What's Cooking in our House?

Homemade Canned Caramel

2009-09-21T19:46:00.001-07:00

Need to add a few pounds to your thighs? Try this delicious caramel dip. There are many options for this dip -- you are limited only by your imagination. It's a great family experiment and you will have many family members willing to provide their input!!

Caramel Dip

1. Take a standard can of Sweetened Condensed Milk, remove the label. Place the entire UNOPENED can into a pot and cover with water. The can must not be opened, the label must be removed, and the water must cover the entire can.

2. Boil for 2-4 hours, depending on what type of dip you like. Yes, HOURS. You will need to add more water periodically. I recommend using a pan that can hold at least 3 cans, so you can experiment to find out what type of dip you prefer...by trying a can at 2 hours, one at 3 hours, and one at 4 hours (See how I can justify eating additional jars???). Then, the next time you make it, you can make them all at the time that you prefer.

3. Remove the pan from heat and remove cans. When the can is able to be held (still warm), open the can and watch the calories just ooze out! You may add 1 TBSP vanilla and stir (if you prefer).

Note: If you boil for 2 hours, it will be a more runny caramel. This is good for dipping apples, pouring over ice cream, adding to your coffee. Yum! Yum! Yum!.

If you boil for 3 hours, it will be a little more thick but is still very much pourable, when warm. It's also good by the spoonful :) You can put it in the fridge and when it hardens, you can slice it. Have a slice of caramel on top of angel food cake -- with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. Yum!

If you boil for 4 hours, it will be much thicker. It would be good for a pie or cake filling. You could probably plop some caramel on a cookie sheet and make bite size caramel pieces?? Some have indicated it tastes "burnt" and the vanilla will help with the flavor. This is a personal preference at this level -- you either will love it or hate it at 4 hours.

Homemade Snickers

2009-04-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

Looking to gain 20 pounds?? Well, you've come to the right place. Once you start with one of these bars, you will not stop until the whole pan is gone. The serving size is 1 inch piece and it is rich enough for that to be enough of a snack...but that never stops us from having a larger piece! This treat needs to be refrigerated, but we found it tastes best when put out at room temperature a little bit before eating. The ooey-gooey goodness will ooze out with each bite!

Homemade Snicker Bars

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup peanut butter

Filling = 1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup marshmallow creme
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Caramel Layer = 1 pkg caramels
1/4 cup whipping cream

Icing = 1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Line a 9x13 pan with foil (butter it). Combine first three ingredients in a small saucepan, stir over low heat until melted and smooth mixture into the prepared pan. Chill to set.

Filling - Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and milk and bring to a gentle boil and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in marshmallow creme, peanuts, butter, and vanilla. Add this mixture over the first layer. Chill until set.

Combine caramel and whipping cream in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Cook and stir 4 minutes longer. Be careful as it will scortch if not stirred!! Spread over filling. Chill until set.

In another saucepan, combine chips and peanut butter. Stir over low heat until melted smooth. Pour over caramel layer. Chill and least 4 hours. Remove from frig for 20 minutes before cutting. Remove from pan and cut into 1 inch squares.

Enjoy!

White Chicken Chili

2009-04-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

Oooh, this is spicy and is definitely a family favorite! It goes great with garlic toast and wine...but what doesn't !?!?!

White Chicken Chili

1 1/2 pound chicken breast, cubed
2 Tbsp. Ground Cumin
1 tsp. Red Pepper
1 tsp. White Pepper
3 cans beans (Pinto, Great Northern, and Navy work well)
2 (4oz) cans of chopped jalepenos **
2 14 oz cans of chicken broth
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cook the cubed chicken completely.

While the chicken is cooking -- in a larger kettle, heat the jalepenos until tender and add the Cumin and peppers. Add the remaining ingredients (except the cheese) and the cooked chicken. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.

Add the shredded cheese and remove from the heat. Mix well until all cheese is melted and serve.

**if you prefer a milder chili, you can substitute the jalepenos for either 1 or 2 cans of chopped green chilies. It will still have some kick, but is for the weenies of the group!!

Pasta with Chicken/Pepper/Cheese Sauce

2009-04-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

Although this may seem like an awful lot in ingredients, it really has a great deal of spices and is scarier to read than to actually make. This cheese sauce has some "kick" to it, but it's not so overly powerful to where the kids don't like it.

Pasta with Chicken/Pepper/Cheese Sauce

3 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 pounds cubed chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. seeded and chopped jalepeno pepper
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 tsp. worchestershire sauce
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
16 oz. linquine, cooked and drained (other other noodles -- egg noodles, spaghetti, etc)

Combine 1 Tbsp flour, salt, and ground peppers; toss with teh chicken to coat. In a 10 inch skillet, cook chicken in hot oil until fully cooked. Remove chicken. Add onion and jalepeno pepper. Cook until tender. Stir in remaining flour. *the pan may appear crusty at this point, it will cook back in when other ingredients are added...do not change pans!*

Add broth, milk and worcestershire sauce; cook and stir until bubbly. Stir in cheese until melted. Then add the sour cream. Add the chicken that was previously set aside and heat through (do not boil). Serve over linquine or noodles of your choosing.

Reeses' Peanut Butter Bars

2009-02-08T12:57:00.000-08:00

Quick, easy, and delicious!! These little bars taste EXACTLY like Reeses Peanut Butter cups. Alexis LOVES Reeses and this recipe is her favorite. It's an easy recipe that the kids can make on their own, since neither a stove nor oven is required.

Reeses' Peanut Butter Bars

2 sticks margarine, melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup Chunky Peanut Butter
12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 Tbsp Chunky Peanut Butter

1. Combine margarine, graham cracker crumbs, 1 cup peanut butter, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl.
2. Press mixture into a non-greased 9x13 pan.
3. Melt chocolate chips with 4 Tbsp Peanut Butter and spread over the top of the graham mixture.
4. Refrigerate at least one hour before attempting to cut into squares.

Sour Cream Enchilada Casserole

2009-02-08T12:48:00.000-08:00

Oh my. This is, by far, one of our favorite meals. It's quick to prepare and you don't have to fuss with making sure each enchilada has the same amount of filling. It has been rated a "10" in our family.

Sour Cream Enchilada Casserole

1 pound ground beef
Garlic powder, salt and pepper - to taste
16 oz sour cream
10 oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup
4 oz can chopped green chilies
8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
2 bunches of green onions, chopped
2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Brown ground beef in skillet over medium-high heat; drain and season to taste with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
2. In a bowl, combine sour cream, green chilies and soup. Spread about 1 cup sauce in the bottom of a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish.
3. Place 4 tortillas over soup mixture (1 rip them into quarters first). Layer with meat mixture, onions, and 1/2 the cheese. Place remaining tortillas (ripped) on top and spoon remaining soup mixture over tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
4. Cover and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake for additional 10 minutes.

Taco Soup

2009-02-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

This is a great recipe to throw in a crock pot if you need a quick meal for a potluck at work. There is very little preparation and is a quick meal, when you are running short on time. It will be similar to a chili, when finished. Since it is essentially a "dump and run" recipe, even kids can make it, with very little parental input.

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
16 oz diced tomatoes
(3) 16 oz cans beans (kidney, pinto, and navy work well together)
16 oz can white corn (juice and all)
4 1/2 oz can green chilies
15 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 pkg ranch dressing mix

1. Cook beef and onions together. Drain.
2. In a large sauce pan, add all other ingredients to the beef mixture.
3. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Serve with shredded cheese, corn chips, or crackers.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2009-02-08T12:33:00.000-08:00

This recipe is another copy cat recipe -- this time from Chi Chi's. It is well liked by all members of the family and is very inexpensive to make.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups water, divided
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup enchilada sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 Quart chicken broth
1 tsp. chili powder
1 cup Masa Harina
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook chicken breasts in oil until cooked. Remove and set aside.

2. Cook onion and garlic in remaining oil until onions are clear. Pour in chicken broth.

3. In a bowl, whisk together masa harina and 2 cups water until well blended. Pour into pot with remaining 1 cup water, enchilada sauce, Cheddar, salt, chili powder and cumin. Bring to a boil.

4. Shred cooked chicken pieces and add to the pot. Reduce heat and simmer 30-40 minutes, until thickened.

**note: If you can not find Masa Harina (mexican flour), you can use Maseca Flour.**

Cherry Cheesecake

2009-02-08T12:28:00.000-08:00

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick butter or margarine (melted)
1/3 cup white sugar

Combine above ingredients and pack lightly in a 9x13 pan. This is the crust.

2 pkgs cream cheese (do not use light or fat free as it will get watery)
2 cups powdered sugar
16 oz cool whip (do not use fat free or light here either)

Beat cream cheese and sugar together until well mixed and fold in whip cream and spread on top of graham cracker crust.

You may use canned cherry filling for the top (you may also use raspberry or blueberry filling). Another good variation is using oreo crumbs for the crust instead of graham crackers.

Refrigerate.

Buffalo Wings

2009-02-08T12:21:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that I love wings. In fact, we have wings from Jakes approximately twice a month. Since they can be kinda spendy, I did some trial and error (and more trial and error) and finally arrived at a copy cat recipe that is a dead ringer for the best wings in the state!

Buffalo Wings

8 Tbsp. Emerills Red Hot Sauce
1/2 stick margarine
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp garlic salt
dash of black pepper (I use more than a dash)

Mix all of the above together over heat until margarine (not butter!) is melted. Keep warm.

Fry wings in a fry-daddy at 340F for 15 minutes. I use 16-18 wings for my batch. Pull them out of the grease, drain them quickly on a paper towel, and coat them in a large tupperware container with the sauce. (Cover the container and shake vigorously).

Remove the wings and place into the oven on 250 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. Save the extra sauce that didn't "stick" and keep that warm. Remove the wings from the oven and recoat with the warm sauce.

This recipe makes medium-hot wings similar to Jakes. If you want their Nuclear or Super-Nuclear wings, add some Tabasco Sauce and Jalapenos to the above mixture.

Tortilla Rollups

2009-02-01T14:04:00.000-08:00

These rollups are the favorite of Tyler and John. They can be made as spicy as you like, by changing the spice level of the ingredients you add. This recipe makes quite a few, but can easily be doubled or tripled if you are feeding a crowd.

Tortilla Rollups

1 pkg Flour Tortillas (10)
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. Picante Sauce - Hot
4 oz. chopped black olives
4 oz. chopped jalapenos or green chilies
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
small onion, finely chopped

Cream all ingredients together. Spread about 1/2 cup mixture on each tortilla and roll up tightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but overnight is best. Just prior to eating, you can slice into bite size pieces or cut each roll into three chunks if you prefer larger pieces to hold. Enjoy!

Grandma's Comfort Soup

2009-01-24T14:41:00.001-08:00

I find it only fitting that the first recipe posted is one that was given to me by my Grandma. She created this soup and tweaked it into comforting perfection. This soup was given to me, by my Grandma, in care packages while at college. All I had to do was thaw and reheat -- and the love of Grandma filled my home.

Grandma's Comfort Soup
created by Dena Pater

1 Qt. Chicken Broth
6 cups Water
1 lb Hamburger
5-6 peeled and cubed potatoes
1/4 cup rice (not Minute Rice)
1 cup shredded carrots
8 oz (or less) Egg Noodles
Diced onion, to taste

Add the chicken broth and water to large kettle. Heat to a boil. While the liquid is heating, peel and dice the potatoes. Once the broth is boiling, add potatoes, hamburger, carrots, rice and onion. You will need to break up the hamburger as it's boiling. (You could also roll them into little meatballs if you desire).

When you have approximately 12 minutes left until the potatoes are tender, add the egg noodles. Continue to cook until the noodles and rice are tender. The best part is, these ingredients are estimates and can be adjusted to your liking! You may need to add more water/broth if it gets too thick.

Enjoy!