Pesto Cheesy Chicken Rolls

4 skinless boneless chicken breast, pounded to 1/4 inch thick
1 cup of basil pesto (you can also use sun-dried tomato pesto)
4 thick slices of mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of pesto on each breast and a slice of cheese.  Roll tightly and secure with toothpicks.  Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes until chicken is nicely browned and juices run clear.

Honey Cream Filled Crescents

For some reason during the Holidays, most people have crescent rolls and cream cheese on hand.  I made these this morning for a quick easy breakfast.

4 oz cream cheese
3 tablespoons honey, divided
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 pkg (8oz) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
Ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of honey.  Stir in almonds.  Unroll crescent roll dough.  Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture onto each triangle.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake 12 to 14 min or until golden brown.  Serve rolls warm and drizzle with remaining honey.

Cobbler

This is the best and fastest dessert I know (besides store buying).  I keep a can of peach pie filling for this.  You can use any pie filling, but I make it most with peaches (sweet) and apples (tart)

1 cup self rising flour
1 can pie filling
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix all ingredients except pie filling and put in greased 9x9 pan.  Drop in filling throughout the pan and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Bake 35 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Spanish Rice

1 cup long grain rice
2 tablespoons bacon fat (or olive oil)
16 oz stewed tomatoes
2 gloves garlic
1 teaspoon pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup water

Fry rice in bacon fat until brown.  Add onion and garlic and saute 1 min. Add everything else and cover, simmer for 20 min.

Herman Cheese Ball

I made this for Thanksgiving and turned out better than expected.  Its a ridiculously large recipe, so I recommend you cut it by thirds.  Also, use a log shape and optimize the surface area for pecans.

3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese softened
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (I don't use because I don't like Worcestershire sauce)
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 pound shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup pecans
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1.  In a food processor, combine cream cheese, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce.  Blend well.  Add cheddar cheese and process until the cheddar is fine, but still visible.  Shape the mixture into balls or logs.  Wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in the freezer.
2.  While the balls are in the freezer, combine the ground pecans and parsley in a shallow bowl.  Remove the balls from the freezer and roll them in the pecan and parsley mixture.

Pumpkin Pecan Cake Roll

We made this for dessert for Thanksgiving, but Jerry enjoyed it with coffee in the morning too.

Cake:
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup canned pumpkin (you can use pumpkin pie filling, but don't use the spices if you use the pie filling)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup finely chopped pecans
confectioner's sugar

Filling:
2 (16oz) packages cream cheese softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Lined a greased 15in x 10 in x 1 in baking pan with waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside.  In a mixing bowl, beat eggs for 5 minutes.  Add sugar through nutmeg and mix well.  Add lemon juice.  Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and sprinkle with pecans.
2.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 min. or until cake springs back when lightly touched.  Cool for 5 minutes.  Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar.  Gently peel off waxed paper.  Roll up cake in towel and cool completely on a wire rack.
3.  In a large mixing bowl combine all filing ingredients and beat until smooth.  Unroll cake and spread filling as think as you like.  Roll up again, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Hash brown Quiche

My mom needed this recipe, but I thought I would post it because its great for Christmas breakfast, esp if you have guests.

Hash brown Quiche
3 cups frozen loose packed shredding hash browns, thawed
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup diced fully cooked ham (I use turkey)
1 cup (4oz) shredded cheese
1/4 cup diced green pepper (I am allergic to green peppers, so I use onions)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Press hash browns between paper towel to remove excess moisture.  Press into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9 inch pie pan.  Drizzle with butter.  Bake 425 degrees for 25 min.  Combine ham, cheese, pepper and spread over crust.  In a bowl beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper (and garlic powder if you would like) and pour in pie pan.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 25-30 min, or until cook through.  Allow to stand for 10 min before cutting.

Toasted Corn Salad

I made this from a food network recipe, with a few variations.

Toasted Corn Salad:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 can corn
1 table lime juice, more if you really like it
1/2 roasted tomato salsa
4 green onions
Salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan over medium heat add 1 tablespoon oil. When hot add corn and cook, stirring frequently until corn toasts and browns slightly on all sides.

In large bowl, combine all ingredients and serve.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Chili

I got this from Pillsbury. We really like buffalo sauce, so I doubled the amount. Put a little ranch dressing over the top.

Buffalo Chicken Chili:
2.5 lbs of chicken
1 large onion
2 medium celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
2 medium carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce (Franks Red Hot sauce is the best)
Crumbled blue cheese or ranch

1. Spray crock pot with cooking spray, mix all ingredients except buffalo wing sauce.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
3. Stir in buffalo sauce. Serve sprinkled with blue cheese or ranch.

Zippy Beef Bake

This is a great make ahead and pop in the oven dinner. I make it the nights Amber has practice, cause Jerry can put it in the oven and they can eat before they have to do. Its a lot of steps, but basically pretty easy, and defiantly worth it.

Beef Bake
1 lb ground beef
EVOO
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1/4 mushrooms, sliced
3 green onions
1.5 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1.5 cups of cooked rice
1 (4 oz) can of chopped green chilies
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese, more to top the casserole to

1. In large skillet brown beef until no longer pink
2. Add zucchini, mushrooms and onion to beef, cook until veggies are tender. Drain. Put back in the pan and add chili powder, salt and garlic powder. Add rice, chilies, sour cream and cheese. Mix and transfer to casserole dish, top with more cheese.
3. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 min or until cheese is melted

Chipotle Rib Sandwiches

These are a family favorite. When we went camping for a week at Canyon de Chelly, we made these and ate them for a few days. Make sure to use the short ribs, not a lot a fat and very flavorful.

I got it out of a Sandra Lee cookbook. I love her cookbooks, because she uses ingredients that are mostly store bought. You can sub fresh ingredients if you would like (I always use fresh mushrooms, just a thing I have)

Slow-Simmered Chipotle Rib Sandwiches
1 onion, sliced
3.5 lbs of beef short ribs
1 envelope (1.1 oz) beef onion soup mix
1 jar (16 oz) chipotle salsa
1/2 cup ale style beer
Kaiser rolls

1. Place onion in slow cooker. Add ribs meaty side up. Sprinkle onion soup mix, then add salsa and beer.
2. Cover and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours.
3. Remove meat from bones and discard any fat. Transfer onions to serving bowl and add rib meat. Place and buns and enjoy!

Candied Grapefruit

I know its that time when all the citrus is ripe and ready for picking. I like the grapefruit the best, but this recipe works for oranges and lemons too.

Candied Grapefruit Peel
3 grapefruits
salt
1.5 cups sugar
1 cups water

1. Peel the grapefruits and carefully remove the white "pith" (spongy skin under the rind)
2. In large pan add peels, a little salt and cover peels with water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and summer for 20 min. Repeat twice. (Make sure the change the water, the water holds the bitterness)
3. Cool for 10 min.
4. In same pan, combine 1.5 cups sugar and 1 cup water. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add peel and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30-35 min or until syrup is almost absorded and peel is transparent. Stir occasionally and make sure the peel doesn't burn on the the bottom.
5. Drain the syrup and cool the peel on a cooling rack. Let cool until room temperature and coat in sugar. Store in airtight container.

The fastest dinner possible

This is the fastest, best tasting family dinner possible. My mom was given this recipe by a checkout girl at a grocery store right after I was born. She has been making ever since, and now I make it for my family.

Chicken and rice:
Four boneless, skinless chicken breasts
One can cream of mushroom soup
Minute rice

Put the chicken on a microwave safe plate and cook for 10 min. While that is cooking mix the can of cream of mushroom, one can of water and two cans of rice in a casserole dish with a lid. Place the semi-cooked chicken and juice from the chicken in the casserole dish. Cook for another 10 minutes. Mix together or serve the chicken on top of the rice.

Mediterranean Medley Salad

Well, start of a New Year. The move went well and everything is unpacked, hung on the walls and the garage sale done. Now I have time to start posting more.

Here is a great summer salad. I made it the other night and remember why I like it so much. The only fat in it is from the olive oil, so its great for you.

Mediterranean Medley Salad:
4 cups roughly chopped raw vegetables: example, carrots, red onion, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, etc.
2 oz feta cheese
1/4 cup Kalamata olives
1/2 cup fresh basil, torn into small pieces
2 tablespoons EVOO
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Toss together and serve.