Leftover Turkey

Hey everyone.  I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving, I was away visiting family so I didn't really cook but here is a great article from MSN for turkey leftovers. http://www.delish.com/entertaining-ideas/holidays/thanksgiving/leftover-turkey-recipes?click=pp

Also, for all those leftover mashed potatoes.  Make potato cakes.  Just add an egg and a 1/2 cup - 1 cup of flour to a 1 cups leftover mashed potatoes and fry them up on skillet like pancakes!  They are delicious topped with gravy and a fried egg!  ENJOY!

Cheesy Crusted Chicken

Here is a really easy chicken recipe:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 egg
• Salt
• 1 cup cheese crackers

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Tenderize chicken with a fork
3. Grind crackers in a food processor or smash in a ziplock bag until finely crushed
4. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with salt, dip in egg and then coat with crushed crackers
5. Bake in an oven safe dish for 30 - 40 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.  Turn chicken 1/2 way though the baking process.

Apple Cider Crisp

Here is a simple and delicious Apple Crisp recipe.

• 4 apples
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 cup flour
• 2/3 cup oats
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 pkg of apple cider mix
• 1/2 cup butter, softened

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Peel and cut up apples in to small chunks
3. Coat apples with cinnamon and honey and set in greased 8x8 square dish
4. Mix flour, oats, brown sugar, and apple cider mix and mix well
5. Mix butter and flour/oat mixture and spread over the top of the apples
6. Bake for 30 minutes
7. Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping and enjoy!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Cupcakes:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 of 3.4 oz pkg of vanilla pudding
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup strawberry syrup

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees
2. Mix flour and baking powder and set aside
3. Blend sugar, butter and pudding mix until well mixed and add eggs and vanilla until eggs are mixed into batter
4. Then slowly add flour mixture a little at a time and mix well.
5. Stir in milk and strawberry syrup and beat batter for about 1 minute until mixture is a light pink.
6. You can add a little food coloring if you would like bright pink cupcakes
7. Line or grease a muffin pan and fill cupcakes
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cake is done

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 8 oz pkg of cream cheese
• 3 - 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
• 1/4 cup milk

1. Mix butter and cream cheese until smooth and then beat in marshmallow fluff
2. Mix in powdered sugar a little at time, tasting it so it is not too sweet 
3. Mix in cocoa powder until it is a rich brown color
4. Add milk to thin the mixture out a little
5. Refrigerate for about 20 minutes or until ready to use and use to top cupcakes after they have cooled

Baked Beans

Here is a side that I like to make with ham or kielbasa.

• Can of Great Northern Beans
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese plus a little extra for the topping

1. Preheat oven at 400 degrees
2. Drain most of the liquid out of the beans and add to a mixing bowl.
3. Mash beans with potato masher until most are smashed
4. Add to beans olive oil and all spices and mix well
5. Mix in 1/2 a cup of shredded cheese
6. Add mixture to an oiled oven safe dish and sprinkle a little shredded cheese over the top
7. Bake for 20 minutes and serve

Homemade Pizza

Being raised in Chicago, my husband and I love thick crusted pizza!!!

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
• 1 tbsp yeast

1. Put all the ingredients in bread machine in the order listed above on the dough only setting or if you do not have a bread machine, mix all ingredients together, kneading until dough is a smooth ball and let rise 1 hour in a covered bowl
2. After the bread machine cycle is done or the one hour rise is done spread out the dough with your hands or rolling pin to fit your pizza pan and let rise for another 20 minutes
3. Top with your favorite sauce and topping
4. Bake at 425 for 20 - 25 minutes until dough is browned and cheese is bubbly!

Our pizza sauce:

• 12 oz can of tomato paste
• 7 oz can of chopped chilies
• Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• Garlic powder
• Cayenne

Mix them all together and spread on the dough and top with your favorite meats, veggies, and cheese!

Stuffed Shells

• 12 oz box of large shells
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 7 oz can of green chilis
• 2.25 oz can of black olives
• 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 pkg of frozen chopped spinach (defrosted)
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups shredded Mozzarella

1. Boil a large pot of water and boil shells until soft (about 15 mins)
2. Preheat oven at 350 degrees
3. Combine crushed tomatoes, green chilis, black olives, yellow onion, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, garlic powder, sugar, and cayenne pepper in sauce pan and cook until bubbly.  Then let sit covered while shells are cooking
4. Combine ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, chopped spinach, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper and set aside.
5. After shells are cooked and cooled enough to be handled, fill them with about a tablespoon of the ricotta and spinach mixture and line up in 9x13 baking pan
6. Top all shells with the tomato sauce and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan on top and bake for 30 minutes
7. Serve and Enjoy!!!

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Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Here is another Fall Favorite: Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins.  This recipe makes about 1 1/2 dozen muffins

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp all spice
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 of a 3/4 oz pkg of vanilla pudding mix
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup cranberry/orange juice mix
• 5 handfuls of fresh cranberries about 2 cups

1. Mix sugar, pumpkin puree, oil, eggs, and juice until well blended.
2. Add to mixture vanilla pudding mix and let sit about a minute or two while you mix the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, all spice, baking powder, and salt together.
3. Add dry mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix until well blended.
4. Fold in cranberries
5. Grease or line muffin tins and fill cups about 3/4 full
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
7. Cool and enjoy!

Potato Skins

My husband loves potato skins so here is my quick and easy recipe:

• 3 red potatoes
• Jar of salsa con queso
• Shredded cheese
• Sour cream
• Chives
• Salt and Pepper

1. Microwave the potatoes for 10-12 minutes
2. Preheat over at 425 degrees
3. Remove and let cool until you can handle them without burning yourself
4. Cut the potatoes in half longways and scoop a hole to fill with cheese
5. Place potatoes on greased baking sheet and sprinkle them with salt and pepper
6. Fill with salsa con queso and then top with shredded cheese
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes
8. Top with a dab of sour cream and chives
9. ENJOY!!!

Cranberry Banana Pancakes

Ripened bananas are great for baking and breakfast, here is one of my recent recipes:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 cup wheat flour
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4-1 cup fresh cranberries

1. Smash bananas and mix with olive oil, egg, and milk.
2. Mix all dry ingredients, baking powder, salt, sugar, flours, and cinnamon.
3. Add wet and dry ingredients and mix well.  You may want to add a little milk depending on your preference for thin or thick pancakes.
4. Add cranberries and they are ready for a hot, greased skillet.
5. Cook and enjoy!

Apple Cranberry Crisp

I love the Fall because of cranberries!!!!  Here is an awesome twist to Apple Crisp:

• 4 apples (I use Fuji or Gala)
• 2 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• 2/3 cup softened butter
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup oats
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tbsp cinnamon

1. Peel and cut apples into small chunks, about 1/2 in by 1/2 in and mix with cranberries in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add white sugar to fruit and set aside
3. For topping, mix brown sugar, oats, flour, and cinnamon and then cut in softened butter until crumbly and well mixed
4. In greased 9 x 13 pan, add fruit mixture and then topping
5. Bake a 375 for 25-30 minutes.  Cool and serve topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!  ENJOY!

Chicken and Dumplings

This is one of our favorite meals and one of the first meals I developed when we were in college.

• 2 chicken breasts, chopped 
• 2 celery stalks 
• 3 small red potatoes 
• 3 carrots, peeled 
• 1/3 cup chopped onion 
• salt and pepper 
• 1-2 cups chicken broth 
• 1/4 tsp rosemary 
• 1/4 tsp oregano 
• 1/4 tsp parsley 
• 1/2 cup flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tsp sugar 
• 1/8 tsp salt 
• 1 egg 
• Milk 
• 1 tsp butter 
• 1/4 cup flour 

1. Fill pan that can be covered with 1/2 in of chicken broth and potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, parsley, oregano, rosemary, and salt and pepper. Cover and cook until potatoes and carrots are soft (about 10-15 mins). Remove from pan. 
2. Add more broth (about 1/2 inch in the bottom of the pan) and cook chicken. Add salt and pepper to chicken to season. After chicken is fully cooked, remove chicken and leave remaining broth. 
3. Mix chicken and veggies and set aside. 
4. For dumplings, mix flour, tsp of baking powder, tsp of sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, egg and mix. Add milk until the mixture is smooth but thick. Cook dumplings in 1/2 in of broth, covered for about 10 minutes. Insert tooth pick to make sure they are cooked throughout. 
5. After dumplings are cooked, use remaining broth to make gravy. Add broth (there should be about 1/2 in of broth in pan) if needed and add butter. Whisk flour until thick and add salt and pepper to taste. 
6. Serve dumpling topped with chicken and veggies and gravy. ENJOY!