#3742 - Townhouse Chicken

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 eggs
1 cup crushed Keebler Townhouse butter crackers
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
fresh ground black pepper
salt
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup butter (cut into small pieces)

In one bowl add the eggs--beat. In a separate bowl add crushed butter crackers, garlic salt, Italian seasoning and some fresh ground black pepper (your choice of amount)--stir to mix. Salt both sides of each chicken breast (to your taste). Dip each chicken breast into the egg mixture, then coat both sides of the chicken breasts in the cracker mixture. Place them in a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Place the butter pieces around (but NOT on top of) the chicken breasts. Bake at 375 degrees 30 minutes or until chicken is done. When you take them out of the oven you can drizzle a spoonful of the melted butter over each chicken breast. Note: for a crispier coating, double the eggs and double the cracker mixture. When finished coating each chicken breast, dip them back into the egg mixture and cracker mixture a second time (and slightly increase cooking time).

#3741 - Chocolate Butterscotch Frosting

(by Shirley McNevich)

2oz. Baker's UNsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1/3 cup heavy cream (more if necessary)
2 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
a pinch of salt
2 cups Domino's powdered sugar (more if necessary)

In a saucepan over low heat add the baking chocolate, brown sugar and heavy cream--cook/stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat--add butter, vanilla and salt--keep stirring until butter has melted completely. Pour the mixture into a mixer--add 1 cup of the powdered sugar--beat until mixed, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the other cup of powdered sugar--beat until mixed, then beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Let frosting cool to room temperature, then beat again for 2 minutes. If frosting is too thick, add 1 TBSP more at a time of heavy cream and beat again. If frosting is too thin, add 1 TBSP more of powdered sugar at a time and beat again until spreading consistency.

#3740 - Sweet and Sour Kielbasa

(by Shirley McNevich)

6 TBSP butter
2 large onions (sliced, cut in half, and rings separated)
1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
14oz. Heinz ketchup
3 TBSP cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. spicy brown mustard
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. hot sauce
2lb. kielbasa

Cut all of the kielbasa into 1" coin shaped pieces. In a cast iron skillet over medium heat add butter--melt. Add onions and kielbasa pieces--cook/stir until onions are tender and kielbasa is browned, then drain off any grease. In a blender add brown sugar, ketchup, cider vinegar, brown mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce--beat until mixed. Taste--if too sweet add more cider vinegar and beat again. If too sour add a little more brown sugar and beat again. Dump the kielbasa mixture into a crockpot and pour the ketchup mixture over the top--stir well to mix. Cook on low heat 5-6 hours. Serve with toothpicks.

#3739 - Raspberry Poke Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 box Duncan Hines white cake mix
1 - 3oz. box Jell-O raspberry gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1 - 8oz. Cool Whip (thawed)
fresh raspberries

Prepare cake mix according to box directions, baking it in a 9 x 13 cake pan. Cool the cake for 1 hour. Use the tines of a large meat fork to poke deep holes all through the cake. In a bowl add raspberry Jell-O powder and boiling water--mix until dissolved. Add the cold water--stir well. Spread the raspberry Jell-O mixture evenly over the top of the cake so it soaks down into the holes. Refrigerate until cold. Spread the Cool Whip over the top of the cake. Decorate the top with fresh raspberries.

#3738 - Creamy Vanilla Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 14oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup water
1 - 3oz. box Jell-O vanilla INSTANT pudding mix
1/2 cup Breakstone's sour cream
1 - 8oz. Cool Whip (thawed)
1 - 9" ready-made graham cracker crust

In a bowl add sweetened condensed milk, water and pudding mix powder--stir just until pudding powder is dissolved. Add the sour cream and Cool Whip--stir until mixed. Pour batter into the graham cracker crust. Refrigerate overnight.

#3737 - Quick Lemon Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 ready-made graham cracker crust
2 egg yolks
1 - 14oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice

In a bowl add the egg yolks--beat. Add sweetened condensed milk--mix with a whisk. Add lemon juice--mix with a whisk until blended. Pour the mixture into a saucepan. Cook/stir the mixture in a double boiler (stirring constantly) until mixture thickens. Pour the lemon mixture into the graham cracker crust. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold.

#3736 - Baked Tomato Halves

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 ripe tomatoes
1/3 cup butter (melted)
1 tsp. basil leaves
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups 4C Italian bread crumbs
1 TBSP fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp. salt

Wash tomatoes, removes the stems and cut each tomato in half horizontally. Place them on a greased jelly roll pan (cut sides up). In a bowl add melted butter, basil leaves, garlic powder, pepper, bread crumbs, chopped parsley and salt--stir to mix. Spoon a heaping TBSP of the bread crumb mixture on top of each tomato, using the back of a spoon to spread it out. Bake at 350 degrees 15-17 minutes or until heated through (but still firm).

#3735 - Baked Pretzel Bites

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 2/3 cups warm water
2 TBSP white sugar
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
3 3/4 cups bread flour
3 TBSP melted butter (cooled to room temperature)
2 tsp. salt
2 quarts water
1/3 cup baking soda
1 TBSP Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
coarse or flaked sea salt

Remove the bowl from a stand mixer and place it on your counter. Add the 1 2/3 cups warm water, the white sugar and the yeast. Let it stand for 15 minutes or until it starts to foam. Place the bowl on your stand mixer, using the dough hook attachment. Add the melted butter, 2 tsp. salt and all of the flour--beat with the dough hook for 5 minutes or until dough ball forms. If the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add 1 TBSP more flour at a time until you get a nice smooth dough ball. Remove bowl from mixer, cover with a tea towel and let the dough rise for 1 hour. When dough is almost done rising in a pot add the 2 quarts of water, baking soda and brown sugar--bring to a boil over medium heat. Flour your counter and place the pretzel dough on the flour, flipping it so both sides get some flour. Work it carefully, then cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each dough piece into a foot long log. Cut the dough log into 2" pretzel bites, then drop the pretzel bites into the boiling water mixture for 1 minute. Use a slotted spoon to drain each pretzel bite and place them on to greased cookie sheets. Continue with more dough until the cookie sheet is full (you can put them close together because they don't get much bigger). Sprinkle the pretzel bites with flaked sea salt. Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes, then use tongs to flip each of them and bake 4-5 minutes longer or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining dough. If you bake them to light brown, they will be softer. If you bake them to dark/golden brown they will be crispier.

#3734 - Quick Banana Cream Pie

(by Marcia Stollzfuss - friend)

1 unbaked pie crust dough
sliced bananas (coin shaped pieces--enough to cover bottom crust)
3 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 egg yolks
3 TBSP butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Spray a pie plate with Pam, insert the pie dough and flute the edges. Use the tines of a fork to prick holes in the bottom of the pie dough. Spray the inside of the pie dough with Pam. Insert a second pie plate into the pie dough (to keep dough from shrinking when baking). Bake at 375 degrees 18-20 minutes or until crust is browned. Cool crust completely. In a saucepan add flour, white sugar and salt--stir to mix. Add milk while stirring. Place saucepan over medium low heat and add the butter--cook/stir until boiling. Once boiling, cook/stir for 2 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat--add vanilla--stir well. In a bowl add egg yolks--beat with a fork. Add a little of the hot milk mixture to the beaten egg yolks while stirring. Keep adding more until the egg yolk mixture is hot, then dump the egg yolk mixture into the milk mixture--stir well. Fill the bottom of the cooled crust with the sliced bananas. Pour the whole milk mixture over the sliced bananas in the crust. Cool completely, then refrigerate until cold. Top with whipped cream (or you can make your own meringue if you wish).

#3733 - Breakfast Crumb Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 cups flour
3 cups white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup cold butter (cut into small pieces)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla

In a bowl add flour, white sugar, baking powder and butter pieces--mix with a pastry blender to make fine crumbs. Measure out 1 cup of the crumbs--set aside. To the remaining crumbs add 2 eggs, milk and vanilla--stir/mix until smooth. Pour batter into 3 - 8" cake pans. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the reserved crumbs evenly over each cake. Bake at 350 degrees 35-40 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Serve one cake warm and you can cool/freeze the other cakes for later.

#3732 - Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

3/4 cup softened butter
1/2 cup Jif smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 - 3oz. box Jell-O INSTANT banana cream pudding
1 cup Nestle's MINI semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried banana chips (coarsely chopped)

In a mixer add softened butter, white sugar and brown sugar--beat. Add eggs and vanilla--beat. Add baking soda, salt and banana cream pudding powder--beat. Add peanut butter--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add banana chip pieces and mini chocolate chips--stir to mix. Drop batter by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees 10-12 minutes or until browned. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes, then place them on paper towels to cool completely.

#3731 - Baby Lima Beans and Ham

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 slices bacon (fried and crumbled but save the drippings)
1 tsp. bacon drippings
4 cups frozen baby lima beans
1 cup bite sized chopped cooked ham pieces (more if you wish)
4 cups water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

In a Dutch oven add the water--bring to a boil. Add frozen lima beans, ham pieces, bacon drippings, salt and pepper--stir until lima beans are no longer frozen. Reduce heat to low--simmer for 90 minutes (checking every 20 minutes to make sure there is still liquid left, adding a little water if necessary). Just before serving add crumbled bacon--stir to mix. You can serve it with the broth OR drain/discard the broth.

#3730 - Sweet and Sour Sloppy Joes

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. ground chuck
1 onion (chopped)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 1/2 TBSP white vinegar
1 1/2 TBSP Domino's dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. French's yellow mustard
3/4 cup tomato sauce
good quality rolls

In a skillet over medium heat add ground chuck, chopped onions, salt and pepper--cook/stir until meat is done. Drain off any grease. To the ground beef mixture add white vinegar, brown sugar, yellow mustard and tomato sauce--cook/stir over medium heat until hot, then reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Taste--if too sweet, add more mustard or white vinegar. If too sour, add more brown sugar. Serve on good quality rolls.

#3729 - Dutch Corn Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 large baking potato (washed, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces)
1 - 15oz. can Del Monte whole kernel corn
1 - 15oz. can Del Monte cream style corn
3 hard boiled eggs (peeled and chopped)
6 slices of bacon (cooked and crumbled)
salt
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 TBSP butter (cut into small pieces)
2 pie crust doughs

In a saucepan over medium heat add potatoes, whole kernel corn, cream style corn, chopped eggs, milk and salt/pepper (to your taste)--cook/stir until boiling, then turn back heat and simmer until potatoes are tender and mixture thickens. Remove from heat--add crumbled bacon--stir to mix. Place one pie crust dough into a greased pie plate and spray the inside of the crust with Pam. Pour the hot corn mixture into the crust and dot the butter evenly over the corn mixture. Place the top dough on the pie, then flute and seal the edges. Use a sharp knife to cut a few holes in the top dough. Place the pie plate on a cookie sheet (to catch any drips). Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until crust is nice and brown. Cool slightly before cutting and serving.

#3728 - Fried Buttermilk Chicken Bites

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 lbs. boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2 cups buttermilk
2 TBSP of your favorite hot sauce
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
canola oil

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. In a large bowl add buttermilk and hot sauce--stir. Add chicken pieces--stir to coat, then cover the bowl with Saran wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day mix flour, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper in a bowl--stir to mix. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Take one chicken piece from the buttermilk, coat it in the flour mixture, dip it again in the buttermilk and coat it again in the flour mixture. Place the coated chicken piece on the wax paper. Repeat with all chicken pieces. Fill a cast iron skillet 1 1/2" deep with canola oil. Heat the oil over medium heat until hot enough for frying. Fry the chicken pieces (a few at at time) on both sides until golden brown, then place on paper towels to soak up extra oil.

#3727 - Chicken Nugget Dip

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 slices of bacon (cooked and crumbled)
3/4 cup Breakstone's sour cream
1 TBSP mayo
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

In a bowl add sour cream, mayo, crumbled blue cheese and crumbled bacon--stir well. Serve as a dip with chicken nuggets.

#3726 - Simple Butter Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 sticks softened butter (make sure butter is salted!)
3/4 cup white sugar + extra for sprinkling
1 TBSP vanilla
2 cups flour (+ 2 TBSP more flour if necessary)

In a mixer add butter and white sugar--beat for 5 minutes. Add vanilla--beat. Add flour a little at a time--beat. If batter is not stiff enough, add the extra 2 TBSP flour--beat again. Scoop out a TBSP full of batter and shape it into a ball. Place the ball on a greased cookie sheet. Use your first three fingers to flatten the dough ball (which will also make three indentations on the cookies). Repeat with all dough (placing cookies 2 1/2" apart). Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a little extra white sugar. Bake at 350 degrees 11-12 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool slightly, then place on paper towels to cool.

#3725 - Amish Green Beans

(by Shirley McNevich)

6 raw slices of bacon (chopped)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1lb. fresh green beans
2 large tomatoes (chopped)
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Fill a pot with cold water and set it aside. Wash the green beans, remove the stems and cut the green beans into 2" pieces. Place the green bean pieces into a pot of boiling salted water--cook/stir them for 5 minutes, then drain them in a colander and immediately drop all of them into the pot of cold water (to stop them from cooking). Drain the green beans again. In large cast iron skillet add the chopped bacon and chopped onions--cook/stir over medium heat until bacon is crisp and onions are tender. Add the drained green beans, chopped tomatoes, chopped garlic, salt and black pepper--cook/stir 8-10 minutes or until green beans are tender and mixture is hot.

#3724 - Sandwich Spirals

(by Shirley McNevich)

9" tortillas
mayo and/or mustard
thin sliced deli roast beef
thin sliced deli salami
thin sliced deli turkey
thin sliced provolone cheese
any vegetables you wish sliced thin (lettuce, onions, tomatoes, peppers, etc.)

Spread a thin layer of mayo or mustard on the first tortilla. Place three slices of roast beef on the tortilla (overlapping where necessary). Place three slices of provolone cheese over the roast beef (overlapping where necessary). Sprinkle thinly sliced vegetables over the top. Start at one end of the tortilla and wrap it tightly into a spiral. Wrap the spiral in Saran wrap and place it in a metal cake pan. Make the next tortilla with salami, and the third tortilla with turkey. Make as many as you wish. When all are wrapped and placed in the pan, refrigerate until cold. When ready to serve, unwrap one roll at a time and slice it into 1" slices. Secure each slice with a toothpick and place it on a serving plate. Continue with all unwrapped rolls.

#3723 - Chocolate Chip Potato Chip Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup softened butter
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1/2 to 1 TBSP vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup ridged potato chips (coarsely crushed; measure AFTER crushing; do NOT use unsalted chips)

In a mixer add butter, white sugar and brown sugar--beat. Add egg, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder and salt--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add chocolate chips and coarsely crushed chips--stir with a wooden spoon to mix. Because baking time must be the same for each cookie, you'll need to use a cookie scoop. Drop even scoops of dough on to greased cookie sheets, then when almost out of batter scoop just ONE scoop of batter on to one of the cookie sheets (for a test cookie). Place the cookie sheets in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Remove just the test cookie sheet from the refrigerator and bake the test cookie at 350 degrees for 9 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove from cookie sheet and place cookie on a paper towel. If cookie comes out nice and chewy after cooling, you have the correct baking time and can continue with remaining cookies. If test cookie is too hard, decrease baking time 1-2 minutes. If cookie tastes "doughy", increase baking time 1-2 minutes.