White Chili

Hi! I don't know most of you, but I'm a friend of Jen Barnes. Here's a recipe I got from a friend of mine (Jen Trulock) and made for the first time tonight. I usually throw some cheap chicken in the crock post with some water, a little soy sauce, salt and pepper and let it cook for 4-6 hours. Once it's done I pull it out and make 4-6 dinners with it, and this is one I made today:
White Chili

4-6 chicken breasts, shredded or cubed
2 15-oz cans Northern beans
2 15-oz cans chicken broth/stock
1 small can chopped green chilies
1 can cream of chicken soup

Mix together and heat. Freezes great!

Swedish thumbprint cookies

So I woke up today freezing cold and got the itch to make cookies. I've been baking all morning and these are the BOMB.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup butter, softened
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup any flavor fruit jam


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add sifted flour, and mix well. Shape dough into 1 inch diameter balls and place on cookie sheets. Imprint your thumb in the center to make a 1/2 inch indentation. Fill with your favorite preserves.
3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown at the edges.

Modifications - I added almost (but not quite) a teaspoon of almond extract to the mix. I used a 1-inch cookie scoop (tiny!) to get them the same size and then rolled them in my palms to keep them smooth. I don't have a 1/4th teaspoon scoop, so I used a 1/3rd teaspoon scoop to press the indent and then the same scoop to scoop the jam. I also used the leftover cranberry/rhubarb sauce from La Madeleine that came with our Thanksgiving dinner and that is heavenly!

I will have to email this to my sister-in-law because there are no eggs and no dairy in this cookie recipe!

I used my 1-inch diameter cookie scoop and got 74 cookies out of 1 batch of dough.

Kari's awesome green beans

My sister in law, Kari, made these at Thanksgiving and I want to make them again. This way I won't lose the recipe!

For the green beans:
2 pounds fresh french green beans
3 T olive oil
2 t coarse salt
2 t fresh ground black pepper

For the gremolata:
2 T fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
zest of 1 small lemon
zest of 1/2 orange


Preheat oven to 375, put racks in upper and lower third of oven. Trim and wash the green beans. Dry them thoroughly. Toss beans with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on two rimmed sheet pans. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes, remove the pans from the oven and shake to toss green beans. Replace in oven, switching racks, and bake for another 8-10 minutes or until beans are mildly browned but not burned on tips.

While the green beans are roasting, mince the parsley and garlic and add to the lemon and orange zest in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly. Set aside.

Immediately after removing beans from oven, shake again and then stprinkle with gremolata. Toss beans with gremolata using tongs. Serve immediately.

Breakfast Bread

This is from the Southern Living Christmas Book. They call it "orange bread" but I don't think it is very orangy, and sometimes I use lemon instead. I am killing two birds with one stone by posting here, because I am going to use this recipe while we're in Oklahoma.

3/4 c sugar
1/2 c chopped pecans
1 T grated orange rind
2 11oz. cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 3oz. package cream cheese cut into 20 tiny little squares
1/2 c butter, melted
1 c powdered sugar
2 T orange juice

Combine first 3 ingredients and set aside. Separate each biscuit into 2 halves. Place a cream cheese square between halves, press edges to seal. Dip each biscuit in melted butter and dredge in the reserved sugar mixture. Stand each biscuit on end in a lightly greased bundt pan, spacing evenly. Drizzle with remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until golden. Invert onto a wire rack. Whisk together powdered sugar and juice, drizzle over the warm bread. YUM.

Bush's Best 3 bean chili

Got this from a Bush beans cookbook, it's yummy. Makes about 4-6 servings. I overflowed my crock-pot when I made the recipe as written, so this edited to be half of the original quantities.

1 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 t chili powder (or more, lots more if you are me)
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 small bell pepper, chopped and seeded
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
1/2 can diced tomatoes
1/2 small can tomato paste
dash salt
1/2 t garlic salt
1/2 t black pepper
1/4 t ground cumin
dash cinnamon

Brown ground beef, pour off fat. Add to crock pot, add all other ingredients. (Note: I usually only add about 75% of the bean liquid, or it is too runny.) Cover and cook on low 3-4 hours or high 2-3 hours. Garnish with sharp cheddar and eat with lots of Fritos!

Oatmeal Cake

Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 3/4 cup oatmeal, let stand for 20 minutes.

Cream together:
1 stick butter
1 c brown sugar packed
1 c white sugar
2 eggs beaten
1 t vanilla

Sift together:
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
dash ground nutmeg
dash ground cloves

Mix it all together and pour into lightly greased and floured pan (8x10 usually). Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, cool for 10 minutes in pan, remove if desired. Sprinkle on powdered sugar if you like. Yum! Makes the house smell really good.

Burrito Skillet

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Yield: 6 to 8 servings


1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
¼ cup finely chopped onion (I sprinkle dehydrated onion flakes onto the meat to save time)
1 package taco seasoning
1 (19 oz) can kidney beans (drain and rinse)
1 Taco Bell bottle salsa (I looked and we use the bottle called "Restaurant Sauce")
1 cup water
4 flour tortillas, torn into pieces
1 cup shredded cheese (Mexican blend)
optional: 1/3 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup chopped green onion



1. Brown ground beef and onion in large skillet.
2. Add seasoning mix, kidney beans, salsa, water and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer 5 min.
3. Stir in tortillas, top with cheese. Cover; let stand 5 min or until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream and chives.

crab bisque

Paul got this recipe from the chef person at HEB one night. It's kind of expensive but super easy, fast, and tasty. He mopped up every last drop with french bread!

1 jar Cookwell and Company Zuppa di Nonna (fancy gourmet soup from HEB)
8 ounces crab meat
1 cup heavy cream

Combine it all in a large soup pot, bring to a boil. Serve it hot. That's it!

Makes 6-8 servings, you could easily halve this recipe and freeze the rest of the jarred soup for another time. It's a little spicy; the soup has italian sausage in it.

Gumbo

I took this to Brandy on Wednesday, though I am kind-of embarrased to admit it's not a recipe... not really.  

1 box Zatarain's Gumbo Mix with Rice

1 rotisserie chicken's worth of dark meat (we have the rotisserie chicken the night before we have the gumbo and I just pull the remaining meat off the bones and into little pieces for the gumbo)

1 package of smoked sausage (we used this kind) 

1 or 2 extra packs of Boil-in-a-bag instant rice

Prepare gumbo mix per box directions... add chicken and sausage (or one or the other or seafood), fix the extra rice, enjoy!

I didn't check the mix for MSG but I know the sausage has it.

My Favorite Potatos

Home Fries ala SmittenKitchen.com
Loosely adapted from Cook’s Country

to quote smittenkitchen --

There are two secrets to making great home fries, if you ask me. The first is cooking the onions separately. As potatoes need to cook quite a bit longer than onions, it saves them from become burnt specks by the time the potatoes are ready. The second is more of a shortcut (so you can make them more often because they’re easier!) which is that I reduce the pan-frying time by half cooking them in the microwave first. As the best French fries are twice-cooked, this follows that line of reasoning well, yielding home fries with a soft center and crisp edges.

As you may guess from my tirade above, I do have more success with these (and can greatly reduce the amount of butter needed) when I cook them in a nonstick pan, but I’ll leave it up to you whichever you prefer working with.

1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch cubes
4 tablespoons salted butter
1 onions, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Seasoning of your choice: Garlic powder or salt work great, as does smoky Spanish paprika or chopped chives

1. Arrange potatoes in large microwave-safe bowl, top with 1 tablespoon butter, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave on high until edges of potatoes begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes, shaking bowl (without removing plastic) to redistribute potatoes halfway through cooking.

2. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in large regular or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to small bowl.

3. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and pack down with spatula. Cook, without moving, until underside of potatoes is brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn potatoes, pack down again, and continue to cook until well browned and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking, stirring potatoes every few minutes, until crusty and golden on all sides, 9 to 12 minutes. Stir in onion, seasonings of your choice and salt and pepper to taste.

Jen here -- my mom made these almost the same way the entire time I was growing up. . . We called them German Potatoes because she'd fix hundreds of pounds of them for Oktoberfest.

Slow-cooker minestrone

Got this from a Better Homes and Gardens a while back. Serves 8, I often half it.

1 lb. cubed beef stew meat
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, garlic
2 14 oz cans beef broth
1 15 oz can cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 c thinly sliced carrots
salt and pepper to taste
1 c dry bow-tie pasta
1 medium yellow summer squash or zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

In crock pot combine everything EXCEPT pasta and squash. Cover and cook on low 8-9 hours or high 4-4.5 hours. Add pasta and squash, raise heat to high if necessary, cover and cook additional 30-45 minutes until pasta is tender. Top with parmesan cheese if desired.

Easy Cheese Biscuits

I just whipped these up in about 10 min for lunch today... okay, yeah, they are good.

Garlic-Cheese Biscuits

2 c. Bisquick
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 450. Whisk bisquick, milk & cheese together in a bowl until a soft dough forms; beat vigorously 30 seconds. Drop dough by 10-12 spoonfuls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. In a small bowl, combine butter & garlic powder until well mixed; brush on warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

At first they didn't taste cheesy enough or garlicy enough. Before storing the leftovers in a baggie, I brushed the rest of the butter/garlic powder mixture on top. I just went back for seconds, 2 hours later and they are perfectly garlicy. Next time, though, I am going to use freshly grated Extra Sharp cheddar, and probably more than just 1/2 a cup.

Rolls from Scratch and Cinnamon Rolls from Scratch

This is from a note from David's head director, Manuel San Luis. They're AWESOME. Sorry about the lack of exact measurements later on. I am certain these are not good for weight watchers, but with Thanksgiving coming up I'm planning on making a lot of these.

Basic Roll Recipe:

• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 2 pkg. dry yeast (fast rising works)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 6 cups flour

Put yeast and 1 tsp sugar in water and let dissolve. (This will also serve to proof the yeast. If it does not foam in the water, pour it out and start over.) Scald the milk and allow it to cool to room temperature. Cream 1/2 cup sugar, salt and 1/2 cup butter. Beat in the egg, then add the milk and yeast. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time and mix. The mixture should be sticky. If too much flour is added, the rolls will not be light (hockey puck time)!

Let the dough rise in bowl until double in size. Punch down. Cover with a thin layer of oil and place in refrigerator. Refrigerate at least overnight but not more than 2 days. (This is optional)

On floured surface, knead dough slightly. Roll out and cut with biscuit cutter. Dip in melted butter; fold in half. To make folding easy, pull on the dough slightly. Place on ungreased pan. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 400ºF for 10 min. or until golden brown. Watch them carefully to avoid burning.

For Cinnamon Rolls:
Add more sugar and a teaspoon of each of vanilla and almond extract to the dough. Roll out on floured surface into a rectangular shape. Spread softened butter or margarine over the top of the dough. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over buttered dough. Add pecans or walnuts on top of everything.

Roll up the dough, length-side first, very carefully and tightly. Pinch ends of rolled up dough and cut into 1-inch rolls. Place rolls on greased cookie sheet and brush with butter. Bake at 350ºF for about 25 min. Watch carefully to avoid burning.

Drizzle mixture of powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Top with more pecans.

Cinnamon Lime Fajitas

I know grilling season is quickly disappearing -- but these fajitas are baked! I tried them at first because when we lived, like, 20 feet from the Rio Grande River, we ate a lot of fajitas and Mexicans (and Mexican Americans) squeeze lime on everything. (A salad down there is shredded lettuce with lime squeezed on top.) The Lime part caught my eye, but we weren't sure how the rest of it would taste. It was fantastic!

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno peppers
• 1 lime, juiced
• 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas, warmed (we use the freshly made flour tortillas from our HEB plus! which we cook just a tad more than they're already cooked)
  

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place potatoes in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle with about 1/2 the oil, and season with salt. Bake 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender.
3. Meanwhile, season chicken with cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a separate baking dish, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Cool and shred.
4. Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat, and saute onion and garlic until tender. Mix in shredded chicken, jalapeno, and lime juice. Cook until heated through.
5. Serve the chicken and potatoes in warmed tortillas.

Original Recipe on allrecipes.com with nutrition information and portion options

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

Yes, it's my "signature" recipe, and one of the fastest dinners I know how to make. It is kind of expensive, so you could totally substitute homemade pizza crust and mozzarella, but we save up for the occasional treat of the fontina. Mmmm...it's just so nutty and gooey and elegant.

1 Boboli original pizza crust
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
1 small box frozen chopped spinach
2 t lemon juice
1 t minced garlic
1/2 small container light alfredo sauce (buy in the refrigerated pasta section)
1 c shredded fontina cheese (I just buy the smallest block for sale in the deli, usually it is enough)

Heat oven to 450. Thaw spinach in microwave and squeeze dry. Mix spinach, chicken, lemon juice, and garlic in a big bowl. Spread alfredo on pizza crust, spread spinach mixture over it, top with shredded cheese. Bake for 8-10 min or until cheese in center is melted. I like to top this with tons of red pepper flakes and chopped walnuts.

Chimichurri Rojo

This is from an epicurious.com recipe here. It is intended to be used as a sauce, which we enjoyed, but our favorite use for it is as a marinade for grilled chicken fajitas. It is DANG SPICY so if you aren't a fan of heat, consider yourself warned. I love to put a sweet salsa with this, like something with pineapple.

4 T olive oil
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1 1/2 T hot paprika
2 T cayenne
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T fresh ground black pepper
1 T cumin, toasted if you can
1 bay leaf, broken in half
1/2 t kosher salt

Mix well. For a marinade, let meat marinate at least 30 min.

Blueberry ricotta pancakes

Our favorite pancake recipe.

2 c Krusteaz Buttermilk pancake mix
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
1 c ricotta cheese (I use part-skim)
2/3 - 1 c frozen blueberries

Mix 1 2/3 cup water and vanilla with pancake mix. Fold in the ricotta and blueberries and make pancakes!

This comes from an Everyday Italian recipe. I like more blueberries and my ricotta more blended in than she does. These take a little longer to cook than traditional pancakes. The honey syrup is especially good:

Combine 1/3 c water and 1/3 c sugar in small saucepan over medium heat, stir until sugar dissolves, making simple syrup. Stir in 1/3 c honey. Yum!

Paul's Mom's Beef Bourgignon

1.5 lb top sirloin or round, cut to 1" cubes (or stew meat, whatever is on sale)
1/4 c flour
12-14 oz beef broth
4 slices cooked bacon crumbled
1/2 t butter (optional)
1/2 t thyme
2 cloves garlic pressed
1 c diced onion (or sliced in long strips if you prefer)
12 oz decent red wine (cooking wine is too salty, I use whatever cheap wine is on sale)
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
parsley to taste
salt and pepper
olive oil
cooked rice or noodles

Oil pan and preheat on med-high. Put meat and flour in ziploc bag and shake to coat. Saute cubed meat until brown. Take out and pour off the oil. Return meat to pan, add rest of ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover, simmer on med-low 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Serve over rice or egg noodles. Thicken sauce with cornstarch to desired consistency.

We like to serve this with egg noodles and salad and hot crusty bread and the rest of the red wine. Makes great leftovers.

The only green beans the boys'll eat...

Not so much a recipe as it is a technique. I'm sure it will work on fresh green beans if you cook them long enough.

I got this from my week long new-restaurant training at Texas Roadhouse. We had to learn back of the house cold prep, hot prep, 2 how-they-make-that sides, some butchering (ewww!), DMO (dish machine operator), and expo, and the cooks had to learn front of the house - how to serve and take orders and run food (haha!!) ANYhow, my 2 sides were green beans and baked potatoes.

• Green beans (We use canned since the boys will eat them. I know, yuck, right?)
• Bacon
• Onion (we use dehydrated onion flakes as a pantry staple, but fresh is good if it's cut up tiny-like)
• Salt to taste

Cut up some uncooked bacon and throw it in the saucepan (the taller ones, don't know what they're called) let it cook. Probably 2 full strips worth... I just know I do a lot. Leave the grease in there. Yes, leave the bacon grease in the pan!

Dump the green beans in the pan. I've only ever done this with canned green beans but the restaurant uses fresh, rest assured. Don't drain the can of green beans, just dump it in there on top of the cooked bacon pieces and bacon grease. Sprinkle some onion on top (or you could brown the onion first in the bacon grease if you're using fresh onions), cover and let it heat on low until all the other dishes in the meal are completed. The green beans should be nice and bacony delicious.

Like I said, more of a technique than a recipe. James LOVES his green beans when they're bacon green beans!

Chili Roasted Potatoes

Another from Rachel Ray:

1 1/2 pounds small red skinned potatoes, quartered
EVOO to coat
1 1/2 tspn ground cumin
1 1/2 tspn chili powder
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drizzle potatoes with EVOO. Toss potatoes with seasonings. Place on nonstick baking sheet and roast 20 minutes or until just tender.

We have made these "semi-homemade" by using frozen Ore-ida Steak Fries, tossed in olive oil, cumin, and chili powder, and cooked according to package directions. Less prep and taste just as good.

Grilled Honey Lime Chicken Sandwiches

This is one our favorite Rachel Ray 30 minute meal recipes. Great on or off a sandwich, and great leftover the next day, too!

1 lime, juiced
2 tbspn honey
1 rounded tspn cumin
handful cilantro, finely chopped, about 1/2 tbspn
2 Tbsp EVOO (extra vergin olive oil)
4 boneless skinless chicken breast (I use the thin ones)

Kaiser Rolls

Combine 1st 5 ingredients in a bowl. Coat chicken in dressing and set aside for 10 minutes. Grill chicken on grill pan, or outdoor grill if you prefer, 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Or you can pan fry over medium high heat 6 minutes a side.

Toppings: lettuce, tomato, red onion, and sliced avocado
We spread ranch dressing on the Kaiser Rolls. She also recommends salsa verde as a condiment.

On the side, we serve Chili Roasted Potatoes

Chicken-n-dumplings

I won't attempt to recreate the recipe here. Let me just put up a link and direct you to the experts. This recipe took a long time and made a huge mess but it was Worth. Every. Bite.

Check it out - smittenkitchen.com

The pictures are superb and the food was even better. I think I want this on our menu next week. Totally.

Grilled Greek Chicken Kabobs

I found this recipe in the Summer 2007 issue of Kraft's Food & Family magazine. David grilled it up and it's delicious. We have it whenever he feels like grilling something and we want a light meal.

• 1/2 cup KRAFT Greek Vinaigrette Dressing
• 2 Tbsp. KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise
• 1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 red onion, cut into small wedges (we use sweet onion, Mmmm when it gets a little burnt!)
  
• 1 lemon, halved

COMBINE dressing and mayo; pour into large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to evenly coat chicken with the dressing mixture. Refrigerate at least 20 min. or up to 2 hours to marinate.

PREHEAT grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade; discard bag and marinade. Thread chicken and onions alternately onto 16 wooden skewers. (Soak the skewers for about 30 min in water to keep them from burning/catching fire when they go on the grill.)

GRILL 8 to 10 min. or until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally. Meanwhile, place lemon, cut-sides down, on grill grate next to kabobs. Squeeze lemon juice over kabobs just before serving.

Make Ahead Manicotti

1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
12 uncooked manicotti shells
1 32 oz. jar spaghetti sauce

Stir together ricotta cheese and eggs until blended. Stir in spinach, mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, and next 3 ingerdients. Stuff into manicotti shells.

Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce in bottom of a lightly greased 11 x 7 inch baking dish. Arrange stuffed shells in a single layer over sauce. Pour remaining sauce over shells, covering shells compleely. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours. (I prefer over night then the noodles will absorb well)

Bake, covered, at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and bake 15 more minutes.

Yields 6 servings.

Easy King Ranch Chicken

2 chicken breasts, boiled and chopped/shredded
1 can rotel (we have been using mild so the boys will eat it)
1 can cream of chicken
corn tortillas - I end up using about 6
Monterrey Jack Cheese
white rice

Combine chicken, rotel, cream of chicken, and a handful of cheese. Tear up corn tortillas into pieces and add to chicken mixture. Spread in a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Top with cheese and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve over rice. Or you can serve with a bag of HEB spanish rice (frozen veggie section, 4 minutes in the microwave!) and a side of some type of beans.

Twice Baked Potatoes

I'm craving these all the time during this pregnancy. This is the first twice-baked potato recipe we've ever tried but I think it's a winner! It makes a lot but the leftovers reheat well. You can also go on allrecipes.com (link) and cut the servings in half and it will adjust the measurements for you.

• 4 large baking potatoes
• 8 slices bacon
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• 8 green onions, sliced, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
4. When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon.
5. Bake for another 15 minutes.

8 servings

Original Recipe on allrecipes.com with nutrition information and serving adjustments

Sweet-n-sour Meatballs

This is a family favorite because the boys will eat the meatballs. It's been passed down from Grandma to Mom to me. WARNING, contains soy ingredients!

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• ½ cup dry bread crumbs
• ¼ cup finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 green pepper, cut into pieces
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 20 oz can pineapple chunks (in juice, not syrup)
  
• carrots, grated or thinly sliced
• rice (we use Short Grain but feel free to use whatever kind you want) - enough to make 3 cups cooked
  

1. Prepare enough rice to make 3 cups, cooked.
2. Combine beef, bread, onion, eggs, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Massage. Shape into meatballs about 1½ inch in diameter.
3. Brown and cook meatballs.
4. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. To juice, add enough water to make 1½ cups.
5. Mix cornstarch and brown sugar.
6. In a large saucepan, add pineapple liquid, brown sugar/cornstarch mixture, and vinegar. Cook sauce over medium heat until smooth and glossy.
7. Add meatballs, pineapple chunks, green pepper, and carrots. Heat for five minutes. Serve over rice.

Poppyseed Chicken

1-2 cups boiled, chopped/shredded chicken (2 boneless breasts)
8 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken
1 Tbsp poppyseeds

1 stick butter
1 sleeve ritz crackers

Combine first 4 ingredients and spread in a casserole dish. Melt butter and crush entire sleeve of ritz crackers into it. Spread cracker mixture on top of chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

We like to serve it over white rice.
My kids will even eat this one!

"Hockey Chicken" aka Teriyaki Chicken

1 pkg boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use thin)
1 bottle Teriyaki marinade (w/ sesame seeds)
1 pkg frozen stir fry veggies (I like sugar snap stir fry)
rice (white or brown)

Prepare rice. Marinate chicken in a ziploc baggie. You can pan fry, saute, or grill the chicken. I usually use the grill pan on the stove. Follow directions on the package of veggies to saute. Slice chicken and toss with rice and veggies to make a teriyaki bowl.

Medieval Roasted Chicken

OMG. This is the juiciest chicken we have ever eaten. Enough said.

• 1 roaster chicken (we usually buy a "whole chicken" that's already been cut up)
  
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup paprika
• 1/2 cup granulated garlic
• 2 cups lemon juice
  
• 1/2 cup lemon pepper
• 1/4 cup Italian spice
• 2 teaspoons salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine all ingredients together to prepare the marinade. Dip the whole chicken in the marinade. Cover chicken completely with marinade. Let sit for 4 to 5 minutes. (We usually marinate it for 30 min or so, just to get it good and soaked with all that flavor.) Place chicken on a sheet pan. Cook for 50 minutes uncovered, or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. (We also find that 50 min is not enough for the thickest pieces of chicken. Use a thermometer to make sure the chicken is done when in doubt.)

Original Recipe on foodnetwork.com

Slow Cooker DrPepper Ribs

This is my (Jen's) all-time favorite ribs recipe because it is SO EASY. It's even easier if you use one of those slow-cooker bags because then when it comes time to drain the ribs, you don't have to lift the hot ceramic bowl out of the crock-pot. Just grab the bag, drain, and toss it and replace the ribs back into the clean ceramic bowl.

• 3 1/2 pounds pork loin back ribs or pork spare ribs (we just buy a full rack of ribs)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup Dr Pepper (or water, or other soda)
• 2/3 cup barbecue sauce (we like Sweet Baby Ray's the best for this recipe. Rudy's just isn't sweet enough)

1. Spray inside of 5-6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray (or just use one of those bags I mentioned above).
2. Cut ribs into 2 or 3 rib portions. Place ribs in slow cooker; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour Dr Pepper (or water or other soda) into slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until ribs are tender. Remove ribs. Discard liquid.
4. Paint BBQ sauce over ribs and replace ribs into slow cooker. Pour a little additional sauce over ribs. Cover and cook on low heat for 1 hour.

Chicken Tetrazini

This is one of our all-time favorites. We leave out the mushrooms, but that's up to you. David and I agree that the leftovers are so much better than the day you make it. This is supposed to serve 4 but we find that we can often get 6 servings out of it.

• 1 (8 ounce) package spaghetti, broken into pieces
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sherry
• 1 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat, and gradually stir in chicken broth and cream.
4. Return to heat, and bring to a low boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add sherry, then stir in cooked spaghetti, mushrooms, and chicken. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish, and top with Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Original Recipe on allrecipes.com with nutrition information and adjustable serving sizes