White Chicken Chili

2 lbs. chicken boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 packets McCormick White Chicken Chili Mix
4 (15 oz.) cans Great Northern Beans, not drained
2 (11 oz.) cans White Shoepeg Corn, not drained
2 (10 oz.) cans Original Rotel
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Boil the chicken until done. Let cool and shred. In a large pot, combine all ingredients except for the sour cream and shredded cheese. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 30 minutes. Place in serving bowls, and top with sour cream and shredded cheese. Mix until thoroughly blended with the chili.

When Vann and I went to the beach, his sister and brother-in-law watched our two little fur babies for us. So, after I got off work on Friday, I headed to Birmingham with the pups in tow, and had a girls' night with the hopefully-one-day-sister-in-law :). For dinner, Michele made this, and it was love at first bite! I know that the picture doesn't look extremely appetizing...and I wish that I could take another one, but my camera has been quite the little turd lately and this is the only one I could get. Please do not judge this meal based on my poor picture taking. I couldn't resist going ahead and posting this recipe, so you will just have to deal with the picture I have given you :) I wasn't sure if Vann would like this, but he LOVED it, and has requested that it be added into our regular rotation. I love to put tons of sour cream and cheese in with mine, while Vann likes only a hint of sour cream in his, but tons of cheese. Either way it is absolutely incredible, even if you just want it as is! I would also like to note that the recipe above is double the original recipe given to me. This meal freezes amazingly well. It's the perfect dish to have on hand on a night you just don't feel like cooking. Pull it out of the freezer, stick it in the microwave and defrost, then cook to desired temperature. And, it goes great with a grilled cheese sandwich! There is nothing easier than boiling and shredding some chicken, and then opening a few cans and throwing everything into a pot! Thank you, Michele!

On a different note, I have not had a chance to work on the toilet paper holder as planned. With a meeting every day last week, along with 2 banquets, I never had the energy by the time I got home. And when I finally had a night off, I got to spend some quality time with my brother, which was much needed and thoroughly enjoyed! I'm hoping that I will have a chance to work on it this weekend, but again, I will see what work has in store for me before making any promises!

French Dip Sandwiches and the New Adventure

2 lbs. rump roast
2 beef bouillion cubes
1 packet onion soup mix
1 (12 ounce) can dark beer
6 French rolls
2 Tbsp. butter
8 oz. provolone slices
Horseradish mustard

Trim excess fat from the roast and place in a slow cooker. Add bouillion cubes, onion soup mix, and beer. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Split rolls, and spread with butter, mustard, and provolone slices. Bake for 10 minutes, or until heated through. Slice the meat on the diagonal and place on the rolls. Serve the au jus for dipping.

So for my birthday, I had originally requested to go out for dinner, considering it is rare that Vann and I get a chance to go out on a date. I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity while I could! But the more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to try this recipe that my sister gave me. So plans changed, and I am SO glad that I decided to stay in to celebrate the big day. This is the best French Dip Sandwich that I have ever had, besides Phillipe's in Los Angeles. Given the fact, however, that we are nowhere near Phillipe's, this comes in a very close second, and I'll take it! I apologize for not having a picture. We were so excited to eat when the meat was ready that I didn't even think about taking a picture...we do have one more serving leftover, so I will try to remember to take a good picture so that everyone can see. Stay tuned for another dog treat recipe! And Vann, thank you so much for such an amazing dinner, and a wonderful 23rd birthday! :)

Now then, for the New Adventure! Yesterday was so incredibly boring at work that I decided to go to Hobby Lobby (I could spend all day in that store!) and get some yarn and a crochet needle to occupy my time. Big beautiful blanket, here I come! I love to crochet, but I just never think about doing it. There is a picture of the yarn below. Plus, when I crochet, I only do a few rows, and then I get distracted and forget about it. Not this time! I am just loving the yarn that I got, and I am thinking that it is going to turn out to be really cute. I can't wait to show off the finished product...if it looks good.

The Best Alfredo

1/2 cup butter
8 ounces garlic and herb cream cheese
1 cup half and half
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt
Black pepper
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound linguini noodles, prepared as directed

In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Next add cream cheese. Once the cream cheese has melted, add heavy cream and half and half. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes (or until sauce begins to thicken) over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. Serve over hot linguini noodles.

I have finally been able to add pictures on here, and I cannot tell you how excited I am about that! Unfortunately I don't have pictures of all of the recipes that I have on here, but I'm sure that I can have that taken care of soon :) This is a recipe that I found on www.recipezaar.com a few weeks ago. I have always been afraid to try alfredo recipes just because I am VERY picky when it comes to the way the sauce tastes, and I have tried alfredo in several different restaurants and have always managed to be disappointed. However, when I saw this recipe I knew that I had to try it. I am so glad that I did! As soon as Vann and I sat down and tasted this, it was love.

I actually followed some of the suggestions that people had made on the website, and it turned out perfectly. Needless to say this is a staple in our house now. It is extremely easy to make, and if you double it, you will have leftovers coming out of your butt. I took this to work the next day the first time that I made it and let all of my co-workers try it, and everyone wanted the recipe and said that it was better than anything they had ever had in a restaurant. Give it a try and enjoy!

Olive Garden's Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno

FOR THE ZITI SAUCE
4 cups tomato sauce
2 cups alfredo sauce
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup mozarella cheese, shredded
3 tablespoons Fontina Cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon garlic pepper seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlice powder

FOR THE ZITI TOPPING
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons romano cheese, grated
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
REMAINING INGREDIENTS
1 lb dry ziti pasta
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

PREPARE THE ZITI SAUCE:
Combine all ingredients for the Ziti Sauce in a large bowl; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

PREPARE THE ZITI TOPPING:
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the first four ingredients for the Ziti Topping.
Add the garlic, oil, and parsley and mix until thoroughly blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

WHEN READY TO PREPARE THE WHOLE DISH:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish or large casserole with non-stick spray.
Prepare the pasta according to package directions.
Pour 1/2 cup of prepared ziti sauce into the prepared dish, and spread it evenly over the bottom using a spoon.
When pasta has finished cooking, drain the water and pour the hot pasta into the bowl of remaining sauce. Mix thoroughly; pour into the baking dish.
Spread 1 cup of shredded mozzarella over the pasta and sauce mixture.
Top the mozzarella with the prepared Ziti Topping, spreading evenly.
Place pan on center oven rack and bake until top is golden brown and cheese is bubbling, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Remove and serve immediately.

So last week my brother and I went to Olive Garden for lunch, and this is what I ordered. I thought that it was absolutely amazing, so I wanted to find a recipe that I could use at home. Luckily I went to www.recipezaar.com and stumbled upon this recipe, and I knew that I had to try it. And I am so glad that I did! It took me a little while to make it, but that was because it was my first time, and I wanted to make sure that it was perfect. I used a little more bread crumbs than it called for to add a little more crunch, and I just eyeballed all of the cheeses instead of measuring them out. The flavors of this dish are absolutely incredible!!! The ingredients were a little costly, but when you figure how many meals we get out of just one dish, it was actually very cheap (we calculated that it is only about $2.00 per serving for Vann and myself...not bad, huh?). Anyway, if you have a little time on your hands to make this meal, I would definitely suggest trying it!

Parmesan-Dijon Chicken

1 3/4 pound chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Italian....of course)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

In a bowl, mix melted butter and Dijon mustard together. Put bread crumbs and parmesan into a large freezer bag. Dip chicken into butter mixture, then put into bag, shaking well until chicken is completely covered. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes, flipping once.

I have been wanting to make this chicken FOREVER, but just haven't had the time to due to Vann and I's popularity (tehehe!). I went into this project thinking that we wouldn't be able to taste the mustard on the chicken once it was done, but boy was I wrong! I ended up cutting the ginormous chicken breasts into smaller pieces, which made devouring them so much easier to do since we didn't have to use a fork and knife to get the goods in our mouths (that's what hands are for, right?). The chicken was so incredibly juicy. The flavors were different, but in a really good way. And, as always, we had to think of a way for Vann to make it into a sandwich. I believe he ended up melting some provolone over the chicken, and then added more Dijon to the mix, and placed it on a hamburger bun. However, I'm not quite sure, so I'll have to update you as soon as I get my facts straight.

Pizza Pockets

2 cans crescent rolls
8 slices provolone cheese
shredded italian cheese
pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers, etc.
italian seasoning
basil
oregano
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
Croutons, crushed


Take 2 cresecent rolls triangles and form into a rectangle. Pinch the perforations together well so there are no open spaces. Sprinkle a dash of each seasoning on dough. Then, layer cheeses and whatever toppings you choose. Fold and pinch each corner together until there are no openings. Coat the top of each pocket with butter, then sprinkle with crushed croutons. Bake at 350°for 12-15 minutes, or until each pocket is golden brown. Great dipped in Kroger six cheese pizza sauce.

So yesterday when I got off work, I was bound and determined to try one more thing before Vann's sister's recipe shower. I had a few things in mind, but I was just so exhausted I didn't feel like putting in the time to make them (isn't that awful?). So I sat there and pondered, and thought, and pondered some more. Well, I happened to come across a recipe for Chicken Crescent Pockets. They sounded delicious, but in my opinion they still required too much work (ya'll don't understand, I was feeling the ultimate lazy yesterday....sad, I know). But then I got to thinking about it, and I thought that they would be absolutely wonderful with pizza toppings inside. And there you have it, folks. That is how pizza pockets were born. Sorry there aren't really any specific measurements. This is one of those recipes that you just take and have your way with. I put basil, oregano, italian seasoning, Italian cheese blend, provolone, pepperoni, and dried onions in ours. And for the croutons we bought a $1 bag of Kroger brand garlic and cheese croutons. Mmmmm, they added such a nice finishing touch to the whole shebang. We decided that these are most definitely going into our meal rotation. So, go have fun and make these the way you like 'em! Be careful, though, because these little pockets fill up quick!

Chicken Parmesan Burger

1 lb. whole chicken breasts
1/2 onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
1/4 cup basil, fresh and finely chopped
1/4 cup grated parmesan, fresh
1/2 jar marinara
2 tsp. Italian Sausage seasoning
12 slices sour sour bread
6 slices provolone

Take chicken, cut into large chunks and place in food processor. Pulverize. For some reason the meat sticks together better this way for burgers than store bought pre-ground chicken. Mix chicken with onion, garlic, basil, parmesan, and seasoning. Shape into 6 burgers. Fry burgers up in a pan over medium heat or grill until cooked through/no longer pink.

Turn broiler on high and toast buns & and heat marinara while chicken is cooking. Once chicken is done, place burgers on cookie sheet. Top with a small ladle of sauce, cover with slice of provolone and place under broiler until cheese is melted (not browned). Serve immediately.

First, I would like to say that these were yuuuuummmmmy! Second, I would like to apologize for the mess in the background...but that's what my kitchen alwyas looks like when I cook, so at least I'm keepin' it real. We didn't have fresh basil just sitting around, nor did we have fresh parmesan. So, instead, we used dried basil and Kraft parmesan, which was still scrumptious. I can only imagine how great these would be with fresh stuff! Also, we didn't use marinara sauce, but used Vann's wonderful succa. However, for those who do not have access to such an amazing creation, marinara would be wonderful (and hey, you could even use the marinara sauce recipe given below....now THAT would be some tastey goodness!).


These burgers didn't take long at all to whip up. To be honest, I was a little nervous since this is a chicken burger (you know, just like one would get nervous about a turkey burger...or at least I do...we have yet to venture down that road. But maybe we shall one day...), but they had such a great flavor to them, it would be hard not to like them. Heck, Vann even liked them! Needless to say, these have been added to our permanent recipe collection.

Sloppy Joes

2 pounds ground beef
1 large can Bush's baked beans
1 cup ketchup
4 Tbsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef in a skillet. Drain fat. Add beans to meat and mix together well. Add the rest of the ingredients, and salt and pepper to taste. Let cook until hot and bubbly. Best served on onion buns.

When I came across this recipe, I was excited (but apprehensive!) because it had baked beans in it, and the picture looked absolutely amazing. The explosion of flavors that hit the back of our tongues when we took a bite of these was absolutely wonderful. Now, once all of this was thrown together, Vann and I decided to add a few extras to it to make it our own. We added some shredded sharp cheddar cheese (which was magnificent!), along with some more ketchup and mustard (and next time I think I'll put in some onions....yum!), and some other ingredients. Now, he wanted to toss in some Worcestershire sauce, however, I was not brave enough to add such an ingredient to an already perfect concoction. Maybe next time, baby, maybe next time...

"Sloppy joe, sloooppy, sloooppy joe!"

Steak and Gravy

2 lbs round steak cut into serving size pieces
Flour
1 package dried onion soup mix
Oil

Roll steak pieces in flour. Brown in oil, remove. Make gravy with flour and soup mix. Add water to make thin. Pour gravy into crock pot and add steaks. Cook on low for 2-3 hours, or until steak in tender and gravy has thickened to your liking.

So I was going through my recipes, and I wanted to try something of my Grandmother's that I had never made before. This isn't the exact recipe that I was given. I modified it for us so that we would be able to have plenty of leftovers that Vann could take home with him, and that I could have after work. I was so nervous about how this would turn out. Especially since it's my Grandmother's recipe...I mean, nothing ever tastes as good as what Grandma makes! But I've got to give myself major props for this one, if I may say so myself! It was incredible! The meat was tender, the gravy was nice and thick, but not too thick, and the onion soup wasn't overpowering at all. In fact, it was perfect. I made the loaded baked potato salad to go along with this, and we got a great deal on a loaf of sourdough bread at Kroger. Needless to say after we both ate we were stuffed like turkeys.

Now, when Vann ate his, he had a great idea to make a sandwich. He just took the sourdough bread, lightly toasted it, then put some American cheese on the steak, heated it up enough to where to cheese was nice and melted, and threw it on the bread. Either way you choose to eat this, I guaruntee you will love it.

Caro's Chicken Supreme

3 Boneless chicken breasts
7 Tbsp butter
2 tsp. flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
Mushroom slices (optional)
Onion (optional)
Salt
White pepper



Sprinkle chicken with salt. Heat 5 Tbsp. of butter in skillet. Cook chicken 4 minutes on each side over medium heat until chicken is done. May need to increase time based upon thickness of chicken. Take chicken out of skillet and set aside. If adding mushrooms and/or onions add them to the leftover butter in skillet and sautee' until cooked. Set mushrooms and/or onions.




Sauce: Heat other 2 Tbsp. of butter in skillet over medium heat. Add flour, pinch of salt, white pepper (to taste), and chicken stock. Cook over medium heat until the it thickens. Add dry white wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream. Poor sauce over chicken and it is ready to serve. Goes well on a bed of rice with a side of asparagus. If you want to cook it early you can put it in a casserole dish in a 300 deg. preheated oven. Enjoy!