Chicken Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 ounces egg noodles
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1/2 cup butter

Directions:

1. Poach chicken in a large pot of simmering water.  Cook until no longer pick in center, about 12 minutes.  Remove from pot and set aside.  Bring chicken cooking water to a boil and cook pasta in it. Drain.  Cut into small pieces or shred chicken and mix with noodles.*(see Tweeks)

2.  In a separate bowl, mix together mushroom soup, chicken soup, and sour cream.  Season with salt and pepper.  Gently stir together cream soup mixture with the chicken mixture.  Place in a 2 quart baking dish.

3.  Melt butter in a small saucepan, and remove from heat.  Stir in crumbled crackers.  Top casserole with the buttery crackers.

4.  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes, until heated through and browned on top.

Tweeks: I used 2 chicken breasts and added 8-10 sliced Portobello Mushrooms to make up for the other 2 chicken breasts.  Also added 3-4 Tablespoons finely chopped onions.  The canned soups I used were: Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic and Cream of Chicken with Mushrooms. * I added the Mushrooms and onions to the chicken and noodles mixture.  Mine took 5-10 longer to cook.

Avocado Chicken Wrap

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken, cooked and cubed (or shredded)
2 large avocados, cut and cubed
1 tsp. garlic powder or 1-2 cloves fresh minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp lime juice
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 c. plain greek yogurt
Whole Wheat tortillas (I used regular because that's what I had on hand)

*Tweek: I added 1 shallot chopped finely and 1 Tble. cilantro chopped finely

Instructions:

Cut and Cube avocado.
Add to a large bowl with cubed or shredded chicken.
Mix in seasonings, lime juice, *(shallot & cilantro)mayo and greek yogurt.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.
Spoon mix onto tortilla.
Fold like a burrito.

Hungarian Goulash

Ingredients:

1/3 c. vegetable oil
3 onions, sliced
2 Tble. Hungarian sweet paprika
2 tea. salt
1/2 tea. ground black pepper
3 pounds beef stew meant, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1-1/2 cups water (adding 1 tea. of "Better than Bouillon")
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tea. salt

Directions:

1.  Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Cook onions in oil until soft, stirring frequently.  Remove onions and set aside.

2.  In a large ziplock baggie, combine paprika, 2 tea. salt and pepper.  Coat beef cubes in spice mixture, and cook in onion pot until brown on all sides.  Return the onions to the pot, and pour in tomato paste, water(broth), garlic and the remaining 1 tea. salt.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 1-1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat is tender. (I cooked for 2 hours).

Serves: 8

Beef & Bacon Stroganoff Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)

• 5 thick-sliced bacon strips, chopped

• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth

• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup, undiluted

• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

• 6 cups uncooked egg noodles

• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

• 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

• 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese (I omitted this)

• Minced fresh parsley, optional

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, bacon, mushrooms and onion until beef is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in flour until blended. Add the broth, soup, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt and paprika. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
3. Stir sour cream and horseradish into beef mixture; heat through (do not boil). Serve with noodles. Sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with parsley if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

Chef John's Mushroom Gravy

Ingredients:

1/4 C. butter
1 (16 oz.) package sliced mushrooms
salt to taste
1/4 C. all-purpose flour, or as needed
3-1/2 C. beef stock
1 pinch ground black pepper to taste
fresh thyme leaves, to taste (optional) I used a slight pinch of dried ground thyme

Directions:

Heat butter over medium heat in a saucepan until it foams.  Stir in mushrooms.  Season with salt.  Simmer until liquid evaporates, maybe about 20 minutes (could be less).
Stir in the flour, cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes.  Add about 1 cup of beef stock, stirring briskly until incorporated, then pour in the remaining stock and mix thoroughly.  Season with black pepper and thyme.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes, stirring often.

Pioneer Woman's Pecan Pie

Description

Your eyes might just roll back into your head when you taste the sweet, custardy, sugary, almost caramely goodness of this pie.  It's simple. It's hearty. It's basic. And it's just so good.

Ingredients:

1 whole unbaked Pie Crust (I use "sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust" Recipe
1 C. White sugar
3 Tble. Brown sugar
1/2 tea. salt
1 C. Corn Syrup
3/4 tea. Vanilla
1/3 C. Melted Butter (salted)
3 whole Eggs, Beaten
1 C. (heaping) Chopped Pecans

Preparation:

First, whip up your pie crust using "Sylvia's Perfect Pie Crust" found on Tasty Kitchen.

Next, mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.

Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.

Pour syrup mixture over the top.  Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil.  Bake pie at 350 degree
for 30 minutes.  Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.

NOTE: PIE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY JIGGLY WHEN YOU REMOVE IT FROM THE OVEN. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set.  Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe.  Sometimes it takes 50 minutes; sometimes it takes 75 (and then some).

Allow to cool for several hours or overnight.  Serve in thin slivers.

Edamame Succotash

Ingredients:

1 Tble. toasted sesame oil
1/2 C. finely diced red onion
1 tea. minced garlic
2 strips applewood-smoked bacon, finely chopped
1 C. (6 oz.) frozen edamame, thawed
1/2 C. fresh corn kernels, from 1 small ear
1/4 C. small-diced red bell pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium heat.  Saute the onion and garlic until softened, about 2 minutes.  Add the bacon and cook until it has rendered its fat and begins to crisp, about 5 minutes.

Add the edamame, corn and bell pepper and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.  Season with 1/2 tea. salt and 1/8 tea. white pepper. Remove from the heat and serve hot.