Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

This is a supposed knock off of Olive Garden's Chicken Con Broccoli. It was super yummy, the only problem was it didn't make enough sauce for an entire box of pasta. I think next time I'll double the sauce recipe and that should be perfect, maybe even a little extra sauce for dipping breadsticks!

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Alfredo Sauce (recipe below)

2-3 cooked chicken breasts, diced

1-2 cups fresh chopped broccoli, cooked and hot

fettuccine, cooked according to package directions. (I used penne because it's what I had)

Cook chicken in method desired. I just cooked mine on the stove. Add chicken and broccoli to Alfredo sauce and heat through. Serve over hot, cooked fettuccine.

Alfredo Sauce:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2 cups heavy cream

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon (1 clove) minced garlic

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic with the butter. Add cream, garlic powder, and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Trust me, it will thicken. When sauce has reached desired consistency, stir in Parmesan cheese. Use for Chicken Broccoli Alfredo, or just serve as is over fettuccine. Serves 4-6.

Shrimp Platter Appetizer

Ok so when you see this recipe you'll probably think, "Eh, that looks all right." But seriously it is better than all right. A co-worker brought a tray of this to work and I couldn't stop eating it all day. Way goo-ood.

Shrimp Platter Appetizer
(from Lion House cookbook)

1 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 C sour cream
1/4 C mayonnaise
2 cans (4 1/4 oz each) broken shrimp, rinsed and drained
1 C seafood cocktail sauce
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1 green pepper, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 large tomato, diced

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo. Spread on a 12-inch glass plate (or whatever serving tray you have available). Scatter shrimp over the cheese layer. Cover with cocktail sauce. Then add a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese, a layer of green peppers, and a layer of green onions. Sprinkle diced tomato over the whole thing. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Serve with assorted crackers.

I made this for a family party last week and it was a big hit. I didn't use peppers...it just didn't seem quite right. I didn't measure the cocktail sauce or cheese. I just spread as much of it as I thought looked good, so I might have used a little more or less than called for. Delicious!
Enjoy!

Banoffee pie

This is Banana Cream Pie kicked up about 10 notches!!! YUMM - Plus there's no fat - beleive me its true!

Recipe: Banoffee Pie
Curtis Stone from the Today Show

Ingredients
Crust
9 ounces graham crackers
1 stick butter, melted

Toffee sauce
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

Filling
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
5 small bananas (about 1 1/2 pounds total)

Preparation
To make the crust: Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
Blend the graham crackers in a food processor until they are finely ground.
Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and process to blend well. The crumbs should stick together when pressed. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom and 1½ inches up the sides of the springform pan. Refrigerate.

To make the toffee sauce: Place a medium-heavy saucepan over medium heat.
Combine the sugar and 3 tablespoons of water in a medium-heavy saucepan.
Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and boil without stirring until the color is deep amber, occasionally swirling the pan and brushing down the sides with a pastry brush dipped into water, about 5 minutes. Stir in the condensed milk and butter. Continue stirring for 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove the toffee sauce from the heat and spread 1 cup of the sauce over the prepared crust and refrigerate for about 1 hour or until the caramel is semi-firm. Keep the remaining caramel sauce at room temperature.

To fill the pie: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream in a large bowl until thick and very soft billowy peaks form. Very thinly slice 3 of the bananas into discs. Fold the sliced bananas into the softly whipped cream and spoon into the prepared pie crust. Slice the remaining bananas and arrange them decoratively over the pie. Rewarm the remaining toffee sauce gently over low heat. Drizzle some of the sauce decoratively over the pie. If the sauce has thickened too much to drizzle, stir a few tablespoons of milk into the sauce to create a thinner consistency. Drizzle each pie wedge with more sauce and serve.

Pumpkin Cake

1 (29 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 package yellow cake mix
1 cup butter1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 small tub whipped topping

DirectionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. (These could be substituted with 3t Pumpkin Pie Spice.)

Mix until smooth and pour into a 9×13 inch pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture, then sprinkle chopped nuts and pat down gently. Melt butter or margarine and drizzle over cake.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 45 to 60 minutes. (Be sure to check the cake after 45 minutes because oven temperatures vary.) After cake cools, turn it upside down so the top of the cake will be the crust. Remove the parchment paper. Top with dessert topping (optional) before serving.

Chicken and Artichoke Casserole

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 T butter

2 14 oz cans chicken broth

4 -5 chicken breasts

1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped

3/4 stick butter

1/3 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/8 cup half and half

3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Saute mushrooms in 2 T butter and set aside. Pour 2 cans chicken broth in large pot and add water to cover chicken breasts. Bring to a boil. When chicken is cooked through, shred with two forks. Remove from broth and save 1 1/8 cups. Cool. Arrange chicken in casserole dish. Top with artichoke hearts. Set aside. Melt 3/4 stick butter, stir in flour, salt and pepper and cook until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually stir in 1 1/8 cup reserved chicken broth and light cream. Cook and stir as mixture boils and thickens. Blend in Parmesan cheese. Pour over artichokes. Sprinkle mushrooms over the top. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes and serve over rice. If you have more Parmesan, sprinkle it on top just before baking.

Pumpkin pancakes with nutmeg whipped cream

I've been wanting to make some pumpkin pancakes (if you can't tell, I have a slight obsession with pumpkin!) and Trent's mom was out to visit last week so I decided to make them one morning. Let me just say I've been dreaming about them since. Yep, they were that good!



Pumpkin pancakes with nutmeg whipped cream
(makes about 12 pancakes)

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons vinegar

Directions
1.In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2.Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

For nutmeg whipped cream:
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Place whipping cream in a small, deep, chilled bowl. Add the 2 tablespoons sugar, vanilla, and nutmeg; beat using a mixer with chilled beaters on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.

Kettle Corn

Kettle Corn
(you are going to want to have all ingredients prepped because things move quickly)
1/4 Cup Canola Oil
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Popcorn Kernals
Salt to taste

In a large soup pot, heat the oil on medium high heat until shimmering.
Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the oil and give it a quick stir. Add the popcorn and cover with a lid. Slide the pot back and forth over the burner while you hear the kernals popping. This will take a few minutes and you are going to want to use hot pads so you don't burn your hands. Once you hear the kernals slowing down remove the pot from the heat and sprinkle in a little salt. Toss well, taste and add more salt if needed.

Jeanine