Million Dollar Casserole

 From Six Sisters Stuff

Ingredients:

• 8-10 ounces spaghetti noodles, uncooked
• 8-ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 8-ounces cottage cheese
• 1 pound ground beef
• 26-ounces spaghetti sauce
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook noodles according to directions
3. Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese in a medium-sized bowl until smooth.
4. Place beef in a large skillet and brown until completely cooked through. Pour spaghetti sauce over meat and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
6. Layer half of the noodles in the bottom of the dish.
7. Pour all of the cream cheese mixture over the noodles and spread it around evenly.
8. Layer the rest of the noodles next.
9. Slice up the butter and place on top of the noodles throughout the pan
10. Pour the red meat sauce mixture on top and cover the noodles completely.
11. Cook it uncovered for 30 minutes. Then take out of oven and spread shredded cheese evenly on top, covering the dish completely. Then return to oven, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Chicken Parmesan

 From Salt & Lavender (Follow link for all the tips and tricks)

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 heaping tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
• Olive Oil
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8 ounces spaghetti
• Fresh basil, optional

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Boil a large pot of water for pasta and cook according to directions on package.
2. Cut the chicken in half lengthwise. Pat it dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
3. Prepare 3 bowls- one with flour, one with 2 eggs, beaten with a fork, and the third with panko, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese (stirred together).
4. Add the marinara sauce to a saucepan and warm it over low heat.
5. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to an oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Let the pan heat up while you're doing the next step. 
6. Coat chicken breasts in flour, then egg, then panko mixture. (Shake off any excess after each step.) 
7. Add two pieces of chicken to skillet and allow them to cook 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate; add 1 tbsp of oil and cook the remaining two pieces. Once all four pieces are golden brown, return them all to skillet. Transfer the skillet to oven and bake for 5 minutes.
8. Take the skillet out of the oven and turn oven to broil. Spoon a bit of hot marinara sauce onto each piece of chicken. Top the chicken with mozzarella cheese. Return skillet to broil in oven until the cheese is bubbly and melted. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
9. Toss drained pasta with remaining marinara sauce.
10. Serve immediately with pasta on the side and fresh basil on chicken.

Toasted Orzo with Peas and Parmesan

From MelsKitchencafe.com

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ¼ cups orzo
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley leaves
• Ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving (optional

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and ¾ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the orzo and cook, stirring often, until most of the grains are golden, about 5 minutes. Carefully stir in the broth and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the orzo is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. (Be careful not to cook at too high of heat at this point because the liquid will evaporate instead of cook the orzo and you’ll be left with undercooked pasta.)
2. Off the heat, stir in the peas, Parmesan, and parsley and let sit until the peas are warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with the lemon wedges.

Chicken Ranch Burgers

From Six Sisters Stuff

Chicken Ranch Burgers Recipe:
(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon dried onion
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons BBQ sauce
4 Tablespoons ranch dressing
2 Tablespoons butter
4 hamburger buns

Directions:
Preheat your broiler or grill.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except butter and hambuger buns.  Form chicken mixture into 4 patties and place on greased broiler pan or grill.  Broil or grill burgers for 4-6 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.  Spread butter on the insides of the hamburger buns.  Place on broiler pan and broil for a few minutes until golden brown.  Serve burgers on toasted buns and top with additional ranch dressing.

World's Best Grilled Cheese

From Six Sisters Stuff

Ingredients:

• 8 slices of thick bread Sourdough Cheesy Bread
• 12 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy
• 2 avocados, sliced
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (or sliced)
• 4 Tablespoons of Butter

Directions:

• Heat your grill or griddle to 300 degrees.
• To assemble your grilled cheese:
•  Take two slices of bread and spread 1/2 Tablespoon of butter on one side of the bread.
• Lay it on the grill butter side down. 
• Quickly add cheese, avocado, bacon, and then more cheese on top. 
• Lay another piece of bread on the top and spread another 1/2 Tablespoon of butter on the top of the bread.
• When the one side is starting to brown, flip it over and cook the other side. Make sure the cheese is  melted inside of the sandwich.

Slice in half and serve warm.
(These are delicious! We did feel they needed some sauce. We had happened to have fry sauce on hand so we dipped them in that and it was scrumptious.)

Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas

From Six Sisters Stuff Cookbook

1 1/2 lbs sirloin steak
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2 cups water
1 onion
1 green pepper
1 tbsp olive oil


Soft tortillas
Shredded cheese
Salsa
Guacamole
Sour cream
(cilantro, corn, tomatoes)

Cut sirloin steak into bite-sized pieces. Place steak in slow cooker with chilies, soup mix, and water. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Just before serving, slice onion and green pepper into strips and saute in olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove meat from slow cooker using a slotted spoon and place meat, onion, green pepper, and whatever other toppings you would like on tortillas.

Makes 6 servings.
322 calories per serving

Sour Cream Chocolate Cupcakes and Milk Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

These are the very best cupcakes we have ever had. We made them twice in one week!


Chocolate Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, softened
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda


Directions:
1. In microwave, melt butter and chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, water, sour cream, and vanilla.
3. Combine flour and baking soda in a separate bowl.
4. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and mix well.
5. Add chocolate mixture and beat on high speed for 3 minutes.
6. Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes (22 minutes for me) or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
8. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.


Milk Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1 C. unsalted butter, softened

2 ½ C. powdered sugar (or more, depending on desired consistency)

4 Hershey’s Milk Chocolate candy bars (1.55 oz. each), chopped (Do NOT under any circumstances use chocolate chips or anything other than Hershey bars!)

¼ C. heavy whipping cream

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1. Put the chopped milk chocolate bars into a small bowl.  Heat the chocolate in 30 second increments in the microwave set to 60% power.  Stir after each increment, and continue to heat 30 seconds at a time, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Set aside and allow to completely cool.
2. Once the milk chocolate has cooled, sift the powdered sugar over the butter, in a large bowl. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Measure the whipping cream into a cup, and stir in the vanilla extract into the cream.
4. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually pour the cream mixture the bowl.
5. Once the cream mixture has been incorporated into the frosting, fold on the melted (but cooled) milk chocolate until incorporated.
6. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat frosting for an additional 3 minutes.
7. Makes about 2 ½ cups of frosting.

• This makes a medium consistency frosting, which is very spreadable and creamy.
• For a stiff decorator frosting: add more powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, until desired consistency (about another cup or so.)
• For a thinner consistency to fill cupcakes or sandwich cookies, add about ½ cup less powdered sugar.

Better Than Anything Brownies

From Six Sisters Stuff

1 (15.25-oz) pkg German chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 (5 3/4-oz) can evaporated milk, divided
1 (14-oz) bag caramels
1 (8-oz) bag Heath toffee bits, divided
1 (12-oz) bag milk chocolate chips, divided

Grease a 9x13" baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, melted butter, and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Press half of this mixture into prepared pan. Bake 6 minutes. Meanwhile, melt together caramels and remaining evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often. Remove brownies from oven after 6 minutes and sprinkle on half the bag of Heath toffee bits. Pour melted caramel over toffee bits. Sprinkle on half the bag of chocolate chips. Spread the remaining batter on top. (The book recommends that it is easier to do this by taking pieces of batter and flatten each individual piece in your hands and place on top. Didn't work so well for me.) Sprinkle remaining toffee bits and chocolate chips on top. Bake 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

Makes 24 servings.

Easy Italian Chicken with Potatoes

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 to 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges (I use new potatoes, quartered)

Place chicken in bottom of crockpot.  Sprinkle with half of the italian dressing, seasoning, and the grated cheese.  Put the potatoes on top or around the chicken.  Sprinkle with the rest of the dressing, seasoning, and cheese.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours making sure potatoes are tender.

No Peek Beef Tips

From Mommy's Kitchen

Ingredients: 
2 lb - beef tenderloin tips, stew Meat, chuck roast or chuck eye, cubed
1 - 10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 – 0.87 packet brown gravy mix
1 - 1.25 packet lipton dry onion soup mix
1 – 4 oz can mushrooms
1 - cup water or ginger ale soda 

Directions: 
Add cubed meat to a 9 x 13 inch pan.

In a large bowl mix the remaining ingredients together and pour over the meat.

Add mushrooms and stir to coat. Cover with foil and bake at 300 degrees for 3 Hours.

Do not remove foil until done.

Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or egg noodles.

Servings: 6 - 8 

Chicken Parmesan Baked Pasta

From Tracey's Culinary Adventures

1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups water
1 - 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
12 oz pasta (I used shells) 
2 oz (about 1 cup) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 oz (about 1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese 
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 475 F.

Add the tomatoes to the bowl of your food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped, about 10 pulses. Set an oven-safe 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes, the water, 1 cup of the chicken broth, and the pasta to the pan, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a vigorous simmer, then cover the pan and continue simmering (you may need to reduce the heat slightly) until the pasta is tender, about 16-18 minutes. Stir the pasta frequently as it cooks.

Once tender, remove the cover and stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the pepper, and the chicken. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary. If the mixture seems dry, mix in as much of the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth as needed to loosen it up (I didn't add any of it). {Note: if you don't have an oven-safe skillet, transfer the mixture to a baking dish at this point.} Sprinkle the top evenly with the mozzarella cheese and the remaining Parmesan cheese. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and bubbles around the edges. Garnish with the basil then serve.

Chicken Pesto Sandwich

From Damn Delicious

Yields 3-4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups shredded chicken breast
• 1/2 cup basil pesto, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 baguette, cut into 3-4 equal pieces, toasted, for serving
• Arugula, for serving
• Sliced tomatoes, for serving
• 4 ounces mozzarella, thickly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine chicken, pesto, Greek yogurt, salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve sandwiches on baguette with arugula, tomatoes, mozzarella and chicken pesto mixture.

Parmesan Chicken Bake

From My Kitchen Escapades

6 chicken breasts
1 C light mayonaise or greek yogurt (I have done 1/2 of each as well)
1/2 c fresh parmesan cheese, plus more for the top
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt (This is NOT regular table salt.  It is a mixture of seasonings)
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray the inside of a 9x13 glass pan.  Lay the chicken inside the pan.
2.  Mix together the remaining ingredients and spread evenly over each piece of chicken, being sure to cover all the exposed raw meat (so it doesn't dry out.)  Sprinkle on a bit more fresh parmesan over all the chicken.
3.  Bake uncovered for 45 minutes.  This dish is even better the next day, so just reheat in the microwave!

Caramel Chocolate-Oat Bars

48 caramels, unwrapped
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup flour > 1/3 tsp salt
1 1/8 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup quick oats
2/3 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, softened

Melt caramels and milk in a glass dish in microwave.
Stir every few minutes until smooth.
Mix the dry ingredients and butter until crumbly.
Press 2/3 crumb mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and set aside the rest of crust.
Bake crust at 350 for 5 minutes.
Take out of oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips while is hot.  Pour caramel over top.  Sprinkle remaning crumb mixture on top.  Bake again for 15 minutes, top will barely start to brown.

SOOOOO GOOOOOOD!!

Slow Cooker Italian Beef

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe

1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix (such as Good Seasons brand)
1 (5 pound) chuck roast

Combine water and beef broth with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix. Whisk to combine.

Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat.  Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours.  When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork (I did this step about 45 minutes before eating so the shredded meat had time to absorb more of the juices in the crockpot).  Serve on crusty rolls with cheese, lightly broiled.

Sugar Cookies Done Right!

From The Girl Who Ate Everything

{This is THE BEST sugar cookie recipe I have found!  I even frosted them with store-bought cream cheese frosting and they were still DELICIOUS!  They were even delicious sans frosting!  Now that's saying something!}

1 cup sour cream
2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
6 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine sour cream, sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for a 2-3 minutes.

Add dry ingredients and mix well. Let the dough chill in fridge for 25 minutes or until firm.

Roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick and use cookie cutters to make shapes or circles. You may have to add a little flour to roll them out so the dough is workable but remember the less flour you use the softer your cookie will be.

Bake until LIGHT golden brown-no more than 10 minutes. When you take them out they will seem underdone but they aren't. Let them cool on the pan and they will be perfect and moist. It you like them harder and more crunchy just bake them a little longer. 

Makes around 4 dozen.

The Perfect Pot Roast

From The Pioneer Woman
(but I found it here)


1 whole (4-5 Pounds) Chuck Roast (note to self: 3 lbs serves 4 people)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Onion
6 whole carrots
Kosher Salt
Pepper To Taste
2-3 Cups Beef Stock
3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste
(Note to self: go easy on the thyme and rosemary)

First generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).

Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.  When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

Serve with The Pioneer Woman's delicious mashed potatoes.

Chicken and Dumplings

From Our Best Bites

Chicken and Dumplings
Recipe by Our Best Bites

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups chicken broth (1 1/2 boxes or 3 cans) OR 6 c. water + 6 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 lb. cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (The rotisserie chicken from the grocery store works great! 1 1/2 of them is usually 1 cup)
• 1 cup sliced carrots (3ish large carrots)
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 onion, minced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 handful of chopped fresh parsley (or 1 Tbsp. dried parsley)
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1 14-oz. can evaporated milk (fat free is fine)
• Dumplings (see delicious recipe here)

DIRECTIONS:

• In a large pot, heat some olive oil over medium heat and add onions and garlic. 
• Saute for a few minutes and then add chicken broth, chicken, bay leaf, and basil. 
• Bring to a boil. 
• Add carrots and celery and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until carrots and celery are tender. 
• When carrots and celery are almost done, add chopped parsley. 
• Add evaporated milk. Increase heat to boiling.
• Add small pieces of dumpling dough (probably not the entire recipe or it will be too much), reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.

One other thing--if you know you'll have leftovers, only add dumplings or noodles to what you know you'll eat immediately. The noodles/dumplings will soak up all the liquid in the soup when you store it as leftovers, so you'll have overly-mushy noodles and chicken with no broth if you don't. The other thing you can do is add all of the dumplings or all of the noodles, and then store the dumplings or noodles separately from the rest of the soup. That's easy to do with dumplings, not so much with noodles.

Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling

From Our Best Bites

3 T Flour
1/2 C milk (whole milk is best, but I used non-fat when it's all I have and it's actually fine)
1/2 C real butter
1/2 C sugar (that's granulated sugar, not powdered sugar)
1 t vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.
Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. I think this is the critical point for any of you who have had problems with this recipe. I have a feeling people are under-cooking this part. Let it cook, while stirring, until it looks like pudding (you should be able to see the bottom of the pan when you stir it). Even though it's thick, you can still it through a mesh strainer (just whisk the mixture in the strainer to push the thick stuff through) and then let it coolcompletely to room temp. or chill it in the fridge. It needs to be cooled completely. If you don't let it cool completely, it will melt the butter and you'll have runny frosting.
It an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. You'll want to use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, not the flat paddle. Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat on the highest speed you can get to without it spraying all over the place for 7 minutes. Yes, 7 whole minutes, maybe even 8 or 9. I know that seems like a long time, but that's when the magic happens!

You will be scared because it will look like a weird goopy mess at first and you'll wonder what on earth you did wrong. Keep beating and something amazing happens. It goes from that goopy mess to something thick, velvety smooth, and perfectly fluffy.
Use it to fill cupcakes or other pastries, or as a frosting on top. You can't go wrong putting this on just about anything :) 
One batch makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes.  (note to self: I can only frost 6 with this)
(See frosting cupcake tutorial here)

After trouble-shooting with a lot of people, here are some helpful Notes:

1. Use real butter, and a good name-brand. Cheap butter does weird things.

2.  If you beat for the 6-8 minutes and the mixture still looks strange, beat longer and at a higher speed if you can.  It should come together, but it takes a little patience! 

3. Store at room temperature in a sealed container. Frosting may separate in the fridge, but you can store it overnight if left at room temp and in a well sealed container.


Nutrition Info:
(6 servings) 160 calories, 15.6 g fat, 9.9 sat fat, 42 mg cholesterol, 118 mg sodium, 4.1 g carbs, 1.2 g protein, 3 % calcium