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Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Posted in Captain Cavedweller, Easy Recipes, Fast Recipes, Main Dish, tagged , , , , on September 20, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Cheesy Chicken Casserole Plated

If you’re looking for an easy to make dinner recipe, this one is really simple.

You can use leftovers to mix this casserole in a snap and serve a piping hot, tasty meal in no time with minimum fuss!

Captain Cavedweller likes this one, as long as I use mixed veggies without the green beans. (Talk about picky eaters… we have two at our house!).

Ingredients

Ingredients – the unknown substance in the bowl is chicken stock that I had in the freezer and had not yet thawed.

Cook your veggies in the chicken stock for about two minutes in the microwave. Just to get them hot and start the cooking process. You can either add in the minute rice and cook with the veggies (using the stock instead of water) or use left-over rice. Either works fine, although the chicken stock gives the rice a nice flavor.

Cook your veggies in the chicken stock for about two minutes in the microwave. Just to get them hot and start the cooking process. You can either add in the minute rice and cook with the veggies (using the stock instead of water) or use left-over rice. Either works fine, although the chicken stock gives the rice a nice flavor.

Mix in a can of Cream of Mushroom soup. You could also use cream of celery or cream of chicken.

Mix in a can of cream of mushroom soup. You could also use cream of celery or cream of chicken.

Layer pre-cooked chicken into a casserole pan (sprayed with non-stick spray - the pan, not the chicken). I cut the chicken into bite-size pieces before layering in the pan. Top with veggie and rice mixture then cover in foil.

Layer pre-cooked chicken into a casserole pan (sprayed with non-stick spray – the pan, not the chicken). I cut the chicken into bite-size pieces before layering in the pan. Top with veggie and rice mixture then cover in foil.

Bake about 20 minutes, until everything is bubbling and looks cooked. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for a few minutes until cheese melts. Serve and enjoy!

Bake about 20 minutes, until everything is bubbling and looks cooked. Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for a few minutes until cheese melts. Serve and enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

2 cups cooked chicken (cut into small pieces)

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

Small bag of frozen veggies

1 small can cream of mushroom soup

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a casserole pan with non-stick cooking spray. Layer in chicken and set aside.

In a micro-wave safe bowl, cook veggies in chicken stock (or water) for about two minutes. You can also add your minute rice and cook with the veggies and chicken stock if you don’t have left-over rice to use.

If you aren’t cooking the rice in the stock, drain excess off veggies before mixing with rice and soup.

Otherwise, mix in the soup then spread over the chicken.

Cover the pan with foil and back about 15-20 minutes, until everything is hot and bubbling. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven (uncovered) and bake about five minutes, until cheese is a  melted pool of gooey deliciousness.

Serve and enjoy your one-dish meal.

She Who Needs to Pick Out the Green Beans Next Time

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Fried Taters

Posted in Comfort Food, Recipes, tagged , , on September 6, 2013| 2 Comments »

fried potatoes

Growing up, on the rare occasions when all the men were gone and my brother’s kids weren’t at our house, my mom would make a meal that never failed to taste wonderful, despite its simplicity.

She’d start with left-over boiled potatoes. Since we ate potatoes at least once a day, there were always left-over potatoes at our house. Always.

More often than not, they were potatoes we’d grown. In the summer and early fall, those potatoes packed such a delicious flavor.

Starting with a big ol’ glob of butter, she’d warm it in a cast iron skillet then thinly slice the potatoes into the pan. Sometimes she’d add onion slices and salt and pepper. Other times I’d catch her before she added the onions and beg and plead for her to leave them out since I disliked them as much as broccoli.

While the potatoes pan-fried to a lovely shade of crispy golden brown, she’d cut big, juicy, ripe tomatoes (still warm from the summer sun) into slices and sprinkle them with just a pinch of salt.

To finish off the meal, she’d cut slices of cheddar cheese that had just enough tang to be the perfect side to the potatoes and tomatoes.

Mom, my sister, and I would eat this simple meal and enjoy every bite. I’m not sure if it was the meal, the fact the house was quiet, there weren’t a bunch of dishes to wash after the meal, or that we could savor every delicious forkful that made it so wonderful.

Whatever the reason, it was always one of my favorite “harvest” meals.

If you’ve never made pan-fried potatoes, here are some tips. Better Homes and Gardens offers three ways to fry your potatoes – pan fry, oven fry, or pan fry pre-cooked potatoes.

She Who Needs to Fry a Potato

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Raspberry Cream Pies

Posted in Desserts, Pie, Recipes, tagged , , , , on August 30, 2013| 2 Comments »

If you’re looking for a fast and easy dessert that fits the bill for something tasty… here you go!

raspberry pie plated

Individual Raspberry Cream Pies come together in a snap and taste like you’ve actually slaved away to make them!

(For those of you who do everything from scratch, cover your eyes and come back next week…)

Ingredients

Ingredients

Unfold pie dough then using a circle cutter/sealer to mark circles on the dough. Do not cut into the dough, just outline circles.

Unfold pie dough then using a circle cutter/sealer to mark circles on the dough. Do not cut into the dough, just outline circles.

Spread about a teaspoon of cream cheese inside each circle, trying not to get too close to the edges.

Spread about a teaspoon of cream cheese inside each circle, trying not to get too close to the edges.

Add a heaping tablespoon of raspberry pie filling. Keep it away from the edges as best you can.

Add a heaping tablespoon of raspberry pie filling. Keep it away from the edges as best you can.

Cover with the top crust and using the mounds below, cut using the cutter. If you don't have one of these handy little cutters that seal the edges, just use a drinking glass to cut out and then crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers.

Cover with the top crust and using the mounds below, cut using the cutter. If you don’t have one of these handy little cutters that seal the edges, just use a drinking glass to cut out and then crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers.

Aren't they fun?

Aren’t they fun?

Transfer to a baking sheet. I lined mine with foil because I'm lazy and don't want to scrub off any raspberry juice that may perhaps leak out.

Transfer to a baking sheet. I lined mine with foil because I’m lazy and don’t want to scrub off any raspberry juice that may perhaps leak out.

Top with a little sprinkle of Turbinado sugar.

Top with a little sprinkle of Turbinado sugar.

Bake about 15-20 minutes until crust begins to brown and, if you have a few unsealed edges (not that I ever have that problem), juice bubbles out.

Bake about 15-20 minutes until crust begins to brown and, if you have a few unsealed edges (not that I ever have that problem), juice bubbles out.

Serve with a scoop of ice cream. You might even think about sharing with others you really, really like.

Serve with a scoop of ice cream. You might even think about sharing with others you really, really like.

Raspberry Cream Pies

1 can raspberry pie filling

1 box pie dough

1 container spreadable cream cheese

Turbinado sugar (Sugar in The Raw)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.

Bring pie dough to room temp and then unroll. Set aside one layer.

On the first layer, carefully mark circles, fitting in as many as you can. I managed to get eight and then rerolled the dough to get two more. Do not cut through the dough, you are just marking circles by lighting pressing either a cutter or drinking glass into the dough.

Spread a teaspoon of whipped cream in each circle, staying away from the edges. You can use any type of spreadable cream cheese, I just happened to have whipped handy.

Spread a heaping tablespoon of pie filling on top of the circles, again keeping filling away from the very edge. (You will have leftover filling, which is easy to freeze to top pancakes, scoop into muffin mix, spread on fruit pizza, or pour over ice cream.)

Place top layer of  crust over the top. Using the mounds beneath as your guide, cut out the individual pies. If you don’t have a cutter that cuts and seals the edges, use a drinking glass and then crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers. The reason for keeping the filling away from the edge is that if it is too close it leaks out everywhere when you are trying to seal it. Make sure your dough is sealed or be sure to line your baking pan (hence the reason I line mine because I always have a sneaky leak!)

Place on your baking sheet then sprinkle the tops with Turbinado sugar. Just a pinch will do.

Bake approximately 15-20 minutes until lightly browned and juices are bubbling (which is easy to tell if one of them isn’t properly sealed).

Let cool then serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The ice cream is essential. My Dad made it a rule long ago that all pie should be served with ice cream. Who am I to argue!

She Who Likes Little Pies (and Big Pies and In-Between Pies)

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Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake

Posted in Cake, Desserts, Recipes, tagged , , , , on August 23, 2013| 2 Comments »

choc coconut plated

The other day I wanted something chocolate, then I wanted something coconut. Then I decided why not combine the two?

Why not, indeed!

This recipe comes together quickly and, my goodness, it is yummy!

Moist, rich and chocolatey, the center of the cake features a filling that is sweet, creamy and utterly divine.

Ingredients

Ingredients

 

Start by mixing cake batter - cake mix, water, oil, sour cream, pudding mix, eggs. It will be really thick, and that is just who you want it.

Start by mixing cake batter – cake mix, water, oil, sour cream, pudding mix, eggs. It will be really thick, and that is just who you want it.

 

See all that fudgy-goodness?

See all that fudgy-goodness?

Mix your coconut filling using a little vanilla, coconut and sweetened condensed milk.

Mix your coconut filling using a little vanilla, coconut and sweetened condensed milk.

Spray a bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon in half of the chocolate cake batter.

Spray a bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon in half of the chocolate cake batter.

Add the coconut filling, then top with the rest of the chocolate cake batter.

Add the coconut filling, then top with the rest of the chocolate cake batter.

 

This would be the point where I got distracted by the Baby Kitty playing outside and forgot to take photos… Sorry!

When cooked, cool, invert on a serving platter or cake plate, top with a drizzle of chocolate frosting and enjoy! (Or freeze for later delicious consumption.)

When cooked, cool, invert on a serving platter or cake plate, top with a drizzle of chocolate frosting and enjoy! (Or freeze for later delicious consumption.)

 

Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake

1  Chocolate Fudge Betty Crocker Cake Mix (18 ounce box)

1 small box of instant chocolate pudding

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup oil

3 eggs

1/2 cup chocolate frosting

1 cup coconut

1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, water and eggs  in a large mixing bowl.

Pour half the batter into a greased and floured bundt pan.

Mix coconut, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Spoon over cake batter in pan then top with remaining cake batter.

Bake  of one hour or until edges start to pull away from the pan.

Allow cake to cool completely then invert on serving dish. Finish the cake with some pre-made chocolate frosting (yes, right out of the can) that has been warmed. Use about 1/2 cup and microwave for 10-15 seconds, just until it starts to melt. Pour over the top of the cake. Prepare to be lost in bliss with that first bite!

She Who Loves Chocolate and Coconut

 

 

 

 

 

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