This was made at a Pampered Chef party I went to last week, and it was super good. If you love those ranch packets they sell at the store where you mix them with sour cream, you'll love this! Super good, great appetizer, although I'd probably make it just to eat for myself. Yum!
Veggie Dip Pizza
2 - 8oz. packages of refrigerated crescent rolls (or your own pizza crust recipe)
2 - 8oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 package of dry ranch dip mix
Veggies of your liking, Suggestions:
Purple onion - chopped
tomatoes - sliced thin
bell pepper - in slices
cauliflower - chopped
broccoli - chopped
olives - sliced
avocado - slices
carrot - shredded
Preheat oven to 375. Roll out crescent rolls onto a pizza pan in the shape of a pizza crust. (depending on the size of your pan, this may make 2 pizzas) Bake for about 12 minutes. Once finished cooking, remove from oven and let cool completely.
In a small bowl combine cream cheese, mayo and ranch dressing mix. Mix well. Spread mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange veggies over the cream cheese layer. Slice into pizza slices and serve.
*I'm sure this could be made into a fruit pizza very easily, mixing a little sugar and fruit preserves with the cream cheese and layered with fruit. Sounds good to me!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Sweet & Sour Chicken
Like my last post, I mentioned that crusts just don't work for me. There are 3 things in the cooking world that I don't do very well. Crusts, yeast for breads, and corn starch. For some reason, those things hate me when I cook with them. The cornstarch is a big reason I've never attempted Sweet & Sour Chicken before. Most of the recipes I've looked at call for it in the sauce, so I never made them. I did some digging and found some recipes, then made up my own recipe from those. Now, I know what you're thinking, you're not going to try this recipe because it's an experiment; experiments in my house growing up were always a little scary. But I promise this one is good. I didn't make up everything, I combined about 5 different recipes, and added my own flare. Try it, it's now become a staple in our house!
Sweet & Sour Chicken
Chicken Breast (usually one per person that you are serving)
Olive Oil
1 can Pineapple chunks
Veggies (Carrots, Onion, Bell pepper, celery, water chestnuts, garlic - anything you want)
Minced garlic - optional
Minced onion - optional
Sauce:
1 cup sugar
pineapple juice from can
1/8 - 1/4 cup white or rice vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey - optional
Cut up veggies into bite size pieces (not minced, good size: bell pepper or onion 1 inch x 1 inch squares, carrots sliced about the thickness of two quarters together) and set aside. Cut up chicken into bite size pieces. Cook chicken in skillet with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil until done. Remove from pan. Cook veggies in the pan with remaining olive oil or add a small amount of oil to coat veggies, cook for about 5minutes covered, until just tender (don't over cook, you want them a little crunchy). Remove from pan. While cooking chicken and veggies, combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to keep warm. (**Add vinegar slowly, it can over power the sauce - so if you tend to like vinegar add the full amount, if not add less. Although, tasting the sauce doesn't give an accurate taste because baking it changes the flavor. Trust the recipe, it will turn out good.) Place cooked chicken, cooked veggies, and pineapple in a 9x9 or 9x13 pan (depending on the amount of chicken cooked) and pour sweet and sour sauce over the top. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Serve over rice.
*I know there aren't measurements for the chicken and veggies, but it's all about what you like. The last time I made this, I used 3 chicken breasts, 4 carrots and a small bell pepper. After I cooked it, I thought it could've used a few more veggies. Next time, more carrots, celery, and a little more pepper, maybe red and orange for more color. I didn't use raw onion because I don't care for it, so I did a tbsp of the minced onion along with a tbsp of minced garlic. Go wild!
**A lot of the recipes I found called for coating in the chicken in egg (or milk) and then dredging it in flour followed by deep frying it. I cut out that step to save on calories, but feel free to add in that step. With keeping leftovers in mind though, flour coated chicken doesn’t warm up well the next day, it tends to be mushy. As where pan cooked chicken with a little olive oil warms up great. We had this for leftovers twice and each time it was fantastic!
Sweet & Sour Chicken
Chicken Breast (usually one per person that you are serving)
Olive Oil
1 can Pineapple chunks
Veggies (Carrots, Onion, Bell pepper, celery, water chestnuts, garlic - anything you want)
Minced garlic - optional
Minced onion - optional
Sauce:
1 cup sugar
pineapple juice from can
1/8 - 1/4 cup white or rice vinegar
1 cup ketchup
1 ½ tsp salt
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey - optional
Cut up veggies into bite size pieces (not minced, good size: bell pepper or onion 1 inch x 1 inch squares, carrots sliced about the thickness of two quarters together) and set aside. Cut up chicken into bite size pieces. Cook chicken in skillet with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil until done. Remove from pan. Cook veggies in the pan with remaining olive oil or add a small amount of oil to coat veggies, cook for about 5minutes covered, until just tender (don't over cook, you want them a little crunchy). Remove from pan. While cooking chicken and veggies, combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to keep warm. (**Add vinegar slowly, it can over power the sauce - so if you tend to like vinegar add the full amount, if not add less. Although, tasting the sauce doesn't give an accurate taste because baking it changes the flavor. Trust the recipe, it will turn out good.) Place cooked chicken, cooked veggies, and pineapple in a 9x9 or 9x13 pan (depending on the amount of chicken cooked) and pour sweet and sour sauce over the top. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Serve over rice.
*I know there aren't measurements for the chicken and veggies, but it's all about what you like. The last time I made this, I used 3 chicken breasts, 4 carrots and a small bell pepper. After I cooked it, I thought it could've used a few more veggies. Next time, more carrots, celery, and a little more pepper, maybe red and orange for more color. I didn't use raw onion because I don't care for it, so I did a tbsp of the minced onion along with a tbsp of minced garlic. Go wild!
**A lot of the recipes I found called for coating in the chicken in egg (or milk) and then dredging it in flour followed by deep frying it. I cut out that step to save on calories, but feel free to add in that step. With keeping leftovers in mind though, flour coated chicken doesn’t warm up well the next day, it tends to be mushy. As where pan cooked chicken with a little olive oil warms up great. We had this for leftovers twice and each time it was fantastic!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Chicken Pot Pie Crumble
I've made this meal twice now, and it was amazing both times! I usually remember to take a picture about the time I take my last bite, so no picture, sorry. But you can go view a picture here on the post I got the recipe from. I loved this recipe because I don't do crusts, they just don't work for me, so this was perfect for me. The crumble is so tasty, and the insides are so good too. Seriously, try this!
Chicken Pot Pie Crumble
*Serves 6-8
Chicken and Sauce:
1 ½ pounds chicken (about three medium-size chicken breasts)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
2-3 stalks celery, chopped (about ½ cup)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
½ cup flour
1 cup milk
3/4 cup frozen peas
Crumble Topping:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream
To prepare the chicken, place the chicken and broth in a large Dutch oven or pot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the chicken until it is just done (don’t overcook or it will dry out) – about 10-12 minutes. Alternately, if you are planning in advance, you can place the chicken and broth in a slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5 hours. Transfer the cooked chicken to a medium bowl. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup and reserve.
Return the pot to the stovetop (no need to wash if you used it to cook the chicken).
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Sprinkle the chilled butter pieces over the top of the flour. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add the cream and stir until just combined. Crumble the mixture into irregularly shaped pieces onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the crumble topping until fragrant and starting to brown, about 15 minutes, tossing halfway through. Set aside.
For the filling, heat the olive oil in the now-empty pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, shred the chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer the cooked vegetables to the bowl with the chicken; set aside.
Over medium heat melt the butter in the empty pot. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes, taking care not to burn the bottom. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat and stir the chicken, vegetables and peas into the sauce.
Pour the mixture into a 9×13 pan. Scatter the crumble topping evenly over the filling. Place the 9X13-inch pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until the topping is well browned, about 15-20 minutes. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Chicken Pot Pie Crumble
*Serves 6-8
Chicken and Sauce:
1 ½ pounds chicken (about three medium-size chicken breasts)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
2-3 stalks celery, chopped (about ½ cup)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
½ cup flour
1 cup milk
3/4 cup frozen peas
Crumble Topping:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup heavy cream
To prepare the chicken, place the chicken and broth in a large Dutch oven or pot and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cook the chicken until it is just done (don’t overcook or it will dry out) – about 10-12 minutes. Alternately, if you are planning in advance, you can place the chicken and broth in a slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5 hours. Transfer the cooked chicken to a medium bowl. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup and reserve.
Return the pot to the stovetop (no need to wash if you used it to cook the chicken).
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Sprinkle the chilled butter pieces over the top of the flour. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add the cream and stir until just combined. Crumble the mixture into irregularly shaped pieces onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the crumble topping until fragrant and starting to brown, about 15 minutes, tossing halfway through. Set aside.
For the filling, heat the olive oil in the now-empty pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 5 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, shred the chicken into small bite-size pieces. Transfer the cooked vegetables to the bowl with the chicken; set aside.
Over medium heat melt the butter in the empty pot. Stir in the flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in the reserved chicken broth and milk. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes, taking care not to burn the bottom. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat and stir the chicken, vegetables and peas into the sauce.
Pour the mixture into a 9×13 pan. Scatter the crumble topping evenly over the filling. Place the 9X13-inch pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until the topping is well browned, about 15-20 minutes. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
After I made these I went around for days bragging that I had made cupcakes from scratch for the first time. Quite an accomplishment for me since I LOVE cupcakes, I usually make them with a cake mix, instead of from scratch. These were so good! And I love Snickerdoodles, so for that reason they were doubly good. I'm a slacker with posting pictures, see a picture here with the original recipe.
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
makes about 2 dozen cupcakes
2 ¼ cups cake flour*
2 ¼ tsp baking powder
3/8 tsp salt
2 ¼ tsp cinnamon
¾ cup butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Slowly add the flour and milk, alternating between the two until well incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl whenever needed. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Evenly distribute the batter between the cups (about 2 dozen). Bake at 350 degrees for about 18-20 minutes. Top with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting and sprinkle a bit of cinnamon-sugar on top if desired.
* add 1 tablespoon cornstarch per 1 cup all purpose flour to make your own cake flour. Add the cornstarch to the bottom of the cup and fill the rest of the cup with flour.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp butter, at room temperature
4 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
½ tsp cinnamon
Cream the cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth. Add half the sugar, milk, vanilla (or almond) and cinnamon. Mix until smooth. Add remaining sugar and beat until light and fluffy and creamy. **Add more powdered sugar if you want it to be a stiffer consistency for decorating.
**I made the recipe into 1 & 1/2 of the original recipe to make more cupcakes since the original recipe only made 18 cupcakes. I would still change it a bit for high altitude baking. If you are higher than 3000 ft, you may want to add a tbsp or two of flour to the batter before cooking for better rising.
Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
makes about 2 dozen cupcakes
2 ¼ cups cake flour*
2 ¼ tsp baking powder
3/8 tsp salt
2 ¼ tsp cinnamon
¾ cup butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Slowly add the flour and milk, alternating between the two until well incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl whenever needed. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. Evenly distribute the batter between the cups (about 2 dozen). Bake at 350 degrees for about 18-20 minutes. Top with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting and sprinkle a bit of cinnamon-sugar on top if desired.
* add 1 tablespoon cornstarch per 1 cup all purpose flour to make your own cake flour. Add the cornstarch to the bottom of the cup and fill the rest of the cup with flour.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tbsp butter, at room temperature
4 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
½ tsp cinnamon
Cream the cream cheese and butter until creamy and smooth. Add half the sugar, milk, vanilla (or almond) and cinnamon. Mix until smooth. Add remaining sugar and beat until light and fluffy and creamy. **Add more powdered sugar if you want it to be a stiffer consistency for decorating.
**I made the recipe into 1 & 1/2 of the original recipe to make more cupcakes since the original recipe only made 18 cupcakes. I would still change it a bit for high altitude baking. If you are higher than 3000 ft, you may want to add a tbsp or two of flour to the batter before cooking for better rising.
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