Category Archives: Main Dish

Buttery Baked Chicken

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“I am not a glutton. I am an explorer of food.” Erma Bombeck

I’ve been making this dish for awhile and it just keeps getting better.

About to prepare one breast and three thighs.

About to prepare one breast and three thighs.

The original recipe I pulled off the Internet called for all boneless breasts and very little seasoning and, as a result, it was a little bland I thought. I added a little more butter, some Cajun seasoning, some Adobo seasoning and mixed up the chicken parts because I’ve always found dark meat (i.e. thighs) to be more flavorful and more moist … for the white meat I sometimes use a couple of boneless breasts or I substitute four or five breast tenderloins.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup crushed buttery round cracker crumbs (I use Ritz)
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• ground black pepper to taste

Ready to go into the oven

Ready to go into the oven


• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (or equivalent chicken parts, I typically use two breasts & four boneless thighs)
• ½ stick butter, cut into pieces
• ¼ teaspoon Cajun seasoning (I use Tony Chachere’s), this is optional
• ¼ teaspoon Adobo seasoning, this is optional

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Place eggs and cracker crumbs in two separate shallow bowls or pans. Mix cracker crumbs with garlic salt, Cajun seasoning and pepper. Dip chicken in the eggs, then dredge in the crumb mixture to coat.

Just out of the oven. Golden brown and smelling great!

Just out of the oven. Golden brown and smelling great!


3. Arrange coated chicken in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Place pieces of butter on top of and around the chicken.
4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.
It's time to enjoy!

It’s time to enjoy!

A brief Postscript … This recipe is fast becoming my “go to” recipe …. it is easy & simple and quick to prepare …. most of all, it literally melts in your mouth … it is sooo delicious!!

Hawaiian Ham & Swiss Slider

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“Dinner’s ready when the smoke alarm goes off.”

I didn’t have a category labeled Party Food so I had to file this under Main Dish. We serve this at many casual parties and it is especially popular with roudy crowds watching televised ballgames. I’ve seen the recipe on dozens of websites and blogs but I decided to go straight to the source for my inspiration … so, this is the (very slightly modified) original recipe found on King’s Hawaiian website. These are the folks who make some of the greatest tasting bread products in the world. Many people think of Kona Coffee when you ask them to name a product from Hawaii but I immediately think of King’s Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls.

Hawaiian Ham & Swiss Slider

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30-35 min
Serving Info: 6 people

Ingredients:
12 slices of thin-slice deli honey ham (I use Black Forest Ham)
3 Slices of swiss cheese, cut into fourths
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Kewpie)
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/2 cup butter melted
1/2 tablespoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 package (12 count) KING’S HAWAIIAN Original Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls

Warm out of the oven!

Warm out of the oven!


Directions:
1. Cut rolls in half and spread mayo onto both sides of the rolls. Place a slice or two of ham and slice of swiss cheese in roll. Replace the top of the rolls and bunch them closely together into a baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together poppy seeds, dijon mustard, melted butter, onion powder and worcestershire sauce.
3. Pour sauce over the rolls, just covering the tops. Cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook (watching them very carefully to avoid burning) for additional 2-5 minutes on Broil until tops are slightly browned and crisp. Serve warm.

Stovetop Bowtie Lasagna

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“My head says gym but my heart says pasta.”

This recipe was inspired by and adapted from one by Bridget OConnor on her blog, What’s Cooking In The Burbs. I hope you’ll give her blog a visit because it is full of great recipes and her photography is just outstanding.

Every once in awhile I cook a new (to me) dish that I immediately know is going into the “Outstanding Comfort Food” category and this Stovetop Bowtie Lasagna is just such a dish! It is fun & easy to prepare and it will even feed a small army. I’m not too sure about this myself, but some of my family members say it is better warmed over as a leftover than it was when initially served…

Nutrition Alert!!! Bridgit’s original recipe named, Skillet Bowtie Lasagna, is low-fat & low-cal … when I adapted it to become part of my “comfort food category” the modified recipe, Stovetop Bowtie Lasagna, became NOT SO low-fat & low-cal … I just felt like you should hear that warning!

Stovetop Bowtie Lasagna

Stovetop Bowtie Lasagna


Stovetop Bowtie Lasagna – 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb Lean ground beef
2 tsps Crushed or Minced Garlic, divided
8 oz Sliced fresh mushrooms
2 T Olive Oil
16 oz Bowtie Pasta (not the mini-bowties)
24 oz Jar of pasta sauce
1 T Italian seasoning
¼ tsp White Pepper
¼ tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
½ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
½ cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated
16 oz Cottage Cheese, small curd

Instructions:
Note – A really large pan (I use a 5-qt sauté pan) or a soup pot or even a Dutch oven will be needed to prepare this dish.
1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. Brown the ground beef in 1 tsp of the garlic. Drain and set aside in a bowl.
3. Saute the mushrooms in the olive oil and the remaining tsp of garlic. When soft & browned, drain and return to your large pan.
4. Now add the pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, white pepper, red pepper flakes, the browned meat. Stir well. Over medium heat bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. While simmering, add the cooked pasta and the cottage cheese. Gently stir until all the ingredients are well blended.
5. Top with the mozzarella cheese, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for an additional 10 minutes at which time the mixture is bubbly and the cheese is melted.
6. Now you are ready to serve maybe using a little extra grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley to top of the dish.

White Chicken Lasagna Rollups

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“Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” F. Fellini

This dish is like heaven on a plate! And like so many Italian pasta dishes, it is just as good, if not better, when you warm it up as a leftover meal.

I have run across this recipe on many websites and blogs so it certainly isn’t an “original”. The version I chose to use (with a few modifications) was on a website named Creme dela Crumb and the author is Tiffany. This is a very good website with tons of neat recipes so I encourage you to visit it when you can….here’s a link.

Last night I made this dish for the first time and found that I had no fresh parsley so I skipped that but I definitely think it is necessary for future meals.

Applying the chicken paste mixture to the noodle

Applying the chicken paste mixture to the noodle


Prep time 30 mins … Cook time 15 mins
Makes 8 individual servings (I thought 2 rollups each were a little too much)
Going into the oven

Going into the oven


Coming out of the oven

Coming out of the oven


Ingredients:

8 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package instructions
2 cups alfredo sauce (store-bought or homemade)
1 small rotisserie chicken or 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 pkg (9 oz) chopped spinach, cooked, drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese + ½ cup, divided
4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, julienne-cut or in pieces
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
optional: fresh parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees. Lightly grease a casserole dish with cooking spray.
2. Lay cooked lasagna noodles out in a single layer on a clean work surface ( for easy clean up use a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper).
3. In a bowl combine chicken, cream cheese, spinach, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, 1 cup parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste and mix well using your hands.
4. Spread about ¼ cup (or more) of chicken mixture onto each of the lasagna noodles. Roll noodles up tightly.
5. Pour 3/4 cup of alfredo sauce into bottom of baking dish. Place each lasagna rollup side by side in the baking dish. Pour remaining alfredo sauce over rollups. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired and serve warm.

Time to eat!

Time to eat!

Crockpot Pulled Chicken

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“Cooking well doesn’t mean cooking fancy.”

This recipe is basically identical to that for Crockpot Pulled Pork except we use a whole chicken instead of a pork roast. Being the same recipe, I must therefore give Brian Gray at www.UrbanBohemian.com credit for kindly giving me permission to use his recipe as the inspiration for mine (which differs only slightly). I’ve made this recipe many times and it is always a crowd-pleaser. I usually compliment it with Alabama White BBQ Sauce and serve it on Hawaiian Sweet Bread Rolls or stuffed in steamed corn tortillas…some folks opt to eat the meat alone with no bread.

Bird in the bag.

Bird in the bag.


It is important to note that the MarTex Dry Rub (recipe below & elsewhere) gives the pulled chicken a savory taste … definitely not sweet. I prefer my pulled chicken savory so if you prefer sweet then I would suggest that you find a sweet dry rub and use it instead of the Texas Chicken Rub … you might even consider using the sweet version of Brian’s Butt Rub listed on the Pulled Pork recipe.

This recipe typically will serve 8 people and you’ll still have leftovers … sooo, if you are only feeding 4 to 6 people then you might want to use a smaller chicken!

Crockpot Pulled Pork with MarTex Dry Rub

Bird in the pot!

Bird in the pot!


1 6-8 pound whole Chicken fryer
2 medium Shallots cut in half long-wise
1 batch of MarTex Dry Rub (see recipe below & elsewhere)

After removing the neck and giblets (if applicable) use cold water to rinse the chicken and then dry it with paper towels. Although really messy, use your hands to coat the chicken evenly with the dry rub. Depending on the size of the chicken it may take 2 to 4 tablespoons of dry rub. Place the four pieces of shallot in the chicken body cavity.

Place the chicken in one of those really large zip-lock bags (or cover in plastic wrap) and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and, if possible, overnight is even better.

Completely cooked bird in the crockpot.

Completely cooked bird in the crockpot.


Remove the chicken from the bag and place it in a large crockpot with the cavity hole pointed upwards or in such a way that the pieces of shallot don’t fall out. DO NOT ADD WATER OR ANY LIQUID. Cook on high for 3 hours. After this initial period of cooking use two large forks and turn the chicken over in the crockpot (don’t worry about the shallot falling out now). Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for an additional 3 hours.

Turn off the crockpot and remove the chicken into a large pan or baking dish … it will be falling apart so you may have to use one or two slotted spoons to get all the meat and solid pieces into the pan. While the contents of the pan are cooling off, pour the juice left in the crockpot through a strainer and save the juice. Now pick out all of the bone and other undesirable solids from the pan leaving only good, tender chunks of meat. Using two dinner forks, shred or tear the meat and place it back into the crockpot. Depending on how moist you want it, pour some of the juice back over the shredded chicken. Return the crockpot to the low setting and serve the pulled chicken warm.

Pulled chicken ready for a taco or sandwich or just slapped on the plate!

Pulled chicken ready for a taco or sandwich or just slapped on the plate!

MarTex Dry Rub

Ingredients:
3 T Smoked Salt (regular or Kosher can be substituted)
1/2 T Black Pepper
1/2 T White Pepper (substitute Lemon Pepper if for Chicken)
1/2 T Chili Powder
1/2 T Oregano
1 T Smoked or Spanish Paprika (reg. Hungarian can be substituted)
1 T Onion Powder
1 T Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp Dried Mustard Powder
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (more if you like really spicy)
1/4 tsp Ginger

Optional Ingredients if you desire slightly sweet:
3/4 C Turbinado Sugar (Lt. Brown Sugar can be substituted)
1/2 tsp Cinnamon, ground

Add all the ingredients to a small zip-lock plastic bag and shake it until the contents are well blended. What you don’t use can be left in the sealed bag for months.

Crockpot Pulled Pork

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“Life’s a game … barbeque is serious!”

I’ve seen this recipe on many websites and blogs but Brian Gray at www.UrbanBohemian.com presents it better than most and kindly gave me permission to use his recipe as the inspiration for mine (which differs only slightly). I’ve made this recipe many times and it is always a crowd-pleaser. I usually compliment it with Alabama White BBQ Sauce and serve it on Hawaiian Sweet Bread Rolls or stuffed in steamed corn tortillas…some folks opt to eat the meat alone with no bread. Brian tells me that he found the dry rub recipe in a Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook and when I searched my cookbook library I found a similar recipe for both the dry rub and the pulled pork in a Cook’s Illustrated cookbook entitled, The Best Slow and Easy Recipes.

After 3 hours in the crock pot.

After 3 hours in the crock pot.

It is important to note that Brian’s Butt Rub (recipe below) makes the  pulled pork a little savory and sweet. If you want yours just savory then I suggest you use the MarTex Dry Rub recipe that is posted on this blog.

This recipe typically will serve a dozen people and you’ll still have leftovers … sooo, if you are only feeding 4 to 8 people then you might want to cut the roast size in half!

Crockpot Pulled Pork with Brian’s Butt Rub

1 6-7 pound pork shoulder roast (also called Boston Butt)
1 batch of Brian’s Butt Rub (see recipe below)

Using cold water, rinse the roast and then dry it with paper towels. Although really messy, use your hands to coat the roast evenly with the dry rub. Depending on the size of the roast it may take 2 to 4 tablespoons of dry rub.

Place the roast in one of those really large zip-lock bags (or cover in plastic wrap) and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and, if possible, overnight is even better.

Remove the roast from the bag and place it in a large crockpot. DO NOT ADD WATER OR ANY LIQUID. Cook on high for 3 or 4 hours. After this initial period of cooking use two large forks and turn the roast over in the crockpot. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking for an additional 3 or 4 hours.

Just out of the crock pot, fully cooked and already falling apart.

Just out of the crock pot, fully cooked and already falling apart.

Turn off the crockpot and remove the roast into a large pan or baking dish … it will be falling apart so you may have to use one or two slotted spoons to get all the meat and solid pieces into the pan. While the contents of the pan are cooling off, pour the juice left in the crockpot through a strainer and save the juice. Now pick out all of the bone and other undesireable solids from the pan leaving only good, tender chunks of meat. Using two dinner forks, shred the meat and place it back into the crockpot. Depending on how moist you want it, pour some of the juice back over the shredded pork. Return the crockpot to the low setting and serve the pulled pork warm.

Let the shredding begin!

Let the shredding begin!

Brian’s Butt Rub
Note – This is the exact recipe as printed on Brian’s blog and it is almost identical to the one printed in a Cook’s Illustrated publication which Brian credits as his inspiration. This is a good recipe and I encourage you to try it … personally, I prefer, and I hope you’ll also try the dry rub recipe printed elsewhere on my blog as MarTex Dry Rub.

1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (1/2 will be mild, 2 will by extra spicy)
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
4 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 tablespoons salt

Sandwiches topped with sauce and ready to enjoy.

Sandwiches topped with sauce and ready to enjoy.

Add all the ingredients to a small zip-lock plastic bag and shake it until the contents are well blended. You might want to make two batches at the same time … one sweet, one savory. What you don’t use can be left in the sealed bag for months.

Ranch White Chicken Chili (CrockPot)

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“Warm thoughts. Soup puts the heart at ease…” A. Escoffier

In Texas, and for that matter most of the U.S., we’ve been experiencing a really miserable cold spell so I’ve been trying to eat as many “keep you warm” dishes that I can find and this is one of them. Although recipes similar to this one are available on dozens of websites, I chose as my inspiration Stacey Little’s recipe on his site named Southern Bite and I was so pleased with it that I changed very few of his original ingredients. Stacey has hundreds of unbelievable recipes (including a great cookbook offer) on his site and I strongly encourage you to give him a look-see.

Prep Time: 30 min – Cooking time: 5-7 hours
Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds chicken breasts or tenders, boneless, skinless
• 2 – 15 oz. cans white Great Northern beans, drained
• 1 – 11 oz. can of white shoepeg corn, drained (or 1 ½ cups of frozen white corn)
• 1 medium shallot, minced (orig. recipe called for onion)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 package ranch dressing mix
• 1 – 4 oz. canned chopped mild green chiles
• 3 – cups of chicken broth
• 2 – tsps cumin
• 2 – tsps oregano
• 2 – chicken bullion cubes
• 1/4 – tsp smoked salt
• 1/4 – tsp white pepper

Toppings:
• Tabasco, optional topping
• sour cream, optional topping
• chopped fresh cilantro
• shredded Monterrey Jack cheese or cheddar
• tortilla chips

White Chicken Chili (made in a crockpot)

White Chicken Chili (made in a crockpot)


Directions:

1. In the crock of a 4 to 5 quart slow cooker, combine the broth, shallot, garlic, cumin, oregano, bullion cubes, salt & pepper and ranch dressing powder. Add the chicken breasts to the broth, cover, and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
2. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred the meat. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker and add the drained beans, chilies, and corn. Add additional (but carefully) salt and pepper to taste. Return the lid to the slow cooker and cook for about 30 minutes or until the chicken, beans, and corn are heated through. Serve with a dollop of fresh sour cream, grated cheese and fresh cilantro.

Chili

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“Only a fool argues with a skunk, a mule, or a cook.”

Chili is the official state dish of Texas. Although considered a cold-weather favorite, it is a year round staple for millions of Texans. Many folks make their chili from scratch and I respect them for that … I, on the other hand, am a lazy cook and I prefer to use a mix that is acknowledged as being one of the best in Texas. Agnor Chili Mix is simple to prepare and cook and is always a crowd pleaser.

I met Albert Agnor when I was a youngster and I remember enjoying his chili when I was in high school. While away at college I regularly used to receive bulk size packages of Agnor’s mix in boxes labeled Aggie Care Package … I can’t tell you how many starving college students fed on that chili we cooked in pop-corn warmers.

Pot Of Chili

Pot Of Chili


On the advice of Albert Agnor himself, I make my chili a little different from the package label instructions … I use beer instead of water. I’m kind of wimpy when it comes to spicy food so my chili might be a bit mild for some. If preferred, you can add hot sauce, sliced jalapenos, chopped onions, chiles, Cilantro, etc. Although thought to be blasphemous in Texas, some people (not my family) add beans to their chili.

I like to eat my chili in a bowl mixed with corn chips and grated cheddar cheese and maybe a dollop of sour cream. Crushed saltines are a good substitute for chips. Chili can be served atop most any food … hamburgers, hot dogs, spaghetti, rice, hot tamales, enchiladas, and the list goes on and on ….

Ingredients and Instructions:

1. Brown 2 ½ lbs. of lean ground meat (use beef, venison, turkey, or any combination of them … I typically use ½ beef and ½ venison). Drain and pour into 4-qt Crock Pot.

2. Add One 1 lb. 12oz. can of crushed tomatoes

3. Add 18 oz. regular beer … that’s 1 ½ cans so you can drink the remaining half can

4. Stir in the contents of the 4 oz. Agnor Chili Mix package

5. Cook in Crock Pot on low setting for 6 to 8 hours

Some notes … All the alcohol in the beer cooks away so don’t worry about it. Although it won’t have the same body, you can substitute water for the beer. If you are in a hurry, you can cook this recipe in a large soup pot on the stove top at a steady simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours or on the high setting in the Crock Pot for 3 to 4 hours.

Agnor Chili Mix might be a little difficult to find in some areas. You can CLICK HERE to order it online. If you are in dire straights, there are several packaged mixes that are almost, but not quite, as good as Agnor’s … there’s Shelby’s, Fowler’s, and Williams.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

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“Nothing brings people together like good food.”

I found this recipe in the Jan-Feb 2014 issue of Southern Lady magazine. I’m a pushover for rich looking casseroles and, sure enough, this recipe turned out to be a keeper. My only issue with this dish is that it is too rich … not only is it loaded with calories, it is really over the limit with sodium. I plan to start trying to prepare it using lower sodium ingredients and I’ll modify the recipe if I am successful.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole


Ingredients:
1 can Cream of Chicken soup (recommend: Campbell’s Healthy Request)
1 ½ cups Water
1 (8-ounce) package Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 (6-ounce) package Swiss cheese, grated
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 boxes butter & garlic flavored rice (recommend: Uncle Ben’s Long Grain & Wild Rice, Butter & Herb)(substitute Zatarain’s Garlic Butter Flavored Rice for spicier results)
1 ½ cups boiling water
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” cubes (I used 7 or 8 tenderloin strips)
1 (3.5 or 4.0 oz.) package prosciutto, chopped (if necessary, substitute thin-sliced, black forest, deli ham)
chopped fresh parsley, optional garnish

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole



Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
2. In a large saucepan, combine soup and water over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Add cheeses, stirring until melted. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Pour rice into an ungreased 13×9-inch baking dish. If flavoring packets are separate from the boxed rice, add them to the boiling water and carefully stir until dissolved. Pour boiling water over the rice; spread rice evenly over bottom of dish. Spoon half of soup mixture over rice. Layer chicken and prosciutto evenly over top of soup mixture; top with remaining soup mixture.
4. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

Bloody Mary Salmon

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“Vodka is made from potatoes. Potatoes are vegetables. Vegetables are good for you. You’re welcome.”

Salmon is my favorite fish and I have cooked it using dozens of recipes but I think this must be the best. The marinade, maybe it’s the Vodka, makes this so tender and moist to the point of being truly delectable!

Bloody Mary Salmon

Bloody Mary Salmon


When I got interested in this recipe I researched it and found it on literally dozens (or more) sites on the Internet so I really can’t credit anyone in particular and I certainly can’t claim that I created it.

Although the recipe is named Salmon, I prefer to use Steelhead Trout which is a cousin to the salmon with the same reddish-pink meat. Regardless of which one you use, try to find wild-caught as opposed to farm-raised and never use any edible product from China.

Makes Two Servings

Ingredients:

¾ to 1 lb of Salmon, fresh, wild-caught (I prefer Steelhead Trout)
2 cups Bloody Mary mix
2 oz Vodka

Instructions:

In a baking dish or pan combine the Bloody Mary mix and Vodka. Next, place the fish fillet in the dish (skin side down) and spoon the liquid over it. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Thirty minutes before broiling, flip the fillet to skin side up and allow it to continue to marinate. After the 30 minutes, place the fillet on a broiler pan lightly greased with olive oil spray. Broil for five minutes, remove and spoon marinade over the fillet, then broil for another five minutes or until the meat begins to flake with a fork. Garnish with wedges of lime or lemon.