsp. basil
1 packet sweet-n-low or equal, or 1 tsp. sugar

Begin by cooking the onion in extra virgin olive oil, in a nice big pot. Once onions are finished, then add the rest of the ingredients listed above. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes to 3 hours, stirring frequently. The longer the sauce cooks, the thicker it will become!

*The quantities of spices listed above make for a nice mild sauce. We prefer lots of spices, so I double all the spice quantities. Feel free to season to your own tastes!

The Meatballs
3 lbs. ground sirloin or lean ground beef
3 eggs
1 Tbs. salt, granulated garlic, onion powder, and black pepper
3 c. bread crumbs
1 to 2 c. water
2 Tbs. parsley
¾ c. Romano cheese

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Make sure the mix is wet; you may need to add a bit more water.

On medium heat, pour enough olive oil in a pan to cover the skillet bottom. Form meatballs and cook until browned. Check insides to be sure they are cooked. The leftover cooking oil is great to add a Tbs. to sauce for extra meaty flavor. Extra meatballs can be frozen. Add cooked meatballs to sauce to simmer and add flavor. Be careful not to break meatballs during stirring.

Serve with sauce & your favorite pasta. Some helpful hints during pasta cooking: add 1 Tbs. olive oil to water to keep pasta from sticking, and 1 tsp. salt to water to help boil.

Linguini del Mar
Tori Pater
An excerpt from my book Cooking with Booze, You Never Lose!

2 bottles white wine
2 cans clams (chopped, minced, whole, no matter)
½ lb. shrimp, peeled.
½ lb. clamari
Whatever other seafood is available…scallops, mussels, etc.
2-3 garlic cloves
Chopped onion
Healthy dashes of basil, oregano, black pepper
1 egg (optional)
Lemon (optional)
Parmesan cheese
Pasta

1. Open wine and pour glass for cook and assistant.
2. In saucepan, sauté garlic and chopped onions in a bit of oil
3. Open clam cans and add only clam juice to pan.
4. Dash spices in broth, simmer 5 minutes
5. Refill wine glasses.
6. Add seafood, increase heat (add lemon juice if desired)
7. When seafood appears cooked, add 1-2 cups of wine.
8. Reduce heat and simmer.
9. Refill wine glasses
10. For a thicker consistency, slowly stir in scrambled egg (optional – after broth has cooled a bit)
11. Mix with pasta, or serve over top with parmesan cheese.
12. Open next bottle of wine.

Mexican Pasta Toss
Elizabeth Bearden
8 oz. Ziti or any short pasta
1 can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 can Mexicorn (corn with red and green pepers), drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
½ c. sliced scallions
¼ c. shredded cheese with taco seasoning
2 Tbs. chopped cilantro

Cook pasta. In another pot, warm tomatoes, corn, black beans, scallions, and cilantro. Toss with pasta. Divide in 4 bowls and top with cheese. Great for leftovers! Try adding grilled chicken, too.

Pecan Chicken
Lisa Carr
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 Tbs. honey
4 Tbs. dijon mustard
¼ c. finely chopped pecans

Place chicken between 2 sheets of wax paper and flatten to ¼-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin (or you can pound with your fist like I did if you don’t have those things!). Stir together honey and Dijon; spread on both sides of chicken and dredge in pecans. Arrange in a lightly greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until done.

Poppyseed Chicken
Liza Walton & Beverly Langley each sent in this recipe
No one said this wasn’t fattening…

1 pkg. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 can cream of chicken soup
12-oz. sour cream
Dash of Tabasco sauce
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 stack Ritz crackers, crushed
Poppy seeds
1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine cooked and cubed chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, Tabasco, and lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a greased square Pyrex.

Crush Ritz crackers and sprinkle over casserole, then sprinkle poppy seeds on top. Pour the melted butter over the casserole. Bake for 30 minutes or until a bit browned on top and bubbling on the sides. Serve over yellow rice.

Red Bean and Spinach Burritos
Carmin Ogata
(I am also sending a recipe I found in Real Simple magazine. I’ve never made it, but it sounds awesome, so hopefully Clay will make it for me soon!)
8 flour tortillas
1 onion, finely chopped
3 Tbs. olive oil
3 c. cooked rice
1 15-oz. can pinto beans
½ tsp. kosher salt
3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1 8-oz. bag Monterey Jack
1 1-oz. bag pre-washed baby spinach

Wrap flour tortillas in aluminum foil and heat in a 350° oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté onion in olive oil over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add cooked rice, pinto beans, and salt and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro.

Divide the rice and bean mixture among the tortillas. Top each with some cheese and spinach. Serve with salsa or sour cream, if desired.

Szechuan Noodles
Fraser McKean

6 garlic cloves, chopped
¼ c. fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
½ c. vegetable oil
½ c. tahini (sesame paste)
½ c. smooth peanut butter
½ c. soy sauce
¼ c. dry sherry
¼ c. sherry vinegar
¼ c. honey
½ tsp. hot chili oil
2 Tbs. dark sesame oil



½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 lb. spaghetti
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
4 scallions, sliced diagonally (white & green parts)

Place the garlic and ginger in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the vegetable oil, tahini, peanut butter, soy sauce, sherry, sherry vinegar, honey, chili oil, sesame oil, and ground peppers. Puree the sauce. Add a splash of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook the spaghetti al dente. Drain the pasta in a colander, place it in a large bowl, and while still warm, toss with three-quarters of the sauce. Add the red and yellow bell peppers and scallions; toss well. Serve warm or at room temperature. The remaining sauce may be added, as needed, to moisten the pasta.

Spanish Ribs and Rice
Natalie Miranda
This is one of Craig’s favorites.
2 T. vegetable oil
1 ½ c. Long Grain rice
1 lb. small pearl onions
3 lbs. baby back ribs (halved)
4 c. chicken broth
2 tsp. salt (optional)
1 tsp. Thyme
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen peas
1 red pepper (optional)

Using a large, heavy sauté pan, toast rice in oil and remove, putting in the bottom of a casserole dish. Peel and split onions. Brown on both sides in the same pan as the rice, adding more oil if necessary. Remove and place on top of the rice in the casserole. Using the same pan, brown each side of the ribs and, again, place in the casserole on top of the onions and rice. Pour the chicken broth into the pan with the oil and rib drippings. Add salt, thyme, and pepper. Bring to a boil and pour over the items in the casserole.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350°. Stir the peas into the casserole and continue baking an additional 15 minutes.

While baking finishes, ‘roast’ the pepper over an open stove flame and place in a brown paper bag for 5 minutes. After cooling period, peel the skin off the pepper and slice lengthwise.

When casserole is complete, top with peppers and serve.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts w/Artichoke Hearts and Goat Cheese
Erin Walsh
This sounds more difficult than it really is. I mean, come on, I can make it. It is generally my “signature dish” and make it when I have company. Everyone asks for the recipe or they ask me to teach others how to do it.
2 tsp. olive oil, divided
¾ c. artichoke hearts, chopped
¼ c. crumbled goat or feta cheese (can use more)
1 tsp. thyme
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
4 4-oz. skinned, boneless chicken breasts
1 c. fat-free chicken broth
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. corn starch
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Heat 1 tsp. oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add artichokes & sauté 4 minutes. Remove from pan; cool. Stir in cheese, ½ tsp. thyme, 1/8 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each breast half to form a pocket. Stuff 2 Tbs. artichoke mixture into each pocket. (I usually overstuff the chicken and have to keep them closed with toothpicks while I do the next step). Heat 1 tsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, and sprinkle with 1/8 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Saute 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan; keep warm. Add ½ tsp. thyme and broth to pan; bring to a boil. Combine juice and cornstarch; add to broth mixture, stirring with a whisk. Cook 1 minute or until thick. Return chicken to pan; cover and cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Swiss Chicken Casserole
Lisa Armstrong
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into big pieces
6 slices Swiss cheese
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
¼ c. white wine
1 (8-oz.) pkg. dry bread stuffing mix
½ c. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange chicken breasts in the baking dish. Place one slice of Swiss cheese on top of each chicken breast. Combine cream of chicken soup and wine in a medium bowl, and pour over chicken breasts. Sprinkle with stuffing mix. Pour melted butter over top, and cover with foil. Bake 50 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Tater-Tot Casserole
Scotty Winn
1 lb. ground beef
1 bag tater tots
2 cans cream of celery soup
½ c. chopped fresh celery
½ c. chopped white onion (optional)
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese
1 pinch black pepper
(Fresh mushrooms and cream of mushroom soup may be substituted for fresh celery and cream of celery soup).

Preheat oven to 400°. Brown ground beef. Mix beef, soup, chopped celery, onions, and black pepper in a bowl. Spread mixture into a casserole dish. Sprinkle top of mixture with a thin layer of cheese. Cover top of casserole with a layer of Tots, evenly distributed. Bake on bottom oven rack at 400° for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle top with another layer of cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.

“Better Than Sex” Cake
Lara Armstrong

1 pkg. German chocolate cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar caramel sauce
1 jar butterscotch sauce
1 pkg. heath bars, crushed
1 tub Cool Whip

Bake cake according to directions. Let cool ½ hour. Poke holes on top. Pour milk and sauces over cake (you don’t have to use the whole jars). Cool in fridge for about 2 hours. Spread Cool Whip over cake and sprinkle Heath bits on top.

Buckeyes
Elizabeth Bearden
A great, no-bake treat!
2 sticks softened butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
2 c. peanut butter
2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 bag chocolate chips

Mix softened butter and sugar. Add peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs and mix until thoroughly combined. Add a dash of vanilla and mix well. Roll into 1-inch balls and freeze. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler (or in a microwave is even easier). Dip half of each frozen peanut butter ball into the chocolate covering and refrigerate. Serve cool or room temperature.

Cheesecake
Frances Riley
¼ lb. finely ground blanched almonds*
4 8-oz. pkgs. Cream cheese
½ c. heavy cream
1 ½ c. sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325°. Generously butter an 8x3-inch round cake pan and dust with ground almonds. In an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, cream, and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and beat again. Mix in the zests and vanilla. Pour into the prepared pan and place this pan in a slightly larger pan. Pour boiling water into the larger pan to come to 2/3 up the side of the cake pan. Bake until firm, approx. 2 hours, adding more boiling water when necessary. Turn off the oven, open the door, and let the cake sit until cooled. Invert onto a platter. Garnish with whatever, but best if eaten as is.

*You can use crumbled graham crackers if you don’t like almonds.

For entertaining, pour batter into muffin pan and make individual cheesecakes.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Anna Faye Sturm
½ c. butter, melted (1 stick)
¾ c. + 2 Tbs. sugar
1 egg, at room temp.
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
¾ c. + 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. + 1 tsp. cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
2/3 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease 2 cookie sheets. In a large bowl, thoroughly cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until fully combined. In another mixing bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients except chocolate chips, and add to butter mixture. Stir until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips until fully and evenly mixed into dough.
Scoop rounded Tbs. of dough onto prepared cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.
Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned and center of cookies spring back from gentle pressure.

Natalie Miranda
A yummy, classic dessert. Craig will tell you it doesn’t have enough chocolate, though!
2 cups heavy cream
8 egg yolks
¼ c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Sugar in the Raw

Heat cream and vanilla to almost a simmer (when bubbles start to appear, turn off stove). In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar, then slowly add hot cream mixture a little at a time. When all the cream has been added, transfer the mixture into 6-oz. custard cups and set them on a sheet pan. Set the pan in a 250° oven and add water to the bottom of the pan.

Bake for about an hour or until center slightly quivers when shaken. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, sprinkle sugar in the raw and, with a torch, heat sugar until it caramelizes on top.

Thad Jackson
1 9” graham cracker pie crust
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks
½ c. Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice
Combine condensed milk, egg yolks, and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Pour filling into pie crust and bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Allow to stand for 10 minutes, then refrigerate. Just before serving, top with freshly whipped cream and garnish with lime slices.

Key Lime Pie
Molly Havig
This is my variation of a “real” key lime pie. It’s my specialty in pies because you don’t need to make a real pie crust, which I’ve always found daunting. Plus, everyone likes it! For me, the tarter the better! Make this pie with real key lime juice, and then you can choose between the traditional topping of meringue or the nouveau cream.
Crust
1 ¼ c. graham cracker crumbs (about 9 crackers)
2 Tbs. sugar
5 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press mixture evenly onto bottom and sides of a 9-inch glass pie plate. Bake in middle of oven 10 minutes and cool in pie plate on rack. Leave oven on.
Filling
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
4 large egg yolks (save whites for meringue)
½ c. + 2 Tbs. fresh key lime juice
Whisk together condensed milk and yolks in a bowl until combined well. Add juice and whisk until combined well (mixture will thicken slightly). Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes. Cool pie completely on rack (filling will set as it cools), then chill, covered, at least 8 hours.
Topping (meringue)
4 egg whites
½ c. sugar
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
Beat egg whites in arge bowl of electric mixer until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar; beat until stiff, about 5 minutes. Spoon meringue atop pie, mounding in center and spreading completely to edge. Swirl meringue decoratively, creating pointy tips. Chill until serving or put in freezer about ½ hour.
Topping (cream)Just before serving, beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixture until it just holds stiff peaks. Serve pie topped with cream.

Cynthia Maillet
1 pkg. (24 oz.) Quaker Oat Squares cereal
2 c. pecan pieces
¾ c. light corn syrup
¾ c. firmly packed brown sugar
¾ stick margarine or butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
Preheat oven to 250°. Combine cereal and pecans in long dish. Set aside. Combine corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter in a microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 1 ½ minute; stir, microwave 1 minute more or until boiling. Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. baking soda. Pour over cereal mixture; stir to coat. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Spread out to cool.

Julie Cutler
I’ve been eating this cake since I was old enough to eat cake!
2 c. sugar
¾ c. butter
2 eggs
½ c. cocoa (unsweetened)
2 ½ c. flour
1 c. milk
1 ½ tsp. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. boiling water

Preheat oven to 350°. Cream together sugar and butter. Cream eggs in. Cream cocoa in. Cream flour in (will be dry). Mix together, in a separate container, vinegar and milk. Add to the mix, a little at a time. Add each other thing – salt, vanilla, baking powder, and baking soda. Last – add boiling water. Bake right away, for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Lara Armstrong
I got this from a friend’s sister, and they are the best sugar cookies I’ve ever had!
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg
2 ½ c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbs. orange juice
1 Tbs. vanilla

In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well. Add flour/baking powder mixture a little at a time. Combine OJ and vanilla, and add to the mixture. Mix well. Chill dough, then roll out and cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Bake 6-10 minutes at 400°, until cookies are golden around the edges.
I usually then frost them – sometimes with an icing made of powdered sugar, milk, and a little vanilla (just play around until it’s the consistency you want), and sometimes with cake frosting when I’m feeling lazy.