Parmesan Crusted Potatoes

Parmesan Crusted Potatoes

8 small new potatoes, halved lengthwise 
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Cavender's Greek Seasoning, plus more for sprinkling over potatoes

Preheat the oven to 400℉.

Spray the bottom of a 9×9 baking dish with cooking spray. Evenly distribute the grated Parmesan over the oil, and then sprinkle with the Greek Seasoning and salt.

The potatoes should fit in the dish with as little extra room as possible. Using a glass baking dish will allow you to see how brown the potatoes are on the bottom.

Place the potato halves, cut side down, on top of the cheese mixture and sprinkle with a little more seasoning. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Check a few minutes early, as all ovens vary. 

Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Use a metal spatula to transfer to a serving platter.

Ham and Cheese Biscuit Bombs

 

1 can refrigerated biscuits, flaky style

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup ham, chopped

¼ cup parmesan cheese grated

¼ cup cheddar cheese grated

1 teaspoon garlic powder

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder

In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese, ham, green onions, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese, mix well. 

Open biscuit dough and separate out each biscuit. Pull biscuits in half. 

Take a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture and place it in the center of one half of the biscuit dough. Top with the other half. Pinch the edges to seal. 

Place on a greased baking sheet and repeat until all the biscuit dough is filled. Sprinkled grated cheddar cheese on each biscuit before placing in the oven. In a saucepan, mix butter, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder. Brush the melted mixture over the biscuits. Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Chicken Caeser Pizza and Homemade Pizza Dough

 

Chicken Caesar Pizza

Pizza dough, *recipe below*
1 1/2 cups shredded chicken breast
1/4 cup Cardini's Caesar Dressing, more if desired
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried Basil
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Follow dough direction below. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread dough out on a cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes to prebake the crust before topping.

Spoon dressing over dough. Top with chicken, cheese and seasonings. Bake at 425 degrees for about 12-15 minute.

Pizza Dough

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/4 teaspoon Instant Dry Yeast

1 1/3 cups lukewarm water

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

Whisk together the flour, salt, and yeast in a work bowl of a stand mixer. Pour in the water and olive oil. Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with floured hands or by stand mixer for 10 minutes on medium or until the dough is smooth and elastic.

After mixing.

After doubling.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1-2 hours., or until approximately doubled in size and puffy. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Use your hands to roll each piece of dough into a tight ball. Cover and allow it to rise for 20 more minutes before baking.

Two of the dough balls.

As you can see, it doesn't have to be perfect! 

Preheat oven to 425°F and bake for 10-15 minutes to prebake the crust before topping. Take out of the oven and top with pizza sauce and your favorite toppings and cheese.** Bake until the cheese us golden in spots and the crust edges are a light golden brown.

** Follow the instructions for my Chicken Caesar above. 

This dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months before using.

Mine didn't have as much basil 

and pepper as the hubby's did.
Make it yours like I did! 

Cheesy Hashbrown and Chicken Casserole

20 oz bag of southern style hash browns
1 cup of cooked, cubed chicken breast
1 can of cream of chicken soup
½ cup cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp minced garlic


Preheat oven to 400-degrees and grease a 9" x 13" casserole dish or a twelve inch skillet.

Add the soup, cream cheese and sour cream to a large bowl.

Next, add 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese to the bowl.

Add the hashbrowns, chicken, parmesan, salt, pepper and garlic to the bowl and mix well.

Pour the potato and chicken mixture into a casserole dish.

Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top and cover with foil.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, remove the foil, and bake 15-20 more minutes until bubbly and golden brown.

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

Simple Alfredo recipe with restaurant quality taste! Impress your family with ease. Serve with a small salad and garlic 5 cheese bread. Enjoy!

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
1 pound shrimp thawed & peeled
2 tablespoons butter
4 ounces cream cheese softened & cut into smaller pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons minced garlic 
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

Lemon Juice

Take the cream cheese out of the fridge so it has a chance to soften up. 

Peel and clean the shrimp.

Start boiling a salted pot of water for the fettuccine. Cook it al dente according to package directions. Drain. 

Meanwhile, add the butter, cream cheese, cream, chicken broth, and garlic to a skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and the pan has heated up, stir the cream cheese to melt into the sauce. This will take a couple of minutes.

When the cream cheese has been incorporated into the sauce, let it gently bubble for 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced somewhat. Give it an occasional stir.

Stir the parmesan into the sauce. Let it cook for about a minute.
Add the shrimp to the pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally until shrimp is pink.
Season the Alfredo with salt & pepper to taste. I add a few shakes of lemon juice to mine, then toss with the pasta and serve immediately.

Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Caps

I wanted to create a new stuffed mushroom recipe, but I didn't want the same old - same old stand-by recipes. I made chicken Parmesan (the usual way) and thought, "What about stuffing mushrooms with that?" So, I adapted the recipe a little and did just that. What do you think? Yes, there are mushrooms, the size of dessert plates, under that cheese! LOL 

4 portobello mushrooms, wiped clean
1 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks*
1 can tomato sauce

1 can stewed tomatoes, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon basil

2 teaspoons Italian breadcrumbs

salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, or to your taste (we like cheese!)


Preheat oven to 375°F.
Scrape black gills out of mushrooms with a spoon and remove stems.
Place mushrooms on a foil lined baking sheet, stem sides up.
In a small pot, combine chicken breast with sauce, tomatoes, seasonings, breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Stir until well combined. Simmer until bubbling hot and thickened. Add more breadcrumbs if sauce is watery from the stewed tomatoes.** Spoon chicken mixture evenly on top of prepared mushrooms. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake mushrooms in preheated oven until tender and cheese is melted and a little browned, about 20 minutes.

*I used precooked chicken fajita strips cut into chunks.

** Mushrooms are watery themselves, so you need the sauce to be pretty think.

Ham & Cheese Biscuit Pie

This pie is wonderful to use up leftover biscuits and ham. You can substitute your favorite biscuits, meats and cheeses! The combinations are endless! You can even change the savory flavors to sweet ones! The choice is yours!

1 package Bisquick Garlic Cheese Biscuits,
   (prepared following package directions)

10 slices Ham, chopped

1 cup Cheddar Cheese
¼ cup Parmesan Cheese

1 cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

2 T butter, melted

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9inch pie pan with cooking spray. Cut biscuits in half and line the pan with the bottom slices. Fill in gaps with pieces of the tops. Sprinkle hams pieces over the top, then sprinkle with cheddar and parmesan cheeses. Mix milk and eggs and pour over the pie. Crumble the tops of the biscuits and spread over the pie. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the egg mixture is set. (or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean) Mix butter, garlic and Worcestershire sauce. Drizzle butter mixture over the biscuit crumbles and bake another 2-3 minutes. Serve warm.

Cooking with Charlie! Zucchini Alrfedo Boats!

I love my baby brother. He is a good cook! Mama taught us both to cook. I can remember him sitting cross-legged on the counter beside the stove cooking eggs... the prettiest fried eggs you have ever seen. If a yolk broke, he would say, "Uh Oh! Broke!" and dump it in the trash and start over! LOL

I got a call saying that Charlie (my baby 'brudder') was cooking, and I needed to come take pictures so my followers would know how it's done right. Did I mention he is also modest??? (Rolling eyes here) He used the zucchini that I brought (I was given the zucchini by my BFFF Mary over at Cooking with Mary and Friends) to make Zucchini Alfredo Boats! But first, a little bit of munchies while the 'boats' are in process!

 Zucchini Chips in the making!

 Seasonings and Parm Cheese Toasted and Crispy!

Do you think they are good?

This is just after Christy and I went after them!

 Now, let's get serious! He scooped the insides out!

He made a hamburger and mushroom mixture

and of course it has cheese!

 He added more Parmesan cheese on top!

 Baked until browned and the zucchini is soft.

 Topped with an Alfredo Sauce and more cheese!

Baked until browned!

I was not even hungry, and I ate the whole thing!!!

OMGeeeeee!

My Baby Brudder, Charlie!

I'll work on a complete recipe soon! Not easy to follow the master in real time! LOL

Chicken Parmesan

This recipe is as old as the hills. Some people will scoff at using mayonnaise, but it really helps to keep the chicken moist and tender. This is also a recipe that I think you have to be willing to get a little messy in the kitchen. I've never been able to do the "wet hand, dry hand" method of breading chicken, and believe me, when you've worked in a kitchen frying chicken by the 5 gallon bucket loads... you'll try every method available... So get in there and get your hands dirty! I like to prepare the chicken for the Chicken Parmesan this way, so it stays nice and juicy. 

4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking pan or large casserole dish with oil. In a flat dish, combine bread crumbs, cheese and seasonings. Place mayo on a plate. Coat the breasts with mayonnaise (I actually used my fingers), and then roll in the bread crumb mixture. Bake chicken for 25 minutes or until no longer pink inside.

To assemble and prepare the Parmesan you'll need:

Spaghetti Noodles

32 oz Spaghetti Sauce, make your own or use your favorite store brand
½ t Basil, dried
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 cups Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Cook spaghetti noodles in boiling salted water until done and put in a greased casserole dish. Combined sauce and spices and pour over noodles. Remove chicken from oven and place on top of the noodles and sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of chicken then top with the Parmesan Cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Serve with a Caesar or Garden Salad and Garlic Bread.

Seafood Caesar Salad

1/2 cup Cardini's Classic Caesar Dressing, divided

1 tbsp lemon juice 

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 lb. shrimp, peeled, de-veined and cooked
1 lb crab

6 cups torn romaine lettuce

1 cup seasoned croutons

1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese 

Heat the shrimp and crab in a sauté pan over medium heat. Off the heat, add the lemon and 1/4 dressing.

Toss lettuce, croutons and remaining dressing in large serving bowl. Top with shrimp and crab mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve immediately. 

Chicken Parmesan... a little healthier version

This is my "healthy" version of Chicken Parmesan. I baked the chicken instead of breading and frying.

4 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless
2 T Butter, melted 
32 oz Spaghetti Sauce, make your own or use your favorite store brand
½ t Basil, dried
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 cups Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded

Toss the chicken breasts in butter and sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from oven and Layer in casserole dish. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese on top of chicken then add sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella and sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve over noodles with tossed salad and garlic bread.

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)

Garlic Brats... Sausage and Pepper Sandwiches Kicked Up... Off The Chart

Last weekend I had a party for 30+ people. I made my families famous BBQ and my Daddy's BBQ Sauce. Everyone was excited about that rare treat, but they left talking about my new favorite sandwich...

Recently, I had the good fortune to visit Sunny Cedars Farm and pick up several different pork products. The sandwiches that I made for the party were made with kielbasa and pork sausage. This time I used the Garlic Brats that Russell of Sunny Cedars (Facebook) suggested I try when I was shopping around his display case. Oh man, were they awesome!!! Don't be shy! Hit those links up there and see how to get some of Russell's pork products!!!

Garlic Bratwurst

Onion, sliced

Bell Pepper, sliced

Mushrooms, sliced

Soy Sauce

Butter

Parmesan Cheese

Garlic powder

Basil

Salt and Pepper

Squeeze the brats out of their casings and brown.

Remove sausage. Leaving the drippin's.

 Melt about a tablespoon or two of butter.
Add a few shakes of soy sauce, about a tablespoon.
Add the onions, peppers and mushrooms.

Cook until a little color appears and the vegetables have softened.

Return the sausage to the pan.

Mix about a 1/2 cup of softened butter with

1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese. Add seasonings to taste...

I scoop the inside of the bread out to give the filling a place to sit.
(Makes them easier to eat, also... and I'm all for that!)

Spread some of the butter mixture on the top and bottom pieces.

Load it up!

Oooops! I almost forgot the cheese... Monterey Jack Cheese!

Wrap them up and stick them in a 350 degree oven for about

10 or 15 minutes, until warmed through and the cheese is melted!

In the meantime, fry up some zesty seasoned fries!

Hot and fresh out of the oven!

It's ready for it's close-up! OooooLaaaaLaaaa!!!

MINE!!! 

 OMGoodness!
The hubby says, "Naaa! It's not any good! Go away! Nothin' to see... ummm eat here!"