Chicken Caesar Tartlets

Chicken Caesar Tartlets

1 canned refrigerated biscuit dough
1 cup shredded chicken breast
Cardini's Caesar Dressing
Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Basil
Salt & Pepper

Spread biscuit dough out on a cookie sheet. Press each flattened biscuit into a sprayed tartlet pan. Mix together Chicken, cheeses and enough dressing to bind it together. Season to taste. Spoon mixture into dough cups.  Bake at 400 for about 12-15 minute. (Or follow directions on canned dough)

Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole

I was looking for a side to go with the pork chops I baked last night. I was scouring my cabinets and pantry. At the end of the month, it seems that my pantry gets low. I live out in the country and don't get to the grocery store very often. So, I make do as well as possible until the next trip. Anyway, I had a few packets of mashed potato flakes that the hubby brought home a couple of weeks ago. So, I decided to use one and dress it up a little...

2 1/2 cups Mashed Potatoes
3 tbsp Butter
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese (sharp or medium)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt & Pepper to taste
4 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except 1/2 cup of cheese and bacon. Place in a casserole dish sprayed with oil. Top with 1/2 cup of cheese and bacon. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and hot.

The Hubby's Plate...

Simple Pasta Salad

1 lb Rotini or Ruffles Pasta, cooked and drained
6 oz can Black Olives, sliced
6 oz can Southwestern-Style Corn, drained
8 oz (or more) Zesty Italian Dressing*
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded (not the powder stuff)

Combine the ingredients and toss. If refrigerating to serve later, reserve some of the dressing. The longer the pasta sits, the more dressing it absorbs. 

*Some people add pimento, but if you are using the Zesty Italian, it already has the pimento in it.

Hot Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

2 -12 packages of dinner rolls
1 1/2 lbs of Honey ham
12 slices Swiss cheese
1 stick of real butter
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Split the rolls in half, leaving them attached to each other. Place the bottoms of 12 rolls on a sheet of aluminum foil. Place a few slices of ham on the rolls until covered. Top with the cheese slices. Put the dinner roll tops on the bottoms. In a sauce pan, mix butter, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder. Brush the melted mixture over the dinner rolls. Wrap with the foil sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Sausage, Onion and Potatoes

This is always a good recipe when when the pantry and frig get low. With three basic ingredients, it's also quick and easy! It's also a good meal for the meat and potatoes man/woman in the house!

1 pound of Kielbasa Sausage, sliced

4 or 5 red potatoes, boiled and cut into chunks

1 large onion, diced small
1 tsp minced garlic
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Saute in a frying pan in a little oil over a medium heat... just enough oil to keep it from sticking, because the sausage will render some fat. Cook until sausage and potatoes take on some good color... about 15-20 minutes.

Great-Aunt Vashti's Browned Squash

Last night, I attempted once again to re-create an old family recipe... My Great-Aunt Vashti's Browned Squash! To get the intense browning that she did, I have to cook it low and slow on the stove-top. If the temp is not just right, it will burn and you'll end up with a bitter flavor. I discovered that I don't have the patience to cook this dish often! It took me 2 hours to even get close!

Aunt Vashti used:

Yellow Squash... about 4 or 5 

3 T butter

1 onion, minced 

Basil

3 cloves minced garlic

Salt and black pepper, to taste.

Cook in a sauce pan on medium low, stirring occasionally. I covered it for the first 30-45 minutes for it to cook down. Then let it simmer and turn golden brown. (about an hour to an hour and a half) Aunt Vashti's squash was always a deep bark brown,  and caramelized to perfection! YUM!

 Mine is not a brown as hers was, but like I said, I'm not as patient! :-)

Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob

I don't know what it is about the taste of fresh corn... on the cob! There is nothing like it! I've never grilled or roasted corn. Our grill is on the fritz again, so I decided to try oven roasting some. I left mine in a little too long so watch yours closely. 20 - 25 minutes should be plenty of time. 

4 cobs of fresh corn
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 tsp of you favorite seasonings per ear ( I used garlic powder, onion powder and basil)

salt and pepper
Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 °F.

Remove husks and silk from corn and rinse off. Place ears on foil sheets, dot with pats of butter, and sprinkle with seasoning, salt and pepper (and cheese if you want). 

Bake for 25 minutes, or until soft and steaming.

Deviled Eggs

A few weeks ago, I had a request to make deviled eggs for a lady at church. She presented me with a dozen eggs. I told her, "You do know that makes 24 deviled eggs?" She said, "Yeah! What's your point???" LOL She has always said that she loves my deviled eggs! I guess so!!!

6 eggs, hard cooked and peeled

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon sweet pickle relish (optional)**

pinch of salt 

fresh ground black pepper

Cut eggs in half. Arrange egg whites cut side up on a serving plate and put the yolks in a small mixing bowl. Mash yolks with fork then stir in mayonnaise, mustard, pickle and salt and pepper. Mash and stir all ingredients together well. 

* I insert a plastic bag into a cup or plastic container...

 Seal the bag releasing all the air...

Clip a corner of the bag with scissors and squeeze to fill each egg.

 Oops! The bag split... LOL

Bunches of eggs... on a mission! 

Ready to be packed up and go to Miss Cyndi's house! :-)

*If you are doing a small batch, just spoon a little bit of the mixture into each egg white half. Sprinkle eggs with red pepper or paprika, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

** Tip of the day... If you have someone that doesn't like the pickle chunks, or kids that just don't like green stuff. Use pickle juice instead of the pickle relish. I do it all the time and noone ever notices! They even comment that they like mine because there isn't any pickles in it! You can do the same thing with onion!