Coleslaw

Source:  Amy Harris



3/4-1 Cup Mayo
1/3 ish Cup Sugar
1/3 ish Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
Celery Salt to taste
1 bag coleslaw mix

Mix dressing ingredients and then toss with coleslaw mix.

Homemade Stuffing

Source:  My own combination & creation



10 slices white bread
8 slices wheat bread (= about 1 lb of bread total)
3/4 C. Butter
2 1/2 C. Onions (1/2 rough chop, 1/2 fine chop)
1 1/2 C. Celery (1/4 inch)
2 eggs
1-1 1/2 tsp:  rosemary, thyme, chicken/poultry seasoning, garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp:  sage and salt
2 1/2 C. chicken broth

Dry bread by ripping into bite sized pieces and baking 300 degrees for 20-30 mins, stirring half way through.  Let cool.  (do the morning or day before)

Preheat oven to 350
Butter 9x13 pan.
Melt 3/4 C. butter and saute onions  and celery.

Add:
1 tsp:  rosemary, thyme, chicken seasoning, garlic, pepper
2 tsp:  salt and sage
Let cool, and add 2 eggs whisked with 1 1/4 C. chicken broth.  Add to bread mixture; fold gently till well combined.
Add additional broth (about 1 1/4 C) gradually.  Should be more than damp but not downright wet. Bread should absorb almost all of it.

Pour into 9 x 13 pan and cover with foil and bake about 30 mins.  Drizzle with melted butter (2-3 tbsp) and bake uncovered another 10-15 minutes till top crusts up.  May broil for a few minutes but watch carefully!  Should be set and the top brown and crisp.  YUM!

2-3 x for Thanksgiving

Green Bean Casserole

2 cans green beans, drained (or 16 oz bag frozen green beans)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 C. milk

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/3 C. french fried onions

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium size bowl, stir soup and milk until smooth.  Mix in green beans, pepper, half of the french friend onions and Worcestershire sauce.  Pour into a 9 inch square baking pan and bake 30 minutes uncovered; top with remaining french friend onions and bake additional 5 minutes.  

3-4 x for Thanksgiving

Pork Roast

Source:  Jaimie Cooks it Up

Crock Pot Pork Roast with Vegetables and Gravy 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 6-7 servings

Ingredients

1 (3 pound) pork roast (I like a Sirloin Tip Roast)

3 T olive oil

salt and pepper

5 russet potatoes

1 large onion

3 C mini carrots

1 T garlic, chopped

1/4 C soy sauce

1/4 C Newman's Own Balsamic Dressing

1/2 C water

1/2 C brown sugar

GRAVY:

Juices from the roast

2 (.87 ounce) packages pork gravy mix

1/4 C water

1/4 C milk

1 (10 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

(This made GALLONS of gravy.  Maybe just use half the drippings, one gravy packet, and half the soup.  Or have an idea for leftover gravy!)

Instructions

1. Grab a Pork Sirloin Tip Roast. I like to buy these that come in a package of four from Costco. They always seem to cook up so well and are easy to shred.

2. Heat a large skillet up over medium high heat. Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan. Sprinkle the pork generously with salt and pepper on the top and bottom. Carefully place it in the pan and allow it to get a nice golden brown sear on both sides.

3. While your pork is in the searing pan, peel and chop 5-6 russet potatoes and one onion. You want them to be uniform in size, so they cook evenly.

4. Spray a 3-4 quart crock pot with cooking spray. Place the seared pork in the pot and pour 3 cups mini carrots around the roast.Layer the potatoes and onions on top.

5. Chop 1 tablespoon of garlic and place it in a small mixing bowl.Add 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup brown sugar.Whisk the ingredients around making sure the brown sugar gets dissolved, then pour it all over the top of the potatoes and roast. Hit the potatoes with a bit of salt and pepper.

6. Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours. Or, if you know your crock pot cooks quickly I would suggest cooking just the meat and the sauce together on low for 4 hours, then adding the vegetables and cooking on high for an additional 2 hours.

7. When the pork has cooked through (should be a temperature of 160 degrees), carefully pour the juices from the crock pot into a medium-sized sauce pan. Turn the crock pot off and let the meat rest inside (with the lid on) for 5-10 minutes before you serve it.

8. To the sauce pan add 2 packages of Pork gravy mix, 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup water and 1 can cream of mushroom soup (undiluted). Whisk it together to combine.

9. Get the pan onto the stove top and heat the mixture to boiling over medium high heat, stirring occasionally.

Serve the roast and vegetables with gravy drizzled over the top. Enjoy!

Chicken Picatta

Source:  Ina Garten, Food Network



Ingredients:

2 split (1 whole) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 extra-large egg
1/2 tablespoon water
3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
Good olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved
1/2 cup white grape juice (or other juice)
Sliced lemon, for serving
Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
Mix the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the egg and 1/2 tablespoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread crumb mixtures.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.
For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves and serve 1 chicken breast on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.
2007, Ina Garten, All Rights Reserved

Ranch House Pork Chops & Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Source:  http://www.chef-in-training.com/2011/10/ranch-house-crock-pot-pork-chops-and-parmesan-mashed-potatoes/

RANCH HOUSE CROCK POT PORK CHOPS w/ PARMESAN MASHED POTATOESrecipe from: Real Mom Kitchen

6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 packet dry Ranch Dressing Seasoning
10 oz can Cream of Chicken Soup
4 lbs peeled, cubed potatoes
5 Tablespoons real butter
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
6 cloves roasted garlic (directions are below)
1- 1 1/2 Cups warm milk
1 Tablespoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, or to taste

Place pork chops, Ranch seasoning and soup into a medium sized crock pot over high heat for 4 hours or low heat for 6 hours.
Place potatoes into a large pot of cold water. Place onto stove top over high heat and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, cook for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain and transfer to the work bowl of a stand or electric mixer. Mix on low until potatoes are mashed then add butter, Parmesan, garlic, milk, salt and pepper. Season to taste if needed. For thinner mashed potatoes add more milk, slowly until your desired consistency.
Scoop mashed potatoes onto serving plates and top with pork chops and soup gravy from crock pot. I put a little parsley on top to serve.

Roasted Garlic

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place bulb of garlic with skins on, wrap lightly in tin foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove from foil and let cool for 15 minutes. Remove garlic from skins, place in a bowl and mash with a fork until completely mashed. Set aside. One garlic bulb will have around 12 cloves.

Cheese-Garlic Biscuits

Source:  www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/cheese-garlic-biscuits/afa7e3c4-f295-4384-9524-688e338f08d8

Ingredients

2

cups Original Bisquick™ mix

2/3

cup milk 

1/2

cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

2

tablespoons butter or margarine 

1/8

teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

• 1 Heat oven to 450ºF.
• 2 Stir Bisquick mix, milk and cheese until soft dough forms. Drop dough by 9 spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
• 3 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Stir together butter and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits.

Cinnamon Bread

Source:  http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2013/12/brown-sugar-cinnamon-homemade-bread.html?m=1



1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 loaf of frozen bread dough (Rhodes brand)
3 tablespoons of butter, softened
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon 
.......
Egg Wash : 
1 egg, beaten
.......
2 tablespoons of butter melted
1 cup of powdered sugar
milk, to thin, if necessary 

Let the dough thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  You can also use your defrost setting the in microwave if you're in a pinch.  Each log of dough will make one loaf.  I put a little oil in the bowl, then put in the dough.  I flip the dough around a couple of times to coat it with the oil, so as it rises it doesn't stick to the bowl.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap.

I set my oven at 120 degrees, put in a pan of warm water, and let it rise in the oven.   

Roll out on a floured surface.  I had the wooden baking basket out to make sure I was rolling it out to the correct size. 

Butter generously. 

Top with brown sugar and cinnamon.  You could also add raisins and nuts.

 Roll it up.

And place it, seam down, into the basket.  They come with paper liners, but you don't have to use them.  The flour on the dough will help them release from the pan naturally... just like authentic bread baking baskets. 

I brushed the loaf with a little oil, then let them rise for another hour and a half.  Before they go into the oven, brush with an egg wash.

They bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes - or until golden.  

 Another way to check to see if it is done is to "thump" the bread.  If it sounds hollow it is done!

I drizzled it with a simple mixture of melted butter, powdered sugar and milk to make a quick glaze.  I let it harden, then packed them up.

Marry Me Chicken

Source:  Delish.com
http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a46330/skillet-sicilian-chicken-recipe/

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 3/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 c. chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan
• Kosher salt and black pepper

• Fresh basil, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Sear until golden and skin is crispy, 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and pour off half the fat.
2. To skillet, add garlic, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes and let cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add chicken broth, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan and season with salt. Bring to a simmer, then return chicken to skillet and bake for 15 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked through.
3. Garnish with basil and serve.

Pasta Feed

Notes from XC pasta feed, Sept 27, 2016

Did 4 lbs of spaghetti noodles and sauce using 4 quarts of tomato sauce.
Three loaves of French bread, precut in thin slices

Just enough left over for us for dinner.   So exactly the right amount. 16 kids came.
I had hot water ready to do more noodles if I needed to and extra sauce in the fridge.

Parmesan Chicken Roll Ups

Source:  Writtenreality.com

Ingredients

1. 8 pieces of uncooked chicken tenderloins
2. 1 can of refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
3. 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
4. 1/4 +3 Tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
5. 4 slices of deli-style mozzarella cheese
6. 3 Tablespoons butter
7. 1 cup marinara sauce
8. salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.
2. Season each side of chicken with salt and pepper and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium high heat on the stove. Cook the chicken for about 10 minutes until each side is nicely browned, and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. This will serve as a wonderful coating for the chicken to give it an extra kick of flavor.
4. Unroll each triangle of crescent rolls and place one piece of chicken at the wide end of each one. Spread a good layer of the mayonnaise mixture on top of each piece of chicken.
5. Divide the mozzarella slices in half to create 8 slices, and add to the top of each piece of chicken.
6. Roll the crescent dough around each piece of chicken and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the microwave and brush over the tops of each crescent roll. Then sprinkle each roll-up with the remaining grated parmesan cheese.
7. Bake for 14-15 minutes or until the roll-ups are golden brown.
8. Serve with warmed marinara sauce. Enjoy!

Beef and Bean Burritos

Source:  Mel's kitchen cafe

INGREDIENTS

Rice:
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup long grain white rice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
Filling:
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 12 ounces extra lean ground beef or lean ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6-8 (10-inch) flour tortillas, white or wheat
• 5 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 1 cup)
• 5 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 1 cup)
• 6 tablespoons sour cream, light or regular

DIRECTIONS

1. For the rice, bring the broth, rice, garlic, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 16-18 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat, keeping it covered, and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. When ready to use, add the cilantro and fluff with a fork.
2. For the filling, combine the broth and half of the beans in a small bowl and mash with a fork until the beans are coarsely mashed with the broth (reserve the whole beans for later). In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the vegetable oil until hot and rippling. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano and chili powder and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the ground meat and cook until no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes, breaking the meat into small pieces while cooking. Drain any excess grease if needed.
3. Stir the mashed bean mixture into the meat mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is thick and most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the rest of the whole beans, lime juice and salt. Remove from heat. If serving immediately, follow the instructions in the next paragraph. If freezing for later, let the beef and bean mixture and the rice cool to warm room temperature before proceeding.
4. Wrap the tortillas in between damp paper towels and microwave until the tortillas are soft, about 1 minute. Arrange the tortillas on the counter and divide the rice, beef and bean filling and cheese evenly among the tortillas. Dollop each tortilla with a tablespoon (more or less) of sour cream. Fold the sides of the tortilla toward each other over the filling while lifting the bottom edge over, rolling into a burrito shape. Serve immediately (if desired).
5. For freezer burritos, wrap each burrito in plastic wrap. Place burritos in a gallon-sized freezer ziploc bag. To reheat, unwrap the burrito from the plastic wrap and place on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 1-2 minutes. Poke the burrito with the tines of a fork all over and continue microwaving in 30-second increments until heated through.

Recipe Source: adapted from Cook’s Country April/May 2013