Jalapeno and cheddar chicken

Jalapeno Cheddar Chicken
 Ingredients:
 4 tsp Olive oil, divided
 3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
 1/2 tsp Black pepper
 3/4 tsp Chili powder
 3/4 tsp Cumin
 1/2 CUP Onion,
finely diced 3 medium Jalapeños, seeds and membranes removed,
finely diced 2 Cloves garlic, minced
 1/2 CUP Chicken broth 4oz.
Cream cheese
 1 1/2 CUP Shredded cheddar cheese

  Directions:
 Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
 Season chicken breasts with the salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin
 Add to pan and sear for 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
 Remove chicken breasts from the skillet to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. (They will finish cooking later.)
 Reduce heat to medium and add remaining two teaspoons olive oil to pan.
 Add diced onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, until softened.
 Add garlic and saute for 30 more seconds.
 Add chicken broth and cream cheese and stir until melted.
 Stir in shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted and mixture is simmering.
 Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, along with any accumulated juices, and turn to coat in the cheese sauce.
 Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 7-9 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. (It will depend on how thick your chicken breasts are.)
 Serve chicken breasts with extra sauce spooned over the top.

Easy Overnight Breakfast Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 lb. roll breakfast sausage, browned and drained
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 8 green onions, green parts diced
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 10 (8 inch) flour tortillas
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. salt

Instructions

1. Lightly spray a 9x13 inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cooked sausage, diced peppers, green onions and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.
3. Lay a tortilla flat on a cutting board. Scoop about ⅓ cup of the sausage mixture close to the edge of the tortilla. Roll up tightly and place the enchilada seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas until the enchiladas are all snug in the dish.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, flour and salt. Pour the egg mixture over the tortillas. Cover the dish with foil and chill overnight.
5. In the morning, preheat your oven to 350*F.
6. Remove the foil from the dish and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the tops of the enchiladas. Cover the dish with foil again.
7. Bake, covered, for 35 minutes. Uncover, and bake for 10-15 minutes more, until the cheese is melted, the eggs are set, and the enchiladas just begin to toast up a little bit on top.
8. ENJOY!

I made these for the SEM Library staff and for the boys at home.  Not one complaint from the 11 people. Success!

RUDY’S SLOW COOKER CREAMED CORN

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds frozen corn kernels

1 cup heavy cream

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon sugar

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

Whisk together heavy cream, cream cheese and butter in slow cooker until mostly smooth.

Stir in corn, Parmesan cheese and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally, or until mixture is smooth and creamy and corn is tender-crisp.

I have never heard of Rudy's Restaurant, but if I ever come across one, I will absolutely stop and order the creamed corn.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin
1-1/2 cups canola oil
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. 

In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. 

Fold in chocolate chips.

Pour into two greased 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Makes 2 loaves.

Pumpkin Bread with Glaze

Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil
3 c. white sugar
2/3 c. water

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended.

3 ½ c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp.  ground ginger

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended.

Pour into the prepared pans.

Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Glaze:

Combine 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons apple cider and 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.  

Glaze should be thick but pourable. Add more sugar or cider if needed.  

Pour over the cake while still warm.  Reserve some to pour over each slice when served.

I made this for the library staff on Halloween.
I think it was a hit!

10 Minute Stroganoff

What You'll Need:

·         1 1/2 pounds ground beef

·         1 (8-ounce) package presliced fresh mushrooms

·         1 large onion, thinly sliced

·         16 ounces carton sour cream

·         1 (10-3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

·         Garlic salt and black pepper to taste (optional)

What To Do:

Brown ground beef in a large skillet, set aside.

Add mushrooms and onion to skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until tender.

Add ground beef, sour cream, and soup; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. If desired, stir in garlic salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately over hot cooked egg noodles.

The Real Scoop
by Andrew

Definitely needed salt and pepper, but this was good.  We should have this again soon, but without the mushrooms.  

Trisha Yearwood's Chocolate Orange Cake

Ingredients
Cake:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice, plus 2 tablespoons finely grated zest
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons orange juice

Directions
Special equipment: a Bundt pan

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the softened butter and 1 tablespoon of the cocoa to make a thick paste. Use this paste to paint the inside of the Bundt pan. Set aside.

In an electric mixer, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup cocoa and mix until blended. Add the orange juice, mayonnaise, vinegar and vanilla and mix until just combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Fold in the orange zest. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the chocolate glaze: Mix the confectioners' sugar and cocoa together. Whisk in the orange juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches a good consistency to drizzle. Drizzle the glaze over the cake.

You can substitute 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt for the mayonnaise.

I took this to work for National Library Worker's Day 2015.  I think the staff liked it, but it's not one of my favorites.  I thought it needed more orange flavor and while I can't put my finger on it, it was missing something.  It was moist and thick, but missing.....something.

Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 bag Frozen Hash Brown Potatoes (32 oz) or substitute thinly-sliced potatoes
• 1 lb Bacon
• 1 Small Onion diced
• 8 oz Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 12 Eggs
• 1 cup Milk

Instructions

• Cut bacon in to small pieces, cook and drain (You could use precooked bacon to speed up the process).
• Add half bag of hash browns (or half of the potatoes) to bottom of slow cooker.
• Add half your bacon.
• Add half your onions.
• Add half your cheese.
• Add remaining hash browns.
• Add remaining bacon.
• Add remaining onions.
• Add remaining cheese.
• In a medium sized bowl beat eggs and milk together.
• Pour egg mixture over your casserole.
• Add salt and pepper on top.
• Cook on Low for 4 hours or warm for 8 hours.

Buckeye Pretzels

Mom showed me how to make these while we were there over Christmas.
Everyone enjoyed them.

A buckeye sandwiched between two pretzels and dipped in chocolate!  

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
Pretzels
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat peanut butter and butter until combined. Scrape down bowl, add sugars and beat until combined. You should be able to roll the mixture into balls without sticking to your hands. If needed, add more powdered sugar until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll.
Roll the mixture into small balls, about 1 teaspoon of mixture for each ball, and place on prepared baking sheet. Sandwich the balls between two pretzels and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Melt the chocolate in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat. Dip each pretzel bite halfway into the melted chocolate and place on the prepared baking sheet. Chill in refrigerator until chocolate is set.

Leftover Turkey Tetrazzini

1 - 8 oz box spaghetti noodles
2 - cups cooked chicken breasts or leftover turkey
½ - cup chopped onion
3 - tablespoons butter
1 - tablespoon of minced garlic
1 - can cream of mushroom soup
½ - cup light sour cream
½ - 3/4 cup whole milk
½ - cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

While the noodles are boiling, melt butter on a low heat in a frying pan. Add garlic and onion. Saute for about 3 minutes.


Add soup, sour cream, milk, cheese and turkey. Stir over low heat, until noodles are done boiling. Drain noodles and add to the mixture. Toss well and serve immediately.


NOTE - This was very dry. I would double the amount of cream sauce.

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
kosher salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate (I used a 14.5 oz box of rice pasta)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally (I used some leftover cooked chicken)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
6 garlic cloves, finely minced
6 cups whole milk (I used lactose free)
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)
1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you’re going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.

While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot , melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer. Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes. If freezing, place remaining Parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie. If cooking, sprinkle on top.

Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Notes - I used Monterey Jack and Colby cheeses.  Since it tasted "floury" to me, I also topped it with a light sprinkling of paprika and also Italian seasoning.

This made A LOT.  I got two pans for the freezer and one for tonight.  I hope we like it!

Note 2 - After making this, I can say that this really IS bland.  Not quite sure how to "step it up."

Sloppy Joes

I got this recipe from my neighbor, who apparently can't seem to cook for just one person.

15 lbs ground beef

6 medium onions, chopped

1 gallon ketchup

3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup yellow mustard

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 tablespoon chili powder

96 hamburger buns, split

Over medium heat, cook and stir beef and onions until meat is no longer pink; drain.

Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  

Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.  

Spoon 1/3 cup onto each bun.  

Yield:  96 servings.

Notes:  If you make a human-sized sandwiches, this certainly doesn't make 96 sandwiches.  It makes a lot, but the recipe can easily be halved.

Also, since I usually don't keep a gallon of ketchup on hand, sometimes I mix in BBQ sauce.  I just put in enough to make the hamburger wet, but not soupy.

This recipe freezes really well, too.

Spaghetti with corn, bacon & jalapeno

THIS IS AWESOME!  This is definitely going to be one of our new favorites.

1 pound fresh spaghetti
1 pound double-smoked bacon (small diced)
2 cups fresh corn
2 jalapenos (thinly sliced into rings)
1/2 cup parsley (roughly chopped)
Salt

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt so that it tastes like the sea.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Render the bacon for about 3 minutes, until it begins to crisp.  Drain.

Add the corn and jalapeno bacon and cook for another 2 minutes, until the vegetables soften.

Meanwhile, add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 4 minutes. Remove the pasta from the pot and add directly into the bacon and vegetable mixture. Add a couple ladles of the pasta water, stirring to make a sauce.

Remove pan from the heat and add the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Notes:  I would use fewer jalapenos.  I also forgot to add the ladles of pasta water, but I don't think it was missed.  Cliff said to top with cheese.  I disagree.

Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Enchiladas

This one took a bit of prep time, but everyone seemed to like it.

Enchiladas

4

cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken 

9

slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

1

packet (1 oz) ranch dressing & seasoning mix

1

pouch (8 oz) Old El Paso™ roasted tomato Mexican cooking sauce (I couldn't find this.)

2

cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (8 oz)

20

Old El Paso™ flour tortillas for soft tacos & fajitas (6 inch)  (I used large tortillas, and it only filled about 6 of them.)

Sauce

2

tablespoons olive oil

1/2

cup chopped onion

1

can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso™ chopped green chiles

2

tablespoons Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

2

cups Progresso™ chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

1

cup sour cream

Directions

• 1Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish and 8-inch square (2-quart) baking dish.
• 2In large bowl, mix chicken, half of the crumbled bacon, 1 tablespoon of the ranch dressing & seasoning mix, the cooking sauce, and 1 cup of the cheese; mix well. Divide mixture among tortillas, and roll up, placing seam side down in baking dishes. Set aside. If you want to freeze the smaller baking dish of enchiladas at this point, cover the baking dish with foil, and label before placing in the freezer. Use within 1 month.
• 3In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook onion in oil until softened. Add chilies, and cook until most of the liquid from chilies evaporates. Stir in flour. Slowly add chicken broth, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
• 4Once broth is incorporated, cook another minute or until slightly thickened. Stir in sour cream and remaining ranch dressing & seasoning mix, and simmer 1 minute.
• 5Remove from heat, and pour over enchiladas. If baking both baking dishes, pour the sauce over both; otherwise, pour all of it into the 13x9-inch dish. (To make just enough for the smaller pan of enchiladas later, divide the recipe for the sauce in half, ratios in the tips section below). Top with remaining cheese and bacon.
• 6Bake about 20 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Cool 5 minutes before serving with garnishes.

Breakfast Casserole

 

1 lb. sausage (cook & drain)
9 eggs (beaten)
1 tsp. salt
3 cups of milk
4 slices of bread (cubed)
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can mushrooms, drained (optional)


Grease cake pan.
Place bread in the bottom of the pan.
Mix other ingredients and pour evenly over the bread.
Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Bake one hour at 350 degrees uncovered.

Small Batch Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Yield: Approximately 6 half-pint jars

Ingredients

· 2 cup of chopped rhubarb (approximately 1 1/2 pounds of stalks)
· 4 cups of chopped strawberries (approximately one quart)
· 3 cups sugar
· 1 lemon, zested and juiced
· 1 packet liquid pectin

Instructions

1. Wash your jars and rings and lay them out on a towel to dry. Place your lids in a small saucepan and put over medium heat, so that the sealing compound softens in preparation for canning.

2. In a 8-quart, non-reactive pot, stir the rhubarb, strawberries and sugar together off the heat. Once the sugar has begun to dissolve, place pot on burner and bring to a boil.

3. Add the lemon juice/zest to the pot and let it bubble gently for approximately 15-20 minutes. As the jam cooks, use the back of a wooden spoon to mash any large pieces of fruit. Add the pectin, stir to combine and let cook for a few more minutes.

4. At this point, dip a spoon in the jam and see how it coats the back of the spoon. You can also try the saucer test. If you get a nice, even sheet, the jam is done. You can also taste at this point, to see if you like the balance of flavors. Add a little more lemon juice if you feel it needs additional brightening.

5. Pour into hot jars, wipe rims to remove any spillage and apply lids/rings.

6. Process in a hot water bath for ten minutes.

7. Remove from water and let cool. When jars are cool, remove rings and test seals. Refrigerate any jars that didn’t seal and store the rest in a cool, dark place.

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

What You'll Need:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, melted
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, melted

What To Do:

1. Coat a 10 x 15-inch baking sheet with cooking spray.
    
2. In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, butter, confectioners' sugar, and graham cracker crumbs; spread mixture on prepared baking sheet. Pour melted chocolate evenly over top.
    
3. Refrigerate 15 minutes. While still on baking sheet, slice into bars. Refrigerate until well chilled; serve cold.

The Real Scoop

by Andrew
These were very, very soft.  I expected the peanut butter part to be more crust-like.  Taste was good, though.

Small Batch Strawberry Vanilla Jam

This is the most amazing batch of preserves I have ever tasted.  Even if I run out in the dead of winter, I will find strawberries to make more...I don't care how much they cost!

Ingredients

1 quart strawberries (a little over 1 1/2 pounds, should be approximately 4 cups of chopped berries)

2 cups sugar, divided

2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
· 1 lemon, zested and juiced

Instructions

1. Wash and chop berries. Toss them with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla beans/seeds and place in a large jar or bowl.

2. Allow the berries to macerate for at least 2-3 hours and up to 72 hours.

3. When you're ready to make the jam, prepare three half pint jars.

4. Pour macerated strawberries into a large pot and add the remaining cup of sugar.

5. Bring to a boil and cook until the jam reaches 220 degrees, stirring very regularly.

6. Add the lemon zest and juice in the final 5 minutes of cooking.

7. Once the jam has reached 220 degrees, remove the pan from the heat.

8. Pour jam into your prepared jars.

9. Wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in your canner for 10 minutes (normally I'd admonish you not to start your timer until the water has returned to a boil. However, as long as your water is quite hot when the jars go into the canner, the time it will take to return to boiling should be minimal).

10. When time is up, remove jars from canner and let them cool on a towel-lined counter top.

11. When jars are cool enough to handle, remove rings and check seals.

12. If any jars are not sealed, store them in the fridge and use them first.

13. Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place.

Small Batch Strawberry Fig Jam

Ingredients

· 1 pound strawberries, chopped
· 1 pound fresh figs, chopped
· 2 cups granulated sugar
· 1/2 lemon, juiced

Instructions

1. Combine chopped strawberries, figs, and sugar. If you're not going to make the jam right away, funnel them into a sealable container and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.

2. When you're ready to make the jam, prepare a small boiling water bath canner and three half pint jars. Place lids in a small saucepan and bring to a bare simmer.

3. Scrape macerated fruit, juices and any undissolved sugar out into a 12-inch skillet. Place over high heat and cook, stirring very regularly, for 8-12 minutes. Add lemon juice towards end of cooking.

4. Jam is finished when the volume has reduced by 1/3 to 1/2. Another way to test for doneness is to drag your spoon or spatula through the jam. If the space you've created doesn't fill in immediately with jam, it is done. Before canning, taste and add more lemon juice, if necessary for brightening.

5. Funnel jam into prepared jars, wipe rims, apply lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for ten minutes.

6. When time is up, remove jars from canner and place them on a folded kitchen towel to cool.

7. When jars are cool enough to handle, remove rings and test seals by gripping the edges of the lid and raising the jar up about an inch holding only onto the lid. A well-sealed jar should hold fast.

8. Sealed jars are ready for pantry storage, where they'll keep for up to one year if left unopened. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.

Fruit Dip

 Ingredients:  

1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, softened

1/2 C heavy whipping cream or half-n-half

1 tsp. vanilla

1 (7 ounce) container of marshmallow fluff

 Directions: 

Cream together the cream cheese, heavy whipping cream and vanilla.

Add the marshmallow fluff and stir until incorporated.

Spoon into a bowl and sprinkle on some cinnamon if you'd like.

Serve with fruit and enjoy!