What does a good recipe consist of? To me, great ingredients, easy to find ingredients, simple instructions, love, and a great result. Today I am going to share some of my all time favorite recipe's with you, some of which I have requested from friends, family or found on the internet. I hope this will inspire you to try something new and get in the kitchen! I love recipe books, I have so many I have had to get rid of a lot of them!
As you can probably tell, I am a big fan of Company's Coming, and one of the best tips I can give you about recipe books is buy your local cookbooks, through your local hospital, retirement home, Home coming, whatever it may be, these are the best recipes you will find, everyone sends theie best recipes in, and truly bring their "A" game! You will never be disappointed in one of these! These are the recipe's worth trying!
Okay so let's get started, with breads, yummy bread!
This one is a fun recipe for a special day, I make this one and top it with taco toppings, or to eat on the side of a steamy bowl of soup, really any thing goes, you can top this with honey and cinnamon and make it dessert too!
Navajo Fry Bread
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp active dry yeast
½ tsp salt
¾ – 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees)
1 Tbsp butter or shortening, melted
Canola oil, for frying
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour,
baking powder, yeast and salt. Add the melted butter or shortening to warm milk
and mix well. Add ¾ cup of the milk mixture to the dry mixture and stir
together until it comes together and forms a ball. The dough should be slightly
sticky and elastic so you can add what is needed from the remaining ¼ cup milk
of the milk mixture to get the right consistency.
Cover the dough and allow to rest 10
minutes.
While the dough rests, heat up 1 inch
of oil in a large skillet to 350 – 360 degrees.
Once the dough has rested, divide it
into 12 equal pieces.
On a lightly floured surface roll the
dough out one piece a time, rolling each into a 6 inch circle
Fry them one at a time in the hot
oil. Allow to cook until golden brown, about 1 or so minutes per side.
Remove from oil and drain onto a
plate or baking sheet lined with paper towels. Serve warm with Navajo Taco
toppings or with butter and honey.
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I owe my cousin Alan a big thank you for giving me this recipe, it has totally changed how i look at my bread maker, this is by far the best bread maker recipe ever, and the extra 10 minutes is totally worth it, try this one, dust off your bread maker and do it, you won't regret it!!
One package of yeast. One cup of warm water. Two tablespoons of sugar. Put that all into your bread maker close lid and let rise for ten minutes. Add three cups of flour 1 tsp of salt and 1/4 cup of veggie oil. Cook a one pound loaf.
So awesome!
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I don't make "Traditional Bread" Myself, I have tried it, but haven't mastered it, so I stick to my bread maker for now, but I do love this recipe for buns, I found it on Pinterest, this one is easy and the result is amazing!
The ingredients you will need:
1 1/2 cups of milk
3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 egg
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons yeast
2 cups of warm water
about 9-10 cups of all-purpose flour
at least 1 cup of butter
To start out: Scald 1 1/2 cups of milk, 3/4 cup sugar and
1/2 cup of butter, in a microwave safe bowl, for about 2 minutes. Cutting the
butter into pieces helps it melt faster. There will probably be some little
cubes of butter still floating in the hot mixture, they will melt.
We are going to add yeast to this hot mixture, but it will
be too hot to just dump the yeast straight in (it would kill it!). To cool it
down stir in 1-2 cups of flour, then add 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of salt, and
leave it to cool for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a measuring cup
dissolve 2 Tablespoons of yeast in 2 cups of warm water and 1 Tablespoon of
sugar. Let it sit for a couple of minutes until it is bubbly.
**Keep track of how much flour you are adding!!!
Make sure your milk mixture is just warm, not boiling and
add the yeast mixture!
Using a fork or wooden spoon, gradually stir in 9-10 cups of
flour (counting the flour you have already added to cool it earlier). I would
recommend only adding 2 cups at time and stirring in between. These rolls turn
out so much better when they are mixed by hand.
At the end the dough will be dense and sticky, and may be
hard to stir, you can use your hands to incorporate the rest of the flour if
needed. Be sure not to add too much flour. Then smooth the dough out and cover
the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave it in a warm place and let it rise.
When your dough is close to rising completely, butter 2
cookie sheets and set them aside.
Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size.
Cover your working space with flour to prevent the dough
from sticking. Dump your dough out and divide it into 4 balls. Eyeball the
sizes, then lift them up and feel the weight of each ball. Try to make them
even, but they don’t have to be perfect.
Using one ball of dough at a time: roll the dough into a
circle on a floured counter. Once it is rolled out spread the top with butter
from edge to edge. You will use about 2 Tablespoons per circle of dough.
Cut the dough into quarters using a pizza cutter.
Then cut each quarter into 3 pieces. You should end up with
12 triangles from each circle of dough.
you will roll the dough starting with the wide end of the
triangle.
Tuck the tail of the triangle under the roll and place it on
the buttered cookie sheet. You will make 3 rows, with 8 rolls per row. This
will give you 24 rolls per pan. Two balls of dough will fill 1 pan. You will
get a total of 48 rolls!
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pans of rolls
in a warm place (on top of the oven if possible) to let them rise. Once they
are touching and full in size, cook (one pan at a time) in the oven ’till they
are golden brown. About 10 – 15 minutes, It may take longer depending on how
hot your oven cooks. Keep a close eye on your first pan to get the right time
for the second.
While they are still hot and fresh out of the oven run a
stick of butter over the tops of the rolls for a delicious buttery glaze.
These yummy dinner rolls will be a hit at any event
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Okay, enough bread lol! Now on to Main Meals:
I make this bi weekly, but if it was up to my family we would have it every other day! This is one of the best casseroles ever!
Creamy
Chicken and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
2 cups plain
white rice 12 wwp
1 can Cream
Of Mushroom Soup (10 Ounce Can) 6wwp
1 container
Sour Cream, Low-fat (8 Ounce Size) 7.5 wwp
3 chicken
breasts 12 wwp
1 container French-fried
Onions (6 Ounce Can) 20 wwp
Totals 51.5
wwp
Be warned:
This stuff is addictive. Comfort food at its best!
Preparation
Instructions
Preheat oven
to 350 F. Prepare2 cups plain rice according to instructions. While that is
cooking, shred/cut up the chicken.
When Rice is
done, add the can of soup and the sour cream, and stir to combine. Add the
chicken and mix together. Spread mixture into a sprayed baking dish (I use a
9-by-13-inch pan, but you can use what you like for how thick you want it to
be) and bake, uncovered, at 350 F for 40 minutes.
Remove from
oven, cover with the french-friend onions and bake for 5 more minutes. Remove
from oven and try not to eat the whole thing. Yum!
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This is another one from Pinterest, if you don't Pinterest yet, you should! http://pinterest.com/ check it out, it will change your world!
This is another very yummy dinner, I made this one last night, it is so flavorful and filling!
Pasta Cordon Bleu
Recipe courtesy of Dunne at With a Cherry on Top
Serves 6
1 lb. Pasta (I used penne-you could use any fun shaped pasta)
1 cup Chicken Breasts, cooked and cubed
1 cup Ham, cooked and cubed
1 1/2 cups Milk
8 oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
2 Tbsp. Dried Minced Onion
2 cups Swiss Cheese, shredded
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
1 cup Panko Crumbs
1/2 cup Butter, melted
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over med-high heat. Salt it and
add the pasta; cook until al dente (about 11 minutes-I used whole wheat pasta
which takes a bit longer than regular pasta). Drain and return to the pot. Add
in the chicken and ham and toss to combine.
Preheat the broiler. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream
cheese and minced onion over low-medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until
it becomes a smooth texture (about 5 minutes). Stir into the pasta mixture.
Stir in the Swiss cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer pasta to a baking dish and top with Panko crumbs. Pour melted
butter over crumbs and broil until browned (I gave it 4 minutes).
This is one of those recipe's you will make and everyone there will want the recipe!
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This one is even moderately healthy for you lol!
Skinny Sour Cream Enchiladas
Cook time: 30 minutes
Serving Size: 8 servings
Ingredients
Ingredients
• 16 oz. fat free sour cream
• 1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
• 1 tbls. fresh chopped cilantro (1/2
tbls. dried)
• 2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
breast
• 1 can Mexican Rotel
• 1 cup chopped onions (optional)
• 8 low carb tortillas
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack and colby
cheese blend
• 1 can diced green chiles
Instructions
Directions
In a saucepan, mix together sour cream,
soup and cilantro. Heat through and set aside.
This is will get to the bubble up/boil
stage quickly and make a huge hot mess if you don't keep stirring. I learned
the hard way.
Twice.
Combine the chicken, rotel, onions and
green chiles in a pan sprayed with cooking spray. Heat until onions are
transparent. Or if you omit onions like I have done, for a few minutes to blend
the flavors and juices.
Warm the tortillas until flexible. (I
microwave them for 10 seconds sandwiched between two damp paper towels.)
Fill each tortilla with about 2 tbls. of
the chicken mixture.
Top with about 1/2-1 tablespoon of
cheese (or a medium sized pinch if you measure like I do)
Roll the tortilla up and place seam side
down (or they will unravel and you will be annoyed.) in a 8x11 dish sprayed
with cooking spray.
Pour/Spread the sour cream sauce over
enchiladas
Top with the remaining cheese
Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes until
bubbly and cheese is melted.
Nutrition Info and Tips
Calories: 275
Fat: 8g
Carbohydrates: 30g
Protein: 14g
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Now on to Appetizer's, Summer is here and now is the time we are all headed out to parties everywhere, and a good party go'er will never show up empty handed! This is a delicious Cowboy salsa that can be enjoyed all year round!
Cowboy Salsa
1 can niblets corn drained and washed
1 can black beans drained and washed
½ red onion chopped
½ green pepper chopped
½ Red pepper chopped
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin
1 cup low fat ranch dressing
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While this recipe packs a punch, almost everyone at the party loves them!
Jalapeno Poppers
12 jalapenos, halved and cleaned out
1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened (I use light)
3 green onions, chopped (optional)
2 or more cloves of garlic, minced
1 - 500 g. pkg of sliced bacon, cut in half lengthwise
Blend the cream cheese, onions and garlic in a bowl. I let
this
mixture sit while I
clean and prepare my jalapenos (the longer the better). Fill
the
Jalapeno halves
with the cheese mixture, then wrap the bacon around tightly.
Place on
an ungreased
Baking sheet and bake in a 350 F oven for about 45 minutes.
Note: The longer you cook them the milder they get, though
sometimes
it just depends on
the batch of jalapeños you get, some are just spicier than
others!
Thanks Lee-ann for this recipe, it is so addicting!!
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CHEESECAKE STUFFED STRAWBERRIES
YIELD: Makes 16-20 stuffed strawberries
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. fresh strawberries, rinsed and pat dry
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Graham cracker crumbs, optional
DIRECTIONS:
With a paring knife, cut off the strawberry stems. Cut around the inside of the strawberry, hollowing out slightly and creating a well for the cheesecake. (You can also do this with a small melon baller). Cut off a small portion of the pointy strawberry tip, so that each strawberry can stand. Place each on a large baking sheet.
In a medium bowl, with a standing or handheld electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Place mixture in a pastry bag and pipe into each strawberry, adding a little extra to the top. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Optionally, sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top of each stuffed strawberry.
Sometimes I use crushed Oreo crumbs to top instead of graham wafers, this recipe is simple, easy, but looks complicated, these never last long at any party! HUGE HIT!
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And now onto desserts, the best part of the meal some times lol!
Best Carrot Cake Ever
2 cups of flour
1 ½ cups white sugar
2 tsp soda
2 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs beaten
1 tsp salt
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup chopped nuts (Pecans or walnuts)
1 ½ cups Mazola oil (or vegetable or
canola oil)
1 cup crushed pineapple with the juice
(reserve 2 tsp of the juice)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup angel flake coconut (But I am sure
any type of coconut will do)
Sift together flour, sugar and soda,
then cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl, add beaten eggs and Mazola and
pineapple and vanilla, Beat until well blended, add coconut and carrots and
chopped nuts, pour into greased 9 x 13, for a metal pan, Bake at 350 for 1
hour, for a glass pan bake at 325 for 30 minutes, bake on 2nd shelf.
Icing, 4 oz Philadelphia cream cheese
(room Temp) 2 tsp pineapple juice, or 2 tsp lemon juice, 2 tsp vanilla, add
icing sugar till desired consistency.
I always get a lot of request's for this cake, it is delicious and moist and wonderful all over!
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Best Ever Chocolate
chip cookies
1 c marg
2 ½ c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2c white sugar
¾ c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1pkg instant vanilla pudding
(4servings)
2 eggs
1 - 12 oz package chocolate chips (I
only use half the package, the whole package is WAY too much)
Cream eggs, marg, sugars and
vanilla. Add all dry ingredients then
chocolate chips. Bake 350 degrees f oven
for 8 minutes.
Enjoy!
The vanilla pudding makes all the difference in these, cookies, they need no adjusting, if it ain't broke don't fix it!! This is one of those cookies and that you bite into and it is wonderful, but your just not sure why it is so much more amazing then any other cookie you have ever tried, make em, you'll see!
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Best Ever Banana Chocolate Chip muffins
2 cups flour
1 c rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 ½ c sugar
2/3 cup oil
6 mashed banana’s
2 eggs
1 bag Hershey chocolate chips
Fill muffin paper ¾ full
Bake at 350 for 25 mins makes 24 muffins
I have turned banana chocolate chip muffin haters into lovers with this recipe! Try em!
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Thank you to all the people who's pictures and recipes these may be, they have been saved on my computer for sometime, so giving credit is impossible :)
So those are just some of my fave's, we all have 'em! Not that long ago I didn't know much about cooking/baking at all. But a few years ago my sister gave me a home made cook book to help me get started, basically "Cooking for Idiots" It was very helpful! Thanks Cheryl, here are a couple snap shots of the book, she even took her own pictures, cause I love food pictures, it helps me to know what it is meant to look like,..
this book was made out of a photo album and it was made with plenty of Love, my sister loves to claim that this cook book taught me how to cook, and in some ways she is right. It certainly helped! It contains all of our families special recipe, recipes that made Meal Time special, Treasured recipes. I think this is a great idea for anyone to make, for your Grand Mother, Sister, Daughter, Son, anyone!
I hope you enjoyed some of my favorite recipes, I hope they will soon become your favorite recipe's!! Enjoy! From my kitchen to yours!!
