Recipes from this morning's show :) Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup, Hot Bacon & Swiss Dip, Garlic Cheesy Bread & Pumpkin Bread! Enjoy!

CREAMY CHICKEN & WILD RICE SOUP

GARLIC CHEESE BREAD

HOT BACON & SWISS DIP

PUMPKIN BREAD

CREAMY CHICKEN & WILD RICE SOUP

½ stick butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup flour

1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth

¼ cup white wine

1 to 2 teaspoons each of salt, pepper, Tony’s Creole seasoning

½ teaspoon thyme

2 tablespoons chicken granules

1 can cream chicken soup

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup milk

½ cup water

6 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 cups cooked chicken

2 (8.8-ounce) Uncle Ben’s Long Grain & Wild Ready Rice

Place the butter and olive oil in a large pot and sauté’ onions for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.  Add the flour and all remaining ingredients.   Cover and simmer on low for 1 hour.

GARLIC CHHESE BREAD

1 (8-ounce) package shredded sharp cheddar cheese

¾ cup mayo

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 loaf French bread, sliced in half

Combine the first 3 ingredients and spread on both halves of the bread.  Bake at 350 for 18 minutes or until the topping is melted and bubbly.  Slice and serve.

Hot Bacon & Swiss Dip

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

½ cup mayo

1 cup Swiss cheese

2 tablespoons green onions

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided

½ cup crushed Ritz crackers

Mix together cream cheese, mayo, Swiss cheese, green onions, and half of bacon.  Place in a greased 8x8 ovenproof dish.  Sprinkle remaining bacon and all of Ritz crackers evenly over the top and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Delicious served with Wheat Thins and Granny Smith Apples.

PUMPKIN BREAD

3 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

3 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3-cup water

1 cup vegetable oil

1-½ cans (16-ounce) can pumpkin

Mix all dry ingredients together then add remaining ingredients, mixing well.  Line 3 loaf pans with waxed paper and pour batter into pans evenly divided.  You may skip this step and just spray the loaf pans with Pam with flour.  Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes.  When it cools down, wrap each loaf in plastic wrap.  This helps to keep it moist.  It’s always better the next day J

Recipes from this morning's show :) Lasagna Rollatini, Marinated Cheese, Pepperoni Pinwheels & Cracker Candy..Enjoy!

LASAGNA ROLLATINI

MARINATED CHEESE

PEPPERONI PINWHEELS

CRACKER CANDY

LASAGNA ROLLATINI

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped (I use a Rotisserie chicken from the Publix deli)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 (10-ounce) package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained very well

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded Mozzarella with a touch of Philly cream cheese

12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

1 additional cup of shredded Mozzarella

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

2 jars of your favorite red sauce (I use Bertoli Olive Oil & Garlic)

Make sure you squeeze as much liquid out of the spinach as you can by using paper towels or your hands.  Mix first 5 ingredients together.  Lay out noodles flat and spoon about 2 tablespoons of the mixture onto the lasagna noodle and roll up.  Place filled noodles seam-side down in a greased 13x9x2-baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle with additional Mozzarella cheese and bake uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes more or just until cheese melts.  To serve:  Place a ladle-full of sauce into a pasta bowl and place the noodles on top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Delicious J

MARINATED CHEESE

1/3-cup olive oil

3 tablespoons oil-packed sundried tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons chives, chopped

1 teaspoon each of crushed red pepper flakes, Italian seasonings & garlic powder

1-pound mozzarella cheese cut into bite-size cubes

Combine all ingredients except for cheese in a gallon-size Ziploc bag.  Squeeze the back gently to mix all the ingredients together then add the cubed cheese.  Marinate for at least 1 hour, but overnight is best.  Serve with crackers.

PEPPERONI PINWHEELS

½ cup pepperoni, chopped or ½ cup mini pepperoni

½ cup shredded mozzarella

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 egg, separated

1 (8-ounce) tube crescent roll sheet

In a small bowl, combine the first 3 ingredients and the egg yolk.  Mix well and spread evenly over dough.  Roll up and slice into ½” slices.   Brush with egg white and bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.

CRACKER CANDY

48 saltine crackers

2 sticks butter

1-cup brown sugar

1 (12-ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans

Line a large jellyroll pan with foil and spray evenly with cooking spray.  Line crackers up on the pan.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar.  Mix well and bring to a boil.  Let the mixture boil for 3 minutes and remove from heat and pour evenly over crackers, using a butter knife to gently spread the mixture.  Bake at 350 for 6 minutes then remove from the oven.  Sprinkle the bag of chocolate chips evenly over butter mixture.  Gently spread chocolate with a knife as it begins to melt.  Sprinkle with pecans and place in the fridge for one hour.  Break apart and store in an airtight container.

Mini Sweet & Tangy meatloaf cups, Tomato Bites, Corn Casserole and Delicious Green Beans is what I made on Dream Home Cooking this morning :) Enjoy!

SWEET & TANGY MEATLOAF CUPS

CORN CASSEROLE

GREEN BEANS

TOMATO BITES

Sweet & Tangy Meatloaf Cups

2 lbs. ground sirloin

2 eggs

¼ cup milk

¼ cup ketchup

¼ cup steak sauce

½ cup crushed cornflakes

3 tablespoons brown sugar

3 tablespoons dried, minced onions

1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder & onion powder

½ cup green bell pepper

Topping:

Tomato Sauce

Yellow Mustard

Brown sugar

In a large bowl, combine first 10 ingredients.  Press mixture into 12 greased muffin cups.  Over each one, spoon enough tomato sauce to cover the meat (about 1 to ½ tablespoons).  Next squeeze just a few dots of yellow mustard over sauce.  Lastly, sprinkle about a teaspoon of brown sugar over each one.  Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove them from the oven and let them sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

CORN CASSEROLE

1 can cream corn

1 can whole-kernel corn, drained

1 stick butter, melted

8-ounce container sour cream

1 (6-ounce) package yellow corn bread mix (I use Jiffy)

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Pour into a greased 13x9x2-baking dish and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

GREEN BEANS

2 bags frozen Italian-style green beans or pole beans

8 slices bacon, chopped fried and drained

1 onion, sliced

2 teaspoons each of salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder

In a large pot, fry the chopped bacon until crisp.  Using a slotted spoon, place bacon on paper towels.  Add the sliced onion to the bacon grease and sauté for 10 minutes.   Add the beans and seasonings and enough water just to cover the beans.  Bring the beans to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 45 minutes to an hour.  Taste the beans to see if they need more salt or seasonings.  Drain the cooked beans and place in a serving dish.  Sprinkle the cooked bacon over beans just before serving, if desired.

TOMATO BITES

1 can original Rotel tomatoes

8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

1 cups Swiss cheese, shredded

1 cup mayo

3 packages mini phyllo pastry cups

Mix the first 4 ingredients together and spoon into mini cups.  Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Sometimes I get tired of a plain ole average sandwich for lunch, so I like to think "outside" the lunch box :) Here are some fun, delicious recipes that kids and adults will enjoy!

HAND-BREADED CHICKEN NUGGETS WITH HOMEMADE HONEY MUSTARD

BLACK BEAN AND CORN PASTA SALAD

HAM & CREAM CHEESE SLIDERS

HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

I tire easily of a plain ole sandwich for lunch so I like to think “outside” of the lunch box J Here are some great lunch recipes that are delicious and easy to pack in a lunch box.  Enjoy!

HAND-BREADED CHICKEN NUGGETS & HOMEMADE HONEY MUSTARD

2 packs or 2lbs. chicken tenders (raw chicken tenders)

3 eggs

2 cups buttermilk

Salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder

2 cups self-rising flour

2 cups breadcrumbs and 2 cups panko

Peanut oil for frying

You will need to set out 3 medium size bowls or pans.  In the first bowl, mix the flour and 1 tablespoon each of the seasonings.  In the second bowl, mix the eggs and buttermilk well.    In the third bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and panko together.  Next, cut the chicken tenders up into bite-size pieces and sprinkle them with the above seasonings.  Heat peanut oil in a large skillet.  Dip each piece of chicken into the flour, then egg mixture, then and the breadcrumb mixture.  Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and place the nuggets on a rack to cool.  This will also keep them from becoming soggy.  I like to get them all breaded at once then start frying them.  They are delicious cold!

HOMEMADE HONEY MUSTARD

1 cup mayo

4 tablespoons yellow mustard

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon pepper

Mix well and store in the refrigerator. 

BLACK BEAN & CORN PASTA SALAD

1 (16-ounce) box rotini tri-colored pasta, cooked

2 cans black beans rinsed and drained well

1 small bag frozen corn, thawed

1 can Rotel

4 green onions, chopped

½ cup bell pepper, chopped

½ cup white onion, chopped

2-3 Tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped

¾ of a large bottle of Zesty Italian dressing

Mix all together and refrigerate at least 2 hours. 

HAM & CREAM CHEESE SLIDERS

1 package Hawaiian Rolls

1 lb. black forest ham sliced thin

1 (8-ounce) container garden vegetable cream cheese spread

Romaine lettuce

Take the rolls out of the package and lay on a cutting board.  Place a hand over the rolls, then carefully take a bread knife and cut the rolls down the middle.  It will open up like a book.  Spread the cream cheese mixture on the bottoms then place the ham and lettuce over the cream cheese mixture.  Place to tops on the rolls and cut into individual servings.

HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

¼ cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

2 tablespoons honey

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup dried cranberries or dried cherries

2 tablespoons roasted pumpkin seeds or chopped almonds (optional)

In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar for about 1 minute.  Add the egg, flaxseed, vanilla and honey and mix well.  In a separate bowl, mix together oats, flour, cinnamon, and baking soda.  Gradually mix into butter mixture.  Lastly, add in dried fruit and seeds or nuts.  Press into an 11x7 baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes.  Don’t cook any more than 30 minutes.  They will seem as if they should could longer, but go ahead and take them out of the oven and let them sit for about 30 minutes to an hour before cutting into squares.  These are delicious and healthy for an on-the-go breakfast or snack!  Enjoy J