Chicken Broccoli Casserole

Mix together the following:

4 cups chicken, diced

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 cup mayonnaise

Cook 1 pkg chopped broccoli in 1/2 cup water until tender (can use fresh).

Prepare as directed on package:

2 pkgs stuffing mix

Spread stuffing in 9" x 13" baking dish.  Layer broccoli on top of stuffing, then spread chicken mixture over top of broccoli.  Sprinkle with panko or crushed cracker crumbs.

Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Spicy Beef Brisket

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp bay leaves - crushed

Place a 5-6 lb flat cut beef brisket fat side up in a foil lined baking dish.  Sprinkle dry spice mix on top.  Dissolve 1 Tbsp beef bouillon in 1/2 cup warm water and pour around sides.  (Don't pour on top).  Seal foil.  Bake 6 hours at 275 degrees.  When done baking, scrape off fat and seasonings.  Wrap meat in new foil and refrigerate.  Strain juice and chill in separate container.  When cool, slice meat across grain and put in serving pan.  Remove fat from top of juice, stir juice and pour over slices.  Heat in slow oven and serve.  (Can be frozen and reheated when ready to serve).

Pulled Pork Sliders with Ranch Slaw

Ingredients:

2 cups cooled pulled pork, warmed
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 tsp canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
3/4 cup purple cabbage, shredded
3/4 cup green cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup carrot, shredded
1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
2 1/2 Tbsp ranch dressing
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
12 slider buns, split

In a small saucepan, combine the pork, barbecue sauce and chipotle chile.  Bring to a simmer; keep warm.  In a large bowl, combine both cabbages, carrot, parsley and ranch dressing.  Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, divide and portion the pork mixture and coleslaw over the slider bottoms.  Cover with the bun tops; serve.

Makes 16 sliders, or 8 servings.

Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 Tbsp salt, coarsely ground
1 Tbsp hot smoked paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
4 lb boneless pork shoulder butt, cut into 6 pieces
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup chicken broth

Combine brown sugar, rosemary, salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and pepper.   Rub over all sides of the pork.

To prepare in a pressure cooker:  Heat the oil in a pressure cooker on high.  Using the saute setting, brown the pork on all sides in 2 batches, about 5 minutes per batch.  Return all pork to the pot, pour in the vinegar and broth, lock the lid and close the pressure valve.  Pressure-cook on high for 1 hour.  Let the pot naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release.  Remove the pork; place in bowl.  Skim off some fat from the liquid remaining in the pot.  Shred the pork into small pieces; top with the remaining liquid from the pot.

Keep the pan drippings and drizzle them over the pork to help retain moisture.  Refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to six months.

To reheat, place the meat in a covered dish and reheat in a low oven (225 F) until hot.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Baked Salmon

1/4 c. maple syrup (use the real stuff)
1 T. lemon juice
2 T. soy sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 lb. center-cut salmon filet, no skin

In a zipper-top baggie, mix together the first 5 ingredients.  Marinate the salmon in this mixture for 2 to 3 hours, and then bake at 350 degrees until meat is flaky, 20-30 minutes, or grill just a few minutes per side.

CPK BBQ Chicken Salad

Ingredients

FRIED TORTILLA STRIPS
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
12 corn tortillas, cut in 1/4-inch strips
(or buy strips from Cafe Rio like I did)

GARDEN HERB RANCH DRESSING
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cold water
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon thinly-sliced scallion including tops
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon minced dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh basil

GRILLED GARLIC BBQ CHICKEN
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons soy sauce
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (5 oz ea)
1/4 cup good-quality sweet-&-spicy barbecue sauce

SALAD
1/2 head iceberg lettuce (cored, rinsed and dried and cut into thin 1/8" strips)
1/2 head romaine lettuce leaves (separated, trimmed, rinsed, dried, and cut into thin strips)
12 large fresh basil leaves, cut into 1/8 inch strips
1 lb jicama, cut 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch by 3/4-inch strips
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned sweet white corn kernals, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 lbs fresh ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dices
1/2 cup good-quality sweet-&-spicy barbecue sauce

DIRECTIONS
1. To make the Fried Tortilla Strips: In a deep, heavy frying pan, heat several inches of vegetable oil to a temperature of 275 degrees. Working in batches to prevent overcrowding, carefully add the tortilla strips to the hot oil, submerging them with a metal skimmer or slotted spoon. Fry the tortilla strips until evenly golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully lift them out with the skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer them to paper towels to drain and cool. Set aside, uncovered. (Buy them at Cafe Rio -- sooooo much easier!!)

2. To Make the Garden Herb Ranch Dressing: In a mixing bowl, use a fork to stir together the mustard and cold water, forming a paste. Set aside for 10 minutes. Add the remaining dressing ingredients to the bowl and, using a handheld electric mixer at low speed or a whisk, blend together just until smooth, taking care not to incorporate too much air into the dressing. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. (Awesome, yummy dressing -- makes enough to use on other salads).

3. To Make the Grilled Garlic and BBQ Chicken: Preheat a stovetop grill or the broiler. In a mixing bowl, stir together the olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, and salt. Turn the chicken breasts in this marinade and leave to marinade at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Grill or broil the chicken breasts until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. Cut the chicken breasts into 3/4-inch cubes and, in a bowl, toss with the barbecue sauce to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

4. To Make the Salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss together the lettuces, basil, jicama, Monterey Jack cheese, beans, corn, cilantro, dressing, and half of the Fried Tortilla Strips. Transfer the salads to chilled serving plates. Surround each salad with diced tomatoes and the remaining Fried Tortilla Strips. Top each salad with chunks of Grilled Garlic BBQ Chicken and drizzle the chicken with the barbecue sauce. Garnish with additional sliced scallion.

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

3-4 Tbs Lime juice
Skinless boneless chicken breast (however much you want)
1 Tbs Chili powder
Salsa (about 1 C)

Place chicken on bottom of crockpot.  Squeeze lemon juice over chicken.  Sprinkle chili powder over chicken.  Pour in as much salsa as desired.  Set crockpot on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hrs depending on when you want to eat.  (Chicken will cook thoroughly and not burn, even with the small amount of 'liquid' in the crockpot)
     *This chicken is best added to other recipes (tacos, taquitos, soup, etc)

Corn and Cheddar Chowder

3 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

1 large potato, peeled and diced

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon dried sage

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1/4 cup dry white wine  (I omitted this and it was fine)

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter and stir in the onion, potato, bay leaf, cumin, and sage. Saute about 5 minutes, until the onion is tender. Mix in the flour, coating the onion and potato. Pour in the chicken stock and milk. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until smooth. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the potato is tender.               
Mix the corn, parsley, chives, and wine into the saucepan, and cook about 5 minutes, until heated through. Remove the bay leaf, and stir in the Cheddar cheese until melted and blended. Season with salt and pepper.               

*You can omit the cheese if you want plain corn chowder, it is plenty thick before adding the cheese.

Texan Ranch Chicken Casserole

1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1 Tbls canola oil
1 garlic clove, minced
3 C cubed chooked chiken breast (Mom used leftover chicken from another dish)
1 can (10-3/4 oz) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 can (10-3/4 oz) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
1 Tbls chili powder
12 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1-inch strips
2 C (8oz) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the onion, celery and peppers in oil until crisp-tender.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.  Stir in the chicken, soups, tomatoes, and chili powder.

Line the bottom of a 3-qt. baking dish with half of the tortilla strips; top with half of chicken mixture and 1 C cheese.  Repeat the layers.  Bake, uncovered, at 450 for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.
Yield: 8 servings  (1 C = 329 calories)

Barbecue Jack Chicken

Taste of Home, Simple and Delicious Cookbook

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 oz each)
4 slices pepper Jack cheese
1 C barbecue sauce

Carefully cut a pocket in each chicken breast half.  Fill with cheese; secure with metal or soaked wooden skewers.  Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from the heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until juices run clear, basting frequently with barbecue sauce.  Remove skewers before serving. (4 servings, total prep/cooking time: 25min.)

Lion House Pie Dough

Richelle Lindstrom, Centennial, CO

1 cube butter
2/3 C shortening
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp nonfat dry milk
3 C flour
1/2 C cold water

Mix and cream the fats.  Add sugar, baking powder, salt and dry milk.  Add 1/2 the flour.  Add water and remaining flour.  Fork dough thoroughly.  Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.  (Makes a top and bottom pie crust)  [When using this dough for the Pot Pie recipe bake the base pastry for 10 minutes at 375 before adding filling.  Fit top pastry and cook as directed for pot pie.]

Turkey/Chicken Pot Pie

Richelle Lindstrom,  Centennial, CO
Roux:
1-2 T butter
1 1/2 - 2 C milk
1 1/2 T flour
Spices to taste

Melt butter in pan over medium heat, add flour to make a paste.  Slowly whisk in milk.  Stir sauce until thickened (may need to increase heat).  Add whatever spices you'd like.  The original recipe doesn't call for any, but it at least needs some salt and pepper.  We added oregano, basil, parsley and garlic powder and it was much more flavorful. [Sauce should be the consistency of a heavy cream, not quite as thick as a gravy.] 
Cook your choice of vegetables (cooked and cubed potatoes, corn, carrots, peas, etc) and meat (Richelle uses canned chicken, we used leftover turkey breast) separately.  [We used approx. 1/2 can peas, 1/2 can corn, 1 1/2 C turkey, 1 1/2 C potato cubes and our pot pies were FULL.]
Add cooked veggies and meat to the roux, pour into pastry.  Place pastry on top, fork edges and middle.  Cook for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown at 350.  Cool 10 minutes to let inside firm up.

Southwestern BBQ Chicken Salad

2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 cup BBQ sauce

1/2 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 head Iceberg lettuce, chopped

1 can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

4 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 Haas avocados, diced

shredded cheese, Mexican blend or cheddar

crispy tortilla strips

Stir shredded chicken in with the BBQ sauce until well coated. Of course you can use less or more sauce, it’s up to you! I like quite a bit since I love the smoky flavor of BBQ sauce in a salad. Toss together the lettuce, cilantro, corn, beans, and chopped veggies. Top with shredded chicken, cheese and crispy tortilla strips. Drizzle ranch or cilantro lime dressing over salad and enjoy!

*to make crispy tortilla strips simply slice about 10 corn tortillas in narrow strips and place on cookie sheet. Spray with vegetable oil cooking spray and sprinkle generously with salt. Place under the broiler and let bake until crispy and brown around the edges.

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

3 lbs pork loin

Put roast in crock pot with about an inch of water, with the following ingredients mixed in the water. Spoon the seasoned water over the pork roast.

1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dry ground mustard
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Cook on low 8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Dump out the seasoned water.  Shred roast and return to crockpot.

Combine the following and stir into pork:

1 can Dr. Pepper

2 cups packed brown sugar (Or less for not as sweet)

1 bottle red taco sauce

Cook on low until ready to eat. The longer you can simmer it, the better it is.

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken Barbecue

6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1-12 oz. bottle BBQ sauce
1/2 c. Italian Salad Dressing
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

Place chicken in slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover, and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Shred chicken, and serve on sliced hoagie/deli-style rolls. (Hint: Toast insides of rolls on stove-top or fry pan to keep them from getting soggy!)

Cross Rib Roast

2 lbs. cross-rib roast
2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
2 TBSP minced garlic
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 TBSP salt (could use less if desired)
1 tsp. pepper
1 TBSP olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line roasting pan with foil.
2. Brush roast with balsamic vinegar.
3. Make a paste with remaining ingredients and rub on meat.
4. Roast meat at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and cook for 40-60 minutes, or until internal temperature reached 125 degrees.
5. Remove from oven; cover loosely with foil and let stand 15-20 minutes before serving.

Citrus Garlic Shrimp Pasta

1 16 oz. pkg. linguine

1/2 c. olive oil

1/2 c. orange juice

1/3 c. lemon juice

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

Grated lemon peel

Grated orange peel

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 lb. uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I'm lazy and use frozen cooked shrimp)

Shredded parmesan cheese and minced parsley

Cook linguine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in blender, combine the next eight ingredients. Cover and process until blended. Pour into a large skillet, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, stir in shrimp; simmer, uncovered for 3-4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink (or are warmed through if using cooked shrimp)

Drain linguine; toss with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and parsley.

Stefani Hooper

Potato Cheese Soup

5 c. diced potatoes

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 c. chopped celery

1 c. shredded carrots

3 c. water

3 chicken boullion cubes

Boil together for 15 minutes.

Make white sauce:

3/4 c. butter

3/4 c. flour

4 c. milk

8 oz. velveeta cheese

Melt butter in large sauce pan. Add flour and stir and smooth and bubbling. Add milk and stir until thickened. Add cheese and stir until melted.

Pour cheese sauce into potatoes and stir together until combined.

Stefani Hooper

Spinach and Sausage Lasagne

10 oz. Lasagna Noodles (10-12 noodles) - cooked according to package

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. sausage

1/4 t. oregano

1/2 c. onion flakes

2/3 c. spinach - defrosted and drained

1/2 T. worcestershire sauce

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 c. milk

1 c. tomato sauce

1/2 lb. mild cheddar cheese

1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese

In a large skillet, brown together hamburger, sausage, and onion flakes. Drain off grease. Add soup, tomato sauce, milk, worcestershire sauce, and oregano. Cook until simmering. In a greased 9x13 pan, layer 3-4 noodles, 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1/3 of the spinach, and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times. Cover with foil, and bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes. Remove foil for last 10 minutes.

Stefani Hooper (Joeleen's recipe)

Chicken Tetrazinni

4 T Butter

4 T Flour

2 c. cooked chicken - shredded

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

2 c. Chicken Bouillon (2 c. water, 3 bouillon cubes)

1 c. milk

1/2 lb. Spaghetti, broken into pieces and cooked according to package

Melt butter in sauce pan. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Cook 3 minutes. Add bouillon and milk. Cook until bubbling. Add chicken. Spray 9X13 pan. Layer 1/2 noodles, sauce, Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover last 5-10 minutes.

Stefani Hooper