Crock Pot Creamy Mushroom Chicken

I found this recipe while browsing pinterest. It was originally called "Angel Chicken" but for the life of me I can't figure out why, while there is nothing quite angelic about it, it is packed with flavor and my family loved it.

Crock Pot Creamy Mushroom Chicken

 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 pounds)

1 8oz. package of baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup butter

1 0.7-oz. pkg. Italian dry salad dressing mix
1 10-3/4-oz. can condensed mushroom soup (I olny had cream of chicken)
1/2 cup dry white wine (i subbed this with water)

1/2 of an 8-oz. tub cream cheese spread with chives and onion

Hot cooked rice 

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add dry italian dressing mix, mushroom soup, wine, and cream cheese. Stir occasionally until cream cheese is melted and sauce is creamy.

Place sliced mushrooms on the bottom of the slow cooker and top with chicken breasts. Pour sauce over the chicken and cook on low for 5 hours. Serve over white rice.

Slow Cooker Pork Roast

I adapted The Food Nanny's Beef Roast to our families liking since we are not big beef eaters. It's the yummiest pork roast I have made so far in my crock pot! 

Slow Cooker Pork Roast

1 (4-pound) pork shoulder or butt roast ( I had a 3 lb. in the freezer)

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire

sauce

1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed

cream of mushroom soup

1 (1-ounce) packet onion soup mix

1 cup beef broth

5 large carrots, peeled and cut

into 1-inch pieces (optional)

6 red potatoes or medium

russets, scrubbed and

quartered (optional)

8 to 12 servings

1. Place the roast in a slow cooker. Sprinkle with the garlic salt and pepper.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire

sauce, mushroom soup, onion soup mix, and broth; pour over the roast.

3. Add the carrots and/or potatoes to the slow cooker if it is large enough to

hold them.

4. Cook on high heat 5 to 6 hours or on low heat for 10 to 12 hours.

If you choose not to add the carrots or potatoes to the slow cooker

Crunchy Baked Pork Chops

1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, excess fat removed
4 slices bread, torn into pieces
 2 tablespoons minced shallot
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon minced thyme leaves
2 tablespoons minced parsley leaves
1/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
3 large egg whites
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve salt and brown sugar in 1 quart water in medium container or gallon-sized zipper-lock bag. Submerge chops, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 30 minutes. Rinse chops under cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
2. Meanwhile, pulse bread in food processor until coarsely ground, about eight 1-second pulses (you should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs). Transfer crumbs to rimmed baking sheet and add shallot, garlic, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss until crumbs are evenly coated with oil. Bake until deep golden brown and dry, about 15 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. (Do not turn off oven.) Cool to room temperature. Toss crumbs with Parmesan, thyme, and parsley.
3. Place 1/4 cup flour in pie plate. In second pie plate, whisk egg whites and mustard until combined; add remaining 6 tablespoons flour and whisk until almost smooth, with pea-sized lumps remaining.
4. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Season chops with pepper. Dredge 1 pork chop in flour; shake off excess. Using tongs, coat with egg mixture; let excess drip off. Coat all sides of chop with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to chop. Transfer breaded chop to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 chops.
5. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chops registers 150 degrees, 17 to 25 minutes. Let rest on rack 5 minutes before serving.

Crock Pot Turkey Taco Soup

2 - pounds  ground turkey
1 1/2 - cups diced onions
1 - 15 oz cans pinto beans, drained, rinsed
1 - 15 oz can  kidney beans, drained ; rinsed
1 - 15 oz can  black beans, drained  rinsed
2 cups frozen corn
1 - 14.5 oz can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 - 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
1 - 14.5 oz can mild rotel (tomatoes with chile's)
1 - cup water
1 - package taco seasoning mix
1 - 1 oz package ranch salad dressing mix

Tortilla chips, Sour cream, Grated cheese, avacadoes, cilantro


Brown the ground turkey  and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned turkey and onions to a large slow cooker. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, rotel , taco seasoning, water and ranch dressing mix. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. To serve, ladle soup into each bowl and garnish withTortilla chips, Sour cream, Grated cheese, avacadoes, cilantro and any other toppings of your choice.

Pan Roasted Porkchops

This is one of the best pork chop recipes I have had thus far! You will definitely not be disappointed. It is adapted from Sweet Nicks blog. You can check it out for the original recipe. I tweaked it a bit to our liking and it turned out fabulous. I think the brining here is the key. They were so tender and juicy, and the sauce is to die for. Made it with mashed potatoes and the sauce also complemented them as well. I doubled the recipe (except the brine which was enough) and it fed 4 adults and 1 kiddo perfectly.

Pan Roasted Pork Chops

Pork Chop Brine:


Dissolve in one gallon resealable freezer bag:


2 cups hot water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
Add:
6 cups cold water


Dissolve salt and sugar in hot water. It helps to set the bag inside a large bowl in case of spills or leaks. Add ice water to brine. This will cool the brine quickly. Add the pork and seal the bag and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Just before cooking, dry chops to remove excess brine.


4 1″-thick brined rip chops
2 T olive oil
1 T garlic, chopped
1 T sweet onion, chopped
1 T shallot, chopped
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 T Dijon mustard
1/4 cup half and half

Preheat oven to 425. Season chops with pepper. Dust lightly with flour. Brown one side in olive oil over medium-high heat. Turn, cover and roast in oven for about 10 minutes. While the chops are in the oven, in the same pan saute onion and shallot in the drippings over medium-high heat until soft. Add garlic. Deglaze pan with broth. Add sugar and vinegar; reduce by half. Add Dijon mustard and half and half and pork chops to pan and cook for 2 minutes each side until sauce is thick. Makes 1 cup sauce.

White Bean Chicken Chili

Hooray for new crock pot recipes!! I found this recipe this morning while browsing one of the blogs I follow, Chef Mommy. Can't wait for it to cool down so I can make this. Enjoy! If you happen to read this and have a favorite slowcooker recipe, do please share! Thank you!

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1-2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (I'm a wimp and only used 1 can)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1/2 cup whipping cream

cilantro, chopped (to garnish)
paprika, (to garnish)

Directions:

1. Season the chicken with half the salt and half the pepper.

2. Then, in a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil for 3-4 minutes.

3. Add the chicken mixture to your slow-cooker. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings to slow-cooker as well. Cook on low for 4 hours.

4. After 4 hours, shred the chicken with a fork and stir in sour cream and whipping cream, let cook for another 15 minutes on low.

5. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a sprinkle of paprika, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips.

Makes about 6 servings.

BBQ'd Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

I am smelling the smokey BBQ'd goodness of these from my crock pot as I type this. I can't wait for dinner!!!
Update: Yummyness factor is pretty serious here folks, this one is a definite keeper!
Recipe and picture from a great blog Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice


Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
(Sauce adapted from Steven Raichlen via Serious Eats)

2 cups Ketchup
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
3/4 cup packed Brown Sugar + 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon Molasses (didn't have)
1 tablespoon Yellow Mustard
1 tablespoon Chile Powder
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce (I used Franks Red Hot Sauce)
1 large onion, thinly sliced in half moons
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in half (I used 7 small chicken thighs)
1 + 1/2 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
4-5 hamburger buns or soft rolls

1. In a medium mixing bowl whisk, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, brown sugar, molasses, mustard, chile powder, salt, pepper and Tabasco together until well combined.

2. Pour into crock pot, add onions and chicken breasts. Cook on low 4 hours or high 2 hours.
Remove chicken to a large plate or cutting board and cool to the touch. Keep barbecue sauce warm in crock pot. When chicken is cool enough to handle shred it by pulling it apart by hand. Return to crock pot and mix with sauce or add to a medium bowl and mix in additional sauce.

3. Serve on toasted buns with cheddar cheese.

Easy version: Use a rotiserrie chicken. Simmer the barbecue sauce in a saucepan for about 20 minutes while you 'shred' the chicken. Add the shredded chicken to the sauce, heat through and serve.

Shrimp Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

With the baby due in just 10 more days I find it incredible that I have the energy to actually get dinner prepared and on the table, get this... on time too! I made this last night and it was SUUUPER tasty. My three year old thought the shrimp was chicken and ate her entire plate. HA I love when that happens! If you are not a shrimp fan, I'm sure you can substitute it with chicken and still get great results.
Adapted the recipe and borrowed the pic from Pioneer Woman.

You can click on the link for illustrated step by step instructions.


Shrimp Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

¾ pounds Penne Pasta (was out so I used Farfalle)
1 pound Shrimp (used ready to cook shrimp and salt and peppered those babies)
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Onion (small)
2 cloves Garlic
½ cups White Wine (or To Taste) (used chicken broth instead)
1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz) (used about 12 oz.)
1 cup Heavy Cream (used 1/2 cup cream and 1/2 cup fat free milk)
Fresh Parsley, to taste
Fresh Basil - To Taste (was out so I used a good couple shakes of Italian seasoning)
Salt To Taste
Pepper To Taste

Fresh Parmesan to grate on top

Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.

Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of extra large shrimp. Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite –sized pieces and set aside.

Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.
In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead (about ½ cup).

Now add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.

Now chop your herbs, about a tablespoon of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil, or if you’re feeling very proper, chiffonaded.

Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.

White Chicken Enchiladas

Update: Made this tonight for dinner as is - no changes, and it's fabulous, definitely keeping this one around!

Soooo... here is my re-vamped blog. It's not perfect but I wanted to simplify things on here.

Trying this one out for tomorrow nights dinner. I just don't see how this recipe can go wrong!

White Chicken Enchiladas



2-½ cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken
2 cups Reserved Broth From Chicken
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
12 whole Corn Tortillas
1 whole Large Onion, Diced
3 whole 4 Oz Cans Whole Green Chilies, Diced
1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Finely Diced
1 teaspoon Paprika
½ cups Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
1 cup Sour Cream
2-½ cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
Salt And Pepper, to taste
Picante Sauce (optional)
Cilantro, Chopped


Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften (do not allow to become crisp.) Place tortillas on a large towel or stack of paper towels to drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process. Add chicken, half of the green chilies, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and set aside.

In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the other half of the chilies. Reduce heat, then stir in sour cream. Add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

To assemble, spoon chicken mixture on top of tortillas, one by one. Top with plenty of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Pour cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you’d like, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro.

Serve with picante sauce, if desired.

Super Easy Zucchini-Squash Dish

This is a perfect way to use up some of that zucchini and squash you have collecting in your garden or on your countertop. It can be used as a side dish or can be placed on top of cooked spaghetti noodles.

1 Tbsp (glug) of olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup thinly sliced yellow squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups spaghetti sauce (or tomato sauce dressed up with garlic and italian seasoning)
Fresh Parmesan cheese
Sprinkling of cheddar cheese

On low heat drizzle olive oil to coat bottom. Add your zucchini, squash, onions and let saute for a minute or two. Pour spaghetti sauce over veggies and cover with a lid. Let simmer for 15 minutes or until the veggies are cooked through. Add some fresh grated parmesan and a sprinkle of cheddar over the mix and let simmer covered for 5 more minutes.

BBQ'd Maple Glazed Salmon

This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy salmon. It's super quick and easy and so good you'll want to lick your fingers when your done :)

BBQ'd Maple Glazed Salmon

1/4 cup maple syrup (tastes better with the real stuff but it's expensive and the fake stuff works nicely in a pinch)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound salmon
A couple squirts of your favorite BBQ sauce (mine are Sweet Baby Rays and Lucilles)

1.In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper.
2.Place salmon in a shallow glass baking dish, or a Ziploc baggie and coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish, and marinate salmon in the refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.
3. Throw on the BBQ on medium heat, and baste with the remaining marinade. (15 min?)
4. For the last 3 minutes of cooking put a squirt of BBQ sauce on each fillet (both sides) and brush to cover. Important to do this only the last couple minutes of BBQing, you only want the sauce to start caramelizing not blackening. Salmon is done when the middle flakes easily with a fork. Enjoy!

Chicken Salad Croissants

I modified this recipe from Allrecipes.com. It turned out really yummy! I used to think grapes in the mix were disgusting... until I actually tried it! Somehow it is just so good :) To make it more savory add a couple crumbled strips of bacon. To make it more crunchy add slivered almonds or cashews. In a pinch you can use canned chicken but it tastes MUCH better to cook the chicken and shred it yourself.

2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken ( I grilled mine in Italian dressing and garlic on the stove top)
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup halved red grapes
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 squirt prepared mustard

1 dash Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1.Combine chicken, celery and grapes in large bowl; set aside. In another bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients; add to salad and toss to coat. Chill until serving. Serve atop croissants.

Sweet and Spicy Drumsticks

Too not make the kitchen get too hot in the summer, instead of sticking them in the oven you can make foil packs and put them on the BBQ. Yum!
Recipe and photo courtesy of Tasty Kitchen

Update: I made this last night YUM! I used boneless skinless thighs and marinated them in 2/3rds of the sauce for a couple hours and then BBQ'd them right on the grill for about 25 minutes, basting them with the rest of the sauce while they cooked. I am also going to crank up the hot sauce next time, it needed just a little more kick, I used only 2 tsp. of Frank's Red Hot Sauce and i'm going to try a Tbsp or 2 next time.

1 cup Apricot Preserves
½ cups Ketchup
¼ cups Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Minced Garlic
2 - 4 teaspoons Hot Pepper Sauce
3 pounds Drumsticks (about 12)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a small saucepan, combine preserves, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic and hot pepper sauce. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until preserves are melted.

Arrange drumsticks in a single layer on a 13 x 9″ baking pan. Pour sauce over drumsticks, turning to coat. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is done, spooning sauce over drumsticks while baking. Serves 6.

Ranch Chicken Pizza

Recipe and photo courtesy of Annie's Eats

Made this for dinner tonight... Yumma!

Chicken Ranch Pizza

Ingredients:
½ batch of perfect pizza crust (or Fresh and Easy also has a fab pizza dough in the fridge section)
¼ cup Ranch dressing
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½-1 grilled chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces I grilled mine over the stovetop with a teriyaki sauce)
1 tomato, seeded and diced
2-3 green onions, chopped
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat the oven and a pizza stone to 500° F. Allow the stone to heat for at least 30 minutes. In the mean time, cut a round of parchment paper the size of your pizza stone. (Alternatively, use a pizza peel.) Sprinkle lightly with cornmeal or semolina flour. Gently roll out the pizza dough into a large circle, leaving a thicker ring around the edge for the crust. Spread the Ranch dressing in a thin layer evenly over the unbaked crust. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Top with grilled chicken, tomato and green onions. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar. Once assembled, carefully transfer the parchment round and pizza to the preheated baking stone and return to the oven. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Mushroom Pasta with Bacon

Mushroom and Bacon Pasta

(Adapted and pic courtesy of The PW)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 slices Thin Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 package (10 Ounce) White Button Mushrooms diced
1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 cup Half-and-half
¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
3 whole Green Onions, White And Light Green Parts Sliced
¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
½ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
1 pound Angel Hair Pasta
Extra Parmesan, For Sprinkling

Preparation Instructions
Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces and cook until light brown but not crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Do not clean pan.

Add mushrooms and garlic to pan. Toss/stir around and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; increase heat to high if needed to help mushrooms begin to turn golden brown.
Pour in chicken broth. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Cook over medium-high heat for several minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half.

Reduce heat and pour in half and half and cream. Stir and allow to bubble and thicken for a couple of minutes. Add sliced green onions and parsley, then cook for one more minute. Finally, add Parmesan and stir, allowing cheese to melt and incorporate into the sauce. Turn off heat.
Add cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add half the sauce from the pan. Toss with tongs. ***Add 1/2 cup hot pasta water at this point if the pasta mixture is too thick and gunky. Toss and add more water until it reaches the consistency you need.***
Serve pasta in individual bowls, topping each helping with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with extra parsley and extra Parmesan.
Enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

It's M-Mmm-good!! My sweet husband made this for me when I was down and sick the other day. I swear it was the one thing that made me feel so much better. I love to serve this with my buttermilk bread.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup


2 quarts quality chicken broth
1 quart water
1 store-bought salt and peppered roast chicken
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onions, cut into medium dice
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into rounds or half rounds, depending on size
2 large stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 small bay leaves
3 cups egg noodles
Chopped italian parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring broth and water to a simmer over medium-high heat in a large soup kettle. Meanwhile, separate chicken meat from skin and bones; reserve meat. Throw skin away or give it to a furry friend as a special treat! Add bones to the simmering broth. Add thyme and bay leaves. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer until bones release their flavor, 20 to 30 minutes.

Strain broth through a colander into a large container; reserve broth and discard leaves and bones. Return kettle to burner set on medium-high.

Add oil, then onions, carrots and celery. Saute until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add chicken and broth. Bring to a simmer. Add egg noodles and parsley and cook until tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Potatoes au Gratin

Potatoes au Gratin

adapted from Pioneer Woman

4 large Russet potatoes, peeled or scrubbed

2 Tbsp. butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup fat free milk

3 1/2 Tbsp. flour

3 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. salt and more for sprinkling potatoes

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Smear butter all over bottom and sides of a 8x8 baking dish. Slice potatoes and then cut into fourths, giving them a small sprinking of salt. In a seperate bowl wisk together cream, milk, flour, minced garlic, salt and lots of ground pepper (don't skimp, you'll regret it :) )

Place 1/3 potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour 1/3 of cream over potatoes. Repeat two more times, ending with the cream mixture. Cover with foil and bake for 40 min. Remove foil and bake for an extra 15-20 minutes until potatoes are golden brown and bubbly. Add the grated cheese on top of potatoes and bake for 3 minutes more or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Sesame Noodles

Simple Sesame Noodles
adapted from Pioneer Woman

I'm on a roll with Pioneer Woman's recipes right now! They always come out so tasty, I need to log these in so I don't loose them! They are definite keepers. I served this with broccoli and sauteed chicken.

12 ounces thin noodles, cooked and drained (angel hair, thin spaghetti, or Asian style)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 to 3 tablespoons pure sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon hot chile oil (more to taste)
4 to 5 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons hot water
3 to 4 green onions, sliced thin

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.
Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat.
Sprinkle with green onions and toss.
Serve in a bowl with chopsticks. Yummy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

BBQ Chicken Pizza

12" pizza dough (my fav is from Fresh and Easy, seriously so good and easy!)
3 Tbsp. bbq sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray's)
3 Tbsp. ranch dressing

Roll out dough into a 12 inch circle and transfer onto a greased pizza stone or pan. Mix Bbq sauce and ranch together and spread on to unbaked crust.

1 cooked and shredded chicken breast (I season with garlic salt pepper, etc whatever is in the cupboard!)
1 small diced tomato
1 c. fresh spinach
1/2 c. sweet onion (I used red onion)
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro
2 slices turkey bacon, chopped
A few squirts of Bbq sauce, eyeball it.

Mozzarella or pepper jack cheese

Combine these ingredients, except for the cheese, in a bowl and mix until blended. Pour on top of crust. Sprinkle cheese on top of toppings and place in a preheated oven. (425 for 15 minutes)

You can sprinkle some more fresh cilantro on top before serving

My Favorite Steak Topper

So easy, so delicious, period! I know most of the recipes for this sauce uses some kind of wine in a reduction but it tastes perfectly fine without it. Goes perfectly with the marinade recipe on the previous post.

Mushroom and Onion Steak Sauce
1 cup sliced onions
1 cup mushrooms
3 Tbsp. butter
1/3 c. sour cream (or heavy cream)
salt and pepper to taste

Place butter onions and mushrooms in a shallow saucepan, cover and cook on low for about 7-8 minutes, or until almost softened. Uncover, turn the heat up to med./high and saute until carmelized, maybe another 7-8 min or so, stirring occasionally to prevent the bottom from sticking. Lower heat to low again and add the salt and pepper and sour cream (or heavy cream) to saucepan, mix until combined and cook for an additional couple minutes. Perfect time to whip up your steaks while this is cooking!