Easy Potato Salad

Here's another recipe from the SCV Mothers of Twins Club Cookbook

6-8 large potatoes
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
3 chopped scallions (green onions)
4 T. mayonnaise

Peel and cube potatoes. Boil in salted water until tender; drain water. Mix in the eggs and scallions, then add mayonnaise. Stir until well mixed.

Baked Crab Dip

This recipe came from the Santa Clarita Mothers of Twin Club Holiday Cookbook. Another easy yet delicious dip!

2-12 oz. cream cheese
2-6 oz. cans cra meat
2-6 oz. cans tiny shrimp
1 large white onion
salt and pepper to taste
pinch garlic salt
1 bag slivered almonds

Mix all ingredients except almonds. Place in pie pan with slivered almonds on top. Bake at 325-350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Serve with crackers.

Zucchini and Stuffing Casserole

I just tried this for the first time and it's a winner! Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

2 lbs. zucchini
1 onion
8 oz. seasoned stuffing mix
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream
4 oz. butter or margarine

Cut zucchini into 1/2" slices and steam or boil for 10 minutes or until half cooked. While zucchini is cooking, dice and lightly saute onion.

In a large mixing bowl, mix soup and sour cream together. Mix zucchini and onion with soup/sour cream mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. In another bowl, mix stuffing mix with melted butter.

Spread 1/2 of stuffing mixture on bottom of baking pan. Spread the zucchini mixture on top of the stuffing, then spread the remaining stuffing mixture over the zucchini. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. For a crispy top, remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.

Spread

Carly's Easy Sloppy Joes

* borrowed from Betty Crocker

1 lb. hamburger
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/3 c. chopped celery
1/3 c. chopped green pepper
1/3 c. ketchup
1/4 c. water
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. salt

Cook and stir hamburger and onion in skillet until hamburger is light brown; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients. cover and cook over low heat just until vegetables are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Fill buns with beef mixture.

Yield: 5 Sloppy Joes. Note: For saucier Sloppy Joes, use 1/2 c. ketchup.

Peanut Butter Cookies

5 1/4 cups flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 cup butter
3/4 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper and set aside. Mix flour, soda,and salt together. Set aside. Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, brown
sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Then stir in peanut butter. Add flour mixture and stir until well blended. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets.

Using a fork dipped in flour, flatten each cookie slightly in a crisscross pattern. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. Do not overbake. Makes 5 dozen 3-inch cookies.

* Recipe from Lion House Christmas

Chicken Poblano Soup

This is the winner of the LDS Living Magazine Soup Contest

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
1/2 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups diced or chopped carrots
3 poblano peppers, veined, seeded, and diced
3 quarts chicken broth
1 roasted chicken *
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of butter, melted
1/4 cup flour
1 small bag frozen corn
2 cups cooked rice

Pour olive oil in a large saucepan. Mix the cumin, chicken bouillon, thyme, salt, and pepper in the oil. Pull the cilantro leaves off the stems and chop. Add the cilantro, garlic, onions, carrots, and poblano chilies to the oil and spices. Stir and cook until soft. Add the chicken broth. Next, make a roux with the butter and flour and add to the soup. Remove skin from roasted chicken and discard. Tear the chicken into pieces and add to the soup. Stir in cooked rice and frozen corn; simmer until warm. Serve and enjoy.

*Time Saver Tip: Buy the pre-cooked roasted chicken available in your grocery store’s deli.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup

This recipe was 2nd Runner-Up in the LDS Living Magazine Soup Contest.

2 tablespoons butter
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 chopped onion
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups milk (I used skim and it was fine!)
14 oz chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
4 medium baking potatoes, baked
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 cup shredded chicken, cooked (I think a rotisserie would be fabulous)
1 cup diced cooked ham

Wash and dry your potatoes. Pierce the skin with a fork and microwave for 5 minutes. Rotate them and cook for another 5 minutes or until done.

In the meantime: In a large stock pot, melt the butter. Add the garlic and onion and let cook until browned, stirring frequently. Do not let the garlic burn, or it will get bitter!

Add the flour to the pan and whisk together. Let the mixture cook for 1 minute. Slowly add milk a little at a time while whisking constantly. The only lumps you want are the onions. Add the chicken broth and whisk well. Bring soup to a simmer and heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.

*Serves approx. 4. Makes approx. 3 quarts of soup.

Creamy Potato Soup

This was 1st Runner-Up in the LDS Living Magazines Soup Contest

10 medium potatoes, cubed
14 slices of bacon, sliced into 1/2" to 3/4" slices
1 small sweet onion, finely diced
1 8-oz. package cream cheese (at room temperature & sliced)
1 cup unsalted butter
4 cups 1% milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup flour
salt and pepper
3 cups potato water (from boiling potatoes)

Place cubed potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water. Add salt for flavoring and bring to a boil. Cook until tender and remove the 3 cups of potato water to a separate bowl. Drain remaining water off potatoes.

While potatoes are boiling, cook bacon until golden brown. Reserve some of the drippings, add the onions, and cook until transparent.

In large saucepan, melt butter, and with a whisk stir in 1 cup of flour slowly to incorporate. Slowly add 2 cups milk into the roux mixture, making sure to stir constantly to avoid lumps. Slowly add sliced cream cheese to mixture, stirring until well blended. Add 1 cup milk, along with 1/2 cup sour cream, and incorporate into mixture. Slowly add up to 3 cups of reserved potato water. Sauce should be the consistency of a medium-thick gravy. Salt and pepper sauce to desired taste.

Mix together bacon, potatoes, onions, and cream sauce to serve. If there are leftovers, add extra water or milk when re-heating to achieve desired consistency. Makes approximately 14 servings.

Chicken Azteca

from "Fix-It and Forget-It Big Cookbook"
Serves 10-12
Ideal slow cooker size: 7 quart

2 15 oz. cans black beans, drained
4 cups frozen corn kernels
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 tsp ground cumin
2 cups chunky salsa, divided
10 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese, cubed
Rice, cooked
Cheddar cheese, shredded

Combine beans, corn garlic, cumin, and half of salsa in slow cooker. Arrange chicken breasts over top. Pour remaining salsa over top. Cover. Cook on High 2-3 hours, or on Low 4-6 hours.

Remove chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return to cooker. Stir in cream cheese. Cook on High until cream cheese melts.

Spoon chicken and sauce over cooked rice. Top with shredded cheese.

Zucchini Bread III

3 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. oil (can substitute with applesauce or use 1/2 and 1/2)
2 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
3 t. cinnamon
2 T. vanilla 1 1/2 c. grated zucchini
1/2 c. grated carrot
1/2 c. nuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together the eggs, sugar, and oil. Combine the dry ingredients then add to the egg mixture. Fold in vanilla, zucchini, carrots, and nuts. Pour into 2-greased and floured loaf pans or can use muffin pans. Bake for 1 hour.

Grands Easy Tacos by Lauren

1 lb. lean (at least 80%) ground beef, cooked, drained
1 1/2cups salsa
1 can Pillsbury Grands!refrigerated biscuits
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican cheese blend (2 oz).

In 10" nonstick skillet, mix cooked beef and 1/2 cup of the salsa. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. Press each biscuit into a 6" round circle. Spoon 1/3 cup meat mixture and 1 tablespoon cheese onto center of each round. Fold dough in half over filling; press to seal. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375°F 9-14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with remaining salsa. Use spicy salsa for an additional kick!

Sweet BBQ Chicken Kabobs

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 c. fresh pineapple chunks (1 1/2")
1 each red and green pepper, cut into 1 1/2" pieces
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
3 T. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

Heat grill to medium high heat.

Using 2 wooden skewers placed side-by-side for each kabob, thread chicken alternately with peppers and pineapple.

Mix barbecue sauce and juice concentrate; brush onto kabobs.

Grill 8-10 minutes or until chicken is done, turning and brushing occasionally with remaining sauce.