Bacon & Cheese Chicken

I am a member of a cross stitching board. The topics are not just cross stitching. Sometimes I can't believe what people will say on the internet. A lot of the conversations I just back out of. I don't do much talking on the board, just sit back and watch the drama. There is so much arguing you would think the folks there weren't adults. But mixed in with all the topics will often be a recipe. Someone requesting help with ingredients. Or asking for a specific long lost recipe. Or even just posting one they have tried and enjoyed. I have gotten several recipe from the board over the years. This recipe comes from crockpot365.blogspot.com. It was mentioned by a couple of the ladies on the board. All who had tried it liked it, so I was willing to give it a try.

Bacon & Cheese Chicken

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 to 6 chicken breast halves
12 pieces cooked and crumbled bacon
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Put the oil in the bottom of the crock pot and spread around. Put the chicken in the crock. In a small bowl, combine the teriyaki and ranch. Pour sauce over top of chicken. Add the cheese and bacon to the crock. Try to get some between the chicken pieces. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or on high 3 to 4 hours. Time depends on low thick your pieces are and if fresh or frozen.

**I used mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar.
**I cooked mine on low for 7 hours. My chicken was partially frozen when I started cooking.
**Corey said it tasted a little too salty. I didn't think so, I thought it was fine. He pushed the bacon off and said that helped the saltiness. So I guess next time I will use a few less slices of bacon.
**Next time I think I will also leave the cheese off until about the last hour or so.

Ketchup

A few days ago I needed ketchup for a recipe. I would have had enough, but Corey wanted some tator tots as a evening snack. So he used my ketchup for tot dippin. I wasn't going to make a special trip to the store for ketchup. So of course I searched to see if I could find a recipe online. I found this one at hillbillyhousewife.com. She says use where ever ketchup is desired. Don't get me wrong it is good, but not sure I would want it in some ketchup situations. I would suggest making it for yourself and sample it with your food. I was using it for Tender Tangy Ribs. It was perfect for that recipe. The only thing I did different is I had tomato sauce not paste on hand. So as a substitute I reduced and water by 3 tablespoons.

Ketchup

6 oz tomato paste
1/4 to 1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp vinegar
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 pinch cloves
1 pinch all spice
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar

In medium bowl combine all the ingredients with a wire whisk. Blend well. Scrape mixture into pint sized resealable container. Chill overnight, to blend the flavors. Use where ever ketchup is desired.

**I used 1/3 cup water, minus 3 tablespoons.

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie

My dad gave me some sweet potatoes from where he works. They are pretty much pureed. There were a few small lumps I had to mash out but not many. Every since he gave them to me I have wanted to make a pie. I just kept putting it off. Yes, sometimes I have a procrastination problem. I decided to just do it. So I made the pies. I have always sort of used sweet potatoes and pumpkin puree interchangeably. Many times I have made a sweet potato pie and passed it off as a pumpkin pie to my nephew. Not so sure how he would react to sweet potato, but pumpkin he likes. I have always used the recipe from Libby's, the pumpkin puree makers. But this time I decided to see if I could find something a little different.

I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com, it comes from Paula Deen. She tops it with a meringue. I'm more of a whipped cream person. I like meringue on lemon pie, not sweet potato. So I left it off. After reading some of the reviews I cut the amount of sugar in half. Next time, I'm going back to the Libby's recipe. I did not care for this one at all. I guess when I saw that several of the reviewers had made alterations I should have just stuck with the recipe that I know I like. Oh well, lesson learned.

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie

2 cups peeled, cooked sweet potatoes
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 stick melted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup milk
9-inch unbaked pie crust
3 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the filling, using an electric hand mixer, combine the potatoes, 1 cup of the sugar, the butter, eggs, vanilla, salt, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Add the milk and continue to mix. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pie on a rack and cool to room temperature before covering with meringue.

For the meringue, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is glossy and stiff, but not dry. With a rubber spatula, spoon the meringue onto the pie, forming peaks. Make sure the meringue touches the crust all around. Sprinkle with a pinch of granulated sugar. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until delicately browned. Cool and serve.

**UPDATE...Even though I thought the flavor was off, Corey loved it. He said it was great. Of course he wanted whip cream, and I didn't have any at the time he ate his.

Chulupas

I found this recipe at recipegirl.com. It is a very simple, quick meal. I didn't follow the recipe as written. I basically made a fajita filling first. I cooked some onions, red peppers and some thinly sliced steaks. I then lightly toasted the shells under the broiler. I spread some refried beans over the shells. Then put a little of the filling on. Then topped with cheese. I shred my own cheese. I used a blend of mozzarella and mild cheddar, with some oregano added in. I then put them back under the broiler for a couple minutes. Then a dollop of sour cream on top. Corey and I both just ripped them apart to eat. You could always use a pizza cutter and give them a couple slices if you wanted to be more proper about eating them. They were really good. They would be a quick snack for movie night or a slumber party. In those cases I would cut them into wedges for sharing.

Chalupas

non stick cooking spray
8 (6 inch) flour tortilla shells, or corn shells lightly fried first
2 cups refried beans
2 cups Monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend
1 cup salsa
1 cup sour cream
2 cups finely chopped lettuce (optional)
1 cup guacamole (optional)

Preheat broiler. Spray baking sheet with non stick spray. Place 4 tortilla on baking sheet and heat on center rack of oven for 4 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn the shells. Spread each with 1/4 cup bean and 1/4 cup cheese blend. Bake until cheese is hot and bubbly, and shells are crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat with remaining shells. Serve immediately, topping with salsa and sour cream. Add lettuce and guacamole, if desires. Crumble taco meat on top if desired.

Sloppy Joes 2

I have posted a recipe for Sloppy Joes before. It was good but when I found this one I wanted to give it a try too. This one is from bakerlady.wordpress.com. It was very simple and tasty. The ingredients were things most people have on hand. I used my Pampered Chef Micro Cooker to make mine. I put the meat, onion, and bell pepper in the cooker. Cooked and drained the meat. Then added the other ingredients. Using a fork to break up the meat and combine the ingredients. Then put back in microwave about one and a half minutes. I served them with tator tots.

Sloppy Joes

1 Lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp yellow mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
3 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

In medium skillet, over medium heat, brown beef with onion and green pepper. Drain. Stir in garlic powder, mustard, ketchup and brown sugar, mix thoroughly. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Mozzarella Roll Ups

When I do searches for recipes I like to look at the pictures. It gives me a better idea of how it should look when finished. I read several cooking blogs. They all have wonderful pictures of their cooking. I also subscribe to several cooking/baking sites. Sometimes they are featuring one recipe but a picture for another recipe will catch my eye. That is how I found this recipe. It comes from tasteofhome.com. I clicked on the feature recipe because it looked good. But below it was a picture for this and it looked good, and it is. It is pretty simple to make. The taste was terrific.

Chicken Mozzarella Roll Ups

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 oz each)
1/2 tsp dried basil
pinch pepper
pinch salt
1/3 cup roasted red peppers, drained and julienned
3 Tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp paprika

Tomato Relish

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 fresh basil leaves, chopped, OR 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
pinch salt

For each chicken, make a horizontal cut along one long side almost to the other side; leave chicken breasts attached at opposite side. Open breast so it lies flat; cover with plastic wrap and flatten to 1/4-in. thickness. Remove plastic wrap.
Combine basil, pepper and salt; sprinkle over the cut side of each chicken breast. Top with red pepper strips and sprinkle with cheese. Fold in sides and roll up. Secure with toothpicks.
Combine oregano, garlic powder and paprika; sprinkle over the top of each chicken roll. Place chicken in a medium or large ZIPLOC Brand Zip "n Steam Bag. Seal bag and place in microwave.
Cook on high for 5-9 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. If needed, continue microwaving at 30-seconds intervals or until chicken is done. Let stand 1 minute before handling. Meanwhile, combine all Tomato Relish ingredients.
Carefully open bag and remove chicken. Serve with Tomato Relish.

**I did not cook mine in the microwave. I baked it in the oven at 450 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

With the recipe today I got to try a few new things. I have never had enchiladas, so of course have never had the green sauce. And I have also never had jalapeno jack cheese. This is for sure a keeper. Six ingredients, quick to make, very tasty.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

2 cups chopped or shredded chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 cups grated jalapeno jack cheese
16 oz green chile enchilada sauce
12 corn tortillas

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with non stick spray. Combine chicken, onion, tomatoes, cheese and half the sauce in large bowl. Place tortilla in plastic bag, microwave about 1 minute and 15 seconds, or until soft and pliable. Spread 1/4 cup mixture down center of each tortilla and roll tightly. Place seam side down in baking dish. Spray with non stick spray to keep moist. Stir other half of sauce into remaining mixture and pour down center of enchiladas. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

**I couldn't find a 16 ounce can/jar of the sauce. I had two 10 ounce can instead. I only used half on one of the cans. I think one can would have been plenty though. I thought the mixture was a little runny. Next time I think I will only use one can. **Corey doesn't like tomatoes. I left it out of the mixture. I only added it to a few of them before rolling. As I placed them in the pan I put a little piece of tomato on top to mark the ones with it added.

Chinese Pepper Steak

This is another recipe I found online. I'm not sure where I found it. This is a simple recipe. Prep everything before you heat your wok/pan. If serving over rice, start the rice before you start heating your pan. It comes together quickly. This was the first time I used oyster sauce. I wasn't sure about it. I have never had oysters so didn't know what to expect flavor wise. Once everything was cooked and combined the flavor was fantastic. Corey doesn't like tomatoes so I used a small plum tomato and picked it out of his bowl and put it all in mine. This one is a keeper.

Chinese Pepper Steak

1/2 Lb beef, sliced thin
1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, wedged
1 medium tomato, wedged
1/4 cup beef broth
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch in small bowl, set aside. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in wok on high heat. Add ginger and stir fry 10 seconds. Add garlic, fry another 10 seconds. Add beef, fry quickly until no more pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove beef and keep warm. Add 1/2 Tbsp oil and heat on high. Add green pepper and onion, fry 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato, fry 1 to 2 minutes. Move vegetables to one side. Add beef to other. Pour sauce into center and stir a little, allowing it to thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes. Combine all, stir to coat. If serving with rice, start rice before heating wok.

**I don't have a wok so just used a large skillet.
**I couldn't find the original recipe. I don't have it written when to use the beef broth. I added to the oyster/soy mixture before adding it to the pan.

Asian Grilled Salmon

Yes, another fish recipe. As much as I hate fish, Corey loves it. I'm trying hard to eat less red meat and more chicken. But he wants more fish, so I make fish to keep him happy. This one comes from foodnetwork.com, from Barefoot Contessa. I don't have an outdoor grill so cooked it on my Foreman. I tasted the marinade before putting it on the fish. It had a unique flavor. Corey said it gets five out of five stars. That it was delicious.

Asian Grilled Salmon

1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp soy sauce
6 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Light charcoal briquettes in a grill and brush the grilling rack with oil to keep salmon from sticking. While grill is heating, lay salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle half the marinade over the salmon and allow to sit 10 minutes. Place skin side down on hot grill, discard marinade the fish was in. Grill 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness. Turn carefully and grill another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but will keep cooking as it sits. Transfer fish to plate, skin side down.. Spoon the rest of the marinade over top. Rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, or at room temperature, or chilled.

**I did not use salmon, I used white fish.

Cream Cheese Mints

This is another recipe that I found at bakerlady.wordpress.com. This was one of those recipe that as I was making it I just kept thinking something is not right, this isn't gonna work. But, in the end it did come together just fine. I guess I just need more patience. As I was adding the powered sugar I just thought it was going to be way too dry. After a couple minutes it did come together. However, it never formed a ball. So once it mixed together and pushed itself against the side of the bowl I took it out and gently kneaded it. They were pretty minty, but good. I may try these again using another flavor of extract.

Cream Cheese Mints

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp butter, softened
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
and color food coloring paste, optional

In a large bowl combine cream cheese and butter. Color as desired or leave white. Mix in extract. Add sugar until mixture forms a ball. Refrigerate 1 hour. Using a 1/4 tsp, drop onto waxed paper sprinkled with granulated sugar. Or roll in sugar first if desired. Let dry 3 to 4 hours on waxed paper. Depending on how big the mints are, it could take longer, up to overnight. Then freeze or refrigerate.

**I did not use a teaspoon for dropping them. I sprinkled a plastic cutting board with powered sugar and rolled them out. After they dried some I cut them. Be sure to wipe the knife often. After more drying, I flipped them over so the other side could dry.

Melt in Your Mouth Shortbread Cookies

Corey requested a shortbread cookies several month ago. I just sort of kept it in the back of my mind, but didn't search too hard for a recipe. I was actually looking for a recipe for something else when I stumbled upon this one. I found it at bakerlady.wordpress.com. She also has a recipe for a fudge frosting she used on her cookies. They only have four ingredients. And all things I have on hand. I was making them to take to my sister's house. Corey ate a couple that wouldn't fit into the bowl I was using. He tried to talk me into leaving them home for him. At my sister's house, her friend had a couple and complimented me on them. I didn't use the fudge on the ones I made. I did however sprinkle some colored sugar sprinkles on them.

Melt in Your Mouth Shortbread

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whip butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in cornstarch and flour. Beat on low one minute, then on medium for two minutes. Use melon baller to make uniform rounds and flatten slightly with an offset spatula dipped in sugar. Or drop by spoonfuls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Watch that edges don't get too brown.

**I didn't use a melon baller. I just used my small scoop.
**I flattened mine with a fork. Then sprinkled with colored sugar before baking.

Broiled Salmon with Herbed Mustard Glaze

This is another recipe I found when searching for fish recipes for Corey. This one is from foodnetwork.com. It comes from Giada De Laurentiis. It calls for a mini processor to break down and mix the ingredients. Of course I don't have one of those. I thought I would throw it in the blender and get the same final product. Of course the amount of ingredients are so little the blade wasn't doing anything. So I grabbed my stick blender, put the mixture in a small bowl and gave it a mix. I would suggest if you don't have a mini processor or stick blender, and a really small bowl so that the blades do their job, pass on this one until you can get proper equipment.

In the end it all worked out. Corey said it was delicious. He also said it was better then any fish he has ever had in a restaurant. So I guess that makes it a keeper. Guess it also means I need to invest in a mini processor.

Broiled Salmon with Herbed Mustard Glaze

2 garlic cloves
3/4 tsp finely chopped fresh Rosemary leaves
3/4 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp dry white wine
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp whole grain mustard
nonstick olive oil cooking spray
6 (6 to 8 oz) salmon fillets
salt
freshly ground pepper
6 lemon wedges

In a mini processor, combine garlic, Rosemary, thyme, wine, oil, Dijon and 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard. Grind mustard sauce until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a small bowl. Add remaining tablespoon of whole grain mustard to the sauce, stir to combine. Set aside sauce. Preheat broiler. Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with foil. Spray foil with non stick spray. Arrange salmon fillets on sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil 2 minutes. Spoon the mustard sauce over the fillets. Continue broiling until the fillets are just cooked through and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to plate and serve with lemon wedge.

**I cooked mine about 7 or 8 minutes, Corey likes everything a little over done.
**I used dried herbs, so used 3/8 tsp of Rosemary and thyme.
**I didn't have any white wine so substituted water.

Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry

I found this recipe at picky-palate.com. It is a very simple recipe with only a few ingredients. I have had this recipe written down for a while now. I couldn't find the noodles. There is a Wal-Mart about 20 seconds from me, they didn't carry them. I drove to the next nearest grocery store and their aisle was bare. So I pushed this recipe to the back of the menu and waited until I made out another menu. Finally made it to the grocery that carried them and they had two packs this time, so I grabbed one. Luckily this is also the store where I buy my frozen vegetables so picked those up this trip also.

If you are going to try this recipe let me warn you about the noodles, they are super skinny. You will need a strainer with really little holes so that you don't lose your noodles. They are also very sticky after they are cooked.


Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry

1 pack Wel Pac Chuka Soba Stir fry noodles
3 to 4 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
3 to 4 cups stir fry vegetable mix
2 large chicken breasts cooked and shredded
3 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce

Cook noodle per package, drain and set aside. Heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add vegetables. Cook 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium/low. Stir in chicken, noodles and sauces. Gently toss to combine. Serve with rice.

**She suggests serving with rice. In my opinion why serve with rice when you have all those noodles.
**I tasted it after combining, I don't think it had much flavor. I added two extra tablespoons of the teriyaki and soy sauces. You may want to give it a taste and add more if desired.
**Once again I must say I love my Pampered Chef Micro Cooker. I put my chicken in my cooker. Just covered with water and microwaved about 7 minutes. Drained the water, rinsed them off. Trimmed off the fat and shredded.

Sundae Cupcakes

Well I blew my diet yesterday. I "like" Yummly on Facebook. They are a recipe site. They posted these about a month ago. I saw them and thought they looked cute. They have been in the back of my mind since to make them. I finally made them yesterday. I kept telling myself not to eat one. But Corey had one and said it was delicious. Since he will always tell me if something is nasty I can totally trust when he says it is good, it will be good. Anyway, I walked past the table they were on several times. Each time it was like they were just begging to be ate. So, I ate one!! And it was good. By time the evening was done, Corey had ate three of them.

They are a very simple recipe and easy decoration. However, I am not a decorator. And since I hate doing dishes, I did not pipe on the ganache, I just smeared it around on top. I didn't have any chocolate chips to melt for the chocolate drizzle. In the picture on the website they used colored sprinkles, I used some brown/chocolate ones I had on hand.

Sundae Cupcakes

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 1/2 Tbsp cocoa
2 sticks butter
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz white chocolate
8 oz heavy whipping cream

In mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. In saucepan, melt butter, add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture and stir lightly to cool. In measuring cup, pour buttermilk and beaten eggs, baking soda and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into paper lined cupcake tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

For white chocolate ganache, double boil white chocolate until fully melted. Set aside to cool slightly. Whip cream to soft peaks. Drizzle in the cooled white chocolate and whip to firm peaks. (You want this to be a pipeable consistency). Decorate with melted chocolate, sprinkles and cherries.

**If you are not into baking from scratch, a milk chocolate cake mix would work well for this cupcake. Then just decorate with the ganache and other toppings.
**http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Sundae-Cupcakes-Humboldt%20Fog-28804 This will take you to the page for the recipe.

Italian Soup

My mom gave me this recipe. I have no idea where she got it from. It is a really simple throw in the pot meal. She thinks my dad is too picky and doesn't like anything. She made sure to tell me even he likes it so I know it is good. Corey's first reaction was "Whoa this is good". And my opinion is it is good.

Italian Soup

1 Lb ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
1 packet 90 second cook time,Uncle Ben's long grain rice, prepared
1 jar Ragu Garden Blend pasta sauce
1 can Italian diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth
2 cups total red, green, and yellow bell peppers

Brown beef with onion and peppers. Prepare rice per package. Combine all in pot and heat through.

**I used a large onion, Corey likes lots of onion
**The Uncle Ben's that I used was the long grain and wild with seasonings. Mom says she just uses a cup and a half of Minute Rice.