Crockpot Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce

I love this recipe, so I'm posting it here so it doesn't get lost. It is currently written on 2 post-it notes stuck to the inside of my recipe binder. Not a safe place. I got this recipe from my friend Lauren (you'll notice lots of recipes from her on this blog!). It is super yummy

Crockpot Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce

5 medium Gala apples
2 medium Granny Smith apples
2 medium Honeycrisp apples
fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 C water

Peel, core, quarter, and slice apples. Place all apple pieces in a large bowl. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over them and stir. Add sugar and cinnamon. Pour water into the bottom of a large crockpot and add apples. Put the lid on the crockpot and turn on. Cook for about 8 hours on low or 5 hours on high. Stir occasionally.

Once the applesauce is cooked, you can puree or blend it for a smoother texture. Keeps in the fridge for a week. Can be frozen.

Makes 4 cups

Grandma Stone's Lemon Meringue Pie

Grandma Stone makes the best lemon meringue pie in the whole world. My mom finally got the recipe from her (I've been begging for it for 10 years!), so I figured I better put it somewhere permanent so it will never get lost.

Grandma Stone's Lemon Meringue Pie

Prepared, baked pie shell

Filling:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 egg yolks
1-2 Tablespoons lemon zest

Meringue:
3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 Tablespoons sugar      

1. Mix filling ingredients and pour into pie shell. 
2. Beat egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar until glossy, stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved.
3. Top filling with meringue.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, until meringue is golden brown 

Mom's Shepherd Pie

Mom's Shepherd Pie

1/2 lb hamburger
1 can green beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained 
4 servings potato flakes
3/4 - 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger and prepare potato flakes as directed on package. Layer ingredients in above order in a microwave safe casserole or bowl. Microwave for 8 minutes, til cheese is melted.   

Lauren's Pizza Dough

I got this recipe from one of my great friends, Lauren (thus the name). She uses it for both pizza and calzones.

Lauren's Pizza Dough

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 pkg)
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in remaining ingredients and knead until smooth. Let rest 5 minutes. Ready to go! Bake 15-20 minutes at 475 degrees F (or longer at lower temperature, like 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees F).

*******My notes: I usually use instant yeast, so I skip the dissolving the yeast part. This recipe will almost fill a jelly roll pan. Sometimes I add some garlic powder and italian seasonings to the dough to make it extra yummy.     

Birdseed Bread

My family found a birdseed bread that we really love. The only problem is that it is over $5 a loaf at the local farmer's market. I'm all about supporting local small businesses, but I knew that I could probably make bread similar to this for a fraction of the price. Here is what I came up with. It isn't exactly the same as the farmer's market bread, but we are happy with it. We'll just say that we have never eaten homemade bread as fast as the first batch of this was eaten.

Birdseed Bread
Adapted from here and here

2 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
2 Tablespoons gluten flour (or vital wheat gluten)
2 Tablespoons instant yeast
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unsalted raw sunflower seeds
2 Tablespoons poppy seeds
2 Tablespoons cornmeal
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
2 Tablespoons millet
2 Tablespoons amaranth
2 Tablespoons flax seeds
5 1/2 - 6 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1. Combine water, honey, oil, lemon juice, salt, and ginger in bowl of stand mixer. Add ground flaxseed, gluten, yeast, and rolled oats.
2. Add 3 cups flour and mix vigorously with paddle attachment until you can see a little bit of stretch. Add sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, cornmeal, sesame seeds, millet, amaranth, and flax seeds and mix until well incorporated. 
3. Switch to dough hook and add 2 more cups of flour and mix again. Add more flour as needed until dough comes together and clears sides of bowl. Knead about 10 minutes.
4. Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover; let rise until double in size.
5. Punch down and shape into three loaves. Cover with a towel and let rise until double.
6. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 30-35 minutes; gently remove from pans and let cool on racks.

*****My notes: I haven't needed to use more than 5 cups of flour in this recipe. I'm not sure why, but I think it might be all of the added seeds and grains. If you don't have all of the different seeds and grains, use what you do have. This just happens to be what I have on hand and what I like in my bread. The original recipe for the bread base says to cook the bread in three 8" pans, but only have 9" pans. They worked fine, but the bread was just a little short (we could fit two pieces side by side in one toaster slot).

"Macaroni Grill" Rosemary Bread

My friend brought this bread to dinner at my house one night and I just had to get the recipe. It is supposedly the recipe for the bread you eat at Macaroni Grill. It is SO yummy! I made it to take to a friend's house on Sunday and made an extra loaf for us to keep at home.

Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread
1 Tablespoon yeast
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 cup hot water
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons rosemary
1 teaspoon salt

Mix first three ingredients and let sit to nice and foamy. Add the rest of the ingredients. Let dough rise in greased bowl til double the size. Roll dough into one large round loaf, or two smaller loaves. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until top is golden brown. When out of the oven, melt butter all over the top and sprinkle with salt.

****Here are my edits. I used SAF yeast, so I didn't let it foam in the sugar water. Just added it to my dry ingredients and it was good to go. I only use half the amount of rosemary. I have made it with the full amount, but I think it is too much. I let my loaves rise again before I cook them. I think it makes them extra fluffy and yummy. The last time I made it I left the extra loaf on the pan to cool (I cooked it on a cookie sheet) and covered it with a towel. Later that night when I went to put it away, the bottom was a little soggy right in the middle. Next time I will leave it on a cooling rack.

This bread is perfect to eat with oil and vinegar, for dipping in chili or soup, or just plain. Enjoy!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Finally, right? Sorry to make you wait so long for this, Ang!!! Here is the creamy, yummy goodness!  (FYI: this is the recipe from the book, I didn't do everything they said, like I didn't cook the bacon in a dutch oven because I don't have one! :)  )

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
From The Cook's Country Cookbook

8 slices bacon, chopped
3 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed
1 lg onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbls all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp dried thyme
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus additional for garnish
1 cup sour cream, plus additional for garnish
3 scallions, sliced thin

1. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. While the bacon is cooking, use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of peel from the potatoes; reserve the peels. Cut the peeled potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.  Add the reserved potato skins to the bacon fat in the pot and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potato skins to the plate with the bacon,

2. Add the onion to the fat remaining in the pot and cook over medium heat until golden, about 6 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and flour and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in the broth and cream, stir in the thyme and potatoes, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 7 minutes.

3. Transfer 2 cups of the cooked potatoes to a bowl.  Puree the remaining soup in batches in a blender until smooth.  Return the soup to the pot and warm over medium-high heat.  Off the heat, stir in the cheese until melted, then whisk in the sour cream.  Return the reserved potatoes to the pot and season the soup with pepper.  Ladle the soup into bowls, and garnish with the bacon, fried potato skins, scallions, cheese and sour cream.

MMMMM!!!  Hope you LOVE it!

Three Bean Chili Deluxe

I found this recipe on the blog Design Mom. I'm not a huge fan of chili, but I was in the mood for some last winter and decided to try this. It is really yummy. I think the ranch adds a great flavor. Thanks Design Mom (and her kids who developed the recipe)!

Three Bean Chili Deluxe
from Design Mom

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 heaping tsp garlic, chopped
3 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
2 16 oz. cans light kidney beans
2 16 oz. cans dark kidney beans
2 16 oz. cans black beans
1 entire packet of Ranch dressing powdered mix
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
1 t salt
2 teaspoons cream cheese

Brown the ground beef with the onions and garlic. Drain the fat. Add the rest of the ingredients (don't drain the beans) and simmer for 30 minutes. Or all day.

Here is what I do different. I use ground turkey instead of ground beef. It has way less fat and tastes the same for this recipe. I think you can use any combination of beans. Last time I made it I didn't have any cans of light or dark kidney beans. I had a can of cannellini (white kidney) beans, so I used that, along with a can of pinto beans. I cooked some dried kidney beans (about 1 2/3 cup cooked beans equals a can) and used those since I didn't have canned kidney beans. So my chili had 4 different kinds of beans (black, kidney, cannellini, and pinto). I thought it was still as good as the time I made it with the beans listed in the recipe.

Peanut Butter Popcorn

My friend, Lauren, has been making this ever since I have known her. I love it. I always wanted to make some, but I never had a popcorn popper. I finally bought one a couple of days ago and this is what we made to break it in.

Peanut Butter Popcorn
2 poppers popped corn
1/2 cup light karo (corn) syrup
1/2 cup honey
1 cup white sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
m&ms (optional)

Mix karo syrup, honey, and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Add peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Mix til peanut butter is melted and all mixed in. Pour over popped corn and stir.

Easy, right?

Here is what I did different. I only used 1/2 cup sugar. I wanted to see if it would still taste good with less sugar. I didn't notice any difference. I wanted to add m&ms, but my husband doesn't like them, so I left them out.

Enjoy!

Eugenia's Potato Soup

My mom found this recipe in a book and tried it last week. Everyone loved it enough that she emailed it to all us girls. I tried it tonight and it was delicious! Potato Cheese Soup has always been my favorite, and I think this may even be better! And it's REALLY easy!!!

Eugenia's Potato Soup
4 lbs. potatoes
2 cans chicken broth
8 oz. monterey jack cheese (and/or pepper jack cheese)
1 pint half & half
2 cans cream celery soup
1 8 oz. sour cream
Cook potatoes in broth until tender but still firm, approx. 12 - 15 min. Grate cheese and stir into potatoes until melted. Add soups, half & half and sour cream. Cook on low, stirring constantly until hot.

SO yummy!

Very Veggie Lentil Chili

Hey! Come on over to my other cooking blog to see my latest yummalicious recipe: Very Veggie Lentil Chili. It is budget friendly, really easy to make, and kid approved. Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Didn't that sound like a great commercial?

Brazilian Beans and Rice

My husband served his mission in Brazil, so he loves Brazilian beans and rice. I have been trying to find a good recipe since we got married 7 years ago, but to no avail. At Thanksgiving we visited my sister-in-law and met her friend that is from Brazil and she told us about how she makes it and promised to get us the recipe. We finally got it yesterday. And lucky enough for me, it included peppers! Here is the recipe:

Brazilian Beans and Rice
from Luciane

For a traditional lunch, serve rice and beans with a green salad with tomatoes and Italian vinaigrette dressing (not ranch) and meat, as below.

The beans (crockpot style):
1 lb bag dry beans, pinto or black (or canned--but watch the salt--none my be needed)
2 bay leaves
copious amounts of water
2-3 T olive oil
smoked sausage or 1/2 package bacon (optional)
1/2 of an onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, pressed
salt and pepper, to taste
2 beef bullion cubes
Mrs Dash, to taste (optional, no pepper needed if using Mrs Dash)
Seasoning salt (optional, without lemon)
Whatever you like to season with as long as it has no lemon
bell pepper, 1 1/2 inch wide strip chopped finely (optional)
a little cilantro, to taste (optional)

Look through your beans before rinsing them to make sure to remove small pebbles or other debris. Rinse well. Soak for 1/2 hour in plenty of water. Rinse again and pour the beans into a crockpot. Add the bay leaves. Cover with about 5 inches of water (at least double the amount of beans) and cook on high, overnight.

Remove the bay leaves. If using meat, saute until cooked and use 2-3 T of its oil (instead of olive oil) to saute the onion, until clear. Add pressed garlic and stir until fragrant. Pour some of the beans/water into the saute pan to dislodge all the yummy bits and pour it all back into the crockpot with the meat. Add bouillon cubes and salt and pepper to taste (or other seasonings, as mentioned above).

Cook until the beans are done, checking every once in a while. When cooked, you can stir in the bell pepper and/or cilantro, if using. Experiment and taste, adjusting the recipe to your liking.

The rice:
2 cups jasmine rice (old crop, not new crop--from Asian store if possible and definitely not storehouse rice)
4 cups water
2 shallow teaspoons salt
1 T olive oil
1/4 of a small onion
1 clove garlic, pressed

Cook the onion and garlic the same way as above, adding to the rice. Put the rice, salt, and water into a pan and heat to boiling, then simmer, uncovered, until almost all the water is soaked up. Then cover with a lid and finish cooking.

The salad:
You can make your own vinaigrette with 1 part lemon juice, 3 parts olive oil, cilantro, tomato, green bell pepper (if desired, all cut finely), salt and pepper and Italian seasoning.

The meat:
At a Mexican store, purchase thinly sliced beef. Pound it out more thinly still. Marinate for an our in olive oil, pressed garlic, and a little salt. Sear meat quickly on each side in a pan on high heat, using a little olive oil in the pan (if using nonstick, no oil needed). Remove meat. Add a few onion ring slices and a little more oil to the hot pan. Saute them quickly, then return the meat to the pan with the onion rings and cook until meat is finished cooking. This can be done with chicken or fish, too.

****I pretty much followed the recipe. I added the bell peppers, but not the cilantro. I didn't have any Mrs Dash, so I used Tony Chachere's spices n' herbs seasoning, but not very much. I used bacon, and after I cooked it I crumbled it into the beans in the crockpot, then used some of the bacon grease to cook the onions. According to my husband the Brazilians never put bell peppers in their beans, so I don't know if I will next time I make it. I think it would be good either way. I got some salad, but we didn't end up eating it. And I didn't get any meat, so we just had the beans and rice. Next time I will probably make 1 1/2 times the rice recipe because we had lots more beans left over than rice. I will have to make more rice to finish the beans.

We had friends over for dinner (the husband also served a mission in Brazil) and our friend and my husband both thought this was the most authentic tasting beans and rice they have had since their missions. We all loved it.

Italian Lentil Soup

I got this recipe from my friend Lauren. We love it. And lentils are really good for you. We have tried it both with and without the cabbage and it was great both ways.

Italian Lentil Soup

1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, sliced (1 cup)
1 stalk celery, sliced (1/2 cup)
1 small onion, chopped (1/3 cup)
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cups water
1/2 head cabbage, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups)
1 cup dry lentils, rinsed and drained
1 can Italian diced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 cubes chicken bullion (depends on your taste)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 30-45 minutes or until lentils are tender. Can top with Parmesan cheese.

Swedish Meatballs

We had Swedish meatballs at the home of a friend who is from Finland a couple of years ago. I remembered that experience last week and decided I wanted to make her meatballs, but she was in the process of moving to Finland and had already packed her cookbooks, so I found a recipe online. The recipe I found comes from the Food Network website, courtesy of Alton Brown. I have to say that I just had Swedish Meatballs at IKEA last month and I think these ones are better.

Swedish Meatballs
from FoodNetwork.com

2 slices fresh white bread (I used 1/2 cup bread crumbs)
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons clarified butter, divided (I used normal butter)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
A pinch plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 pound ground chuck
3/4 pound ground pork
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I used bottled)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups beef broth (I used 3 cups of water and 3 beef bullion cubes)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Tear the bread into pieces and place in a small mixing bowl along with the milk (or mix bread crumbs and milk). Set aside.

In a 12-inch straight sided saute pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sweat until the onions are soft. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread and milk mixture, ground chuck, pork, egg yolks, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and onions. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes.

Using a scale, weigh meatballs into 1-ounce portions and place on a sheet pan. Using your hands, shape the meatballs into rounds. (I don't have a scale, so I just made meatballs the size I like them.)

Heat the remaining butter in the saute pan over medium-low heat, or in an electric skillet set to 250 degrees F. Add the meatballs and saute until golden brown on all sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the meatballs to an ovenproof dish using a slotted spoon and place in a warmed oven.

Once all of the meatballs are cooked, decrease the heat to low and add the flour to the pan or skillet. Whisk until lightly browned, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add the beef stock and whisk until sauce begins to thicken. Add the cream and continue to cook until the gravy reaches the desired consistency. (I had to add a little more flour than it calls for to get my gravy to thicken.) Remove the meatballs from the oven, cover with the gravy and serve.

The recipe says it makes about 30 meatballs, but I made around 60. I guess I like my meatballs smaller than Alton Brown.

100% Whole Wheat Bread

You are probably wondering why I am posting another bread recipe. This one is better than the last one I posted, so I thought I would share. It comes from the blog of a long-time friend, Mrs. Mordecai. This recipe is really easy and super yummy. It is definitely worth a try!

100% Whole Wheat Bread
from Be It Ever So Humble

1 2/3 cups very warm water
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup instant potato flakes
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/3 - 2 cups additional whole wheat flour

Combine first 3 ingredients, then slowly add oil, honey, salt, potato flakes, and lemon juice, mixing as you go. Add remaining flour a little at a time until the texture is right. Knead about 10 minutes (I use my KitchenAid). Shape into two loaves and place in two greased 8" loaf pan. Let rise until double, about 30 minutes. (I put them on top of the stove and preheated the oven at the same time.) In another blog post Mrs. M suggested letting the dough rise for about 30 minutes prior to the loaf shaping and rising step. I tried this (I put the dough in a greased bowl and covered it with a towel) and think it made the bread even softer, although I haven't tried it without the extra rising time so I can't say for sure. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. Cool on rack. For a softer crust, cover the loaves with a towel as they cool.

Garlic Herb Pizza Dough

I love herb pizza dough. Every time I go to Trader Joe's I get at least one. TJ's pizza dough is so yummy! But since I don't get to TJ's very often I decided it was time to find a recipe to make my own herb dough. After looking at lots of websites that had the same recipe I found this one. It was so easy to make and turned out delicious. I used it for both pepperoni pizza and chicken Alfredo pizza for dinner tonight. We had a friend over for dinner and he seemed to like it, too. Wes couldn't get enough (which doesn't happen very often).

I changed this recipe a little bit because some of it was kind of confusing or didn't make sense, or just sounded weird.

Garlic Herb Pizza Dough
from Homemade Pizza Made Easy

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil (I used canola)
2/3 cup lukewarm water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast (I used SAF instant yeast)
1 Tablespoon fresh garlic cloves, chopped
1 Tablespoon Oregano, fresh, chopped (if using dried herbs, cut amounts in half)
1 Tablespoon Parsley, fresh, chopped
1 Tablespoon Basil, fresh, chopped
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
2 cups bread flour (I used wheat flour)

Dissolve yeast in water. Place flour in bowl of electric mixer. Add dissolved yeast, oil, water, salt, garlic, oregano, parsley, basil, onion powder and black pepper. Using dough hook, mix well at medium-low speed (or follow mixer instructions) until all ingredients are incorporated. Knead for a few more minutes. Dust or oil dough ball and place in a large bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft free area for 1 to 3 hours.

This is where the recipe stops. I spread my dough onto large cookie sheets and covered with my desired toppings. The recipe didn't give cooking directions, so I cooked each of my pizzas at 400 degrees F for about 10-12 minutes. The pizzas turned out great, so I think this temperature was a good choice.

Note: If you are using instant yeast you do not need to dissolve the yeast in the water first. You can add it straight to the flour, mix, and then add the other ingredients as directed.

I doubled the batch and was able to make two nice-sized pizzas that almost filled my large cookie sheets.

Ham 'n Cheese Calzones

I found this recipe in the Kraft Food & Family Magazine. I love calzones and was really excited to find such an easy way to make them. I look forward to being creative and putting in my own fillings.

Ham 'n Cheese Calzones

Prep time: 10 minutes Total: 28 minutes

Serves 4

1 can (13.8 ounce) refrigerated pizza crust

16 slices shaved honey ham

1 cup shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese

1/4 cup Ranch Dressing

1 tomato, cut into 8 thin slices

Heat oven to 4oo F. Unroll pizza dough on lightly floured surface. Pat out dough to form 16x12-inch rectangle. Cut into quarters.

Top dough with ham to within 1/2 inch of sides. Mix cheese and dressing; spread on ham. Top with tomatoes. Fold each rectangle in half; seal edges with a fork. Put on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown

Make ahead: Prepare calzones up to 8 hours in advance. Wrap baking sheet with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator. When ready to eat, unwrap and bake one or more as directed.

***I made it twice, the first time using the store-bought dough, the second time using homemade dough. The homemade dough didn't brown but it was still good and definitely cheaper. The ranch dressing was an awesome filling.

Easy Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is a family favourite and so I was excited to find a new and improved recipe to mix it up. I think I have found a new favourite way to eat Shepherd's Pie. And it's sooo fast and easy. I found this recipe in the Kraft Food & Family Magazine.

Easy Shepherd's Pie

Prep time: 10 minutes Total: 30 minutes

Serves 6

1 pound ground beef

2 cups hot mashed potatoes

4 ounces (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg) cream cheese, cubed

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 cup beef gravy

Preheat oven to 375 F. Brown meat in large skillet. Drain.

Mix potatoes, cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and the garlic until well blended.

Stir vegetables and gravy into meat.

Spoon into 9-inch square baking dish.

Cover with potato mixture. Don't worry about it being perfectly even; the more rustic it looks the better.

Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through.

Shortcut: Use instant mashed potatoes. Prepare potatoes as directed on package, omitting the milk. This way when you add the cream cheese, the potatoes stay fluffy.

Grilled Pineapple Curry Chicken

I got this recipe from the Reynolds Wrap Cooking With Foil Cookbook. It was really easy and cleanup was awesome. And it was seriously so good. I'll definitely be cooking this again soon.

Grilled Pineapple Curry Chicken

Prep time: 20 minutes Grill time: 13 minutes

Serves 4

Reynolds Wrap Non-Stick Foil

Curry Rub

2 tablespoons curry powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon packed brown sugar

Coconut Lime Sauce

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 teaspoon Curry Rub

Juice from 1/2 fresh lime

Honey Barbecue Sauce

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1/4 cup honey

Ingredients

4 (4 to 6 ounches each) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves [we used smaller tenders so that the chicken didn't get dry]

1 medium red onion, sliced 1/4-inch thick

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 medium pineapple, cored and sliced, 1/4-inch thick

Preheat grill to medium-high. Make drainage holes in sheet of Reynolds Wrap Non-Stick Foil with large grilling fork; set aside.

Combine ingredients for Curry Rub, Coconut Lime Sauce, and Honey Barbecue Sauce in separate bowls; set aside. Sprinkle remaining Curry Rub over chicken [we rubbed it into the chicken to give it more flavor]. Brush onion slices with oil.

Place foil sheets with holes on grill grate with non-stick (dull) side toward food; immediately place chicken, onion slices, and pineapple slices on foil.

Grill chicken, onion, and pineapple 3 to 5 minutes; turn. Brush chicken and onion slices with Honey Barbecue Sauce; grill 5 minutes longer. Remove pineapple and onion slices from foil. Turn chicken and brush with barbecue sauce.

Continue Grilling 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken is tender or meat thermometer reads 170 F. Discard sauce. Place onion and pineapple slices on top of chicken. Drizzle with Coconut Lime Sauce. Grill 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce is heated.

***We didn't do as much chicken as the recipe called for, so we had a lot of sauce. Also we just poured it on instead of brushing it. The picture looks kind of terrible, but it was so yummy. It stuck to the foil a bit the first time we turned it but other than that it worked out as planned***

Cheesy Basil Stuffed Chicken Breasts

If you are looking for a gourmet restaurant-tasting recipe, this one is amazing! I made it with mashed potatoes, and it really tasted like something from a nice restaurant! Kim took pictures of it, but I have waited long enough to post it!! I will add the pics when I can!

Cheesy Basil-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
(From the Cook's Country Cookbook)
Serves 4

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about ½ lb, trimmed)
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into large pieces and pulsed in a food processor to coarse
crumbs
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1.Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the cheese, 2 tbsp of the basil, the cream, lemon juice, 2 tsp of the garlic, ½ tsp salt, and pepper to taste in a medium bowl.
2.Cut a pocket in each chicken breast, stuff with the cheese mixture, and seal. Transfer the stuffed breasts into a 13 x 9 in baking dish and spread the tops evenly with the mayonnaise.
3.Combine the bread crumbs, remaining 2 tbsp basil, remaining tsp garlic, and 1 tbsp oil. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the chicken, pressing lightly to adhere.
4.Toss the tomatoes with the remaining 1 tbsp oil, ½ tsp salt, and pepper to taste. Arrange in the baking dish around the chicken. Bake until the crumbs are golden brown and the thickest part of the chicken registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 25 mins. Serve.

Stuffing the chicken breasts:
1.Working carefully, use a sharp paring knife to cut a pocket in the thickest area of the chicken breast. Gently work the knife back and forth until the pocket extends down into most of the breast.
2.Use a small spoon to scoop ¼ of the filling into each chicken breast. Seal in the filling by threading a toothpick or wooden skewer through the chicken about ¼ from the opening.