Roasted Pepper & Artichoke Spread

I was in charge of appetizers for our family Thanksgiving this year, and this was one of 4 that I made. I also made a dessert...I figure the more dishes you take, the more dishes you have to bring leftovers home in! This is absolutely delicious. A spin on spinach & artichoke dip...everyone loved it!

From Fix-It And Forget-It Cookbook

1 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C mayonnaise
8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 garlic clove, minced
14oz can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1/3 C finely chopped roasted red bell peppers (from 7 1/4oz jar)
Crackers, cut up vegetables, or snack bread slices

Combine Parmesan, mayonnaise, cream cheese, and garlic in food processor. Process until smooth. Place mixture in slow cooker.
Add artichoke hearts and red bell pepper. Stir well.
Cover, cook on low 1 hour. Stir again.
Use as spread for crackers, cut-up fresh vegetables, or snack-bread slices

Crispy Chicken with Proscuitto and Mozzarella

We got a recipe from a friend, and I've altered it to our tastes, and my inability to find boneless chicken breasts with the skin on. If you find that, go ahead and use it. But I just use plain boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I also used all chicken broth instead of Merlot, as I'm not a Merlot drinker.

4 thin slices prosciutto
8 large basil leaves, chopped fine
4 sticks mozzarella string cheese (or 1/2 C grated mozzarella)
4 boneless chicken breast halves with skin
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C Merlot
2 C chicken broth
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Arrange prosciutto slices on work surface. Top each slice with 1/4 of the basil. Break the string cheese in half and place on top of the basil. If you're using shredded cheese, mix with the chopped basil and place 1/4 of the basil and cheese mixture on the prosciutto. Starting with short end, roll up each prosciutto slice. Remove small flap of meat from underneath each breast (these are tenders) and reserve for another use. Put chicken breast halves on cutting board skin side up and beginning at thicker end of breast half, horizontally insert a thin sharp knife three fourths of the way through the center of each. Open cut to create a 1" wide pocket in each half. Fit a prosciutto roll into each pocket and secure with a toothpick. Sprinkle skin with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over moderately high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook 6 minutes or until skin is crispy. Turn heat down to moderate, cover pan and continue to cook skin side down until chicken is just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter, arranging them skin side up, and cover loosely. To make sauce, add garlic to skillet and cook over moderate heat for 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer, scraping up brown bits, until reduced to a few tablespoons. Add broth and simmer until reduced by half. Mix butter and flour together well in a small bowl with a fork. Add a little bit of the hot liquid to the bowl and whisk butter flour mixture back into the skillet, along with any juices that accumulate on chicken platter. Bring sauce to a boil and simmer 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove tooth pick and slice chicken crosswise. Arrange on plates and spoon some of sauce over each portion.

Not Quite Grandpa's Spaghetti Sauce

Growing up, my grandpa made the BEST spaghetti sauce ever. Well, I remember it being the best. I can still (almost) taste it. Who knows if it really was that great. But I'm going to say it was! His recipe calls for a ziploc bag of tomatoes, a can of hot sauce, and other random ingredients. I didn't want to copy what he had done...this is the Inspired Kitchen, not the Imitation Kitchen. I've been afraid to try it in the past, because who knows what I'd end up with. I was so sure I'd do his "recipe" shame. But I've finally decided to try it. And while it is Not Quite his recipe, it is now my own and it was darn good! If you don't have the Tastefully Simple products, call me. I can get them for you! Or, you know, substitute onions and garlic as you see fit. If you're using fresh onions, I would brown them up with the meat. But that's just me. And this is my recipe! :)



1/2 lb ground pork sausage, spicy
1/3 lb ground beef
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic
2 tsp Tastefully Simple Onion Onion
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch of sugar

Brown the hamburger and pork together on medium-high heat; drain if needed. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer on medium-low for about 20 minutes, until slightly thickened. If you are preparing the pasta at the same time, toss in a ladle full of the cooking water.

Serve over pasta of your choice. Spaghetti is the obvious option since it is spaghetti sauce, but I'm sure this would taste wonderful with ravioli as well, or with a baked ziti dish. Hmm. Baked ziti. That's next on my "pasta to-do" list.

*Measurements are estimated...I did not measure as I was going. So if it tastes like it needs more Italian seasoning, it probably does!

Chicken Pot Pie Packets

I got the recipe for this from a friend. So easy and really yummy. Easy, if you don't realize after you have them sealed that you forgot the chicken. Yep, had to unwrap them and start over. It was worth it! (I even forgot to include the chicken in the recipe as I was trying to remember it to type it here!)

2 C leftover cooked chicken, cubed (I used chicken breasts, but rotisserie chicken would be great too)

2 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened

1 small onion, minced

1 C frozen vegetables (I used peas and carrots, use whatever you like!)

2 pkgs refrigerated crescent rolls

2 Tbsp butter, melted

1/4 C seasoned bread crumbs

Mix together the chicken, cream cheese, onion and frozen vegetables.

Unwrap the crescent rolls. Seal 2 crescents together to make a rectangle. Put about 1/2 cup cream cheese mixture into center. Pull one corner over filling and seal into a triangle. If this doesn't work (it didn't for me), just put the mixture towards one end, pull the other end over and seal into a square-ish shape. Shape doesn't matter, the filling does! Continue until you have 6 little packets of goodness! Brush with melted butter and sprinkle on breadcrumbs.

Bake in a 375 degree oven 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Easy Apple Crisp

I've made this one a few times. I got the recipe originally from HERE and it is absolutely delicious. I make it with less brown sugar than stated, and it's still great. And as the recipe states, it is super easy. Serve with vanilla ice cream for a heavenly dessert!

6-7 apples - peeled, cored and sliced (i used 3 granny smith and 4 golden delicious)
1 cup water
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Arrange apples in an even layer in bottom of baking dish. Pour water over apples.
In a medium bowl mix together cake mix, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter or margarine until ingredients are thoroughly blended; mixture will be crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over apples.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes

Chewy Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

From Alder Lake Cranberries

Thanksgiving '06 was spent in my aunt's cabin near Rhinelander, WI. While there, we drove up to Boulder Junction to do a little shopping, and we stopped at a store that had food samples to taste. What better than food to go with shopping! One of the items tasted were these cookies, and I fell in love at first bite! I recently noticed that there is a very similar recipe on the Craisins package (and in some Ocean Spray advertising). I tried those today, and realized they are less sweet and not as much to my liking (they don't have white sugar or honey in them). So, I will go back to making these yummy cookies!

1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 C old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C dried cranberries (1 6oz bag of Craisins worked perfectly)
1 C white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt, stir in oats and set aside. With a mixer, beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add honey and vanilla, beat until blended. Add the flour mixture in two additions, beating until well combined. Stir in cranberries and chips. Drop by heaping tablespoons about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake until the centers of the cookies are soft, about 9-11 minutes.

Baked Chicken & Pasta Casserole

I was at work today (yes, after 2 years of being a stay-at-home mom, I'm now a full-time working mom!) wondering what's for dinner tonight (it's not a terribly challenging job!), and I came across this one on my "other" blog. I got the original recipe from Everyday Pasta by Giada De Laurentiis. I had almost everything on-hand, so I decided to make it. I just needed to pick up the mozzarella and parsley. Probably could have used the cheddar I have in the house, but I'm never opposed to buying more cheese! The verdict? Super easy and delicious. Best thing I've made in quite a while, and I can't wait for tomorrow so I can have the leftovers!

• 1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta...I used shells because it's what I had)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Panko, because I had it on hand)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.