My Boys' Favorite Pasta

I have shared this recipe before here, but it was shared with another recipe and never got the spotlight it deserved. So, here it is again with the highlight it deserves!

Chicken Bacon Penne Pasta

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breast halves
1 bottle favorite marinade (I like Kroger's Herb & Garlic 30 minute marinade, 12 fl oz)
1 lb. thick-cut bacon, cooked and diced
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt (or more or less, to your taste)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, and additional 1/4-1/2 cup for sprinkling on top
1 (16 oz) package) penne pasta

Directions:

Place chicken and marinade in slow cooker. Heat on low for 6 hours, or until done. Shred chicken.

Cook penne pasta according to package directions.

In a small pan, whisk cream, pepper, butter, and garlic. Heat slowly.

Combine chicken, bacon, pasta, and sauce. When combined, stir in 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, to taste. 

If desired, bake this pasta in a 9x13 pan in a 350 degree F oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the pasta is warm and bubbling throughout.

Source: I got this from my old neighbor, Emily Tanner. I believe she got it from another neighbor. So, pass it on and enjoy!

Notes: This recipe can be baked or not. It tastes great both ways. This pasta is also freezer friendly. I freeze it in a 9x13 aluminum pan, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, and then bake it in a 350 degree F oven, covered with aluminum foil, until thawed (about 40-60 minutes). Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and it is warm and bubbling throughout.

Scottish Trifle: Old

 

 

This is the old Scottish Trifle recipe that we always had for dessert on Christmas Eve while I was growing up.

Scottish Trifle

Ingredients:

Angel food cake (pre-made from your grocery bakery or homemade)
17 oz. frozen raspberries
4-5 tbsp. orange juice
3 oz. raspberry Jell-O
4 oz cook and serve vanilla pudding, with milk called for on package instructions
1/2 pint whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar, or to taste
1/2 cup blanched sliced almonds
Maraschino cherries

Directions:

Thaw and drain raspberries, reserving juice.

Crumble cake on bottom of large serving bowl or trifle dish. Pour orange juice over cake. Spoon drained fruit over the top.

Using reserved raspberry juice, prepare Jell-O using slightly less water (about 3/4 cup boiling water and 3/4 cup cold water/juice mixture). Pour Jell-O liquid mixture over raspberries and crumbled angel food cake. Chill to set.

Prepare cook and serve pudding according to package instructions. Chill completely.

Spread chilled pudding on top of trifle. Chill completely.

Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add in sugar and continue beating until incorporated.

When ready to serve, spread whipped cream on top of trifle and sprinkle with almonds (toasted or untoasted, according to your preference) and maraschino cherries.

Source: My mom found this in the recipe section of the Deseret News around 30 years ago. I couldn't find it on their site, but you are welcome to peruse their recipe archives!

Notes: We always use a store-bought pre-baked angel food cake. It is just easier that way, and they are delicious. The original recipe also says that you can used canned raspberries. In that case, you wouldn't drain or strain them. You would just use water to prepare the Jell-O. After trying the new version and the old version of Scottish Trifle, we decided that we would probably try to make a new hybrid version next year. The consensus was that we loved the homemade custard and fresh raspberries in the new version, but we loved the added flavors from the orange juice and raspberry juice in the old version. So, stay tuned for December 2021 for yet another version of Scottish Trifle. Ha ha!

Scottish Trifle: New

 

Scottish Trifle: New Way

Ingredients:

1 angel food cake (pre-made by your grocery bakery, or homemade)
1 recipe homemade custard, fully chilled (see below)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar, or to taste
Slivered blanched almonds
2 pints fresh raspberries

Directions:

Beat heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in sugar and continue beating until incorporated.

Cut or tear angel food cake into bite size cubes. Spread a layer of angel food cake onto the bottom of a trifle dish or large bowl. Sprinkle evenly with fresh raspberries.

Top angel food cake and raspberries with homemade custard. 

Top custard layer with whipped cream. Chill until ready to serve.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread slivered blanched almonds onto foil covered baking sheet. Bake almonds, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and toasted. Let cool completely.

When ready to serve, sprinkle top of the trifle with toasted slivered almonds and fresh raspberries.

Source: This was a combination of this recipe that I found and the old one, found here, that we used to make while I was growing up.

Notes: I used a pre-baked angel food cake from my grocery bakery. It is just nice to simplify things when everything else has so many steps. The reason my trifle bowl doesn't look very full is that I split this recipe in half and separated it into two trifle bowls so I could keep one half for our family and give the other half to my mom. Pictured is the one I gave to my mom. If I put the entire recipe into one trifle bowl, it would fill it to the top. You could even alternate layers, if desired, and do six layers instead of three (1. angel food cake and raspberries, 2. custard, 3. whipped cream, 4. angel food cake and raspberries, 5. custard, 6. whipped cream, raspberries, and toasted almonds).

Homemade Custard

Ingredients:

4 cups heavy whipping cream, scalded
5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Beat the yolks with the sugar until it is light and forms a ribbon when the beater is lifted.

Add the scalded cream slowly in a stream, stirring. (You can also use the mixer on low speed)

Transfer the custard to a heavy saucepan and cook it over moderately low heat, stirring until it thickens, but do not let it boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a metal bowl. Set in a bowl of ice. Let it cool, stirring occasionally, then chill, covered.

Source: My sister-in-law, Angie Adams.

Notes: The longer you let it chill, the thicker it will be. I recommend making it a day before you need to assemble the trifle, and letting it chill overnight. This is rich and heavenly stuff.

Mom's Snickerdoodles

You know the saying, "Nobody makes 'em like mom?" This is true of snickerdoodles. I still haven't figured them out. My mom made us a batch of snickerdoodles in a Christmas care package, and they tasted like childhood and heaven. Light, fluffy, and cakey. Soooo good. Here is her recipe.

Giant Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

1 cup margarine, softened (use a good brand that is preferably marked "good for baking")
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl with mixer at medium speed, cream butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and eggs until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture until well blended, but do not overmix. 

Refrigerate at least 1 hour to chill dough.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in a flat open bowl. 

*Important: Prepare balls of dough for one batch of cookies at a time. Keep unused dough refrigerated. The texture of the cookies is dependent on the dough remaining chilled right up until baking.

Shape dough into 2-inch balls and roll in cinnamon-sugar. Place 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Snickerdoodles will puff up at first, then flatten out to giant size during baking. Remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Source: My mom got this recipe from a Ladies Home Journal magazine about 40 years ago.

 

Notes: You cannot substitute butter or shortening for this recipe. You need margarine, and not just any margarine, but a good quality margarine. Some margarine brands water their formula down, so that will alter the outcome of the recipe as well. Look for a brand of margarine that specifically claims that it is "good for baking." Also, do not overmix the batter. Finally, it is imperative that you keep the dough chilled in the refrigerator right up until it is ready to be rolled into a ball and baked, otherwise the cookies will spread. They will lose their thick, light, fluffy, and cakey texture and instead be flat, chewy, and quickly become hard. If this happens, the cookies are still edible, of course, but you will want to warm them in the microwave for 7-10 seconds per cookie prior to eating to soften them up.

Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies

We have two amazing chocolate chip cookie recipes on this blog. One of them can be found here. The other one can be found below. We posted it nearly a decade ago, here, but my mom made a batch for us for Christmas, so I felt it deserved another post.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 lb. butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
6 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
2 bags (4 cups) chocolate chips)
Walnuts, if desired

Directions:

Cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar.

Then add eggs, flour, salt, baking soda, and vanilla. Once incorporated, add chocolate chips, and walnuts, if using.

Mix well. Put on ungreased cookie sheet with small ice cream scoop. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.

Source: My mom found this in a ward/church cookbook about 30 years ago. She mentioned in the comments below that it was a recipe either submitted by Jo Hatch and/or Sharon Boam.

 

Notes: We originally added pecans to this as well, but since my son developed a tree nut allergy, we have omitted the nuts.

Deserving of a Repeat

 

This recipe was already blogged long ago, and you can find that original post here. However, this is such a great go-to recipe and is definitely one of our family favorites, so we felt it deserved to be posted again!

Crock Pot Sticky Chicken

Ingredients:

4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. white pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 large roasting chicken
1-2 packets turkey or chicken gravy mix

Directions:

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices. Remove the giblets from the chicken and clean the cavity well. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin.

Place the chicken into the slow cooker. Do not add any liquid. As the chicken cooks, it will produce its own juices. Cook on low 8-10 hours and it will be falling off the bone tender. You can brown the chicken in the oven, if desired. The drippings can be used to make gravy which can be served over mashed potatoes or rice.

Source: This is a recipe we have had for years. I believe my mom got it from one of her friends.

Notes: Save the drippings to make a wonderfully spicy gravy. Simply use a turkey or chicken gravy packet (or two) and substitute the drippings for the water called for on the packet and prepare according to package directions. The gravy is fantastic served over the chicken, over mashed potatoes, or over rice.

 

Above: This is such an affordable and delicious meal.

 

Above: The gravy is fantastic served over the chicken as well as served over mashed potatoes or rice. My oldest son prefers mashed potatoes while my middle son prefers rice, so this time, we simply made both. We served it with our favorite Quick Yeast Rolls, which you can find the recipe for here, and an easy bagged salad mix.

Christmas Treats

 

We did a cookie exchange for Christmas, but I also made these treats to give to people that I wasn't able to take cookies to. The problem was that we were going to deliver these on Christmas Eve, but everyone was riled up and crazy, so we didn't get a chance to deliver these on Christmas Eve. So, we were going to deliver these on Christmas Day after we visited family...and then my baby came down with the stomach flu and was throwing up all evening...and the next day. So, we ended up eating these all ourselves.

 

Pretzel M&M Peppermint Kisses

Ingredients:

70 square pretzels
70 Hershey's peppermint kisses, unwrapped
70 red and green M&Ms

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper. Place pretzels on the cookie sheet in a single layer and then top each pretzel with one Hershey's peppermint kiss. Bake in preheated oven for 4-5 minutes, or until the chocolate is shiny and soft, but holding its shape and not completely melted.

Remove from oven and carefully place on M&M in the center of each peppermint kiss and press down gently. Place in refrigerator to allow chocolate to set.

Source: I have gotten this from neighbors and friends for years now. It's pretty self-explanatory, but I found a recipe for it through Pinterest. You can find the recipe here.

Notes: Oh, these were good. I made more than 70. I just filled my jelly role pan as much as I could. I didn't keep track of the final count. You can make these at any time of the year. Use pink, red, and white M&Ms for Valentine's Day. Or use regular colors of M&Ms for any time of the year.

Pretzel M&M Rolo Treats

Ingredients:

70 circular or square pretzels
70 Rolos, unwrapped
70 red and green M&Ms

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper. Place pretzels on the cookie sheet in a single layer and then top each pretzel with a Rolo.

Bake in oven 1-2 minutes, or until Rolos are softened, but not completely melted.

Remove from oven and place one M&M in the center of each Rolo. Place in refrigerator until set.

Source: Again, this is one I have gotten from family and friends for ages, but I found some instructions on Allrecipes.com. You can find it here.

Don't Knock It 'Til You've Tried It

 

I asked my husband what he wanted me to make for dinner. He said that when he was a kid, he and his brother used to make Spam burgers. It turns out that we used to have Spam burgers in my family when I was younger too. So, that got us both in the mood and we decided it was high time we had Spam burgers for dinner.

My oldest son refused to touch them, but his brother took quite a liking to them. They really are so easy to make. You just slice the Spam right in the container and then brown it on both sides. Then you serve it on a bun with your favorite hamburger toppings. My husband used to eat them on a bun simply with mayo. I like it with all the fixings: lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, you name it.

You can get three thick Spam burgers per container, or four thinner Spam burgers per container. The thinner slices are great for kids. My husband and I preferred the thicker slices. You may have mixed feelings about Spam. Maybe it makes you think of Hawaii. Maybe you wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. Either way, these really are super tasty and beyond easy to make. I suggest you give them a try...and that you don't knock it 'til you've tried it!

Spam Burgers

Ingredients:

Hamburger buns
Spam
Lettuce
Tomato
Dill pickle slices
Sliced cheddar cheese
Ketchup
Mayonnaise

Directions:

Slice Spam into three or four slices while still in the container. Slide Spam out of the container and brown in a large skillet on both sides until nicely browned and heated through.

Serve on a hamburger bun with toppings of choice.

Source: My bet is that my mom found this on a Spam container or in a mailer sometime in the nineties.

Notes: Again, if you like to keep things simple, all you need is Spam, a bun, and some mayo. Otherwise, the sky is the limit!

 

Above: Just slice the Spam lengthwise right in the can. It's easiest to get uniform slices that way.

Stay Focused

 

This is one of those recipes that doesn't take too long to make and isn't terribly hard to make, but it also requires 100% of your focus while you are making it. It is far too easy to cook this too long...not only is it easy to overcook, but it is easy to burn. So, don't think you can make pancakes, eggs, and bacon at the same time that you are making this syrup. Make the syrup first and then turn your focus to the rest.

Buttermilk Syrup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla


Special note: Be sure to use a large pot with high sides because the syrup will foam up to double or triple its size when you add the baking soda. It's better to err on the side of a pot that is too big than have it boil over.

Directions:

Combine the butter, sugar, buttermilk, and corn syrup in a pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat (my dial was set to 7). Let boil for 2 minutes while stirring frequently (set a timer to keep track). Quickly add baking soda and vanilla and stir until combined. The color of the syrup will turn to a golden brown. Once baking soda and vanilla are incorporated, remove from heat and continue to stir until the syrup thickens. Let it cool and serve immediately or store in fridge in an air tight container. If refrigerating, you can warm it up in the microwave later (reheat 30 seconds at a time until warmed through).

Source: I got this recipe from my sister-in-law. It is fantastic. I still love pancakes with maple syrup, but this is a nice way to change things up from time to time.

Notes: This is really rich. Because it is butter-based, you shouldn't need to top your pancakes with butter as well. The buttermilk caramel sauce is enough! Also, since it is so thick, it won't seep through your pancakes the way maple syrup does. So, depending on how saturated you like your pancakes, this might be just right, or you might find that you need a lot of syrup to make your pancakes just right. This recipe makes a little over a cup of syrup.

If you cook the syrup for too long, it will become more like caramel than like syrup in consistency and you won't be able to pour it.

 

 

 

 

Above: Speaking of being able to pour this syrup, it really isn't that easy to pour syrup over pancakes and take a picture at the same time! Ha ha!

What I Ate During My Single Days

 

Back when I was single, I would make a big batch of this and eat it for dinner throughout the week until it was gone. Ahhh, those were the days. Cooking was a lot easier back then! I didn't have picky kids to deal with...just my own tastes and moods. The amounts are approximate because I add in as much or as little as I feel like.

 

Seafood Caprese Salad

Ingredients:

1 (1 lb.) box medium shell pasta
1-2 packages imitation crab
1-2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
Mozzarella cheese, cubed
Fresh basil, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain.

Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Place cooked pasta in a large bowl. Add imitation crab, grape tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil. Add olive oil/balsamic vinegar mixture. Toss until well-mixed.

Source: I made it up because I love caprese salad, pasta, and imitation crab. So, I just combined all of them. It's just as good as I remembered it. I made it and my husband and I had it for lunch for the next few days. Good stuff!

Notes: I tend to like more stuff than less in this. It just lasts longer that way too because there is more of it. My picky oldest son loved it too...but he did pick out the imitation crab. Oh well, you can't win 'em all!

 



Above: If you don't love crab, just leave it out, or substitute some Genoa salami, like we did here.

2016 Ice Cream Night! Part 3

 

This post contains my contributions to our ice cream night this year. I based my ice cream ideas on different cravings I have had in the past. My mom made her ice creams with a smaller ice cream maker. Mine were all made in my 4 quart ice cream maker.

All of my concoctions started with the same base ice cream recipe and then I just added different mix-ins.

Basic Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:

4 cups heavy whipping cream
4 cups half and half
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions:

Mix together in 4 quart ice cream canister.

Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Pour into freezer safe container and ripen in freezer until set.

Source: This is just a simple variation of a vanilla ice cream recipe that I had in my manual for my ice cream maker.

 

Nutter Butter Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 Basic Vanilla Ice Cream recipe
1 family size package of Nutter Butter Cookies

Directions:

Crush Nutter Butter cookies. Freeze overnight.

Make Basic Vanilla Ice Cream recipe.

Pour vanilla ice cream into freezer container and gently fold in crushed Nutter Butter Cookies. Ripen in freezer until set.

Notes: I craved Nutter Butter shakes from Arctic Circle like crazy during my first pregnancy...and then they stopped offering them!

 

Chocolate Marshmallow Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 Basic Vanilla Ice Cream recipe (reduce sugar to 1 cup, if desired, to offset the sugar in the chocolate syrup and marshmallow creme)
1-2 cups chocolate syrup (such as Hershey's), to taste
1 (13 oz) container marshmallow creme

Directions:

Pour ingredients for Basic Vanilla Ice Cream into your 4 quart ice cream canister. Add 1-2 cups of chocolate syrup, to your taste.

Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

While pouring into freezer container, layer chocolate ice cream with dollops and swirls of marshmallow creme.

Ripen in freezer until set.

Notes: After a heartbreak during my college days, one of my friends invited me over to her house to watch a funny movie and to stuff our faces with chocolate marshmallow ice cream. I had never had that flavor of ice cream before, and boy did it sure hit the spot that day.

 

Vanilla Marshmallow Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 Basic Vanilla Ice Cream recipe (reduce sugar to 1 cup, if desired, to offset sugar in marshmallow creme)
1 (13 oz) container marshmallow creme

Directions:

Pour ingredients for Basic Vanilla Ice Cream and marshmallow creme into your 4 quart ice cream canister. Mix well.

Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.

Pour into freezer container and ripen in freezer until set.

Notes: All throughout high school and college, one of my favorite shake flavors was marshmallow. People kept telling me it was boring, or that it just tasted like a sweeter vanilla, but I didn't care. I just loved that subtle marshmallow flavor in my vanilla shake.

Pink Lemonade Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 Basic Vanilla Ice Cream recipe
Pink Lemonade mix (such as Country Time)

Directions:

Make Basic Vanilla Ice Cream.recipe.

Pour vanilla ice cream into freezer safe container 2-4 cups at a time. Sprinkle with pink lemonade mix. Add another 2-4 cups. Sprinkle with more pink lemonade mix. Repeat until all the ice cream is in the freezer container.

Ripen in freezer until set.

Notes: You could also add your desired amount, to taste, of pink lemonade mix to the vanilla ice cream when you put it into the ice cream canister to churn. I know this is an odd recipe/option, but when I was in high school, I used to love to sprinkle my vanilla ice cream with lemonade, pink lemonade, or Tang mix. I know it's random, but it's what I used to do, and it's odd, but it's good. I also kind of like the texture of the undissolved lemonade mix in my ice cream...but if you don't, simply mix the lemonade mix into the cream mixture before freezing it in your ice cream maker to dissolve the lemonade mix.

 

Raspberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 Basic Vanilla Ice Cream recipe
2-3 cups mashed raspberries

Directions:

Pour basic vanilla ice cream ingredients and mashed raspberries into your 4 quart ice cream canister.

Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Pour into freezer container and ripen in freezer until set.

Summer Sandwich

 

This is a great sandwich to make during the summer. You can grill or broil the chicken (the chicken cooks quickly, so your kitchen won't get too hot), and then you can load up your sandwich with your favorite toppings.

 

Chicken Teriyaki Sandwiches

Ingredients:

6 buns
6 chicken breasts
Teriyaki marinade
Alfalfa sprouts
Sliced cucumber
Sliced avocado
Sliced tomato
Pineapple rings
Mayonnaise

Directions:

Marinate chicken breasts in teriyaki marinade (at least 1 hour, or up to 12). Broil or grill chicken about 6 minutes per side (or until no longer pink and juices run clear).

Spread mayo on buns and top with chicken. Top with desired sandwich toppings and serve.

Source: My family made this way back when I was in high school. I don't know where my mom found the recipe or came up with the idea. Good stuff though!

Notes:I left off the pineapple slices this time around, but it is great with whatever combination of toppings you like.