A New Kind of Chicken--Roasted

When we were little, we would always ask my Mom what was for dinner. Quite often, the answer would be, "A new kind of chicken." Well, I found a lovely new kind of chicken. It is very easy to make...just leave yourself plenty of roasting time because this meal won't be done in 30 minutes.

Lemon-Herb Roast Chicken with Pan Gravy

Ingredients:

1 lemon
1 can (10 3/4 ox) Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% fat free)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 roasting chicken (5-7 pounds)
1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
1/4 cup water

Directions:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grate 1 1/2 teaspoons zest and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from the lemon.

Stir the lemon zest, lemon juice, soup, rosemary, thyme, and garlic in a medium bowl. Reserve 1 cup soup mixture for the gravy. Place the chicken into a shallow roasting pan.

Roast the chicken for 20 minutes. Brush the chicken with 1/4 cup soup mixture.

Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (use a meat thermometer to check for doneness). Remove the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm.

Spoon off any fat from the pan juices. Stir the wine or chicken broth in the roasting pan and heat over medium-high heat to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the reserved soup mixture and water, and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Serve the gravy with the chicken.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Campbell's recipe, found here.

Notes: My chicken took longer than an hour and 15 minutes to cook...and I had hungry kids on my hands. So, I carved the chicken and microwaved it for a couple of minutes until it wasn't pink anymore.

I also didn't make the pan gravy as stated in the recipe. My roast chicken had a some interesting drippings--mostly it just looked fatty. Rather than use the roast dripping, I mixed the remaining soup mix with about 1 cup of chicken broth. I heated that and served it with the chicken. The sauce was FANTASTIC! It was so flavorful. We ended up with extra sauce. I saved it, froze it, and used it a few weeks later on some simple sauteed chicken. Still very delicious. Plus, my boys ate it, so that made me happy!

A Few Random Side Dishes

Here are a couple of side dishes that don't really go together, but what they hey! Well...maybe there is a little bit of a theme...two sweet potato recipes...and one recipe that I served alongside sweet potatoes!

Whipped Sweet Potato Bake

Ingredients:

3 cans (15 oz each) sweet potatoes, drained
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:  Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat potatoes, butter, and spices with mixer until blended.

Spoon into a 1 1/2 quart casserole sprayed with cooking spray; top with marshmallows.

Bake 15-20 minutes, or until mixture is heated through and marshmallows are lightly browned.

Recipe Tip: To make in the microwave, mix all ingredients; spoon into microwaveable 1 1/2 quart dish sprayed with cooking spray. Do not top with marshmallows. Microwave on high for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through, stirring after 5 minutes. Top with marshmallows; let stand 2-3 minutes, or until marshmallows begin to melt.

You can also substitute 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.

Yield: 10 servings, 1/2 cup each.

Nutrition information: 170 calories, 5 g fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 85 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 3 g dietary fiber, 17 g sugar, 1 g protein.

Source: Kraftrecipes.com, found here.

Notes: I was going to make this for Thanksgiving not last year, but the year before (2011), but my whole family came down with the stomach flu so we all stayed home. I was going to make and bring this because I was asked to bring a sweet potato casserole. I've been curious to try it ever since. I missed my window of opportunity this last Thanksgiving (2012). Rather than waiting for Thanksgiving 2013, I thought that I would just make it as a random side dish for one of our meals a few weeks ago. This was beyond easy and so tasty. I highly recommend them!

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Topping

Ingredients:

2 (29 oz) cans sweet potatoes in syrup, drained and mashed (about 4 cups mashed)
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add whipping cream; stir well. Pour into a lightly greased 3-quart slow cooker.

Combine pecans and remaining 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes.

Cover and cook on high 3 to 4 hours.

Recipe tips: This is a great alternative to the oven. This is a great holiday side that cooks on the countertop while your turkey and dressing fill your oven.

Source: Southern Living recipe from the Southern Living Slow-Cooker cookbook, Oxmoor House, 2006. Recipe found online here.

Quinoa and Pepper Pilaf

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium red pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium yellow pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Heat the oil in a 2 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peppers and quinoa and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the broth and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the quinoa is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Source: This was a recipe I got in my Swanson email newsletter from www.campbellskitchen.com. You can find the recipe here.

Notes: This was a great and easy way to use some of the quinoa in my cupboard. It was delicious. In fact, I think the leftovers were just as good, if not better!

 

Above: Notice that I served these with salad, chicken, and just plain and simple baked sweet potatoes (with a little butter, salt, and pepper.) You can bake or microwave a sweet potato the same way you would a regular potato. Delicious stuff!

I'm Stuffed!

Well, there's nothing quite like Thanksgiving dinner.  It's rich and delicious.  But it's also a lot of work.  A few months after Thanksgiving has passed, the turkey/gravy/stuffing combination starts to sound really good again.  But I'm not about to put in that kind of work for dinner very many times a year.

That's when shortcuts come in handy.  And believe me, the following two recipes are easy shortcut recipes for sure.

Both recipes combine the flavors of Thanksgiving dinner, but they are both far easier to put together.  You can even add more of the festive spirit by slaving away and rolling up your sleeves to prepare some instant mashed potatoes to go with them!

So, if you're craving Thanksgiving dinner comfort food, but without the work, look no further.

Chicken & Stuffing Skillet

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
1 box (6 ounces) Pepperidge Farm One Step Stuffing Chicken Mix
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook for 15 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides and cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Prepare the stuffing in the skillet according to the package directions except let stand for 2 minutes.

Place the chicken on the stuffing.  Stir the soup and milk in a small bowl.  Pour the soup mixture over the chicken.  Top with the cheese.  Cover and cook until the cheese is melted.

Recipe Notes: You can also substitute Cream of Celery or Cream of Mushroom Soup for the Cream of Chicken Soup.

Source: Campbell's Kitchen http://www.campbellskitchen.com/RecipeDetail.aspx?recipeId=25783&ref=%2fSearchRecipesResult.aspx%3fq%3dchicken%2b%2526%2bstuffing%2bskillet%26filter%3d

Notes: I made this with Cream of Mushroom soup.  But otherwise, I followed the recipe as written.

Crockpot Creamy Herbed Chicken and Stuffing

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 slices Swiss cheese

1 can (10.75 ounce) low sodium cream of mushroom soup

¼ cup 2% milk

2 cups herbed stuffing mix

½ cup low sodium chicken broth

Directions:

Coat crockpot with cooking spray.  Arrange chicken breasts.  Top with Swiss cheese layering if necessary.  Combine soup and milk.  Spoon over cheese layer.  Top with stuffing mix.  Drizzle broth onto stuffing.  Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. 

6 servings.

370 calories, 15 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber.

Source: I'm not sure where this one comes from.  It is one that my Mom has been making for awhile now.

East Meets West....Sloppily!

Sloppy Joes are somewhat of a throwback to the 70's. Well it's time they made a comeback; especially in these economic tough times. It's a great way to make a little meat go a long way. The first recipe was served at a Ward Budget Dinner (a now obsolete tradition) and was published in a ward cookbook that I've had since I was a young bride. Thank you, Joyce Ashton, a most gentle and kind lady.



Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 onions, chopped
1 pint catsup
1 pint water
2 bay leaves
1 T. worshestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3/4 tsp. sugar (See cook's note)
Hamburger buns

Directions:

Brown hamburger with onions. Drain. Combine meat with remaining ingredients and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Serve over hamburger buns. Serves 8 to 10.

Cook's note: I don't use the sugar because we don't like that sweet touch, but a lot of people like it to balance out the acidity of the catsup.

For convenience, this may be made in the morning and left to cook on low in the crockpot all day. Good option for busy mom's or active women.

Source: Ward Cookbook.

This next one was a recipe I stumbled over a few years ago. It's a nice variation and really fun to say...Sloppy Giuseppe's, Sloppy Giuseppe's, Sloppy Giuseppe's. This recipe was from Campbell's Kitchen.

Sloppy Giuseppe's

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb. ground beef, pork, or veal mix (I use beef and pork)
3 cups Prego Flavored with Meat Italian Sauce
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 pkg. (10 oz. each) Pepperidge Farm Garlic Bread (see notes)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (we use Mozarella)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. for the bread.

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is tender. Remove from skillet.

Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat and cook until it's well-browned, stirring often to break up meat. Pour off any fat.

Return the onion and garlic to the skillet. Stir in the sauce and red pepper. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the meat mixture is cooked through.

Meanwhile, bake the bread according to the package directions.

Cut each bread loaf into thirds. Divide the meat mixture among the 6 bottom bread pieces.

Top each with 1/4 cup cheese and the remaining bread pieces.

Source: Campbell's Kitchen. You can find it here.

Notes: We thought that the Pepperidge Farm bread made the sandwiches a little too bready and difficult to eat. We made it again and used Texas Toast frozen garlic bread slices for the sandwiches and it worked perfectly. You can also buy regular Texas Toast and toast it with homemade garlic butter, if you prefer.

Thanksgiving--Holiday Appetizers

This is the first of more Thanksgiving-themed blogs to come. Thanksgiving is all about the food. Thanksgiving dinner, of course is the main attraction. Then, there are the pies. But don't overlook the appetizers!

One of our family's holiday traditions is to have a lunch consisting of only appetizers. We don't always do this on Thanksgiving. Some years, we do it on Christmas or New Year's. I love this tradition because how often do you have the time to cook a ton of appetizers? Also, how often do you have the appetite to eat as many appetizers as you want?

Over the years, we have amassed a number of appetizer favorites. This year, we found a number of new favorites to add to the rotation.

The holidays aren't over. Maybe you can have an appetizer lunch on either Christmas or New Year's! You should try it!


Above: Buffalo Chicken Dip

This one came from one of my mom's cookbooks. I'll have to get the recipe and add it to the blog.

However, we tried another buffalo chicken dip a few years ago that was also really yummy. Here's the recipe for that dip.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing
1/2 cup any flavor Frank's® RedHot® Sauce
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 ounces)
2 cans (9.75 ounces each) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained
Assorted fresh vegetables and crackers

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350°F.

Stir the cream cheese in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with a fork or whisk until it's smooth. Stir in the dressing, hot sauce and blue cheese. Stir in the chicken.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the chicken mixture before serving. Serve with the vegetables and crackers for dipping.

To make in the microwave:Use a microwavable 9-inch deep dish pie plate. Prepare the dip as directed above in Step 2. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH for 5 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot, stirring halfway through the cook time.

Serving Tip: This dip can be kept warm in a small crockpot or fondue pot on the buffet table.

To reduce fat: Use 1/3 less fat cream cheese and reduced-fat blue cheese salad dressing.

Serves 4.

Source: Campbell's Kitchen

Notes: Don't forget the celery sticks. It is the perfect vegetable to use for this dip.


Above: Cheddar and Cranberry Cheese Ball


Above: Goat Cheese and Scallions Cheese Ball


Above: Roquefort and Walnut Cheese Ball

Cheese Ball Three Ways

Ingredients:

Base Recipe:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 packages cream cheese (8 ounces each)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
5 dashes hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Cheddar and Cranberry:

8 ounces sharp orange cheddar cheese, finely shredded
2 tablespoons store-bought chutney
3/4 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
Water crackers, for serving

Roquefort and Walnut:

6 ounces Roquefort cheese
1 shallot, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
Vegetable chips, for serving

Goat Cheese and Scallions:

8 ounces goat cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
1/3 cup fresh curly-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 English cucumber, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices, for serving

Directions:

Put butter, cream cheese, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until combined. Divide equally among 3 medium bowls.

Stir cheddar cheese and chutney with base mixture in the first bowl. Form into a ball. If not using immediately, refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Roll cheese ball in cranberries to coat before serving. Serve with crackers.

Stir blue cheese and shallot with base mixture in second bowl. Form into a ball. If not using immediately, refrigerate up to 3 days; freeze up to 1 month. Roll in walnuts to coat before serving. Serve with vegetable chips.

Stir goat cheese and scallions with base mixture in remaining bowl. Form into a ball. If not using immediately, refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month. Roll in parsley to coat before serving. Serve with cucumber slices.

Source: Martha Stewart website. You can find it here.

Notes: For the cheddar and cranberry cheese ball, we used smoked cheddar cheese as opposed to sharp cheddar because that's what we already had on hand. Also, rather than using the chutney, we used apricot jam (again, we had it on hand). Finally, I chopped the cranberries as finely as I could, but those little babies sure stick to the knife and make it hard to cut! I felt that the smoked cheddar nicely complimented the sweetness of the cranberries.

For the Roquefort and walnut cheese ball, I used regular blue cheese (it wasn't technically Roquefort). Plus, I used 4 ounces instead of 6 ounces. The blue cheese was pretty strong, so actually, it turned out better to use less blue cheese than the recipe called for.

For all of the cheese balls, I used assorted crackers rather than the suggested water crackers, vegetable chips, and cucumber slices.

One of the things I really loved about this recipe is that it made a total of three cheese balls. That either gives you some fun variety, or you can choose one flavor of cheese ball and make three cheese balls and give them as gifts at Christmas!



Above: Grandma Salazar's Crab Dip

Crab Dip

Ingredients:

2 cups coconut
1 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cups sour cream
2 cups crab (cartilage removed)

Directions:

Mix, chill and serve with crackers.

Source: I think my grandma got this from a newspaper years ago. From what my mom told me, it was supposedly one of President Kennedy's favorites.

Notes: This definitely has a different taste to it, but it is one of my all-time favorite appetizers. I just can't get enough of it! Yum, yum, yummy! Oh, and this picture doesn't do it justice. It is delicious and attractive. We usually serve it in a lovely clear glass bowl, but this time, we were shooting for simplicity...hence the tupperware!




Megan's Salmon Ball

Here's the introduction to Megan's recipe:

"Mia Israelsen--This recipe comes from Mia's grandfather who lives in Alaska. He catches the salmon, cans it, and sends it to Mia's family. This is served as an appetizer every Thanksgiving in their home."

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) can salmon (or 8 oz smoked salmon)
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. horseradish
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. onion, grated
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. parsley, chopped

Directions:

Drain and flake salmon. Remove bones. Thoroughly combine salmon, cream cheese, lemon juice, grated onion, horseradish, and salt. Shape into a ball. Chill 1 hour. Roll ball in pecans. Refrigerate overnight. Before serving, garnish with parsley.

Yield: 16 servings.

Notes: This was so addicting. Megan said that she usually uses smoked salmon for this recipe.



Kielbasa Made Easy

Ingredients:

2 (16 ounce) packages kielbasa sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 (16 ounce) cans whole cranberry sauce
1 (18 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce

Directions:

Brown the kielbasa in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Place the browned kielbasa, cranberry sauce and barbecue sauce in a slow cooker set on low. Allow the mixture to simmer at least 1 hour before serving warm.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by Kimberly

Notes: This one was a crowd pleaser--especially among the men-folk.

Here are some old favorite appetizers:

Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

2 (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 (5oz.) jar Roka cheese (see substitute below)
2 (5oz.) jar Olde English cheese
2 T. grated onion
1 tsp. water
½ tsp. accent
Chopped nuts

Directions:

Mix together. Chill 12 hours. Roll in chopped nuts.

Kraft Roka Blue Spread Substitute

1-1/4 cups or 10 servings, 2 Tbsp. each

Ingredients:

1 tub (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spread
1/4 cup Athenos Crumbled Blue Cheese

Directions:

Mix ingredients until well blended.

Add up to 1/3 cup water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, if thinner consistency is desired. For added tang, stir in 1/2 tsp. white vinegar.

Note:

Use half of this recipe as the perfect substitute for the discontinued 5-oz. jar of Kraft Roka Blue Spread.

Refrigerate any leftover spread. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Source: This is a Kraft recipe that my mom found years ago. It's one of my favorites. It's so flavorful! It's a great Christmas gift idea too.

Garlic and Brown Sugar Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
1 (8 ounce) package reduced fat cream
cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened1/4 cup brown sugar
5 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Directions:

Mix the garlic powder into the softened cream. Form into a ball, and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Place the butter and brown sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Cook 1 minute on High in the microwave, or until butter and brown sugar are melted. Mix in Worcestershire sauce and pecans. Chill 1 hour in the refrigerator, stirring often so that the butter and sugar do not separate.

Spread butter mixture over the cheese ball, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: Allrecipes.com, submitted by KHOLST3

Notes: This one sounds super weird, but I love the mix of flavors.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ c. butter (no substitutes)
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
¾ c. confectioner’s sugar
2 t. brown sugar
¾ c. mini chocolate chips
¾ c. finely chopped pecans
Graham crackers

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add sugars; beat until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Place cream cheese mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap; shape into a ball. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, roll cheese ball in pecans. Serve w/Crackers.

Source: I'm not sure where my mom found this recipe.

Notes: This is a great way to get your sweet-fix appetizer-wise.

Hot Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

1 (14oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (4oz) can chopped green chiles
1 clove garlic, minced
Chopped tomato (optional)
Sliced green onions (optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except tomato and green onions. Spoon into 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned. Sprinkle with tomato and green onions. Serve with crackers. Makes 2 cups – 16 servings.

Source: Again, I'm not sure where my mom found this recipe. I think it was served at a Relief Society party that she attended.

Notes: You know you've found a good recipe when you won't ever make another kind of artichoke dip again. This is the ultimate artichoke dip.

Parmesan Puffs with Marinara

Ingredients:

½ c. milk
¼ c. margarine or butter
½ c. Gold Medal all-purpose flour
2 eggs
¾ c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 c. marinara sauce, heated

Directions:

Heat oven to 375. Grease cookie sheet. Heat milk and margarine to boiling in 11/2 qt. sauce pan. Stir in flour, reduce heat to low. Stir vigorously about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Stir in cheese. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet.

Bake about 15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Serve warm with marinara sauce for dipping. About 30 appetizers.

Source: Yet again, I have no idea where my mom found this recipe. We usually double or triple this recipe because these little puffs get gobbled up by my family so quickly.

Salmon Spread

Ingredients:

1 (15 ½ oz.) can salmon
2 tsp. each grated onion and prepared horseradish
1 T. lemon juice
¼ tsp. liquid smoke
1/8 tsp. salt
3 drops hot pepper sauce
8 oz. cream cheese, softened

Directions:

Drain and flake salmon. Combine with remaining ingredients. Chill several hours.

Source: I have no idea. My mom is good at keeping secrets!

Notes: This is similar to Megan's recipe, but we don't usually make it into a ball. We simply serve it in a bowl.

So Good Wings

Ingredients:

¾ c. soy sauce
¾ c. white sugar
5 cloves garlic
1 ½ inches of peeled ginger
¾ lbs. chicken wings

Directions:

Place 1st four ingredients in a blender and blend well. Place wings in a zip-loc bag and pour marinade over them. Marinate for 18-24 hours in refrigerator. Pour all the wings and marinade in a well-greased 9x13 pan. Roast in oven @ 375 for about an hour or so until the chicken is cooked. Let cool slightly before serving.

Source: ? Mom, where did it come from?

Notes: This is one of my brothers' favorites.

Rita’s Sweet Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:

12 – 14 large red bell peppers
2 T. uniodized salt
3 cups sugar
2 c. white vinegar
8 oz. cream cheese
Crackers

Directions:

Chop fine or grind in food processor. Add 2 T. uniodized salt. Let stand 3 hours. Drain well. Add 3 cups sugar and 2 cups vinegar. Simmer about 1 ½ hours, until thick. Yield: Around 1 quart. Store in refrigerator up to 18 months. Pour over block of cream cheese and serve with crackers.

Source: My mom got this recipe from a lady in her ward.

Notes: This is another addicting appetizer, so watch out. If you don't have the time to make the red pepper sauce, you can serve salsa over the cream cheese and serve it with tortilla chips. It's a completely different taste, but it is yummy too!

 

Sweet Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients:

1 (15oz.) can pumpkin
2 (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 c. sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
Sliced fruit, bite-size cinnamon graham crackers, mini bagels, English muffins

Directions:

Beat cream cheese and pumpkin in large mixer bowl, until smooth. Add sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Mix thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve as a dip or spread.

Source: I have no idea!

Notes: This is wonderful on graham crackers (cinnamon or honey).

So, tell me, sisters...did I miss any? I know that Shandie's family has a fantastic cheese ball recipe too. Maybe she'll be good enough to share it with us!

What are your favorite appetizers?