Chicken Cakes..how crazy is this?! They are delicious :)

CHICKEN CAKES WITH MARINARA

SPAGHETTI BUNDT

M&M CAKE COOKIES

CHICKEN CAKES WITH MARINARA SAUCE

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons celery, finely chopped

½ cup onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and basil

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons mayo

2 cups cooked chicken, finely chopped

Olive oil

Marinara sauce

In a large skillet,, sauté’ celery and onion in the butter for 5 minutes.  Add parsley and garlic and sauté 2 to 3 minutes more then remove from heat.  In a large bowl, combine seasonings, Parmesan cheese, eggs, breadcrumbs, mayo and chicken.  Mix well then add the cooked veggies to the chicken mixture.  Stir well and make into patties.  This recipe makes 5 to 6 nice-size patties.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.  In a cast iron or non-stick skillet, heat 4 to 5 tablespoons of Olive oil and cook patties 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Heat marinara and ladle out onto each plate then place chicken cake on top of the marinara and top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.  Delicious!

MARINARA SAUCE

¼ cup olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

3 T fresh parsley, chopped

3 (28-ounce) cans tomato puree

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons white sugar

¼ cup dry red wine

1 t. oregano

1 t. basil

1 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1 t. each of onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper

Sauté’ the onions in olive oil for 6 minutes, stirring often.  Add garlic and parsley.  Now add red wine, puree, water, sugars and seasonings.  Simmer on low for at least an hour.  The longer it simmers the better!  You may also add more seasonings to taste.

SPAGHETTI BUNDT

1 lb. spaghetti, cooked and drained

1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella

1 ½ cup white or yellow cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup grated Parmesan

3 eggs

1 ½ cup whole milk

1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

Marinara Sauce to ladle over the spaghetti Bundt before serving.

Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray and heat the oven to 425.  In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cheeses, milk, salt and pepper until smooth.   Add the spaghetti and mix very well.  Carefully transfer the pasta mixture into the Bundt pan.  I use tongs.  Bake about 30 minutes or until golden brown.  You may cover with foil halfway through the cooking process if it browns too fast.  Invert it onto a plate and cut it like you would a cake.  Serve with marinara sauce.

M&M CAKE COOKIES

1 box yellow cake mix

5 tablespoons butter, melted

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups mini M&M’s

Mix together first 4 ingredients with an electric mixer for about 1 minute.  Fold in M&M’s and pour into a greased 13x9 pan and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  Let cool completely before cutting.  Makes 2 dozen.

Pizza & Pasta Episode!

SUPREME PIZZA

WHITE PIZZA

BOWTIE ITALIAN PASTA SALAD

CAPRESE SALAD

SUPREME PIZZA

1 Thin crust (I use Mama Mary’s brand)

Pizza Sauce

½ cup each of chopped onion, green pepper and yellow pepper

1 tablespoon sugar

Thin-sliced pepperoni

Italian Sausage, cooked and drained

Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Olive Oil

Sauté the onion and peppers in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 2 minutes.  Add the sugar and sauté 3 to 4 more minutes.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the pizza crust.   Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the crust.  Next place the pepperoni over the sauce, sprinkle the sausage evenly over the pepperoni.  Lastly, sprinkle the veggies evenly over pizza and top with shredded mozzarella.  Bake at 400 directly on the oven rack for 10-12 minutes.

WHITE PIZZA

1 Thin Pizza Crust

1 jar Alfredo Sauce

Chicken breasts, cooked and sliced thin

Fresh spinach

Sundried tomatoes packed in oil

Pesto (I buy the kind in the refrigerator section)

Mozzarella, shredded

Olive Oil

Drizzle olive oil evenly over the crust.  Next spread the Alfredo sauce evenly over the crust.  Place dollops of pesto over the sauce.  Put pieces of chicken and spinach evenly over the sauce.  Lastly, add the sundried tomatoes evenly over the top and top with the shredded cheese.  Bake directly on the oven rack at 400 for 10-12 minutes.

CAPRESE SALAD

3 fresh tomatoes, sliced

1 package fresh mozzarella, sliced

Fresh basil leaves

Balsamic vinegar glaze

Place a tomato slice on a plate; add a slice of mozzarella then basil.  Repeat.  Drizzle with Balsamic vinegar glaze.  Add salt and pepper if desired.

BOWTIE ITALIAN PASTA SALAD

16-ounces bowtie pasta, cooked and drained

3 tablespoons mayo 

½ cup Zesty Italian dressing

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 teaspoon vinegar

½ cup diced cucumber

1 teaspoon garlic powder

 1 cup sundried tomatoes

½ teaspoon dry basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup mozzarella or parmesan cheese, if desired.

Run cold water over cooked pasta and drain well then set aside.   In a large bowl, combine mayo, dressing, sugar and vinegar together well.  Add the next 6 ingredients then toss in the macaroni and stir well.  Refrigerate overnight or at least 4-6 hours.

Chicken Enchilada Chowder, Pico De Gallo, Jalapeno, Cheddar Bacon Pinwheels and Mexican Salad :)

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CHOWDER

BACON, CHEDDAR JALEPENO PINWHEELS

MEXICAN SALAD

PICO DE GALLO

CHICKEN ENCHILADA CHOWDER

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup onion, chopped

1 cup each of:  Milk, water & chicken broth

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 small bag frozen corn kernels

1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce

1 small can cream of chicken soup

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 teaspoon each of cumin, salt and pepper (add more if needed)

1 tablespoon Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce

1 cup shredded Pepper jack cheese

Additional cheese, sour cream, avocado and tortilla chips for topping chowder, if desired.

In a large pot, brown the onion in the butter and olive oil for about 6 minutes.  Add all remaining ingredients except the cheese and simmer on low for 1 hour.  Just before serving, stir in Pepper jack cheese until melted.  Place in a bowl, and top the chowder with additional cheese, sour cream, avocado and tortilla chips, if desired.

BACON, CHEDDAR JALAPENO PINWHEELS

1 can crescent rolls

1 to 2 tablespoons pickled jalapenos, chopped

4 to 5 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 ounces of cream cheese or 4 ounces jalapeno cream cheese, room temperature

½ teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon green onions, chopped

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Unroll the crescent rolls onto a large cutting board.  Mix together the next 5 ingredients very well and spread evenly over the crescent roll.  Sprinkle evenly with the cheddar cheese.  Carefully roll it up and slice it about every 1- inch.  Place each slice onto a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

PICO DE GALLO

5 vine-ripe or plum tomatoes, chopped and seeds taken out

½ cup finely chopped red onion

1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and chopped

Juice of one small lime

½ cup fresh cilantro chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients into a bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

MEXICAN SALAD

1 bag salad mix

½ cup each of black beans (rinsed and drained), and kernel corn

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup chopped tomatoes

Doritos or Tri-colored tortilla strips (you can find these on the aisle with the croutons)

Russian Dressing

Mix the first 4 ingredients together in a bowl and top with tortilla strips or crushed Doritos and top with dressing.