Focaccia Bread

*** Recipe found on page 104 of Bake It Up! Desserts, Breads, Entire Meals & More by Rose Dunnington.

1 1/4 cup warm water
1 packet (2 1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast
3 cups bread flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Italian herbs
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
toppings of your choice (sliced yellow squash, purple onion, red bell pepper, sliced black olives)

Combine water, yeast, and half of the flour. Let rest for 5 minutes until it looks swampy. Add remaining flour, salt, garlic powder, herbs, and olive oil. Stir until you have shaggy dough.

Knead until smooth. Return to bowl. Cover with clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled, about an hour.

Preheat oven to 400. Drizzle about 1 tblsp. of olive oil onto baking sheet and spread it around with your hands. Punch down the dough and put it on the baking sheet. Drizzle a little more oil on top, and use your greasy hands to rub the dough into and even thickness.

Dimple the surface of the dough by poking it with your finger all over. Sprinkle the Parmesan and toppings on the dough. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until the bread turns golden brown. Let cool slightly before slicing.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Lazy Linda's Refrigerator Rolls

*** This recipe came from my mom. When I was growing up she would prepare this dough almost every Saturday night or Sunday morning, put it in the fridge and we'd bake yeast rolls for lunch after church. YUM!!!

5-6 cups flour, all-purpose
2 pkgs. dry yeast
1 3/4 cup milk, very hot
1/2 cup soft margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs

In a large glass bowl, heat milk 2 minutes in microwave; remove and add margarine, stirring to dissolve. Add sugar, salt, and yeast stirring together. Combine 2 cups flour; stir 2 minutes with mixer at medium speed. Add 1 egg and 1 cup of flour, beat at high speed for 1 minute. Add remaining egg and 1 cup flour stirring well. Add more flour to make a soft dough. Knead 5-10 minutes. Cover with towel; let rest 20 minutes. Punch down. Shape into 2 dozen rolls. Cover pan. Refrigerate 2-24 hours.

Let stand at room temp 10 minutes before baking at 375 for 20-25 minutes. OR Put in oven at 200 for about 10 minutes to allow rising, then increase heat to 375 baking approximately 15 minutes. Brush tops with butter or margarine.

(Mixer with dough hooks maybe used instead of kneading.)

Can substitute 2 cups whole wheat flour in place of all purpose flour.

*** My Notes: I'm not sure what the purpose of gradually adding the eggs is. I'll add them all at once to the wet ingredients and then start adding flour. Also, I'm sure she never kneaded the dough 5-10 minutes. The rolls usually rise some while in the refrigerator. We usually had 2 9 x 13 pans full of rolls.

Tater Tot Casserole or Hashbrown Casserole

*** This recipe, originally titled Hashbrown Casserole, came from my friend Amy. I've changed it up a little.

1 bag of tater tots or 2 lb. box of hashbrowns
3/4 cup melted margarine, divided
1 tsp. salt (I omit this)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 can cream of chicken soup (cream of mushroom soup works well)
12 oz. sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups crushed cornflakes

Defrost hashbrowns or tater tots in a 9 x 13 pan. Pour 1/2 cup margarine over hashbrowns/tater tots. In separate bowl mix remaining ingredients, except remaining margarine and cornflakes. Pour soup mixture over hashbrowns and top with cornflakes and margarine.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

*** My notes: I don't use melted margarine over the tater tots before adding the soup mixture. Also, I plan to brown and crumble sausage and add that to the soup mixture for a main dish casserole. I've seen a similar recipe with ground beef instead of sausage.

Sloppy Tom or Joe

*** This recipe found at www.menuplanningcentral.com/arecipes.pdf

1 cup onions chopped
1/2 cup green bell peppers chopped
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 pound ground turkey
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
4 hamburger buns
Butter or margarine

In a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion and green pepper in butter or margarine for 4 minutes or until onion is transparent. Add turkey and cook for 5 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking up meat as it cooks.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir tomato sauce, poultry seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, salt, lemon juice, pepper and garlic powder.

When turkey is cooked, stir sauce into skillet; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Split buns. Spread lightly with butter or margarine and toast 6 inches from heat source. Spoon turkey mixture over bottom half of buns. Place top half over meat mixture.

*** My Notes: I'll add cheese to before placing the top bun. I'll use ground beef rather than turkey.

Biscuits

2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk (or 2% milk)

Mix dry ingredients, cut in shortening and mix. Add milk. Flour surface and knead dough, adding flour if dough is too sticky. Roll out dough to about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Cut out with biscuit cutter or small cup. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes until lightly browned.

Yield: 8 biscuits (depending on how thin you roll them out).

Best served warm with butter and jelly or honey. OR topped with gravy! Yummmmm!!

Mexican Chicken Cornbread Stuff

2 chicken breasts, browned and chopped into small pieces
taco seasoning (I use about 2 Tbsp. each of ground chili powder, ground garlic powder and 1 Tbsp of ground cumin)
1 medium onion, chopped and browned
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix (plus egg and milk to make cornbread)
black olives, sliced (optional)
grated cheddar cheese
salsa (optional, good alternative to onions and taco seasoning or as a garnish)
sour cream (optional garnish)

Options for this dish are endless! Use as much of the various ingredients as your family will enjoy.

Mix all desired ingredients, except cornbread, in medium bowl. Mix cornbread separately in small bowl.

Option 1: Spoon meat into muffin tins. Top with cornbread batter and bake.
Option 2: Spoon meat into small casserole dish. Top with cornbread batter and bake.

Cheese can be added to the meat, or as a layer on top of the meat, or mixed into the cornbread.

Bake at 350 until cornbread is browned, about 30-40 minutes.

Serves: 4-5 generous portions.

Cheddar Bread

*** Original recipe came from my friend, Amy, and was titled "Savory Cheddar Bread."

2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. onion salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. ground mustard
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar
1 egg (beaten)
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Combine dry ingredients; set aside. Combine egg, milk, and butter; add all at once to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spread batter in greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Yield: 1 loaf.

*** My notes: According to personal taste, I leave out the oregano and increase the ground mustard to 3/4 tsp. Also, I use 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. onion powder because I don't usually buy onion salt. I usually put in more shredded cheese (we like a lot of cheese around here!). I have dropped the dough onto a sheet pan for biscuits rather than loaf bread. This is a very flexible quick bread and will allow for a lot of play in the recipe.

Chicken and Cornbread Dressing

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix (plus milk and egg for cornbread)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tblsp. poultry seasoning (amount is to taste)
1 egg
milk
fresh chopped and sauted mushrooms (optional)
fresh chopped and sauted onion (optional)

Brown chicken breasts. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside. Bake cornbread according to directions. Saute onion and mushrooms. Allow everything to cool enough to handle.

In a small bowl combine mushroom soup, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, egg, mushrooms, onion, and cut up chicken. In a large bowl break up cornbread into crumb size pieces. Pour soup mixture into cornbread crumbs and combine well. Add enough milk to make mixture moist but not wet.

Spoon into baking pan or casserole dish. Cover and bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. For brown top remove aluminum foil or casserole cover during last 15 minutes.

Feeds: 4-6 generous portions.

*** This started out as an "official" recipe my sister-in-law made for Thanksgiving on year. It has evolved to what you see above. The amounts are guesstimates based on what my family likes. You might add more or less chicken, use left over cornbread, use canned mushrooms, or onion powder.

Mix - and - Match Quick Bread

*** I found this recipe at By Sun and Candlelight blog.

Mix-and-Match Quick Bread (Frozen Assets)

3 cups flour (whole wheat and white make a nice blend)
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar (you can this down and see very little difference)
2 cups Mix-N-Match (see list below)
3 teaspoons vanilla (use pure vanilla not imitation)
1 cup chopped nuts or seeds

Sift together dry ingredients. In separate bowl, beat eggs; add oil and sugar; cream together. Stir in Mix-N-Match and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix well. Stir in nuts. Spoon into two well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 1 hour. When cool, wrap bread in foil; label and freeze. Makes 2 loaves.

Mix-N-Match (one of more of the following to equal 2 cups)

Apples, grated or chopped
Applesauce
Apricots
Bananas, mashed or chopped
Berries
Carrots, cooked and mashed or grated
Cherries
Coconut
Cranberries, dry or raw, chopped
Dates or figs, pitted and finely chopped
Lemon, 1/2 cup juice
Marmalade (omit one cup sugar)
Mincemeat
Oranges, chopped
Orange juice, 1/2 cup juice
Peaches, fresh or canned, chopped (peach butter)
Pears, fresh or canned, chopped (pearsauce)
Pineapple
Prunes, chopped
Pumpkin, canned (fresh, cooked and mashed too)
Raisins
Rhubarb, finely chopped (add 1/2 cup more sugar)
Strawberries, well drained (dice them)
Sweet potato or yams, cooked and mashed or grated
Zucchini, grated and well drained

Curry Chicken Salad

*** Original Recipe found at allrecipes.com called Fruited Curry Chicken Salad.

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cooked and diced
* 1 stalk celery, chopped
* 1/2 onion, chopped
* 1 small apple - peeled, cored and chopped
* 1/3 cup golden raisins
* 1/3 cup seedless green grapes, halved
* 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
* 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
* 3/4 cup mayonnaise

In a large salad bowl combine the chicken, celery, onion, apple, raisins, grapes, pecans, pepper, curry powder and mayonnaise. Mix all together, tossing to coat. Salad is ready to serve!

My Notes: I omit celery, raisins, and pecans because I'm not a big fan of those. I leave out the onions because my kids aren't big fans. If I don't have the grapes it's not a big deal. I serve this salad wrapped in a flour tortilla lined with leaf lettuce. I also increase the curry powder to taste.

Taco Salad

I found this recipe at allrecipes.com or here.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
* 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
* 1 (16 ounce) bottle French dressing
* 1 head iceberg lettuce
* 1 (14.5 ounce) package tortilla chips
* 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
* 1 cup chopped tomatoes
* 4 tablespoons sour cream
* 1/2 cup prepared salsa

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and drain excess fat. Stir in the taco seasoning, chili beans and French-style dressing. Fill the dressing bottle 2/3 full of water and add to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Crush the bag of chips, open the bag, and toss the broken chips into a large bowl with the lettuce, cheese and tomatoes. When the meat mixture is done, combine it with the lettuce, tomatoes, chips and mix well. Then, add salsa and sour cream.

*** My Notes: I will be putting the tomatoes and olives on the side because my family doesn't enjoy those the way I do. Also, I'll add the French dressing right before serving so the chips don't turn soggy.

Lemon Chicken with Green Beans & Potatoes

*** I found this yummy sounding recipe at Kelly's Korner.

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 lb green beans, (frozen?)
8 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 450. Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange lemon slices from 1 lemon in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. In large bowl combine remaining olive oil, lemon juice of 2nd lemon, garlic, salt and pepper. Add green beans and toss to coat. Using tongs, remove green beans and arrange them on top of lemon slices. Add potatoes to same olive oil mixture and coat. Arrange on inside edge of dish on top of the beans. You can also add a lemon pepper mixture on top of everything. It adds a lot of flavor.Place chicken in olive oil mixture and coat. Place chicken in dish. Roast for 40-50 minutes. Remove chicken and continue roasting potatoes/beans if necessary.

My Notes: Haven't tried this yet.

Tortilla Stack

*** This was originally a Pampered Chef recipe. I have no idea where my original copy is. I stopped using it a long time ago. This is my version.

1 can refried beans
flour tortillas (for individual servings use the soft taco size, for family style use burrito size)
1-2 cups cooked chicken breasts, chopped
cheddar cheese, shredded
1 onion, chopped & sauted
1 taco seasoning packet or (2 TBSP ground chili powder, 1 TBSP garlic powder, 1 TBSP ground cumin)
1 can black olives, sliced or chopped

Mix the seasonings with the chopped chicken. Place one tortilla on flat pan (cookie sheet or pizza pan work well), layer evenly with with refried beans, chicken, onions, black olives, cheddar cheese. Top with second flour tortilla. Repeat as many layers as desired. Heat in 375* oven until cheese is melted.

Servings: One taco sized tortilla makes a good adult portion stack. Cut burrito sized tortillas into wedges (like a pizza).

My Notes: Joel doesn't like olives so I only put them on one half of the stack. The recipe works well as vegetarian. Just add the seasonings to the refried beans and leave off the chicken. When I'm low on tortillas, time or patience I only do one layer. You could also add avocado, green chilies or any other TexMex ingredient.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

1 package of yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast from a jar
1 cup of hot water
1 cup of white flour
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
wheat flour, enough so dough isn't sticky - about 2 cups

Pour hot water into large bowl. Add yeast. After yeast has dissolved add white flour. Stir to combine. Add oil and salt. Stir. Stir in wheat flour until dough is firm enough to knead. Knead dough on floured surface adding more flour as needed until dough is no longer sticky. Return to bowl and place in oven to rise. After dough has doubled in size, remove from oven and roll dough out on a floured surface. Place on pizza stone and cook for 5-10 minutes. Remove from oven and put on desired toppings.

Yield: 1 thick crust medium round crust or 1 thin large rectangle crust

*** My Notes: This dough can be rushed. I've often gone straight from kneading to rolling and placing on pizza stone. I turn the oven on low and let the dough rise for 10-15 minutes before cooking it at 350. I like to pre-cook the dough before putting the toppings on. My family asks for this pizza all the time. It's a great way to use wheat flour. If your family isn't accustomed to wheat flour start with a higher ratio of white and slowly work toward more wheat. My husband now prefers this pizza crust to restaurant pizza.

Easy Breaded Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian-style salad dressing
2 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350*. Dredge chicken breasts in salad dressing, then coat completely with bread crumbs. Place coated chicken breasts in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

If you want it crispier -- boost the temp to 400 and shorten the cooking time by 5 or 10 minutes. Or, boost to 425, do for 20 minutes total, and turn halfway through.

Original recipe yield: 4 servings

*** I found this recipe on line and have no idea where. My original copy says "Angela's Easy Breaded Chicken - Allrecipes."

*** My Notes: I like the crispy version. Simple to make and delicious. For even easier clean up place on top of a piece of aluminum foil.

Meatloaf the Stephanie Way

1 pound of ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped and browned
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (seasoned can be used)
2 TBSP Italian Seasoning Mix
Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in large bowl being sure to mix well. I find it easiest to use my hands rather than a spoon. Place in appropriate sized loaf pan. Cook in oven preheated to 350*.

Optional: My husband loves it when I put a layer of cheddar cheese in the middle of the loaf. I've also made "Meat Muffins" so that he can have cheese in his and I can have mine without.

Makes 4-5 adult sized servings.

***My Notes: This is totally my recipe. I don't actually follow a set recipe I'm more of a dump-it-in-until-it-looks-good kind of cook. All that to say if you don't like the flavorings play with it. = ) Also, I like mine more tomato-y than Joel does so I pour ketchup over the top of my serving.

Ground Beef Stroganoff

1/2 pound of ground beef
1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4-1/2 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
pasta (1 handful for each serving. I generally use 5 handfuls and have leftovers.)

Brown ground beef. Drain on a paper towel-lined bowl to remove grease. Wipe grease out of skillet with a paper towel. Meanwhile boil 4-6 servings of your favorite dried pasta (elbow, egg noodles, penne or any medium sized pasta works great).

Pour soup, milk and garlic powder into skillet. Combine well. Cook over medium heat until sauce bubbles. Return ground beef to skillet. Stir well to combine meat and sauce. Just before serving add sour cream to taste (amount depends on how many you are serving and how health conscious you are.) = )

Drain pasta and add to meat sauce. Sprinkle plated servings with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

My Notes: Substitute rice for the pasta. Serve with salad or green beans.

Balsamic - Marinated Chicken, My Version

You can find the original recipe here.

2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP honey
2 TBSP canola or vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
2-4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Pour into large heated skillet. Cook uncovered, stirring often. Cook until chicken is done and sauce has reduced to desired level.

Makes 4-5 generous servings.

Notes:

* I like to brown my chicken pretty good. Not burn but definitely brown and done. Also, I occasionally add teryaki or soy sauce. I find the sauce already has an Asian flavor to it so these store-bought sauces just add to it.

* Before cooking chicken I like to saute 1 medium onion. I also saute about 1 cup of chopped carrots until they are slightly browned but not completely cooked. Set carrots and onion aside. Use same skillet for chicken.

* When chicken is almost done add carrots, onions & about 1 cup of raw bite-sized broccoli. The amounts of vegetables really depends on how many you are feeding and how much you like each vegetable. I always serve this dish over rice.

Balsamic - Marinated Chicken, Original Version

This is the original recipe as it appears in Southern Living 2005 Annual Recipes, page 219. My version can be found here.

2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 TBSP honey
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt, divided
6 (6-8 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine first 3 ingredients and 1 tsp salt in a zip-top bag or shallow dish, and add chicken. Seal or cover, and chill 2 hours, turning occasionally.

Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Sprinkle evenly with pepper and remaining 1 tsp of salt.

Heat a large ungreased cast-iron skillet or gill skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook chicken, in batches, in hot skillet 3 to 4 minutes on each side o until browned. Place chicken in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until done. Makes 6 servings.