Cheesy Chicken + Wild Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

3 TB olive oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 stalks celery, finely diced

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 TB fresh minced garlic

2 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast

2 cups steamed white rice

2 cups prepared wild rice

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Cheese Sauce

4 TB butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Top with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat oil in medium dutch oven/pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, and carrots until softened, about 10 minutes.  Stir in garlic, and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in chicken, rices, salt, pepper, and other spices.  Reduce heat to low.

2. To prepare cheese sauce, melt butter into a medium saucepan over medium high heat.  Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper; then slowly pour in chicken broth whisking continuously.  Whisk until thick and nearly boiling then stir in cheese until melted.  Pour cheese sauce into rice mixture, and then transfer to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Top with additional cheddar cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted through.  Serve.

Makes 8-10 servings. 

Notes: I omitted the celery, suggest adding broccoli (already cooked), and also thyme, savory, parsley, celery salt, and a dash of rosemary.  It turned out great though, and all who ate it, enjoyed it.

From: Picky Palate

Chocolate Crackled Cookies

I made these yesterday, and they turned out great.  They're definitely best straight from the oven - crisp outside, with a gooey, chocolatey inside.  Just make sure you plan the three hours they need to be in the fridge into your prep time!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 stick Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening  (I used unsalted butter)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups PAll Purpose Flour
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Beat brown sugar, shortening and vanilla in large bowl at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs; beat well.
2. Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Add to shortening mixture; beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and chill 3 hours.
3. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar, then in powdered sugar to coat completely. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are set. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 3 dozen

From All Recipes.com

Chicken + Artichoke Casserole

This is one of my childhood favorites...

Chicken Artichoke Casserole

Serves 4-6

3 lb chicken parts (I use tenderloins)

1 1/2 teas salt

1/2 teas paprika

1/2 teas pepper

6 TB butter - you can lessen this a little, but don't do so too much as it will mess up the sauce

1/2 lb mushrooms

2 cans artichoke hearts

2 TB flour

2/3 cup chicken broth

3 TB sherry

Season chicken with spices.  Brown in 4 TB butter and place in prepared casserole dish (9" x 9" or 9" x 13" works great!).  Saute mushrooms in remaining butter for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle flour over mushrooms; stir in broth and sherry.  Cook for 5 minutes to thicken, stirring often.  Drain artichoke hearts and arrange them between chicken pieces in dish.  Pour mushroom sauce over all.  Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Serve over rice or another grain.  Enjoy!

Sausage + Lentil Stew (Slow Cooker)

serves 4-6

1 cup lentils 

2 cups beef broth

1 (12-ounce) package smoked chicken or turkey sausage, sliced--your choice of flavor. 

1 cup chopped carrots

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes

9 ounces (or so) fresh spinach (to add at the very end)

The Directions.

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Rinse your lentils under cold water, and place them into an empty slow cooker. Add beef broth, and sliced sausage. Add the entire can of tomatoes and a cup of chopped carrots. The broth and the seasoning from the sausage is enough to flavor this dish-- there is no need for additional spices.

Cover and cook on low for 5 hours, then stir in fresh spinach. It'll look like a lot at first, but the spinach will wilt and I promise it will all fit. Cover again and let the spinach soften for about 15 minutes. Serve in a shallow bowl with cornbread.

From A year of Slow Cooking

Honey Gingersnaps

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T ground ginger
2 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
1/8 t ground cloves
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease cookie sheets.  Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, salt, and cloves in medium bowl.

Beat shortening and butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth.  Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar until blended; increase speed to high and beat until light and fluffy.  Beat in honey, egg, and vanilla until fluffy.  Gradually stir in flour mixture until blended.

Shape mixture into 1 inch balls.  Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar in shallow bowl; roll balls in sugar to coat.  Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.

Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cookies stand on cookie sheets 5 minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.  Store in airtight container up to 1 week.

Makes 3.5 dozen cookies

Butternut Cauliflower Puree

I am not a huge fan of squash, but I am all for eating in season, so I have been experimenting with squashes and mixing with other veggies.  I found one I like tonight!

1 butternut squash
1 TB butter
1 head cauliflower
1 - 1.5 cups milk
Dash black pepper
Nutmeg to taste
1 ts vanilla
Dash cinnamon

Cut squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out seeds.  Place in oven safe dish, "meat" side up.  Put butter in each hole made from seed removal.  Roast squash in 375 degree oven for 45 min - 1 hour, until tender when poked with a fork.
Let squash cool.

Steam cauliflower for 20 minutes.  Let cool.

Puree squash + cauliflower in batches with milk and vanilla.  Only use 1/4 cup of milk or so each batch. Put pureed mixture into large saucepan and whisk in spices and any remaining milk.  Add water or milk if thicker than you want.

Heat mixture over low heat, and serve.

Apple Butter

4.5 pouds tart cooking apples, cored and quartered (about 14 medium)
3 cups apple cider or apple juice
2 cups sugar
2 TB fresh lemon juice, strained
1/2 teas. ground cinnamon

Notes: I used Gala apples, water, bottle lemon juice, 1.5 c. sugar, and added dashes of ground cloves, nutmeg, and ginger

1.)  In an 8- to 10- quart heavy kettle or pot combine apples and cider.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Once apples have softened, remove from heat, and press through a food mill or sieve until you have 7.5 cups of pulp.  Return pulp to kettle/pot.

2.) Stir in sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Cook, uncovered, over very low heat for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours or until very thick and mixture mounds on a spoon, stirring often.

*I found that several ways online to tell if it's done.  One was to put a spoonful on a plate, and if water/juice seeps out at all, it's not done.

Apple butter keeps in the fridge for up to 3 weeks, or it can be canned using the boiling process.