Ok Utah Peeps.... Tell me you don't love the Green Onion Cheeseball from Harmon's??? Well, if you don't - you're crazy! It is one of our favorite things!! I haven't found anything here in Maryland that compares, so I set out to create the closest thing I could to it! It could probably still use a little tweaking, but I think this turned out pretty good! Let me know if you try it!
Green Onion Cheeseball
2-8oz pkgs. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup green onion, chopped
1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Dash of salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1 Tbl. mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tbl. half/half
Using a mixer (handheld or stand) whip the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients except the half and half; mix well. Add half and half a tablespoon at a time - you may not need all of it. Chill for at least an hour.
I always give the kids the option of going out to dinner for their birthday or making their choice of meal at home - well, Arin requested Lemon Artichoke Pasta without hesitation this year! It's a Pampered Chef recipe that is I use when doing in-home shows, but has definitely become a favorite at our house too! The great thing about this recipe is that it's sooo easy! I've tweaked it a little to be more to our liking, but I think you'll agree it's a keeper! This can be cooked in either the Rockcrok or Deep Covered Baker. If you don't have either, just do your noodles in a pan as you normally would (it will add to the cooking time and you'll need to watch to make sure you have enough liquid).
Taylor decided she wanted to do most of the cooking so we've included our first amateur video for you too!
Lemon Artichoke Pasta
1 small lemon (zest and juice)
16 oz. uncooked thin spaghetti, broken in half
4 cups unsalted chicken stock/broth
1 can (14 oz or larger) quartered artichoke hearts in water
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 tsp Lemon Pepper rub
4 garlic cloves
2 oz fresh Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup grated)
2 medium zucchini
1. Juice lemon into Rockcrok or DCB; add thin spaghetti noodles and stock/broth; stir. Microwave on high, covered for 8 minutes.
2. Drain artichokes. In Manual Food Processor, process cilantro until finely chopped. Add artichokes, oil, rub, zest and garlic pressed with Garlic press. Process again until artichokes are coarsely chopped, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary.
3. Remove Rockcrok or DCB from microwave; stir. Return to microwave, covered for 8 more minutes on high, or until pasta is tender.
4. Using Julienne Peeler, cut zucchini into long strips (avoid seeds) to measure approx. 2 cups.
5. Add artichoke mixture, Parmesan cheese and zucchini to noodles. Toss to coat. Let stand 5 minutes, covered.
This time of year it seems like people are trying to find other ways to use their leftover turkey, so why not make a nice comfortable casserole! No leftovers?? Just cook up a couple of chicken breasts and you can put this together in under an hour! It's a hit at my house - hope you all enjoy it too!!
Creamy Turkey/Chicken Tetrazzini
12 oz. Wide Egg noodles, cooked
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
5 Tbl butter
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated - divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups turkey or chicken, shredded
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter; blend in flour.
Whisk broth and milk into flour mixture, cook until mixture thickens. Add salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, mushrooms, noodles, turkey and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Place in 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbling.
I love a good Chicken Parmesan, but the breading has to be light! This is a bit of a twist on a classic, something we love on weeknight since it's quick and easy! Pair it with some spaghetti or a green salad and you're good to go!!
Oven Fried Chicken Parmesan
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated + a little extra
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
dash of pepper
4 chicken breasts
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 Tbl milk
1/4 cup butter
Combine cheese, flour and seasonings. Dip chicken in combined egg and milk, coat with cheese mixture. Place in baking dish, pour melted butter over chicken. Sprinkle extra Parmesan cheese on top of chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until tender.
Note: I also use chicken tenders when doing this and cook for about 20-25 minutes.
It's Fall, but don't put your salad spinner away just yet! I pulled together this amazing salad the other day and just had to share!!
Harvest Chicken Salad
2 cups Rotisserie Chicken
1 Head Romaine Lettuce, chopped
1 bunch Kale, chopped
1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced
1 Apple (I used Fuji), sliced into bite-size pieces
1/3 cup Craisins
Pumpkin seeds, to taste
1/2-3/4 cup Feta Cheese, crumbled
Croutons*
Creamy Apple Cider Vinaigrette**
Mix everything but dressing together and toss. Add dressing to individual salads based on taste.
Creamy Apple Cider Vinaigrette
1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
1/3 c. Dijon mustard
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
Blend all ingredients in blender. Refrigerate for an hour prior to serving.
Lastly, I like to make my own croutons. I take whatever bread I have and cube it. Then toss with olive oil and favorite seasoning (it varies). Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Store in an air-tight container for about 7-10 days.
Pressure Cookers... hmmm.... I think my mom had one of those?? Apparently they are all the rage again! My sister told me a while back that she had an Instant Pot. It's supposedly a new and improved pressure cooker. She's told me a couple of times how much she's liked cooking in it... I'm a sucker for Amazon and of course in July they had the Instant Pot on special for Amazon Day. Yep, I bought one. I hadn't used it - kept it boxed up for the move, but recently got it out. I wasn't sure exactly how to use it - honestly I wasn't super impressed with the recipe book and instructions that came with it, so I've been doing a lot of Pinterest searching and Googling! I have to admit - this dinner was amazing! I got this recipe from http://www.number-2-pencil.com/. It was amazing so I had to share it! Here's a direct link to the recipe: french dip sandwiches
I followed her recipe exactly - again - AMAZING!!
*Recipe adapted from Food Network Magazine - 50 Things to make with Canned Pumpkin
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter
2/3 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup half and half
Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice together. Using a pastry blender, blend the butter with the the flour mixture. Whisk pumpkin and cream; stir into flour mixture. On a floured surface, pat into an 8-inch square. Cut into 16 triangles. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Maple Glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar (powdered)
2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup or 1 tsp maple flavoring and 1-2 tablespoons milk
Drizzle over scones once they have cooled for a couple of minutes.
