Pepperoni Bread

This pepperoni bread is awesome!  I got it from the blog, What about pie.  

http://whataboutpie.blogspot.com/2010/10/pepperoni-rolls.html

To Serve:
Thaw at room temperature.  Then bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. I like to serve with pizza sauce and a salad.

Chicken Chili Verde

This can be really spicy, so adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 chicken breasts (I used a whole chicken I had shredded)
2 cans of great northern beans
1 cube of chicken bouillon
6 cups of water (chicken broth or stock can be used in place)
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 can (4 oz) diced green chilies
1/2 a beer
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Directions:
Saute the onion and garlic in olive oils over medium heat until softened.  Add chicken breasts, beans, oregano, bouillon, water, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and red pepper flakes to the pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce to medium and let simmer for one hour with no lid.

After simmering for one hour you can add the green chilies to the pot.  Taste the broth and adjust seasonings as desired.  Mash some of the beans to thicken the broth and put back in the pot.


Freeze in gallon bags.  To re-heat, just thaw and warm up either on the stove or in crock pot.

To serve:
I used some sour cream in mine along with the monterray jack cheese.  Lime would be amazing in this!!!
Enjoy!

Saucy Vegetable Beef Soup

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped 

1 cup of celery, diced

2-14 oz. cans of beef broth, divided

2 Tablespoons of steak sauce

2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of pepper

1/4 cup of flour

1-10 oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables

1-28 oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained.

Cooking Day:

In a large stockpot, brown ground beef with onion and celery until vegetables are tender and meat is browned.  Drain.  Add 1 can of beef broth, steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  In a separate bowl, mix flour with the remaining can of beef broth.  Once flour and broth are well mixed, add to soup and continue stirring until soup is bubbly.   Cook for an additional minute.  Stir in mixed vegetable and diced tomatoes.  Cool completely and freeze.

Serving Day:

Thaw completely.  Place soup in stock pot, bring to a boil, then simmer until soup is heated through.  Around 20 minutes.

Nut Balls

Nut Balls

1 ½ cups finely chopped/ground nut

 (hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, etc.)

1 cup sifted flour

2 tablespoons sugar

½ cup soft butter

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Confectioner’s sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine all ingredients except confectioner’s sugar in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.   Refrigerate dough for at least one-half hour.   Form Dough into 1 inch balls, place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 15-20 min, until set but not brown.   Cool partially on cooling rack and roll in confectioner’s sugar while warm. Re-roll in sugar just before serving.

I baked my cookies before freezing them. Also, I used walnuts in half the cookies and pecans in the other half.  I have no ideas which are which at this point. J

Thaw.   Re-roll in confectioner’s sugar just before serving.

White Chicken Lasagna

White Chicken Lasagna

1/2 cup of melted butter

1/2 cup of flour

3/4 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dried basil

3 cups chicken broth

3 cups cooked chicken, diced

8 oz lasagna noodles

2 cups of cottage cheese (I used 1 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese)

1 egg, slightly beaten

1-10 oz pkg of frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained

1/2 lb of mozzarella cheese

8oz fresh parmesan cheese, grated

Yields 10-12 servings

Cooking Day:

Melt butter in a large sauce pan; blend in flour, salt, pepper, and basil.  Stir in chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened.  Remove from heat and add chicken.

Cook and drain noodles according to package directions.  Mix cottage cheese (or ricotta) with beaten egg and set aside.  Place one third of the chicken mixture into a 9x13 baking dish.  Top with half of the noodles, half of the cottage cheese (ricotta) mixture, half the spinach, and half the mozzarella cheese.

Repeat.  Top with the last third of the chicken mixture.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  Freeze.

Serving Day:

Uncover lasagna, and thaw completely.  Bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees until bubbly.  Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

November Exchange will be on Sunday, November 20th, not sure where yet!

Misti - 

Kris - 

Kerry - breakfast

Susan - 

Dawn -

Stephanie -

Cheesy Chicken Rice

Cheesy Chicken & Rice

Ingredients
nonstick cooking spray
1 ½ cups uncooked white rice
1 16-ounce bag frozen peas

2 cups (8 ounces) low-fat shredded cheese blend
2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons paprika
2 cups nonfat milk
½ cup water
Spray one 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Putting the dinner together

Put the rice, peas, cheese, chicken, and onion in a large bowl and mix together. Combine the sugar, salt, and chili powder. Put in baking dish and sprinkle with the chili powder mixture. Sprinkle the paprika on top.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Pour the milk and water into the baking dish. Bake, covered with aluminum foil, for 1 ½ hours or until the cheese begins to bubble. Remove lid, gently stir to combine ingredients. Cover, bake 20-30 minutes until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

To Reheat
Thaw in the refrigerator. Place chicken mixture(bag #1) in pan. Pour the milk/water (bag #2) into the baking dish and bake as directed above.

Zesty Burger Soup

Zesty Burger Soup

1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained (or turkey)

2 (10.5-ounce) cans tomatoes and chilies

1 (15-ounce) can whole kernel corn, undrained

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups chicken broth

shredded cheddar cheese (to add later, optional)

The Ingredients.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Brown meat in a skillet on the stove top, and drain. Put into your cooker. Add the whole cans of tomatoes and chilies and corn. Drain and rinse off the beans and add. Pour in the chicken broth.

That's it! Really!

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the flavors have melded. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese.

Recipe from:   http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2010/10/zesty-burger-soup-slow-cooker-recipe.html

October Exchange

Okay, we are all set to exchange.  Saturday, October 15th.

Possibly at the Berea Halloween event.

Dawn - 

Kerry - (off this month)  

Kris - Apple Pork Chops

Misti - Zesty Burger Soup

Susan -

Beef Stew

Beef Stew

What You Need

1-1/2 lb. boneless beef round steak, trimmed, cut into bite-size pieces

2 Tbsp.  flour

2 Tbsp. oil

1 large  onion, coarsely chopped

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) beef broth

1 can  (14-1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 env. (0.8 oz.) GOOD SEASONS Garlic & Herb Dressing Mix

1 lb.  red potatoes (about 3), cut into 3/4-inch chunks

3 carrots (6-1/2 oz.), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

3 cups  hot cooked noodles

Make It

COAT meat with flour. Heat oil in Dutch oven or large deep skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat and onions; cook and stir until browned. Stir in broth, tomatoes and dressing mix. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally; cover. Simmer on low heat 15 min., stirring occasionally.
ADD potatoes and carrots; simmer, covered, 45 min. or until meat is tender and sauce is thickened, uncovering after 30 min. and stirring occasionally.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup

What You Need

6 corn tortillas (6 inch), divided

1-1/2 tsp.  oil, divided

1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (I used more likes 3/4 lb.) 

2 cans  (14 oz. each) chicken broth

1 cup TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Medium Salsa

1 cup  frozen corn

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Make It

HEAT oven to 400°F.
CUT 2 tortillas into strips; toss with 1/2 tsp. oil. Spread in single layer on baking sheet. Bake 10 to 12 min. or until crisp, stirring occasionally.
MEANWHILE, finely chop remaining 4 tortillas. Heat remaining oil in large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 5 min. Add chopped tortillas, broth, salsa and corn. Bring to boil; simmer on medium-low heat 15 min.
SERVE topped with cheese and tortilla strips.

Taco Pasta - For June 2011

Taco Pasta

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 package (1-1/4 ounces) taco seasoning
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 package (8 ounce) shell macaroni, cooked and drained
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, brown ground beef over medium heat. Drain and add taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and green chilies. Stir in cooked macaroni. Place in a 9×13 pan. Top with cheese. 

Freeze.  Thaw in refrigerator and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Creamy Italian Chicken

Creamy Chicken Italiano
From Fix it and Forget it Cookbook

Makes 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix
¼ cup water
8 oz package of cream cheese
10 ¾ oz can cream of chicken soup
4 oz can mushroom stems and pieces, drained (I omit this)

1. Place chicken in slow cooker.
2. Combine salad dressing mix and water. Pour over chicken.
3. Cover, cook on low 3 hours.
4. Combine cheese and soup until blended. Stir in mushrooms. Pour over chicken.
5. Cover, cook on low 1 hour, or until chicken juices run clear.
6. Serve over noodles or rice.

Ham and Swiss Manicotti

Ham & Swiss Manicotti
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Ingredients:
• 10 manicotti pasta shells
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup butter or olive oil
• 1-2 cups cooked cubed ham
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
• 6 Tbsp. flour
• 3 cups milk
• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Cook manicotti as directed on package. Drain, rinse in cool water and set aside. Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, and green bell pepper in 4 Tbsp. butter or olive oil until tender. Add ham and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.
In another heavy saucepan, cook 6 Tbsp. butter or olive oil until foamy. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles, about 3 minutes. Add milk, and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens. Stir in cheese. Mix 1/4 of cheese sauce with ham mixture.
Fill manicotti shells with ham mixture (your fingers work best for this; it's messy, but most efficient). Spread about 1/2 cup cheese sauce in greased 13x9" glass baking dish and arrange filled shells over sauce. If there is any leftover stuffing, just sprinkle it over the filled shells. Pour remaining cheese sauce over filled manicotti. At this point the casserole can be cooled in the refrigerator, then wrapped and frozen up to 3 months. To thaw and reheat, thaw casserole overnight in refrigerator, then uncover, sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. If not freezing casserole, sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes until bubbly. Serves 8 From about.com
***I only used about 2 tbsp. olive oil with the onion mix, 2 tbsp. butter, 2 tbsp. flour, and 2 cups of milk for the cheese mix***

Cincinnati Chili

Ingredients

* 2 pounds lean ground beef
* 1 quart water, or amount to cover
* 2 onions, finely chopped
* 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
* 2 tablespoons vinegar
* 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate
* 1/4 cup chili powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
* 5 whole cloves
* 5 whole allspice berries
* 1 bay leaf

Cooking day:
1. Add meat and water to pot. Heat until all meat is cooked through. Break meat into a fine texture.
2. Cool, allow fat to rise to top to scrape off. (can refridgerate over night)
* I poured out liquid to cool quicker and separated fat
3. Add all other ingredients to the meat and liquid. Allow to simmer for 3 hours. Add water if needed to prevent burning.
4. Freeze mixture in ziplock bags.

Serving day:
1. Thaw mixture, reheat.
2. Serve over spaghetti noodles, top with cheese.

Optional: some people like chopped onion or Kidney beans on top.

* This recipe was compared to Skyline chili.

Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

• 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken cut to portion (use what cheap or already in the freezer)
• 3/4 cup of uncooked white rice, not instant rice
• 1 can (10 3/4oz.) Campbells’ Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/4 tsp paprika (or just use your favorite all season spice)
• 1 bag (16oz.) frozen broccoli flowerets
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 1/3 cup of water

Meal Preparation Directions:
1. Add water, rice, soup and seasoning in freezer bag
2. Sprinkle chicken with additional seasoning then add to bag.
3. Freeze, keep broccoli separate

To cook:
1. Thaw chicken mixture, place in 9X13 baking dish, add broccoli frozen.
2. Bake at 375 for 45 min to 1 hour or until rice and chicken are done.
3. Sprinkle cheese on top, and bake additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls AKA Cabbage Casserole

This is a family favorite of mine, grew up on it, so I don't have  a TRUE recipe.

1lb ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can of tomato sauce

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 head of cabbage, cut up or shredded

2 cups of cooked rice

seasonings (Salt and pepper or whatever you like)

Brown meat and saute onions.  Add the remaining ingredients until heated through and cabbage wilts a bit.

EAT!  or Freeze.  Thaw in fridge, re-heat in skillet until heated through.  Enjoy!

April Dinners

Susan is making Chili.

Dawn is making Italian Chicken

Kerry is making Chicken, Rice, and Broccoli casserole

Jennifer is making Beef Stew

Misti is making Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

We will meet on Sunday, April 3rd at?????

Cheesy Ham and Potatoes

Cheesy Ham and Potatoes

(Dinner Is Ready page 217)

1 24-ounce bag frozen shredded hash browns
1/2 cup minced onion
2 10.75-ounce cans cream of celery soup
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups cubed ham
1/4 t pepper

Soften cream cheese and cream together with soup. Stir in onions, ham, Jack cheese and pepper. Break apart hash browns. Gently stir into cheese mixture. Place in gallon freezer bag. Label and freeze.

To serve: Thaw. Place in greased baking dish. Bake covered for 1 hour at 350°. Uncover and top with shredded Cheddar cheese. Return to oven until cheese is melted.