Chicken Spaghetti

1-1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 microwave steamer bag broccoli
1 package thin spaghetti
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can Rotel tomatoes & green chilis
1/2 cup mexican blend shredded cheese
salt & pepper

Prepare spaghetti & broccoli per package directions.  While they cook,combine mushroom soup, Rotel & mexican cheese in a small sauce pan on low heat until heated through.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl & add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve family style with french or garlic bread.

This recipe is a bit too spicy for the little ones!

Spinach & Artichoke Dip (Hot or Cold)

*Photo note: I made this for Easter for just my husband & me, so I only filled the bowl with half of the dip created by this recipe.  The full recipe will fill the bread bowl appropriately.

Adapted from allrecipes.com

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• 1 8oz package cream cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (1 ounce) package ranch-style dip mix
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 2 (16 ounce) loaves King's Hawaiian® Sweet Bread
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
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• Blend mayo, sour cream and dip; mix together in a large bowl. Add artichoke hearts, spinach and water chestnuts; mix well. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.
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• Before serving, Carefully hollow 1 loaf, leaving 1-inch on sides and bottoms. Cube removed bread and additional loaf.

To serve hot: Stir in 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese; microwave on high 4-5 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally.

Transfer dip to bread bowl and serve with bread cubes.

Potato Salad

• 
  
• Adapted from allrecipes.com
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• 8 potatoes
• 8 eggs
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 cup sweet relish
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup prepared mustard
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste
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• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15-20 minutes; drain and chop.
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• Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil; cover, remove from heat, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water; peel and chop.
• 
  
• In a large bowl, gently mash the potatoes.  Then combine the eggs, celery, sweet relish, garlic, mustard, mayonnaise and salt and pepper. Gently mix together and serve.

Taco Salad

1 lb. ground turkey or beef, browned & drained
1 packet taco seasoning mix
1/2 large head lettuce, cut into pieces
1 can light or dark red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
2 tomatoes, cut into pieces
1 can sliced black olives, drained
1 package shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 - 1 - (8oz) bottle Creamy French or Catalina Salad Dressing
1/2 of bag Fritos corn chips or tortilla chips



Brown turkey or beef until cooked through.  Add taco seasoning and finish cooking as directed.  Allow meat to cool.


In a large bowl combine lettuce, beans, tomatoes, olives, cheese & meat.  Add 1/2 bottle of dressing & toss.  Add more dressing until desired amount is achieved based on personal preference.  Top with chips & enjoy!


For a fun variation, serve in a tortilla shell.  Spray both sides of a large flour tortilla with non-stick spray and place in a bowl suitable for the oven.  Bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes.

Baked BBQ or Hot Wings

adapted from foodnetwork.com

12+ whole chicken wings

desired sauce

Remove the tips of the wings and discard or save for making stock. Use kitchen shears or a knife to separate the wings at the joint. Place the wings in an electric steamer for 15 minutes (or place a 6-quart saucepan, with a steamer basket and 1 inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.  Add chicken and steam for 10 minutes). 

Remove the wings and carefully pat dry. Lay out the wings on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator to dry, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the paper towels on the pan and replace with non-stick foil or parchment paper. Roast on the middle rack of the oven, about 20 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook 20 to 30 more minutes, or until the meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.

When the chicken is almost finished roasting, pour sauce into a bowl large enough to hold all of the chicken. Remove the wings from the oven, transfer to the bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve warm.

Cinnamon Rolls

Adapted from allrecipes.com

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

1 packet or 8 grams yeast
2 eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup margarine, melted

4 1/2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese,softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Place warm milk & yeast in the bowl of stand mixer and allow to sit for about 10 minutes.  Add eggs, margarine, flour, salt & white sugar.  Attach the dough hook and allow to mix & need for about 10 minutes (or until the dough is stretchy and not too sticky).  Remove bowl and cover, allowing the dough to rise in a warm dry place for about an hour.
2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. 
4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).  Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Once complete, place a cookie sheet on top of your pan and turn the rolls out upside down and allow them to cool for a few minutes.  While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving. 

To make the night before, complete recipe through step 3, then cover and refrigerate.  In the morning, allow rolls to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then complete step 4.

To freeze, complete through step 3, cover & freeze.  The day before you want to cook them, move them from the freezer to the fridge.  When ready to cook, allow rolls to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then complete step 4.

Tangy Cole Slaw

from Shanna Nail

3/4 cup Splenda
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 tsp oil
salt & pepper
One bag shredded cabbage & carrots,
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped

Wisk together Splenda, white vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.  Pour mixture over cabbage & carrots & bell peppers

Make at least 8 hours before serving it so that it has some time to marinate and chill. (Sometimes overnight) It works pretty well to place all ingredients in a large ziploc bag to mix and marinate. Before serving, pour off excess juices! 

It is very healthy, and for any Weight Watchers members counts as 0 points.

Watergate Salad

adapted from allrecipes.com

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks in juice

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Drain pineapple reserving juice.  In a large bowl, mix together pudding mix, pineapple chunks, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, marshmallows, and nuts. Fold in whipped topping. Chill.

Holiday Pretzel Treats

From Family Fun

Bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels
Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug
M&M's candy

Heat the oven to 170F. Set a number of bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels (one for each treat) in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug.

Bake for 4 to 6 minutes (the white chocolate will melt more quickly), until the chocolates feel soft when touched with a wooden spoon. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and quickly press an M&M's candy into the center of each Kiss.

Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. If desired, place handfuls of the candies in clear plastic bags and tie on colorful ribbons.

Marshmallow & Lime Jello Salad

 adapted from allrecipes.com

10 fluid ounces lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

4 cups miniature marshmallows, divided

2 (3 ounce) packages lime flavored gelatin mix

8 ounces cream cheese

1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice

1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

In a saucepan, combine the carbonated beverage and marshmallows. Stir over medium heat until marshmallows melt. Turn off heat and add jello & cream cheese.  Wisk until well well blended and cream cheese lumps are gone.

Add the pineapple and whipped topping and mix well.  Stir in 1 cup of mini marshmallows and pour into a 9x12 inch dish and chill overnight or until set.

Cranberry Cider

adapted from allrecipes.com

8 cups apple cider

6 cups cranberry juice

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoons whole cloves

1 orange

In a large pot (or crockpot), combine apple cider, cranberry juice, brown sugar & cinnamon sticks.  Slice orange and stick cloves in the ends of the orange & place in pot.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or put crockpot on high for 1 hour, then low for 1 hour and warm as long as needed.  Serve hot.

No Coffee Pumpkin Latte

 adapted from allrecipes.com

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 quart milk

1/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

whipped cream & ground cinnamon for garnish

 

Combine pumpkin, milk, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla in a large saucepan over medium heat. Use a whisk to blend well. Heat to a simmer; do not boil.  Fill cups and top with whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon.

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Cake

Note: I made this cake for my husbands birthday this weekend and it was a disaster!  I attempted to create a roll cake using a box cake mix and it stuck to the towel as I unrolled it.  I did the best I could with it...rolling it up in saran wrap & securing it with packing tape (I wish I had taken a photo!).  The end result tasted great, and each slice looked acceptable, but the cake as a whole was not pretty.  So, for your sake, I am modifying the directions here to create an actual ice cream cake rather than a roll :)

6 cups, not packed, vanilla ice cream (I use Blue Bell No Sugar Added)
1 package mini peanut butter cups, divided
1 box cake mix (I used vanilla, but white, yellow or chocolate would work just as well)
Hot fudge (store bought or homemade)

Prepare cake mix as directed and bake in 2 rounds.  Place 1/3 of the bag of peanut butter cups in the freezer for later use.  Allow the cakes to cool completely, wrap each layer in saran wrap and freeze.

When ready to assemble, unwrap 3/4 of the peanut butter cups and set aside.  Then, remove rounds & ice cream from freezer.  Determine which layer will be the top and set it aside.  Cut the rounded top off the other layer so the top is completely flat.

Place ice cream and peanut butter cups in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer until well combined.  Quickly spread a generous layer of the ice cream mixture on the bottom section of cake, then stack the additional layer of cake on top.  Wrap the entire cake in saran wrap and refreeze.

Remove from freezer 10-15 minutes before serving.  During this time, chop the frozen peanut butter cups and heat the fudge.  Generously drizzly the fudge on the cake & sprinkle with the chopped peanut butter cups.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2 small or 1 large pizza crust - homemade or packaged
BBQ sauce
Approximately 1 cup of cooked chicken (shredded or thinly sliced) 
1 onion, caramelized*
Mozzarella cheese

Top pizza crust with a generous layer of BBQ sauce.  Top sauce with a layer of chicken, then a layer of cheese.  Add onions to the top and cook according to the pizza crust directions and until cheese is melted.

*caramelize onions by slowly cooking them in a little olive oil until they are richly browned.

Low Country Boil

From allrecipes.com

Old Bay Seasoning TM to taste

1-1/4 pounds new potatoes

1 (16 ounce) package cooked kielbasa sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces

3 ears fresh corn, husks and silks removed

1-1/4 pounds whole crab, broken into pieces

1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined

Heat a large pot of water over an outdoor cooker, or medium-high heat indoors. Add Old Bay Seasoning to taste, and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, and sausage, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the corn and crab; cook for another 5 minutes, then add the shrimp when everything else is almost done, and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.

Drain off the water, and pour the contents out onto a picnic table covered with newspaper. Grab a paper plate and a beer and enjoy!

I made this with chicken sausage & no crab. It was easy, delicious and really fun! We didn't have newspaper, so we just dumped it onto a paper towel lined baking sheet. This would be a great crowd pleaser!

Taco Turkey Wraps

 Adapted from allrecipes.com

2/3 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons taco seasoning

6 (8 inch) flour tortillas

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese or Cheddar cheese

1/2 pound thinly sliced deli turkey breast

Lettuce
Tomato
Salsa

In a bowl, combine the sour cream and taco seasoning. Spread over tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with turkey, lettuce & tomato; roll up. Serve with salsa if desired.

Pictured with jalapeno cheddar wrap tortilla.  

Can be sliced into pinwheels as appetizers or for a buffet/potluck.

Honey-Oat Pan Rolls

from Taste of Home

2-1/2 to 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/4 cup honey
5 tablespoons butter, divided
1 egg

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, yeast and salt. In a small saucepan, heat the water, honey and 4 tablespoons butter to 120°-130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened. Add egg; beat until well combined. Stir in enough remaining all-purpose flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide into 24 pieces. Shape each into a ball. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake at 375° for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Melt remaining butter; brush over rolls. Remove from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 2 dozen.

Pasta Salad

1 box rigatoni pasta, cooked
1 medium/large sweet bell pepper, chopped
1/4 large onion, chopped
1 box frozen chopped broccoli, cooked & drained
1 small can sliced olives
5 slices of turkey cold cuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups Wishbone Red Wine Vinegar Dressing*

In a large bowl combine all ingredients, and refrigerate overnight.

*I am guessing I used about 1 1/2 cups of dressing. I just added it to taste (about 1 cup), but once it sat it needed more (hence the additional 1/2 cup). I'll update when I make it again, in the meantime, I would suggest you add dressing to taste and then add a bit more.

T&J's Trailmix

4 cups Cheerios
1 1/2 - 2 cups mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Mix all ingredients together in a large zip lock baggie.

Best Bean Burritos

1 can refried beans
1 can diced green chilis
Flour tortillas
Shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375 and set aside a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Mix beans and chilis in a sauce pan and heat over medium until warmed through. Assemble burritos with beans and cheese and place side by side (seams down) on cookie sheet. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Serve burritos with toppings as desired (guacamole, sour cream, salsa, olives, etc) and eat with a fork.

These are great for a burrito bar at a party. You can just make a bunch of burritos (even mini burritos using smaller tortillas) and let guests top as desired :)