Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole

We recently had a ladies luncheon at our church and this recipe was served. You KNOW I have an aversion to cream of anything soup, so I was delighted to find this one which is light (not in calories but in taste!). In a pinch, you COULD use cream of chicken soup instead of sour cream and mayonnaise. (UGH!) When testing the recipe before the event, I added 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice to brighten the flavors. I like it, but was afraid it would not appeal to the masses. I also considered (for my own version at home) adding 1/4 cup white wine). Anyway you season it, it is a delicious meal. 

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Casserole

4 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast

2 cups cooked rice

1 ( 16 oz) pkg frozen broccoli cuts, thawed

16 oz sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded ( do NOT use the preshredded, it does not melt well)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2  cup mayonnaise

1 cup 1/2 & 1/2

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine chicken, rice, broccoli and all but 2 cups cheese in a large bowl.

Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, 1/2 & 1/2, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Combine mixtures. Spoon into a greased 9x13" or 10x14" baking pan. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 regular oven or 350 convection oven for 35-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Remove foil, top with cheese and return to oven for 10 minutes or until cheese melts. 

*Note: If you are making ahead and refrigerating, add 1 cup chicken broth to the mixture to prevent rice from absorbing all of the liquid. 

**Note: I used bone in, skin on chicken breasts, placed them on a foil lined baking sheet with sides, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper. Baked in a 375 oven for about 45 min 

( uncovered). Cooled, removed meat and chopped it. Of course, you could also use a rotisserie chicken.

*** I would NOT freeze this as neither sour cream or mayonnaise freeze well. 

Easy French Bread

Fabulous French Bread

Prep Time:45 Min Cook Time:20 Min Total Time:1 Hr 5 Min 

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/3 cup warm water
• 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon shortening ( I used butter-flavor Crisco)
• 1 cup cold water
• 5-6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 egg

• 
  
  Preheat oven to 170 degrees F. Fill a glass measuring cup with 1 cup of water. Place in microwave and heat for 3 minutes, or until water is boiling.
• In another glass measuring cup, fill it with 1/3 cup warm water. Sprinkle the 1 Tablespoon of yeast over the water. With a fork, stir yeast into the water until yeast is completely dissolved.
• Pour the sugar, salt and shortening into the bowl of your stand mixer. Using a fork, mash these ingredients together. Pour the 1 cup of boiling water over the shortening mixture in the stand mixer. Add the 1 cup of cold water into the mixer. Then pour in the yeast/water mixture.
• Add 3 cups of flour into the mixer, and using the dough hook, turn mixer on low speed. With the mixer still on, slowly add in the remaining 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Once all 6 cups are in, turn speed to medium and let the dough mix for 6-8 minutes. The dough should be nice and elastic. Be careful not to over-flour. I used all 6 cups, but would not use any more than that.
• Once the dough is mixed, let it rest in the bowl for 5 minutes.
• Spray a large cookie sheet with non-stick spray. After the dough has rested in the bowl, dump it onto the greased cookie sheet.
• Take a sharp knife, spray it with non-stick spray, and cut dough into 3 equal pieces. Then let it rest again for 5 minutes. (These resting periods for the dough is needed, so please do it and be patient! It’s worth the wait )
• To shape the dough before baking: Take one section of dough and spread it out into a rectangle. Just use your fingers, you don’t need a rolling pin. Fold one long end up over half of dough, then fold the other half over that one. Then fold each side up over each other, then turn the loaf over so it is seam side down.
• Use your fingers to tuck seams down underneath the loaf and shape it. Repeat with the other 2 pieces of dough. Once all 3 sections of dough are shaped cut 3 angled 1/2 inch slits onto the tops of dough.
• Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk with a fork until frothy. Spread the egg over the tops of each loaf, making sure to get inside the slits.
• 
  
  Place the loaves in the oven and let them rise for about 15 minutes (while the oven is on 170 degrees F.) Then turn oven up to 400 degrees F (while the loaves are still inside) and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and crisp. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F. and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
• Remove the loaves from the baking sheet and allow them to cool a bit before slicing them.

Yields: 3 Loaves

Some of you are going to think I've lost my mind! But, since eating the most incredible breads in France and Italy (and a few other European countries) I have been thinking how awful our grocery store breads are... even the bakery ones. I was excited when I came across this EASY recipe for French bread. Granted, it is NOT a baguette and does not stand up to real French breads, but it is heads and shoulders above what we get in our bakeries! AND it was quick and easy! I don't even have to tell you how scrumptious our house smelled while it was baking!
Here are my 3 loaves... look quick... they were gobbled up fast!

I've shared straight from http://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/fabulous-french-bread/ blog. Go over and check out her recipes. She even has step by step photos to accompany this recipe. 

Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

Both of these recipes are so easy and taste like they are much more difficult than they are! Of course, I threw in a few extras. I added 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger to the chicken, but you could leave it out.

I served the chicken with Oven Roasted Brussels sprouts and rice. You might want to double the sauce on the chicken so that you will have some to go over the rice,too.  The brussels sprouts can go into the oven at the same time as the chicken. We loved both recipes - definitely keepers!

Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs

8 boneless skinless, chicken thighs
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375.
Place flour in a large zip loc bag. Add chicken, in batches, and shake to coat.
Shake off excess flour and place pieces in a greased 8x8 baking dish,making sure not to lay them flat. They should have the same shape as they were in the package.

Combine honey, soy sauce, garlic and seasonings. Pour evenly over the chicken.
Cover and bake 30 minutes.
Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes, basting occasionally with the sauce.

(I only had bone in thighs, so I cooked them for an additional 10 minutes.)

Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 package fresh Brussels sprouts ( the pkg I got was probably around 1lb)

2 Tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 Tablespoons honey

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 375. Cut Brussels sprouts in half. Toss with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread on a foil lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring often.

Add cranberries. Combine honey, vinegar and mustard; drizzle over veggies. 

Note:  Brussels sprouts are done when they are brown around the edges and a knife is inserted easily. Don't overcook!!

Winter "Comfort Foods"

Many winter recipes/foods are traditionally considered "Comfort Foods". Today, we have snow blanketing the mountain and weather that certainly begs for something warm and comforting. Generally, in my kitchen, that means a pot of Vegetable Soup, Chili or Chicken 'N Dumplings. Knowing that snow was heading our way, I made a HUGE pot of Mary Strain's Beef and Vegetable Soup yesterday to share with neighbors.
 The recipe is here http://thesoutherncook.blogspot.com/2012/01/vegetable-beef-soup.html.

Now, you just KNOW I could not take only a container of soup... so I tried a new/old King Arthur Flour Apple Cake recipe. We still have a refrigerator drawer filled with Pink Ladies and they "need" to be used. The Apple Cake is made in a 9x13" pan and was an unusual "batter". It was so stiff that I had to literally press it into the greased pan with wet fingers. The apples were chunky but baked to perfection with the finished product being somewhere between apple cake and apple streusel.
I added raisins and omitted nuts. I could have eaten it for breakfast except that the icing is SUPER sweet. Good, but really sweet. You might want to consider trying it without icing? Or not!

Here it is, stolen fair and square from the King Arthur Flour website. ENJOY!

Old-Fashioned Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

AT A GLANCE

PREP

20 mins. to 30 mins.

BAKE

42 mins. to 47 mins.

TOTAL

2 hrs 2 mins. to 2 hrs 17 mins.

YIELD

about 24 servings

This cake is an old, old favorite of ours. It's a cake where the whole is definitely more than the sum of the parts. The moist, semi-chunky cake, spread with the frosting equivalent of brown sugar fudge, is perfect served with a cup of coffee or, better still, a glass of ice-cold milk.

Our thanks to the wonderful Bakery Lane Soup Bowl cookbook for the inspiration for this recipe.

Cake

• 2 1/3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour or King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Apple Pie Spice or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon each ground ginger and ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
• 4 cups peeled, cored, chopped apple, about 1 1/3 pounds whole apples 
• 1 cup diced toasted walnuts or pecans

Frosting

• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla-butternut flavor

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a 9" x 13" pan. ( Rebel that I am, I did NOT flour!)
2. To make the cake: Mix all of the ingredients except the apples and nuts in a large bowl. (of electric mixer)
3. Beat until well combined; the mixture will be very stiff, and may even be crumbly. 
4. Add the apples and nuts, and mix until the apples release some of their juice and the stiff mixture becomes a thick batter, somewhere between cookie dough and brownie batter in consistency. 
5. Spread the batter in the prepared pan, smoothing it with your wet fingers.
6. Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few wet crumbs clinging to it. 
7. Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a rack to cool completely; don't remove the cake from the pan. 
8. To make the frosting: Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and salt and cook, stirring, until the sugar melts. 
9. Add the milk, bring to a boil, and pour into a mixing bowl to cool for 10 minutes.
10. After 10 minutes, stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat well; if the mixture appears too thin, add more confectioners' sugar. Spread on the cake while frosting is still warm.
11. Yield: about 2 dozen servings. (cut into small squares - it's very rich and very sweet!)

Easter Dinner in the South

In the South, the Sunday midday meal is dinner, especially on a holiday as important as Easter. So, this Sunday, DH (dear husband) and I will sit down to Easter Sunday Dinner with a beautiful spring tablecloth and Mama's "good" china. I just might even get out the "good" silver. Any special occasion  dinner is worthy of both being brought out! Here's the menu.....

Baked Ham

Roasted Asparagus

Green Bean Bundles

Sour Cream Dill Potato Salad

Stuffed Eggs ( you cannot call them Deviled Eggs on Easter!!)

Pineapple Casserole

Crescent Rolls

 Cream Cheese Poundcake with fresh Strawberries and whipped cream

Many of the recipes can be prepared ahead or at least partially prepped. Here are some suggestions:

• Start with dessert and bake the pound cake a few days ahead.  Cream Cheese Poundcakes get better as they "age". 
• Make the rolls several days ahead and freeze them.
• Make the potato salad and stuffed eggs the day before and refrigerate (both will be better the next day when flavors blend). 
• Bake the Pineapple Casserole the day before and serve it at room temperature. 
• Slice the strawberries and whip the cream early in the morning. Take the rolls from the freezer.
• "Bake" the ham in the crock pot and you have freed up the oven and kept the kitchen cool!
• Green Bean Bundles and asparagus can roast together.
•  Bake the rolls.

Now, for the recipes??? Ok, someone is going to call me out on it, but I did NOT include recipes for Stuffed Eggs or Baked Ham. Those are just TOO easy! If you really need them, comment or email me!! 

Cream Cheese Poundcake
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup margarine, softened (not diet margarine, it has too much water)
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs, at room temperature
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanill extract (I add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 10-inch tube pan or 4 (4x8-inch) loaf pans.

Cream butter, margarine and cream cheese in large bowl of electric mixer. Gradually add sugar; beat until light and fluffy (very light yellow color)about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition. Add flour to creamed mixture, beat just until flour is no longer visable. Stir in vanilla.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hr and 30 minutes (tube pan) or 1 hr and 10 minutes (small loaf pans). Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Store in airtight container or wrap with foil.

REFRIGERATOR CRESCENT ROLLS

Yield: 3 dozen rolls

6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 pkgs yeast
2 cups water
1/3 cup butter flavor shortening*
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs

Measure 2 1/2 cups of the flour into a large mixer bowl. Add yeast; blend.
Combine water, shortening, sugar, and salt in a pan or microwave safe bowl. Heat until warm (120°-130°F), stirring constantly.
Add liquids to flour-yeast mixture. Add eggs. Beat 1 minute at low speed. Scrape down dough from sides of bowl. Beat 3 more minutes at high speed.
Switch to the dough hook, on low speed gradually add the remaining flour, add more or less as necessary flour to form a soft dough. Scrape down dough from sides of bowl.
Cover bowl first with wax paper, then with aluminum foil. Refrigerate no more than 3 days for best results. Punch down dough every 30 minutes for the first few hours until it is chilled, then once a day.
When ready to make rolls, divide the dough in to thirds. Refrigerator remaining dough until ready to shape.
To shape crescent rolls: Roll 1/3 of the dough into a 10-inch circle. Cut into 12 pie-shaped pieces. Brush with melted butter. Roll each piece of dough from the wide side toward the point, stretching the dough slightly as it is rolled. Place on baking sheet a little apart; curve ends.
Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
Bake dinner rolls on baking sheet 10 to 20 minutes, depending on size, in preheated 400°F oven.
Remove from pan and set on rack; brush with butter.

Notes:
These are great for make ahead. Shape the rolls, place on a cookie sheet, freeze than place in freezer bag. When ready to use them, remove from freezer 5 hrs ahead of serving time. Place on baking sheets. Cover with cloth and set in warm place to rise.

*Can substitute half or all butter

Sour Cream Potato Salad
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 ½ teaspoons celery seeds
1 teaspoon salt
8 medium size red potatoes (about 5 pounds)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped parsley
½ teaspoon dill weed

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, celery seeds and salt. Set aside. Boil potatoes (with peel on) until fork tender. Drain water off and cool. Scrape skin off potatoes (or leave on, if you like). Cut potatoes into cubes. Combine potatoes, onion, parsley, and dill in a large bowl. Stir in dressing. Cover and refrigerate or serve immediately.

Green Bean Bundles
2 cans whole green beans

bacon, uncooked
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
salt & pepper to taste

Wrap 8 to 10 green beans in a bundle with 1/3 strip of bacon. (Secure with toothpick, if necessary.) Place bundles in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over bundles. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator. (Or cook immediately.) Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Pineapple Casserole
4 cups bread cubes
1 (20-oz.) can pineapple chunks
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
½ cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss bread cubes with pineapple. Place in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Combine eggs, sugar and butter, pour over bread mixture. Bake 30 minutes. Yield: 8 servings.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

As Easter approaches and the markets are filled with beautiful red strawberries, these muffins are a great way to enjoy the fruits of the season! They are also a good make ahead for Easter Brunch.

Muffins are one of my favorite breakfast and brunch breads. They are easy to mix (by hand, no electric mixer required!), ingredients can be measured ahead of time and stored until ready to mix, they bake quickly and they always taste best the day they're baked, plus they make the house smell scrumptious! I considered omitting the cinnamon from these, but decided to try it as the recipe was written. It could barely be tasted, but it gave a nice undertone to the full flavor. These were a BIG hit at our house!

And they cooked beautifully in my new muffin pan! USA Pans... I absolutely cannot say enough good things about their pans! They cook evenly, brown perfectly, nothing sticks and they are a breeze to clean!

Strawberry Banana Muffins

1 cup mashed banana
1 cup chopped strawberries
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla, eggs and mashed banana.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add the butter mixture. Stir in chopped strawberries. Stir just until dry ingredients are wet and strawberries are combined. Spoon into prepared muffin pan.
Bake until muffin tops are golden and just firm to the touch, approximately 20-24 minutes. Cool in muffin pan for 5 minutes. Yield: 12 muffins

Three Ingredient Spaghetti Sauce

The youngest Grands are coming this weekend ( and bringing their Mommy, my daughter!) of course, that sent grandma off to the kitchen to do as much prep ahead of time as possible so as not to take up too much of our play time with cooking! This spaghetti sauce is as easy as it gets and is kid- friendly!
I've got meatballs chilling and will add those to the sauce after while. Ok, I don't count salt and sugar as ingredients!

Serve just the sauce over pasta or add meatballs and serve all of it over pasta! The meatballs cook in the sauce, so they are easy, not quick, but easy.

Three Ingredient Spaghetti Sauce

2 (28-oz) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 large onions, peeled and quartered
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1teaspoon sugar

Since this sauce is for Grands, I processed the tomatoes in the food processor with a few quick off and on pulses just to chop them.  Combine tomatoes, onion, butter salt and sugar in a wide, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove onion with slotted spoon. DONE!

Meatballs
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
8 oz. ground round
8 oz. ground pork
1 cup finely ground ( not grated) fresh Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped Italian ( flat leaf) parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 large eggs, beaten
2 large cloves garlic, pressed

Combine breadcrumbs and milk in a small bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Break meat up into small chunks. Add cheese, parsley, salt and pepper, eggs and garlic.
Stir lightly to combine. Overmixing causes tough meatballs.
Squeeze milk from breadcrumb mixture, reserve milk. Add breadcrumbs to meat mixture and toss just to combine. Chill for a minumum of 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Wet hands with reserved milk. Shape meatballs into desired size. Place in sauce in a single layer. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with spaghetti.