Breaded Ranch Chicken

This is really easy to make and super good! It is one of those recipes that I have to be careful not to wear out, because I use it so often. You won't be disappointed if you give it a try.

3/4 C. crushed cornflakes
3/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix


1/2 C. butter or margarine, melted

Boneless Skinless chicken breast halves

In a shallow bowl, combine the cornflakes, Parmesan cheese and salad dressing mix. Dip chicken in butter, then roll in cornflake mixture to coat. Place in a greased 9/13 baking dish. Bake, uncovered, 350 for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

Cafe Rio Pork burritos, lime rice and pico de gallo

Cafe Rio Pork Burritos
Burritos:
4 lb pork
5 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1 TBS pressed garlic
1 1/2-3 C. brown sugar
4 tsp cumin
4 C. dr. pepper
2-4 TBS molasses
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
uncooked tortillas
monterey jack cheese
green enchilada sauce

Mix all together in crock pot, except tortillas, cheese and enchilada sauce. Shred pork and put back in juice. Cook tortillas in frying pan. Fill (see Lime rice recipe to follow- great inside- and add your favorite beans). Smother with monterey jack cheese and green enchilada sauce. Bake till heated through. (I put the cheese inside the burritos too..)

*A healthier version that works is to cook pork separately, shred then put in- takes the fat out of the mixture- but its so good when its cooked IN with everything else!

Amazing Fall Dessert

We went to an apple orchard this week and came home with 16 pounds of apples (the kids were in charge of picking)!!! So in my quest to find many ways to use such a large amount of apples, I searched through Allrecipes for the perfect apple crisp. I hate when there is way too much apples and not enough of the yummy crust! This recipe is fabulous!!!! It seriously is the best apple crisp I've ever had and I usually don't like apple crisp. I'll post the recipe with some of the variations that others have made since I thought it turned out so yummy. I like it served a little warm best.

Apple Crisp

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
2 1/3 C rolled oats (I only had instant oats and it was still great)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 1/2 C butter
3 quarts peeled, cored, sliced apples (I used 2 qts)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Cut butter into mixture until crumbly (I just used my hands).

Cheese Scones

2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
pink cayenne pepper
2 c. grated mature cheddar (Irish cheddar from Costco, Trader Joe's, or Wegman's works best)
1 c. full fat milk

1. Preheat oven to 430 degrees.
2. Sift dry ingredients together or stir with a whisk.
3. Add cheese, then milk. Mix lightly.
4. Turn onto a lightly floured tray, shape into a rectangle 3 cm (just more than an inch) high. Cut into at least 8 (my sister-in-law likes up to 20 smaller squares).
5. Slightly bake 15-20 minutes until golden.

Joanna
Provo, UT

Ham and Spinach Strata

My friend Melissa posted this recipe on her blog recently. I haven't tried it yet, but I think it looks delish, so I thought I would share it here. She listed the actual recipe, and then improvised here and there--those minor changes are in italics. I am excited to try it!

3 or 4 large day-old croissants we used 4
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
8 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
3/4 cup diced ham we used 1 1/2 cups
6 eggs
2 1/4 cups half-and-half
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil

1. Butter a 9- by 13-inch casserole. Using a serrated knife, cut the croissants into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes (you will need 6 cups) and scatter half of them in the casserole. Set the remaining cubes aside for now.

Easy, yummy pasta

I have a stuffed shells recipe that is really good--but time consuming to make. So when my friend sent me this recipe, I thought we'd give it a try. It has the same good flavor as the shells and is SO much easier. It's become a regular on our menu. We think it's really good.

Baked Spaghetti

Mix these ingredients together and place in a 9x13 baking dish:
12 oz angel hair pasta, cooked
1 egg
1 C parmesan cheese
2 T chopped basil

Mix these together and place on top of the pasta.
1 lb hamburger, cooked

Lean 'N Green Chili

This recipe is flavorful, unique, and reliable. It's also low fat, low cholesterol, and low calorie. I've put a lot of the ingredients together in ziplock bags and put it together at a friend's house before. Might I suggest ending the meal with some giant ripe strawberries that are at the store right now and dipping them in powdered sugar? So perfect.

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas, divided
2 tsp vegetable oil, divided
1-2 medium poblano chile peppers or 1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
1 tsp ground cumin
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 (14.5 oz.) cans fat free chicken broth
2 (15 oz.) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cups salsa verde or 1 (10 oz.) can green chile enchilada sauce
2 Tbsp snipped fresh cilantro

Breaded Ranch Chicken

This is really easy to make and super good! It is one of those recipes that I have to be careful not to wear out, because I use it so often. You won't be disappointed by it!

3/4 C. crushed cornflakes
3/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

1/2 C. butter or margarine, melted

Boneless Skinless chicken breast halves

In a shallow bowl, combine the cornflakes,

Mexican Chocolate Cream Pie

This pie is so yummy and pretty easy too!

Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 10-12 minutes
Chill time: 30 minutes

1 refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on package
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 12-oz. container of frozen whipped topping, thawed OR 1 8-oz. container of frozen whipped topping, thawed AND some canned whipped cream
1 8-oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk
1 3.9-oz. package chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Gently unroll crust onto lightly floured surfaced. Roll to an 11 1/2" circle. Place crust in pie plate, pressing dough into bottom and up sides. Prick bottom and sides using fork. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven, cool completely.

Pumpkin Waffles

we made these over the holidays and they were the best waffles I've ever had. My husband was a huge skeptic of them and has now declared that we should eat everything with this syrup! I think I could have eaten the whole batch myself (aside from the caloric intake). I promise you won't be disappointed.

PUMPKIN WAFFLES

4 eggs separated
1 ½ cups milk
1 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup margarine
1 T Vanilla
2 cups flour
2 T baking powder
1 T cinnamon
1 T sugar
½ tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt

Beat egg yolks then add milk, pumpkin, margarine, and vanilla. Mix together dry ingredients and then add flour mixture. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into mixture. Cool in fridge several hours or overnight. Serve with hot buttermilk syrup.