Tortellini Salad

You know all those times you are asked to bring something to a carry-in?  This is an easy recipe to bring that everyone loves.  I suggest making double!

TORTELLINI SALAD

1 (20-ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed

1 cup pepperoni, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

2/3 cup Caesar salad dressing

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water and drain again.  Transfer cooked tortellini to a large bowl and add remaining ingredients.  Toss well.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I haven't been on in awhile, but this recipe was too good not too keep in one place.  I keep finding myself searching the internet for the original recipe to make again, so I decided to put it here for safe-keeping.

• 2 qts of good quality chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and roughly chopped
• 3 medium stalks of celery, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp dried thyme
• 2 cups of cooked chicken, shredded (I use a rotisserie chicken found in the deli section)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Kosher salt
• 8 oz. egg noodles (I use the Amish kind you find in the freezer section)

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add onions, carrots, celery, thyme, pepper and a pinch of kosher salt. Saute for 5 - 6 minutes, stirring often.
2. Add the chicken stock, chicken and 1 Tbsp of kosher salt.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
4. Add the egg noodles and cook until the noodles are done.
5. Taste and add additional salt as desired.
6. Serve and garnish with parsley.

Mom McMuffins

Going to McDonald's for breakfast is not healthy.  You don't have to tell me that.  It's also not cheap. So I started buying stuff to make my own at home.  Then I got the great idea to make them all at one time and freeze them.  I may be slow, but I eventually get it.  Just pop these babies in the oven for about 20 minutes (I usually put them in while I am showering) then grab and go!

Here's what you need:
12 english muffins (I bought 6 white and 6 wheat)
6 turkey sausage patties, fulled cooked
9 pieces of bacon (I bought the precooked kind)
10-12 eggs (The kids are not big egg lovers, so I only used 10)
1/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
12 slices of cheese (whatever kind you prefer that melts well)
butter

First off, I split the english muffins and toasted them in the oven at 275 for about 15 minutes.
Then I beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.  Melt about 1 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  I cooked the mixture in halves to make it easier.  Let the eggs cook, scrambling slightly with a spatula until they begin to set. Divide the eggs into six sections and then flip, letting them cook completely.  Remove from heat.
Add a piece of sausage to one half of each english muffin (or 1 and 1/2 pieces of bacon).  Place your cheese slice on the other half of the muffin.  Then place the egg on top of the cheese and close each half up to make a sandwich.  This made 6 sausage muffins and 6 bacon muffins.
Once they are together, wrap individually in foil and freeze.  I usually put two or three in the fridge overnight, then pop them in a 350 oven in the morning for about 15-20 minutes.  Then we can grab them and go.  Super easy!

Note: I saw on Pinterest where someone baked their eggs in muffin tins.  That might be an easy way to put the eggs together rather than scrambling them.  It also would be the perfect size.  Look it up and see if that works for you!

Chicken Caesar Salad Sandwiches

I made this tonight, thinking it would just be a "ho-hum" type sandwich.  Wow!  I was wrong!  These were so flavorful and an awesome spin on an ordinary chicken salad sandwich.  It was super hot outside today and I did not want to turn on the oven, so these were a perfect alternative to cooking a big meal.

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup of Caesar salad dressing
1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. parsley
2 tsp. black pepper
Lettuce, tomato, bread of your choice

I ran my cooked chicken through the food processor, because I like my chicken cut up in really fine pieces. All together, it came out to about 3 cups of chicken.  Next, stir in the cheese, parsley and pepper with the chicken.  I actually used italian seasoning, because I'm all out of parsley.  Lastly, add your salad dressing.  You can add more or less, depending upon your taste preference.  I mixed this all together while my chicken was still warm (I had boiled it).  So I served it warm on toasted white bread with romaine lettuce and a yummy heirloom tomato.  The original recipe called for hamburger buns, but I think any kind of bread would be great for this warm salad.

Broccoli Salad

Broccoli salad has been one of those "go-to" recipes for summer cookouts.  It's a great side dish for almost anything.  I found this one several years ago on allrecipes.com and it's been my favorite one, by far, of all the recipes I've tried.  I know 2 tsp. of black pepper sounds like a lot, but trust me.  It really gives it a nice kick when serving.  Be sure to prepare it a few hours ahead of time.  That gives it plenty of time to chill and let all the ingredients meld together.



8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 heads of broccoli, chopped
1 1/2 cups of sharp shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 of a medium red onion, chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/8 cup white sugar
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. lemon juice

In large bowl combine broccoli, onion, cheese and bacon.  Prepare the dressing in a small bowl by combining the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, mayo and lemon juice.  Combine dressing in the large bowl with the broccoli mixture.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Rice Krispy Treats

I'm always losing the recipe for these, so I decided to put it here.

1-12 oz. box of rice krispie cereal
1-16 oz. bag of jet-puffed mini marshmallows
1 stick of butter
1 tsp. of vanilla

Melt butter in large pot over low heat.  It's important to do it slowly and not let the butter get browned.  Stir in vanilla.  Stir in marshmallows and continue cooking over low heat until the marshmallows are melted and the mixture has reached a smooth consistency.  Stir in cereal.   Pour into a buttered pan.  You can use a 13 x 9 baking dish for thicker treats or use a rimmed cookie sheet for thinner treats.  Using wet hands, so the mixture will not stick, press into the pan evenly.  Let cool completely.  Cut into desired size of bars.

Breakfast Pizza

1 Boboli Pre-made Pizza Crust
1 8 oz. can of sausage gravy
1/2 lb. ground sausage, cooked and drained
1/2 c. bacon bits
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs, cooked and scrambled
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425.  Spread the can of sausage gravy over the pizza crust.  Sprinkle with sausage and bacon bits.  Evenly top with scrambled eggs.  Sprinkle cheese over all.  Season with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and edges start to brown.

You could easily adjust this recipe to your liking.  Add some onions and green peppers.  Add more cheese.  It really is a stellar recipe, or I wouldn't put it on here.  I think it would be a great brunch with a nice fruit salad on the side.  Try it!

Cinnamon Sugar Bread

• 1/3 cup white sugar
  2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a small bowl, mix together 1/3 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon; set aside.
2. In large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and remaining 1 cup sugar. Combine egg, milk, and oil; add to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened.
3. Pour half of the batter into pan. Sprinkle with half the reserved cinnamon/sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining batter and cinnamon/sugar mixture. Draw a knife through batter to marble.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap in foil and let sit overnight before slicing.

Taco Soup

I promise as you read this recipe, you will think I've gone crazy.  Lima beans and hominy in taco soup?  I know.  It sounds weird.  But it tastes, oh so good.  This was so yummy on a cool evening.  And super easy to fix.  Trust me.  Make this soon!

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 (4 oz.) can of diced green chiles
1 tsp. pepper
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 package ranch dressing mix
1 can of pinto beans, drained
1 can of kidney beans, drained
1 can white hominy, drained
1 can lima beans, drained
1 can petite cut diced tomatoes
1-2 cups of water

In a large Dutch oven, brown the beef and chopped onion over medium heat. Drain off any fat. Add chilies, pepper, all the beans, seasoning mixes, hominy, and tomatoes to the beef and onion. Stir in up to 2 cups of water, depending upon desired consistency.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Top with shredded cheese, and serve with chips.

Charleston Cheese Dip

I love dips.  I could eat dip for breakfast, lunch, and supper. Sometimes, if I'm making a meal that takes a while to finish, I'll make a dip for the family to snack on while waiting.  Sometimes, I make entire meals out of appetizers.  This is a new dip I tried that was super yummy. I have a recipe I like to make called "Tennessee Sin" that this makes me think of.  Hmm, now that I'm thinking of it, maybe I should make that next.....

Charleston Cheese Dip

1/2 - cup mayonnaise
1 - 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 - cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 - cup grated Monterey jack cheese
2 - green onions, finely chopped
Dash of cayenne pepper
8 - Ritz crackers, crushed
8 - slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, green onions and cayenne pepper. Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish.

Top mixture with cracker crumbs and bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through. Remove the pan from the oven and top with the bacon. Serve immediately with corn chips, bagel chips or crackers.

Breakfast Bars

This is my ALL TIME FAVORITE breakfast recipe.  Don't think this is something special or fancy.  It's not.  It's super easy to do.  Maybe that's why I like it so much. My mother also used to make this when I was a little girl for our Christmas morning breakfast.  Maybe it's the memories of those Christmas' that make me like it so much.  For whatever reason, you should try this!

1 Roll of Crescent Rolls
1 pound of sausage (regular or spicy)
5 eggs
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Press the crescent roll dough on the bottom and up the sides of an 8 x 8 baking dish.  Brown the sausage in a skillet, drain off fat.  Crumble evenly over the dough.  Whisk the eggs, salt, and pepper together. Pour eggs over sausage.  Sprinkle cheese on top.  Bake in a 350 oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until eggs are set.  Cut into squares and enjoy!

Chocolate Cake

• I'm definitely not a baker.  I really have never even been a big "sweet eater."  But, every once in awhile, I get a hankering for some chocolate.  Specifically, chocolate cake or brownies.  This bakes much like a pound cake and is very moist and rich.  It doesn't need frosting, just a big tall glass of cold milk!  I know the sour cream and whole cup of vegetable oil sounds weird.  And, yes, it's probably not healthy.  But it is good.  And that's all that I cared about.  Now that my chocolate hankering has been satisfied, well, now that's another story...
• 
  
• 1 box of devil's food cake mix
• 1 (3.9 ounce) box instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350.  In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I haven't made chocolate chip cookies in quite sometime.  I had a hankering for them and had pinned this on Pinterest.  In the past, I just used the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip bag.  However, these are so much better!  I loved this recipe! And who doesn't need a good "go to" recipe for chocolate chip cookies? Make this one yours, you won't be sorry!

Ingredients: 

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened 

3/4 c. brown sugar 

1/4 c. granulated sugar 

1 egg 

2 tsp. vanilla extract 

2 c. all purpose flour 

2 tsp. cornstarch 

1 tsp. baking soda 

1/2 tsp. salt 

1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips (I used 2, 4 oz. bars of Ghirradelli that I chopped)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.

3.  Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks.

4.  Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto a prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges.  (The tops will not brown, but do NOT cook longer than ten minutes.)

5.  Let cool, on the sheet, on a wire rack for five minutes.  Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely.  Makes approximately 3 dozen. 

Breakfast Pockets

I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it several weeks ago.  Everyone in the family loved them.  My intention was to make the recipe (16 pockets) and freeze them.  Then I was planning to stretch them out for school breakfasts over several weeks.  However, my plan failed.  I didn't take into account the fact that Chad and I would enjoy them so much.  Nor did I realize the kids would enjoy them as much as they did.  They normally aren't fans of anything containing scrambled eggs.  We all ate two of them the morning I made them.  I froze the rest of them and they were all gone within three days.  So much for planning.  These are a little time consuming, but very yummy.  Maybe next time I'll double the recipe to make more.  The bread is heavenly.  It reminds me of those sweet yeast rolls you get at Logan's or Texas Roadhouse.
Dough
• 1 1/2 tblsp yeast
• 1/2 c warm water (110 degrees)
• 3/4 c evaporated milk (110 degrees)
• 1/2 c vegetable oil
• 1/4 c sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 c flour
Filling
• 1 lb bulk sausage
• 1/2 c onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 c frozen hashbrown potatoes, thawed
• 7 large eggs
• 3 tblsp milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 c cheddar cheese, shredded

Dough:
1. In a bowl, dissolve yeast in the water.
2. Add milk, oil, sugar, egg, salt, and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth.
3. Add enough flour until it makes a soft dough but do not knead. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Filling:
4. Cook the sausage and onion over medium heat until browned. Drain. Add the hashbrowns, eggs, milk, and spices. Cook and stir until set. Sprinkle with cheese and keep warm.
Assembling the pockets:
5. Preheat oven to 350°.
6. Punch down the dough and cut into 16 equal pieces.
7. Roll each piece into 7 in circle on a floured surface. Top with 1/3 c filling, fold, and pinch shut. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
To freeze:
8. Allow to cool on the baking sheet. Once cooled, place in the freezer until frozen. Store in a ziploc bag in the freezer for 3-6 months. To reheat, place on a paper towel and microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes.

Jalapeño Popper Dip

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers, drained
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350.  Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chiles, jalapeño peppers and parmesan cheese.  I find that using the entire 4 ounce can of jalepeno gives it a nice medium kick.  If you don't like it too hot, just use half a can.  If you like super hot, use two cans! Spread the mixture into a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbly and brown around the edges.  

I served this with a sliced baguette (you'd probably need 2).  You could also use crackers or tortilla chips.