Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken Corn Pie

So my family it actually comes from the Pennsylvania Dutch. This is one of the many meals from my heritage.  Easily one of the favorites of our family and is a nice comfort food.  This meal can be made with or without the chicken. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

2 Pie crusts 

A bag of Saltines, crushed

Half a medium onion, thinly sliced

3 hard boiled eggs, sliced

2 potatoes, washed, cubed, lightly cooked

2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded or diced

1 small bag of yellow corn or corn cut off of 3 corn on the cob 

1 stick of butter 

4 cups milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line a deep dish 9" pie plate (or cast iron pan) with pie dough leaving edges to seal the pie with later.  Set aside pie dough to make a lid on top of pie.  

Now start layering ingredients.  Beginning with crushed Saltines covering the bottom of the pie.  Next layer onions, followed by hard boiled eggs. Next put in your potatoes, chicken, and corn.  Cut stick of butter in half and slice one half into 6-7 pieces.  Scatter or dot your pie with the butter slices.  Pour about 2 cups of milk in pie.

** You can add salt and pepper here or have the salt and pepper on the side when you serve and allow people to determine how much they want to add.

Finally cover pie with left over pie crust.  Punch sides to seal.  Then add some venting holes for steam.  Venting holes can be as simple as using a sharp knife to slice 2-4 lines racing for the center without touching.

Cover pie with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes.  After 45 minutes remove tin foil as twin to oven and bake for 20 more minutes or until you see the pie crust is a nice brown.

**Heat remaining milk in a sauce pot and remaining butter.  Can double this if desired.

Serving Instructions 

Slice a piece of pie and put into a bowl.  Next ladle warm milk and melted butter over pie to desired amount.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy!!!

Teriyaki Sauce

So I made this today. It was amazing on the cubed fried chicken I made with a side of egg fried rice. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family did.  What I did just so you know. I cut up three large chicken breasts. Sauteed them with some ground ginger and some garlic and rice vinegar, let the water simmer off that came from the chicken. And then put the chicken in with the sauce and topped with sesame seeds.  I got the recipe for the sauce from this link. www.google.com/amp/www.food.com/amp/recipe/restaurant-teriyaki-sauce-133751#ampshare=http://www.food.com/recipe/restaurant-teriyaki-sauce-133751

Ingredients:

• ¹⁄₄ cup soy sauce
• 1  cup water
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon garlic powder
• 5  tablespoons packed  brown sugar
• 1 -2  tablespoon honey
• 2  tablespoons cornstarch
• ¹⁄₄ cup cold water

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all but cornstarch and 1/4c water in a sauce pan and begin heating.
2. Mix cornstarch and cold water in a cup and dissolve. Add to sauce in pan.
3. Heat until sauce thickens to desired thickness.
4. Add water to thin if you over-thick it :).

READY IN 6 mins
YIELDS 1 1/2 cups, approx.

Spinach Chicken Lasagna roll ups

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. lasagna noodles
• 32 oz. ricotta
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella 2 cup grated Italian blend cheese
• 2 lg. egg
• 20 oz. frozen spinach
• 2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
• 3½ cups marinara sauce
• to taste salt and pepper
• as needed non-stick spray 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Get a large pot of water boiling with 1-2 tablespoons of salt. When it comes to a full boil, add the lasagna noodles and cook until al dente (soft but not soggy… about 12-15 minutes). When they are finished cooking, drain in a colander.
2. While the noodles are boiling, prepare the filling. Thaw the package of frozen spinach in the microwave and then squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible. Combine the spinach in a bowl with the ricotta, shredded cheeses, egg, chicken, freshly grated pepper and about ¼ tsp of salt. Mix until well combined.
3. When the noodles and filling are ready to go, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a glass casserole dish by spraying with non-stick spray.
4. On a clean surface, lay out a few noodles at a time. Place a few tablespoons of filling on each noodle and spread to cover from edge to edge. The filling does not need to be thick because once the noodle is rolled up, it will be compounded. Make sure to spread it all the way to the edges of the noodles.
5. Roll the noodles up and place in the prepared casserole dish. Repeat until all of your filling is gone (there may be some noodles left over[I used 15 noodles], these are “back ups” in case any of the others rip during assembly). Pour the marinara sauce over the rolled noodles making sure to cover all surfaces. The sauce will keep the noodles hydrated and soft while baking.
6. Cover the dish in foil and bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot or divide into individual portions and refrigerate.

Gumbo

I made this for Mardi Gras.  My family loved it.  It is spicy; but, spiciness can be moderated on preference and how much Cayenne pepper you add.  I started with a base from this recipe from a really fun recipe blog that has Disney themed recipes.  I figured if it was close the the Blue Bayou recipe at Disneyland my kids would enjoy it and it is worth a try.  I did alter some things in the recipe and so I will change the recipe below so I can remember for future dinner making fun.  On the Disney blog she found precooked andouille sausage at Target.  I found mine uncooked at the meat counter at my local Harmons.  I browned it in my cast iron and then sliced it and finished cooking it in my oven while I cooked the chicken breast in the pot I made the Gumbo in.  After adding the sausage and chicken to the pot I used the pan I cooked the sausage in to cooked my raw shrimp in that pot seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper and let it soak in the flavors from the sausage.  Make sure not to overcook.  I hope these tips help.  Enjoy!

*serves 8

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced onions
2 quarts low sodium chicken broth
  1 1/2 tablespoons salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (you can increase this amount if you prefer it spicier)

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tsp Tony Chacheres Original Creole Seasoning
1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup diced canned tomatoes
12 ounces frozen cut okra (can also substitute with fresh okra)

1 cooked chicken breast, diced seasoned with Tony Chacheres Original Creole Seasoning 

 2-3 cups pre-cooked Andouille sausage, sliced (if you have to cook this like I did season with Tony Chacheres Original Creole Seasoning)

1 lb cooked Shrimp, large, cut into large pieces 

2 cups cooked brown rice (cook according to package directions)

Directions:

Heat olive oil. Add flour and stir constantly to create a roux. When the roux is a caramel-color, add in celery and onions and cook for 5-7 minutes. Pour in chicken broth. Mix in the salt, pepper, garlic, Creole seasoning, and cayenne. Let simmer 5 minutes. Now add in the tomatoes, carrots, okra, cooked chicken and sausage. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 45 minutes.  Add shrimp and cook for 15 minutes longer.


While the gumbo is simmering, prepare 2 cups of cooked rice according to package directions. Set aside.

When the gumbo is done, spoon prepared rice in the bottom of your serving bowls. Now ladle the hot gumbo on top.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1/2 cup and 1T sugar
2T (or 2 packages) yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
6 cups shifted flour
6T shortening
3 eggs
2t salt


Directions:

Scald and cool to lukewarm 1 cup milk. Meanwhile dissolve 1 Tbsp sugar and 2 pkg yeast in 1 cup lukewarm water. Add milk. Sift before measuring. 3 cups flour, add to above mixture and best until smooth and fine grained. Cream 1/2 cup sugar with 6 Tbsp shortening and add to first mixture. Add 3 beaten eggs. Add 2 tsp salt and enough flour (about 3 cups) to make dough to handle. Knead lightly and place in bowl greased with butter. Let raise until double in bulk, about 1 hour. Roll about 1/2 inch thick, spread with melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, raisin, and nuts. Roll up and cut in slices. Place cut side up on greased tin and let rise 1 hour. Bake 400 degrees until nice and brown. About 15 minutes. Ice while hot. Makes about 24

Tip: use a length of thread to cut the rolls so they don't get smashed. Just wrap the thread around the roll and pull.
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Frosting ingredients:

4 cups powder sugar
4T butter
4T milk
1t vanilla


Frosting directions:

Blend all ingredients together until smooth and fluffy. Makes about 2 cups.

Grandma's Upside Down Spaghetti

 

My Mother in Law made this and it tasted good enough that me a professed spaghetti hater asked for the recipe.  I love cream cheese and the addition of cream cheese to the spaghetti is a great combination.  I made this last night and my niece who was here with her husband asked for the recipe because they liked it too.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 (24 oz) package spaghetti noodles

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1/2 onion

1 (8oz) package cream cheese

1 small carton real sour cream

1 small can tomato paste

1 large jar spaghetti sauce

2 cloves garlic

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  

Cook spaghetti noodles according to directions on package.  While noodles are boiling brown hamburger with onion on stove.  Then in a bowl mix together sour cream and cream cheese and set aside.  Finally mix in blender jar of spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, cloves of garlic and salt and pepper.  When noodles are done drain in a colander.  

Now it is time to layer.  First spread a thin layer of cream cheese mixture in a 9x13 pan. Then layer spaghetti sauce, sprinkle hamburger, cream cheese mixture, cheddar cheese and then spaghetti noodles.  Continue layering in this order for three layers finishing with sauce and topping with cheddar cheese.  Cover with foil and cook for 1 hour.

Roasted Potatoes

ingrediants

2lbs red potatoes washed and cut into quarters

2T vetetable oil

1t salt

1/2t black pepper

1/2t dried rosemary crushed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (250 degrees C).
2. Place potatoes in a large roasting pan and toss with oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary until evenly coated. Spread out potatoes in a single layer.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately.

Grilled Honey-Lemon Chicken

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed

• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. Mix canola oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Italian herb seasoning, salt, and black pepper in a bowl; pour into a resealable plastic bag. Place chicken breasts into the bag, seal, and squeeze bag with your fingers several times to coat chicken with marinade. Place a second resealable bag over the first and seal to prevent leaks. Refrigerate chicken for 2 to 4 hours.
2. Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
3. Remove chicken breasts from bag; discard used marinade. Cook chicken on the preheated grill until the center is no longer pink and the juices run clear, 7 to 8 minutes per side.

Microwave Au Gratin Potatoes

Want to avoid turning on the oven with the summer heat coming? This is the solution for Au Gratin potatoes. The best part is they taste like they came out of the oven.

Ingredients:
5-6 peel, washed, sliced potatoes
1/2 c milk
1/3 c butter
1/2 c grated cheese
salt to taste
Pepper to taste


Directions:
In a microwave safe baking dish arrange the potato slices along the bottom. Add in your salt and pepper, pour in your milk and add in your butter. The butter is blobbed in, in tablespoon blobs arranged around the potatoes. Cover and microwave for 5 minutes. When the 5 minutes is up take the mixture out and stir the ingredients together making sure to coat both sides of the potato slices. Cover and microwave an additional 10 minutes. When the timer goes off again once again stir the mixture to make sure the potatoes are and will remain cooking evenly. Add the cheese to the top, cover, and return to the microwave for an additional 10 minutes.


Microwave times do vary so check tenderness of the potatoes with a fork. 

Crackle Barrel Grilled Chicken

This is a super easy way to prepare chicken that is amazing in taste (seriously my kiddos ask for more). I got the recipe from my sister and haven't had to change a thing, it's awesome.

Ingredients:
4-5 Chicken breasts (you can leave them whole or cut them into pieces to infuse the flavor more)
1 8oz bottle of Italian dressing
2t lime juice
4t honey

Directions:
Add all the ingredients into a skillet and fry until the chicken is done. The mixture becomes pretty soupy as it cooks but the liquid cooks down to a really nice sauce. That's it 1 step, 20 minutes and chicken is done.

We've had it over rice, over pasta, and with potatoes it's good with all of it. The flavors in the Italian dressing compliment a variety of sides.

Chicken, Spinach, Ranch Stromboli

I don't have a picture of this because it was devoured so quickly.  I thought I should record the recipe though so I could make it again.

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, cooked and cubed

2 cups fresh spinach washed

1/8 onion chopped

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

1 lb scone dough

hidden valley ranch 

italian seasoning, garlic salt, parmesan cheese

Directions:

I cut and cubed the chicken breast seasoned lightly with Italian seasoning and garlic salt while cooking it.  Roll out the scone dough in a long rectangle.  Spread half cheese on bread first.  Then spread spinach, next onion and drizzle lightly across spinach ranch dressing.  Top with cooked chicken and remaining cheese.  Close bread around filling turn seam side down, and place on greased cookie sheet.  Poke holes to release steam.  Spray with cooking spray lightly sprinkle Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and Garlic salt.  Cooked in preheated oven @ 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until outside of bread is golden brown.  Enjoy!

Burrito Bowls

This is one of my family's FAVORITE meals. It's easy, yummy, super easy to make and naturally gluten free!

BURRITO BOWLS            serves 6
(there's actually a restaurant that makes these but there's none around here so this is a knock off of their bowls)

1lb. ground beef or ground turkey
2 cups of uncooked white or brown rice, which ever you have on hand
lettuce
a dash cayenne pepper sauce
lime juice about 1 tb or half a lime
salt to taste
sour cream
shredded cheese
and of course some bowls :-)

1- Cook rice as directed. I use 4 cups of water, 2 cups of rice, and a dash of salt. Cook until tender. When water is absorbed add the lime juice and salt to taste. This family really loves the lime flavor so I use more than the 1 tablespoon. I use about the whole lime but that part is all up to you.

2- While the rice is cooking- cook the meat. Brown and drain any access juice that might if came out while cooking. When this is done I add our favorite Franks Red Hot Sauce. Just a few dashes adds a nice flavor without that powerful kick of flavor.

3- When this process is over set aside while you pull out the rest of the ingredients for the bowls.

4- Pull whole leaves from the lettuce with the effort of trying to not rip them. Wash and dry with a paper towel.
5- Now start layering. Lettuce leaf on bottom. Add a few scoops of rice. (It's a nice tummy filler). Then add some meat, sour cream, cheese, Wholly Molly avocado dip.....the list of toppings could be endless.

The end project is something of this sort.....100% Delicious!

So I hope you enjoy this great gluten free meal.

Tangy Tortellini!

I was inspired to make this dish after craving Carino's Chicken Scallopini, and after figuring out the ingredients I decided to make my own version. So, here goes!

1 pack of 7 cheese tortellini from Costco (although I'm sure any kind of pasta would work)

1 pack of sliced white mushrooms

1 medium tomato diced

1 small package of pancetta

1/4 cup bacon bits (I used the hormel real bacon bits you can find in the salad dressing aisle)

2 tablespoons white cooking wine (the alcohol burns off)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon garlic

1 pint whipping cream

First I combined all ingredients in a saute pan excluding the pasta and cream. Cook on Med-High until it's boiled down to a thick sauce. Add cream and continue to boil, stirring frequently for 10 minutes. Cook pasta according to directions, then drain and combine.

Really simple and everyone loved it! Mine did turn out a bit tangy, but I didn't really measure the wine or lemon juice so I probably put a bit more in there, but in the end the tortellini balanced out the flavor wonderfully and the kids are begging me to make it again soon! :)

Stromboli Pepperoni

I made this a while ago. But it was yummy! Hope you enjoy it too. The best part about pizza or Stromboli is that you can make it anyway you want once you have the ingredients. The sky is the limit

Ingredients

Favorite bread dough
3/4 cup favorite pizza sauce
20- 3o pepperoni slices
3/4 cup sliced olives
2 cups mozzarella cheese

Directions

Follow directions for bread dough. Before cooking bread roll out a rectangle about the size of a large cookie sheet. No thinner than 1/4 inch. Next spread sauce. place pepperoni, olives, and cheese on top. Fold up top and bottom over toppings. Then fold over sides pinching to seal. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top and bottom. Take out and Enjoy!

**For fun melt 1/4 cup butter and coat top of dough before baking. Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese, Italian Seasonings, and Garlic Salt. Enjoy!

Thai Peanut Chicken Stir Fry

I made this for dinner and the family loved it. What you see in the picture is only half of what this made. We fed 2 adults and 2 children ages 2 and 4. I can assume this would easily feed 4-5 adults or a family of 6. At Costco they have a vegetable blend just for stir fry. It is a large bag next to their other vegetables. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked white rice
4 cups water

3 T soy sauce
2 T creamy peanut butter
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
1/4 cup water
3 T olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts -cut into thin strips
3 T chopped garlic
1 tsp ginger powder
3/4 chopped green onions
3 cups of chopped or frozen vegetables
1/3 cup of unsalted dry roasted peanuts

Directions

1- Combine rice and water into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low cover and simmer for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender. In a small bowl stir together soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, red peppers and water. Set aside.

2-Heat oil in skillet or wok over high heat. Add chicken, garlic and ginger. Stirring constantly until chicken is golden on the outside, about 5 minutes.

3- Reduce heat to medium, and add green onions, vegetables, peanuts and peanut butter mixture. Cook stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender and chicken is fully cooked through. Serve over rice and Enjoy!

North Carolina Pulled Pork BBQ

Ok for those that don't know my husband severed an LDS Raleigh, North Carolina Mission. This is his favorite thing that he remembers from there and he happened to find it at a Golden Corral Buffet. It was exactly what he remembered and so I had to try and find a recipe that could get me close with the ingredients I had on hand. I found a recipe here and had to tweak it a little but it came out close enough that he said he felt like he was eating Southern BBQ again. So I hope you enjoy! I will borrow a picture until I can make it again

Ingredients:

• 2 onions, quartered
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (4 -6 lb) pork butt or 1 (4 -6 lb) shoulder roast
• 1 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 1/3 cup + 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 tsp salt
  

Directions:

1. Mix first 5 ingredients and rub onto pork.
2. Place Pork into Crock Pot
3. Mix final ingredients together and pour into Crock Pot with Pork. Some people apparently will save a portion of this sauce to pour on later. But I just put it all in with pork.
   
4. **4 hours on high, or better yet all night on low till dinner.
5. Before serving shred meet. If you left it in all night just try to pull it out without it shredding on its own. Plate it with some potatoes or any of your favorite BBQ sides. Works wonderfully as a sandwich on some hard rolls.
6. Enjoy!
   

Crock pot Cheesy Ham and Potatoes

I made this today. It turned out great. My daughter even told me that it was good and I am the best mommy. She cracks me up! I used kale, broccoli, green onions, and cauliflower because I had a lot from my bountiful basket to use up. Also with all my Crock pot recipes I will line my Crock pot with a liner. It makes for easy clean up.

Ingredients
9 small potatoes or 3 large, peeled and quartered
1 cup cooked ham, cubed
2-3 cups of vegetables (your choice)
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 packet South Eastern Mills Cheese Sauce powder
2 cups Cheddar cheese

Directions
Mix together cheese powder, cream of chicken soup, sour cream and 1 cup of cheese. Next add potatoes, ham, and vegetables into sauce. Pour ingredients into Crock pot and smooth. Finally sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Cover and cook for 5-6 hours on high. Enjoy!

Chicken Parmigiana Casserole

This was a very yummy casserole. My younger sister originally came up with this recipe. I hope that you enjoy. You can add more or less sauce based on preference. Hope you enjoy. I took a picture however my point and shoot wouldn't take the picture I was going for. So no picture this time.

Ingredients

2-3 Chicken breasts (cubed)
1 jar Spaghetti Sauce
1 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese
2 cups Bread Crumbs
1 box of linguine noodles

Directions

Cook chicken in a frying pan in 2 tablespoons of oil with salt and pepper to taste. Follow directions to cook noodles. Once chicken is fully cooked and slightly browned mix chicken, sauce and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Once noodles are finished toss lightly in sauce. Pour noodles and sauce into a 9x13 pan. Cover with Mozzarella Cheese. Mix together bread crumbs and the rest of the Parmesan Cheese and spread on top of cheese layer. Finally cook in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Broccolli Salad

I have made this for the last few family gatherings, and was given a gentle shove to share it. So here it goes, now if you need measurement I cannot give them to you, so use your best guesses and experiment a little.

a couple to a few heads of broccoli (chop the florets up small, unless you like them big)
bacon pieces (anything from bacos to chopped fresh bacon will do, choose your favorite)
shredded cheese (I like the fiesta blend)
dried cranberries
onions (chopped, fresh)
mayo to taste (I prefer enough to help keep everything together)
sugar (about a 1/2 cup, but you may like it sweeter or less sweet you decide)
vinegar(about 1/2 cup too, but the same applies here as with the sugar)
pepper to taste

Mix it all up together and that is pretty much it. Maybe Melanie will add a picture for me one of these days

French Toast Casserole

I made this for our mothers day dinner the last couple of mothers day we decided on breakfast for dinner it has been fun and tastes great this is the one I tried this year.

1 Loaf bread

2 8 oz packages cream cheese

2/3 cup maple syrup

12 eggs

2 cups

11/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

11/2 tbsp cinnamon

Melt brown sugar, butter and cinnamon until it forms a paste, spread into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Cut bread into cubes. Put half of the bread on top of the paste. Soften cream cheese in the microwave stir in syrup. Pour mixture over bread, spread on until even. Combine eggs and milk together. Put remaining bread cubes on top of cream cheese mixture pour egg mixture over bread. Sprinkle top with cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or over night. Cook on 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until set.