Chicken Enchilada Caserole

This is another favorite recipe that I got from my friend Maggie
that is super good and super easy!!!

Ingredients:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chunky salsa
3 cooked chicken breasts (cubed or shredded)
10 corn tortillas (white or yellow) cut up into 1 inch squares
1 cup shredded cheese
1 onion chopped

3 green onions chopped
2.25 oz can on chopped black olives

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray casserole dish with non-stick spray.
2. Mix all ingredients except green onions and olives in a medium bowl. Then poor into caserole dish and cover. Bake in oven for 1 hour.
3. Add green onions, olives and more cheese (if desired) to top of casserole and then return to oven uncovered for 15 more minutes.
4. Let cool, serve and enjoy!!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, you may be thinking, who needs another chocolate chip cookie recipe? You do, because this one is the best. I got it from my mom, and it truly is the best ever and easiest cookie recipe. It guarantees a thick chewy cookie every time. The trickiest part is the cooking time. In order to get the cookies to be chewy and moist you have to slightly under-cook them in the oven and then let them cool on the cookie sheet. When they are cool, then take them off and you will have a perfect cookie, I promise. Another side note, there is a lot of flour in these so it can be difficult to stir by hand. I use a kitchenaid and it works beautifully, my mom uses a hand mixer, so try one of those options.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup shortening (I omit the shortening and use 1 cup of butter, they turn out either way)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup pecans (I omit)
12 oz chocolate chips

Cream together shortening, butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time until mixed well. Add vanilla and mix well. Add in flour, baking soda and salt. fold in pecans and chocolate chips. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 min.

Apricot & Mustard- Glazed Pork Roast

This is a Weight Watchers recipe, but don't let that defer you.... it is amazing!!!!
It is one of my all time favorites. It is so easy... but tastes like it would be so hard.
(I do have to add that it is a lot easier if you have a basting brush and an instant-read thermometer)

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried rosemary
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 lb. pork loin roast
4 tbsp apricot jam
2 tbsp dijon mustard

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray a roasting pan with nonstick spray.

2. Stir together the garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture over the pork. Place the pork in pan and roast for 30 minutes.

3. Stir together the jam and mustard in a small bowl and brush all over the pork. Continue to cook the pork until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees (you put the thermometer in the meat before returning to oven.)

The book says that it should cook for about 10 minutes to get to 160 degrees, but I have found that it takes more like 30 minutes with my oven.

4. Cut into slices and enjoy!!!! I like to cut up potatoes and roast with the pork.

Mexican Sour Cream Rice

So, no matter how many pictures I took, I could not get this to look yummy in a picture. But don't let that deter you, it is really yummy!!! I guess I need to work on my food-picture-taking skills! Anyways, I have had this recipe for so long, I have no idea where it came from. It is super easy and so good!!!


Mexican Sour Cream Rice

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1 (8.75 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
salt and ground black pepper to taste

In a large pot, bring the rice and chicken broth to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish.

In the pot with the cooked rice, mix the sour cream, green chile peppers, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, corn, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared casserole dish, and top with remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

Raspberry Sour Cream Muffins

I found this recipe on allredtastes.blogspot.com and have probably made it once a week since I found it. They are so, so good and so easy to make!!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour (I have only used white, but wheat would probably work too)
1 tbsp baking powder
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp melted butter
1 1/4 cups sour cream (10 ounces)
1 1/2 cup frozen raspberries (blueberries work too)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Whisk flour and baking powder in medium bowl until combined.

3. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl until well-combined and light colored. Add sugar to egg mixture. Whisk vigorously until thick. Then add melted butter to mixture in 2 or 3 additions. Whisking to combine after each addition. Add sour cream in 2 additions. Whisking to combine.

4. Add frozen berries to flour mixture and gently toss to combine. Add sour cream mixture and fold with rubber spatula until batter comes together and berries are evenly distributed. (Small spots of flour may remain and batter will be thick. Do not over-mix.)

5. Use ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop batter into greased muffin tin. Bake 25-30 minutes (I have found that 25 mins is perfect). Rotate pan from front to back halfway through baking time. Allow to coll for 5 minutes before adding toppings.

Cinnamon/ Sugar Topping:

Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon in small bowl. Working muffins one at a time... dip in melted butter and then in sugar mixture.

Enjoy!!!!

French Bread Rolls

So, I have tried quite a few roll recipes in my day. Most of them have ended in utter failure. A few have been somewhat successful, but then I found this recipe on my favorite cooking blog, melskitchencafe.com, and they were a huge success. To me, they don't resemble french bread at all, but are even better. The best part about the recipe is that it doesn't use any butter or eggs in the recipe and therefore have a lot fewer calories than a lot of other dinner roll recipes. This is the original recipe but let me add a few notes on who exactly I make these. I always use the SAF instant yeast (the only yeast I have consistent success with) and therefore just add the yeast in with the flour instead of letting it sit in water. Second, of all I always make these in my kitchen aid. I just add all the ingredients and enough flour until dough pulls away from the sides and then let it mix for 8 min. I don't roll it out and knead it but you can if you want. Last of all I always bake these inside a glass 13x9 inch pan instead of separated on a cookie sheet. Either way would probably work. Good Luck and Enjoy!


French Bread Rolls

*Makes about 15 rolls
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12-14 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth (or greased saran wrap), and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake for 12-13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.