Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 Tbls. lemon juice + enough milk to make 1 Cup.  Allow to sit for five minutes)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions *Note: I mix this one by hand because it is not too thick and makes for fewer dishes :)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter in large bowl in microwave. Stir in sugar.  Add eggs and beat until well blended.  Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in bowl. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Christmas Caramels

This is our family's most favorite caramel recipe.  Hope you enjoy it, too!


Before you dive right in, here are a few notes from my mom:
* butter the pan well before pouring in caramel, and don't just pour it in one spot, kind of pour it all over in the pan or it will stick to the pan
* cut wax paper in 5" strips, cut into thirds to wrap
* use the ice water test along with color to judge doneness (more reliable than a candy thermometer)
* when testing in water, use fresh ice water each time you test


2 C. sugar
2 C. heavy cream
3/4 C. evaporated milk
1 1/3 C. corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
4 Tbls. butter

Combine sugar, salt corn syrup and 1/2 of cream in a heavy saucepan.

Bring to a boil on med-hi.

Mix the remaining cream and evaporated milk together, and drizzle in, maintaining a boil.

Turn down heat and cook to soft ball (235).

Add butter, cook to medium ball (247).

Take off heat and ADD VANILLA!  (I usually set the vanilla bottle in my prepared pan to remind me to add it before I pour it into the pan!  I have seriously forgotten this many times and it is so frustrating!!)

Nancy's Pumpkin Pie

I discovered this year that I actually like pumpkin pie!  I know, after thirty Thanksgivings, it's about time.  Here's one of my favorite recipes that helped convince me that I like it.  It comes from my former coworker in Michigan, Nancy.  I hope you enjoy, this is her mom's recipe.

Pumpkin Pie

 

(heat oven first)

 

1 small can pie filling (there are some with spices added, do not get that, just get the pure pumpkin pie filling)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teas salt

1 teas cinnamon

1 teas ginger

1/8 t allspice (optional)  (Mom always left it out, so I have never added either)

3 eggs slightly beaten

MIX all these items together - I use electric mixer

 

1 1/2 cans of canned milk (evaporated milk - small can which is 5.33 oz - I use about 1 1/4 can)

SCALD the milk - which is heat to right before a boil - you will want to keep an eye on it and stir it

 

Then add the scalded milk to your mixture

 

Pour into pie shell

 

Bake at 425 for 10 - 15 minutes (I do 15) THEN

Turn oven down to 350 and continue to bake for 30 - 40 minutes (I usually need the 40)

 

It is done when you put a knife in and it comes out clean

Yummy Chili

2 garlic cloves

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, diced

2 bell peppers, diced

1 tsp. oregano

1 Tbls. cumin

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 Tbls. chili powder

1 tsp. salt

8-oz. can of tomato sauce

1 can pinto beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 large can Rotel

1/4 C. masa (corn flour)

1. Brown the ground beef with the garlic

2. While that is browning, put the onion, peppers, spices, salt, tomato sauce, beans (including the liquid), and Rotel (including the liquid) into the crock pot.

3. In a separate bowl, mix the masa with 1/2 C. water (this ingredient helps thicken the chili and adds a great flavor).

4. Add the browned ground beef mixture to the crock pot when done.

5. Stir it all together, then stir in the masa mixture.

6. I cooked mine on low for about 8 hours, but I'm sure you could cook it on high for a shorter time as well.

Fabulous Cornbread

This is my favorite recipe for cornbread that I have found.  It is quick and easy and I usually have all the stuff on hand.  I like to whip this up when I want some fresh bread with dinner, but I don't have time/motivation to make "real" bread.  You can make this in an 8 x 8 casserole dish, or as 12 muffins (which bake faster!).


Cornbread

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (Or 1 Tbls. lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 and prepare your pan (Either an 8x8 or 12 muffins)

2.  Melt butter in a large bowl in the microwave (I use my 8-cup Pyrex liquid measuring cup so that I can pour the batter out easily)

3.  Stir in sugar until combined.  Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

4.  Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes for an 8x8, or 15-20 minutes for the muffins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Chicken Athena

For something different try this recipe from one of my favorite recipe sources, our family friend, Holly Webster:

2 Cans stewed tomatoes
2 sm. jars marinated artichoke hearts
1 onion, diced
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
Feta cheese
Whole wheat thin spaghetti

1) Saute chicken in oil until brown

2) Add onion and saute

3) Add tomatoes with juices and marinade from artichokes (set the artichokes aside)

4) Simmer 10 minutes

5) Add artichokes and heat until hot

6) Serve over pasta and top with crumbled feta cheese

Mustard Chicken

I tried this recipe on a whim and it turned out really delicious!  It sounds kind of weird, but you really should try it.

Ingredients:
Chicken
Mustard
French Fried Onions

All you do is :

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2) Place mustard in a shallow dish or bowl; place crushed up onions in a second shallow dish or bowl. 


3) Pat the chicken dry and then dredge chicken in mustard to coat both sides.  


4) Then dredge chicken in crushed up French's Fried Onions. Place coated chicken in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.


5) Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 50 to 60 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Banana Bread Pudding

6 C. any kind of bread (I used old angel food cake), cut into 1/2 inch cubes
3 bananas, mashed (you can make this without bananas, too)
4 eggs
1 C. brown sugar
2 C. warm milk
1 Tbls. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
1 C. pecans, coarsely chopped (optional)
Butter
Cinnamon Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350, and prepare a greased 9 x 13 pan
2. Combine everything but the bread and the pecans in a bowl.  I just used a whisk to mix it all together.  Be careful when you add the warm milk to the eggs.  You want to add it slowly and whisk the entire time, so that you don't end up with scrambled eggs.
3.  Dump the bread into the wet mixture and stir to coat the bread.  Let it sit for 5 minutes to absorb the liquid (this helps ensure that all of the liquid is evenly distributed when you cook it, rather than having all the liquid just settle at the bottom).
4.  Stir in the pecans
5.  Pour into the prepared 9 x 13 pan
6.  Put some dollops of butter on the top so that it melts over the top as it bakes.  I used a total of about 2-4 tablespoons.  Then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
7.  Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
8.  Warning:  this will smell amazing as it bakes.

Serve RIGHT out of the oven.  It will be sizzling and delicious.  Top with vanilla ice cream for an amazingly delicious treat.

*Note: as it cools, this will deflate.  But it will still taste good, so don't worry.

Amazingly delicious BBQ Chicken Pizza

After moving away from Michigan, home of Jet's Pizza, home of the most awesome BBQ chicken pizza EVER, I had to come up with something comparable to satisfy my cravings.  So this is it (in three parts, below):


Part 1)  The chicken


1.  First I marinate my chicken in buttermilk all day, or as long as I can if I'm short on time (if no buttermilk 1cup milk, 1tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice) this makes for some extra moist chicken.

2.  The best way I've found to pre-cook the chicken is to place the breasts in the center of a square piece of aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray, and sprinkle on both sides with salt (and pepper, if desired). Fold up the sides of the foil to form a sealed packet. Place the packets on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. The chicken will come out moist and delicious. Simply cube the chicken and it is ready to add to your recipes (chicken salad, chicken ala king, etc). 




Part 2) The dough
Pizza dough - My preference is to use a premade, uncooked pizza dough like they sell in the deli at Winco.  Or if you don't feel like going to the store, this is a good pizza dough recipe:


2 1/2 C. flour
1 Tbls. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 C. warm water
1/2 Tbls. salt
2 Tbls. olive oil


1.  Combine water, yeast, and sugar and let sit until foamy (while you mix the other ingredients)
2.  After combining flour, salt, and oil, add the yeast mixture and work into a ball (I use the hook attachment on my Kitchenaid)


Part 3) Putting it all together
Here's everything that you will put on your pizza.  My portions are in parenthesis, but use as much of each of these as your tastebuds tell you to:


Sweet Baby Ray's (yes, it has to be Sweet Baby Ray's) BBQ sauce.  I like it saucy, so I use quite a bit of sauce.
1/2-1 chopped red onion
1 lb. cooked, crumbled bacon
2-3 cooked, cubed/sliced chicken breasts
8-16 oz. mozzarella cheese


Preheat your oven to 425.


To assemble, grease a glass 9 x 13 pan and spread the dough in the bottom of it.  The dough may want  to kind of spring back, so you can either try to roll it out a little bit before you put it in the pan, or you can spread it / let it rest / spread it some more / let it rest / etc. until it covers the bottom of the pan.


Then spread it with a generous layer of sauce, followed by onion, bacon, and chicken, and then top it with cheese.


Lower your oven rack so that you're baking this a little closer to the bottom of the oven (this helps the dough to cook faster, and the cheese to cook slower so it doesn't get too crunchy).  I usually use the rack that is one or two below the middle slot, but it will just depend on your oven and how many slots you have.  You don't want it all the way at the bottom.


Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until you can look through the glass pan and see that the bottom of your pizza is darkening to a golden color.

Spaghetti Bake

This is a great one for when you want to take dinner to someone else.  It freezes well and cooks up very easily.

1 lb. hamburger
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
4 oz. can mushrooms (drained)
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1-2 C mozzarella
1/3 C. parmesan
8 oz cooked spaghetti (I use whole wheat because it dominates regular pasta)

1.  Cook meat, onion, and garlic in electric skillet
2.  Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms, and spices.
3.  Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 20-25 minutes.
4.  Preheat oven to 375
5.  Stir in cooked noodles
6.  In a greased 9x13 casserole dish, layer 1/2 spaghetti mixture, all mozzarella, other
      1/2 of spaghetti mixture, and sprinkle with parmesan
7.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes

Creamy Tortellini

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Britton, and it has been a favorite ever since!  I normally am not a big fan of dishes with sausage, but this is truly an exception to that rule.

I don't home-make my tortellini, so just use whatever variety of tortellini you'd like.  I usually get two small frozen bags of tortellini in the freezer section of the grocery store, but my sisters rave about the tortellini in the fresh pasta section of Costco.

Anyway, here's the recipe:

2 small bags tortellini (or equivalent)

1 lb Jimmy Dean's sausage (regular or Italian)
1 onion
garlic to taste
2 cans Italian diced tomatoes
Italian seasoning to taste

1/4 C butter
1/4 C flour
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
3 C Milk

1.  Brown sausage, onion, garlic
2.  Add tomatoes and Italian seasoning and let simmer, stirring occasionally
3.  While mixture is simmering, make white sauce in a separate pan on stove top:
          a. melt butter and stir in flour, salt, pepper over medium to medium-high heat
          b. whisk in milk
          c. cook, stirring frequently, over med-high heat until thick and bubbly, then cook
              and stir for one minute more
4.  Combine sausage mixture with white sauce
5.  Serve over cooked tortellini