Garlic Shrimp Scampi

Garlic Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package angel hair pasta

1/2 cup butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/3 cup white wine (I used Chardonnay)

3/4 cup dry bread crumbs

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions: 
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and return to a boil. Cook until al dente. Drain well.

In a large skillet, melt butter, saute garlic until tender. Add wine and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are light pink. The breadcrumbs are used to thicken sauce. Stir in a little at a time until you reach desired thickness.

Sever shrimp over angel hair pasta, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. 

Buffalo Shrimp

Buffalo Shrimp

Ingredients:

20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 egg, beaten

1 tablespoon yellow mustard 

2 teaspoons creole seasoning

2 teaspoons black pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

cooking oil minced parsley for garnish

For the Batter:

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons creole seasoning

1 teaspoon black pepper

For the Buffalo Sauce:

1 stick of butter

1 cup hot sauce (I used Frank's)

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions:

Preheat oil in a large pot to 350 degrees. Rinse, peel, devein shrimp. Leave the tail if desired.

Mix egg and mustard. Place shrimp in a large bowl, coat with spices, egg/mustard mixture and set aside. 

To prepare corn flour : Mix together ingredients in a freezer bag, shake well. Dip shrimp in the corn flour, coat well, and place into hot oil, mkaing sure not to overcrowd the pan. (I did mine in 2-3 batches) Cook shrimp for 2 minutes. Drain on paper towel. Immediately toss shrimp in buffalo sauce. 

To make buffalo sauce:

Mix all ingredients together in a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until butter is melted. Stir. 

3 Cheese Breakfast Casserole (Make the night before!)

This is a great breakfast to serve on Thanksgiving morning. It's so easy, because you can make it the night before and it feeds several too! Just bake some biscuits to go with it and maybe serve with some fresh fruit! It has bacon, eggs and 3 different kinds of cheese, all baked into a delicious, comforting breakfast casserole! Here's the recipe!

1 lb. sliced bacon, diced

1 med. sweet onion, chopped

4 cups frozen shredded O'Brien hash browns (or use plain if you like)

9 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup small curd cottage cheese

1 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir bacon and onion until bacon is evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer bacon and onion to a large bowl. Stir in potatoes, eggs, Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, and Swiss cheese. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.
3. Bake in preheated oven until eggs are set and cheese is melted, 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
4. Enjoy! And Happy Holidays!!

Turkey Brine Recipe

Turkey Brine Recipe

I like to "Wine and Brine" on Thanksgiving Eve! Open a nice bottle of wine and make my brine!! Trust me, if you want a really juicy, tasty bird then BRINE!!!

For the last 4 years I have brined my Thanksgiving turkey, and I don't think I'll ever prepare a turkey any other way! Brining is soaking your bird in a salty mixture that leaves your turkey very juicy, moist, tender and full of flavor! And it's really easy. Make sure that you use a fresh, not frozen and NOT self-basted turkey. The self-basted ones have a salty stock that's injected in them that would make your brined turkey WAY too salty. A fresh, natural turkey works best. You can use brining bags, but those oven roasting bags for turkeys work really well, just double them up to it won't tear from the weight.

Here's what you need:

3 cups apple cider

2 gallons cold water

1 bunch of rosemary (strip the leaves off the sprigs)

1 bunch of fresh sage (also strip the leaves from the sprigs)

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups kosher salt

2 cups brown sugar

4 T. peppercorns

6 whole bay leaves

the peel from 3 large oranges. (cut bottom off or orange, and cut the peelings off)

This will make enough brine for a 20 lb. turkey. Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover. You are going to LOVE the aroma--it smells like the holidays!! Remove from stove and let it cool completely. I like to set it outside on the patio so it will cool faster, just make sure it cools completely. Now, here comes the tricky part, you might need help. Place uncooked, fresh, clean turkey on it's bottom in the oven bag, and pour the cooled mixture over the turkey, then twist the bag up and secure with a twist tie. You can place it in a large cooler or a large pot. The cooler works very well, because it frees up space in your refrigerator, just cover with some ice. Let the turkey sit in the brine for 15-24 hours. Flipping the turkey halfway through so it will brine evenly. I like to keep the cooler in the garage or out on the patio if it's cool where you are!

When you are ready to cook the turkey, remove from the brine and place in a sink or pot of clean, cold water. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, to remove the salt. Remove the bird from the water and pat dry with a paper towel and cook the way you normally do.

Praline Sweet Potato Casserole

Praline Sweet Potato Casserole

Oh my goodness, this is one of the best side dishes you'll ever make!

Praline Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

4 cups mashed sweet potatoes (I used 40 oz. canned, drained)

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 pint heavy cream

1/4 lb. butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 1/4 cups chopped pecans

Instructions:

Prepare 2 quart baking dish by spraying with vegetable oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, sugar, vanilla, eggs and cream. Blend well. Spread evenly in baking dish.

Prepare the topping by combining the butter, brown sugar, flour and pecans. Mix until crumbly with a pastry knife. Sprinkle over potato mixture. Bake for 30 minutes.

Mini Apple Pies

Who doesn't love a nice, warm baked homemade apple pie??? This is a great idea, it allows your guests to have their own individual pies! They are so cute! Simply cook them in a muffin pan! I used refrigerated pie crusts to save time. And you can make them now and freeze them and they warm up easily! Perfect for the holidays!

Start with about 5 or 6 apples (Granny Smith are perfect) peel, core and chop into small 1/2 cubes.

In a pan melt butter and add apples, cinnamon and sugar. Toss to combine. Cook about 5 to 8 minutes, until the apples are still firm. Set aside to cool.

Unroll one of the pie crusts on a lightly floured surface. I used the rim of a pint jar, to cut out my mini pie crusts. It was the perfect size.

Place the crust into a muffin pan. Press each one evenly into the tin to fill the base and line the sides. The dough should be even with the top of the tin.

Fill the pies to the top with the apple mixture.

You can either cut out a slightly smaller crust and place on top using a finger to lightly moisten the edges of the top crusts and bottom crusts with a beaten egg wash to seal the crusts together. I chose to cut out small strips of dough to make a lattice on top. I takes a little longer, but I like the way they look!

Brush the tops with an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 30-35 minutes in a preheated oven. (350 degrees) Or until the pies are a nice and golden. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes before removing from the muffin tin. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Aren't they cute??? I love these little pies!

Mini Apple Pies

Ingredients:

6 large apples (Granny Smith work really well)

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

sugar, for sprinkling over the top

1 package of refrigerated pie crusts (I used Pillsbury)

Instructions: 
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Peel, core and chop apples. In a large pan, on medium heat melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add apples, cinnamon and sugar. Toss to combine. Cook for about 6-8 minutes, until apples are firm yet can be pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and let cool, slightly.

Unroll the pie crusts. Cut out circles of dough. Press each one evenly into the tin. The dough should be even with the top of the muffin tin. Using the second piece of dough, cut smaller circles, or use a pizza cutter and cut strips to make a lattice top on each pie. Fill pies to the brim with the apple mixture. Place top crusts on. Brush with egg whites. (If you choose to not do a lattice top, make sure a cut a small slit in the tops) Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a nice golden color. Cool pies for about 10-15 minutes before removing from the muffin tins.

Chicken Gruyere

Chicken Gruyere

OH MY! This recipe is fantastic! Chicken breasts browned in butter and olive oil, then baked with sauteed mushrooms, onions and white wine, then a final layer of grated Gruyere cheese! So delicious!! I served it over a bed of mashed potatoes.

Start by either pounding your chicken breasts or simply cut them in half, so they aren't so thick

Dredge chicken in flour, salt, pepper, parsley and dill.

In a large skillet melt butter and olive oil. Place chicken in skillet and brown each side.

When chicken is browned, remove and place in a 13 X 9 baking dish. Set aside.

Add more butter to the same skillet, let butter melt and add onion and mushrooms.

ahhhhh!!! Nothing smells better than onions and mushrooms soaking up all that butter!

Now for the fun part!!! WINE! Add the wine, and don't forget to pour yourself a glass too!

Let the wine blend with the other flavors, cook for about 5 minutes. Pour mixture over browned chicken. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

While chicken is baking, grate Gruyere cheese.After 20 minutes, take chicken out of the oven and sprinkle cheese over the top and bake for 10-15 more minutes.

And now it's ready! OH MY GOODNESS!!! It's so delicious!!!

I love the flavor of the Gruyere cheese! It just makes this recipe so wonderful!

Chicken Gruyere With Sauteed Mushrooms and Onions

Ingredients:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon dryed dill weed

1/4 butter, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 boneless chicken breasts, halved

1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 onion, sliced into course pieces or rings

1/2 cup white wine

8 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a shallow dish or plate, stir together the flour, salt, pepper, parsley and dill. Rinse chicken breasts, pat dry with a paper towel. Dredge chicken into flour mixture.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Place chicken into the hot butter and oil. Brown both sides. Transfer chicken to a 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside.

Add remaining butter to skillet and saute the mushrooms and onions until tender and lightly browned. Stir in white wine, reduce heat and simmer for about 4-5 minutes. Pour the mushroom mixture over chicken.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, sprinkle with cheese and bake (uncovered) for 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Pan Roasted Chicken In Parmesan Mushroom Sauce

Pan Roasted Chicken In Parmesan Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 can of chicken broth

1/2 heavy cream or half and half

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika ( or regular)

1/2 fresh ground pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Pound the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Heat butter, along with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Place flour, salt, Hungarian paprika and pepper on a plate and combine. Dredge chicken in flour mixture. Add to hot skillet. Cook until chicken is golden brown on each side. (about 5 minutes per side) Remove from pan. Let drain on a paper towel lined platter.

Add remaining olive oil to the pan. Add mushrooms. Cook until tender. Slowly add cream, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken broth. Add thyme and Parmesan cheese, stirring until it melts. Place chicken back into the pan, cover and reduce heat. Let simmer about 10 minutes, turning chicken half way through. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Fried Chicken Salad

Fried Chicken Salad

I had a couple pieces of cold fried chicken left over from the night before, so I de-boned it and created Fried Chicken Salad! It was really good! I left the crispy crust on too, for more added flavor!

Ingredients:

3-4 pieces of cold fried chicken, cut into small chunks

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

3 eggs, boiled, chopped

1 rib of celery, finely chopped

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon parsley

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon celery seed

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Remove meat and crust from left over chicken. Place in a medium bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes so the flavors can marry. Serve over your favorite bread.

Southern Zesty Fried Chicken

Southern Zesty Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces

salt and ground black pepper

1 quart buttermilk

2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (I used Frank's)

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon (plus 1 teaspoon) cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons paprika

salt and ground black pepper to taste

oil for frying (vegetable, canola or peanut oil)

Instructions:

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, place them in a deep-sided baking dish. 

Whisk together buttermilk, hot pepper sauce, Tabasco and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper in a bowl. Pour mixture over chicken pieces, making sure that all pieces are covered and coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

 

Remove chicken from the buttermilk mixture, shake off excess. Discard remaining buttermilk mixture. 

Place the flour, 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper (to taste) in a paper sack (a large plastic zipper bag will work also) Shake well to combine ingredients. Place 2 to 3 pieces of chicken at a time into the bag, shake well to coat the chicken pieces with the seasoned flour. 

Heat oil in deep fryer or large cast iron skillet to 350 degrees. Gently place chicken pieces into the hot oil, fry until chicken is cooked through and golden brown, 8-10 minutes for breasts and wings, and 13 to 15 minutes  for thighs and drumsticks. Drain on a paper towel lined platter. 

Spaghetti Hamburger Casserole

 Spaghetti Casserole

If you have kids, here's a recipe that even your pickiest eater will love! It's true comfort food! And it is very quick and easy to make. The original recipe was given to my by my good friend Dave Garrison. It was his mother's recipe, I've changed it up just a little bit! (sorry Dave) I really think you will enjoy it!!! The leftovers (if you have any) are even better!!

Spaghetti Hamburger Casserole

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef or ground chuck

1 medium chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)

1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

8 oz. sour cream

1 8 oz. pack cream cheese

1-1/2 cups shredded chedder cheese

1 8oz package spaghetti (I used angel hair pasta)

Instructions:

Brown the beef over medium-high heat. Drain fat. Add chopped onion, cooking until onions are tender. Stir in garlic, cooking for a couple minutes, making sure not to burn garlic. Add tomato sauce, salt, pepper, oregano and paprika. Stir, reduce heat, and cover. Let simmer for about 8-10 minutes.

Add cream cheese, stirring until it melts, then add sour cream. Blend well. Add drained pasta to the mixture. Mix well. Pour into a greased baking dish. Top with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Let set for about 10 minutes and serve.

Swedish Meatballs

Swedish Meatballs

Nothing beats these homemade meatballs, smothered in a creamy sour cream brown gravy. The meatballs are a combination of beef and pork, gently spiced with nutmeg and allspice. You can serve them as an appetizer or over a bed of noodles. They are so delicious!

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 pound of ground beef

1 pound of ground pork

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

salt and freshly ground pepper- to taste

For the gravy:

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

4 cups of beef broth

3/4 cup sour cream

salt and freshly ground pepper- to taste

2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Instructions:

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion, stir and cook until onions are tender and translucent. (About 3 minutes)

In a large bowl, mix together beef and pork, bread crumbs, eggs, allspice, nutmeg and cook onion. Season with salt and pepper. Blend well. Roll the mixture into 1 1/4-1 1/2 inch meatballs. In the skillet that you cook onions in, cook meatballs in batches, frying until all the side are brown, about 4 or 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.

To make the gravy :

When meatballs are all cooked, drain the grease from the skillet. Add butter. Let melt. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in beef broth and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened. Stir in sour cream, season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Stir in meatballs and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through and thickened, about 8- 10 minutes.

Serve immediately alone as an appetizer or over a bed of egg noodles or pasta. Garnish with parsley, if desired.

Flash Fried Spinach

Flash Fried Spinach Recipe

One of my favorite appetizers is flash fried spinach. It's so light and crispy and so good! You can sprinkle it with garlic salt and drizzle a little lemon over it to really make the flavor pop! Even if you don't like spinach, you should give this a try! So tasty and so HEALTHY!

Start out with some fresh spinach leaves. Heat your deep fryer to 375 degrees.

Add a handful of spinach to the basket.

After oil has heated, submerge spinach into oil for about 30 seconds.

Remove from oil and let drain on a paper towel lined platter. Let them drain until light and crispy. Salt and pepper to taste. (drizzle with lemon juice if desired, or sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Flash Fried Spinach

Ingredients:

4 cups peanut oil (or vegetable or canola oil)

1 10 oz. bag of fresh spinach

garlic salt to taste

pepper to taste

lemon juice squeezed from 1/2 lemon

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Place a large handful of fresh spinach in fryer basket, and submerge to cook for about thirty seconds. Drain spinach on paper towels, and repeat with remaining batches. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. (Or garlic salt and Parmesan cheese)

Spinach Artichoke Chicken

Spinach Artichoke Chicken

This is such an amazing, rich and wonderful chicken recipe! My husband LOVED it! I used fresh grated Parmesan cheese, it just tastes better. It also makes a great dip if you leave out the chicken.

First start out by browning your chicken breasts in a little oil. You won't need to cook them all the way through, just brown each side. After they are browned, place in a 13 x 9 baking dish.

Add spinach (frozen, that's been microwaved or thawed, and all the water squeezed out) Parmesan cheese, Mozzarella, artichoke hearts, and mayonnaise. Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread mixture over each chicken breast. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-40 minutes.

Spinach Artichoke Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (plus 1/2 cup for topping)

1/2 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese (plus 1/2 cup for topping)

1 cup mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a large skillet, heat oil. Brown each side of chicken breasts. Remove and place in a lightly oiled baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl, combine spinach, artichoke hearts, cheeses, and mayonnaise. Spread mixture over chicken breasts. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.