Bacon Chicken

Ingredients:
6 slices bacon
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I only had four... but whatever!)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cook bacon in 12" skillet until crisp, about 4-6 minutes. Crumble bacon and set aside.

Pour bacon grease out of skillet, but don't wash or wipe it. Add butter and olive oil to skillet. Saute chicken breasts in this mixture over medium heat, until chicken is cooked and no longer pink in center.

Place chicken in ungreased 12x8" baking dish.

Cook onion and garlic in drippings remaining in skillet. Cook until onion is softened, then stir in salt, pepper, and cooked bacon.

Spoon over chicken breasts and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted.



Both the hubby and I loved this dish! We will be making it again. It was VERY tasty and flavorful. I used Maple flavored bacon and that may have added a little bit more flavor. I maybe would like to try adding mushrooms or a white cheese like swiss or pepper jack.

White Sugar Cookies

Ingredients: 1 Cup Butter 1 Cup Powdered Sugar 1 Egg 1 1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract 2 1/2 Cups Flour 1 Teaspoon Salt Cream buttter. Add powdered sugar gradually. Cream well. Add egg, almond extract and vanilla extract. Cream well. Sift flour and salt together and add to creamed mixture. Blend. Roll to 1/8 inch thick on well floured canvas. Cut with cookie cutters. Sprinkle with sugar if you don't plan to frost. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-19 minutes. Makes 5 dozen depending on the size of your cookie cutter.

Peanut Butter Balls

Ingredients: 1/2 cup peanut butter 3 tbsp butter softened 1 cup powder sugar 8 oz. Chocolate bark Mix peanut butter and softened butter. Add powder sugar slowly until combined. Form into 1 in. balls. I tossed them into the freezer to make them harden a bit, maybe 5 - 10 minuets. Microwave chocolate bark in microwave, stirring in intervals. (See package if you plan to melt on the stove in a double broiler). Remove peanut butter balls from freezer and dip in chocolate to coat. Place on parchment papered cookie sheet and return to freezer to harden. After 15 minuets, remove and put into an air tight container and leave them in the fridge until serving. Oh, okay... go ahead and sample JUST ONE :)

Original recipe from Jessica K.
 

Mom's Banana Bread

Ingredients for two loaves
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons butter
4 bananas
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons vinegar

Yep... we forgot about our bananas. But, to us that only means a batch of delicious banana bread!

Mix eggs, sugar, butter and bananas. I slice the butter into tiny pieces so that it is dispersed throughout the bread. I also mash the bananas before creaming with eggs, sugar and butter.


Add flour, baking soda, and salt to banana mixture. Add milk. Mix with hand mixer. See the little bits of butter. Yum.


If you would like to add nuts I suggest walnuts, chopped. Add them at this point and stir.

Pour into greased loaf pan. Add a layer of nuts on the top if you have a plain version and a nut version so you can tell them apart.

NOTE: I have a mini loaf pan which takes the same amount of batter as two regular loaf pans.


Bake 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Fruit Pizza

Ingredients:
1 package (18 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese softened
1/3 cup sugar
4 cups assorted fresh fruit such as strawberries, bananas, kiwi, blueberries, etc (any fruit really)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place cookie dough on round baking stone, spread out in circle and cook 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool.

For topping, combine cream cheese and sugar and spread over cookie dough, then start placing on the fruit.
FYI It works better if you start from the outside edge and work your way inward, unlike what I did working from the center to the outside edge because then I had to overlap them from the wrong side...

Tomato Basil Squares

Ingredients:
1 (10 oz.) pkg. pizza crust
2 C. (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 oz. (1/4 C.) Parmesan cheese, grated
2 T. fresh basil leaves, snipped, OR
2 tsp. dried basil leaves
2/3 C. mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Using lightly floured pizza roller, roll out pizza crust on rectangle baking stone to within 1 in of edge of stone. Sprinkle crust with one cup of the mozzarella cheese; set aside.

Grate Parmesan cheese. Using kitchen shears, snip basil.

In 1-quart bowl, combine the remaining mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil and mayonnaise; mix well. Press garlic over cheese mixture. Mix well.

Thinly slice tomatoes; arrange in single layer over mozzarella cheese on crust.

Place mozzarella cheese mixture over tomatoes spread to cover evenly. Bake 15-20 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbly. Cut with pizza cutter. Serve with miniature serving spatula.

New Orleans Crab Dip

Ingredients:
4oz fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 package (8oz) imitation crab meat, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 1/2 tbsp Cajun Herb Seasoning Mix

In a bowl, microwave cream cheese on high for 30 seconds until softened; whisk in mayonnaise.

Chop crab meat. Chop celery & pepper.

Add crab meat, celery, bell pepper, garlic & seasoning mix to cream cheese mixture; mix well.



Spoon crab mixture into chilled bowl.

Serve with Canapé Bread Slices.

Yield: 12 servings

Touch Down Taco Dip

Ingredients:
1 can (16 oz) refried beans
small piece of onion
1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup black olives
2 garlic cloves
1 pkg. (1.25 oz) taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1 small tomato
tortilla or corn chips

Preheat oven to 375.

Spread refried beans into bottom of deep dish baker.

Combine cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning in bowl. Press garlic; add to cream cheese mixture.

Core tomato and chop. Chop onion and olives. Sprinkle tomato, olives and onion over cream cheese mixture.
Top with cheddar cheese. Bake 25-30 minutes or until hot. Serve with sour cream and chips.

Microwave variation: Microwave on High for 3 minutes; turn. Cook on High an additional 2-3 minutes or until mixture is bubbly around edges.

Cheesy Spinach Pinwheels

Ingredients:
1 can (8 ounces) Pillsbury(R) Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1/3 cup gourmet spreadable cheese with garlic and herbs*
4 slices (1 ounce each) thinly sliced deli ham
1/2 cup packed spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 375°F. Separate dough into four rectangles on
smooth side of Large Grooved Cutting Board. Press seams to seal.

Using Small Spreader, spread each rectangle with about 11/2
tablespoons cheese to within 1/4 inch of edges. Top with 1 slice ham
and spinach leaves.

Starting at short side, roll up each rectangle; pinch edges to
seal. Cut each roll crosswise into six slices using Serrated Bread Knife for
a total of 24 slices. Place slices, cut side down, on Large Round Stone.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven to Stackable
Cooling Rack. Serve warm using Mini-Serving Spatula.

Yield: 24 pinwheels

Nutrients per serving: (1 pinwheel): Calories 60, Total Fat 3.5 g,
Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Carbohydrate 4 g, Protein 2 g,
Sodium 160 mg, Fiber 0 g

* Cook's Tip: If desired, 1/3 cup regular cream cheese spread, 1 garlic
clove pressed with the Garlic Press and 1/2 teaspoon Pantry Italian
Seasoning Mix can be substituted for the flavored gourmet spreadable
cheese.

Bean Salsa

Ingredients:
1 can garbanzo chick peas - drained and rinsed
1 can black beans - drained and rinsed
1/2 yellow pepper
1 green pepper
1/2 white onion
Italian Salad Dressing

Chop onion and peppers and place into large mixing bowl.

Drain and rinse both black beans and garbanzo beans

Mix all ingredients in bowl. Add Italian Dressing to coat mixture - maybe 4 Tbsp. Serve with Tostitios.