cheesy chicken empanadas

I made this recipe last night and have made a few changes to the original because, well, it didn't work out :o)... but once they were arranged to suit me, boy were they good. Give them a try!










Cheesy Chicken Empanadas

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken, about 4 to 5 chicken breasts
1 (8-ounce) package shredded colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cans small biscuits
canola oil
Water

I sauteed the chicken until done and tender in a small amount of olive oil and seasoned with salt & pepper, remove and chop. Add peppers to pan to saute. Mix all ingredients together and roll out each biscuit into a thin circle. (you will need flour :o) I used the cheap inexpensive biscuits that are in the brown cans, they usually come in a four pack and you might need more than 2 cans to use all the chicken mixture. Place a tsp. of chicken mixture in center of circle, moisten the edge to seal into a half circle crimping the edges with your fingers. Have hot canola oil in pan ready to drop them in. They cook pretty fast. Watch them closely turning when golden brown and remove when both sides are done.

These are really good!

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crockpot artichoke, chicken & olives ~ slow cooker thursday!

This recipe has some of my favorite things, artichokes, olives and chicken. . . it makes such a nice meal. You can use fresh artichokes too if you want to and if they are available. I didn't really find the need to use the cooking tapioca. You should give this one a try!

1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast halves and/or thighs
2 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 or 9 oz) pkg frozen artichokes
1 c chicken broth
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 c sliced pitted ripe olives (or 1/4 cup capers, drained)
1/4 c dry white wine or chicken broth
3 tbsp quick cooking tapioca
2-3 tsp curry powder
3/4 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 c hot cooked rice

Rinse chicken & set aside. In a 3 1/2 qt crock pot combine mushrooms, undrained tomatoes, frozen artichoke hearts, chicken broth, onion, olives, & wine/broth. Stir in tapioca, curry powder, thyme, salt, & pepper. Add chicken. Spoon some of the tomato mixture over chicken. Cover & cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Serve with hot cooked rice. Serves 6.

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chicken fried rice

This makes plenty! It's a one-pot meal, is great to use up leftovers, and it tastes like you fussed. I got this from Kim and have made it many times. It's great to buy frozen egg rolls and serve as a side item. Everyone loves this and it is so easy to make. Give it a try!

4 cups cooled, cooked rice
1 onion, chopped fine
4 chopped green onions
2 tbl minced garlic
1 to 2 cups frozen vegetables (anything works as long as it's in small pieces)
2 cups chicken (cooked and cut into small pieces)
Soy sauce to taste
Olive oil for the pan
A little sesame oil to finish

Saute the onion in olive oil in a large skillet. Add green onions, garlic, chicken and vegetables. Add rice when veggies are cooked. Stir in soy sauce. Drizzle a little sesame oil over the top, stir in, and serve.

**made this for dinner last night, served with egg rolls & it was delicious!**

***original recipe from Barb (mom's fridge). thanks Barb!***

Sopapilla Cheesecake

This is a fun thing to take to a brunch. It gets a lot of attention and it's so easy to put together! You should give this one a try. It is a great recipe!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

(2) pkg crescent rolls 1 tsp cinnamon
(2) 8 oz pkg cream cheese 3/4 stick butter
1-1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp vanilla

Mix together ½ cup of the sugar and the cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining one cup of sugar, vanilla, and cream cheese. Flatten one can of crescent rolls on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over flattened crescent rolls. Unroll second can of crescent rolls and spread over cream cheese mixture. Melt butter and pour over the second layer of crescent rolls. Sprinkle with all of cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

(recipe from Julia P. Stephens/recipe exchange)

spinach dip... favorite ingredient friday!

I make this spinach dip for a lot of family gatherings and it is always ... always said to be everyone's favorite and I end up writing the recipe down for people almost everytime. I made a double batch for 4th of july and my SIL took leftovers to work the next day. I got a call wanting the recipe again. I make it a little different than the box of soup mix suggests... I add cream cheese because I love cream cheese and it makes it thicker, and I exclude water chestnuts.


8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. mayo (can use light, don't use miracle whip)
8 oz. sour cream
one package knorr vegetable soup mix
5 chopped green onions
1 box (10 oz) chopped frozen spinach

Thaw, rinse, drain, and squeeze spinach. I like to sit the sour cream and cream cheese out so they are room temp. Mix cc, sc, and mayo with soup mix, stir in spinach and onions until well blended. Chill to blend flavors. Serve with crackers, veggies or a favorite of mine is to hollow out a hawaiian bread and cut the part you took out into chunks. YUM! (I usually sit a small bowl in the hollowed space so the bread doesn't get soggy).

spaghetti meal from Betty Gardner~

Here is an entire meal to serve to your family. Spaghetti is always a pleaser, especially for the kids! Thanks Betty for emailing this meal. You should give it a try!


Meaty Spaghetti:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 medium onions, chopped
2 pounds lean ground beef
3 (16 ounce) cans whole tomatoes
3 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
3 of the 6 ounce cans full of water
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf (remove before serving)
2 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked and drained
Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy kettle, sauté garlic, parsley and onion until tender, but not browned. Add ground beef; cook over high heat, stirring to break up meat as it browns. Crush tomatoes in a blender or with a potato masher. Add to Dutch oven with tomato paste, water, sugar, salt, oregano, basil, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Taste and correct seasonings, adding salt, pepper or more sugar if needed.

Serve over cooked spaghetti, topped with grated Parmesan or Romano.

(This makes a lot of sauce, but it freezes well.)

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Herbed Corn on the Cob:
6-12 Mini Corn on the Cob
4 tablespoons of fresh Thyme
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) Real Melted Butter

Place cleaned corn on the cob into a large pot. Cover with cold water. Omit salt from boiling process (it tends to toughen the corn). Bring just to a boil and then let the ears stand in boiling water a few minutes. Mix melted butter, salt, and thyme together in a serving dish. Lay corn onto serving dish and roll to coat with butter mixture. Serve immediately.

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Cheese & Rosemary Breadsticks:
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/3 cup grated Gruyere
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 (11-ounce) container refrigerated breadstick dough (or make your own!)
Finely ground sea salt, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with silicone baking sheets or parchment paper. In a food processor, chop the Parmesan, Gruyere and rosemary together until coarsely chopped. Set the cheese mixture aside. Separate the dough strips. Using a pizza cutter or a large sharp knife, cut each dough strip in half lengthwise to form thin strips. Working with dough strip at a time, coat each strip with the cheese mixture, pressing very gently. Twist each cheese covered dough strip and place onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with the salt, if you wish. Bake until the breadsticks are golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the warm breadsticks to a basket and serve.

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Fresh Lemonade:
6 lg. thin skinned lemons
About 8 c. water
1 c. (8 oz.) sugar
10-12 Maraschino cherries
2 tablespoons Cherry Juice

Roll the lemons on a hard surface to loosen the juice. Cut them in half and squeeze out the juice. Strain it into a large pitcher. Boil 1/2 cup of the water then add sugar. Stir until all sugar is dissolved. Add the mixture (called simple syrup) to the pitcher and also add the remaining cold water. Taste, and adjust the sugar or water. You may also need more lemon juice, it all depends on your individual taste buds. Add the cherries and juice for an extra special treat!

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Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe:
1 cups butter
2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1 cup sugar
2.5 cups blended oatmeal
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla

Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes about 5 dozen cookies. I divide the dough in half and bake one half and freeze the other for later!

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PAULA'S GERMAN CHOCOLATE PIE

I first had german chocolate pie from a pie shop and was hooked!
It is the best of pecan and chocolate pie!
It is always the favorite at a party or dinner.
You should give it a try!

PAULA'S GERMAN CHOCOLATE PIE

3/4 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Corn Starch

1/8 tsp. Salt

3 Egg Yolks

3 cups Milk

1 cup Coconut

1 (4 oz.) bar Baker's German Sweet Chocolate Bar - melted

1 1/2 tsp. Butter

1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Topping - see below



Put sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a cooking pan, stir.  Mix together
egg yolks and milk, stir.  Mix egg/milk mixture to dry ingredients,
stir.  Add coconut and melted German sweet chocolate bar, stir.  Cook
over medium heat until mixture thickens and starts to bubble, stir
constantly (I use a wire whisk).  When bubbling starts remove from heat
and add butter and vanilla.  Pour into baked pie shell.



Put a sheet of plastic wrap directly on top of the pie filling as this
will keep that scabby layer from forming on the pie while it cooling.
Set pie in refrigerator to cool.



Topping - You can make a regular meringue topping and it will be very
good I prefer the following.



Small carton of Heavy Whipping Cream

Powdered Sugar to taste



Put whipping cream in mixer and mix till stiff peaks form.  Add
powdered
sugar to taste.  Place on top of pie.



HINT:  If you put your mixing bowl and beater in the freezer for a
little while the cream will whip up much better.