Chicken Enchilada Pizza

This is a new recipe for me.  Candace helped me make it and we really liked it. It can be used as an appetizer or for dinner.


Chicken Enchilada Pizza

1 tube Pizza Dough
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 can green enchilada sauce
2 cups Mexican blend cheese, shredded
1/2 onion, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup cilantro, minced

Spread out dough onto cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  While baking, mix together half of enchilada sauce, chicken, half of the cheese, onion and pepper.  Take crust out of the oven.  Spread remaining sauce over the crust.  Top with remaining cheese.  Spoon chicken mixture on top of cheese.  Bake for an additional 6 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.  While pizza is baking, mix together tomatoes and cilantro.  Remove pizza from oven.  Top with tomato mixture.  Cut into squares.

Oriental Chicken Salad

When our church has a carry in, there are always at least three big bowls of this salad.  No matter how many bowls are on the table at the beginning of the dinner, there are never any leftovers for people to take home.  You can make it ahead of time just do not mix in the dressing until about 5 minutes before serving.  The noodles will get soggy after about a half an hour.  A lot of my friends already have this recipe but I wanted to have it in my blog so I could find it easily.

Oriental Chicken Salad


2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 head of lettuce
2 T onion, chopped fine
1 small can Chow mein noodles
1 small bag of slivered almonds

2 T poppy seed
4 T sugar
2 tsp salt
1 T Accent
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 T white vinegar
1/2 c vegetable oil

Tear lettuce into small pieces and place in a large bowl.  Add onion, noodles and almonds. 
In a separate bowl, mix poppy seed, sugar, salt, Accent, black pepper, vinegar and oil.  Mix well.
Pour over the salad and toss. 

Pecan Pie

I always bring a pecan pie to our family's Christmas dinner.  This recipe is really easy and always turns out well. 

Pecan Pie

1 stick butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup pecans
1 ready made pie crust

Place pie crust into an 8 inch pie pan.  Crimp edges.  In a medium bowl, melt butter.  Add remaining ingredients and stir.  Pour into pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Allow to cool before serving.

Caramels

I don't know why but I only make caramels during Christmas time.  They aren't really hard to make.  The worst part is wrapping each piece individually.  You have to cut a million little squares of wax paper to wrap each piece.  Okay maybe I am exagerating but it seems like it is that many.  My daughters don't know it yet but this evening they will be the ones wrapping the caramels. LOL

Caramels

2 sticks butter, NO SUBSTITUTES
2 cups brown sugar
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup white corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Melt butter in heavy sauce pan.  Stir in brown sugar.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cook over medium heat until temperature reaches 234 degrees.  Pour into buttered 9 x 13 dish.  Cool to cool then cut into squares.  Wrap individual pieces in wax paper.

Candy Bar Brownies

Candy Bar Brownies are my first choice when I need a quick dessert to take to a carry in.  They are super easy but taste delish. 

Candy Bar Brownies

1 box brownie mix, 9x13 size
Ingredients to make mix
3 Hershey's Symphony Bars, with Toffee chips and nuts

1. Make brownies according to directions on box.
2. Pour half of the brownie batter into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.
3. Place candy bars on top of brownie mix.
4. Cover with remaining batter.
5. Bake according to directions on box.  Brownies may not look done but do not overbake.  The toothpick test does not work with the candy bars in the middle. 
6. Allow to cool.

Barbacoa Burritos with Cilantro Lime Rice

We are big Chipotle fans in our family. I have tried all of the varieties but Barbacoa is my favorite. Put the barbacoa in the crockpot in the morning and dinner will be ready in a flash. Hope you like it.

Barbacoa Burritos

Barbacoa

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, canned
4 garlic cloves
4 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 lbs chuck roast
3/4 cup chicken broth
3 bay leaves

Cilantro-Lime Rice

3 cups instant rice, prepared according to directions on box
1/3 cup cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice

For Burrito

8 (12 inch) flour tortillas
Refried beans
Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream

Directions:

1. Make adobo sauce by combining vinegar, lime juice, peppers, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt and clove in a blender or food processor and puree on high speed until smooth.
2. Trim the fat from the meat and place it in a crock pot. Add the adobo sauce to the meat, pour in the chicken broth, and add the bay leaves. Cook on high until meat flakes apart easily. 
3. Make the cilantro-lime rice by cooking the instant rice according to the directions on the box. When rice is done, stir in cilantro and lime juice. Let set for another 2 minutes.
4. Assemble burrito and roll up tightly.

Noodles

Homemade noodles are one of my favorite dishes.  I am torn if I like chicken or beef noodles better.  I used to make these for our church's dinners all the time.  It seemed that no matter how many noodles I made, the pot would be empty. 

Noodles.

2 cups self-rising flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Mix together eggs and milk.  Add flour slowly.  Turn out onto a floured counter.  Knead until smooth and not sticky.  Roll out until thin.  Allow to dry for two hours.  Cut noodles. (I use a pizza cutter.) Drop into boiling broth.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

Peanut Brittle

I have been making a LOT of this for the Christmas season.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE peanut brittle. This recipe uses margarine (not butter!)  GASP!!  I think it is the only recipe I have that uses margarine.

PEANUT BRITTLE

2 cups sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/2 stick margarine
2 1/2 cups raw Spanish peanuts
1 1/2 tsp. soda

Before you begin, butter two cookie sheets and the inside of a heavy saucepan.

In saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, water and margarine.  Cook at medium high stirring frequently until temperature reaches 275 degrees.  Add peanuts and stir constantly until temperature reached 295 degrees.  Remove from heat and add soda.  Stir quickly then pour out onto buttered cookie sheets.  Allow to cool.  Break into pieces and store in airtight container.

*This takes about an hour to make.  Do not try rushing the recipe by cooking at a higher temperature or it will not turn out.

Toffee Mocha Cupcakes

I love the taste of chocolate and toffee together.  Cupcakes are usually not my favorite but these really hit the spot.

Toffee Mocha Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons instant espresso granules
• 1 Fudge Chocolate Cake mix
• 1 cup milk chocolate toffee bits

FROSTING:

• 1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso granules
• 1/3 cup Nestlé® Tollhouse® Semi-Sweet Mini Morsels
• 1/4 cup milk chocolate toffee bits

Directions

• Dissolve espresso granules in boiling water; cool.
• In a large bowl, make cake mix according to package directions substituting espresso for the water.  Fold in toffee bits.
• Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
• In a large bowl, combine frosting and espresso granules. Frost cupcakes; sprinkle with chocolate chips and toffee bits.

My first post

I have been thinking about starting a blog for awhile.  I love to cook and try new recipes.  Organization, however, is NOT my strong point so I end up losing the good ones.  Blogging seems like a great way to organize my recipes and find them when I need a dinner idea.  All of the recipes are one I have tried and liked.