Crockpot Chicken & Cookies

I've made two delicious recipes lately that I wanted to share with you.

My dad is home from the hospital right now until his surgery on Tuesday.  We went over there on Thursday night and I made dinner so that my mom wouldn't have to worry about cooking.  My sister, niece and great-niece also came, so I was feeding a crowd.  I made the Sisterhood's Crockpot Chicken BBQ!
The only thing that I changed was that I used chicken thighs instead of breasts.  I made yellow rice to serve with it, and rolls.
To us, it doesn't really taste BBQ-y, so I am going to come up with another name for it.  I just haven't done that quite yet.  But it was a BIG hit!

And then these cookies....Ohhhh, these cookies.  AMAZING.  I've made them twice now.  Actually I made them once and my talented 12 year old cook made them the second time. Both times we made them exactly by the recipe, but I swear hers taste even better.  They're made with white chocolate chips, crushed oreos, and oreo pudding mix.  These are some delicious cookies!

ENJOY!!!

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

I have a friend named Lori who lives in Philly.  When I posted this recipe on Facebook, she had a hissy fit, or whatever they call hissy fits up there in Philly.  She said it's NOT authentic unless it actually comes from Philadelphia, AND real Philly cheesesteaks contain ZERO vegetables.  No onions, mushrooms or peppers.

Hmph.  Who knew?

So I told her I'd call them FILLY cheesesteak stuffed peppers if it made her happy.  She liked that.

I didn't name the darned things anyway!  Like so many of the new recipes I try these days, I got it from Pinterest.






Whatever you call them, they are GOOD.

And very simple.

The original recipe calls for you to use roast beef, like deli meat. 

Which I think would be good, but Hunter wanted to use something more steak-like.  

So we use stir fry steak strips.

Here are the ingredients to make 6 FILLY stuffed peppers: 

3 bell peppers

1 lb. stir fry steak strips

1/2 large white onion, diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms

12 slices of provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice your peppers in half.  Clean out the seeds and stuff.

I boil mine for a few minutes prior to filling because I like a softer stuffed pepper.

Season your meat to taste - I use garlic powder and Nature's Seasons.

Brown it in a little olive oil.  

Sautee the onions and mushrooms.  I am not a mushroom fan so I do half with, half without.

I'm such a people pleaser.

Then you place your peppers on a cookie sheet.

Put one slice of provolone inside of each pepper.  Then fill with the meat, and top with the veggies.

Finally, place another slice of provolone over each pepper.  Pop them in the oven for about 5 minutes, just long enough to melt the provolone.

This is probably Hunter's favorite Pinterest recipe that I've tried.  He LOVES them.  

I also served them to his parents and brother and they were a big hit.

Let me know if you try them!

P.S. Follow me on Pinterest!

P.S.S. Why not follow me on Instagram too? brown_eyed_girl_11

Spinach Stuffed Chicken

I found this on Pinterest and then tweaked it - of course.
It is hands down one of the best things I've ever cooked.  Everyone who has tried it, LOVES it.
I made it for Hunter's parents and they loved me even more than before!
It's one of those dishes that seems hard and kind of impresses people, but it's actually really easy.  It's also very simple to double.

Here's the website with the original recipe: Cooking Creation   Their version uses cajun seasoning and chicken breasts, among a few other differences.  Also, they use toothpicks to seal the chicken shut while cooking.  I prefer wooden skewers cut in half, so that you're not hunting toothpicks before serving.

And here's my version:

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (we prefer dark meat)
• 2 cups pepper jack cheese, shredded 
• 1 c frozen spinach, thawed and drained (you can also use fresh cooked spinach)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp Italian style breadcrumbs 
• Nature's Seasons, to taste
• wooden skewers, cut in half

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the pepper jack cheese, spinach, & seasoning.  Spoon about 1/4 c of the spinach/cheese mixture into each chicken thigh. Roll each chicken thigh tightly and fasten the seams with 3-4 wooden skewers.  

Brush each chicken thigh with the olive oil. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over all. Sprinkle any remaining spinach and cheese on top of chicken.  (in my family we don't believe there's any such thing as "too much cheese".)

Place the chicken seam-side up onto a tin foil-lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup).  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

I like to serve it with parmesan orzo and dinner rolls.


PS - I'm (finally) getting a new camera next week and I am SO looking forward to taking good food pictures!!  =D

3 Cheese Chicken Parmesan

I know, I know, I haven't posted here in FOREVER.  Thank you so much for coming back!

A couple of months ago Hunter, my honey-bunny, told me his favorite dish is chicken parmesan.
I had actually never made chicken parm, but I figured, how hard can it be?
I googled and found a couple of recipes, and then created my own, loosely based on what I found.
It was a success, to put it mildly!  Hunter LOVED it, and all of our kids loved it - even his super-picky son, and my youngest, Elayna, who doesn't like spaghetti, lasagna, or many things with tomato sauce.

So, I figured I'd share the recipe with you, my amigos.
Oh - and I don't really measure, so bear with me, I'll estimate when I can.  Sorry!


3 Cheese Chicken Parmesan

6 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 slices of provolone cheese
2 cups of mozzarella cheese
1 cup of parmesan cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
olive oil
tomato sauce (I used jarred sauce, and doctor it up with spices and minced garlic)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Next, pour your breadcrumbs into a large bowl and add about 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.  Add your favorite italian spices.  Dip the chicken breasts into the mixture.  Then, brown them in a little olive oil.  No need to fully cook them, you're just giving them a crunchy bread coating.

Heat up your tomato sauce, and add 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.  
Place your browned chicken breasts into a 9x13 baking pan.
Put one slice of provolone over each chicken breast.
Pour tomato sauce mixture over the chicken, and in the pan around it.  
Cover the entire concoction with mozzarella cheese.  
Bake for approximately 35-45 minutes, depending on the thickness of your breasts.
Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.
Serve!

I like to make spinach as a side dish and mix it with the excess tomato sauce while I'm eating it.
Oh.My.God.  Delicious!!!

Everyone who I have made this for now LOVES it.

Hunter really loves and appreciates my cooking, and I love cooking for him, so I'm hoping to get this blog going again.

Next up will be my cheesy spinach stuffed chicken recipe!

Mexican Lasagna

My brother's wife is a very good cook. She is also a very frugal cook. At a recent family gathering, we were talking about cooking & budgets, and when she got home, she emailed me a few of her favorite recipes.

Tonight I tried one of them, Mexican Lasagna. As usual, in addition to my family, there were two other teenagers here. It was a big hit with everyone!

So, I thought I'd share it with you.

Mexican Lasagna
1-2 # ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
6 flour tortillas
1 cup frozen corn
1 small jar salsa
Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack/Colby blend cheese

Brown ground beef, drain fat and add taco seasoning with a little water or beef broth. Stir in soup and black beans.

In 9x13 casserole dish, place 2 flour tortillas in bottom to line pan. Pour meat mixture over this. Top with 2 more flour tortillas and some shredded cheese.

Mix together corn and salsa. Pour over 2nd layer of flour tortillas. Top with 2 more flour tortillas and a nice layer of shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 mins.

What's Cookin' this Weekend?

Here's what's cooking at Dysfunction Junction....

Dinner:

Cheeseburger Pasta from Recipe Shoebox

1 box (12-ounces) penne pasta
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 can (14-1/2-oz.) diced tomatoes
2 Tbs. prepared mustard (or less if you don't like mustard)
3 Tbs. ketchup
3 Tbs. dill pickle relish
1-1/2 tsp. steak seasoning (I used McCormick Montreal steak seasoning)
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
chopped green onions, for garnishment (optional)

Directions: Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

Stir in the tomatoes, mustard, ketchup, relish, steak seasoning, and seasoned salt.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered , for 5 minutes.

Stir in drained pasta.

Cook for 1 minute more. Sprinkle with cheese.

Remove from heat; cover and let stand until cheese is melted.

*Southern Loving's review: OFF THE CHAIN. This is one of the best dishes I've made in a LONG time! We absolutely LOVED it. It's super easy & super quick.

Dessert:

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies from Simply Yum Food

Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

Your favorite or use mine-

1 1/2 C butter, softened

2 C sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

5 C flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Mix the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add in the dry ingredients and then chill for a few hours.

After it has chilled take it out and roll it into a large rectangle. Spread butter all over it and then sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up the rectangle and slice cookies about 1/4-1/2 in thick. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Cool on a rack and then frost with your favorite cream cheese icing.

My cream cheese icing was:

8 oz cream cheese

1 C powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 c water

Mix until smooth

*Southern Loving review: Slap Ya Mama! I need more practice with rolling out the dough, then rolling & slicing the cookies, but they were very, very good. I can't wait to make them for our next church event or family gathering!

The recipes are from the blogs; the photos are mine.

Santa Fe Taco Mac

While reading my friend's blog, A Nut in a Nutshell, I came across this recipe for Santa Fe Taco Mac.

We don't usually have Mexican dishes with pasta, so I thought this sounded different, yet yummy!

I decided to make it for dinner tonight, as well as share it with you.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef 1 can pinto beans 2 cups cheese (either mexican or cheddar) 1 container Santa Fe Blend Philadelphia Cooking Creme 1 16 oz pkg elbow macaroni 1 packet taco seasoning mix

Optional ingredients: Tortilla chips, jalapenos, salsa, sour cream, lettuce, tomato

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground beef and add taco seasoning mix. Set aside.

Boil macaroni as directed on package; drain. In a bowl, mix pasta, cooking creme, 1 cup shredded cheese, ground beef, and 1 cup rinsed and drained pinto beans.

Put mixture into large casserole dish and top with remaining cup of shredded cheese.

(If making a vegetarian version, you may want to add some chili powder for additional flavor.)

Bake covered for 20 to 30 minutes.

It was a hit! It will definitely be added to our regular menu.

*Southern Loving note: I added onions to my ground beef, and I used black beans instead of pinto, just because we like them better! As for the optional additions, we had sour cream, chips & salsa, and we had corn on the side.*

Salmon Patties

I'm not sure if salmon patties are a Southern thang or not. We had them often growing up, and I LOVE them. They're a comfort food for me.

I hadn't made them in forever, and yesterday when I was reading my friend April's blog,

Straight from the Heart, I saw that she had posted about them. I went out today and bought all the fixings I needed, and tonight, we are having salmon patties for dinner! In fact, I'm having the exact meal April posted.

So check it out, and if you have never had salmon patties - give them a try!

April's Grandma's Salmon Patties

1. You need one can of Pink Salmon.
2. Dump the entire can into a mixing bowl and remove the scales (that's just what I prefer).
3. Add one egg to the salmon and mix well.
4. To that mixture, add about 10-15 crushed saltine crackers; mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Form the mixture into about 6 hamburger size patties. Add a small amount of cooking oil to a frying pan (I use Canola oil) and fry the patties on each side until golden brown.

Note from Cyndy: My kids love these too. I use olive oil, and I don't take out the scales/bones/any of that stuff. They're actually soft cartilage and once it's all mixed in, you don't taste or feel them, and they're very healthy. But I know they creep a lot of people out! =D

Tater Tot Casserole

I came across this recipe a few years ago, and it's one of my husband's favorite meals.

There is nothing nutritious about this, so if you're looking for a healthy meal, skip on by this one!

But it's yummy comfort food.

It's also easy to add things you like or omit things you don't. It's one of those recipes that you can make your own. Some people add vegetables in, but I serve mine on the side.

Here's my version!

TTC (as we call it)

one large bag of frozen tater tots

1 to 2 lbs. of ground beef

one small onion, chopped

one can cheddar cheese soup

one can french onion soup OR one packet of Lipton onion soup mix

one can of evaporated milk

2 cups of shredded cheese (I use mild cheddar)

Prepare your tater tots according to directions while you're doing the rest. Brown ground beef & onions. (that's one of my favorite smells in the world! Mmmm.) Drain grease. Add soups & evaporated milk, mix well. Add 1 cup of shredded cheese.

Put cooked tater tots in a 9x13 casserole dish. Pour meat mixture over them. Cook @ 350 for about 15 minutes. Pour remaining 1 cup of shredded cheese over top. Stick it in the oven just until it melts.

Serve & enjoy! This one is definitely off the chain.

What's Going On?

I've been on a little bloggy break lately. You can see what I've been up to here.
I wanted to share with you all a couple of new recipes.
I found this one at a new-to-me site, Recipe Shoebox.

The ingredients:
4 strips bacon, halved crosswise
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1/2 lbs)
salt and pepper
1 cup favorite BBQ sauce
1/2 chipotle pepper, minced (optional)
1/4 cup water4 large onion rolls, split (we used onion hamburger buns)
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Fry bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in bacon fat until browned on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip chicken and add barbecue sauce, chipotle pepper (if desired), and water.
Cover, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce is slightly thickened, about 8 minutes.
Remove chicken from skillet and slice into bite size pieces. Arrange onion rolls cut side up on baking sheet. Divide chicken among bottom haves of rolls and top with sauce, cheese, and bacon.
Bake open-faced sandwiches in oven until cheese melts and rolls are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Top each sandwich with toasted roll top.
Serve immediately with a fruit smoothie on the side. Makes 4 sandwiches. Enjoy!

My notes: I skipped the chipotle pepper just because I didn't have any around. I doubled the recipe and added more bacon, because, ya know, bacon!!! YUM!! It was absolutely delicious, we all loved it.

And this dish from Taste of Home is sitting in my refrigerator right now, waiting for me to finish it for our breakfast in the morning. I'll let you know how it turns out. I am so looking forward to going home and eating it, it sounds wonderful!

Ingredients
1 loaf (10 ounces) French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (10 cups)
8 eggs
3 cups milk
4 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt, optional
TOPPING:
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Maple syrup, optional

Directions
Place bread cubes in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt if desired. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Dot with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top.
Cover and bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with maple syrup if desired. Yield: 12 servings.