Brown Rice and Chicken

We have begun eating brown rice whenever we eat rice. Here's a recipe specifically calling for brown rice.

Brown Rice and Chicken

1 cup diced cooked chicken
2 onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sliced almonds

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Serve with sliced almonds lightly toasted.

Audrey :)

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

Both of my kids have always loved stuffing. This casserole combines packaged stuffing and chicken in an easy to make casserole. Try different soups for different flavors. We've used cream of broccoli and cream of asparagus and liked them both.

If you have left over cooked veggies in the refrigerator, you can throw those into the casserole also.

Chicken and Stuffing Casserole

4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless (cooked)
1 - 8 ounce package of herb stuffing mix
1 cup chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 ounces of sour cream
1/4 pound of butter

Melt the butter. Mix the butter with the stuffing mix. Place half of the stuffing in a casserole dish. Put the chicken on top of the stuffing.

Mix the sour cream and cream of chicken soup. Pour the sauce over the top of the casserole. Put the remaining stuffing on top of the chicken. Pour the chicken broth over the top. Bake at 350 degrees about 40 minutes or until stuffing is done.

Audrey :)

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and M&M Cookies

Betty Crocker had their cookie mixes on sale. So we found a Betty Crocker cookie recipe and they came out wonderful.

1 package chocolate chip cookie mix
1 package peanut butter cooking mix
1 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup butter, softened
3 eggs
2 cups M&M's

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix together everything but the M&M&'s until a soft dough forms. Add in M&M's. Drop by tablespoonful onto cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.

We cooked them only 10 minutes, on the middle and top shelves and they were done in 10 minutes.

The recipe did not say to move to cooling rack, but we did. The plate you see is all that's left. The rest were given to a friend.

Audrey :)

Casserole Cookbook Review

I am a casserole lover. What could be easier than throwing everything into one bowl, mixing, pouring into a casserole dish and baking?

This cookbook is divided into sections:

• Chicken and Turkey
• Treasures From the Sea
• Meatless
• Pasta
• Breakfast and Brunch

There are many photos of the recipes, in fact every page has at least one photo.

Each recipe also has brand name ingredients in the ingredients list such as Success Rice, French's Fried Onions, Lipton Soup and more.

Casseroles are great for potlucks. They serve several people and can be heated in either the oven or microwave, depending on space.

Tips for casserole cooking:

• To brown the top, remove the cover the last 10-20 minutes of baking
• Make and freeze ahead, then defrost in refrigerator and bake
• Think ahead, double up. Cook one now and freeze one for later.

If you'd like to order the cookbook for yourself, you can order it here: Casserole Cookbook

Audrey :)

Finding Oven Space In a Small Kitchen

I have been very spoiled in past homes. I’ve had large kitchens that all had two ovens. Then a little over a year ago, I moved into my current home which only has one oven and it’s a small oven at that.

I love to entertain, love to cook and with only one small oven this can be a challenge. I’ve gotten creative and found ways around the one oven dilemma.

We own two crock-pots. It would be an understatement to say we love our crock-pots. Crock-pots can be used to make side dishes, desserts and even main courses. I’d like to share just a couple of my favorite crock-pot side dish recipes.

The first is a broccoli casserole. It’s just like the casserole you’d make in the oven, except we use the crock-pot to make it.

2 packages frozen chopped broccoli
1 can cream of celery soup (you can also use cream of broccoli soup)1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons minced onion (you can also mince up fresh onion)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
1 stick melted butter
Cook broccoli; drain and cool. Mix soup, mayonnaise, onion, egg, and cheese and add to cooled broccoli. Lightly grease 3 1/2-quart crock-pot and add mixture. Mix 1 sleeve Ritz crackers with melted margarine or butter. Sprinkle on top. Cook on high for 2 to 3 hours.

If you like asparagus, try the exact same recipe except use asparagus instead of broccoli.

The other recipe is for a brownie cake that is delicious and can be served alone or with ice cream.

1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 1/2 cups brownie mix
1 egg
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon soft margarine
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Combine water, brown sugar, and cocoa in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. In the meantime, combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well. Spread the batter evenly in the bottom of a large lightly buttered Crock Pot. Pour boiling mixture over the batter. Cover and cook on high about 2 hours; turn heat off and let stand for about 30 minutes.

By making the side dish and dessert in the two crock-pots, I’m able to use the two shelves in my oven for making a main course and second side dish.

Try experimenting with different crock-pot recipes so that the next time you have company, you’ll be able to offer a nice meal prepared in your very small kitchen.

Audrey :)

Cream Cheese Recipes

When I think of cream cheese, I immediately think of bagels. I love bagels and cream cheese. However cream cheese is wonderful in many other recipes.

I think one of my favorite recipes is crab and cream cheese wontons. Although meant as an appetizer, I can easily devour a dozen of them leaving no room for the actual dinner.

Crab and Cream Cheese Wontons
4 ounces of crab meat (you can use fresh or canned)
2 ounces cream cheese (solid is best, not whipped)
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons chives
Small dish of water
Wonton wrappers

Mix the crab, cream cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper and chives together. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.

Put a spoonful of mixture into each wonton shell. Use water to moisten the edges and fold into triangles.

When ready to eat, heat in oil until brown on both sides.

Another of my favorite recipes using cream cheese is this recipe for chocolate cupcakes, using cream cheese to make them very moist:

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes
1 package chocolate cake mix (any brand)
1 package cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup mini chocolate chips (I always use milk chocolate, as I like the cupcakes sweet)

Preheat oven to 350F. Put cupcake papers into pan. Prepare chocolate cake mix according to package instructions and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar and the softened cream cheese until smooth. Beat egg and add to sugar mixture, mix well. Gently mix in the chocolate chips. Fill cupcake cases 1/2 full of chocolate cake batter. Then add 1 full teaspoon of cream cheese mixture to center. Top with more chocolate cake batter. Cupcake cups should be 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched in center.

Note: You can use peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chips for a wonderful peanut butter and chocolate taste.

And finally, a wonderful cream cheese dip to serve with either crackers or vegetables:

Horseradish & Cream Cheese Dip
2 packages (3 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use low fat)
1/4 teaspoon salt pepper to taste (experiment using both white and black pepper)
6 slices of bacon, crumbled
Mix the cream cheese, horseradish, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Add bacon pieces and mix. Refrigerate over night so flavors can blend.

This is just a small sample of what you can do with cream cheese as your main ingredient in recipes.

Audrey :)

Asian Chicken with Peanuts
from Campbell's Kitchen
Prep/Cook Time: 30 min.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (regular, Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. sesame oil (optional)
2 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into strips
2 cups broccoli flowerets
2 small red peppers, cut into 2-inch long strips (about 2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup salted peanut
Hot cooked regular long-grain white rice

Directions:
Stir the cornstarch, broth, soy, ginger and sesame oil in a medium bowl. Set the mixture aside.Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and stir-fry until it’s browned. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining oil. Add the broccoli, peppers and garlic. Stir-fry until the vegetables are tender-crisp. Stir the cornstarch mixture and stir it into the skillet. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Return the chicken to the skillet and add the peanuts and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve over the rice. Serves 4.

Audrey :)

Broiled Cheese and Egg Sandwich

Do you ever feel like breakfast at dinner time? These are fun sandwiches to make.

Broiled Cheese and Egg Sandwich

1/2 pound grated cheddar cheese
3 hard boiled eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons pimento, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon horseradish
4 hamburger buns
salt to taste

Peel and chop the hardboiled eggs. Combine all ingredients, except hamburger buns and mix. Spread mixture on bun halves. Broil 4 to 5 minutes and serve.

Note: If you want meat on the sandwich, add a slice of ham, a few slices of bacon or a sausage patty. Of course my daughter loves turkey on her sandwiches.

Audrey :)