Empanadas

This week I'm continuing the Rotisserie Chicken series. Didn't realize I had quite so many recipes that work so well with it!

This is obviously a very Americanized recipe for Empanadas, but we enjoy them. I use the Knorr-Lipton Spanish rice because I like it best, and there are always good coupons. I've never put in black olives, but I figured I'd leave it in the recipe for you to decide. And this is probably the only time I will EVER say this--your best best is to use generic pie crusts. The Pillsbury crusts are too sweet, and it makes the empanadas taste awful. And once, when I didn't have ready-made crusts, I tried to do homemade, using the pie crust for the pot pie. That was one of the worst experiments ever. So gross. I've had the most success with Walmart and Kroger brands, and I think the Meijer brand was good, but it's been so long that I can't really remember. This is a really easy recipe that can be thrown together quickly. I would suggest doubling it for larger families. I usually eat half an empanada, but Anthony eats a whole one. Probably not the best idea, calorie-wise, to eat a whole one, but I'll leave that up to you.

Printable Recipe

Empanadas

4 to 6-ounce package Spanish rice mix, prepared according to package directions

1 cup shredded cooked chicken

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

½ cup sliced green onions

¼ cup chopped black olives

1 15-ounce package refrigerated pie crusts
 

Combine rice, chicken, cheese, onions and olives in large bowl.

Spoon half of rice mixture on half of each pie crust. Fold crust over filling.

Seal and crimp edges. Place on baking sheet.

Bake at 400°F for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.

Cut each empanada in half. Serve immediately.


Makes 4 servings (1/2 empanada each).

Serve with: Refried beans, chips and salsa

General Tso's Chicken

We made this for dinner last night, and wow! (Like, I had to go back for a third helping while I was writing this up.) I love that I'm slowly stockpiling amazing recipes for our favorite Chinese foods, but at the same time, I'm making it impossible to ever again eat at a Chinese restaurant. The all-you-can-eat $6.99 buffet isn't going to cut it anymore. I'm almost afraid to make the spring roll recipe from a Vietnamese grandmother (not mine, another blogger's). Do I have time to make my own spring rolls if I realize I can never go back? Yeah, I know, my first world problems. And the blog I got this from--awesome! I've tried several of their recipes and they have all been amazing. It's written by a married couple who alternate posting recipes (how cool is that), and they sound just like what I want to be--living in a 100-year-old farmhouse in Maine, raising goats, cooking and eating. Sign me up!

This one is a little spicy. Not crazy spicy, but I'd bet it's more of an adult meal. Fine by me because we got to eat it all! I'm used to a sweeter version in restaurants, but this was way better with just a hint of sweetness to it.

Sorry there are so many random ingredients in this one, though. We're very blessed to have an amazing International section at the Commissary, so I didn't have trouble finding them. They're actually pretty common ingredients for many of the Asian recipes I've been saving lately, so I didn't mind trying some new things since I'll be using them often instead of letting it take up space on my fridge door. Hope you feel the same way and can find them all just as easily!  

I did have to make a few changes again. I substituted apple juice for the sherry (I read somewhere that you can use vanilla extract too, but I wasn't sure what that would taste like). And I did cut down the hoisin sauce to 1 tablespoon. I have only made one other meal with hoisin sauce, and I made the mistake of smelling it straight from the jar. I truly thought I was going to die. Fermented soybeans do not smell good. Who knew? I couldn't get the smell out of my nose, and I hated the whole meal because all I could taste was the hoisin sauce. I wasn't going to ruin this one by putting in that much. I think one tablespoon flavored it perfectly this time. I could still pick out the flavor, but in a good way. So, if you're not used to cooking with hoisin sauce either, I'd stick to the 1 tablespoon. And don't smell it. I also didn't have any scallions or even green onions. (I had to start over my jar of never-ending green onions. Long story.) Ridiculous, I know, but that's why they're missing from the picture. Next time!

Printable Recipe

General Tso’s Chicken

 from From Away

3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunk

2 tablespoons dry white sherry or apple juice

1/4 cup chicken stock or broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

2 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (it's a kind of hot sauce)

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup + 2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided

Peanut oil, for frying (I used canola oil like always)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced, or 1/4 tsp dried

6-8 “Japonese” dried red whole chilis (ours were with the Hispanic foods in a HUGE bag)

3 scallions, white and green parts, cut into half-inch chunks

Steamed rice (we used 4 cups prepared)

In a large bowl, toss chicken chunks with sherry and a pinch of salt, and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine chicken stock, soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin, Sriracha, sesame oil, sugar, and 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch. Stir until smooth.

When ready to cook, drain chicken, then toss to coat evenly with remaining 1/3 cup of cornstarch. Chicken should have a dry coating of cornstarch; add a little more if coating seems moist.

In a wok or a large skillet over medium heat, bring oil to 325 degrees. Add chicken in batches and cook, stirring often, until chicken is brown on all sides, about 4-5 minutes. (It took me four batches to cook it all. The meat will cook more evenly if you don't overload your wok.)

When each batch is done, remove from wok and drain on paper towels.

Pour most of the oil out of the skillet, until only a thin coating remains in the pan.

Add garlic and ginger to pan and stir until fragrant, about 15 seconds.

Add whole chilies, chicken pieces, and scallion pieces, and toss to combine.

Add sauce and simmer, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, becomes shiny, and evenly coats chicken.

Top with more sliced scallions and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Makes 4 or 5 servings


Serve with: Egg Rolls

Lemon Chess Pie

Another favorite from Southern Plate. This pie makes me think of summer, and summer is something we're definitely in need of in Alaska. When I made it, I didn't have lemons, just a bottle of lemon juice, so I didn't add the lemon zest. We thought it was fine without it. And I love that even though you have to separate the eggs, you're not just using the yolks, or just the whites. I hate throwing them away or trying to find some way to use them up quickly in another recipe. It's nice to avoid the problem altogether.

 I have to ask you to forgive the picture again. I baked it for an extra 5 minutes, trying to get it to set in the oven (which it never did), so the top is browner than I'd like. I'm not sure what the problem is. Partially my horrid oven, but since I used RealLemon juice, I had to do 8 Tbsp to get it close to 2 large lemons, so the filling seemed too liquidy anyway. Guess it's another one to experiment with (I think this happened last time I made it), but it's still delicious! Even though it didn't set in the oven, it did set more after sitting on the counter for an hour, and after chilling in the fridge, it was just right.

Printable Recipe

Lemon Chess Pie

from Southern Plate

1 cup sugar

4 Tbsp. butter

Grated rind and juice of two large or three small lemons

4 eggs, separated (Separate carefully--there can't be any yolk in the whites, or they won't foam up well.)

1 deep-dish pie crust (baked)


Cream sugar with butter until light and fluffy.

Beat in egg yolks.
 
Add grated lemon rind and juice, beat in.
 
Beat egg whites in a separate bowl (with clean beaters) until stiff. (Egg whites at room temperature will foam more quickly than egg whites that have just been taken out of the refrigerator.)

Gently fold whites into lemon mixture.

Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 until set and light, about twenty five to thirty minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Creamy Chicken Casserole

Disclaimer: I know when you look at these ingredients, it probably sounds kind of odd. I don't even know why I tried this recipe in the first place. You know how sometimes you save a recipe because, at the time, it sounds great, and then you come across it later and wonder what you were thinking when you saved it? I think this one made the cut just because I made it right away instead of filing it away. And I'm glad I did because it's actually really, really, really good. I have to double it just to make enough because we like it so much. When I double it, I actually make 5 cups of rice, use between 2 and 3 cups of chicken, and 5 eggs. Everything else is doubled. I've been leaving out the onions for the last few years, and I like it better without them.

I love using Rotisserie Chicken with this because it cuts out a lot of the prep time. It's also great to make the main part of the casserole ahead of time and put it in the fridge. Then you can add the corn flake topping and throw it in the oven when you're ready for dinner.

Printable Recipe

Creamy Chicken Casserole 

from Kraft Foods

2 cups cooked rice

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/3 cup mayonnaise

3 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped onions

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup corn flakes

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted


Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix rice, chicken, soup, mayonnaise, eggs, onions and salt.

Spoon into 1-1/2-qt. casserole dish (2-1/2 qt if doubling);

Mix corn flakes and melted butter. Place on top of casserole.

Bake 35 to 40 min. or until heated through and corn flakes are browned.

Makes 6 servings.

Serve with: Broccoli & Cheese, Peas, or Mixed Vegetables

Chicken (or Turkey) and Noodles

This is one of my favorite ways to use up leftover turkey, but you can also substitute chicken, and it's just as fabulous. I like to use a rotisserie chicken (hence being featured in "Rotisserie Week")--I use about half the chicken and save the rest for other meals. (I don't know if this equals 4 cups of chicken, like it calls for. This is one I just eyeball and decide if it looks like enough chicken.) Most of all I love how easy this recipe is, but it is SO delicious! I know 96 oz. sounds like a lot of chicken broth, but it equals three of the boxes of Swanson broth. The carrots are optional, but we really enjoy them. We usually have enough to have one meal and lots of leftovers, or I can freeze the rest for another meal later. It is best served over mashed potatoes. Sorry, I have looked and looked, but I can't find where I got this from originally.

You can also add cauliflower and butternut squash purees!

Printable Recipe

Chicken (or Turkey) and Noodles

96 oz. of turkey or chicken broth
3 carrots, sliced
1/2 cup of diced onion
1/2 tsp of salt

1/4 tsp of pepper
1 bay leaf
1 lb. of frozen noodles (I like Reames brand)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I've tried whole wheat, but it didn't thicken the soup like I wanted)
1 1/2 cups of milk
4 cups of cooked turkey (or chicken)
Salt
Mashed potatoes, prepared


In a large pot, heat broth and carrots to boiling.

Add onion, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and frozen noodles and bring to a boil again. Then reduce heat to keep from boiling over but let it still bubble freely. Cook for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, stir flour and milk together and then add to the bubbling pot. Cook until the juices are somewhat reduced and slightly thickened.

Remove bay leaf.

Add chicken or turkey (and purees, if using). Salt to taste.

Serve over homemade mashed potatoes. You can probably add frozen peas to this, but I haven't tried it yet.



This makes a wonderful freezer meal. If you want to freeze it, I do not add the noodles during cooking. Instead just let the soup cool, divide into the portion size that you like and freeze. Since the noodles are already frozen, just keep the noodles with the broth in the freezer.

When you want to make this on a later day, thaw, remove from freezer bag and then bring to a boil. Add noodles and boil for 10 minutes.

White Chicken Pizza

This week I wanted to feature some recipes using Rotisserie Chicken. I love getting a chicken from the deli and being able to use it throughout the week for all of our meals. You can get at least 4-5 meals out of one chicken, and usually more. Last week I made this pizza, Creamy Chicken Casserole, Chicken & Noodles (this one takes quite a bit of chicken, which is why I only got 5 meals), Empanadas, and Chicken and Biscuits Casserole. Not only do I save time cooking, but with some recipes (like Chicken Baguettes) I actually think it tastes better.

I also found a recipe to make your own Rotisserie Chicken in the crock pot (super easy!) that I'll post as soon as I get some pics. It's especially great if you can get a good deal on a whole chicken.



I first saw this pizza on the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest on the Food Network (it's my dream to enter one day!), and it looked SO good that I had to look up the recipe right away. It's one of our favorites! The sauce actually is very similar to our favorite Chicken Alfredo sauce. I made a few adjustments--I lessened the cooking time for the crust (it kept getting too brown), switched the wine to chicken broth (so I took out the Marsala in the title since it doesn't really fit now), and I just used regular mushrooms and dried parsley and left out the onion on ours.

Printable Recipe

White Chicken Pizza
from Pillsbury Bake-Off Recipes

1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lb uncooked chicken breast tenders (not breaded)
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 package (8 oz) sliced mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup chicken broth (or 3/4 cup sweet Marsala wine)
1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt, if desired
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese


Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray (or use a Silpat).

Unroll pizza crust dough in pan; press dough to edges of pan.

Bake 7-9 minutes or until crust just barely starts to brown. (Bake it enough so the bottom of the crust isn't too doughy; otherwise it will be soggy. But you don't want it to brown very much, or it will be too crispy in the end.)

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook about 7 minutes, turning frequently, until lightly browned. Remove chicken from skillet; cut into 1/4-inch pieces. Set aside. (Or substitute Rotisserie Chicken and skip this step.)

To same skillet, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the butter. Add onions and mushrooms; cook over medium-high heat about 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender.

Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute longer.

Stir in chicken broth; cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken broth is reduced by half (about 6 tablespoons).

Stir in whipping cream, parsley, salt, pepper and chicken. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and creamy.

Sprinkle pizza crust with 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over cheeses. Top with remaining cheeses.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes longer or until cheeses are melted and crust is golden brown.


Serve with: Salad or Baby Carrots

Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake

We've had this cake as a dessert, we've had it for breakfast, and it just gets better each time I make it. How could you go wrong with blueberries? Or a cake you can eat for breakfast? Since we don't normally have fresh blueberries on hand (expensive!), we've always used frozen, and it's amazing. This is also another recipe for which I'm so glad to have found the powdered buttermilk! Makes life so much easier. And I know it does call for Kosher (coarse) salt. Maybe I'm the only one, but for some reason I had it in my head that this must be an expensive variety, or hard to find, so for a long time, I just used regular salt. And then I actually looked for Kosher salt. Not expensive, not hard to find. All of these years wasted. But no matter. Moving on! I highly recommend that you try this one right away. And then thank me by making me one too.

Printable Recipe

Buttermilk-Blueberry Breakfast Cake

from Alexandra's Kitchen

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (I'm not a butter snob--you can use whatever you want)
2 tsp. lemon zest or more — zest from 1 large lemon (I always forget to buy lemons, so I use 4 tsp. bottled lemon juice)
3/4 cup & 2 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups fresh blueberries (or I use a 12 oz bag of frozen blueberries, thawed & drained)
½ cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp. sugar (for sprinkling on top)


Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Cream butter with lemon zest and 3/4 cup & 2 Tbsp of sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries with ¼ cup of flour. (If you are using frozen blueberries that have been thawed, pat them dry between  a few paper towels before tossing with the flour. I actually wait to add them to the flour until right before I'm going to fold the blueberries in.)

Whisk together the remaining 1 & 3/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the batter a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the blueberries.

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (or something similar) with butter or coat with non-stick spray. Spread batter into pan. Sprinkle batter with remaining tablespoon of sugar.

Bake for 35 minutes. Check with a toothpick for doneness. If necessary, return pan to oven for a couple of more minutes. (Note: Baking for as long as 10 minutes more might be necessary.)

Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 9-12 servings.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is another one where I've tried multiple recipes before I found the right one. I'm not sure why this one worked and the others didn't. It seems like a pretty straightforward recipe. Perhaps the different breadcrumbs? (It calls for Italian style). Or maybe it was the sauce. Whatever it was, it passed the test! We made this to use up some more of the leftover Easter ham, which I prefer over deli ham. It made the chicken a little harder to roll because the ham was thicker, but it was worth it.

Printable Recipe

Chicken Cordon Bleu 

 from Jamie Cooks It Up!

Prep. Time: 15 minutes   Bake Time: 60 minutes

5 chicken breasts

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

5  slices deli ham

5 slices Swiss cheese

Sauce:

2 cans cream of chicken soup

3 T sour cream

1 T butter

Fillet the chicken breasts. (Cut horizontally through the breast so you end up with two thin pieces.)

Cut the ham and cheese into 10 pieces as well.

Place a piece of ham and a piece of Swiss cheese in the center of each slice of chicken and roll it up.

Place the Italian bread crumbs into a pie plate and dip each chicken wrap into the crumbs.

Place the breaded chicken into a sprayed 13 x 9 pan.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Remove the tin foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

When the chicken in almost done, combine the sauce ingredients in a medium sized sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until all ingredients are warmed through. Serve over the top of the chicken.

Serve with: Orzo or Rice Pilaf, Peas or Carrots

Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets

I hardly ever fry foods. No matter how good a recipe looks, if I see anything about frying, ninety percent of the time I will just keep on moving. But this one stopped me, mostly because some people compared it to Chick-fil-A. Ah, Chick-fil-A. I could move into your restaurant in a moment's notice. It's probably best that the closest one is just under 3,000 miles away. I don't know what they do to their chicken, but yum. So when I found recipes for their nuggets and their sandwiches, I had to try them out. I actually don't think I've ever had their chicken nuggets (I love their chicken sandwich too much to stray), but I imagine this is a close rendition. I love them plain, but my husband made some fry sauce to dip them in, and that was pretty dang good too. Honey, ketchup, barbecue sauce, however you want to do it, just as long as you make up a batch soon so you know what you've been missing.

As a sidenote, I know they say peanut oil is best when frying foods. I bought peanut oil for this recipe, I even poured it in the pan, but I immediately poured it back in the bottle when I realized I would have to use the whole expensive bottle for one recipe. I couldn't do it. I almost always use canola oil, and we like how everything turns out. My only suggestion it to use a good thermometer. It's very important to keep your oil right around 375 degrees. If it's too high, your food will burn instead of cook evenly. And if it's too low, it will soak up the oil and become greasy and fatty. (Thank you Alton Brown and Good Eats!)

Printable Recipe

 Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets

from My Name is Snickerdoodle

3 skinless and boneless chicken breasts

1 cup milk

1 egg

1 1/4 cups flour

2 TBSP powdered sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Peanut oil (is best) or canola oil

In a medium bowl whisk the egg and stir in the milk.

Trim any fat away from chicken. Cube chicken into bite size pieces.

Place chicken in milk mixture and cover. Let it marinate for 2-4 hours in the fridge. This will make the chicken very nice and tender.

In a gallon size resealable baggie (or I prefer using a large Tupperware container that I can shake everything around in), combine flour, powdered sugar, salt and pepper. Seal and shake to combine.

Place about 2 inches of oil in a wok or a medium deep pot. Over medium high heat (more towards the high side) heat oil until hot. If using a thermometer let the temperature reach 375°. (If you don't have a thermometer, you can test the oil by dropping a few drops of water into it. You want it to sizzle and not pop too much.) Adjust your heat if necessary throughout cooking.

Using a fork or tongs remove cut chicken from milk mixture and place in the flour mixture. (Don't pat the chicken dry. I tried this last time, and the flour mixture didn't stick very well to the chicken, so I lost a lot of flavor.) Seal and shake until nuggets are completely coated.

Place about a 6-8 nuggets into hot oil and let them cook until golden brown, turning half way through once the edge of your chicken starts to turn white. It should take about 1 minute each side. Always double check to see if any chicken you make is cooked through.

Remove and drain on a paper towel. Repeat until all nuggets are cooked. (I keep a cookie sheet in the oven and turn it on warm. Once the nuggets have drained, I keep the done ones in there while the rest are cooking.)

Makes 6 servings.


Serve with: Favorite Sauce, Macaroni and Cheese, Mixed Vegetables

Orzo Pilaf

You may have noticed, but sides aren't my forte. I usually spend my time on the main course, and at the end I'm scrambling for something to go with it. This is one of my favorites because it's a little different, not my standard potatoes or rice. I had to make just a few small changes. I didn't have any green onions, so I used a bit of diced yellow onion, and it worked fine. The main change was the garlic. If you ever see a recipe that calls for sauteeing garlic for an extended period of time, usually with other base ingredients (like onions or carrots), don't do it! Garlic will burn long before the other items are soft. After everything is sauteed, add the garlic in for another 30 seconds or so, but no more than a minute.

Printable Recipe

Orzo Pilaf

from The Essential Food Storage Cookbook

1 tbsp. butter or margarine
4 green onions, sliced (or 1/4 yellow onion, diced)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup orzo
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.

Add onion and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic once the onions are soft, and saute 30 seconds.

Stir in orzo. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until liquid is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper. Cook until cheese is melted, stirring once, about 5 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

Banana Bread with Streusel Topping

Banana bread is one of my favorites, and I've gone through a lot of recipes in my search for the perfect one. I wanted one that was moist and had a good crust, and this one has both. It has a yummy streusel topping and center, and what's best is that you get two loaves out of this, so you can share with a friend. Or have an extra loaf for yourself later. I have looked all over for the original recipe, but it has completely disappeared. If I ever find it, I'll be sure to give the creator credit! (Please don't judge the bread by the picture. Our oven is kind of finicky, and this batch is a little overdone. The streusel is usually much more crumbly.)

This also is great for mini loaves to give to friends! It makes 4 loaves and then I had enough to do a dozen mini muffins (apparently I was in the mood for tiny food). If you make mini loaves, reduce the baking time by 1/4 (so 38-45 mins) and leave the temperature the same.

Recently, I found something wonderful in the beverage aisle that's been a big help in baking: powdered buttermilk! No more making my own every time I need it for a random recipe. Maybe I'm the last person on earth to discover it, but in case there's one other person that hasn't seen it, here you go! Just put the dry amount (for example, it's 4 Tbsp. buttermilk powder to make one cup prepared) in with the dry ingredients, and then add the water (1 cup) with the liquid. For this recipe, just add the buttermilk powder with the flour and everything, and then stir in the water. Couldn't be easier!

Printable Recipe

Banana Bread with Streusel Topping

3 large bananas
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup flour


Preheat oven to 350. Grease two bread pans and set aside.

In an electric mixer, mix bananas and sugar until the banana is completely mashed.

Add in the butter, eggs and vanilla extract, and mix until well creamed.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix well. Mix in the buttermilk until well combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the crumb toppings with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly.

Pour half of the bread batter into the two bread pans. Then layer half of the streusel topping on top of the bread batter.

Pour remaining batter over the crumb mixture and then top with the rest of the streusel topping.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.


Makes 2 loaves.

Creamy Ham & Corn Chowder

My friend Dawn (who shares my love of Our Best Bites) made this for us a few months ago, and I've been dreaming of Easter ham leftovers ever since just so I could make it. I actually don't really enjoy straight-up ham, but I get super excited about all of the things I can make with leftovers! Am I the only one?

This is a wonderful chowder that actually is pretty good for you (they claimed it was only 3 Weight Watcher points, although I'm guessing that's without any cheese or bacon). When I looked up the recipe, it was just corn chowder, but Dawn added the ham in her version, and I had to do the same! I only did about a quarter of an onion and took out the hot sauce altogether. If you want to add it back in, it was just a few dashes along with the salt. I actually doubled the recipe for us because it didn't seem like quite enough, and I wanted to have leftovers. Just add a slice (or two, or three) of fresh bread on the side, and you're good to go!

I had to share this clip because anytime I think of a soup with ham in it, this comes to mind. Sure do miss this show!

Printable Recipe

Creamy Ham & Corn Chowder

from Our Best Bites

1/2 lb. bacon (optional, but so good!)
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup water
2 1/2 cups milk (I used skim, and it turned out really well)
2 regular-sized chicken bouillon cubes, 1 Knorr chicken bouillon cube, or 2 tsp. chicken base
1 small onion, minced
2 large red potatoes, diced into small cubes
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup ham, cooked and diced
1 can corn, drained or about 1 1/2 cup frozen corn
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese, shredded (optional, but again, it sure did complement the soup)


Fry bacon until crisp. Crumble and set aside.

While bacon is cooking, melt butter over low heat in a large pot. When melted, add flour and whisk until it comes together.

Add water and whisk until completely combined and there are no lumps.

Add milk and chicken base or bouillon and bring to a simmer.

Add potatoes, onions, and garlic, and simmer (but don’t boil!), stirring very frequently, for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add ham and corn and heat through. Salt to taste. Start with about 1/4 tsp., give it a few minutes, and then add more if you need it.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with bacon and/or cheese if desired.


Serves 4-6.

Serve with: Fresh baked bread (I made a loaf of Rhodes White Bread because I had some leftover from the Braided Spaghetti Bread, but I think something with a crispier crust would have been even better)

Freezer Meal: This can be frozen after it's prepared. Just thaw and heat through.

Garlic Pepper Oven Fries

I've looked long and hard for a good french fry recipe that didn't involve frying. Or baking them in lots of oil in a very hot oven (isn't that basically frying?!). We've tried several that are good, but when I ask, "Is it better than the garlic pepper fries?", it's always an emphatic, "No!" The original recipe on Our Best Bites gave two versions of seasoning. We've always done the garlic pepper, so I can't vouch for the "Original Recipe Fries." Supposedly the Garlic Pepper gets a little crispier on the outside, and that's a "must" for me for french fries, and one of the hardest things to come by in oven fries. We love the flavor, and it has just enough crispiness to keep me happy.

As a side note, can I tell you how much I love my brand new french fry cutter from Pampered Chef? I LOVE IT!!! It cut so much off the prep time for me. Have I mentioned that I have three little boys 4 and under? So making anything involves about one minute of work and five minutes of distraction. Chopping four potatoes can take me thirty minutes sometimes. Any extra help I can get is wonderful. But I'm keeping the recipe as-is, so what you end up with will actually be steak fries instead of the shoestring version you see pictured. Unless you're lucky enough to have your own french fry cutter too, and then you can choose which way to make them. Either way is awesome. If I do steak fries, I usually do one or two more potatoes, so there's enough to go around.

Printable Recipe

Garlic Pepper Oven Fries

from Our Best Bites

4 medium Russet potatoes, washed

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Then choose your Flavor:

For Garlic Pepper Fries:

1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper

2 1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. parsley

For Original Recipe Fries:

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Mix spices in a medium bowl. Add olive oil and combine well.

Cut potatoes into 8 wedges each.

Add potato wedges to seasonings and toss to coat.

Lightly crumple some aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and then arrange potato wedges on foil. (helps with clean-up and even baking)

Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes.

Creamy Fruit Salad

I was looking for something a little lighter to go with our Easter meal, and I came across this fruit salad. Okay, so the container of sour cream probably defeated the purpose, but it's a long time before we have a big holiday meal again, so I let it slide. It's only 110 calories per serving, and that was doable. And yes, I did say sour cream on fruit salad. I was a little wary at first, but I've tried a few other dessert recipes that used sour cream, and they've all turned out well. Mixing it with the fruit gave the sour cream a completely different flavor. At least to me, it didn't seem tangy at all, but it took on the sweeter flavor of the fruit. I did leave out the coconut just because we were already having coconut cake, and I didn't want to overdo it. I don't think it was refrigerated for more than an hour, either. I guess I missed that step.

Printable Recipe

 Creamy Fruit Salad 

from Kraft Foods

2 cups seedless red grapes

1 can (15 oz) mandarin oranges, drained

1  banana, sliced

1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks, drained

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1 container (8 oz.) sour cream

1/4 cup coconut flakes, toasted

Mix all ingredients except coconut; cover.

Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.

Sprinkle with coconut just before serving.

Makes 10 servings, 1/2-cup each

Coconut Cake

I tried out this recipe last year for our dessert on Easter, and it was fabulous! It's not so much the cake (you can use any box cake you want), but the icing makes it so good. And the best part is that it's a refrigerator cake, which means it tastes even better if it's been sitting in the refrigerator for a couple days. That frees you up from making one more thing right before the meal. Love it! I've already got mine sitting in the fridge, ready to go.

This originally came from one of my favorite blogs, Southern Plate. The woman who writes it, Christy Jordan, is about the sweetest person I've ever, well, not met since she's lives about as far away as you can get from here, but I almost feel like she's a dear friend. If you haven't seen her blog, be sure to do so!

For our Easter meal, we're having: Ham, Green Beans, Scalloped Potatoes, Megan's Macaroni & Cheese, Deviled Eggs, 60 Minute Rolls, Fruit Salad, and Coconut Cake. Can't wait! And come back next week for some ways to use up leftover ham!

Printable Recipe

 

Coconut Cake

from Southern Plate

1 box yellow cake mix
2 cups sugar
16 ounces sour cream
12 ounces coconut (frozen, bagged on shelf, or canned)

1 1/2 c whipped topping

Prepare cake mix according to package directions in a 13 x 9 pan.

Combine sugar, sour cream, and coconut. Fold in whipped topping gently. Chill.

When cake is finished baking, let it cool for 10 minutes. Poke holes all over the top of the warm cake, then spread the icing over the cake.

Cover and refrigerate 1-3 days before serving.

Chicken and Biscuits Casserole

Another one of our favorites. I've changed this recipe around from its original (which was in a random church cookbook) to include more vegetables because it was just frozen peas. Feel free to add whatever you want. I always have to double it to have enough for everyone, so I'm putting those measurements. If you feel like this will be too much, just half the Cream of Chicken, sour cream, milk, spices and the biscuit topping. Everything else can stay the same and be fine. I've never actually used the dried onion flakes because I can never find them at the store, but maybe I'm just not looking in the right place. I'm sure it's fine either way. And don't try to substitute refrigerated biscuits instead of making them. They don't cook right, and it's not worth it. If I make this as a freezer meal, I mix the ingredients together, but I don't heat it up. I start from there after I've thawed it, and then you just have to make the biscuit dough. And don't mind the picture. We usually eat it in a bowl, so I don't know what I was thinking by putting it on a plate.

This is a great one to use Rotisserie Chicken.

Printable Recipe

Chicken and Biscuits Casserole

1 pkg. frozen peas and carrots
1 can corn, drained
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. dried onion flakes
1 1/4 cups grated Cheddar cheese
4 cups baking mix (Bisquick)
1 cup cold water


Heat peas and carrots, corn, chicken, soup, sour cream, milk, onion, salt and pepper just to boiling in saucepan, stirring frequently. Reduce heat; keep warm.

Mix baking mix and water; beat 20 strokes.

Pour chicken mixture into 13 x 9 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Using heaping tablespoon, place biscuits on cheese.

Cook uncovered at 350 until biscuits are brown, about 20 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Italian Beef

I received this recipe from my dear friend Evelyn when we worked together at an insurance office. She was the same age as my grandmother, but I could talk to her about anything. One thing we shared was our love of cooking. I had never had Italian Beef, but Anthony told me when we were first married how much he loved it, and I came across this recipe that I'd received from Evelyn several years before. I used to just throw all the ingredients in the crock pot and serve it the same day, and while it was good, it didn't have as much flavor as we wanted. Making it the day before and letting it marinate really made the difference! For the sandwich rolls, we use traditional French rolls, but I don't know if they're available at every store--any kind of Hoagie roll should work. Right before we had these last time, the thought occurred to me that this might be really good with Provolone also. We haven't tried it yet, but I'll update when we do!

Printable Recipe

Italian Beef

1 (3-5 lb.) rump roast
2-3 cups beef broth

1 tsp marjoram

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

1 Tbsp hot sauce (optional--I don't usually add it in)

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic

Salt & pepper

1/2 cup green pepper, sliced (optional)

Sandwich rolls

Place roast and beef broth in crock pot. Cook 6-8 hours on low heat.

Remove meat from drippings and add other ingredients. Simmer on high with lid on for 20 minutes.

Shred beef, place back in crock pot, and marinate overnight.

Before serving, heat through in crock pot (about half an hour on high).

Serve on sandwich rolls.


This beef freezes wonderfully, so it makes a great freezer meal to set aside for later use.

Serve with: Tater tots, carrot sticks