Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Chicken Cakes with Enchilada Sauce By Karen's Kreative Cooking

2 Tbsp olive oil, plus add'l for frying
1/4 cup red pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup yellow pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup green onions, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced [more or less to your taste]
salt and black pepper to taste
2 [12 oz] cans fully cooked white meat chicken or 3 cups poached chicken, chopped
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp creole or old bay seasoning
1 tsp dried tarragon
3 cups panko bread crumbs, divided
Directions:
In a stove top pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the diced peppers and green onions to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute until tender then add the minced garlic. Cook for an additional 1 minute, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. [tip: If you'd like to only use red pepper, double the amount
Meanwhile, drain the chicken well and add it to a medium size mixing bowl. If using poached chicken, chop. To the mixing bowl add the lemon juice, Dijon, mayonnaise, garlic, tarragon, chopped parsley, creole/old bay seasoning and 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs. Mix in the sauteed vegetables, making sure the chicken is thoroughly broken up and blended with the other ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasonings before you add the beaten egg.
Pour the panko breadcrumbs onto a plate. Using a 4 oz ice cream scoop, scoop the chicken onto the bread crumbs. This will keep the chicken cakes roughly the same size.
Flatten to your desired thickness genlty turning to coat the chicken cake on all sides
Put the chicken cakes onto a pan, then place into the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes before cooking. This will help the chicken cakes hold together while frying. You can make these cakes, thick or thin, your preference.
Remove from the refrigerator, then brown over medium high heat in a non stick pan coated with olive oil. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side depending on the thickness. Serve hot with the remoulade sauce. Yield: 8 chicken cakes

For the remoulade sauce:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chili sauce
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp green onion, minced
1 tsp capers, chopped
1 tsp dry tarragon
1/2 tsp creole/old bay seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
a few drops of hot sauce
Directions:
Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Chill until serving. Yield: approximately 2/3 cup

Chicken Bombs By Karen's Kreative Cooking

CHICKEN BOMBS

Ingredients
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts-makes 10 bombs:@)
5 jalapenos, sliced in half lengthwise and cleaned
20 slices bacon
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 C colby jack or cheddar cheese, shredded
S&P to taste
1 C BBQ sauce-I used Sweet Baby Ray's

Directions
Slice chicken breasts in half (like a hamburger bun), place between wax paper and pound until it’s 1/4” thick. Season with S&P. Mix the two cheeses together and smear about 1 Tblsp into each pepper half (just use up the cheese between all of the peppers). Place the pepper on the chicken breast and wrap it up as best you can. I suggest placing the pepper cheese side down so it gets completely covered by the chicken.
Wrap each chicken breast completely with two pieces of bacon. Start at one end, wrap half the breast and finish the second half with the other piece of bacon.
Cook on a preheated 350 degree grill over indirect heat for 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Turn every 5 minutes and baste with BBQ sauce each time you turn it.
For oven: Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until chicken is done. Baste a couple times and finish under the broiler to set the BBQ sauce. **I suggest a 400 degree oven and no BBQ sauce for the first 20 minutes, turning once to help cook the bacon. Then reduce heat to 375, change pans to loose some of the bacon fat (if you don’t have a broiler pan), cover in BBQ sauce and finish bakin

BLT Dip By Now Your Cooking

BLT Dip
Ingredients:
1 pound bacon, cooked, drained, crumbled, and divided
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded Fontina cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups chopped seeded tomatoes
1 cup shredded Iceberg lettuce
Toasted bread rounds, crackers, or pita chips (I’m crazy about Stacy’s Pita Chips, Parmesan Garlic & Herb)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚. Spray a 11⁄2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Set aside 1⁄2 cup crumbled bacon.
In a large bowl, combine remaining bacon, cream cheese, shredded cheeses, sour cream, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle chopped tomatoes, remaining 1⁄2 cup crumbled bacon, and Iceberg lettuce over hot dip. Serve immediately with toasted bread rounds, crackers, or pita chips.

Baked Chicken Balls By Karen's Kreative Cooking

3 slices Italian bread, torn into small bits (1 cup)
1/3 cup milk
3 ounces sliced pancetta, finely chopped (you can swap in Canadian Bacon if you can’t find pancetta)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 large egg
1 pound ground chicken
2 tablespoons tomato paste, divided*
3 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Preheat oven to 400°F with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Soak bread in milk in a small bowl until softened, about four minutes.
Cook pancetta, onion, and garlic in one tablespoon oil with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large skillet over medium heat until onion is softened, about 6 minutes. (Alternately, as in “I thought of this after the fact”, I’d bet you could render the pancetta for a couple minutes and cook the onions and garlic in that fat, rather than olive oil.) Cool slightly.
Squeeze bread to remove excess milk, then discard milk. Lightly beat egg in a large bowl, then combine with chicken, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, pancetta mixture, bread, and parsley. Form 12 meatballs and arrange in another 4-sided sheet pan (I used a 9×13 roasting dish).
Stir together remaining tablespoons of tomato paste and oil and brush over meatballs (the paste/oil does not mix in any cohesive manner, but just smoosh it on and run with it) , then bake in upper third of oven until meatballs are just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes (though mine took a good 5 minutes longer).
* I accidentally added a heaping tablespoon of the tomato paste into the meatball mixture the first time I made it, and ended up liking it better than without it. I’d use the tomato paste on top too. It’s good both places

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Baked Fried Chicken By Granny's Favorite Cookbooks

Baked Fried Chicken

Olive oil or shortening
Buttery flavored crackers or saltines
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
Olive oil
2 lbs. boneless chicken breast, 4 to 6

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease heavy baking sheet with shortening or olive oil.

Crush crackers in food processor into crumbs. In a shallow dish combine crumbs, salt and pepper.

Brush both sides of chicken with olive oil; roll in crumb mixtures; place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until no longer pink in center, about 170 degrees F.

Variations:
Use flavored olive oil for the brushing of the chicken
Use Buttermilk with an egg, whipped together for dipping in place of olive oil; then roll in crumbs
Add Grated Parmesan cheese to the crumb mixture
Add dried parsley to crumb mixture
Add garlic powder to crumb mixture

So many wonderful ways to make this old favorite…make your own family favorite today!

Biscuits and Hamburger Gravy By Granny's Favorite Cookbook

Biscuits and Hamburger Gravy

For biscuits:
½ Tsp salt
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1/3 cup soft butter
¾ cup milk

For biscuits blend flour, baking powder and butter until crumbly. Add milk, blend (¼ more milk for drop biscuits, drop by heaping Tbsp onto baking sheet). Roll out biscuits and cut in shapes. Bake on a baking sheet at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top.

For Gravy:
½ cup butter (1 stick)
¼ cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup milk
hamburger or sausage (optional)

For Gravy fry crumpled hamburger or sausage in frying pan until not pink in the middle, remove meat and set aside, drain out all but a Tbsp of fat and put butter into frying pan and melt until bubbling . Whip together milk, flour and spices until foamy. Add to melted butter stirring constantly, add meat if using. Bring to a boil stirring constantly for 5 minutes or until gravy starts to thicken. Remove from heat and set to cool. Gravy will thicken while cooling. Pour over biscuits and serve. Serves 4

Baked Beans with a Bang By Karen's Kreative Cooking



Baked Beans with a BANG

8 slices bacon (diced small)
1/2 yellow onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (diced)
1/2 jalapeño (diced) no ribs or seeds unless you want them
2 cans pork and beans (16 oz)
1/2 Cup ketchup
1/4 Cup brown sugar packed
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp season salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne

Put diced bacon in small skillet and cook until cooked soft.
Add onion and jalapeño to bacon grease. Right before they are done add garlic. Let cook a couple of minutes. I drained most of the grease off.

Spray 9 X 13 rectangular cake pan with Pam. Empty pork and beans with juice. Add cooked bacon pieces. Add onion, jalapeño, and garlic.

Add all spices and mix well.

Cook uncovered (350 F)for 45 minutes.
Stir and cook about 15 more minutes.

They will still be juicy.

I didn't have bell pepper but if I had I would have used 1/2 a bell pepper and treated it like the onion.
Also really great with 1/2 to 1 pound of ground beef. High quality 90/10.

Perfect side dish to some grilled pork chops or chicken.
Fan submitted recipe and pic, thank you Patricia S

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken By Karen's Kreative Cooking

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients
4 small chicken breasts, pounded thin
salt and pepper to taste
4 jalapenos, diced
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
8 slices bacon

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 F
Lay the chicken flat, season both sides with salt and pepper, place 1/4 of the mixture of the jalapenos, cream cheese and cheddar on the chicken and roll them up.
Wrap each chicken breast up in 2 slices of bacon and place them in a baking dish.
Bake in the oven until cooked, about 25-35 minutes

Bacon Cheddar Ranch Pull Apart Bread By Kitchen to Kitchen






Bacon Cheddar Ranch Pull Apart Bread
From Slow Roasted Italian

1 loaf of Italian Bread
8 ounces shredded Mexican cheese blend
16 ounces crisp cooked bacon, diced
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon Hidden Valley Ranch dry dressing mix

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare 2 sheets of aluminum foil to wrap bread in, overlap the foil so the bread will be completely covered.

On a cutting board, slice bread in 3/4-inch intervals, being careful to not cut all the way through. Cut again, crosswise, not cutting all the way through.

Slide bread onto foil and stuff cheese between all cuts: sprinkle with bacon. Mix melted butter and ranch mix, with a fork, and drizzle over top of bread evenly.

Wrap foil around bread snuggly and bake for 15 minutes; uncover and bake 10 minutes more. Serve hot. Enjoy!

Adapted from Sargento

The variations to this are simply endless. I will be trying new twists to this all summer long.













Bacon Ranch Foil Pocket By Foodie Tv

Bacon Ranch Foil Packet Potatoes

3 sheets of heavy-duty foil
10-12 baby red potatoes, thinly sliced
6 slices of cooked and crumbled bacon
1 packet ranch dressing mix
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
Sour cream for serving, if desired

1. Spray each sheet of foil with cooking spray. Top each piece with equal portions of potatoes, bacon, and ranch dressing mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to each serving. Wrap securely.

2. Grill for 20 to 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve in foil, topped with sour cream if desired.

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Bakred Sweet and Sour Chicken By Karen's Kreative Cooking






Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

The chicken coating:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
salt + pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

The sweet and sour sauce:

3/4 cup sugar
4 tbs ketchup
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes