Carol's Chicken Salad

Carol, I love you. This is the BEST chicken salad I've ever had. The water chestnuts (which I wasn't too sure of) totally added a wonderful crunch. I prefer to use red grapes and the only thing I skip is the cheese. I prefer my chicken salad without it but that's just me. Cheese or no cheese, this is da bomb.

Carol’s Chicken Salad

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 cups diced, cooked chicken breast meat

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

1 1/2 cups diced Swiss cheese

1 1/2 cups halved green grapes

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, salt, poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and lemon juice.

In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, celery, green onions, water chestnuts, Swiss cheese, and grapes. Add the mayonnaise mixture, and stir to coat. Chill until serving

Crockpot Sloppy Joes

These ain't yer typical sloppy joes folks. These here joes are sooo much better. Perfect for potlucks too. My co-workers can attest to that!

Crockpot Sloppy Joes

3lbs. ground beef or turkey

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 med. green pepper, chopped

1 bottle of chili sauce

3 Tblsp Worcestershire sauce

3 Tblsp brown sugar

1 small can tomato paste

Brown meat with onion and pepper. Drain. Mix with other ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on low at least 4 hours for best results. Stir occasionally.

Apple Cinnamon Streusel Cheesecake

This was good but not great. It cannot compare to the Bailey's White Chocolate Cheesecake I made around Christmas but this was much less work too. I personally think the sweetened condensed milk actually made this too sweet. I'm not sure I'd make it again.

Apple Cinnamon Streusel Cheesecake

1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine,melted
3 packages(8 oz. each) cream cheese,softened
1 can(14 oz.)sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 can(21 oz,)apple pie filling

Heat oven to 325 degrees.In small bowl,mix oats,flour,brown sugar and butter until crumbly,reserve 1/2 cup for topping.Press remaining oat mixture in bottom of ungreased 9-inch springform pan.

In large bowl,beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.Beat in milk,eggs,cinnamon and vanilla,scraping bowl once,until well blended.Pour onto crust in pan.

Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until set.Cool on cooling rack about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile,in 8-inch nonstick skillet,heat reserved 1/2 cup oat mixture over medium-low heat 2 to 3 minutes,stirring occasionally,until lightly toasted.Spread apple pie filling over partially cooled cheesecake.Sprinkle toasted oat mixture on top.Cool 1 1/2 hours.Refrigerate 4 hours or over night.Run spatula along side of cheesecake to loosen,remove side of pan.Store in refrigerator.

Slow cooked sweet 'n' sour pork

This was good and it warmed up well. I used boneless pork chops because they were B1G1 free. I also used about 1/3C of flour with the paprika when I coated the chops to brown them up. Makes the sauce a bit thicker too. Very good, I'd make again.

Slow Cooked Sweet 'n' Sour Pork

• 2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1-1/2 pounds boneless pork loin roast, cut into 1-inch strips
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 can (20 ounces) unsweetened pineapple chunks
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• Hot cooked rice, optional

• Place paprika in a large resealable plastic bag. Add pork, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. In a nonstick skillet, brown pork in oil in batches over medium-high heat. Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker.
• Drain pineapple, reserving juice; refrigerate the pineapple. Add the pineapple juice, onion, green pepper, vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and salt to slow cooker; mix well. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.
• Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into pork mixture. Add pineapple. Cover and cook 30 minutes longer or until sauce is thickened. Serve over rice if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

Wendy's Famous Chili

I've been making this for YEARS. My Mom thought it was the best chili she'd ever had. My husband still agrees with that! It's even BETTER the next day. Enjoy!

Wendy's Chili recipe

2 pounds ground beef

one 29-ounce can tomato sauce

one 29-ounce can kidney beans (with liquid)

one 29-ounce can pinto beans (with liquid)

1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)

1/2 cup diced green chili (one can)

1/4 cup diced celery (1 stalk)

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 teaspoons cumin powder

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups water

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain off the fat.

Using a fork, crumble the cooked beef into pea-size pieces.

In a large pot, combine the beef plus all the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.

Makes about 12 servings.

Tidbits: For spicier chili, add 1/2 teaspoon more black pepper. For much spicier chili, add 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and a tablespoon of cayenne pepper. And for a real stomach stinger, add 5 or 6 sliced jalapeno peppers to the pot. Leftovers can be frozen for several months.

3 Cheese Turkey Manicotti

I've resisted making this recipe simply because I HATE stuffing manicotti shells. I know the tricks, load the stuffing into the ziplock bag, snip off the corner and fill effortlessly. It's never effortlessly. I finally took the plunge and made this simply because it sounded so good. It was worth the pain of stuffing the shells. There...I said it. I'd stuff 'em again because it was that good.

• 3 Cheese Turkey Manicotti
• 
  
• 12 uncooked manicotti shells
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 1 jar (26 ounces) three-cheese spaghetti sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 carton (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 egg

Cook manicotti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook turkey and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, sugar, Italian seasoning, onion powder and garlic powder. Place 1 cup meat sauce into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish

Drain manicotti. In a large bowl, combine the cheddar-Monterey Jack cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and egg. Stuff into manicotti shells. Place shells over meat sauce. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 6 servings.

Classic Chicken and Dumplings

Scratch...it's not just for chicken pox.

This was delicious. It tastes like Memaw was cooking at your house all Sunday. A bit time consuming but delicious. Note that the dough recipe makes a TON of dumplings. I actually didn't use all of the dough.

Classic Chicken and Dumplings

• 1 (3 3/4-lb.) whole chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 2 teaspoons bacon drippings*
• 1 cup milk

Bring chicken, water to cover, garlic powder, thyme, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour. Remove chicken; reserve broth.

Cool chicken 30 minutes; skin, bone, and shred chicken. Skim fat from broth. Add chicken, bouillon, and remaining 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper to broth. Return to a simmer.

Combine flour and poultry seasoning in a bowl. Cut in shortening and bacon drippings with a pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in milk. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll to 1/8-inch thickness; cut into 1-inch pieces.

Drop dumplings, a few at a time, into simmering broth, stirring gently. Cover and simmer, stirring often, 25 minutes. Garnish, if desired.

*2 tsp. butter plus 1/4 tsp. salt may be substituted.

Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Chicken and Spinach Tortilla Bake

This was very tasty and I like how the spinach adds some nutritional value to the meal! I may omit the ricotta cheese next time because I really don't think it added anything to this except maybe more calories and fat. I also used monterey jack cheese only because I didn't have pepper jack, which would have been delicious in this!

Chicken and Spinach Tortilla Bake

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 chicken cutlets (about 1 pound)
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups store-bought salsa verde
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
4 large flour tortillas, cut into wedges
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 cups baby spinach (about 1/4 pound)
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 450°. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add to the pan and cook, turning once, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Let cool, then shred the meat.
Whisk together the salsa verde and ricotta; season with salt and pepper. In a greased 9-inch square baking dish, layer one-third of the salsa mixture, tortillas, chicken, onion, spinach and pepper jack; repeat twice. Bake until golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Cornbread Casserole

This was even better the next day heated up with leftover One Pot Chili. I didn't have any cornbread mix so I made my own and then followed the directions for the casserole as written. Yum!

Cornbread mix

1 cup flour

1 cup cornmeal

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar (optional) (I used 1/3 cup)

Mix all ingredients together and add to below recipe.

Cornbread Casserole

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and 1/2 liquid reserved
1 (14.75 ounce) can cream-style corn
2 eggs
1 (8 ounce) package dry corn bread mix (or see above recipe)
1 cup sour cream
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded (I omitted this)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine corn, reserved liquid, eggs, corn bread mix and sour cream; stir until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle with cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown.

One Pot Chili

This was OK. I mean, it honestly reminds me of a healthy version of a chili inspired hamburger helper. It was tasty but need more salt in my opinion but that's easy to add. I did note that the pasta soaked up most of the liquid so it did lose that "chili" type consistency if you catch my drift. It was tasty but I'm on the fence as to whether or not I'd make this again.

One Pot chili

1 pound lean ground turkey
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 teaspoon Crisco® Light Olive Oil or Canola Oil
2 cups water
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium beef broth
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
1 can (8 ounces) no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups uncooked multigrain penne pasta
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

In a large saucepan coated with cooking spray, cook the turkey, onion and pepper in oil over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the water, beans, broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Bring to a boil. Add pasta; cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Serve with sour cream; sprinkle with cilantro. Yield: 6 servings (2 quarts).


Nutrition Facts: 1-1/3 cups with 2 teaspoons sour cream equals 384 calories, 10 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 64 mg cholesterol, 598 mg sodium, 47 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 25 g protein

Watergate Salad aka: Pistachio Salad

Whatever you call it in your neck of the woods, I call this delicious! It brings back memories for me when my Mom use to make this. I love it.

Watergate Salad aka: Pistachio Salad

1 cup JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Pistachio Flavor Instant Pudding
1 can (20 oz.) DOLE Crushed Pineapple, in juice, undrained
1/2 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans
1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

COMBINE marshmallows, dry pudding mix, pineapple and nuts in large bowl.
STIR in COOL WHIP. Refrigerate 1 hour.

*I omitted the nuts for kiddie purposes

Cranberry Upside-down Coffee Cake

Oh my. This little gem is just that, a little GEM. Tart, sweet, moist and perfect with coffee. Love it. Word to the wise, DO NOT SKIP LINING THE PAN. You'll have sugary goodness allllll over your oven. What a waste that would be because the topping makes this recipe!

Cranberry upside-down coffee cake

2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1 1/4 cups cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Wrap the outside of a 9 inch springform pan with aluminum foil to prevent leaking. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar and 1/3 cup butter. Bring to a boil, then pour into bottom of springform pan. Sprinkle with cranberries and pecans.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto serving platter and carefully remove pan. Serve warm.