Linda's Cheesy Chicken Casserole

This is a recipe we wrote down on a piece of paper and can never find, so we often ask Linda for it. We finally got around to adding it to this blog so it will be nice to make it more easily. It's super easy and super delicious, especially on a cool day. --Mark

Ingredients

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and cooled

broccoli florets, blanched

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup sour cream

salt and pepper

shredded cheddar cheese

butter

homemade breadcrumbs

rice or pasta

Instructions

Cook the chicken, then chill and shred. 

Then mix cream of chicken soup with the milk and sour cream. Add lots of salt and pepper as well as cheddar cheese. Mix in the chicken and broccoli. Pour into a baking dish.

Melt butter in a saucepan and mix in the breadcrumbs. Place on top of the chicken mixture.

Bake until hot and bubbly. Serve over rice or pasta.

Mexican Street Corn Dip

We happened to have a bunch of fresh corn and needed a new way to prepare it. This dip did the trick! It was so delicious and paired really well with our Christmas fajita dinner! --Mark

 
Ingredients

2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, to your taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cups corn (3-4 raw)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
4 tablespoon salted butter
1/3 cup olive oil mayo or use plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
1 ear grilled corn, kernels removed from the cob
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped


Directions

1. Mix the spices. In a bowl, combine the chili powder, paprika, cayenne, and a pinch of salt.

2. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add the corn, garlic, 1 teaspoon of the spice mix, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the corn is softened, 5 minutes.

3. Reduce the heat to low. Mix in the cream cheese until melted and creamy. Stir in the sour cream. Cook until warmed throughout. If desired, thin the dip with milk.

4. In a separate skillet, melt the butter until golden. Mix in 3 teaspoons of the spice mix, plus a pinch of chili flakes and salt. Cook another minute, then remove from the heat.

5. Mix the mayo and lime juice with a pinch of salt.

6. Spoon the dip into a wide serving bowl. Top with grilled corn and drizzle the mayo and spicy butter over the corn. Sprinkle on the cheese and cilantro. Serve with lots of chips for scooping!


Notes

Grilling the ear of corn over the flame on the gas stove worked well.

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/street-corn-dip/

Cinnamon-Roasted Butternut Squash

 We had some cubed butternut squash and Stacy went looking for a unique recipe. This one was so good we knew we had to save it. The squash was the perfect tenderness and the flavors blended really well. This was a great find! --Mark

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash about 3 pounds, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt do not use table salt, or the recipe will be too salty (or reduce the amount and add a bit at the end as needed)

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Directions

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Generously coat two baking sheets with nonstick spray.

2.Place the squash cubes in a large bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and maple syrup, then sprinkle the salt, cinnamon, and pepper over the top. Toss to coat, then divide between the two baking sheets, discarding any excess liquid with that collects at the bottom of the bowl. Spread the cubes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets, taking care that they do not overlap.

3. Place the pans in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven, turn the cubes with a spatula, then return to the oven, switching the pans’ positions on the upper and lower racks. Continue baking until the squash is tender, about 10 to 15 additional minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the rosemary over the top. Serve warm.

Notes

https://www.wellplated.com/cinnamon-roasted-butternut-squash/

Morning Mocha Rolls

Kate makes these for our anniversary every year and it's one of the best gifts ever! It makes all the work worth it. Easy for me to say, I know.  --Mark

Ingredients

DOUGH:

3 cups all-purpose flour, (375 g)

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast, (about 1 1/2 packets)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup lukewarm milk

3 large eggs, (beaten in a bowl)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, (cubed and at room temperature)

FILLING:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, (at room temperature)

1 tablespoon baking cocoa powder

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Pinch kosher salt

3 ounces dark chocolate, (chopped and melted)

1 tablespoon espresso or very strongly brewed coffee

GLAZE:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, (at room temperature)

4 ounces cream cheese, (at room temperature)

2 cups powdered sugar, (sifted)

Pinch kosher salt

2 tablespoons strongly brewed coffee or espresso

Directions

TO MAKE THE DOUGH: 

1. To the bowl of a stand-up mixer (alternatively, you can do this in a large bowl by hand), mix together the flour, sugar, Fleischmann’s® RapidRise® Yeast and salt.

2. Pour in the warm milk and beaten eggs. Mix together until mostly combined and then add in the cubed butter, one cube at a time until it comes together. Knead for about 5 minutes by hand or in the machine. The dough will be slightly sticky—that’s ok! Grease a bowl with oil or cooking spray and transfer the dough to the bowl, spraying or coating the top.

3. Cover with a lid or clean kitchen towel and allow to rise for 30 minutes. It should be soft and supple; it’ll have risen about 1/4 of the size.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:

1. To the bowl of a stand-up mixer (with the paddle attachment) or using a medium bowl and a fork, add the butter, cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and pinch of kosher salt

2. Mix until the filling is completely smooth. Pour in the cooled dark chocolate and mix it all together. Lastly, add the espresso or strongly brewed coffee and mix together until smooth.

TO ASSEMBLE THE ROLLS:

1. Remove the dough from the bowl. Lightly flour your work surface and place the dough into the center. Lightly flour your rolling pin and roll the dough into a 1/8-inch thick rectangle that measures 15“x22“ If it’s not a perfect rectangle, that’s totally ok.

2. Add the filling to the rectangle of dough, spreading it out into an even very thin layer, stopping from about 1/2-inch from the edges. Roll the dough farthest from you, going toward you.

3. Using a serrated knife OR a piece of unflavored floss, trim off the ends. And then cut the log of dough into 12 equal pieces. Mine measured about to be 1 1/2-inches long. Transfer to a greased 9×13-inch baking pan or baking sheet. You can also use multiple baking dishes. Whichever works best for you.

4. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rise for an additional 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until puffy and lightly golden brown.

TO MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE ICING:

1. To the bowl of a stand-up mixer (or a large bowl) with the paddle attachment, beat together the cream cheese until smooth. Next, add in the butter and beat again until smooth.

2. Add the sifted powdered sugar and salt and beat for about 1 minute, until light and fluffy. Pour in the espresso and mix again until smooth.

TO SERVE:

1. When the rolls come out of the oven, pour the half or ALL of the icing over the rolls and smother the with the icing.

Notes: https://www.acozykitchen.com/mocha-morning-rolls

Peach Cobbler

We had an overabundance of peaches at the end of the summer, so what better way to use them than to make a cobbler. I went looking for a new and interesting recipe and this is what I found. It was the best cobbler recipe we've ever made. --Mark

Ingredients

5 peaches , peeled, cored and sliced (about 4 cups) 

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

For the batter: 

6 Tablespoons butter 

1 cup all-purpose flour 

1 cup granulated sugar 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

3/4 cup milk ground cinnamon 

Directions 

1. Add the sliced peaches, sugar and salt to a saucepan and stir to combine. If using canned peaches, skip steps 1 & 2 and follow the directions starting at step 3.

2. Cook on medium heat for just a few minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and helps to bring out juices from the peaches. Remove from heat and set aside. 

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice butter into pieces and add to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place the pan in the oven while it preheats, to allow the butter to melt. Once melted, remove the pan from the oven. 

4. In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the milk, just until combined. Pour the mixture into the pan, over the melted butter and smooth it into an even layer. 

5. Spoon the peaches and juice (or canned peaches, if using) over the batter. Sprinkle cinnamon generously over the top. 

6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 38-40 minutes. Serve warm, with a scoop of ice cream, if desired. 

Notes 

To substitute canned peaches, use 1 quart jar, undrained.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Stacy got a hankering for pumpkin pancakes so I went looking for a recipe. This one did the trick. Rave reviews from everyone--Mark

Ingredients  

1 ½ cups milk 

1 cup pumpkin puree 

1 large egg 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 

2 tablespoons vinegar 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

3 tablespoons brown sugar 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon ground allspice 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

½ teaspoon ground ginger 

½ teaspoon salt 

cooking spray

Directions

Stir milk, pumpkin, egg, oil, and vinegar together in a large bowl until well combined.

Whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and salt together in a separate bowl. Add to pumpkin mixture; whisk just until combined.

Spray a griddle or frying pan with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat.

Pour 3 to 4 tablespoons batter for each pancake onto the hot griddle and flatten batter slightly with a spoon.

Cook until small bubbles appear, about 2 minutes.

Flip and cook until golden brown, about 2 more minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

Notes

Instead of separate spices I used 2 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. I would recommend adding more for flavor. Also, I sprinkled the batter with walnuts while in the pan. Pecans could also make a nice addition.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/17036/pumpkin-pancakes/

Cold Brew Coffee

Stacy loves her cold brew in the morning, and for a while we'd just buy whatever the grocery store had. Then I discovered this easy recipe and now it's pretty much all we do.--Mark

Ingredients  

2/3 cups coffee grounds

1 quart of water

Directions

Put the coffee grounds in a quart sized container. Mason jars work well for this. Fill the jar to the top. Shake well. Let stand for 10 to 12 hours.

Filter coffee. Pour into larger bottle and add water.

Notes

We use the iced coffee bottles you can buy at the store to contain our coffee. These are just about perfect for diluted the filtered coffee.