Often Requested

Here is another favorite in our family. This also makes 2 9x13 baking dishes. It freezes very well!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bake

2 packages (6 ounces each) stuffing mix

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1 cup milk

8 cups cubed cooked chicken

1/2 teaspoon pepper

3/4 pound sliced deli ham, cut into 1-inch strips

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Prepare stuffing mixes according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine soup and milk; set aside.

Divide chicken between two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Sprinkle with pepper. Layer with ham, Swiss cheese, 1 cup cheddar cheese, soup mixture and stuffing. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.

Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Defrost frozen casserole overnight in fridge before using. Each casserole is 6 servings.

Yummy!

I know I should be posting about all the holiday baking I am doing, but I'm just not in the mood to bake and sweets don't sound good right now. Instead I will be sharing some of our families favorite mealtime recipes.

Cheeseburger 'N' Fries Casserole (makes 2 9x13 dishes)

4 pounds lean ground beef
2 cans cream soup
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
1 package onion soup mix
2 packaged (20 oz each) frozen crinkle-cut French Fries

In a skillet, brown the beef and drain. Stir in soups and soup mix. Pour half into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with 1 bag of French Fries. Bake uncovered at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until the fries are golden brown.

Pour remaining mixture into a gallon size freezer bag. Lay flat to freeze. When ready to use, thaw and cook as instructed above.

Crock Pot Recipes

I love to use my crock pot. It is great on busy or cold days. There is nothing like the aroma of a homemade meal wafting through the air of your home, especially one that took very little effort on your part.

I am always looking for new crock pot recipes. Well, I was told about a wonderful blog devoted to crock pot recipes (Thanks Susan!) This lady decided to cook everything in her crock pot for an entire year (that was in 2008) and she is still going strong. I can't wait to try some of her recipes. You can check out her blog here.

Maybe someday soon I will share some of our families favorite crock pot recipes.

Holiday Meal

I love tradition! Every year I grew up with the same holiday meals. I look forward to it every year. I am one that does not like to mess with tradition. Why mess with it if it is working?

Well, I am adding something new to our holiday meal this year. I almost feel like a trader saying that. LOL! I stumbled across a salad recipe last year and fell in love with it. I will be adding it to our Christmas Eve dinner. It is a simple, refreshing and festive salad. Some might consider it a dessert since it has whip cream, but I still consider it a salad :)

Cranberry, Grape, Pineapple Salad

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of red grapes

1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

1/2 cup broken walnuts (optional)

1 small can pineapple tidbits, drained

Put cranberries through the food grinder, using coarse blade. Or chop in processor. Stir in sugar. Let stand overnight.

Next morning, drain well, pressing lightly to remove excess juice. Cut grapes in half and remove seeds if necessary. Add grapes, pineapple and nuts to well-drained cranberry mixture. This much may be done ahead. Refrigerate.

Just before serving, fold in the whipped cream.

Serve immediately. Recipe doubles easily.

Puffed Oven Pancake

This is a very simple but yummy recipe. We love to pair it with some cooked fruit. I cook whatever fruit is in season. Tonight it was apples, but our favorite is peaches. I slice the fruit and place it in a saucepan with a little sugar and cinnamon. I let this cook while I prepare and bake the pancake. We top our pancake with the cooked fruit and a little powdered sugar. YUMMY!

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp sugar

8 eggs

2 cups milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp butter

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Use a 9x13 pan or oven proof pan. (It does raise a bit, so nothing too shallow).

3. Put butter in pan and melt in oven while pre-heating.

4. Mix all ingredients in mixer. Pour into hot pan.

5. Place pan in oven.

6. Bake for 20 to 25 mintues.

White Chili Soup

This is a very yummy soup that our family loves. We serve with grated cheese, sour cream and corn chips. If you are not a fan of spicy food cut back on the jalapenos just a little.

3 15-15.5 ounce cans great northern, pinto or white kidney beans, rinsed & drained.

2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 cups chopped red, green, and/or yellow sweet pepper

2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried oregano, crushed

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

1. In a 3.5 or 4 quart crock pot combine the drained beans, chicken, onion, sweet pepper, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, salt and oregano. Stir in the broth.

2. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Here is one of our favorite recipes for making pizza dough. I was on the quest to find on that was made with whole wheat and came across this one. I have made this dough one time without the food processor and it turned out fine.

1 package yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1 tablespoon honey

3 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup cool water

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pinch salt

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the honey and let sit for 5 minutes, until foamy.

2. Put the flour in a food processor fitted with the stainless-steel blade. Mix the 1 cup cool water with the olive oil and salt. With the motor running, pour the olive oil mixture and the yeast slowly in through the feed tube. Process until the dough forms a ball that rides around on the blade.

3. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until double in bulk. Punch down the dough and knead it on a lightly floured surface for 1 minute. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and roll them into tight balls. Place on a tray, cover with a damp towel, and let rest for several hours or overnight in the refrigerator before use.

4. Roll or stretch each ball of dough into a 7-to-8-inch circle. Place the circles, one at a time, on a wooden peel or on a baking sheet and build the pizza as desired.

Bake at 500 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.