Poppy Seed Chicken

Yummy comfort food and a fav around here!

4-6 chicken breasts (cooked and cut into small pieces)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1-2 TBSP. soy sauce

Cream soup, sour cream and spices and pour over chicken. (I have also done this with the chicken raw and it works fine!)

Topping:
1 tube Ritz crackers, crushed
1 cube butter, melted
2 TBSP. poppy seeds

Mix together and sprinkle over chicken. Bake at 350-375  for 30-40 minutes. You can double recipe for a 9x13 pan. Serve with rice.


Thanks Rika Allison for original!

Mama's Famous Wontons with Sweet & Sour Sauce

The kids beg for these...sometime more often than I wish since they are a lot of work...but always worth it!!

1-2 packages store bought wonton wrappers
About 1/2 lb. hamburger
1 small bag baby carrots
Garlic powder/salt
Black Pepper
Salt/Seasoned Salt
Soy Sauce
Oil

Since I do this one mainly by taste and texture, I'll try to give good directions here as best I can! Cook hamburger...I just do this in the microwave. Cook carrots in boiling water. Drain. Add carrots (not all...or to your liking) to cooked hamburger in a food processor. Add a few splashes of soy sauce and spices to taste or liking. Process mixture until it well blended.

Set out wonton wrapper. Place a dollop of mixture in the middle. Brush edges of wrapper with water and fold over and seal edges. Fry wontons in hot oil until lightly browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels or paper bags.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/4 c. vinegar
3/4 c. white sugar
1/4 c. pineapple juice
3/4 TBSP. soy sauce
2 TBSP. cornstarch
2 TBSP. ketchup

Mix cornstarch and pineapple juice in a bowl with a wooded spoon. Meanwhile, mix vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and ketchup in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Add juice mixture and cook until thickened.

Thanks to Uncle Kev for sharing a long time ago!!

Homemade Terriyaki Chicken

Better than a bottle any day!

Cube 3-4 skinless chicken breasts and saute in a little olive oil in a frying pan. After chicken is cooked make sauce in pan:
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. ginger
1 c. beef or chicken broth (or 2 cubes bullion w/ 1 c. hot water)
1/3 c. soy sauce
2 tsp. corn starch

Dissolve sugar and ginger in broth and soy sauce. Add cornstarch until sauce thickens. I play with this recipe when I make it and taste and add as needed! Serve with white rice....and quite possibly...homemade wontons. :) A favorite for Wilson Chinese nights!

Thanks to Stacey Hellwig for the original recipe!

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas

A great crock pot meal at the end of the day, with a little Ole!

Ingredients:
4 cooked, diced chicken breasts
about 8-10 corn tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 8oz. container sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese
any toppings you like on enchiladas...

Spray crock pot with cooking spray then layer a little of the soups (mixed) then, ripped tortillas, soup mix, sour cream, chicken. Repeat layers. Cook on low 6 hours or hi 4 hours. The last 30 minutes, top with cheese. Cheese will melt down throughout as you spoon out the enchiladas. You can vary this as you wish...add diced chilis or (Heaven forbid here) onions. Switch to a red sauce...whatever you like! It's a good way to do Mexican when you have a busy day. Serve with beans/rice and a salad!

Thanks to Lynn Thurman for the original version!

Mama's Rolls

Another holiday classic at our house...making an appearance for each and every special dinner!

1. Dissolve: 3 packages (or about 6 1/2-7) teaspoons dry yeast in 3/4 warm water. Let stand, then stir.
2. Meanwhile, pour 3/4 cup hot, scalded milk over :
     1/2 cup sugar
     1 1/2 tsp. salt
     1/2 cup butter (1 cube)
3. Cool to lukewarm and add yeast mixture.
4. Stir in two eggs, and 3 cups flour and beat until smooth (with mixer or by hand)
5. Add about 2 more cups flour and stir until dough forms a large ball.
6. Pour about 1/2 cup flour on cutting board and knead dough until smooth.
7. Place dough in greased bowl (using about 1 TBSP. vegetable oil), turn dough over to coat with oil. Cover and let rise until double (about 30-60 minutes).
8. Punch dough down and let rest a few minutes.
9. On lightly floured surface, roll about 1/4 of dough into a circle. Brush with melted butter. Cut into triangles with a pizza cutter and roll into crescent shapes.
10. Place on baking sheet (lined with silpat or lightly sprayed with cooking spray) and brush with butter again.
11. Bake at 400 for about 9-11 minutes.
12. ALWAYS give the first roll to Dad. ALWAYS!

Thanks to Mama C. for the original and for teaching me the fine art of roll making many years ago! :)

Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

A post-Easter fav at the Wilson house!! This is a great way to use leftover ham!

5-7 potatoes, peeled and sliced or cubed
leftover ham, cubed
Cheese Sauce as follows:

Over medium heat melt:
4 TBSP. butter, then whisk
4 TBSP. flour to make a roux. Cook out flour for a minute or two.
Add:  1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
2 c. milk
1-2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I always use the max and I always use sharp cheddar)

Stir until cheese is melted. Pour over ham and potatoes in 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 for at least one hour, or until potatoes are soft. Serve with all that leftover Rainbow Jello and Mama's Rolls!!

Thanks to my mama for the original version! :)

Potato Casserole

I HATE the term "funeral potatoes" so I say Potato Casserole!

1 pkg. frozen hash browns (can use 8 or so potatoes and boil until just under cooked)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 C. sour cream
1/2-1 full package dry Ranch dressing mix (depends on your liking)
1-2 C. grated Cheddar cheese
Potato chips, crushed

Stir together potatoes, soups, sour cream, dressing mix and 1 cup cheese. Place in 9x13 baking dish. Top with crushed potato chips and more cheese.  Bake at about 350 for 20-30 minutes till bubbly.

We love our version of "funeral potatoes"...no onions and great flavor!! An Easter fav with ham and rolls!

Thanks to Sarah Whitney for the original!

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Well, this one MUST be a winner, since Brayden actually ate the green beans...and asked for seconds!

1 pkg. fresh green beans
1 lb. bacon
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
soy sauce- just a splash
olive oil

Steam fresh green beans in the bag in microwave for two-three minutes. Cook bacon slightly...enough to have it still pliable.
Bundle 6-8 green beans and wrap in one strip of bacon. Lay bundles in a 9x13 pan.
In small saucepan, melt butter, sugar, spices and soy sauce together. Pour mixture over green bean bundles. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.

Mmmmm...more like a treat than a vegetable! :)

Thanks to Kristen Buhler for the original recipe (that I doctored some)!

Resurrection Rolls (i.e. "Jesus Rolls!)

We began making these rolls several years ago on Easter morning. Brynlee LOVES them and throughout the year will beg me to make "Jesus rolls". The first time she asked "Jesus" sounded like "Cheese-us" and could NOT figure out what kind of cheese rolls I make that she wanted so badly! This is as much a part of our Easter tradition as coloring eggs on Saturday night. :)

We always double this recipe!
Ingredients:

1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
large marshmallows
melted butter
cinnamon sugar mixture (combine both to your liking)

Directions:
Give each child a triangle of crescent rolls. The crescent roll represents the cloth that Jesus was wrapped in.

Read Matthew 27:57-61

1. Give each child a marshmallow. This represents Jesus. We talk about how he was perfect and pure.

2. Have him/her dip the marshmallow in melted butter. This represents the oils of embalming.

3. Now dip the buttered marshmallow in the cinnamon and sugar which represents the spices used to anoint the body.

4. Then wrap up the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll (not like a typical crescent roll up, but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside.) This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after death.

5. Place in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. (The oven represents the tomb - pretend like it was three days!) You can even have them draw a big rock and tape it over the oven.

6. Let the rolls cool slightly. The children can open their rolls (cloth) and discover that Jesus is no longer there, HE IS RISEN!!!! (The marshmallow disappears (melts) and the crescent roll is puffed up, but empty.)


Now read Matthew 28:5-8
Happy Easter!

Thanks to Cindy Wilkinson for this recipe!!

Homemade Oreos

A fav of the Wilson kids...and better than the packaged version, I think!

Cookies:

2 pkgs. Devil's Food cake mix
4 eggs
1 C. shortening

Using pastry blender, mix all ingredients. Scoop onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Let stand 5 mintues before removing to cooling rack.

Frosting/Filling:

6 Tbsp. cream cheese, softened
1/3 C. butter, softened
1 & 3/4 C. confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix. Frost one cookie and put another cookie on top to make a sandwich.

Variations: Use red velvet cake mix, press cookies into heart shaped cookie cutter before baking. Color frosting pink. Make "sandwiches". Drizzle slightly thinned frosting over top of hearts.

Pear Creme Jello

2- 3oz. packages jello (any flavor)
2 C. boiling water
3/4 C. cold water
1 pint vanilla ice cream
Sliced pears or peaches, if desired

Dissolve 1 pkg. jello in 1 cup boiling water, add cold water, chill until slightly thickened, or chill completely if using this as bottom layer. Next, dissolve second package jello in remaining 1 cup boiling water. Add ice cream and stir until melted. Pour into serving bowl; chill until set. Arrange fruit on mixture; top with clear jello. Garnish with cool whip!


Thanks to my dear Nana for this recipe! I loved this as a kid!!

Mama's Homemade Brownies

1 c. melted butter
2 c. sugar
1/2 + couple T. baking cocoa
4 eggs, beaten
2 t. vanilla (GOOD vanilla!)
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
chocolate chips

Add all ingredients, stirring by hand after each addition. Bake in lightly greased 9x13 pan for 20-25 minutes.

Can top with powdered sugar...or frosting...or make filling and ganache for mint brownies...recipe coming!