Chicken Cobb Salad

Ingredients:

Chopped romaine lettuce

Tyson frozen crispy chicken strips

boiled eggs, cut up

shredded cheddar cheese

chopped tomatoes

cooked and crumbled bacon

choice of salad dressing

Directions:

Microwave your chicken strips and cut them up.  Layer the lettuce, eggs, cheese, tomatoes, bacon, and chicken.  Top with your favorite salad dressing.  It's that easy!

Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwiches

I've been on a quest to find the most delicious chicken salad recipe for a while now.  I like most chicken salad recipes whether they include grapes and nuts or boiled eggs and pickle relish, but I still felt something was missing.  When I came across this recipe recently it sounded so good!  And let me tell you, it is the best chicken salad I have ever tasted.  I was eating it like candy and just couldn't stop!  My favorite way to eat chicken salad is on a croissant, but it is good on crackers or most any type of bread.

Ingredients:

1 whole rotisserie chicken, shredded

1 cup finely diced celery

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1 medium red delicious apple, peeled and chopped

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup mayonnaise

12 croissants

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients until well combined.  Put about 2 Tbsp on each croissant.

Serve immediately.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

It tastes as good as it looks!  Cheesecake is my favorite!  My all time favorite cheesecake has been Caramel Brownie Cheesecake for years, but this recipe now ties for first place.  It is very rich, so a small sliver will do, and I think cheesecake tastes better with coffee.  May be it's the bitter taste of the coffee that rounds out the rich sweetness of the cheesecake.  Don't be turned off by the amount of work it takes to make this recipe.  It is worth all the effort.  First, you make the oreo crust from scratch and set it in the refrigerator to chill.  Then, you make the eggless cookie dough from scratch, scoop out balls of dough onto a plate, and let them sit in the freezer while you mix up the cheesecake.  After you mix the cheesecake ingredients, you fold in the cookie dough and some more chocolate chips and pour into your crust.  It has to bake for an hour, sit in the hot oven with the door cracked for an hour, cool to room temperature on a wire rack for about an hour, and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.  So don't plan on making this the day you want to eat it.  Cheesecake keeps in the refrigerator for a week, and I think the taste gets better every day.

Ingredients:
For the crust:
24 Oreo cookies (whole cookie, including the filling) crushed
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

For the cookie dough:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 Tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

For the cheesecake:
32 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Grease a 9 in springform pan with Crisco and flour.
3.  Mix butter and Oreos for crust and press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan.  Set in refrigerator.
4.  To make cookie dough, cream together the butter and both sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5.  Add the milk and vanilla, and mix until blended.
6.  Blend in the flour and salt just until combined.
7.  Stir in the mini chocolate chips with a spatula.
8.  Scoop teaspoon size portions of the dough and place on a large plate in the freezer.
9.  To make the cheesecake, beat the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt with an electric mixer until creamy and no more lumps of cheesecake remain, about 3 minutes.
10.  Add the heavy cream and vanilla, and beat to combine.
11. Beat in the eggs and yolk one at a time, beating for about 15 seconds before adding the next.  Using a spatula, scrape down the sides and evenly incorporate.
12.  Fold in the balls of cookie dough and the mini chocolate chips.
13.  Pour the filling into the chilled crust and spread into an even layer.
14.  Place the pan on a foil lined baking sheet, and bake 45-60 minutes.  The outer couple of inches should look puffed and the center still jiggly.
15.  Turn off the oven, crack the door, and leave the cheesecake inside for an hour.
16.  Place cheesecake on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, and run a knife around the edge of the cake
17.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

*Leftover cheesecake can be stored in refrigerator for up to one week.

Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

My mom made this cake all the time when I was a kid.  She sprinkled powdered sugar on top, so I may do that next time I make it.  It tastes great fresh, but even better the next day.  Be sure not to over bake so that it will be a little gooey.

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
8 oz cream cheese
2 sticks butter, melted, divided
3 eggs, divided
1 tsp vanilla
 16 oz powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Combine cake mix, 1 stick butter, and 1 egg with blender.
3.  Pat the mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.
4.  Beat the cream cheese with blender.
5.  Add the vanilla, 1 stick butter, and 2 eggs, blend.
6.  Blend in the powdered sugar.
7.  Spread over the cake batter and bake 40-50 minutes.

Chicken Manicotti with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce

This is a Southern Living recipe that requires a few steps to make but is worth it!  We usually add salad and garlic bread on the side and the kids eat this dish really well.


Ingredients:
8 oz package manicotti shells
4 cups cooked chopped chicken
16 oz chive and onion cream cheese
10 package frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper

ROASTED RED BELL PEPPER SAUCE
14 oz jar roasted red bell peppers, drained (these are found by the pickles)
16 oz jar Alfredo sauce
3 oz shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.
3.  Stir together chicken and next 6 ingredients.
4.  Cut pasta shells lengthwise on one side.
5.  Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture into each shell, gently press cut sides together.
6.  Place cut side down in lightly greased baking dish.
7.  To make sauce, process all 3 ingredients in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides.  8.  Pour sauce evenly over shells.
9.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Quinoa with Corn and Green Onions

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked quinoa

2 - 15 oz can corn, drained

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 tsp pepper

1 TBSP honey

2 TBSP lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

4 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1.  Cook quinoa according to package directions.

2.  In a bowl, mix butter, pepper, honey, lemon juice, and salt.

3.  Add quinoa, corn, and green onions to bowl and toss to coat with dressing.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
8 oz elbow macaroni
2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter, plus 2 TBSP
2 TBSP flour
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
pinch of paprika 

Directions:
1.  Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.
2.  Melt butter on stovetop.  Add flour and stir.
3.  Add milk stirring constantly.
4.  Stir in cheeses and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and sauce is slightly thickened.
5.  Put macaroni in 9x13 baking dish.
6.  Pour cheese sauce over macaroni and stir until well mixed.
7.  Melt 2 TBSP butter over medium heat.  Add bread crumbs and brown.
8.  Spread bread crumbs over macaroni and sprinkle with paprika.
9.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.