Spicy Chicken Rigatoni

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 Tbs crushed red pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs chopped garlic
• 6 oz chicken, sliced
• 3/4 cup. Marinara sauce
• 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce
• 2 tsp butter
• 1/4 cup peas
• 1 lb Rigatoni pasta, cooked according to package directions
• additional 1/2 t crushed red pepper (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS

• 1
  In a sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add crushed red pepper, salt, black pepper and garlic and sauté just long enough for garlic to caramelize and red pepper to release flavor into the oil. Add sliced chicken and sauté briefly to coat in spices and garlic.
• 2
  Add Marinara Sauce first and then Alfredo Sauce and bring to a simmer. Cook until sauce thickens slightly and chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°. Turn off flame, add butter and peas and incorporate into sauce.
• 3
  Drop cooked pasta in boiling water for 3 seconds. Let drain for 15 seconds. Toss with the sauce. Place pasta and sauce in pasta bowl, reserving the majority of the chicken to be placed on top of the pasta. Using a rubber spatula, scrape any remaining sauce from the pan to the pasta. Garnish with crushed red pepper and serve.

Blueberry Buckle

Streusel Topping:

1/3 cup (45 grams) all purposeflour

1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated whitesugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup (56 grams) cold unsaltedbutter, cut into pieces

Cake Batter:

1 cup (130 grams) all purposeflour

1 teaspoonbaking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (56 grams) (4 tablespoons) unsaltedbutter, room temperature

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated whitesugar

1 largeegg

1/2 teaspoon purevanillaextract

1/3 cup (80 ml)milk

2 cups (480 ml) fresh blueberries

Blueberry Cake Recipe:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).  Butter, or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray, an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan.

Streusel Topping: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, and ground cinnamon. With apastryblender, two knives, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixture, until it resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside while you make the cake batter.

Cake Batter: In a separate bowl whisk together the flour with the baking powder and salt. 

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Add theflourmixture (in three additions), alternately with the milk (in two additions), and beat only until combined. Spread the batter onto the bottom of the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. 

Evenly arrange the blueberries on top of the cake batter and then sprinkle with the streusel topping.

Bakeforabout 40 -50 minutesor until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly. 

Serve warm, at room temperature, or even cold.

Makes about 9 servings.

Read more:http://www.joyofbaking.com/BlueberryCake.html#ixzz21U78ndCd

Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole 

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8-10 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes  (I leave the skin on)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 TBS. freshly ground pepper
1 TBS. paprika 
2 TBS. garlic powder 
6 TBS. hot sauce 

Topping:
2 c. Fiesta Blend Cheese or a mix of Cheddar & Monterey Jack
1 c. crumbled bacon 
1 c diced green onion

Preheat oven to 500F.  In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder & hot sauce.  Add the cubed potatoes and stir to coat.  Carefully scoop the potatoes into a cooking spray coated baking dish, leaving behind as much of the olive oil/hot sauce mix as possible.  Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and crispy & browned on the outside.  While the potatoes are cooking, add the cubed chicken to the bowl with the leftover olive oil/hot sauce mix and stir to coat.  Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 400F.  Top the cooked potatoes with the raw marinated chicken.  In a bowl mix together the cheese, bacon & green onion and top the raw chicken with the cheese mix.  Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the topping is bubbly delicious.  Serve with extra hot sauce and/or ranch dressing.

Recipe and more photos found HERE

Rachael Ray's Southwestern Chili Con Queso Pasta Bake

Rachael Ray's Southwestern Chili Con Queso Pasta Bake
1 pound penne rigate (ridged penne)
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon ground cumin (1 palmful)
1 tablespoon roasted ground coriander (1 palmful)

2 tablespoons chili powder (2 palmfuls)
Coarse black pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3-5 garlic cloves, chopped (we really like garlic so I put in more, the recipe calls for 3)
1 jalepeño
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (2 palmfuls)
2 cups milk
3/4 pound cheddar cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (a generous handful), chopped
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (a few handfuls) chopped
1 14-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

Preheat the broiler to high and position the rack 8 inches from the heat. 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta until slightly undercooked--a little chewy at the center.

While the water is coming to a boil, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the hamburger.  When the hamburger is almost finished, but still a little pink, throw in the garlic, jalepeño, and onions and finish cooking until the burger is browned and the onion is translucent.  Drain the grease from the skillet and mix in the cumin, coriander and chili powder.  Take off the heat or turn heat down low.

In a medium sauce pot (and you can do this while you're browning the hamburger), melt the butter and add the flour to it.  Cook for 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat and then whisk in the milk. When the milk comes to a bubble, stir in the cheese, cilantro and parsley with a wooden spoon.  When the cheese has melted, stir in the tomatoes.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it back into the large pot.  Add the contents of the hamburger and all of the Cheddar sauce, and stir to combine.  Transfer to a baking dish, sprinkle with a bit more cheese if you wish, and place under the broiler to lightly brown.

Zucchini Muffins

No photo, but trust me, they're good!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Mix egg, oil, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in another bowl; stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in zucchini and walnuts. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full.
3. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Recipe found HERE

Blueberry Crumb bars

Blueberry Crumb Bars

Crust & Crumbs
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold, cubed
1 large egg

Filling
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp cornstarch
4 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

Whisk together sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Cut in butter and egg with a pastry cutter until dough is moist and crumbly. Press half of the dough evenly into bottom of prepared baking dish.

To prepare filling, stir together lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch in a medium bowl; add blueberries and toss gently to coat. Spoon blueberry mixture evenly over crust, then crumble remaining dough over the berry layer. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the top is golden. Cool bars completely in pan on a wire rack, then chill dish in the freezer for 10 minutes to make cutting easier. Cut into squares with a sharp knife. Store bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

Recipe found HERE

Chicken Taquitos

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheesesmall flour or corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.

(If you decided to prep this in advance, refrigerate the mixture at this point until ready tocontinue.)

Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20 – 30 seconds).
Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.
Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone.
Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other.
Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.
Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

**To freeze:  Before baking, flash freeze the taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet then place in a labeled freezer bag and store up to 3 months.  To bake a frozen taquito (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425˚F and bake for 20 minutes.  (Flash Freeze means freezing the taquitos in a single layer for 15-20 minutes (until hardened) so that when you add them to the freezer bag, they will not all stick together).

Recipe found HERE

Tomato Basil Cream Pasta

Ingredients

• 3/4 pounds Penne Pasta (Or Bow Tie)
• 1 pound Chicken (can also use Shrimp or Spicy Italian Sausage)
• 3 Tablespoons Butter
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Onion (small)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
• 1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream (Or milk with 1 T flour if you don't have cream)
• Fresh Parsley, to taste
• Fresh Basil - To Taste (A must!!)
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

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

Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of Chicken. Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the chicken and cook until done, set aside.

Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.
In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your broth. Let the broth evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. 

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 chicken 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.

Recipe found HERE

Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Caramel Apple Cupcakes
Recipe found HERE

1 (18.25-ounce) package spice cake mix
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup peeled, cored, and chopped Granny Smith apple (about 1 large apple)
35 caramels
1/4 cup evaporated milk or heavy cream (or regular milk)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
24 wooden craft sticks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, eggs, sour cream, milk, and vegetable oil until incorporated (about 30 seconds). Scrape sides of bowl and then beat on med-high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in chopped apple.

2. Spoon batter into paper-lined muffin pans, filling two-thirds full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Do not overbake. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

3. Meanwhile, combine caramels and milk in a medium saucepan over very low heat; stir 4 minutes or until smooth. It's very important to keep the heat very low because if the caramel gets too hot it will become really hard when cooled.

4. Spread caramel mixture over cupcakes being careful to not touch the caramel to the paper liners or it will stick to the liners; immediately sprinkle with pecans, pressing in slightly. Insert a wooden stick into center of each cupcake. Store covered in an airtight container. It's best to serve the cupcakes the same day that you add the caramel topping. Caramel will soften if kept at room temperature for too long so store in the refrigerator until ready to serve then let come to room temperature to let caramel soften up a bit.

Makes 20-24 cupcakes.

Cottage Fries

"These easy cottage fries crisp up quite nicely in the oven and resemble fat, succulent potato chips."

INGREDIENTS:

4 baking (russet) potatoes, sliced into 3/8 -inch thick rounds salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste 1 pinch herbes de provence, or to taste (or just use any herbs you like: Rosemary, Thyme, Marjoram, etc) 2 tablespoons olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2.	Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
3.	Combine potatoes, salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and herbes de provence in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes and stir to evenly coat.
4.	Place potatoes on baking sheet, spaced evenly, and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
5.	Remove from oven, flip over each potato slice, and return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Continue cooking and flipping until potatoes are well browned, about 30 minutes. Potatoes should be crispy around edges, but still soft in the center.

Crunchy Onion Potato Casserole

2 1/2	cups milk
1 1/2	cups water
1/4	cup butter
1	recipe Garlic Mashed Potatoes
1	can (15.25 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1	cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1	can (2.8 oz) French-fried onions

1.   Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 3-quart saucepan, heat milk, water and margarine to boiling. Stir in contents of both pouches of potatoes (from potatoes box) just until moistened; let stand 1 minute. Stir with fork until smooth. Stir in corn.
2.   Spoon half of potato mixture into dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 each of the cheese and onions. Top with remaining potatoes; sprinkle with remaining cheese and onions.
3.   Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and onions are golden.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

2 pkg Vanilla instant pudding
2 c milk
1 - 8oz tub cool whip
14 graham crackers

Frosting:
2 squares unsweetened chocolate (or 6 T cocoa and 2 t melted butter)
3 T melted butter
3 T milk
2 t light karo syrup
1 t vanilla
1-1/2 c pwdr sugar

In buttered 9x13 pan, layer the bottom with whole graham crackers.  Mix pudding, milk and cool whip.  Pour over graham crackers. Layer another layer of whole graham crackers.

Melt chocolate and butter.  Blend other ingredients together.  Spread over top layer of graham crackers.  Refridgerate 24 hours. (I like the graham crackers not as soft, so I don't refridgerate that long)

Ranch Chicken

Ranch Chicken

6-8 Chicken breasts
1 cup Corn Flakes
1 cup Shredded Parmesan
1 cube butter (melted)
1 packet of Ranch Dressing Mix

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together Corn Flakes, Parmesan and Ranch packet. Cut the chicken in half, dip the chicken in the melted butter then in the corn flake mixture and place into baking dish. Pour the remaining butter on top and bake for 45-50 minutes uncovered.

Louisianna Chicken

Chicken
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour

Cajun Sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 small yellow pepper (chopped)
1 small red bell pepper (chopped)
3/4 small red onion (chopped)
3 whole garlic cloves (minced)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 pints whipping cream
1 T chicken boullion
4 tablespoons fresh basil (thinly sliced)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 (12 ounce) package bow tie pasta
1 cup mushroom (sliced) - optional

Directions
Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add yellow and red bell peppers, mushrooms, and onion to same skillet,until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper to skillet and saute 3 minutes. Add whipping cream and chicken boullion. Simmer until sauce re-heats and thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.   Add basil and 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese to sauce, stirring to incorporate.  Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, simmer; sauce will reduce and thicken.

Wash and drain chicken breasts.  Pound until very thin (the thinner the chicken breasts the better).  Mix breadcrumbs, flour, and Parmesan cheese together. Place milk in dish for dipping.  Dip chicken in breadcrumb mixture and then in milk and then back in breadcrumbs. Place in fry pan that the oil has been heated and fry at medium high temperature until golden crisp and cooked through.  Add more oil as needed. Remove and drain chicken; keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook bow-tie pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain and return to pot. Add sauce and toss to coat.  Place pasta with sauce on plate, and top with chicken breast. Serve, passing additional Parmesan separately.

Sometime, for convenience, I will just make the pasta and sauce without the chicken.  It's much easier and just as good!

By the way, this is a "vaulted" recipe in our home, which means it's a 11 or 12 out of 10!

Swiss Vegetable Casserole

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Cream of Mushroom Soup or make your own

1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bag (16 ounces) frozen vegetable combination (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots), thawed

1 can (2.8 ounces) French fried onions (1 1/3 cups)

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (Or I would suggest cheddar)

Stir the soup, sour cream, black pepper, vegetables, 2/3 cup onions and 1/4 cup cheese in a 2-quart casserole. Cover the casserole.

Bake at 350°F. for 40 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Stir the vegetable mixture.  Top with the remaining onions and cheese.

Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

For Cheddar cheese lovers: Use Cheddar cheese instead of Swiss cheese.

Corn Dogs

1/2 c corn meal
1/2 c flour
2 t baking powder
1/8 c sugar
1/2 t salt

1/2 c milk
1 egg, beaten
12 hot dogs

1/3 c flour for coating dogs (optional, try if your batter doesn't stick to the hot dog)

Oil for Frying

Combine dry ingredients.  Beat together milk and egg and add to dry ingredients.  Mix together. Pour batter in a tall 2 cup glass.  Make sure hot dogs are dry using paper towel and place hot dogs on pop-cycle sticks or something similar.  Roll hot dogs in flour and tap away excess flour.  Dip hot dogs into batter, using a twirling motion and coating each hot dog well.  Allow excess to drip away. Immediately place in hot oil.  (about 350 degrees)  Fry until golden brown.  Allow to cool slightly before eating.

Twinkie Cake

No picture this time either.  But imagine with me a yellow cake with a white icing.  There you go!    Only this tastes like a Twinkie!


1 yellow cake mix (prepared as directed in a 9x 13)
If doing a two layer cake, line pans with wax paper for easy removal

Filling:
5 T flour
1 C milk
1 C sugar
1/2 t salt
1 stick margarine
1/2 c crisco
1 t vanilla

Mix flour and milk together.  cook in microwave stirring every 30 seconds until thick like paste.  Cool well.  Beat sugar, salt, margarine, crisco and vanilla until fluffy.  Add cooked mixture and beat until fluffy.

You can either just put the frosting/filling on top of the cake, or you can make it look authentic and use two layers and make a filling.  If you make a 9x13 cake, let cool.Cut into two layers (dental floss works well for this).  Return bottom half to pan.  Cover with filling and then place other half of cake on top. 

Best if you can let it set in the fridge for 2 hours, or overnight.

Party Cheese Ball

Photo courtesy of www.kraftrecipes.com

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 Tbsp. finely chopped onions

1 Tbsp.  chopped red bell peppers

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp.  lemon juice

Dash ground red pepper (cayenne)

1 cup  chopped PLANTERS Pecans, toasted 

BEAT cream cheese and Cheddar in small bowl with mixer until well blended.
ADD all remaining ingredients except nuts and crackers; mix well. Refrigerate several hours.
SHAPE into ball; roll in nuts. Serve with RITZ Crackers.

Sausage Cheese Balls

Photo courtesy of Bettycrocker.com

3	cups Original Bisquick® mix
1	pound bulk pork sausage
4	cups shredded Cheddar cheese (16 ounces)
1/2	cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2	cup milk
1/2	teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1 1/2	teaspoons chopped fresh parsley or 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
	Barbecue sauce or chili sauce, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease bottom and sides of jelly roll pan, 15 1/2x10 1/2x2x1 inch.
2. Stir together all ingredients, using hands or spoon. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Place in pan.
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brown. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm with sauce for dipping.

Strawberry Blossoms

12 large, fresh strawberries
3 oz. cream cheese
2 T pwdr sugar
1 T sour cream

1. Remove stems from strawberries to form flat base
2. Pointed end facing up, cut with a knife, first in half withing 1/4" of the base.  Do not cut all the way through the base.  Next, cut each half into 3 wedges to form 6 petals.
3. In a small bowl, combine and beat together other ingredients. Using a pastry bag, or you can cut the tip off a ziplock bag, fill the strawberries.

A great summer treat!