Balsamic, strawberry chicken Caesar salad

Preheat oven 450'

Place thawed chicken in tin foil lined glass dish. Rub balsamic vinegar all over chicken breast. Bake 10 minutes, flip chicken and bake 8 more. 

Slice and serve over Caesar salad, add strawberries. 

Chicken with pesto, tomato, mozzarella, and parm cheese

Preheat oven 450'

Line glass dish with tin foil

Place thawed chicken in dish and rub with pesto, then top with sliced tomato, then mozzarella cheese, then parm cheese and bake 18-20 minutes. 

Slice chicken and serve over pasta

Bake chicken

I recently learned how to bake an easy chicken that is nice and juicy instead of boiling it for pot pie, enchiladas, tacos or whatever...

Preheat oven to 450'

Line glass dish with tinfoil

Place thawed chicken on tinfoil and rub with olive oil, salt and pepper or whatever  seasonings you like

Bake 10 minutes then flip and bake 8 more minutes. Done!

Carraba's Bread Dip Spice

Thanks Holly!

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried parsley

1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. minced garlic dried

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (or as needed)

Add all ingredients to extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy with bread!

Orange Julius

Thanks Holly!!

1 cup Orange juice concentrate

2 cups milk or half water

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

8-12 ice cubes

Blend together.

Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

Thanks Paula for the recipe!

1 cauliflower

1 broccoli

1 red pepper

3-4 green onions

1/2 - 1 cup grated cheese

1 jar Hormel bacon bits

Sauce:

1 cup miracle whip

1/2 cup sugar

1 T. lemon juice

Cut vegetables into small pieces and combine in bowl. Add grated cheese and bacon bits. Mix sauce ingredients and pour over vegetables (may not need all of it.)

Cafe Rio

This summer the wives made dinner for ALL the guys in the office. It was Cafe Rio style. Here are some of the recipes that were used!

Tomatillo Dressing Cafe Rio

1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch (Buttermilk style)

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup mayonaise

1-2 tomatillos, peel

1/2 to 1 garlic clove, minced

1/3 buch cilantro chopped

1 tsp lime juice

6 slices pickled jalapenos.

Blend ingredients together in blender. More mayonnaise may be added if too thin. Keep refrigerated.

Lime Rice

In a sauce pan, saute:

2 T butter

1 yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

In a large pot, bring the following to a boil: (I just throw all of these ingredients into a rice cooker and it works just great – you don’t need to boil the rice in a pot.)

3 cups rice

6 2/3 cup water

8 tsp bullion (I usually use Swanson’s chicken broth if I have it.)

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 tsp cumin

2 small cans diced green chilies

1 T lime juice

1/2 t salt

Green Sauce

4 TBSP butter

1 med onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large can green enchilada sauce (I use Las Palmas brand, which can be found at super Wal-mart)

1 can chicken broth (14-16 0z)

3-4 TBSP flour

In a large sauce pan, melt half of the butter (2TBSP) and sauté garlic and onions until they are almost clear (add garlic more toward the end, so it doesn’t burn). Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, add the chicken broth and flour, mix until lumps are out. Add the remaining butter to the garlic and onions, once melted stir in the chicken broth/flour mixture (make sure to stir continuously while adding so the four doesn’t burn on bottom of pan). Then add the can of green sauce, mix and stir. Cook on med to med-high heat for about 10 mins. Simmer on Medium for about 30 more mins. (If you have time and it makes the flavor stronger b/c it reduces and starts to be more condensed). Stir often while on simmer.

SWEET PORK ( a variation on Café Rio Pork recipe) Kim Sadowski

4 pounds pork roast
1/3 cup water
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup green chili sauce (La Costena is a good brand)

1 can El Pato tomato sauce (jalapeno variety – green label)

1 6 oz. can of regular tomato sauce

2 T. Canola oil

1 large sweet onion – diced

6 cloves of garlic - pressed
½ to ¾ cups brown sugar

Place the pork, 1/3 cup water, garlic salt, salt, and pepper, in a *crock pot. Cook slowly for 6 hours. Remove pork and cool for 30 minutes. Set aside liquid. Shred pork and set aside.

Strain the liquid from the pork and put in a freezer-safe container. Place in freezer for about an hour to allow oils and fat to separate and rise to the surface. Once oils and fat have risen to the top and solidified, remove and discard. Set aside drippings for use later.

Sauté onion in Canola oil until tender. Stir garlic into onion and sauté lightly for one minute. Add tomato sauce, green sauce, 1 ½ cup of broth and brown sugar. Simmer for 3 minutes until all ingredients are mixed well. Add pork and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Serve pork in warm freshly-made flour or corn tortillas and garnish as desired.

* You can also cook pork in covered roasting pan in oven if you prefer. If you choose to cook it in the oven, cook at 250 degrees for 4 hours.

Basic Pizza Dough

Here ya go Becky & Ang! =)

3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup warm water
2 Tablespoons yeast
2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Pour warm water into a bowl. The water should be about 85 to 115 o F (make sure not too hot- this is what kills the yeast!) Test it with your hand. It should feel very warm, but comfortable. Add the honey and salt. (Sometimes I use 2 TBS of sugar instead of honey!) Mix by hand (or any other method) until well-blended. Add the yeast and mix some more. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup of flour and the olive oil and mix until well blended. Add the rest of the flour (and any other additions- sometimes I only use 3 cups of flour depending on consistency) and mix well. The dough should turn into a ball. If the dough does not ball up because its too dry, add water one tablespoon at a time until it does. If the mixture is more like a batter, add flour one tablespoon at a time. Adding water or flour as needed to get the right consistency will assure you always get a perfect dough. Just remember to do it in small amounts.

Once the dough is balled up, place the ball on a floured board and knead for about a minute. This builds the gluten which helps the dough to rise and become fluffy when cooked. Place the dough into a plastic grocery bag or a covered bowl and store in a warm, dry area to rise.

After about 45 minutes the dough should have about doubled in size. Show it who's boss and punch it down. That's right, give it a good smack so it deflates. Let it rise for another hour in a half to two hours. The dough is now ready to be rolled out. You can punch the dough down one more time if you want to wait another hour or two before rolling out. The choice is yours!

Special Notes: The dough should make any Extra large pizza - I cook mine at 375 degrees for about 15-17 minutes! Just keep checking on it, every oven has different cooking time! Also, if you want to spice up your dough add oregano, Italian seasonings, and Parmesan cheese makes for YUMMY DOUGH!

Veggie Dip

I got this simple recipe from one of my friends in my class.  It tastes really good and is so easy to make!

1 cup sour cream

1 cup Mayo

1 tsp. Bon Appetite

1 rounded tsp. of Dill Weed

Mix everything together and enjoy with fresh veggies!

Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

Chicken Teriyaki Bowls

You put 4 chicken breast in a pot with 1/2 cup soy sauce4 cups of water1/2 tbspn brown sugar a pinch of garlic powder The Sauce:1/2 cup soy sauce2 cups water1 tsp ginger (optional, i don't)1/2 tsp garlic powder or 1 tsp of minced garlic 10 tbspn brown sugar 2 tbspn honey (this is only if you want honey teriyaki sauce, i prefer without) 4 tbspn cornstarch 1/2 cup cold water. You just throw everything into a pot except for the cornstarch and 1/2 cup water and heat it on med. high. Once it starts to steam you mix together the cold water and cornstarch until cornstarch disolves. Once dissolved whisk it into the pot and stir well. Cook on med. high until desired thickness :)

**Courtney made these for us several times & we loved them! :)***

Pineapple Slush

Pineapple Slush

1 large can pineapple juice
1 regular can frozen orange juice
4 TBSP. lemon juice
4 c. sugar
8 c. water

Mix & Freeze

When ready to serve add 1 liter of lemon lime soda!

**This is Paula's recipe- and it is SOOO GOOD!!! :)

Bow Tie Chicken Salad

6 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 bag bow tie pasta, cooked & drained
1/2 bunch green onions
1 -8 oz bottle Kraft pourable coleslaw dressing
2 cup Mayonnaise
salt & pepper to taste

Add all ingredients together the night before. Chill. Before serving add:

1 lg. can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 lb. seedless red grapes, halved
1 cup celery
4 to 5 diced apples
1 pkg. slivered almonds

Add more coleslaw dressing when serving if necessary.

This recipe tastes really good on croissants.

Veggie Dip

1 cup mayo

1 cup sour cream

1 heaping tsp dill weed

1 tsp Bon Appetite 

Mix all the ingredients together and enjoy!  

FuDgE!!!

Fantasy Fudge
Fantasy Fudge recipe from the back of the Kraft Marshmallow Creme jar
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup margarine
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 12-oz. package or 1.5 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 12 sq. baking chocolate)
1 7-oz. jar Kraft Marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped nuts (if desired)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Traditional method:
Combine sugar, margarine and milk in heavy 2-1/2 quart saucepan; bring to full rolling bail, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in chocolate till melted. Add marshmallow creme, nuts & vanilla beat till blended. Pour into greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Let cool and cut into 1-inch squares.

Dinner Roll Recipe

Rich Dinner Rolls

1 cup scalded milk
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter
½ cup warm water
2 packages active dry yeast (or 1 ¼ tbsp)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
5 ½ cups flour (about)
2 tablespoons melted butter (to brush on top)

Mix milk, sugar, salt and butter in a small bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves: cool to lukewarm. Pour warm water into a warm large bowl, sprinkle in yeast, and stir until dissolved. Stir in milk mixture, eggs, and 2 cups flour, beating with a wooden spoon until smooth. Mix in enough additional flour, a little at a time, to make a soft dough (it will be sticky but should leave sides of bowl clean). Knead on a lightly floured board 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic; shape into a ball, place in a greased large bowl, turning to grease all over. Cover with cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, 30-40 minutes. ;Punch dough down. Shape as desired, place rolls in greased pans, cover, and let rise about ½ hour until doubled in bulk. About 15 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 375. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter and bake 15-20 minutes until lightly browned and hollow sounding when tapped.

Baked Imperial Chicken w/ Cumberland Sauce

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
3 TBSP. sesame seeds
2 c. seasoned breaded crumbs
2 chicken (boneless, skinless) cubed, cut up
1/2 c. melted butter

Mix cheese. Sesame seeds & bread crumbs. dip chicken pieces in butter & then in crumb mixture. Place in shallow pan. Dot with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve with cumberland sauce.

1 c. red currant jelly (any type)
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 (4 oz) can frozen orange juice
1/8 tsp. ground ginger

Combine and simmer on medium head until smooth. Spoon over baked chicken pieces. :)

**tips: I like to use more parmesan cheese & less bread crumbs if I am making it for a less-formal meal. Also, you can make the chicken larger & make them into chicken tenders & fry them thus dipping them in either ketchup, BBQ sauce, Ranch, or honey mustard. :) ***

Chicken Enchilada Dip

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees*

-1 cube softened cream cheese
-1 1/2 cups Mexican style cheese- divided
-7 oz. can chopped green chilies (undrained)
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1/4 tsp chili powder
-about 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken (boiled)

With electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, 1 cup cheese, chilies, and seasoning in small bowl. When ingredients are well-blended, stir in chicken. Spread into 9-inch casserole dish. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned and heated through. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers. To keep it warm for a long period of time, put it in a crockpot on warm or low.

Sorry for the lack of pictures!

Croissant Tacos

*Preheat oven to whatever is indicated on the croissant rolls*

-ground hamburger
-taco seasoning
-croissant dough
-any taco toppings you like: cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream

Brown the hamburger, and add the taco seasoning. Roll taco meat up in the croissant dough. Place on baking sheet. Follow baking instructions for the croissant dough. When they have one minute left to bake, sprinkle cheese on the croissants. Serve with toppings.

**This recipe is from Breanna.

Pioneer Day's Tinfoil Dinners

*Preheat oven to 400 degrees*

-one chicken breast per person
-one packet of Ranch dressing mix
-1 1/2 c of bread crumbs
-4 eggs
-2 yellow onions
-4 large potatoes
-4 bell peppers
-salt and pepper to taste

Chop potatoes, peppers and onions. Mix bread crumbs and Ranch packet. Dip chicken in beaten egg, then in crumb mix. Place all ingredients on tinfoil sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap tinfoil tightly, folding over edges. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

**This recipe is from Ashley A.

Black Bean and Avocado Salsa

1 Can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)

1 Can Corn (Drained and Rinsed)

1 can Olives (Drained and Rinsed)

2 Avocados cut how you like them

3 Tomatoes cut how you like them

Fresh Cilantro finely chopped

1 packet Good Season Italian Dressing (you will need oil and vinegar to go with it)

Mix the Good Seasons Dressing as the directions say on packet. Add beans and corn and put in fridge. Cut up all the remaining ingredients and add them to beans and corn right before serving. Best served with Blue Corn Tortilla Chips.