Chicken Pot Pie

This was the best pot pie I have ever had, however I made the recipe up, so it's not super specific on measurements.

Filling:
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubbed
4 carrots, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
onion, I just cut up some, maybe a 1/3 cup
salt, I just sprinkled some into the pot
I put all these into a pot with just enough water to cover them and then added some chicken boullion. I brought it to a boil and let it simmer covered for about 10 minutes.
2 chicken breasts cooked and cubbed (I boiled them and then cubbed then and added them to the potato mixture)
After mixing in the chicken, I added the peas. I just added what I thought would be good.
I then added some potato pearls (you could use potato flakes or whatever you have)
I mixed it really well and let it sit in the pot, to keep it warm. Oh, and I added some pepper.
Crust:
1 rounded cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
mix these together
1/2 cup shortening
cut it into the flour mixture
1/4 cup cold water
slowly mix in.
roll out and put into a non-greased pie pan. Makes a top and bottom.

Bake at 425* for about 15 minutes. Makes one pie shell

Ryan's review: The best pot pie ever!! This was so good.

Renee's thoughts: The crust was so flaky and yummy. I am going to be using this crust for pies and other yummy things. It was such a good dinner. I don't like pot pie that is runny, so this was a thicker comsistency, I loved it.

Calzones

Dough:

1 c. warm water

1 T. yeast

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 T. oil

2 1/2 cups flour

Knead together and let rise for 20 minutes. Divide into four pieces for calzones. Roll into round and add any pizza ingredients you desire. Bake for 15 minutes at 455 degrees.

Macaroni and Cheese with Caramelized Onions

Don't let the name keep you from trying it - this is not your typical mac and cheese.

Menu: Macaroni and Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Toss Green Salad with grapes, apples, and Poppyseed dressing

Macaroni and Cheese with Caramelized Onions:

4 strips bacon

1 large onion, halves and thinly sliced

2 cups regular or multigrain elbow macaroni

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 ounces blue cheese

1 cup half and half or light cream

fresh back pepper

In a large skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, turning once. Drain bacon paper towel and crumble. Reserve bacon grease in skillet. Cook onion in reserved bacon grease for 5-8 minutes or until onion is tender and golden brown. Set aside. In a large saucepan cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain and return to saucepan. Stir in bacon, onions, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, blue cheese, half and half, and pepper. Put into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Stir gently and then top with the rest of mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes more. Then stand for 10 minutes.

Rating: Scott really liked this. We thought there was too much blue cheese, so in this recipe and the one I am keeping in my book I have reduced it to 2 ounces (it was 4 ounces before). The kids weren't as enthusiastic about it - maybe if I put orange dye in it next time then maybe they will like it.

Creamy Potato Soup and French Bread

6 slices of bacon
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use 99% fat free)
1 cup chopped onion
3 cans milk (use the can from the soup)
1 cup water
2 cups cubbed potatoes (this is about 3 medium potatoes)
1 cup potato flakes
2 Tbs. Parsley
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Cook bacon in pan, reserve 3 Tbs. oil in the pan. Remove bacon and allow to cool. Meanwhile in pan with bacon oil, cook onions until clear and soft.
Place cubbed potatoes and water in a large pot. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Stir occationally.
Add onions, soup, milk, salt, and parsley to the potatoes and water. stir and cook on low heat. After well belnded, add the potatoe flakes. Just before serving, crumble bacon into small pieces and stir into soup.
Ryan's opinion: Really tasty. Better on a cold winter day, but still really good.
Renee's thoughts: This is really easy to make. I have put everything into a crock pot and just let it cook on low all day (I did cook the bacon seperately and the onions, but everything else was cooked together).

French Bread

2 cups warm water

2 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. yeast

5-6 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water, add remaining ingredients and mix well. Knead 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Let rise till double in size. Puch down with fist. Let it rise a second time. Puch down again. Shape into 2 loaves. Allow to rise until double in size. Slash tops with a sharp knife, spray generously with water and bake 30 minutes in a 400* oven. Spray every 5 minutes with water for the first 20 minutes.

Ryan's opinion: I don't like it crispy, so I don't like it sprayed with water. Good with butter and garlic.

Renee's thoughts: I don't like my bread super crunchy either, so I spray it only twice. That way it gets toasty, but not hard crunchy.

Pizza Casserole

dough:

2 Tbs. yeast

1 cup warm water

1 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. oil

2 1/3 - 3 cups flour

Mix yeast, water, and sugar. Mix in salt and oil. Add flour and knead to form a moderately stiff dough. Place in a greased bowl and allow to rise 1-1 1/2 hours.

Sauce:

1 lb. pork sausage 1/3 cup + onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced 1 to 2 lbs. canned tomatoes (depends on how you like it)

6 to 12 oz. tomato paste 4 to 8 oz. can mushrooms (or fresh)

1 tsp. oregano and salt 1/8 tsp. pepper

Brown sauage, onion, and garlic. Drain. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer 15 minutes. Cool to lukewarm.

Place dough in a greased 10x15 pan and cover with sauce. Bake 15 minutes at 400*. Remove and top with: 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/2 tsp. oregano, 1/4 cup parmesan. Bake for 10-15 minutes more.

Ryan's opinion: I love this meal. It is one of my favorites. Yummy!!

Renee's thoughts: I am only feeding 3 people, so I cut the dough in half and make it in a 2 1/2 qt. casserole pan. I make all the sauce, but only use half on the pizza. I save the rest and use it on noodles or something else. This meal is a good one to take to people that have just had a baby or something. Everyone likes pizza.

Hill's Dinner: 3-26-08

Menu: Chicken Enchiladas and Fruit Salad with Yogurt Sauce

Chicken Enchiladas:

1 - 2 lbs. chicken; any part

water

2 T. white vinegar

2 T. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 - 1 tsp. oregano

1 can (small or big) diced green chilies

dices olives

red enchilada sauce (canned)

shredded cheese

10-12 flour tortillas

Put chicken in saucepan and enough water to cover it. Add vinegar, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Cover and let simmer for a couple hours, until the chicken shreds easily. Shred chicken and put in a medium bowl. Add diced green chilies and olives. Heat tortillas in microwave to softened. One by one, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce, place about 2 T. chicken mix and about 2 T. grated cheese in center and roll up. Place each tortilla in a 9x13 pan with enchilada sauce poured on the bottom (thin layer). After all the tortillas are rolled in pan, top with more sauce, and a little more cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

Note: This is just a recipe I make up as I go. I always do about this same thing each time and it always turns out really good. Some of the measurements may be off a little - do what you think looks good.

Rating: I forgot to ask Scott for a number rating, but judging by the fact that he was raving about it the whole meal, I think he would have given it a high rating.

What I (Emily) Baked Today

Mmmmmm. Bread. I baked some of my Mom's white bread this morning. I made one loaf a traditional loaf, and the other cinnamon swirl. YUMMY

1 1/2 c. warm water

1 T. yeast

Put the above ingredients together and then add:

1 c. warm milk

2 T. butter or shortening (softened)

2 T. sugar

1 T. salt

5-6 c. flour

Let dough rise until it doubles in size. Punch it down and form into loaves. Place in loaf pans and then rise again until doubles. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes (until top is golden brown).

Note about bread dough: On a bread like this, it is much better to have the dough be as gooey as possible. It will make for a very light and somewhat chewy bread.

To make cinnamon bread; roll out and spread with melted butter. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon-sugar. Roll up and place in loaf pan.

Hill's Dinner: 3-24-08

Menu: Taco Salad Made Over with Orange Slices

Taco Salad Made Over

4 flour tortillas

1 lb. ground turkey

1 T. chili powder

1/2 cup salsa

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

lettuce

cheese

tomato

sour cream or Ranch dressing

Preheat oven to 435 degrees. Put four glass custard-size bowls upside-down on a large cookie sheet. Spray each tortilla with cooking spray and lay on each bowl. Bake for about 10 minutes - until the edges are golden.

Cook meat with chili powder until brown. Add salsa and beans.

Serve in cooked torrilla bowls with toppings.

Rating: Scott thought my rating system was far too simple. So I never really got a number rating. BUT he did say that this was really good and perfect for a sunny evening. I gave the meal an 8.5 (that wasn't so hard).

What the Hills ate on Thurdsay (3-20-08)

Menu:

Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breast with Brown and Wild Rice, Asparagus, and Whole Wheat Rolls with Flax Seed

Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breast
4 medium chicken breast halves
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
2 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled
Salt and fresh ground pepper
Paprika
Bottled ranch salad dressing (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a sharp knife make a pocket in each breast OR if breast is too thin fold in half. In a bowl combine mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, peanuts, and bacon. Spoon filling into pockets (or folded breasts). Arrange in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Lightly sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. Bake uncovered for 50-55 minutes. Drizzle salad dressing over chicken before serving (a small amount adds plenty of flavor).

Whole Wheat Rolls with Flax Seed
1 cup warm water
1 T. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 T. Oil
1/8-1/4 cup ground flax seed (I use a coffee grinder)

Mix ingredients together and let rise for 20-25 minutes. Bake at 450 degress for 12-15 minutes (a pizza stone creates to best baking results).

Rating: Scott said that if the asparagus hadn't been overcooked then the meal would have been given an 8 (10 being best). I gave it a 7. The chicken, although very tasty, was also very rich. I couldn't finish my portion.

Baked Ziti

1/2 lb. dried ziti
cooked in boiling water (about 8 min - to tender). Drain
While pasta is cooking combine in a large bowl:
16 oz. ricotta or cottage cheese
2 cups mozzerella cheese
dash of nutmeg
dash or parsley
When noodles are done and drained, pour hot noodles into cheese mixture. Mix until noodles are well coated with cheese mixture.
To assemble: Layer in a 2-3 qt. dish the following from bottom to top --
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
ziti cheese mixture
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 cup mozzerella cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese combined
Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until it begins to bubble.

Note: the original recipe did not call for nutmeg or parsley, but I think it adds a great flavor. This is sure to be a family favorite. It is super easy to make and everyone loves it.

Ryan's opinion: De-La-Licious! Good with garlic bread.

Chicken Salad in Pitas

5 cups cooked, cubed chicken

2 Tbs. salad dressing (I used Italian dressing)

2 Tbs. orange juice

2 Tbs. vinegar

1 tsp. salt

combine these ingredients and refrigerate at least 5 hours

3 cups cooked rice

1 1/2 cups grapes (red or green) - cut in 1/4ths

1 1/2 c. chopped celery

1- 13oz. can crushed or chopped drained pineapple

1- 11oz. can mandrine oranges, drained

1 cup slivered almonds

1 cup mayonnaise (can put more if too dry)

toss these ingredients together and then add the chicken mixture. Refrigerate before serving.

To serve, open a pita, put lettuce in pita, put salad in pita. Eat and enjoy.

I found that it needed a little salt and pepper.

Ryan's opinion: It was tasty but did not stick to my ribs (in other words, it's girl food).