Potato Rolls

I got this recipe from a sister in my ward. She made these for an activity and I HAD to have the recipe. They are so delicious, soft, and perfect! I thought I had already added this recipe to my collection on here. I guess I didn't, because I can't find it. So, even if it's here, I'll repost. It's worth it. I hope you make these and enjoy them as much as we do.

Potato Rolls
Ingredients:
4 cups hot water
2 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 cups potato flakes
1 stick of margarine/butter
4 cups flour
3-5 cups flour

Step 1:
Pour 4 cups hot water into mixer. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp yeast over top of water. Add 1 Tbsp salt. Add 1/2 cup of sugar. (you don't need to stir this. Just sprinkle the yeast over the water evenly, then pour the salt ans sugar over the yeast evenly.  It will force the yeast to the bottom) Let sit for approx 5 minutes, until slightly foamy.

Step 2:
Add 3 eggs, 2 cups potato flakes, margarine or butter, and 4 cups flour - use dough hook - beat 5 min.

Step 3:
Add 3-5 cups more flour. (I usually add 4. If it is humid you may need to add a little more. The dough will be quite sticky, but smooth in appearance.)

Step 4:
Use a plastic spatula to remove dough. Pour into a large tupperware or plastic bowl sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cover lightly with lid or plastic wrap that has also been sprayed. Let rise 1 hour.

Step 5:
Sprinkle a little flour over the top of the dough and gently pat down to release some of the air. Divide into 5 portions. Using a lot of flour on your board, pat out or roll out each portion of dough into a circle. Use a pizza cutter to cut it into 8 slices (or triangles). Roll each slice beginning at the large end to make a crescent. Pinch the ends together to make it more round. Place rolls onto greased baking sheet. I fit 20 per 10X15 pan. Batch makes two pans, 40 total. Cover loosely with a cloth, or with plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Let rise 1 hour. *If you have excessive flour on the rolls, just brush them off with a little pastry brush before baking them.* Bake 400F for 12 minutes. Check bottoms of rolls with a spatula to make sure they are slightly browned.

Tips:
The most important ingredients are yeast and flour. Use SAF Instant Yeast or other good yeast and Unbleached flour.

Dough is very sticky, but that is what makes good rolls. Make sure you beat the dough at least a total of 7 minutes - 5 minutes with first addition of flour, and at least 2 more minutes with second addition of flour.

You can make this recipe into cinnamon rolls, bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes. the higher temperature makes them too tough.

Verdict:

HEAVENLY! absolutely Heaven in a bread! light and fluffy, sweet and mmmm heaven! I have not tried these as cinnamon rolls. I may have to split the batch to make half rolls and half cinnamon rolls. Love these!

Sweet, Tangy Chicken

This was what I made in the slow cooker last night. I will be eating it for lunch today. My intention was to serve this for dinner, but we ended up going out to dinner. Why you might ask since I had food in the slow cooker. Well... Yesterday was spent at the car dealership. I was in a car accident two weeks ago. My vehicle was totaled, and I needed another car. I didn't want to have a payment, but nothing worked out to get a vehicle without a payment. We were helped by my husband's WONDERFUL parents. They helped us get into a safe family car. We are so blessed. We can afford the payment, and we will be working hard to pay it off quickly. We want to repay their kindness by getting this off as quickly as possible. Well, long story short. We also got a check from the insurance company for what my vehicle was worth that we put part of it on as a down payment on the vehicle. We decided to go out to dinner since it was easier. My brain couldn't function after all the stress. So, tonight will be leftover, but the kids don't know it's leftovers. :) They never saw it. I'm going to try to make my potato rolls to go with it like sandwiches. They will enjoy it. I'm going to shred my sweet tangy chicken to go on the rolls. mmm my mouth is watering already. That's usually a good sign. One of the things I like about this recipe is that it has a fruit component to it. My kids don't even know.

Ingredients:

1 can cranberry sauce (whole berry or non)
1/2 bottle of creamy French dressing or Catalina dressing
1 package dry italian dressing mix
3 lbs chicken tenders (boneless, skinless)

Directions:
In slow cooker place cranberry sauce, french dressing and italian dressing mix in and stir to incorporate all ingredients, then add the chicken tenders moving them around so the mixture is around each tender. Cook on low for 4-6 hrs until the chicken tenders are cooked through, then remove the tenders, shredding with two forks. Then replace back in the slow cooker on warm. til ready to serve.

Serve on rolls, toast, mashed potatoes, pasta or even on a bed of salad greens.

These are tasty, tangy and sweet. The sweetness comes from a combination of the cranberry sauce and the french dressing. The tang comes from the french dressing, the seasoning and the cranberry sauce. A great combination and an easy healthier meal. :) Enjoy :)

Pesto Tilapia with a Pesto Alfredo Orzo

Tonight was the ending of a very busy day. I am surprised that my brain and my head hasn't exploded... I am trying to find a car we can afford after my vehicle accident. So, I also started my last term towards my associates degree, with three classes. On top of that I had a job interview today, first one in two years. It felt really good. Then we had spanish club and liberty bowl club for the boys after school, then pack meeting for cub scouts. And my husband is working late tonight. So dinner, is not the typical dinner, but still some of it is mostly scratch. The fish was delicious, the orzo was very creamy and flavorful.

I am really loving pesto. I guess its some sort of pesto faze but it is so tasty. And I'm loving all of the delicious things that go with it.

Ingredients for Pesto Tilapia
7 tilapia filets
1 1/2 cup italian seasoned breadcrumbs
4 Tbsp olive oil and 4 Tbsp margarine or butter
1/2 tsp of pesto per tilapia filets
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
* do not dry the tilapia filets. Mix salt and pepper in the italian seasoned breadcrumbs, then dredge the tilapia filets in the italian breadcrumbs, (their natural moisture will help the breadcrumbs stick). Then heat the oil and butter/margarine in a saucepan til bubbly. Then add the filets to the bubbly oil mixture and don't move until they are browning on the edges, then flip the fish and continue to cook one or two minutes longer. (the filets cook fast). I placed them on a foil lined jelly roll pan (cookie sheet) and then spread the pesto on to the fish and place in an oven at 325F for about 5 minutes to make sure the fish is nice and flaky.

Ingredients for the Pesto Alfredo Orzo
1 lb orzo
1 bottle garlic parmesan Alfredo (ragu)
1 Tbsp pesto (a little goes a long way)

Directions:
Cook the orzo according to package directions or until your taste. Then drain off the water. Add the pesto and Alfreo sauce to the same pan, stir. Then add the orzo and stir to incorporate. and serve warm.

Delicious and flavorful!

I loved it, One of my son's had two pieces of fish, my husband had 3 pieces. I'd say the fish was a HIT! and then the Orzo is delicious and creamy! a win for a quick dinner :)

Just what I needed to end the day!

Easter Dinner

Our Easter Dinner 2011
Shrimp cocktail, breaded pesto chicken, instant mashed potatoes and sweetened corn-microwavable

I know most of you are thinking that I would have some delicious, wonderful dinner prepared. Unfortunately, that was not the case this Easter. I had a final due in one of my classes, and spent most of the day preparing and finishing the paper, after I went to church. That, and when I went to purchase a ham or lamb at the grocery store, they were all sold out. I guess when you snooze you loose. :( I thought I'd have time, I guess I was wrong. So instead, we had my shrimp cocktail, breaded pesto chicken cutlets, instant mashed potatoes, and sweetened corn (cooked in the microwave). I know some of you may be thinking that sounds pretty awesome... It was. It took me about 45 minutes to make. All in all it was a nice dinner, we all sat around the table having dinner and eating shrimp cocktail. I know it was our little extravagance for Easter...shrimp cocktail.  Unfortunately, no pictures were taken of dinner. But it was very delicious... I will try to do better with pictures of my meals. I have been just a little more lax on that part lately since I'm so busy with school. I will get a little busier these next 9 weeks, as I finish up my last three classes to complete my associates degree. I will hopefully be able to get back to making delicious meals with pictures by then. I may have more slow cooker meals coming your way as I'll be very busy with the kids finishing their school for the year, my final term in school, and to top it all off, I may be starting a new job... pray I get it. I could really use the experience :) I have included the recipe for the sweetened corn. It's heavenly!

Sweetened Corn - Microwavable

Ingredients
1 bag frozen white corn kernels
2-3 Tsp white sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 stick of butter/margarine

In a medium microwavable bowl, add the white corn kernels with the butter, set the microwave on full power, and microwave for 3 minutes, take out of the microwave, then add the milk and sugar. Then stir to incorporate the sugar and milk. Then microwave another 4 minutes. Stoping the time at 2 minutes and stirring again. Check temperature of the corn, may need 2 more minutes to cook. (depending on the temperature of your microwave), Serve as a side dish. Delicious.

VERDICT - My kids and husband said it tasted like it was straight off the cob, and oh so sweet. They LOVED it!

Everything but the kitchen sink chili

Today is going to be a long day for me. My oldest son is going on his first scout overnighter, I have a Girls Night Out... (yeah me!). I have to write one of my final papers for school, and the kids have a half day at school. Not to mention the house is messy and needs cleaning and laundry needs done. So I figured I needed a easy quick set it and forget it dinner. I pull out my trusty crock pot. Then I try to figure out what to put it it that is quick, easy and set it and forget it. I think that my cowboy stew would be nice and yummy. Then i remember i have leftovers from last night which was a raspberry vinaigrette pork loin. Which was just a low fat raspberry vinaigrette pored over a pork loin and cooked in the slow cooker all day. It was sweet, and tasty, lacked a little salt but other than that pretty good. So i figured I would try to make a chili of some sort without chili powder. Even if it is a sweet chili. Is there anything wrong with sweet chili... I don't think so. So I pull out my ingredients and away I go... Dump and stir then set it and forget it...

Ingredients:
2 cans chili beans
2 cans sweet corn
2 cups mixed sweet peppers, chopped/diced - I had orange, yellow and red
1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup bbq sauce
1 lb hamburger patties crumbled, browned with salt and pepper
leftover pork roast
1 onion chopped
1-2 cups of salsa medium
salt and pepper to taste

combine all ingredients in a slow cooker/crockpot for 8-10 hrs.

Serve with cornbread/corn chips with sour cream and cheese.

Pesto Breaded Chicken Cutlets

I had a bag of thawed chicken cutlets that needed to be used up today. I wanted to make something different, yet delicious at the same time. I know it's kind of hard to do, but I think I made a winner. I was thinking of making a chicken parmesan dish, but didn't want to use anything tomato based, but I wanted to add some delicious flavor. I had made my 4 Cheese Fancy Baked Mac N Cheese, and thought that using pesto would be a nice way of adding flavor and not overpower or out shine the mac n cheese. (the mac n cheese was the most work I've done for a baked mac n cheese ever). I was trying to make something easy and still tasty without drying out the chicken. Which for me is a big thing, I don't like dry chicken and it was a concern for me as these were cutlets and not full chicken breasts.

Ingredients:
6 chicken cutlets
2 Tbsp pesto
2 egg whites
1/2 cup buttermilk
1-2 cups italian seasoned bread crumbs
oil for pan frying
cheese for topping

Directions:

Between a big piece of plastic wrap, pound the chicken cutlets to approximately the same thickness through out the cutlet, set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the pesto, egg whites, and buttermilk, beat well.

Heat oil for pan frying while doing the rest. add approx 1 inch of oil in the bottom of a thick bottomed pan. Heat on med. til water droplet dances in the oil. then it is hot enough to cook the chicken in.

Pour the italian breadcrumbs on a plate, then just dredge the pounded chicken into the egg combination, then the breadcrumbs (creating a light coating, but making sure it's completely covered with breadcrumbs), repeat with each cutlet until they are all dredged in egg and breadcrumb mixture.

Preheat oven to 350...

Add as many chicken cutlets into the hot pan leaving room between each one. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned. Then remove and place on paper towels to soak up some of the oil. Add cheese to the top of each piece of chicken to melt as it slightly cools.

Once all the chicken has been browned, place on a foil lined cookie sheet, and bake in the oven 10-15 minutes longer to make sure the chicken is cooked through and cheese is starting to brown on top of the chicken.

This creates a nice crisp crust and juicy chicken.

This was a delicious, juicy chicken. My middle son said it just needed salt. But since I'm trying to reduce our sodium intake, I didn't add salt. You could add salt and pepper if desired either to the breadcrumbs or the egg mixture. I thought it had enough flavor without the added sodium. I put out ranch dressing, bbq sauce and ketchup on the table if the chicken was too dry to eat without sauce. But no one used it. It was perfect!

This was a hit and I will be making again. :)

4 Cheese Fancy Baked Mac N Cheese

As i was searching the web today after my schoolwork was completed, trying to get ideas for dinner. I went to one of my favorite cooking blogs The Pioneer Woman. I was searching through her expansive recipes, and came across what looked like heaven in a pan. Yes, I said heaven in a pan. She calls it Fancy Macaroni. I altered it a little, so I'm calling it 4 Cheese Fancy Mac N Cheese. And yes, if you read her post on it... she is right, it is a very decadent dish should be reserved for a special occasion, like Tuesdays :) That's my excuse for making it. I even went to the store to purchase some of the cheeses she lists so I could try to replicate it as closely as her recipe. But of course as I go along, I realize that something else would make it yummy too, so I add it to it.

Is that so wrong? I wanted to call this Heavenly Mac N Cheese. Which is probably a better description, but I think I should let someone else have that one,... the originator... The Pioneer Woman... She is an amazing cook and when I grow up I want to be her! She does amazing things with food, and it makes my mouth water just by reading her blog posts. I'm so not worthy, but I did my humble best. Thanks Pioneer Woman for helping me create the BEST Baked mac n cheese I've ever had! You ROCK!!! (if you ever read my humble blog, I am truly honored!)

Ingredients

• 4 cups Macaroni
• 8 Tablespoons Butter (Salted Butter)
• 2 whole Medium Onions, Cut In Half And Sliced Thin
• 10 slices Regular Bacon
• 1 Tablespoon Bacon Grease (reserved From Bacon Slices)
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 2 cups Whole Or 2% Milk
• ½ cups Half-and-half
• 2 whole Egg Yolks, Beaten
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• ½ cups Grated Gruyere Cheese
• ½ cups Grated Fontina Cheese - I used Romano cheese
• ½ cups Grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese - I used Asiago cheese
• 4 ounces, weight Chevre (soft Goat Cheese) - I used crumbled goat cheese (3.5 oz)
• 1 Tbsp pesto

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook macaroni for half the time of the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Fry bacon until slightly, but not overly, crispy. Drain on a paper towel. Reserve grease.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter and 1-2 Tbsp bacon fat in a skillet and then saute onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown and soft. Set aside.

In a pot, melt 4 tablespoons butter (and add 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon grease for good measure!). Sprinkle in flour and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 1 minute. Pour in milk and half & half, then cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick. Reduce heat to low. Add salt & pepper to taste. (Do not undersalt!)

Beat egg yolks and drizzle 1/4 cup hot mixture into the yolks, stirring constantly. Stir to combine. Pour egg mixture into sauce and cook for another minute.

Add cheeses, pesto and stir until melted and combined. Add onions and bacon (reserving some for topping) and stir. Taste for seasonings and add more salt if needed. Add cooked macaroni and stir to coat.

Pour into a baking dish, Cover with reserved onion and bacon and 1/4 cup shredded Gruyere and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until sizzling and hot.

Serve with red meat or a green salad.

I served it with pesto breaded chicken cutlets and brussels sprouts. 

** All italics are things I did differently from the original recipe. So yummy!

I thought this was a fabulous dinner. Very flavorful and definitely good on a Tuesday after eating a week of crock pot meals. I really enjoyed making this dish. It was really tasty! I hope you like it too.