Chicken Bundles

This recipe is from Nicole & my mom, and it's a favorite among all my siblings. I've added my own notes.

Chicken Bundles

Recipe from Karen Abreu

8oz cream cheese (softened)

2 TBS milk

Chopped onion to taste (about 1 to 2 TBS) OR fresh chopped chives

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 chicken breasts cooked and diced

3 cans crescent rolls

IF you want them breaded:

Butter melted  (approx. ½ cube)

Progresso Italian Style Bread Crumbs

·         Combine cream cheese, milk, onion, salt and pepper in bowl.  Add diced chicken. 

·         Spread out crescent rolls.  Pinch two triangles together, keeping it in rectangle form.  Put spoon of chicken mixture in the middle and roll. Fold ends and pinch together.

·         IF you like them breaded, dip in melted butter and bread crumbs.

·         Bake on cookie sheet @ 325 for 12 minutes.  (I baked mine for aprox. 22  minutes or until golden brown. You don’t want them doughy.)

·         Makes 12 bundles.

Make your own favorite style of chicken gravy. One included below. I like things easy, so I buy the chicken gravy packets where you just add water. 

Gravy:

2 cups chicken broth

¼ cup butter

¼ cup flour

1/8 tsp salt  1/8 tsp butter

¼ cup milk

Cook until thick then add parsley  (a couple tsp)

*Heat, DON’T BOIL

Andes Mint Cookies

Found this recipe on Pinterest, originally found here.

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 package of Andes Mints

Mix cake mix, oil, and eggs together. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-9 minutes. Take sheet out of oven and while the cookies are still very hot, place an Andes Mint on top of each cookie. In about 5 minutes, the mint will be melted. Take a spoon and smooth out each mint like frosting.

raspberry mascarpone cupcakes

I just made these for our luncheon after Eden's blessing. They were so good and so easy to make. The best part, in my opinion, is that they look fancy and kind of professional so they are a great dessert to serve. I wish I had gotten a picture.

Cupcake:
white or vanilla cake mix
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond
lemon juice

Add vanilla and almond extract to prepared cake mix {following the box directions}. Add just a tiny bit of lemon juice. Bake as directed. {My secret: I use the Duncan Hines French Vanilla cake mix anytime I have to make a cake or cupcakes. I always get compliments and asked if they were made from scratch. They always end up really moist.}

Frosting:
1 carton {pint} of heavy whipping cream
1 {8 oz.} tub of mascarpone cheese at room temp {Found these near the specialty cheeses in the deli area. It is very similar to cream cheese.}
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of powdered sugar {give or take for desired taste}
1-2 cartons of fresh raspberries, saving a few to garnish on the top, if desired {I end up using a frozen bag}

Directions: Whip the whipping cream and the softened mascarpone cheese together. Then slowly mix in the powdered sugar. It will be done when the whipped cream stands in peaks. It should not be lumpy. If it is lumpy, your cream cheese was too cold. Add red food coloring to make the desired pink color. Fold in raspberries. Spread on top of cooled cupcakes.

crescent dinner rolls

I was assigned rolls for Thanksgiving dinner this year. I'd never made rolls, but I knew they had to be homemade. Store bought rolls are just not Thanksgiving options for me. My mom sent me her two favorite roll recipes, and the night before Thanksgiving I tried out the one with the least amount of rising time (not this one). I completely botched it. It called for a lot of kneading, and I may have overdone it. I'm thinking I may have accidentally added an extra cup of flour, since they turned out kind of tough and bland-tasting.

Anyway, I tried this recipe Thanksgiving morning and it was a success! So easy to make and hardly any kneading at all. You do have to plan ahead with it because you'll need 4-6 hours of rising time before the rolls can be cooked. But they are completely worth it. (Everyone at dinner raved about them. :)

Crescent Dinner Rolls 
from Susie Greer

Add 2 Tbs yeast to 3/4 c lukewarm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle 1 tsp sugar on top to help activate.

In a large bowl combine:
1 c room temperature water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c oil
3 eggs

Add yeast and stir.
Add 6 c flour. Mix well.
Set aside until doubled in size (2-4 hrs). Cover with a light cloth or set near a warm oven to help the dough rise more quickly.

Sprinkle pastry sheet with flour.
Knead dough until smooth (about 5 times). Do NOT over-knead.

Divide dough in half. Roll out like a pizza, then cut into sixteen pizza-shaped slices.
Start at wide end of a piece and roll to thin end, in a crescent shape.
Place on greased cookie sheet. Repeat with all pieces.

Repeat with other half of dough.

Let rise until double in size (1-2 hours). Again, cover with a light cloth or set near a warm oven to help the dough rise more quickly.

Bake at 375 for 14 minutes or until golden. If convection oven, bake at 350 for 11 minutes. Brush with melted butter. Makes 32 rolls.

BBQ chicken salad

I was really excited to try this recipe. It is a perfect summer salad and so easy to put together. The best part is that I had everything on hand already. Just a warning, if you follow this recipe exactly it makes a lot... not that that is a bad thing!

Salad ingredients-
2 heads of hearts of romaine lettuce or 1 bag of hearts of romaine

2 c Monterey Jack cheese

1 c frozen young white corn

1 c black beans

4 green onions

2 ripe tomatoes

2 c tortilla strips

3 c chopped barbeque chicken (see recipe below)

Clean and shred lettuce. Chill. Dice tomatoes and onions, set aside. Combine frozen corn and black beans. Fold in Jack cheese and toss with lettuce, diced tomatoes and onions. Top with barbecue chicken and tortilla strips. Finish with Salsa Ranch dressing just before serving.

Barbecue Chicken Sauce ingredients-

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3 T mayo

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup barbeque sauce

3 c shredded cooked chicken

Mix together everything except chicken, then fold in chicken and chill.

Salsa Ranch Dressing ingredients-

1 cup milk

1 T vinegar

1 c mayo

1 pkg Ranch Dressing Mix

1 cup salsa

Combine vinegar with milk. Fold in mayo and dry ranch mix. Add salsa and chill.

honey butter

I know, honey butter seems simple enough that you really shouldn't need a recipe, but I saw this on the Best Bites* site and decided we needed to try it. It is so good!

2 cubes real butter, (close to room temp- works best when slightly chilled still.)
2/3 C honey
¾ C powdered sugar

(If your butter is too soft, you’ll end up with a gooey mess, so I just leave it out on the counter for about 20 minutes or so before beating and it turns out nice and fluffy)

Just place it all in a bowl and beat with an electric hand-mixer for about 30 seconds. Serve at room temp.

*Recipe copied directly from site.

homemade bread

I have been looking for a really great bread recipe that's quick and easy and I came across this one. We have loved this bread. We went through two loaves this weekend {I'm sure the honey butter didn't help, either!}. This recipe is easiest if a large mixer is used. Although, I do not own a mixer and I was able to knead the dough by hand.

5 cups warm water
1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 tablespoon salt
1 cup honey or 3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoon yeast
3 tablespoon dough enhancer, (optional- I didn't use this)
11 1/4 cups all-purpose flour {I actually ended up using 13 cups- 7 cups white flour and 6 cups whole wheat flour}

Combine water, oil, salt, sugar (or honey) and dough enhancer. Add yeast, mix. Stir in enough flour to make a soft dough. Depending on your altitude, humidity, etc. just add flour until it is not sticking to your finger, just nice and soft. Knead for 8 - 10 minutes in your mixer or by hand.

Divide into 4 parts. Shape each part into a loaf and place into greased loaf pans. {Here is a great picture tutorial on how to make your loaves the correct way. I had no idea how to do it the right way until I came across this tutorial.} Cover and allow to rise until dough is 1 inch above pan. {For dough to rise faster, heat oven to 175 degrees, then turn it off. Put dough in loaf pans in oven. Usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour.} Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from pans immediately to cool and butter tops.