Ritzy Chicken

• 4-6 Chicken Breasts
• 1 10 3/4 oz can of Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 1 pkg. Ritz crackers crumbs (1 tube)
• 2 T Poppy Seeds
• 1 cup melted butter, divided

Cook chicken breasts. Cut into bite sized pieces. Put in 9x13 glass baking dish. Mix cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and 1/2 cup melted butter. Spread over chicken. Cover with cracker crumbs and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Drizzle remaining melted butter on top. Bake uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot.

*You can use less butter if desired.

*This isn't the healthiest meal so I wouldn't recommend eating it weekly - but it's VERY yummy and good on special occasions.

Artichoke Dip

• 1 cup of mayo
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 14 oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped.
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 can diced green chiles
• 1 clove garlic

Stir together and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Serve w/ a baguette, sliced, salted & peppered, and toasted in the oven. Or, chips. :)

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups softened butter
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 pkg. JELLO brand Vanilla Pudding
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Mix flour w/ baking soda. Combine butter, sugars, pudding mix and vanilla in a large mixer bowl; beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture; then stir in chocolate chips and nuts. (Batter will be stiff) Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Kids Ritzy Chicken Fingers

• 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips, thawed
• 2 cups crushed ritz crackers
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 tsp. seasoned salt
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup butter, melted (optional)

Combine crushed crackers, parmesan cheese, garlic salt and seasoned salt in a shallow dish. Pat chicken dry and coat with yogurt. Dip each piece into crumb mixture and arrange in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Drizzle melted butter over top, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Crock Pot: Mustard Rubbed Pork Roast

• 1 Pork Roast
• Yellow Mustard
• Worcesteshire Sauce
• Garlic Powder

In a bowl, squeeze about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of yellow mustard, a few drops of worcestershire sauce and a sprinkling about a 1/2 tsp of garlic powder. Mix together and rub all over the roast. Place about 2 cups of water in the bottom of the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Shred the pork and make a gravy out of the drippings.

Serve w/ mashed potatoes and salad!

Crock Pot: Italian Chicken

• 4-6 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 10 3/4 oz. can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 packet of Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix
• 1 8oz pkg of cream cheese, softened

Combine all ingredients except for the cream cheese and pour over chicken in crock pot. Cook on low 4-6 hours or high 4-5 hours. During last 1/2 hour - add softened cream cheese.

When done - stir well and break up chicken. Serve over rice!

White Bean Chili (AMAZING.)

My friend Kelley shared this recipe with me, and boy am I glad! It's a blue ribbon chili! I've shared it with a few family members needing a chili recipe for a cookoff, and they have all won!

• 3 cans of Great Northern Beans
• 1 medium jar of medium or hot salsa
• 1/2 t. Ground Cumin
• 1/2 t. Chili Powder
• 1 salsa jar of milk (after you dump in the salsa, use the jar to measure the milk!)
• 3 Chicken Breasts
• 1 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese

Mix beans, salsa, milk, cumin, & chili powder in a large saucepan - bring to a boil. In a pot, boil chicken til fully cooked then chop into bite size pieces, or shred it. Add the chicken to the mixture and then add MOST of your cheese. Save a little to top your chili with!

Crock Pot: Shredded Chicken for Tacos or Enchiladas

• 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 -2 pkgs of taco seasoning
• 1-2 cans diced green chilies
• A bit of water. Maybe 3/4 Cup?

Put all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on high for 6-8 hrs. Stir w/ a fork to shred the meat when finished.

Crock Pot: Chicken a la King

• 4-6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp. dry minced onion
• 9 oz pkg frozen peas
• 1/2 tsp paprika (I'm going to try curry..)
• 1 lb. rotini pasta, cooked

1. Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in slow cooker. Combine soup, flour, pepper and onion. Pour over chicken. Do not stir.
2. Cover. Cook on high 2-1/2 hours or Low 5-5 1/2 hours. (Longer if you're using frozen chicken.) Stir in peas and paprika. Cover. Cook on High 20-30 minutes. Stir in cooked pasta and serve.

Pepperoni Twists

• 1 can of pizza dough
• mozzarella/cheddar cheese, shredded
• pepperoni slices
• parmesan cheese
• your favorite spaghetti sauce. Mine is Paul Newman's "Sockarooni"

1. Preheat oven to 350 F or whatever it says on dough pkg.
2. Spread dough out onto cutting board. Sprinkle cheese onto half of it and hand place pepperonies onto same half. Fold dough over making sure the edges are mushed together and secure.
3. Using pizza slicer, slice into 1 inch strips. Pick up each strip, twist, and place on cookie sheet. Dust with parmesan cheese. Bake until golden brown.

Use spaghetti sauce as dip. This recipe is SOOOO yummy and something everyone would love.

**A tip - After slicing twists into 1 inch strips - cut the strips in half to make the snack go farther!

Antipasto Vegetable Pizza

• 1 pizza crust (boboli anyone?)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup grated provolone cheese
• 1 jar (6-7.5 oz) marinated artichoke hearts, undrained
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning mix (Good Seasons)
• 1 garlic clove, pressed or finely minced
• 1 small yellow squash or zucchini
• 1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, sliced
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Toasted pine nuts

1. Preheat oven according to directions on pizza crust pkg. Drizzle olive oil over the crust and bake.

2. Drain artichoke marinated into a bowl. Add seasoning mix and pressed garlic; whisk. Coarsely chop artichokes. Score yellow squash. Cut squash in half lengthwise; cut into thin slices. Slice olives using an egg slicer. Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise; remove seeds and dice. Add artichokes, squash, olives and tomatoes into bowl with marinade.

3. Spoon vegetables over pizza, draining off as much marinade as possible. Sprinkle w/ parsely and pine nuts.

ENJOY!

Touchdown Taco Dip

• 1 can (16 oz) refried beans
• 1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp taco seasoning mix
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup pitted ripe olives, sliced w/ egg slicer
• 1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions w/ tops
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley, thinly sliced
• Tortilla chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread refried beans over bottom of baking dish. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning. Then add garlic.

2. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over beans. Grate cheese over top. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until hot.

3. Sprinkle the rest of the ingredients over dip. Garnish w/ additional sour cream, if desired.

16 servings.

Chicken Tortilla Soup - Crock Pot!

Ingredients:

• 2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
• 2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
• 2 cans Cream or Celery soup
• 2 cans Cheddar Cheese Soup
• 2 15 oz. cans of chicken broth
• 1 cup salsa (whatever hotness you prefer)
• 1 15oz. can of diced tomatoes
• 1 or more cans green chilies
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 4 cloves fresh minced garlic
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• salt & pepper to taste
• 4 cooked chicken breasts cut into small pieces OR 2-3 cans of chicken, shredded

Simmer in crock pot on low for about 4 hours or on high for 2 or 3. The chicken is already cooked so you just need to get it piping hot and meld all the flavors together.

Serve in bowls. Top with cheese, sour cream, and crispy tortilla strips. (You can slice up a tortilla and fry the strips, or buy them @ the store)

**This makes almost a whole crock pot full!

S'More Brownies

Crust:

• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted


• 1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs


• 2 Tbsp sugar


• Pinch of fine salt

Brownie:

• Box of brownie mix. (Follow directions on back of box.)

Topping:

• 4 Cups of marshmallows

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by-8-inch square baking pan with foil so it hangs over the edges by about 1 inch.

For the crust: Lightly butter the foil with some of the melted butter. Stir the rest of the butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the brownie. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is crispy and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean, with a few crumbs, for as long as the box says to bake. Probably around 45 - 50 minutes.

Remove from the oven and carefully position a rack about 6 inches from the broiler and preheat on low. Layer marshmallows across the top and toast under the broiler until golden, (keep an eye on it, it can go quick), about 2 minutes. Cool on a rack, gently removing the brownies from the pan using the aluminum flaps. Carefully separate any marshmallow from the foil and fold away. Cut into 12 (2-inch) squares.

PHOTO COURTESY OF FOOD NETWORK!!! (And most of the recipe... :)

Banana Bread

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts

Mash bananas and set aside. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter together. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to first mixture and stir together. Stir in nuts. Place in two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 275 F and bake for an additional 20 - 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 2 loaves.

*Taken from the Essential Mormon Cookbook

Lindsey's Chicken Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 F

• 5-6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts (thawed)
  
• Block of Mozzarella Cheese
• Italian Bread Crumbs
• Newman's Own "Sockarooni" Spaghetti Sauce
• 2 eggs and a splash of milk
• Whole Wheat Spaghetti

Dip each chicken breast in the eggs/milk mixture and then cover both sides with bread crumbs. Lay flat in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Take out of oven and cover each piece of chicken with a thick slice of mozzarella cheese. Pour spaghetti sauce over each piece of chicken and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Suggested Sides:

• Mixed Vegetables or Roasted Asparagus (recipe follows)
  
• Garlic Bread (recipe follows)
  
  And don't forget to heat extra sauce for the pasta and dipping sauce for bread!

Garlic Bread

• Loaf of French Bread
• Parmesan Cheese, the sprinkly kind
• Garlic Salt
• Butter

Preheat oven to 350 F. Slice loaf down the middle to end up with two long halves. Spread butter over bread. Lightly sprinkle garlic salt then sprinkle a thick layer of Parmesan Cheese. Bake in oven for about 8 - 10 minutes and then broil for about 1 minute. Bread is perfect when it's golden, not brown. (When broiling, be careful not to burn the bread! It happens quick.)

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Preheat oven to 350

2-3 Chicken Breasts
1 cup Broccoli Florets
2 Cans Crm. of Chicken Soup
1/2 Cup Mayo
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp. Curry Powder
2 Cup Shredded SHARP Cheddar Cheese
white rice

Boil chicken in water until cooked all the way through. While boiling chicken, mix all ingredients into baking dish saving some cheese to cover top of casserole. Chop chicken into small pieces while boiling broccoli in the same water. Mix chicken and broccoli in with the rest of ingredients and cover with a thin layer of cheese. Bake in a 9 x 13 dish for 30 min at 350. Serve over white rice!

Crock Pot: BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

• 4 pounds pork shoulder roast
• 3 tablespoons Lawry's or any rotisserie Seasoning
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced (this is optional - I made this without an onion and couldn't tell the diff.)
• 2 cups water
• 16 ounces barbeque sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's is our favorite)

Rub roast with rotisserie blend. Place roast in crock pot or slow cooker and top with onions. Cover roast with water and slow cook for 8 to 10 hours. Remove pork, discard layer of fat as well as any water and grease remaining in pot. When pork is cool enough to handle, use a fork or your hands to shred and pull the meat apart. Return the meat to the crock pot along with the barbeque sauce. Heat for 1 to 2 hours. Serve on your favorite roll.

Crock Pot: Chicken & Green Chilies

• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use frozen)
• 1 can (10.75 oz) cream of chicken soup, condensed
• 2 cans (4 oz each) HOT chopped green chiles, with liquid
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Place chicken in greased 4 1/2 to 6 quart crock pot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low heat 4-6 hours or on high heat 3-4 hours. Makes 4-6 servings.

Serve over white or brown rice and sprinkle with shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese.

(Don't be afraid of the hot green chiles, they make a great flavor that no one would mind.)

Cinnamon Rolls

Make dough the day before.

1cup water
1cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1cup cold water
4 eggs,slightly beaten
2 (0.25-ounce) packages yeast
1/2 cup warm water
7 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cinnamon
1 recipe Powdered Sugar Glaze

Powdered Sugar Glaze

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

In a large pot bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add the 1 cup butter,sugar, and salt. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup cold water. When mixture is lukewarm, add beaten eggs. In a separate bowl, dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water. Allow yeast to rise about 5 minutes, until foamy. Stir into mixture. Add flour and stir together. Cover pan with lid and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to roll out, divide the dough into thirds. Lightly flour surface of bread board. Roll dough out into a 12x6 inch rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Spread each rectangle with one third of the softened butter. In a bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle one third of brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over surface of dough.

Roll up jelly roll style and cut into about 12 rounds. Place on greased baking sheet. Follow same procedure with other two portions of dough.

Let raise 2-3 hours. Bake one sheet at a time at 375 for about 15 min. or until lightly browned. Spread with Powdered Sugar Glaze while still warm. Makes 3 to 4 dozen cinnamon rolls.

These taste just like Cinnabon's recipe!

*Recipe taken from The Essential Mormon Cookbook

Roasted Asparagus

• Asparagus
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Garlic Salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cover baking sheet with foil. Spread asparagus onto sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Roast 10-15 minutes turning them halfway through, until tender.

A fun idea: Throw a few scallions in with the asparagus to roast. Wrap individual portions of asparagus with scallions to tie into bundles.

Frozen Key Lime Pie & Whipped Cream

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• For the filling:
• 6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tablespoons grated lime zest
• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 to 5 limes) -- I just use bottled lime juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Press into a 9-inch pyrex pie pan, making sure the sides and the bottom are an even thickness. Bake for 10 minutes until firm and golden. Allow to cool completely.

For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes, until thick. With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour into the baked pie shell and freeze.

Whipped Cream

• 1 Cup Heavy or Whipping Cream, chilled
• 2 Tbsp. Confectioners Sugar (powdered sugar)

Whip the cream and sugar until nearly stiff and soft peaks form .

Note: If you have concerns about raw eggs, combine the yolks with 1/2 cup of the lime juice used in the recipe in a double boiler. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture reaches 140 degrees. Use in place of the raw egg yolks, remembering to add the remaining 1/4 cup of lime juice to the filling mixture along with the condensed milk and zest.