Chicken Parmesan

This is probably my husband's favorite dish I make. I'm not a big fan of chicken parmesan, but this is pretty good. It's adapted from here.

I saw Tyler Florence make it on TV, and it always turns out perfect.


4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. flour seasoned with salt and pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten with 1 T. of water until frothy
1 c. dried bread crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper and dried Italian seasonings (opt.)
Fresh mozzarella with the water drained off
Fresh parmesan cheese, grated
Cooked spaghetti noodles
1 jar or equivalent of favorite spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 450

Put chicken breasts on a cutting board side by side with plastic wrap over them. Pound them until about 1/2 inch thick. Coat each piece in flour then dip in eggs then bread crumbs. Heat 3 T. olive oil in a large, oven proof skillet.* When the oil is nice and hot, add the chicken and fry for 4 minutes on each side until crispy, only turning once.
Ladle spaghetti sauce over the chicken and place a slice of fresh mozzerella over each piece. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve hot over spaghetti noodles.

*If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, just use a frying pan and transfer the chicken to a 9X13 baking dish.

Baked Potatoes-- The best way

Here is my new favorite way to bake a potato. I actually bake them on a rack on top of a cookie sheet rather than directly on the oven rack. It makes a mess of your oven racks otherwise. Here is the tutorial:
http://howtobakeapotato.com/

It is to basically clean the potatoes, poke with a fork to vent steam, roll them in olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place on a rack in the oven at 350 for about 1 hour 15 minutes. Mine always need a little longer, an hour and a half. If they are golden brown, crispy, and puffed up a little, stick a fork in them to make sure they're soft inside.

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

I am no longer going to buy the canned stuff. I have tried to make homemade cream of chicken to use in recipes, but I've never really liked the result. This recipe is the best I've found. It yields 3 cups or about 2 cans worth of cream of Chicken soup. I like to use homemade chicken broth from when I make my shredded chicken from this.

Here is my favorite cream of chicken soup recipe from:

http://www.tammysrecipes.com/homemade_cream_chicken_soup

Yield:

3 cups (about 2 cans)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups chicken broth*
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon onion powder**
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder***
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt (or less; taste to test)
1/4 teaspoon parsley
dash of paprika
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour (Can probably use cornstarch to make it GF)

Instructions:

1. In medium-sized saucepan, boil chicken broth, 1/2 cup of the milk, and the seasonings for a minute or two (longer if using fresh onions or garlic).
2. In a bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk and flour. Add to boiling mixture and continue whisking briskly until mixture boils and thickens.

Additional Notes:

*I use the broth from my oven-roasted chicken. Refrigerate broth and then take fat off the top. If you're using chicken bouillon + water for your broth, you may want to add a little extra seasonings, such as lemon pepper, extra garlic, or seasoned salt, since my broth normally has bits of those in it. You can also add bits of chicken, but if you have good rich chicken broth, you probably won't need any chicken in it.
**Or, diced onions (boil with broth for a few minutes)
***Or, fresh minced garlic (boil with broth for a few minutes)
This recipe was featured in 10 Fabulous Foods We Make At Home (Not Buy!) :)

Preparation Time:

5 minutes

Cooking Time:

10-15 minutes

Tammy's Review:

I think this is an excellent substitution for the store-bought cans of condensed soups. It's so flavorful (even without MSG)! ;) I like to make this with leftover chicken broth (or even turkey broth!) and then freeze in 1 1/2 cup sized portions. Then, when I need a quick "can" of soup for a recipe, I just thaw some! I have made this in large batches (3-4 quarts at a time) and it saves even more time rather than having to make a small amount each time you need some. My rating: 10/10.

O'Henry's

1 c. sugar
1 c. corn syrup
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. salted peanuts
3 c. rice Krispies
6 oz milk chocolate chips
6 oz butterscotch chips

Bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil
Add peanut butter and peanuts, stir until melted
Add rice Krispies and mix well. Press into a buttered 9X13 pan. Pour chips on top and let melt a little and smooth over the top.

Peanut Butter Fingers

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2/3 c. peanut butter
1 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
2 c. oats
1 c. chocolate chips
preheat 350. Grease cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
Frosting:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. heated milk
Drizzle over all

Beth's Brownies

4 squares 100% margarine
1 C. cocoa
4 c. sugar
8 eggs
4 t. vanilla
2 2/3 c. flour

Melt margarine and cocoa together and cool. Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Bake 350 for 20 minutes.

Cream Cheese Pie

Crust:
1 1/2 C. graham cracker crumbs
3 T. sugar
6 T. butter
1 t. cinnamon

Press into pie pan.

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 c lemon juice
1 t. vanilla

Cream the cream cheese and milk together Add lemon juice and vanilla. Refrigerate 3 hours then pour in pie shell.

Eclaire Cake

12 oz Whipped Cream (or the large container of cool whip)
 8 oz Cream Cheese (one package)
1 large and one small box instant vanilla pudding
Milk-- as much as called for on the pudding boxes to make pudding
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1 T. butter

Crust:
1 C. water
1/2 C. butter
1 t. salt
1 C. flour
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Boil butter and water together, pour into mixing bowl and add flour and salt. While mixing add eggs one at a time. Mix until shiny. Pour onto cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. It will puff up. Let cool and gently smash down any bumps.

For filling, soften cream cheese and whip with a mixer until smooth. Add the pudding and as much milk as directed on the pudding package to make pudding. Mix until semi-stiff. Pour over cooled crust. Spread Whipped Cream over the pudding. Melt the chocolate chips and butter together in the microwave in 15 second increments, stirring inbetween, and being careful not to overcook. Drizzle the chocolate over the whipped cream layer. Let chill for 1 hour.

Pizza Crust-- Mom's

Makes 2 10-inch crusts

1 T. yeast
1 C. warm water
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
2 T. olive oil
2 1/2 C. flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water with the sugar. Place salt, oil, and flour in the food processor. While running, slowly pour in the yeast mixture. Mix until soft dough forms into a smooth ball. Stretch out on pizza pan and add toppings as desired.