Hot Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Time: 45 minutes start to finish
Yield: 24 pinwheels
Recipe from Jamie Cooks It Up!

1 1/2 C warm water
2 T sugar
1 T yeast
1/2 t salt
4-4 1/2 C flour
1 pound deli ham, sliced thin
2 C cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Pour 1 1/2 C warm water into your stand mixer and preheat your oven to 170 degrees. (You read it right...170 degrees is all you need.)

2.  Add 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon yeast. Turn the mixer on low for about 30 seconds allowing the ingredients to combine. Let it rest for 5 minutes, or until it gets all bubbly.

3. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 cups flour. Turn the mixer on to low and let the flour mix in. Add the rest of the flour (2 1/2 cups worth) one cup at a time. When the dough pulls itself away from the side of the bowl, you have enough flour.

4. Turn the mixer to medium speed and allow it to mix for 5 minutes.

5. Spray your counter with cooking spray, divide the dough into two equal parts and allow them to rest on the counter for 5 minutes. Don't skip this step, ok? If you don't let the dough rest it won't roll out nicely and then you might start to cry and then your kids would think you have lost you mind. Thanks for your cooperation.

6. After the dough has rested roll the old girl out into a large rectangle.

7. Cover it with half of the ham and sprinkle it with 1 cup of cheddar cheese.

8. Roll the dough up starting at the longer end.

9. Spray a large knife with cooking spray and slice the roll into 12 rounds.

10. Place each pinwheel onto a large cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

11. Repeat steps 6-10 with the other half of the dough.

12. Place both pans into your warm 170 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until they start to rise just a bit. You don't want them to get super puffy, you just want the dough to have the chance to expand a little, like you see in the picture above.

13. Turn the oven up to 350 degrees (don't take the pans out of the oven) and let the pinwheels bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown along the top and bottom. 

14. Take the pans out of the oven and let the pinwheels rest for about 5 minutes...then gobble them up.

Enjoy!

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

I found this recipe via pinterest.   I was looking at one recipe that was pinned by someone and then I saw this one on the site.  It looks yummy!  Here's the website.

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

ingredients:

5 large baking potatoes
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup flour, depending on how thick you like it (I used 1/4 cup)
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
4 cups milk
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper or to taste
6 green onions, chopped & divided
1/2 pound bacon, cooked & crumbled
2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded & divided
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon dried or 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon dried parsley

directions:

1. Wash, dry & bake potatoes at 400 degrees for one hour or until done. I just put the potatoes right on the oven rack. Allow to cool. Cut into half lengthwise and scoop out pulp. Cut potato pulp into bite sized pieces; set aside. Use skins for something else like stuffed potato skins.

2. Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add white onion & celery & saute for a couple of minutes. Add flour, whisking until smooth. Cook 1 minute stirring constantly.

3. Gradually whisk in milk and chicken broth & cook over medium heat, until mixture thickens a bit and is slightly bubbly. Don't boil.

4. Add potato pulp, salt, pepper, herbs, half of the chopped green onions & 1 1/2 cups cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Whisk in sour cream & remove from heat.

5. Serve with remaining green onions, bacon & cheese.

Author's endnotes:
Potato soup is so versatile, here are a few ideas for you: add chopped cooked carrots, omit celery, add a tablespoon or 2 of bacon grease with the butter, stir in half the cooked bacon instead of using as garnish or prepare the soup vegetarian using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Sweet Baby Rays Slow Cooker Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest on this website forkinit.blogspot.com.  I love pinterest!  Its fun place to find ideas for ALL kinds of things, not just recipes!

4-6 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts (i threw them in frozen... even easier!)
1 bottle BBQ sauce (sweet baby ray's all the way!)
1/4 c vinegar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder

Mix BBQ sauce with all ingredients listed under it. Place chicken in slow cooker. Pour sauce over it and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

*I bet this would freeze wonderfully!  I guess I'll to try it and let you know!

REVIEW: oh my! YUM! YUM! YUM!  My chicken didn't look like that picture.  I don't know where they would of gotten the crispy looking parts.  However, it was very yummy.  We shredded the chicken b/c the sauce so thin that the chicken seemed to soak it up a bit more.  We had it was baked beans, mac and cheese and some veggies.  The next day I cooked up some rice and ate it on top of that.  I bet it would be good on a sub or roll.  Definitely recommend this and must use Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce. So yum!

Homemade Taco Seasoing

I've been making homemade taco seasoning for a while now.  I thought I'd give a different recipe a try.  Found this recipe on smells-like-home.com.

1/4 cup ancho chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp paprika
2 tbsp ground cumin
3 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.

To use: Use 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons of taco seasoning in place of a packet of store-bought taco seasoning. Combine 2 tbsp cornstarch with 1 cup cold water and stir to dissolve cornstarch. In a large saute pan set over medium-high heat, brown 1lb ground beef, turkey or chicken, add seasoning and cornstarch-water mixture, and simmer over low heat until liquid has thickened.

Beef Stew

Original recipe found on allrecipes.com.

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound beef for stew, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 of yellow onion, chopped

1 (10.5 ounce) can Beef Broth

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning

1 bay leaf

3 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 medium potatoes, cut into quarters

1.	Stir the flour and black pepper on a plate. Coat the beef with the flour mixture.
2.	Heat the oil in a 6-quart saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until well browned, stirring often. Remove the beef from the saucepot. Pour off any fat.  Saute onions in a little bit of olive oil until translucent.
3.	Stir the broth, water, Italian seasoning, and bay leaf in the saucepot and heat to a boil. Return the beef to the saucepot. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
4.	Add the carrots and potatoes to the saucepot. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the beef is fork-tender and the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Suggestions: -Cook diced onions when browning beef. -Add frozen peas at the last moment. -Use olive oil instead of vegetable oil. -Add cornstarch to thicken. -Cook in slow cooker after browning beef. REVIEW:  Made this recipe tonight and it was great!  I did however make some changes, so I changed the recipe to reflect that, mostly.  I left the potatoes the way the original recipe had them b/c maybe in the future I will try it that way.  But this time i made the potatoes like one reviewer suggested on allrecipes and served it over mashed potatoes.  I also sauteed some mushrooms and added them to the stew with the carrots.  I made the broth from some stuff saying it was better than boullion.  I did also add 16 oz of broth, not the 10.5 oz.  Truthfully, I just wasn't paying attention and I thought that's what it said.   I thought it was just fine, but maybe a little too much juice.  I also add about 1T of cornstarch at the end to see if it would thicken it up.  I don't think it did much.  Maybe I need to add it at the beginning of the 1 1/2 hrs or maybe it wasn't enough cornstarch to do anything.  I will play around next time to see if I can get different results.  and oh the biggest change I made was use my hubby's deer meat that we butchered ourselves!  So the recipe is definitely a keeper and will be going into my recipebook!

Baked Pasta with Chicken Sausage

Found at MelsKitchenCafe.com



*Makes a heaping full 9X13 pan*

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound rigatoni
10 ounces frozen baby spinach, thawed and drained well (can substitute 1 9-oz. bag fresh spinach)
12 ounces precooked smoked chicken (or turkey) sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick (I find this in the same section/aisle as the hotdogs next to the precooked kielbasa and chorizo – I use the Jennie-O brand and it is precooked in a U-shape. JoAnn, a commenter said she finds chicken sausage at Super Target)
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, 4 ounces cut into 1/2-inch cubes and 4 ounces shredded
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Cook for another minute.
Stir in tomatoes, oregano and basil; simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. (If using fresh spinach, add it to the pot of boiling pasta right at the end and cook until wilted.) Drain, and return contents to pot.

Add tomato sauce, sausage, spinach and cubed mozzarella to the pot; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Scoop pasta into lightly greased 9X13-inch pan (or divide evenly between two 8X8-inch pans). Top with grated mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.

*Freezable Meal: Prepare recipe right up until the baking step and then cover with a double layer of aluminum foil. Freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. To bake, increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours. If baking from frozen, bake covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, uncover and bake 30 minutes longer.

Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Casserole

from melskitchencafe.com

Serves 8-10 as a side dish

2 slices hearty white or wheat sandwich bread, torn into pieces

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

4 tablespoons butter, melted; plus two tablespoons chilled

1 garlic clove, minced

2 pounds broccoli (about 3-4 medium heads of broccoli), florets cut into 1-inch pieces, stems chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 1/4 cups long grain white rice

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/4 cups half-and-half

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Pulse bread, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and melted butter in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add garlic. Set aside.

Microwave broccoli florets (save stems for later), covered, in a large bowl until bright green and tender, 2 to 3 minutes (no need to add water). Be careful not to overcook or they will become soggy and discolored. Melt remaining butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion and broccoli stems until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until rice is translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, half-and-half, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Off the heat, stir in cheddar cheese, cayenne, remaining parmesan and broccoli florets.

Pour the mixture into prepared baking dish and top with bread crumb mixture. Bake until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Serve.

Add cooked chicken and it becomes a meal!

Chicken Carabonara

I found this recipe on Extreme Makeover:  Weight Loss Edition. Looks yummy and its healthly!


Ingredients:
12 oz. spaghetti
2 cups broccoli florets
3 pieces turkey bacon
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups fat free half-and-half
2 egg yolks
2 cups cooked chicken, coarsely shredded
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
Pinch of chili flakes
1/2 tsp. sea salt and fresh pepper

Directions:
1. Microwave broccoli for 3 minutes, until just tender. Set aside.
2. Microwave turkey bacon on a plate lined with a paper towel until crisp, 2-3 minutes. Crumble and set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
4. Beat egg yolks into half-and-half in small bowl. Set aside.
5. In pasta pot over medium-low heat, add olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Saute for 1 minute.
6. Add bacon, chicken, cooked pasta, broccoli florets, basil, parsley, salt and pepper, walnuts and lemon zest, mix well.
7. Add half-and-half/egg mixture and Parmesan cheese, toss well and heat through for 2 minutes. Serve.

Serves: 6
Calories per serving: 510
Calorie equivalent: 4 oz. protein, 2 carbohydrates, 1 vegetable, 1 fat

Zucchini Pie

This recipe is from realsimple.com.  It had really good reviews.  FYI - Some people substitued mozzerella for the provolone cheese.

Ingredients

• 3 cups grated zucchini
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup grated provolone cheese
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, reserving 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan.
2. Spoon the zucchini mixture into a 10-inch round glass pie plate or metal pie pan that has been coated with vegetable cooking spray.
3. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with the reserved Parmesan. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Cafe Rio Chicken and Salad Dressing

My awesome sister in law sent me these recipes.

Café Rio Salad Dressing

1 buttermilk ranch dressing packet (make as per recipe)
2 tomatillos (tomato like vegetable with a husk around them)
½ bunch of cilantro
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeño (Use the seeds too if you like it spicy. You could substitute a few drops of green tobasco for the jalapeno.)

-Use a food processor to blend all the ingredients well. Refrigerate.

Cafe Rio Chicken
1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic—minced
5 lbs chicken breast

-Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours, shred meat and cook 1 additional

Mexican Lasagna

I took a how to can tomatoes class at the Utah State Extension and they served this.  I thought it was good.  They adapted it from:  http://www.tasteofhome.com/.

Serving size:    12 servings

Prep time:        45 minutes

Bake time:       30 minutes + 15 minutes standing time

Ingredients:

            1-2 pounds ground turkey

            1 medium onion, chopped

            1 garlic clove, minced

1 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes, undrained or

1 pint jar home canned tomatoes*

            1 can (10 ounce) enchilada sauce

            1 to 2 teaspoons ground cumin

            1 egg, beaten

            1 ½ cups (12 ounces) cottage cheese

1 ½ cups (12 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend

            8 flour tortillas (8 inches), cut in half

1 ½ cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

·         In a large skillet, cook the turkey, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Stir in tomatoes, enchilada sauce and cumin.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer uncovered, for 20 minutes.

·         In a small bowl, combine egg and cottage cheese; set aside. Combine shredded cheeses; set aside.  Spread a third of the meat sauce into a greased 13-inch x 9-inch baking dish.  Layer with half of the cheese blend, tortillas, cottage cheese mixture and remaining meat sauce.  Repeat layers.  Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

·         Cover and bake at 350° F. for 20 minutes.  Uncover; bake 10 minutes longer or until bubbly.  Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

Mushroom Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce

Another recipe from closetcooking.com.

Ingredients:
1 package lasagne noodles
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups sliced mushrooms (portabello, shiitake, etc)
2 servings Bechamel Sauce
2 cups parmigiano-reggiano (grated)

Directions:
1. Cook the noodles as directed on the package. (Add a splash of oil to the water to prevent sticking.)
2. Saute the mushrooms in the butter.
3. Preheat the over to 375 degrees F.
4. Spread some of the bechamel sauce on the bottom of an 8 inch by 8 inch baking dish. Place a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then a third of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup of the grated parmigiano-reggiano. Repeat 2 more times. Top the final layer of noodles and sauce, and the remaining parmigiano-reggiano.
5. Bake the lasagna for about 45 minutes. The top should be a bit browned the sauce should be bubbling.
6. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 or so minutes and serve hot.

Bechamel sauce
is the basic French white sauce and it is simple to make.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour*
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Directions:
1. Heat the butter in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat until melted.
2. Add the flour and stir until smooth.
3. Add the milk and stir until smooth.
4. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper.
5. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.
*For a thin sauce use 1 tablespoon of flour and butter.
For a thick sauce use 3 tablespoons of flour and butter

Mushroom Quesadilla

Found the recipe closetcooking.com.

 

*makes 1 quesadilla

 

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 small onion (sliced)
4 ounces mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon thyme (chopped)
2 tablespoons white wine (or broth)
1 tablespoon parsley (chopped, optional)
2 handfuls cheese such as mozzarella, swiss, monterrey jack, etc. (grated)
2 tortillas

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the onion and mushrooms and saute until caramelized, about 20-30 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the broth, deglaze the pan and saute until the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Remove from heat and mix in the parsley.
6. Melt a touch of butter in a pan.
7. Place a tortilla into the pan, swirl it around in the butter and repeat with the second tortilla.
8. Sprinkle a handful of cheese on the tortilla followed by the mushrooms and onions and top with the remaining cheese and finally the other tortilla.
9. Cook until the quesadilla is golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted.

Tip: Place a plate onto the quesadilla and flipped it from the pan to the plate and then slide it back into the pan to flip the quesadilla.

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

Found this on ourbestbites.com

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne
based on a recipe by Martha Stewart

• 6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 6 cups whole milk
• 10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone* (6 ounces) you could also make that 1/2 mozzarella
• 1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

*Note on Cheese:
Sometimes provolone cheese can be hard to find.  I don’t always encourage the use of pre-shredded bagged cheeses (because ‘ve found they usually contain additives and therefore don’t melt or taste as good), but in this recipe I’ve used a *good* quality one, like Sargento, and it’s turned out great.  Actually in this batch I used Sargento’s Provolone/Mozzarella mix.  You’ll find that with packaged cheese mixes, provolone is often mixed with other white cheeses and that’s totally fine.  Just try to find one that is mostly provolone, like a 50/50 mix.  The other easy option is to go to the deli department where you can buy sliced cheese.  Just ask for a 6 oz chunk and you can grate it yourself. 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you’re going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.
2. While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.  While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes).  Use a little extra olive oil if needed.
3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot (I just use the pot I cooked my pasta in), melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer.  Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes.  If freezing, place remaining parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie.  If cooking, sprinkle on top.
5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Freezer instructions:
To freeze, prepare through step 4 and then let pasta cool.  Cover pan well with plastic wrap.  Place extra cheese in baggie (for topping) on top and then cover entire pan well with foil.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake, preheat oven to 400.  Remove foil and plastic from pan and set cheese baggie aside.  Place foil back on pan and bake for about 1 1/2 hours.  Remove foil, stir pasta, and top with cheese.  Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly throughout.

* broccoli or asparagus tips would also work well in place of the sun-dried tomatoes