Potato and Corn Chowder

This recipe is adopted from Pioneer Woman’s Corn Chowder. I have made hers and it is good, but after tasting a friend’s at the football game last night that had potatoes and chicken, I decided to come up with my own!

Ingredients

3 slices Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces (or Smaller)

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Yellow Onion, Diced

2 Bags of Frozen Corn (about 4 cups)

1-2 whole Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce, Finely Diced

1-2 Chicken Breasts Boiled & Shredded

1-2 potatoes diced to roughly the same size

1 whole 4-ounce Can Diced Green Chilies

32 ounces, fluid Chicken Broth

1-1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (more To Taste)

3 Tablespoons Corn Meal

1/4 cup Water

Instructions

Add bacon pieces to a pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for a couple of minutes. Throw in diced onion and stir, cooking the onion for 3 to 4 minutes. Add butter and melt. Add corn. Stir and cook for one minute. Add both kinds of chilies and stir. If it was just for Denver and me, I would put two chipotle peppers, but if it is for others one gives it PLENTY of spice. They are deceiving, trust me!

Add potatoes and shredded chicken. Pour in chicken broth and cream. Add salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low.

Combine cornmeal with water. Stir to combine, then pour into the chowder. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over low heat until the potatoes are tender. If chowder needs more thickening, add another tablespoon of cornmeal mixed with water. Cook for another ten minutes.

This was a big hit with my family. I doubled the recipe and it was all gone at the end of the night! 

Hot Corn Dip

I know I have mentioned it before, but Denver loves Corn. So when we have parties to go to I sometimes make Corn Dip to bring to share with everyone. I have been experimenting with this recipe and now think I have it figured out the perfect recipe. I know it is strange it has mayonnaise in it but it is really good.

Ingredients:
Cooking spray to grease your pan
2-11 oz cans of drained Mexican Corn
1- 7 oz can of drained chopped green chilies
2 C of grated Pepperjack cheese (8 ounces)
2/3 C of grated Parmesan Cheese
1/3-1/2 C of mayonnaise
Red Pepper to sprinkle

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a dish. I use a 9 X 9 Pampered Chef Stoneware pan because it will keep the dip warmer longer.

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except for the red pepper. Smooth into a dish and sprinkle with the red pepper sparingly. A little bit can go a long ways!

Bake it until bubbly around the edges approximately 30 minutes. I serve mine with tortilla chips but corn chips would be good too.

My Favorite Guacamole Dip

Ingredients:4 ripe avocadosJuice of one lemon or lime2 chopped roma tomatoes (I use these in the winter because they taste better, feel free to substitute any kind)2 cloves of garlic minced1 tsp. chili powder1-2 seeded jalapeno chopped finely (use gloves or you will burn your hands)¼ yellow onion chopped finelySalt and Pepper to taste

Remove insides of avocado into a bowl. Discard seeds and peeling. Add the rest of the ingredients, and mix well together with a spoon. No need to chop the avocados as they will eventually blend and remain slightly chunky, which is my favorite. Serve immediately with your favorite tortilla chips.

If you aren’t going to serve this within the next hour, the lemon juice will help it not turn that ugly color, however you will need to cover tightly with saran wrap making sure none of the dip is exposed to air. This dip will not keep overnight; so make sure you make it fresh.

This was a picture of my dip in the process of making. This looks like pure heaven to me. I love guacamole! 

The Easiest Roast

I went to visit some friends for dinner and he made roast. This roast was the best roast I had ever had in my life. I asked him for his recipe and managed to jot it down in my phone in notes. A few weeks later, I went and got all my ingredients and tried it one Sunday cooking in my dutch oven. I took it to my parents and they enjoyed the meal.It was pretty darn good, but I am someone who doesn't have much time and depend on my crockpot weekly to get me through at least one night's dinner. I wondered how I could modify his recipe and manage to cook it on my crockpot. I got up early and browned the meat, dredged it in a good red wine, and added all the items, and it turned out still good, but wasn't the most tender roast. Yes, even with the wine and locking in all the flavors by searing the meat. The next time I tried it a little different and decided I had a winner. It also happened to be the easiest recipe of them all. Here is what my roast looked liked that morning before I left for work.

I did all this the night before so all I had to do was pop it in the crockpot and turn it on low.

The Easiest Roast

1 roast (size that fits your family, I usually buy a two pack at Sam's and freeze the extra one)
Morton's Kosher Salt
Pepper
Veggies (I use celery, onions, and carrots..I wouldn't recommend potatoes or they will be mush)
Spice bag full of spices (4 cloves of garlic, three stalks of fresh thyme and fresh rosemary)
1 carton of beef broth

Place all your veggies on the bottom with your spice bag. Drench in your carton of beef broth. Salt and pepper your meat generously. I would put quite a bit of salt but don't drench it or you will end up with a very salty roast. Place your meat on top and put the lid on. Turn it on low and go to work for the day. When you get home, whip up some mashed potatoes to serve with your roast. Let me know what you think. I hope your family will be as happy as my husband is when I inform him we are having roast for dinner!

Taste Like Lasagna Soup

Tonight I had the best soup I have had in a long time. I had been trying to find the recipe to try from Pinterest called Lasagna Soup. I googled and found this recipe from Paula Deen and another shocker is, I didn't alternate the recipe. Can you believe it? It actually tasted pretty darn good without my tweeking. If it does get too thick, I would add a can of chicken broth to thin it back down to soup like consistency. 

Ingredients

1 lb ground chuck
1   onion, chopped
1   green bell pepper, chopped
3   cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
1   (32 ounce) box chicken broth
2   (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1   (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cup broken lasagna noodles
1   (5 ounce) package grated parmesan cheese
2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
garlic crostini, recipe follows

Garlic Crostini:
1 thin French baguette
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves smashed garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large Dutch oven, combine ground chuck, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is browned and crumbles. Drain well. 

Stir in thyme, brown sugar, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add noodles, and simmer until noodles are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Preheat broiler. Ladle soup into 8 to 10 ovenproof bowls. Evenly sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil soups, 6-inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly. Add a garlic crostini slice on top. Serve immediately. 

For the garlic crostini: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Cut bread into 1/4-inch round slices. Place on baking sheet and brush each slice with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper; place in oven and bake until golden and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Rub each side with smashed garlic cloves. 

Let me know what you think! 

Mom's Favorite Candy (Martha Washington Balls)

 

 

 

2 boxes of powdered sugar

1 can Eagle Brand Milk

7 oz angel flake coconut

1 stick of butter melted

2 cups chopped pecans

1 tbsp vanilla

Mix together and chill for a couple of hours. This makes it easier to form into balls. In double boiler-melt approximate 12 oz Semi Sweet chocolate chips (I use Nestle’) and 1 bar of gulf wax (you find this in the canning section at the supermarket).

Make mixture into balls and place on wax paper. Dip in chocolate using the toothpicks and tap off slightly. You can swirl the leftover chocolate on top to make a design. This makes approximately 125 balls.

Chocolate Covered Pecans

Chocolate Covered Pecans

 

 

 

 

 

 

1 bag of Chocolate Almond Bark

1 bag of pecans (Halves or pieces)

Wax paper

Mix chocolate in a bowl in 30 second increments, and stir until smooth. Add half the bag of pecans and coat them in chocolate. Continue to add the pecans until they are all covered in chocolate. Lay the wax paper on the counter, and drop the candy by spoonfuls onto the wax paper. I make them all different sizes of nut clusters. Continue to make batches of this until you run out of chocolate or pecans, whichever comes first!

The candy will cool and store in an air tight container.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

I love chocolate covered pretzels since I am not a big fan of nuts.

1 bag of Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 bag of pretzels

1 box of Powdered Sugar

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Melt chocolate and vegetable oil in microwave. Stir every thirty seconds, until melted. Add 2 cups of pretzels, and stir unto chocolate until well coated. Add pretzels until you get a small amount of chocolate covering the pretzels. Place powdered sugar in a large zip lock bag. Add small amounts of chocolate covered pretzels and shake until covered with the powdered sugar. Let your pretzels cool and then put in an air tight container if not serving immediately. These go fast at parties!

Ham & Potato Soup

I wanted to name this soup a chowder, but when I googled the definition, it said a "thick soup." This soup could be made thicker, but I like mine thinner, so I added more water. Basically you can adjust to your taste or texture preferences.

Since Denver was gone hunting, I pulled out my faithful Pampered Chef food chopper to chop all my veggies. Normally he does my chopping for me.

3 stalks of celery finely chopped
1/2 cup of finely chopped or shredded carrots
8 oz of frozen broccoli finely chopped
1/2 large onion finely chopped
6+ cups Water
1 large jar of Cheez Whiz
2 cups of chopped Petit Jean ham
30 oz frozen shredded hash browns

Boil the finely chopped veggies (celery, carrots, broccoli, and onion) until soft in six cups of water. Add shredded hash browns, ham, and shortly after add cheez whiz. Be careful to keep it on medium low or it will scorch. Add water if needed, and stir until all combined. The potatoes don't take long to cook, so this comes together fairly fast. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

The veggies makes this heartier than your normal potato soup. The ham adds a deep level of flavor. Let me know how you like it!

Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:
1 Pkg of Hawaiian Rolls (24 rolls total)
1 1/2 pkgs of Petit Jean Ham (smoked or peppered)
1 Pkg of sliced cheese (cheddar or swiss are my favorites)
Sauce:
4 tbsp mustard
4 tbsp poppy seeds
4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp butter melted
2 tbsp dried onion flakes

Mix sauce ingredients together. Split rolls in half and put ham on bottom, top with cheese, and spread sauce on top portion. When done making all the sandwiches, brush remaining sauce on top of the sandwiches.

Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted. Serve warm!

I make these for parties or baby showers. Everyone loves them and they are the perfect size!

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites

 

 

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 4 breasts)

1 (1-pound) package sliced bacon

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons chili powder

 

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Mix brown sugar and chili powder. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. Cut the bacon into thirds. Dredge chicken in brown sugar mixture. Wrap chicken in bacon and secure with tooth pick. Dredge chicken again in brown sugar mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until bacon is crispy.

 

These were the hit of the party! Everyone loved them!

Sausage & Cheese

1 pkg of your favorite sausage (I use Petit Jean Arkansas Style Smoked Sausage)
1 pkg of colby jack cheese
1 pkg of sharp cheddar
Randevous rub

Slice your sausuage and brown in a little bit of water in a skillet. Slice your cheeses and arrange all on a platter. Sprinkle with Randezvous rub! Server with crackers.

Ranch Bacon Awesomeness Dip

Ingredients:
1 pkg of Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix
1 pkg of cream cheese softened
8 oz sour cream
1/2-3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 strips of bacon crumbled (save some to put on top)

Mix all the ingredients until mixed well. Put some of the reserved bacon on top. Serve with veggies or crackers.

I made this dip for my small group last night. Everyone loved it! I had something similar at the football game, but I came up with my own recipe. Denver named the dip for me.... isn't it a funny name? He wouldn't let me change it.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

It has a secret ingredient!

Ingredients
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 small box of instant white chocolate pudding mix
1/2 to 3/4 bag of chocolate chips

Combine sugars with shortening, add eggs and vanilla. Mix with the flour mixture (flour, baking soda, salt, pudding mix). Fold in the chocolate chips. I use my small Pampered Chef scoop to get semi round cookies. Bake at 350 degrees.

Years ago in college I went to visit my friend, Angela, at her parents house. Her mom made the best chocolate chip cookies that I have ever had in my life. I quickly got the recipe and it is one of my most treasured recipes I have in my collection. I did tweak it because instead of vanilla pudding, I use white chocolate pudding mix. They are the best!

Banana Bread

 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3-4 crushed bananas
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, bananas, and dry ingredients. Pour in greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. I use my Pampered Chef Mini Loaf Stoneware pan and it makes four loafs. You can also make one big loaf if you use one loaf pan. I prefer the mini loafs because they are easier to share. Enjoy!

Fruit Dip

I am not sure where this recipe was from, but it is something I make if I need a fruit dip.

Take one jar of marshmellow creme and one package of cream cheese and blend together. I use my mixer and it makes it light and fluffy! I made it the night before and it is good for several days.

Olive Dip

This is another favorite dip from my favorite Friendship Club cookbook.

Here is the recipe for the dip. It is perfect if you let it sit over night and the flavors blend together.

1 cup green olives (with pimentos)
1/2 cup mayo
8 oz cream cheese
1 to 3 tsp olive juice
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional and I don't use)

Mix all in food processor 12 to 24 hours before serving. Store in refrigerator.

Serve with wheat thins.

As a side note, I use all reduced fat ingredients and it still comes out yummy!

These are horrible pictures from my phone, but it is great I promise!

Texas Sheet Cake

 

(I used too much powdered sugar, so the icing is a little thick, yours will be lots smoother, I promise!)

Make the icing 5 minutes before taking the cake out of the oven, and spread it on the hot cake.

Southern Living JANUARY 2003

Yield: Makes 12 to 15 servings

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup shortening

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

Sift together sugar and flour in a large bowl; set aside. Combine butter and next 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until butter and shortening melt. Remove from heat, and pour over sugar mixture, stirring until dissolved. Cool slightly. Stir in buttermilk and next 3 ingredients. Pour into a greased and lightly floured 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. (Cake will have a fudgelike texture.) Spread warm cake with Chocolate Icing.

Chocolate Icing
1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/3 cup milk

1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preparation

Combine butter, cocoa, and milk in medium saucepan. Cook over low heat 5 minutes or until margarine melts. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, vanilla, and pecans. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and sugar dissolves.

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce and Bowtie Pasta

Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce and Bowtie Pasta

Yield: 6 servings

2-3 large chicken breasts

5 C corn flakes crushed finely
3/4 C flour
dash of red pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C milk
6 T olive oil
1 12 oz package bowtie noodles (farfalle)

Sauce:

1 10 oz container Philadelphia Cooking Cream (Italian Cheese and Herb Flavor)
1 can cream of chicken soup 
1 C chicken broth {I used a whole can because I can't stand to waste part of one}
1/2 C milk
fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Flatten out your chicken with your meat tenderizer. Cut the chicken up in strips. Dredge in flour, dip in milk, and roll in corn flakes. Put in hot skillet and brown both sides after sprinkling just a tad of red pepper to add a kick to it. While chicken is cooking, begin to cook your noodles. After cooking all chicken, make your sauce. Mix everything together and let simmer for three minutes or so.

After everything is done, serve up with salad and green beans. 

This recipe was modified by Brittany, but you are welcome to check out the original recipe on my Pinterest board.

{Original Recipe via Brittany's Pinterest Board}

Hashbrown Casserole

This is one of my easy dishes I am able to whip up in no time. I remember making this for an impromptu birthday party this fall for my sister. I literally came home at lunch and whipped this up and dropped it off with her to take to my parents house to bake since she would be there earlier than I would after work. Here is my recipe and pictures of the final product. The Huntsville Friendship Club Cookbook is my favorite cook book ever. It has some amazing recipes from amazing ladies in my hometown. My mom even has some recipes in there since she was a part of the friendship club years ago.

Hashbrown Casserole (from the Huntsville Friendship Club Cookbook)

1-32 oz pkg hash browns, thawed

2 c cheddar cheese, grated

1 1/2 c sour cream

1 can mushroom soup

1/2 c chopped onion

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 c crushed corn flakes

1 stick butter or margarine

Place hash browns in a buttered {I spray mine with pam} casserole dish. Combine cheese, sour cream, soup, onion, salt and pepper. Spread mixture on top of hash browns. Sprinkle corn flakes on top of sour cream mixture. Pour metled margarine over top of corn flakes. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

The trick to getting some finely chopped onions is my Pampered Chef Food Chopper. I hate chopping onions and this takes care of it in no time!