Breaded Pork Chops

 

Printable Recipe

So easy and so moist! I didn't really follow any recipe and didn't measure anything, either, but I'll give you approximate amounts. I used plain bread crumbs, but next time I will use Italian bread crumbs for the added flavor. If you're able, bake them on a rack in a roasting pan so they will brown on both sides and remain crisp.

6 - 7 boneless pork chops, about 1/2" thick
1/2 cup flour (or more, if needed) seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika
3 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 - 2 cups dry bread crumbs (I used plain, but net time will try Italian bread crumbs - I might even add some Italian seasoning to the bread crumbs, as well)


a little olive oil


On a plate, mix together the flour,salt, pepper and paprika. Set aside. Beat together the eggs and milk in a shallow, large bowl and set aside.  Place the dry bread crumbs on another plate and set aside.

Dredge the pork chops in the seasoned flour, coating both sides well. Dip in the egg mixture, coating both sides then dip them in the dry bread crumbs, coating both sides well.

Fry the pork chops in a little bit of oil in a heated skillet, just until browned on both sides. This will only take a few minutes. Place the chops on a rack in a roasting pan and bake 375° for about 15 - 18 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle. The thickness of your chops will determine how long they need to bake. Turn them over halfway through baking so both sides brown evenly.

Spice Cake with Spiced Vanilla Buttercream

This is a dense and spicy cake that is so good! It is somewhat a lengthy process to make, but it is so worth it! You can top it with a cream cheese frosting, or use a regular Vanilla Buttercream as I've done below.

 

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Printable Recipe


Cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the pan
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
16 tbsp butter (2 sticks), divided
1/2 tsp baking pwd
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp table salt
2 large eggs, plus 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1  3/4 (12 1/4 oz) granulated sugar
2 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp grated fresh peeled gingerroot
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13" pan. Combine the spices in a small bowl and reserve 1/2 tsp for the frosting.

Heat 4 tbsp of the butter in a small skillet or saucepan over medium heat until melted. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter is lightly browned and has a faint nutty aroma, about a couple of minutes. Add the spices and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 15 seconds. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Whisk flour, baking pwd, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In another bowl, gently whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and vanilla and set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the remaining 12 tbsp butter with the sugar and molasses at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add the cooled butter and spice mixture, grated ginger, and half of egg mixture; mix for about 15 seconds. Add the remaining egg mixture and beat for another 15 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl.

On low speed, add one-third of flour mixture and half of the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated, about 5 seconds. Add half of the remaining flour mixture, with remaining buttermilk and mix until incorporated, another 5 seconds. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix for about 15 seconds. Fold batter once or twice with a rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour.

Pour batter in prepared pan and run a knife through the batter  and then lightly tap bottom of pan on counter-top a few times, to remove any air bubbles.

Bake 130 degrees, about 32-37 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake on a wire rack and frost.

Frosting 
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups pwd sugar
reserved spice mixture
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp milk or more, if needed

With an electric mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add the pwd sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.

If you prefer a Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
5 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/4 cups pwd sugar
reserved spice mixture
1/2 tsp vanilla

With an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese until smooth, then add the butter and beat until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients, beating until smooth.

Overnight French Toast Ham (and Cheese) Sandwiches

Printable Recipes

These sandwiches are so easy to make and are pretty versatile as well. You can add cheese, sliced tomatoes, anything that you like! Make as many or as few of these as you need to.

4 slices bread
softened butter
thinly sliced ham (I use ham from the deli)
thinly sliced cheese, any kind, optional
2 or 3 eggs (I use about 1 egg per sandwich, adding one extra egg for every two sandwiches being made. Sometimes I use 2 eggs per sandwich, depending on the size of the bread slices)
2 to 3 tbsp milk (just eye-ball it, about 1 tbsp per egg)
a little salt

Butter one side of each slice of bread, like you would for a grilled cheese sandwich. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. You don't want a lot of extra space between the sandwiches, so make sure you use a small enough baking dish. Place the bread buttered sides down, and place the sliced ham on top of the bread, and then top with the other slices of bread, buttered sides up. In a bowl, beat the eggs and milk and salt together and pour over the sandwiches. Cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until browned, about 30 - 35 minutes. I usually flip the sandwiches over halfway through baking so they brown evenly on both sides. Serve with maple syrup.

Lemon Sugar Cookies

So it gas been a very long time since I've last posted. That's what happens when life suddenly gets so busy! Hopefully I will be able to post more often from here on out.

Printable Recipe 

These are very good. The dough is somewhat dry and crumbly when you are making them, so you wouldn't want to leave the dough in the refrigerator, but once baked, they are a crunchy cookie. A nice twist on the traditional sugar cookie.

Cream:
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, softened

Add:
3 egg yolks, one at a time and blend well
2 tsp pure lemon extract

Stir in:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp salt

Mix well. Roll into balls the size of a walnut and roll in sugar. Bake on parchment-lined cookie sheets at 300 about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Lemon Pork Chops

These pork chops are so moist and flavorful, with the addition of a lemon slice on top of each chop as it bakes. Be sure to save the juices that develop when they are done baking, and add it to the packet of gravy that you will make. You can certainly make a gravy from scratch, but for the sake of convenience, I use a gravy packet.

Brown the pork chops in a hot skillet in a little olive oil. Brown them well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Place in a lightly greased 9 x 13" pan and top, in this order, with a thin slice of onion, a thin slice of lemon, 1 tbsp of brown sugar, and 1 tbsp of ketchup.

Bake the pork chops at 350 degrees, covered, for 30 minutes and then another 30 minutes, uncovered. Place the chops on a plate or in another pan.

See those wonderful juices? Save them, because they are very, very flavorful! I even put some extra onion and lemon slices next to the pork chops before baking, so I had even extra juices. I didn't end up using all the juice in the gravy, because it would have made the gravy too thin.

Prepare the gravy mix according to package directions and add some of the extra juice leftover from the pork chops. I made only one gravy packet.

Voila! A delicious meal!


Printable Recipe

4 pork loin chops, boneless - 3/4" thick  
The chops I used were an inch thick, at least
4 thin slices onion
4 thin slices lemon
4 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp ketchup

a little olive oil
salt and pepper

1 packet of McCormick Pork gravy mix

Brown the pork chops in a heated skillet in a little bit of olive oil. Brown them well on both sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Place in a lightly greased 9x13" pan. In this order, top each chop with a thin slice of onion, then a thin slice of fresh lemon, then 1 tbsp brown sugar, and finally, 1 tbsp ketchup. Cover pan loosely with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove the pork chops to another plate and save the juices.

Prepare a packet of Pork gravy according to package directions. Add as much of the juices to the gravy as you would like.

Classic Cake Doughnuts

I have been making these doughnuts for about 38 years, every year, for Christmas morning! I started out by helping my mother when I was 10 years old, then somewhere along the way I took over making them all together. I've made them ever since - although I may have bowed out making them the year I had my first baby, since he was born on December 8th. We used a different recipe in the beginning, but I like this one better. I usually make a quadruple batch, and have enough left over to freeze and to enjoy for a few weeks after Christmas.

A few tips I've found over the years is that they are so much easier to make when using an electric deep fryer, rather than a pan on top of the stove. Using a deep fryer makes it much easier to regulate the temperature of the oil throughout the cooking process.. You want to make sure you put the doughnuts in the oil when it is at 375 degrees. If the oil is too cool, they will absorb too much oil. If the oil is too hot, they will brown too quickly on the outside and be doughy on the inside. Be sure to roll out the dough as directed, at a 1/2" thickness. You don't want the dough too thin, or too thick.

I cut out a bunch at a time and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I use parchment paper as opposed to waxed paper, because the dough will end up sticking to the waxed paper. However, if you do use waxed paper, sprinkle it with a little flour first. When you drop them into the hot oil, be sure not to get too much of the flour in the oil, otherwise the flour will accumulate at the bottom of the fryer and burn.

I use canola oil to fry them. I used to use shortening, but I like using canola oil better. In mixing the dough, I mix together a double batch at a time. Then if making a quadruple batch, I change the oil after finishing the first double batch. Otherwise, the oil gets too many burned bits in it and is difficult to continue using. This year though, I only made a triple batch and I did not change out the oil. I just had to add a little bit of oil towards the end, and it was ok. When you take the doughnuts out of the hot oil, drain them on paper towels.

When I serve them, I keep bowls of powdered sugar, and a mixture of sugar and cinnamon alongside for rolling them in.

 Here are the steps:

Mix together the dry ingredients.

Mix together the liquid ingredients.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and mix in the liquid ingredients. Mix with a large spoon, just until dry ingredients are moistened. Chill dough while you bring the oil up to temperature.

Take out a portion of the dough and on a floured surface, sprinkle the dough lightly with flour and knead the dough for a minute or two.

Roll out into a 1/2" thickness.

Using a doughnut cutter, cut out the doughnuts.

Place on a tray lined with parchment paper.

Fry the doughnut holes for about 2 minutes, or a little longer, at a temperature of 375 degrees. While they are in the oil, turn with a slotted metal spoon. In my fryer, I do a total of 12 doughnut holes at a time.

Fry the doughnuts for 1 1/2 minutes per side, for a total of 3 minutes. In my fryer, I fry four doughnuts at a time.

Drain on paper towels.

If desired, roll them in powdered sugar, or a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Store the doughnuts in a covered container or plastic ziplock bags.

Printable Recipe

This recipe is for a single batch.

4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup margarine or butter, melted, or 1/4 cup oil (I use butter)
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, beaten

oil for deep frying (I use canola oil)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking pwd, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.  Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the oil for frying, just until dry ingredients are moistened. If desired, refrigerate the dough for easier handling.

Fill a large saucepan or electric skillet 2/3 full with oil. Heat to 375°. On a floured surface, knead the dough for 1 -2 minutes, or until no longer sticky. Roll out half the dough at a time to a 1/2" thickness; cut with doughnut cutter. With a metal spatula, slip the doughnuts into the hot oil. Fry doughnuts and holes 1 to 1  1/2 minutes on each side, or until deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels. If desired, roll doughnuts in powdered sugar or granulated sugar, cinnamon-sugar mixture, or drizzle with a glaze.

Makes about 30 doughnuts

Colonial Easy Cookies

Printable Recipe

I don't know if this recipe really dates back to the Colonial times but without the addition of an egg, they make a very crisp cookie. They're very good.

2 cups butter (you may use half margarine, if you desire)
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
4 cups oatmeal

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the flour and soda. Stir in the oatmeal. You may have to stir in the last bit of oatmeal with a spoon, unless you have a powerful mixer. Dough will be very thick. Roll into 1" balls and bake on ungreased cookie sheets, 350 degrees for 10 - 13 minutes or until lightly browned. These cookies will flatten themselves. If you want to add peanuts, just press a few onto the top of the rolled ball of dough, since they are a little on the crumbly side before baking.

Let cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Stuffed Pasta Shells

This is one of my son's favorite meals. It's a little putsy to make, but it is very good and worth the effort.

 

Printable Recipe

1 (12-oz) box jumbo pasta shells

1 pound hamburger

chpd onion (optional)

1/2 cup dry Italian-seasoned bread crumbs

1 or 2 eggs, beaten (recipe only calls for one egg, but I like to add two)

2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

2 (15-oz) jars spaghetti sauce (I use Ragu that I doctor up with seasonings and a little sugar)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta shells according to package directions, making sure they aren't undercooked, drain. Brown the hamburger and onion together in a skillet, drain. Place the hamburger mixture into a bowl and let cool slightly. Add the bread crumbs and Mozzarella cheese. Mix together until well combined. Add the egg(s) and stir until well combined. Pour one of the jars of spaghetti sauce into a greased 9x13" pan. Stuff the pasta shells with the hamburger mixture. You will need approximately 1-2 tbsp per shell. Place stuffed shells in the pan over the sauce. Stuff all the shells, and if you have any of the hamburger mixture leftover, loosely form into meatballs and stuff in and around the shells. Pour the other jar of spaghetti sauce over all and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees, for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and cheese has melted and browned.

Brown Sugar-Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Little Smokies

Ok, for lack of a better title for this recipe, I'll just name them this. These were made by my sister, for a family get-together. They are very tasty, and they couldn't be any simpler to make. They go fast, so you will probably want to double the recipe.

Printable Recipe

1 pkg Hillshire Farms Beef Little Smokies (you can use any brand, and any flavor)
1 pound maple bacon (you can use any brand, and any flavor)
brown sugar (you'll get an even more molasses-y flavor if you use dark brown sugar)

Cut bacon in thirds, cross-wise and wrap a one-third slice around each little smokie and secure with a toothpick. Roll in brown sugar. Place in a baking dish, and bake 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

These dessert bars are wonderful! Everyone loves them. You could easily use whatever sort of pie filling you'd like. It is best to make this the day before you serve it, so that the cheesecake softens and mellows in flavor. Believe me, it will make a big difference! The original recipe is called a tart, so its filling is very thin. I always double the filling ingredients, and once I even tripled it, which just made it all the more delicious, but usually, I just double it. What is listed below is the doubled version.

It is very simple to make and doesn't take all that long!

Pat your graham cracker crust in a  greased 9 x 13" pan and set aside. I lined the pan with parchment paper because the pan is scratched up. It's not necessary and not something I usually do, but it turns out that I liked it better with the pan lined, so I will probably do so next time. But do as you wish.

Beat together your filling and pour over the crust. Bake until filling is set and top is lightly browned. Cool. When it comes out of the oven, it will be real puffed up, but then will deflate as it cools.

Top with pie filling.

Spread Cool Whip on top and refrigerate. Store in the refrigerator.

Printable Recipe

Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup pwd sugar


Mix together in a bowl and pat into a greased 9 x 13" pan. You may line the pan with parchment paper if you wish. What I did was to spray the pan with Pam first, line the pan, then spray the parchment with Pam again. Set pan aside while you prepare the filling.

Filling
2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Topping
1 can Blueberry Pie Filling (you may use whatever flavor you wish - lemon should be real good, though I haven't tried it yet)
1 (12-oz) container of Cool Whip

Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, beating until smooth, again. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until thoroughly combined. Pour over the graham cracker crust. Bake 375 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, or until filling has set and top is lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack. Top with the pie filling, spreading to the edges of pan. Top right away with the Cool Whip, also spreading to the edges of the pan. Refrigerate. Store in the refrigerator. This is best made the day before serving.

Apple Pie Bars

Being a cold and snowy day, it was perfect weather for making pie. That, and the fact that I have an abundance of apples in my refrigerator. I decided that rather than making traditional pie, I'd make it into bars. I am lousy at making pie crust (which is why I don't make pie very often), and while the crust doesn't look pretty, it sure is tender, flaky and delicious! The glaze is optional.

 Printable Recipe

This comes from my Betty Crocker cookbook.

Pastry
1  1/3 cups shortening
3  1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
8 - 9 tbsp cold water

Filling
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp ground nutmeg ( I added additional nutmeg to taste)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
dash salt
8 cups thinly sliced pared, tart apples (about 7 medium)

3 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces (do this when you add the apples to the pastry)

Glaze
3/4 cup pwd sugar
about 1 tbsp milk
might be good to add a splash of maple extract


Heat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt, and then add the apples, stirring until combined. Set aside.

For the Pastry, combine the flour and salt and cut in the shortening until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in the water, 1 tbsp at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans the side of the bowl.1 - 2 tsp of water can be added, if necessary. Shape into a ball and divide in half.

Shape each pastry half into a flattened round on a lightly floured surface. Using a flour-covered rolling pin, roll first round into a rectangle, 18x13". Fold pastry in fourths; unfold and ease into an ungreased jelly roll pan,
15 1/2x10 1/2".

Roll second pastry round into a rectangle, 17x12". Fold into fourths, and cut a few slits into the edges so that steam can escape. Pour prepared apples into the pastry-lined pan. Dot with the 3 tbsp butter. Top with the other pastry crust with the slits. Seal and flute the edges.

Bake 425 degrees for about 35-40 minutes until crust is golden brown and juices from the apples begin to bubble through the slits in the crust.

For the Glaze, combine the pwd sugar and milk until desired consistency, and drizzle over the crust.

New York-Style Crumb Cake

This recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated. I made only a few adjustments to it. The directions say to be sure to use cake flour, or else it will turn out too dry. It only is enough to make a 9" cake pan, so it was almost completely gone after we ate. (We had "breakfast" for dinner!) It's good enough that I'm tempted to make another one, tomorrow morning!

Printable Recipe

Crumb Topping
8 tbsp butter, melted and still warm
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar (I used light brown sugar)
3/4 tsp cinnamon (I used 1 tsp, but you could even add a little more)
1/8 tsp salt
1  3/4 cups cake flour
I sprinkled on some nutmeg, when I put the crumb topping on the cake batter

Cake
1  1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool - not melted at all
1/3 cup buttermilk or plain low-fat yogurt (I used buttermilk)
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract

For The Topping:
Whisk the butter, sugars, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl. Stir in the flour until completely incorporated; set aside to cool to room temperature, 10 - 15 minutes.


For The Cake:
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8" square pan with foil, allowing extra foil to hang over the edges of the pan. Lightly coat the foil with vegetable oil spray.
(I skipped the foil step, and obviously, I used a round cake pan ... my square pan is in storage. I must say that I did have a little trouble getting the first piece out of the pan, but that could have been because I did not cool it as long as it says to later on in the directions. So you may want to do the step with the foil.)

Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until completely combined. With an electric mixer on low speed, add the butter 1 piece at a time, beating until the mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no visible chunks of butter remaining, 1 - 2 minutes. Add the buttermilk, egg, egg yolk and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until batter is light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping sides down as needed.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Break the crumb topping (Which will probably be somewhat hardened at this point, but that is ok) into large pea-sized pieces and spread in an even layer over the batter beginning with the edges and then working toward the center. (There was so much crumb topping, I had to do almost a double layer of it; but that's not a bad thing!) Just be sure not to press the topping down into the batter. I sprinkled the crumb topping with nutmeg.

Bake at 325 degrees until the crumbs are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 - 40 minutes. Cool the cake on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, remove from pan by lifting the foil extensions. Dust with pwd sugar just before serving.

Ginger Bars

This recipe is adapted from Fine Cooking. They can be dusted with pwd sugar, or frosted with a Royal Icing. The day I made these happened to be very humid, so the icing never did properly set up. Still, I'm not entirely sure that is the type of icing I was going after. What I was trying for, is the type of frosting that you find on ginger cookies sold at a bakery, but I'm not exactly sure what sort of icing that is. You know, something that hardens? What I'm thinking of is a little sweeter and doesn't taste so much of meringue. Anyways, next time, I will probably use this recipe for the glaze, unless someone can give me a recipe for what it is I'm looking for.

I added extra spices to the bars, and you could probably up the spices even a little more. I'm not a huge fan of honey and I wondered if it would overpower the bars, so I cut down in the amount called for and added an extra 1/2 of a tbsp of sugar. The honey didn't overpower the bars, but I could still taste it. Perhaps next time I might cut down in it even some more. Still though, they turned out very well and were nearly all eaten that night!

2 cups flour
2 3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
13 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/3 cups plus 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp molasses
4 tsp honey
2 extra-large eggs

pwd sugar for sprinkling

Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, and salt in a bowl. Mix well and set aside. In another bowl, cream the butter, sugar, molasses and honey for 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and beat on low speed, until just blended. Spread into a greased 9 x 13" pan and bake, 350 degrees, for 23-25 minutes until the edges just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan, on a wire rack. Dust with pwd sugar, or frost with icing of your choice.

As I said, I used a Royal Icing, made from Meringue Powder, following the directions on the side of can. Just be aware that if it is humid, it probably will not properly set up. It will still taste good, but it won't completely harden.

Chex Mix

Printable Recipe

My kids love this stuff! I usually only make it around this time of the year, because that is when the cereal is on sale. Even when I make a triple batch, it doesn't even last a day. I make it in a huge roasting pan, and you'd think it would be enough to last forever, but not in my house! I do not add the pretzels or peanuts, even though I included them in the recipe. I do add a little extra of the Worcestershire sauce and the salt.

3x's              2x's          1x   
1 1/2 cups     1 cup        1/2 cup   butter
9 tbsp           6 tbsp       3 tbsp      Worcestershire sauce
6 tsp             3 tsp         2 tsp        (rounded tsp's) seasoned salt (Lawry's)
9 cups           6 cups      3 cups     Wheat Chex cereal
9 cups           6 cups      3 cups     Rice Chex cereal
9 cups           6 cups      3 cups     Corn Chex cereal
3 cups           2 cups      1 cup       broken pretzels
3 cups           2 cups      1 cup       salted peanuts


Preheat the oven to 250°. Melt the butter in a large roasting pan in the oven. Add the Worcestershire sauce and seasoned salt to the pan and stir until combined. Add the cereals, pretzels and nuts and stir until thoroughly coated. Bake 250° for 50 - 60 minutes, stirring every 10 - 15 minutes. Let cool and store in a covered container.

Chicken and Dumplings

I went to Trader Joe's for the first time ever, today. My sister took me there. I have to say, I love that store! I had always thought it was a real specialty, very expensive store, but I discovered that the prices are really not bad at all! They have some great-looking stuff there. I haven't had a chance to try most of what I bought yet, but my sister vouches for all of it. This story doesn't have too much to do with this recipe, other than I bought the broth there and the chicken, as well. While this recipe is a little putzy to make, it is delicious and well worth the trouble! I think the key is in using organic chicken and organic chicken broth. For ease, use canned biscuits for the dumplings. In my opinion, Chicken and Dumplings is the very definition of good, old-fashioned comfort food!

Printable Recipe

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (as I said, I think using organic is better)
small amount of canola oil
4 cups chicken broth (this is the brand I used - normally, I'd use Swanson's low-sodium brand, but I like the Pacific brand, better)
2 cups water
1 carrot, peeled and cut in thirds
1 rib celery, washed and cut in thirds
a small chunk of onion
5 tbsp butter
5 tbsp flour
1/2 to 1 full can Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup, optional
rubbed sage, to taste
poultry seasoning, to taste
1 can Pillsbury buttermilk Grand's biscuits (you won't need the entire can)

In a non-stick skillet, lightly sear the chicken breasts in the oil. In a pot, bring the chicken broth and water to a boil. Add the chicken, carrot, celery, and onion. Bring back to a boil and the cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken and place in a bowl and cover. After they have briefly cooled, cut into chunks and set aside. Discard the vegetables. Bring the broth back to a boil and allow to reduce to 4 -5 cups.

Meanwhile, make a roux of the butter and flour. In a large skillet, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and stir to mix thoroughly. Continue to stir over low to medium heat, for about 5 minutes or until it is a deep golden brown color. You want the flour to thoroughly cook through. It may not be easy to tell by the photo, but it should be about this color:

It will take a while to begin to brown, but once it starts, it will brown very quickly, so stir constantly and keep a close eye on it. When it has sufficiently browned, gradually stir in the broth. The roux may seize up as you add the broth, but it will smooth out as you bring it back to a boil. Season with sage and poultry seasoning. Add salt and pepper, if desired. If you want a thicker gravy, add a couple of heaping tbsp of the Cream of Chicken soup - up to an entire can. You do not need to add milk or water to the soup, just add the soup to the gravy. Season again, if needed.

Open the can of biscuits and cut into quarters, eighths, or even smaller is you want. The key is in not overcrowding the pan. You might only need a little more than half the can. The biscuits will puff up a lot as the cook and if you overcrowd the pan, they will not cook all the way through. If that does happen though, you may pop the pan in the oven at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes or so, to help cook them through and lightly brown them.  Otherwise, simmer dumplings in the gravy, uncovered for 10 minutes, then cover pan and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Then, if needed, pop in the oven for about 5 minutes, if desired, to finish cooking them or to brown them.

To serve, place some of the chicken in a bowl and cover with the dumplings and gravy. You could also add the chicken to the gravy just before adding the biscuits, but you don't want to dry out the chicken while the biscuits (dumplings) cook.

Frankly, I have never had much success in cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts, without drying them out. That's why I think the organic chicken helps. If any of you have any advice on how to cook them so that they are tender and juicy, please let me know!

Breakfast Pizza

Printable Recipe

 I started making this about 23 years ago, and I made it quite often when my kids were younger. I haven't made it in years ... it was just one of those recipes you sort of forget about, but I'm not sure why. It is very quick and easy to make and it's very good. I know the bacon on the side is a little overkill, and this would be a perfect combination served with blueberry muffins - I just didn't have enough time to make the muffins when I made this. Served with orange juice, and coffee and you have the perfect breakfast or brunch. I probably overcooked this a little bit, so the cheese doesn't have to look as golden brown as it does in the picture when you make it! :]

1 (8-oz) container Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 (10-oz) pkg sausage links (I use Banquet's Brown 'N Serve, Original flavor), cooked according to pkg directions and sliced*
4 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded or sliced
4 oz Cheddar or Colby (I used a whole 8-oz pkg of shredded Co-Jack cheese - original recipe calls for all Monterey Jack cheese. I  have always done half Monterey Jack and half Cheddar or Colby)

4 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Generously grease a 9 x 13" pan and lay the crescent rolls flat, pressing the seams together. Layer on the sausages, and then the cheese. Beat together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over all and bake 425 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes, or until cooked through and cheese is melted and browned. Do not overbake.

*This would be good with a bulk Italian sausage, browned. You can use any sausage you want, really.

Pumpkin Bars

Printable Recipe

This is the perfect time of year for these moist and delicious bars! 

4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1 (15 - oz) can pumpkin puree
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking pwd
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, oil and sugar. Mix well. Beat in the pumpkin. In another large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, stirring to mix well. Gradually beat into pumpkin mixture in 3 or 4 batches. Pour into a greased jelly roll pan. Bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and frost.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
6 tbsp butter, softened
4 cups pwd sugar
1 tbsp milk, or more if needed to make into a spreading consistency
1 tsp vanilla

Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter, beating again until smooth. Gradually add the pwd sugar and milk, beating until you reach the desired consistency. Add the vanilla and mix well. Spread on cooled bars. Store in the refrigerator.

Nut Goodie Bars

These are the bars that gave me the nickname of "The Sugar Queen". After reading the recipe you'll probably be able to tell why. However, in my defense: I only make them once or twice a year, they make a huge amount since I cut them very small, and I make them at Christmas-time to give away as gifts. They're always appreciated ... or at least I'm told so! They taste pretty close to the real thing, too! Just in case you're thinking "No way, could I use that much pwd sugar in the filling!" ~ you can use less, and I have; it will be softer, is all. So feel free to adapt this recipe as you see fit. Oh, and you can easily make these without the nuts, too, as seen in the bars pictured on the right.

 

Printable Recipe

1 (12-oz) pkg milk chocolate chips ... I use 2 pkgs of chocolate chips

1 (12-oz) pkg butterscotch chips ... I use 2 pkgs of butterscotch chips

1/2 cup peanut butter ... I use up to 1 cup since I'm using more chocolate and butterscotch chips

2 cups salted peanuts

Filling

1 cup butter

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 (3-oz) pkg Cook & Serve vanilla pudding mix, NOT instant

2 lbs (7 1/2 cups) pwd sugar (may use less - in fact, I always use much less and prefer it that way- I'd say I use a good 2 cups less - use your judgement)

1 tsp vanilla (I use maple flavoring, and often will double the amount)

Butter a jelly roll pan. (Note: I line the pan with parchment paper, cutting it down to size, but leaving it long enough on the short sides, so that the bars can be lifted out of the pan. This will make for much easier cutting and removal from the pan.)

In a saucepan, melt together the chocolate and butterscotch chips, over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add the peanut butter, stirring until it is melted and mixture is smooth. Spread half of the chocolate mixture into the bottom of the prepared jelly roll pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling. Stir the peanuts into the remaining chocolate mixture and set aside, but keep warm.

In another saucepan, melt the butter. Slowly add the evaporated milk. Stir in the pudding mix. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened. Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in the pwd sugar and vanilla. (This step can be done with an electric mixer, to make nice and smooth.) Cool slightly.

Carefully spread the Filling over the chilled chocolate layer. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Warm up the remaining chocolate mixture and drop by spoonfuls onto the Filling layer. Spread to cover. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.

Remove the bars from the pan by lifting out by the overhanging parchment paper. If you do not do this, the bars have a tendency to separate when you try to remove them. You can use waxed paper if you don't have parchment paper. Cut into small bars and store in a tightly covered container.

Muddy Buddies

I think most everyone has made these. They're very good. I hear that they are better if you use the Cinnamon-flavored Chex cereal. I haven't tried those for making these, yet. I know they are good all by themselves, though.

Recipe from Chex cereal

9 cups Rice Chex cereal
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla

1  1/2 cups pwd sugar

Pour the cereal in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter,  and butter. Microwave until the chocolate chips and butter are almost melted. Stir until completely melted. Stir in the vanilla, blend well. Pour the chocolate mixture over the cereal and stir until completely coated. Mix in the pwd sugar, stirring until completely coated. Store in an airtight container.

Salisbury Steak II

This Salisbury Steak is delicious. It has a nice, beefy flavor.

Printable Recipe

1 lb hamburger
1 egg
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs, or more
  (I use soft bread crumbs - 3 slices bread torn into small pieces)
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1 pkg brown gravy mix
  (Knorr brand is very good. Sometimes I use 2 pkgs gravy mix.)
1 cup water

Combine the hamburger, egg, bread crumbs, tomato juice, salt and pepper. Form into oblong patties and brown in a skillet in a bit of oil. The meat mixture is very soft, so they might break apart somewhat. Let them brown completely on the bottom before flipping them. This will help them to hold their shape. Place patties in a greased 9 x 13" pan.

In a saucepan, combine the gravy mix and water, and bring to a boil. reduce heat a little and cook until thickened, about 2 - 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over the patties. Bake 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, until no longer pink in the center. You can cover the pan with foil if you'd like, but it is not necessary.

Serve with mashed potatoes, or cooked egg noodles.