The Best Damn Chicken Salad
Yes I couldn’t help myself with the title but it really is the best damn chicken salad you will ever make. Not only is it mouth watering, it is a good substitute to buying your lunch everyday. You can make a batch of this and eat on it all week! Let’s get started!
You’ll need:
1 whole rotisserie chicken- I recommend the lemon chicken they sell at the grocery store already cooked
½ cup mayonnaise
2 green apples- peeled, cored, small diced
2-3 cups green/red grapes halved
¼ cup of onion- peeled, fine diced
¼ cup of celery – fine diced
¼ cupd of walnuts or pecans – fine chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Shred the chicken off of the bone. Be careful not to get any gristle . I use a fork and just pull it right off the bone. Combine it with everything else in a large bowl. Serve immediately or chilled! This recipe is simply an outline. Use more or less of the mayo,apples,onion, and celery until you find the right mix for you. Don’t be afraid to taste it as you add in a bit of each ingredient. So get choppin’ and wow your crowd with this simple crowd pleaser!
Homemade Brown Sugar Syrup
The other morning I threw together a batch of pancakes and realized I was out of maple syrup. I was about to just slather them in butter when I realized I had brown sugar. I threw together this very simple syrup in less than five minutes. It tastes wonderful on everything! Let’s get to syrup soppin’!
You’ll need:
2 cups of brown sugar
1 cup of water
1/8 cup of butter
Combine the brown sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat over a low flame. As it heats up, be careful not to burn the syrup mixture. If you have a double boiler, use it! Stir constantly while the water begins to evaporate. Reduce the mixture until it runs off the spoon in a smooth slow ribbon, almost like molasses. Right before you pull it off the heat, swirl in the butter to dissolved. Serve immediately with pancakes, waffles, nuts, ice cream, fruit, and anything else you have in your kitchen. You won’t regret it. I promise!
Alfredo Sauce
I learned to make this sauce in culinary school and it has been a hit everytime I have made it. It is also better than any store bought Alfredo sauce you will find because YOU made it! So go on, wow your crowd with this homemade alfredo sauce tonight!
You will need:
2 cups of Heavy Cream
½ cup of Whole butter
½ cup of grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
Take the heavy cream and combine with the butter of a low flame being careful not to scorch the cream. Stir constantly to make sure it does not stick to the bottom or it will scorch. After it has reduced by half, stir in you cheese until it is fully melted. Season to taste. If your sauce is too thick, add a little water. If it is too thin, continue to reduce over a low flame. Add more cheese if you would like and then toss in your al dente noodles. And Voila! You have alfredo sauce that keep the kiddos begging for more!
Mini Quiches!
Being raised in a small podunk town, I had no idea what a quiche was until I read the back of a Pillsbury can. So I’ve taken their recipe and adapted it a little bit. Here’s what you’ll need:
1 mini muffin pan
Pan spray
1 can of Pillsbury pastry dough- It comes out in a big sheet
2-3 eggs beaten
1/4 cup milk
4-5 strips of bacon-fully cooked
1/4 cup of finely chopped chives
1/4 cup of Cheddar Cheese (or your favorite cheese)
1/4 cup Sour Cream (optional)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Spray each mini muffin cup with pan spray
Take the pastry dough and roll it out on a large cutting board. Cut into small squares, small enough to fit inside each muffin cup. The trick here is to not use too much dough or it will look like a giant venus fly-trap coming out of your pan. This is really a trial and error process which you can catch on to quickly.
Mix the eggs and milk and pour 1 tablespoon into each pastry-filled mini muffin cup. this mixture will expand along with the pastry when it cooks so use very little so that you don’t overflow the cup.
Next top with bacon, cheese, and chives. Pop in your preheated oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden and bubbly. They’re ready to serve immediately. Top with sour cream if you wish after they have cooked.
**You can swap out the bacon, chives, cheese, and sour cream with your favorite ingredients! try ham and cheese or an all veggie quiche! Get creative and cook!**
The Best Damn Dressing You Will Ever Make
I know, you’re reading this and thinking, “It’s not Thanksgiving or Christmas!” Yeah, well now is about the time your significant other starts jonesing for some turkey and dressing, but they’re too afraid to ask you to make some because they know it involves alot of work. Well, my dear, I have your solution: the best damn dressing you will ever make in the least amount of time it has ever taken you to make dressing. Let’s go!
You will need:
5 cups Cornbread
1/2 cup Butter
1/2 Tbl Salt
1/2 Tbl Pepper
1 Tsp Sage
1 cup Cream of Chicken
1 cup chopped onion
3 eggs
2 cups Broth
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees
Combine all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Combine all the wet ingredients in another bowl. Add the wet to dry just until you get a nice consistency. If it is a little runny, that is fine. The moisture will cook out in the oven. Pour into a large casserole or dressing dish.
Place in oven and cook at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, then turn the oven up to 350 degrees until it is done, which is about an hour. Just check on it often and test with a toothpick. If your toothpick comes out all gunky, it’s not done.
If your not sure how to make cornbread for this, I always use a cast iron pan and the recipe on the back of the cornmeal package. Don’t be intimidated by cornbread. It is simply a filler for all the awesome flavors in this dish. So get crackin and recreate a holiday feast this weekend!
Ultimate Stirred Potatoes
Ok, so we all grew up on the standard mashed potatoes and depending on how your mom made them, they ranged from lumpy to soupy to gritty to simply inedible. Well, I have a solution to boring mashed potatoes. Put down your whisks and beaters and pick up a spoon. Yep. That’s right. A spoon. And with a few other substitutions, you’ll have the best Stirred Potatoes ever.
What you’ll need:
1-2lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes, washed, medium dice
1/2 stick of butter
1Tbl Mrs. Dash Table Blend
1Tbl salt
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese (optional)
I use Yukon Gold potatoes cause they naturally have a buttery flavor to them so it only makes sense to use them for this awesome recipe. Wash,dice, and boil them till tender. (I don’t remove the skins because they pretty much disappear on their own) Drain the potatoes and allow to dry for 5 minutes.
Add your butter and take a large spoon and begin to stir. Once the butter is completely incorporated, add you seasonings. Feel free to adjust the seasoning to your liking. Add the sour cream and cheese and stir till incorporated.
By stirring, you still break down the potatoes but not to the point of mush. You have great texture and great flavor without breaking the bank. Pictures soon to come
**All recipes are of my own creation. Publishing them without my consent is not only mean but will get you a beating. Do not claim these as your own either. I will have the law come pick you up and carry you away to the land of Teletubbie reruns so quick!**
