Southwestern Eggrolls

(this is maybe my favorite thing ever)

Ingredients:

2 tbl oil

1 chicken breast

2 tbl minced green onion

2 tbl minced red pepper

1/3 C frozen corn kernels

1/4 C blak beans, rinsed/drained

2 tbl frozen chopped spinach

2 tbl diced jalapeno

1/2 tbl fresh minced parsley

1/2 tsp cumin

1/3 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 pinch cayenne

3/4 C monterrey jack cheese

5 6 in flour tortillas

1 qt oil

Directions:

• Rub 1 tbl veg oil over chicen. cook chicken 5 min per side medium heat.
• Heat 1 tbl oil and stir in onion and red pepper. Sautee about 5 minutes.
• Dice chicken add to onion and peppers. Add remaining ingredients (through cayenne pepper). Sautee maybe 5 more minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in cheese.
• Spooned into warmed tortillas and wrap them closed, like a burrito.
• Freeze for 4 hours.
• Deep fry in quart of oil (375 degrees) 10 minutes each.

(So the deep frying part you'll have to experiment with . We've done these with egg roll wrappers which we prefer to the tortillas. I've also just wrapped up the stuff in a burrito and cooked it in the oven at 375 for 10 minutes so the tortillas are crispy (don't have to freeze to do this). You can also just bake egg rolls if you don't like deep frying.)

Baked Artichoke-Spinach Dip

Ingredients:

1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 C dairy sour cream

1/2 C mayonnaise or salad dressing

1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese

1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard

Dash White pepper

1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

1 C loosely packed, coarsely hopped spinach leaves

1/2 C finely chopped red onion

Pita wedges, thinly sliced French bread, and/or assorted crackers

Directions:

Combine mozzarella cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, 1/4 C of the parmesan cheese, mustard and pepper. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach, and onion. Spread mixture evenly into a 9-icnh pie plate. sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 C parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven about 15 minutes or until heated through.

(make ahead directions-prepare as above. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Uncover and bake about 25 minutes.)

Creme Brule French Toast

This is our breakfast tradition on Christmas morning. I also make it for brunches and I have been known to make it for dinner when I've really had a craving for it!

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbs corn syrup
1 loaf Challah bread
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups of half and half
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

In a small saucepan melt butter and add sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat. Stir until smooth. Pour into a 13x9x2 baking dish. (I usually make 1 and half the amount of sauce. I have tried doubling the amount and that can be too sweet but I do prefer adding an additional half amount of the sauce)

Cut 6 slices from the center of the bread about 1 inch thick, reserving the rest of the bread for another use. Arrange the bread slices in the dish that the sauce was poured into, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a bowl whisk together half and half, eggs, salt, and vanilla until they are mixed well. Pour over the bread evenly. Wrap the dish and chill it for 8 hours or up to one day.

In the morning preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring the bread mixture to room temperature (about 20 minutes) before placing into oven. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until puffed and edges are a pale golden. Serve hot.

Note: You can get Challah (pronounced Holla) at Market street. You just have to call in advance and order it. It's $3.99 a loaf and the bread is what really makes this dish yummy. You could probally use other types of bread but I haven't tried any.

My Hawaiian Haystack Style

I was cleaning out my email when I found this recipe from Melanie Hill. It tasted so delicious at Lorraine's baby shower. I hope you don't mind me posting it here Melanie!!

Ingredients:

2 cups of white rice

1 can of already cooked white chicken breast (flake before adding)

OR 1 cup of already cooked shredded or cubed chicken (depending on how you like the consistency of your meat to be)

2 cans of Pineapple Tidbits or chunks ( save the juice! )

2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup

2 cups of chopped celery

2 cups of cheddar cheese

1 cup of coconut (optional)

Chowmein noodles (optional topping, or for those that don’t like rice)

Start cooking your rice, whether on the stove or in a rice cooker.

For Sauce: Drain your pineapple very well and save the juice, add the juice to a medium size cooking pot and place on stove. Add the cream of chicken soup. Mix and heat at a medium setting, stirring occasionally. After 5 minutes add chicken, I have found the canned chicken to be easy and doesn’t cost that much more. I flake this just before adding to the pot. Continue to have this heat to a boiling. Once it is boiling, put on simmer until ready to serve.

While your Sauce is heating: Chop your celery and place in dish to serve, grate your cheese and place in dish. You can also have coconut in a dish as an optional topping. You are ready to go as soon as your rice is cooked.

This will serve 6-8 people.

How to make a Hawaiian Haystack: On your plate place a scoop of rice or if you don’t like rice put some Chowmein noodles down. Add Whatever toppings you like, but if you are going to have cheese add next so that when you add the sauce next it melts the cheese. After the sauce, add any of the other toppings you want. Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe doesn't have anything to do with Christmastime, except that it's so EASY and SO good that it will make any hectic holiDAY merry and bright. If you have a can opener, you can make this!

2 cans Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
2 cans chicken broth
1 can refried beans
1 can whole kernal corn
1 can black beans
2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Corn chips
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Combine all ingredients except corn and beans in a crock pot and cook for about 6-8 hours. Shred chicken and add corn and beans. Serve with tortilla chips and top with cheese.

Stanton Christmas Cheeseball

(makes one large, or 2 small)

1 8oz. package cream cheese (left soften to room temp)
5 oz. of grated sharp cheddar cheese
pinch of salt
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. sugar
2 green onions chopped
1/2 of a green pepper chopped
2 oz. jar of pimento (drained )

Mix all together, shape into ball(s) and refrigerate overnight.

Roll in chopped walnuts or slivered almonds right before serving.
Goes great with Wheat Thins, Ritz etc...

Sharee Isaksen

Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast

Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast

Ingredients:

12 slices white bread, crusts removed
2 packages (16 ounces total) cream cheese
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
12 eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup maple syrup or other syrup.

Sauce:

1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon butter

Preparation: Cut bread into 1-in cubes; place half in a greased 13- x 9-i x 2-inch baking dish.Cut cream cheese into 1-inch cubes; place over bread. Top with blueberries and remaining bread. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in milk and syrup, blending well. Pour egg mixture over bread mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 25-30 minutes more or until golden brown and the center is set.

In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; add water. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in blueberries; reduce heat. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until berries have burst. Stir in butter until melted.
Serve sauce with French toast.

Serves 6 to 8
( I have tried it with peaches too) Very YUMMY!

Sky-High Brunch Bake

I got this from a Kraft Foods magazine. It's relatively simple, yet seems semi-impressive. Oh, and tastes good too!

Ingredients:

1 pkg (17.3 oz) frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed

6 eggs

1 C ricotta Cheese

Dash hot pepper sauce

2 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

4 slices cooked bacon chopped

1 1/2 shredded cheddar cheese

1 C chopped red peppers

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400. Unfold puff pastry sheets and roll out one sheet to about an 11 inch square and one to about a 12 inch square.
• Line bottom and side of greased 9-inch springform pan with 12-inch pastry sheet
• Beat eggs in medium bowl with wire whisk. Reserve 1 tbsp eggs; set aside. Add ricotta cheese, pepper sauce, and spinach to eggs in bowl; mix until blended.
• Layer half each of the bacon, cheese, spinach mixture and red peppers in pastry-lined pan. Repeat Layers.
• Place remaining pastry sheet over mixture; fold and tuck pastry edges into pan to enclose filling. PInch edges to seal.
• Brush surface with reserved egg; pierce pastry several times to form vents or slits, which will allow steam to escape during baking. Bake 45 to 55 min. or until top is golden brown. cool 10 min. Run small knife around edge of pan before removing.

Makes 12 servings.

melt in you mouth sugar cookies

This is one cookie I remember making with my mom at Christmas time. It always seemed like so much fun to get to press the cup in the cookie dough!!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 C flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C butter, softened (no substitutions)

1/2 C confectioners' sugar

1/2 C granulated sugar, plus

2 tbl granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 C vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter, confectioners sugar, and 1/2 C granulated sugar on medium speed about 2 min or until creamy. Reduce speed to low, beat in egg, then beat in oil and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl.

Place remaining 2 tbsp sugar in a small bowl or saucer. Shape dough by rounded tsp into 3/4 inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Dip punch cup or glass with raised or cut design on bottom, or coarse side of meat mallet into sugar in bowl, use to flatted each ball into a 1 1/2 inch round (I use food coloring in the sugar to color the cookies).

Bake 10-11 min until edges are golden. Transfer to wire rack to cool. Store cookies in tightly covered container at room temp up to 1 week or in freezer up to 3 months.

sweet chex mix

got this recipe from good friend Janae Black. it's a favorite and an easy treat to make for neighborhood christmas treat gifts.

1/2 box corn chex

1/2 box rice chex

1/2 box golden grahams

2 C coconut

1 C silvered almonds

mix above ingredients together

Sauce

3/4 C butter

1 C sugar

1 C white karo syrup

pour sauce over dry ingredients

stir

pour a single layer on waxed paper to set.