Chicken Cordon Bleu

Ingredients

8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each)
8 thin slices ham
8 slices Swiss cheese
2 eggs
1 cup milk (2%)
2 cups crushed cornflakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness. Top each with a slice of ham and cheese. Roll up and tuck in ends; secure with toothpicks.

In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs and milk. In another shallow bowl, combine cornflakes and seasonings. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then roll in crumbs.

Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Discard toothpicks before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Chicken Cordon Bleu published in Taste of Home December/January 2008, p34

Country-Fried Steak

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup crushed saltines
4 beef cube steaks (1 pound total)
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup milk

Directions

In a plastic bag or bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper. Place buttermilk in a shallow bowl. Place saltine crumbs in a plastic bag or bowl. Coat steaks with flour mixture, then dip in the buttermilk and coat with crumbs.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the steaks in oil for 2-3 minutes on each side of until golden and no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. Add soup and milk to skillet; bring to a boil, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Serve gravy with steaks.

**This recipe comes from a Taste of Home Special Issue called Dinner on a Dime...March 2010.**

Chicken & Broccoli Braid

Ingredients

12 ounces cooked chicken, chopped (2 cups/about 3 cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast halves)
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
1 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 tsp salt
2 pkgs (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Chop chicken & broccoli; place in large bowl. Chop bell pepper and add to bowl. Press garlic over vegetable mixture using garlic press. Add shredded cheese, mayonnaise, dill mix, and salt. Mix well.

Unroll 1 pkg. of crescent doughl do not separate. Arrange longest sides of dough acress width of a 12 x 15 rectangle baking stone. Repeat with remaining package of dough. Roll dough to seal perforations. On longest sides of baking stone, cut dough into strips 1-1/2 inches apart, 3 inches deep. Spread filling evenly over middle of dough. To braid, life strips of dough across mixture to meet in center, twisting each strip one turn. Continue alternating strips to form a braid. Tuck ends under to seal at end of braid. Brush egg white over dough using pastry brush. Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake 25 to 28 minutes or until deep golden brown. Cut and serve.

Yields: 10 servings

Pizza Biscuit Bake

Ingredients

3-1/3 cups Original Bisquick Mix
1 cup milk
2 cans (8 oz each) pizza sauce
1 package (8 oz) sliced pepperoni
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. In medium bowl, stir Bisquick mix and milk until soft dough forms. Drop half of dough by spoonfuls evenly over bottom of baking dish (dough will not completely cover bottom of dish).

Drizzle 1 can pizza sauce over dough. Scatter half of the pepperoni over sauce. Top with 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat layers with remaining dough, pizza sauce, pepperoni and cheese.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Note~Yummy...especially for kids! So easy to make, which was great for me. You can play around with this base recipe and add ingredients. Anything you would put on pizza can be added.

Turkey Treats

Ingredients

Canned vanilla frosting
Round cracker...like Ritz
Candy corns
Chocolate kisses
Caramel

Directions

1. Spread some canned vanilla frosting on a round cracker.
2. Place a chocolate kiss near the bottom of the cracker.
3. Add candy corns above the kiss to make feathers; place one candy corn on the kiss for the head.
4. Let the frosting dry.
5. To make the turkey stand up, attach a caramel to the back with more frosting.
6. Make-Ahead Tip: make these edible decorations up to 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container.

Pecan Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inch)
2 eggs
1 can (15 oz.) solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Topping:

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup

whipped topping, optional

Directions

Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry; trim and flute edges. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, pumpkin, syrup, sugar cream, cinnamon and nutmeg until smooth; pour into pastry. Combine the eggs, pecans, sugar and syrup; spoon over top.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake 40-45 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and top of pie is set. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight or until set. Serve with whipped topping, if desired.

Yields 8 servings

**This recipe comes from the Nov/Dec 2009 Simple & Delicious magazine.**

Italian Sausage Strata

Ingredients

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 loaf (1 lb.) sourdough bread, cubed
1 jar (4 1/2 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
10 eggs
3 cups half-and-half cream
1 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Italian cheese blend

Directions

In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Place bread cubes in a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Layer with mushrooms, onions and sausage. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, mustard and salt. Pour over top; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. (Cover loosely with foil if top browns too quickly.) Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Yields 12 servings

**This recipe comes from the Nov/Dec 2009 Simple & Delicious magazine.**

Peaches & Cream French Toast

Ingredients

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 can (29 oz.) sliced peaches, drained
1 loaf (1 lb.) day-old French bread, cubed
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, cubed
12 eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved; pour into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Arrange peaches in dish. Place half of the bread cubes over peaches. Layer with cream cheese and remaining bread. Place the eggs, cream and vanilla in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Pour over top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Yields 12 servings

Pineapple Cranberry Ham

Ingredients

4 boneless fully cooked ham steaks (6 oz. each)
1 1/2 tsp. canola oil
1/2 cup jellied cranberry sauce
1/2 cup undrained crushed pineapple
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Directions

Cut each ham steak in half. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ham in oil in batches for 3-5 minutes on each side or until heated through. Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, mash the cranberry sauce; stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Serve with ham.

Yields 4 servings

**This recipe came from the Nov/Dec 2009 Simple & Delicious magazine.**

Chili

Ingredients

hamburger, browned
onion, chopped and cooked with the hamburger
1 jar Pace chunky salsa
1 can tomato juice
2 cans kidney beans (dark, light, or 1 of each)


Directions

Combine the ingredients and let simmer. Top with cheese, sour cream, and/or green onions, if desired.

Notes: This recipe is super simple and super tasty!