Small Batch- White Chocolate Bread Pudding

The original recipe makes so much- unless you're feeding a crowd you may end up wasting a good bit.  This is a revised version of the original recipe that yields one 11 x 7 pan which was the perfect amount.

White Chocolate Bread Pudding (Prairie Fire Grill recipe)- REVISED for small batch

Ingredients

6 large egg yolks
1/4 cup(s) sugar
1/4 quart(s) heavy cream
9 ounce(s) white chocolate chips
3/4 loaf white bread, crust removed
1/4 teaspoon(s) vanilla
1/2 quart(s) half and half
1 cup(s) graham cracker crumbs
1cup brown sugar
1/4 cup(s) butter
1/2 teaspoon(s) cinnamon
2 tablespoons cocoa


Directions
In a greased 11 x 7 baking dish, layer bread into 2 layers. Cut and trim as necessary to get good coverage.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until bright yellow.
Heat the cream, half and half and vanilla until it begins to boil.
Add white chocolate chips to egg mixture and stir in the hot cream until all of the chocolate is melted.
Pour this pudding mixture over the bread, making sure to manipulate the bread soaking every layer with the pudding mixture.
Topping: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa. Apply the topping by spreading it out evenly over the surface. Let the pudding stand OVERNIGHT before you place it into the oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.

 Butternut Squash Vegetable Lasagna - no pasta!

I'm a big fan of podcasts, how about you?  Any recommendations, please share!

The other day I was listening to Alie Ward's Ologies and the featured guest was Mariah Gladstone an Indigenous Cuisinologist who discussed many of her traditional native foods and dishes.  One dish she described used butternut squash as the lasagna 'noodles' which inspired this creation.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash
• 1 zucchini squash
• 2 containers of fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 white onion
• 2 bags of fresh spinach
• shredded parmesan cheese
• shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 block of cream cheese
• 1 jar of pasta sauce
• Italian seasoning

Peel and slice the butternut squash into circles.  First, put it in the microwave for 60-90 seconds to make peeling easier.  Separate the top part from the bottom part and slice each peeled section into circles (removing the seeds from the bottom part once you get to them.  I use a melon baller.  Works great!).

Layer the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with squash medallions, cutting them into smaller shapes to fit any uncovered area.  Add a second layer of sliced zucchini. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with bit of Italian seasoning, cheese, cover with pasta sauce and top with cheese (a handful of each).

Add a second layer of butternut squash circles, filling in as needed once again.  Sautee mushrooms (I sautee in butter and soy sauce, adding some thinly sliced onion to the party).  In a separate pan, sautee spinach in olive oil (I also add a bit of thinly sliced onion here too).  When spinach is shrunken down, add cream cheese and mix until combined.  Spread mushrooms on the butternut squash layer, then the spinach mixture.  Top with cheese, a sprinkle of Italian seasoning, and a drizzle of sauce.  

Add a final layer of butternut squash circles, drizzle with olive oil, cover with the rest of the sauce and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake covered for 25 minutes, then uncovered for another 20 on 350 degrees.  Cool then cut into squares and serve with a fresh sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Feel free to add your own variations of vegetables to make it your own. The original inspiration called for a meat sauce- which sounds yummy too!

EASY French Onion Soup

I originally got a recipe from a friend for French Onion Soup with Chicken Meatballs (you can find it HERE).  It was amazing, but I tweaked the recipe like I tend to do and wanted to write my version of the soup down.

The original recipe calls for beef stock (which I did not have) and a few other ingredients that I omitted.  What I've ended up with is a super easy and delicious French Onion Soup recipe. As always, no precision was used in any of the measurements in real life.

Onions (2-3) Sweet onions, sliced
Red Onion (1/2) sliced
Minced Garlic Cloves
Sliced Shallots
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 package of Chicken Broth
2 Chicken Boullion cubes
Soy Sauce (1/4 C)
Salt
Pepper


Melt the stick of butter in a large pot (I used my dutch oven) and add the sliced onions, garlic, and shallots.  I really just sliced up whatever onion-ey things I had.  Don't stress if you don't have all the things I listed in the recipe.  Sautee the onions until soft, add some salt and pepper to the party.  (Your kitchen will smell amazing!)

Once softened, add the Chicken broth.  Bring to a simmer.  Add about 6 cups of water and 2 chicken bouillon cubes.  Simmer some more.  Add soy sauce and stir.  Serve with a hunk of sourdough bread (or whatever you might have).  Top with shredded Gruyere cheese, or a blend of white cheeses of your choice.  I actually have sourdough bread bowls I made last weekend waiting in the freezer (quarantine project #217: bread baking) and cannot wait to bust them out for a bowl of French Onion Soup!

Crock-Pot Crazy Pineapple Chili (Courtesy of Two Healthy Kitchens)

 •  Freezable  •  Make Ahead  •  Gluten Free  •

Prep Time10 min.

Cook Time4-8 hours

Total Time10 minutes

Serves About 10 cups

    

Ingredients

·         20 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage (bulk, or links with casings removed)

·         1 medium onion, chopped to equal about 2 cups

·         1 20-ounce can pineapple tidbits in juice (divided)

·         2 28-ounce cans seasoned diced tomatoes (such as Dei Fratelli)

·         1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

·         1 6-ounce can tomato paste

·         1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

·         4 teaspoons ground cumin

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         shredded reduced-fat cheese, reduced-fat sour cream and hot sauce (such as Tapatío) for serving, if desired

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Directions

1.    In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook sausage and onions, stirring to crumble sausage. Once sausage is cooked through, drain off any fat and transfer the sausage and onions to your slow cooker.

2.    Drain the pineapple, reserving both the juice and the fruit separately. Add the juice to the slow cooker. Cover and store the fruit in the refrigerator (it will be added toward the end of cooking).

3.    Add tomatoes, black beans, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin and garlic to the slow cooker.

4.    Stir everything to combine.

5.    Cook on low (6-8 hours), adding reserved pineapple during last hour or two of cooking, or on high (4-5 hours), adding pineapple during last ½ hour - hour of cooking.

6.    Serve topped with cheese, sour cream and hot sauce, if desired.

Recipe Notes

Pineapple: The texture of the cooked pineapple is completely controlled by when you add it. We prefer to add it toward the end of cooking time so that it's still fairly firm. If you prefer it to be more melded into the chili or you simply won't be able to add it toward the end of cooking, then you can toss it in at the beginning – it will be cooked down and much less pronounced in texture, but still very good.

Beans or no beans: If you don't want beans in your chili, you may certainly leave them out, and can also increase the amount of meat. We love the texture and the health benefits of the beans, but feel free to try it different ways!

Spice: This recipe is intentionally fairly mild and kid-friendly. If you'd like more spice, you can increase the chili powder and/or sub in spicy Italian turkey sausage. Perhaps the best way to make it versatile for different palates, though, is simply to pass hot sauce at the table so everyone can season to taste.

Make-ahead: You can prepare the meat and onions the evening before, and then refrigerate until you assemble your ingredients in the slow cooker. You can also make the chili entirely in advance and freeze it in large batches.

Recipe from Two Healthy Kitchens
https://twohealthykitchens.com/crock-pot-crazy-pineapple-chili/

Buffalo Chicken Soup

I was catching up on Facebook a couple of weeks ago and a recipe for Buffalo Chicken Soup in the crockpot caught my eye.  I was oddly intrigued trying to imagine what buffalo chicken wings would taste like in a soup. I made a mental note that I should try and make it sometime and for the life of me, I couldn't find it again when I wanted to make it for a potluck at work.  So I did what I always do... summoned up my magic Google powers, read about a dozen different recipes and put the best of what I read together to make my own version that was pretty dang tasty. Oh, and I added the secret, totally white trash but delicious ingredient:  Velveeta. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
diced carrots (about a cup)
diced celery (about a cup)
diced onions (about 1/4 cup)
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
2 cans of white meat chicken- could add more
(I'm going to use rotisserie chicken next time I think)
1 package of cream cheese (I used the 1/3 less fat kind)
1/4 of Frank's Hot Sauce (or more to taste)
1 big package (48oz) chicken stock
Velveeta queso blanco, about 8 oz or 1/3 the chunk

Rinse and prepare vegetables. (My Home Chef recipes always start like that so I thought I'd throw it in.  Just in case you were going to use dirty whole vegetables or something.) Place in crock pot along with chicken stock, cans of chicken (and chicken juice) and pretty much everything else on that list-- nothing special except cut the Velveeta up into cubes.  Cook on high 4 hours or low for 8, stirring occasionally to incorporate cheeses as they melt. You can top with shaved carrots, shredded cheese, and/or drips of Frank's to garnish.

Chicken and Rice Soup

This is the foundation for post-Thanksgiving Turkey and rice soup but works just as well with rotisserie chicken remnants.   Recently my local grocery was ransacked in anticipation of snow and the rotisserie chickens were no where to be found so I started with a couple of chicken breasts on the bone in the crock pot. It turned out great too.  The concept is the same and the secret ingredient is cracked black pepper. Lots of it. The rest is pretty simple but delicious.

Boil carcass to make your stock. Add celery and onion (big pieces) for flavor. This is where I use the leafy celery since it’s just for flavor. Boil until it’s coming apart and pour into a new pot through a colander. Pick through the solids and chop up the good white meat you find. Throw the rest of yuckky stuff and big pieces of celery and onion away.  Note: my aversion to “gick” limits me to white meat only in the soup. If you feel differently, it’s your soup. Include it!

If you have time and want to save on calories, cover and chill overnight. Skim the fat from the top before proceeding.

Basic ingredients:
Celery- chopped. About a cup
Carrots (a cup or so- I like to use baby carrots to make round bits but any kind will do)
Finely diced onion- about 1/4 C
1 1/2  C Rice or so (any kid- white is my go to but wild or brown also works)
Garlic powder
Cracked black pepper- never have measured... 1 Tbs?
1 Bay Leaf  (maybe 2)
Chicken buillion- a cube or two depending on how flavorful the stock was. (I prefer Knorrs)
Water

Start with the rice and bring the broth to a boil. Add water as needed. I would say at least two cups. Maybe 6 by the time It’s all said and done depending on how much gets soaked up by the rice. Boil for about 10 minutes and add the chopped vegetables and spices.

Continue cooking over low heat until rice and vegetables are  tender and you’re ready to serve. I like to add crackers.

Enjoy!

Snack Basket Chicken

I have kids so we have lots of small bags of snacks- especially Goldfish.  If your kids are anything like mine, I also have lots of half-eaten bags of snacks that end up in the "snack basket".  One day I thought I would use my repurposing skills and make breadcrumbs for chicken, and voila!  Snack Basket Chicken was born.  I've used Cheetos, Potato Chips, Pretzels, Cheez-its, etc in the mix and it all seems to turn out well.  Heck- my 5 year old sous chef actually requests Snack Basket Chicken regularly.

4 (or whatever works for your family) boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Various snacks as listed above
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Parmesan Cheese

Place random snack assortment in a food processor and crush to breadcrumb consistency.  Add spices- listed above and/or add your favorites.  I don't measure, so if I had to guess, I'd say 2 tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp seasonings, 2 TBS Parmesan cheese, dashes of salt and pepper.

I don't dip the chicken in eggs or anything to save some calories, but you certainly could.  I just take the rinsed chicken and dredge it in a bowl with the crumb/seasoning mix.  I flip it over and make sure it's well coated and place it on a greased (sprayed) cookie sheet, allowing space for each chicken breast.

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes, or until the thermometer says "Safe!!" (160 degrees)