Chicken Casserole

This is my mom's recipe - I don't where she got it, but it's really popular with my kids. We're down to only three people in our house (the other three have moved out), and we STILL ate about half a 9"x13" pan. We've changed it a bit over the years, but it's still YUMMY! My aunts serve it over rice to stretch it a little further. It's delicious that way, too!

Chicken Casserole

20 oz broccoli, cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of broccoli soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
8 oz shredded cheese
4-6 boneless chicken breasts, cut in 1" pieces
1 package stuffing (or 4 pieces of dry toast, crumbled, and some bread crumbs)

Heat oven to 400F. Layer broccoli in 9"x13" dish. Mix the soups and the mayonnaise and spread over the broccoli. Evenly layer the chicken over the soups. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and top with the stuffing or toast/bread crumbs. 

Bake for about 45-60 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly. YUM!

Spinach dip - trust me, you'll like it!

Thanksgiving - you'd think it would only be about the turkey. Nope. My family and friends enjoy the apps I make ALMOST as much as they enjoy the main dish. 

I make a loaf of bread from Artisan Bread in Five to go with this...it's flippin' delicious!

SPINACH DIP
Makes about a cup and half

10 ounces frozen chopped spinach
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions, white parts only, from 3 medium scallions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
½ cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 small garlic clove, minced (if you don't mince it, you'll have big chunks in the dip!)
¼ teaspoon hot sauce (Tabasco, Frank's, whatever)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Thaw spinach in microwave for 3 minutes at 40 percent power. (the idea is that you can serve it right away). Squeeze partially frozen spinach of excess water (use a clean tea towel - something not fuzzy, of course!). In food processor, process spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, dill, parsley, garlic, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy, about 30 seconds. Transfer mixture to medium bowl and serve. (Dip can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 2 days.)

Cheddar Bay biscuits - copycat

If you follow me, you should know that I'm an inconsistent blogger, at best. You can either embrace it or not - your choice. I just won't do any better and I know that. 

However, when I DO post, you'll get something yummy!

We don't go out to eat often...and this recipe is one reason why. When I serve it with clam chowder, there's really no reason to go out to a Red Lobster! 

I can't remember where I found this recipe, but if I do, I will give credit where credit is due. Let's be honest - it's probably Cook's Illustrated. :-D

Cheddar & Scallion Drop Biscuits

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
1 cup cold buttermilk (like, measure it and put it back in the fridge 'til you need it, cold)
8 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled slightly (about 5 minutes)
2 Tbsp butter, melted (optional)

Heat oven to 475F and put oven rack in the middle position. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, cheese, and scallions in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk and the 8 Tbsp butter in medium bowl, stirring until butter forms small clumps. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with spatula until just incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of bowl. Using greased 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, scoop level amount of batter and drop onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, spacing about 1 1/2" apart. Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, 12-15 minutes. Brush biscuit tops with remaining 2 Tbsp melted butter (sometimes I even sprinkle a little garlic powder into the butter!) if desired. Transfer to wire rack and cool 5 minutes. 

Baked Potatoes - in a crockpot

I love potatoes. I'm Irish, so...yeah. Hubby's German, so he's on board with the whole "potatoes at every meal" thing. Okay, not EVERY meal...but a lot of meals. Ha!

Anyway, while I love baked potatoes in the oven, I really like the convenience of baked potatoes in a crockpot. I can stick them in there, then head off to whatever meeting or event we have planned, and when I return - voila! Dinner!

Be creative when you top these - chili, ham & cheese, broccoli & cheese, "loaded" - cheese, sour cream, bacon, chives, left over salmon and sauce...whatever!!!

Baked Potatoes in a Crockpot

Russet potatoes (I would make two per person - if they don't get eaten, you can always make hash the next morning! Keep in mind that if you need to make more than 6 or so, you might need another crockpot)
Olive oil
Salt (I like kosher, but use what you like)

Water

Foil

Scrub your potatoes. Well. Unless you LIKE dirt while you're chewing. Your call. Dry well. Poke the potato with a fork all over (you're giving the steam a place to go - this is a teachable moment for all you homeschoolers!). Rub with a little oil, sprinkle with some salt, and wrap in a piece of foil. Put into your crockpot, pour in about 1/2 cup of water, and cook 4-5 hours on high, 6-8 hours on low. I like to rotate them halfway through cooking (put the ones from the bottom on top and vice versa), but that's because my crockpots have hot spots. When you're ready to eat, pull them out (carefully - there's a reason they call them hot potatoes!), unwrap, and enjoy. 

If you find they're not QUITE ready, remove the foil and microwave for a minute or two. Next time you make them in the crockpot, adjust the time. Different sized potatoes and different crockpots make the timing slightly different for everyone.

New Season and the Meals to Match

Ecclesiastes says that for everything there is a season (did you just sing, "turn, turn, turn" in your head? me too!). Right now, that season for me has a curious dearth of kids in my house. I have four kids, but now, only one left in high school. One has moved to New England and the other two "olders" are busy with work, school, and friends, so are hardly ever home.

This is a challenge for me for a couple of reasons. One, I apparently do not know how to cook for only three of us! My recipes are for six family members, with at least two teens, planning on perhaps a friend (or two, or three) stopping by for dinner, and having leftovers for hubby to take to work. Oh, did I mention that hubby has retired? So, yes, cooking looks much different now. 

Now, track season is upon us and hubby (who's volunteering as a coach) and kid will be gone for at least 3 hours a day. I'm also a helper for track, and track practice overlaps my usual dinner prep time. And, as many of you know, we will still need to eat on those days!! Can you believe it?? Craziness, I know.

All this background to say - I'm trying to think of easy meals that aren't feeding an army that don't require my usual prep time right before dinner. Here are my thoughts. I would LOVE your comments. I will be putting up recipes over the next few day/weeks. 

Baked potatoes (crock-pot, with various toppings)
Chili (crock-pot) - beef, chicken

Sandwiches - meatball, Reubens, grilled cheese, roast beef, etc.

Wraps - veggie (hummus, tabbouleh, feta, veggies), chicken salad, tuna, etc.

Quesadillas

Falafel

Beef stew (crock-pot)

Curried chicken & potatoes (crock-pot)

"Tuscan" chicken, potatoes, & sun-dried tomatoes

Soups! Loaded baked potato, clam chowder, broccoli & cheese, pasta e fagioli, Zuppa Toscana, black bean, etc.

Tarragon chicken (crock-pot)

Tacos - chicken, beef, shrimp, fish, etc.

Roasts (crock-pot or oven)

Enough brainstorming - let's get cooking!

Here's my version of Broccoli & Cheese soup. If I had to give you some advice, I would say, play with the recipe!! If it's not cheesy enough, add more cheese. If it's too cheesy for you, add more broth. Make it the way YOUR family will like it the best. 

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

1 - 2 heads broccoli (depends on how big they are and how much broccoli you like!)
½ cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped
½ cup flour
2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 cans chicken broth (5 cups or so)
salt and pepper
8-16 ounces Velveeta cheese (depends on how cheesy you like it!)

Cook broccoli until tender and drain (you can either steam it or microwave it). Mash ½ cup of the broccoli with a fork. Cut the rest of the broccoli into pieces. 

Cook onions in butter over medium heat in a pot until tender and transparent.  Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn down to low. Whisk in milk slowly, stirring constantly and making sure to get in the corners of the pot. Stir in grated cheese until smooth. Slowly whisk broth into sauce. Add Velveeta cheese and stir until melted.  Add all the broccoli to the soup.  Simmer 15 minutes.  You can add more Velveeta for a cheesier flavor.

Garlic Rolls

I found this recipe years ago on the Internet. I was concerned that it wouldn't turn out well, so I made them shortly after lunch (in order to try them). Yeah - we ate all 24 of them and I had to make another batch for dinner! And the kids were young - between 3 and 11!

These are delicious with spaghetti, lasagna, and Pasta e Fagioli. Do have a little restraint - don't eat all of them in one sitting!

Garlic Cheese Rolls for Bread Machine

1 cup water
3 cups bread flour
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
2 teaspoons yeast
¼ cup butter, melted
1 garlic clove, crushed (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Place first 7 ingredients in bread pan and select dough cycle. When cycle is finished, turn dough onto a floured countertop or cutting board (use flour sparingly). Grease two 8” pie pans or one 13”x9” pan.  Gently form dough into a large ball. With a sharp knife, divide dough into 24 pieces (you can either roll the ball into a rope and cut or just cut wedges). Shape into balls; place into prepared pans. In small bowl, combine butter and garlic; pour over rolls. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes until doubled. Heat oven to 375F while the rolls rise. When the rolls are ready (they'll be puffy and spring back when gently touched), bake at for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven, cut apart, and serve warm.

Egg muffins

I don't know where this recipe came from, but it is darned popular. I think it's because it's a grab-and-go type thing. I've made them for a youth retreat and the teens loved them. Go figure! 

This is, yet again, not really a recipe, but more of a method. Make SURE you grease your muffin tins well. Cooked egg is VERY difficult to remove if it gets stuck.

Egg Muffins

6 eggs
1 cup milk
Nature's Seasons (this is my secret ingredient - I use it in everything!)
1/2 cup shredded cheese
Cooked veggies (optional)
Cooked meat (bacon, ham, sausage, whatever)

Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin VERY well with nonstick cooking spray. Beat the eggs, milk, and Nature's Seasons together in a bowl. Layer your cheese, veggies, and cooked meat in the tins until about 2/3 full. Divide the egg mixture among the tins - they'll be about 3/4 full. Bake 25-35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. These WILL deflate. It's okay. They're still yummy!

 

Breakfast burritos

I love this recipe. Well...it's not REALLY a recipe. It's more a way to get protein into my family without having to get up early to feed them breakfast. Seriously. I hate cooking breakfast. It's too darned early!

Anyway, these freeze beautifully, so there's no need for me to get up in the morning! I wrap mine in waxed paper and freeze. If you plan to heat them up wherever you're going, that's enough. If you intend to heat them at home and then take them with you, I suggest unwrapping it, putting it on a plate, heating it to your liking, then rewrap in a paper towel and then foil. The foil keeps it warm while you're on the road, and the paper towel keeps it from getting soggy. You can then use the paper towel to wipe your face, too!

Breakfast Burritos

Scrambled eggs (for 10 tortillas, I usually make 6-7 - with milk)
Leftover potatoes
Leftover cooked veggies (optional)
Leftover cooked breakfast meat
Tortillas
Sour cream
Salsa
Cheese

I usually make one package of tortillas at a time - usually 10 in a package. I lay them all out, spread with a little sour cream, divide the eggs, potatoes, veggies, and breakfast meat between the tortillas, put a little salsa on, then some cheese. Roll up and store as you desire. 

As a side note - when I say leftover potatoes, I mean LEFTOVER POTATOES. I've used mashed potatoes, baked potato, hash browns, and my personal favorite - leftover scalloped potatoes. That was after Easter...and I used leftover ham...they were awesome. Play with it! Have fun! 

Breakfast casserole

I'm not much of a morning person, so breakfast is not a meal I make often. However, this is delicious and so popular, I will take the time to make it. It freezes beautifully, so if you have the time, make TWO pans and freeze individual portions.

You can halve this recipe and bake it in a pie pan, but really - you'll be sorry if you do. It won't be enough!

Read this all the way through before you cook - there are steps that take place simultaneously. Tweaked from Cook's Country.

Breakfast Casserole

4 large eggs
2 cups milk (not skim)
salt
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp melted butter
4 scallions, chopped
1 1/2 lbs yellow potatoes (about 4), peeled and cut into 1/4" dice
24 oz breakfast sausage (I get the big "logs" of Jimmy Dean)
4 Tbsp vegetable oil (I use bacon fat - much tastier!)
2 oz grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)

Heat oven to 425F and put the oven rack in the upper-middle position. Grease a 9" x 13" pan and set aside. Whisk eggs, milk, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl until well combined. Stir in flour until just incorporated - the mixture will be a little lumpy. Whisk until the batter is smooth. Stir in scallions and set aside while preparing other ingredients. 

Toss potatoes with a couple tablespoons of water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, cut a couple vent holes in the plastic, and microwave on high until the potatoes just begin to soften, 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up the clumps, until the meat has lost most of its pink color, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, spread the sausage evenly over the bottom of the pan. 

Heat oil in the skillet with the sausage fat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add cooked potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, flipping occasionally, until potatoes are golden and crisp, 8-10 minutes. While cooking the potatoes, put the pan with the sausage into the oven and cook about 10 minutes.

Drain potatoes on paper towels (after they're done cooking). Remove the pan from the oven, set on a cooling rack, and, working quickly, sprinkle half of the cheese over the sausage and pour the batter evenly over the filling. Scatter the potatoes on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. 

Bake until puffed and golden, 25-30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, run a knife around the edges of the pan, and let cool 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Stuffed Zucchini - or a chopped veggie medley

This is a great way to use up those excess zucchinis - although I, for one, can't grow zucchinis. Go figure! As a quick note - I never stuff the zucchini. I just chop it up and add it to the pan with the rest of the veggies and serve. Recipe courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.

Stuffed Zucchini
Serves 4 as a main dish or 8 as a side dish
4 medium zucchini (about 8 oz each), washed
Salt and ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium red potatoes (about 1 lb), cut into ½” cubes
1 medium onion, chopped fine
5 large garlic cloves, minced
3 medium tomatoes (about 1¼ lbs), chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
6 oz Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (about 1½ cups) 

Adjust one oven rack to upper-middle position and second oven rack to lowest position, then place a rimmed baking sheet on each rack and heat to 400F.  Meanwhile, halve each zucchini lengthwise. With small spoon, scoop out seeds and most of flesh leaving ¼” walls. Season cut sides of zucchini with salt and pepper, and brush with 2 tablespoons oil; set cut-side down on hot baking sheet on lower rack. 

Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl and spread in single layer on hot baking sheet on upper rack. Roast zucchini until slightly softened and skins are wrinkled, about 10 minutes; roast potatoes until tender and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Using tongs, flip zucchini halves over on baking sheet and set aside.  

Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cooked potatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 3 minutes. 

Off heat, stir in basil, 1/2 cup cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.  Divide filling evenly among squash halves on baking sheet, spooning about 1/2 cup into each, and pack lightly; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return baking sheet to oven, this time to upper rack, and bake zucchini until heated through and cheese is spotty brown, about 6 minutes. Serve immediately.  

Tabbouleh

I love summer - all the fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs you can eat! One of my favorite meals is probably not considered a meal in any other house, but I love it. The story behind this meal goes back MANY (~25) years. We were at our first duty station - Pensacola Naval Air Station. Yes, I realize my hubby was Air Force (he just retired!), but the services were trying a new "joint" thing. 

Anyhow - my hubby came home from work quite early one day, leaned over, kissed me, and my response was, "where the h#*@ have you been?!" He tasted like garlic and spices and wine! He had stopped at an international food store and tried tabbouleh, hummus, and red wine. I made him take me right then and there. We went back to the store, picked up a container of tabbouleh, one of hummus, and a bottle (maybe two!) of red wine. We lived on that for a couple of days. YUM!

I highly suggest you buy some Sabra hummus (we love the roasted garlic kind), pretzel chips (bagel chips work, too!) and a lovely bottle of red wine to go with the tabbouleh. 

I found this recipe on the internet years ago - hope you enjoy it as much as we do. I put a link on the bulgur wheat, in case you don't know what it is.

Tabbouleh a La Paula Wolfert (I don't know who that is, but she makes a good tabbouleh!)

2/3 cup fine grain bulgur wheat 
8 scallions, finely sliced
½ cup fresh mint leaves, shredded
½ cup fresh sorrel leaves, shredded (optional - I have never found them)
2 cups flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, & finely diced
¾ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
salt
2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (yeah - I just chop them and skip the rest!)

Pick over the bulgur and place in a fine sieve; shake to remove any dust and place in cold water to soak briefly.  In a good-sized mixing bowl, combine the scallions, herbs, cucumber, spices, oil and lemon juice.  Drain the bulgur and squeeze by hand to remove any moisture.  Immediately add to the bowl and mix well.  Add salt to taste, cover, and refrigerate overnight.   Before serving, mix in tomatoes and additional salt if needed.

In order to eat this the same day, I will often use hot or boiling water instead of cold water. I don't notice a taste or texture difference, but that could be the wine I'm having with it!

 

Slow cooker "roast" chicken

You don't need a recipe for this. Seriously. 

Step one: Buy a chicken. FYI, my father-in-law once told me that the bone structure of all the chickens you buy at the store are about the same, so buy the biggest one you can find, as the extra money is paying for more meat.

Step two: Open it. Do this in the sink. Obviously. Pull out any "extra" parts. These will be in the rear-end cavity and/or the neck cavity. Drain everything, put the wrappers in the trash, wash your hands, and take the trash out. Yes, now. It will smell really bad if you forget!

Step three: Crumple a few pieces of aluminum foil into the bottom of the inside of the slow-cooker (so the chicken doesn't swim in its own juices). Bring the inside of the slow-cooker over to the sink (where the chicken still is, right?) and put the chicken into it, breast side up. Wash your hands!!

Step four: Sprinkle all over with desired seasonings (Nature's Seasons or Italian seasoning or garlic or whatever). Put it back into the slow-cooker, turn it to low and let it cook for 6-8 hours. The breast meat should be 160F. You can also cook on high for 4-5 hours. 

Step five: Eat! Yum! You can add a slurry of a little cornstarch and cold water to the liquid to make a little gravy. The leftover meat is yummy as chicken salad or on a salad or in a pot pie! 

 

"Mexican" Recipes

It's been awhile. I haven't had many requests for recipes lately, so I've been slacking! But now, I'm going to switch my focus just a teeny bit. My oldest is moving out on his own and needs some easy, inexpensive recipes. Here is the first in the "series". 

Easy Pork "Carnitas"

Carnitas are supposed to be fried in lard, I believe. I don't do that. But this recipe is still pretty yummy!

Pork shoulder/butt or country-style ribs
A bottle of Herdez tomatillo salsa (or another brand - doesn't matter)

Cut the meat into chunks, toss everything into a crockpot and cook 6-8 hours on low, or until you can shred it with a fork. Serve with tortillas and fixings (see the following). If you want a little texture, scoop out the meat and little juice, put it on a baking sheet and broil in the oven for a few minutes, stirring every minute or so, until crispy. Yum!

Crema

I don't know how authentic this is, but it's very tasty on the pork!

1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp chipotle in adobo sauce

Mix and let sit for at least a half-hour for the best flavor.

Coleslaw

Get a bag of coleslaw from the grocery store. You can either mix it with some chipotle ranch dressing or you can make a dressing. I do not have measurements, but here are the ingredients.

Lime juice
Honey (just a touch)
Yogurt or sour cream
Minced onions or scallions
Minced chipotle in adobo sauce (to taste)

Mix and let sit about a half-hour for the best flavor.

Pepperoni Rolls - a West Virginia treasure

If you have never lived in West Virginia, you might be confused as to what the heck this recipe is for. It's for the yummiest snack ever and the West Virginia state food. They were invented in Fairmont, WV by an Italian immigrant as lunch for coal miners. You are seriously missing out if you've never had one.

I'm not a native West Virginian, but I love to bake and we love to eat these, so after moving to Virginia, I didn't have a lot of choice but to figure out how to make them. They're not only delicious, they don't need refrigeration and so are terrific to take on car trips. I send them with my kids when they have away games. I used to be able to send just a few, but they started sharing and now...well, now, I have to make several dozen for them to share!

There's not REALLY a recipe. It's bread dough wrapped around pepperoni. NOT slices. No. Just no. Pepperoni sticks. It's just not right if you use slices. 

Just try the recipe. If you don't like them, I'm not really sure we can even be friends. Haha!

Pepperoni Rolls (I usually make two batches)
Tweaked from King Arthur Flour and Cooks Illustrated

1/2 large stick (20 oz) pepperoni (see picture on the right)
1 cup water
2 Tbsp pepperoni fat
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp yeast

First, cut the pepperoni. Cut off the ends, cut off the wrapper, then cut the pepperoni into quarters. You'll have four pieces about 5" long. Cut those in half lengthwise, then in half again. You'll use just two of them for this batch. Then each of those gets cut into quarters, then cut each of those pieces in half. You'll end up with 64 little sticks of pepperoni. Put those pieces into a microwave-safe bowl and cook for about 3 minutes, to render out some fat. Remove, put the pepperoni on a couple layers of paper towels, and use the rendered fat in the dough. You COULD use butter, but I think this tastes better.

I use a bread machine and put all the ingredients (except the pepperoni, of course) into my machine and run the dough cycle. If you'd prefer to do it by hand, mix everything (except the pepperoni) together to make a soft, smooth dough. Let it rise until doubled. 

When it's finished rising (bread machine or not), divide into 16 pieces and flatten into little rectangles about 3"x 4". With the short side facing you, place one piece of pepperoni on the end, roll just enough to cover, add another piece, roll to cover, add another, roll to cover, and add a fourth piece. Roll up the rest of the way, pinch seam shut, and place, seam side down, on a greased baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Cover with a clean tea towel to rise at least 45 minutes, or until just about doubled. About 30 minutes into the rise, heat your oven to 375. When rolls look a little puffy and bounce back most of the way when touched gently with your finger, bake for about 18 minutes (rotating halfway through baking) until golden brown and delicious.

Let cool on wire rack and do try to not eat them all at once. 

Indian food - really?

Okay, okay, I know. There's no one out there less Indian than me. But I can read and I have found some really good recipes. This is butter chicken - from TwoSleevers, only tweaked the tiniest bit. Serve this over basmati rice. Yes, it makes a difference. Yes, I know it's more expensive. Go to the ethnic grocer and get a big bag. You'll be eating it SO often now that you know it's so easy. 

Read the whole recipe before you start cooking, as I have ingredients in two separate sections. 

Enjoy!

BUTTER CHICKEN

1 14-oz can tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
6 cloves garlic
grated ginger - the same amount as the garlic
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garam masala (I make my own - see below*)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 lbs chicken thighs (if you use bone-in, remove skin before cooking)

Mix everything but the chicken together in the crockpot. Put the chicken thighs in. Cook for 4-6 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. I usually (if I'm going to be home) start them on high just to get them going, then turn them down to low. They really do have a better texture if you cook them on low for longer. If you do cook them on high the whole time, you have to test them after 4 hours. They really do get dried out in the crockpot surrounded by all that sauce. I know, weird, but they do.

Remove the chicken from the pot, turn it off, and let it cool for about 30 minutes. Then add

4 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup cream
1 tsp garam masala
chicken (pulled apart or cut - NOT shredded...and don't forget to remove the bones!)

Mix together gently, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve over that basmati rice you cooked. You did cook it, right??

*I make my own garam masala. Pretty sure I got the recipe from Cook's Illustrated.

3 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix and enjoy.

Corn Muffins, or, What to Serve with Jambalaya

When I was a kid, we ate Jiffy corn muffins. I loved them. Still do, actually. However, I now prefer to make stuff from scratch when possible. Whenever I make jambalaya, these muffins are ALWAYS requested. I'm pretty sure there would be a riot if I didn't have them. They're pretty simple. I've often thought of mixing up the dry ingredients as my own "mix" and just adding the liquid ingredients later, but I forget. Oh well!

Hope you enjoy these as much as my family does!

Corn Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (10 oz)

1 cup fine-ground, whole-grain yellow cornmeal (4½ oz)

1½ teaspoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

½ teaspoon table salt 

2 large eggs 

¾ cup granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

¾ cup sour cream 

½ cup milk 

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.  Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl to combine; set aside. Whisk eggs in a second bowl until well combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Whisk sugar into eggs until thick and homogenous, about 30 seconds; add melted butter in 3 additions, whisking after each addition. Add half the sour cream and half the milk and whisk to combine; whisk in remaining sour cream and milk until combined. Add wet ingredients to dry; mix gently with a rubber spatula until batter is just combined and evenly moistened. Do not over-mix. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Do not level or flatten the surface of mounds.  Bake until light golden brown and skewer inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean, about 18 minutes, rotating muffin tin from front to back halfway through baking time. Cool in tin 5 minutes; invert onto a wire rack, stand upright, cool 5 minutes, and serve warm.

Pocket breads

I discovered this recipe years ago (Cook's Illustrated - of course!) and my family LOVES it. We use it for tuna salad (two batches - one with mayo and one with Miracle Whip to keep everyone happy), egg salad (made the same way), Greek salad (oh my gosh, it's fabulous), and the best of all....GYROS!!!

I hope you try it. It's not too hard. Just make sure there's plenty of flour on each piece.

Baked Puffed Flatbread
Makes eight 6- to 7-inch breads
Make sure you let the pieces of dough rest after forming them into balls and again after rolling them into 4-inch circles; otherwise, they will shrink back and not hold their shape.

1 package dry active yeast (2¼ teaspoons)

1 cup water (warm -- 110 to 115 degrees)

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing

2 teaspoons granulated sugar 

¼ cup plain yogurt 

1½ teaspoons table salt, plus extra for sprinkling

½ cup whole wheat flour

2 cups flour, plus additional as needed

In the workbowl of a food processor fitted with stainless steel blade, sprinkle yeast over warm water. Add oil, sugar, and yogurt and pulse to mix, about four 1-second bursts. Add salt, whole wheat flour, and 2 cups bread flour; process until smooth, about 15 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Process dough (adding more flour as necessary until dough just pulls completely away from sides of bowl) until soft and satiny, about 30 seconds. Squeeze dough gently with full hand; if dough is sticky, sprinkle with flour and knead just to combine. Place dough in medium bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in warm, draft-free spot until dough doubles in size, 30 to 45 minutes. (At this point, dough can be punched down, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerated up to 2 days.)

 Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface and, if sticky, sprinkle very lightly with flour.  Cut into eight pieces.  Roll into balls, let rest 10 mins.  Roll into 4” rounds, let rest.  Roll into 6” rounds and stretch to 7” just before baking.  NOTE:  Be SURE that each bread has flour on it and doesn’t stick at ALL…if it does, it will NOT puff up. 

About 30 minutes prior to cooking, adjust oven rack to lowest position, line rack with pizza stones and heat oven to 500F. Bake dough rounds on preheated pizza stone until bread is puffed and golden brown on bottom, 5 to 6 minutes.  Transfer breads to wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; wrap in clean kitchen towels and serve warm or at room temperature.  If you want to use them for sandwiches, cut in half with a serrated knife.

Being prepared

My father-in-law lived through WWII Germany and the horrendous depression that followed.  He vowed neither he nor his family would EVER be hungry again. He expected everyone in his family to follow Jesus, be able to raise a garden, and keep a stockpile of food on hand at all times.  Every time he came to my house, he would inspect my garden and my food stores, sometimes commenting that one or the other needed to be improved, and always reminding me to seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto us.

When everyone started getting worried about food and supplies, I was able to go out and get "fun stuff" - buttermilk and currants for Irish soda bread. Stuff we didn't need, but wanted to have for our St. Patrick's Day celebration.

May I encourage you, after this craziness is over, to start a stockpile?  It doesn't have to be much - just buy an extra one or two things (preferably on sale or clearance) every time you go shopping. It's a wonderful buffer for the unexpectedness of life.

More importantly, I'd also like to encourage you to follow Jesus. When you know the end of the story (Jesus wins!), it is so much easier to relax when the rest of the world is going nuts.

Our world started as a perfect, beautiful place that we humans were to be in charge of (under the rule of God, of course). But, we, being as we are, decided that we could run things a whole lot better than God. We obviously can't - look around. God will only allow this to go on so long. After all, it's His world. So He sent His Son to live the life we could not live (a perfect one) and die the death we could not die (we do NOT want to go to hell). So we have a choice - follow Jesus and live forever with Him in heaven...or not. Make the wise choice. 💗

The Best Banana Bread

I buy bananas when they're REALLY brown. The local grocery store sells bags of them for about a dollar. If I can't get to them before they're rotten, I peel them and freeze them (individually is a bit easier to handle after they're frozen).

This recipe is to make loaves, but I never make it that way. Our family prefers them in muffin form - especially the mini muffins. You can just pop them right into your mouth and there's more of that yummy, crunchy edge!

Best Banana Bread Recipe

¾ cup butter, softened

1½ cups sugar

3 bananas, blackened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

¾ teaspoon salt

½ cup buttermilk

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and crushed bananas and combine well.  Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix buttermilk and vanilla. Add one-third of that dry mix to creamed mixture, then one-half of the buttermilk mix. Keep alternating addition, stirring gently to combine.  Pour into greased and floured loaf pan.  Bake at 350F for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  If you use muffin tins, start checking at 15 minutes.

Oatmeal Scones

These scones are delicious - I make them often. The most "famous" time I made them was in Maine, while visiting with family. This particular family does not eat a lot of carbs...except when I'm there...then they eat two, three, or even four of these!  Oops!! 

I'm posting this, even though I might be tempting said family members to make them and eat more!

Oatmeal Scones

Makes 8 Scones

1½ cups rolled oats (4½ oz) or quick oats

¼ cup whole milk 

¼ cup heavy cream 

1 large egg 

1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7½ oz)

1/3 cup granulated sugar (2¼ oz)

2 teaspoons baking powder 

½ teaspoon table salt 

10 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 tablespoon granulated sugar for sprinkling

 

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375F. Spread oats evenly on a baking sheet and toast in oven until fragrant and lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes; cool on wire rack. (I must be honest - I skip this step ALL the time!)

Increase oven temperature to 450F. Line second baking sheet with parchment paper. When oats are cooled, measure out 2 tablespoons and set aside.  Whisk milk, cream, and egg in a large measuring cup until incorporated; remove 1 tablespoon to small bowl and reserve for glazing.  Pulse flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combined, about four 1-second pulses. Scatter cold butter evenly over dry ingredients and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, twelve to fourteen 1-second pulses. (If you don't have a food processor, cut the butter in with two knives or grate cold butter into the dry ingredients.)

Transfer mixture to medium bowl; stir in cooled oats. Using a rubber spatula, fold in liquid ingredients until large clumps form. Mix dough by hand in bowl until dough forms a cohesive mass.  Dust work surface with half of the reserved oats, turn the dough out onto work surface, and dust top with remaining oats. Gently pat into a 7-inch circle about 1 inch thick. Using a bench scraper or chef’s knife, cut dough into 8 wedges and set on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Brush surfaces with reserved egg mixture and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. 

Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes; cool scones on baking sheet on wire rack 5 minutes, then remove scones to cooling rack and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Serve.