Salmon Chowder (best I've made)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 2 (16 ounce) cans salmon
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
• 1/2 pound Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, and garlic powder until onions are tender. Stir in potatoes, carrots, broth, salt, pepper, and dill. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Cover, and simmer 20 minutes.
2. Stir in salmon, evaporated milk, corn, and cheese. Cook until heated through.

Sweet Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions

1. Place water, milk, egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough/Knead and First Rise Cycle; press Start.
2. When cycle finishes, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

• 3/4 cup flour


• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder


• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

• pinch of salt (my addition, optional)

• pinch of red pepper flakes (my addition, optional)


• 3/4 cup whole milk


• 1 egg, lightly beaten


• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


• 1 cup cubed pepperoni


• 1/2 cup store-bought pizza sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, Italian seasoning, salt and red pepper flakes (if using) ; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella, Parmesan and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

2. Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

NOTE: All my batter did not fit into the 24-mini muffin pan. So I made a full size muffin with the leftover batter. Some pans are larger than others so you may not have have an issue.

Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken


• 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed


• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce


• 1 medium onion, chopped


• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 2 cups water


• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth


• 1 teaspoon cumin


• 1 teaspoon chili powder


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper


• 1 bay leaf


• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn


• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro


• 7 corn tortillas


• vegetable oil

Directions

1. Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.


2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).


3. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.


4. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Saltine Cracker Toffee

by Grandma Peterson from "The Girl Who Ate Everything" Blog

40 salted saltine crackers or enough to line your pan
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
(optional) 3/4 cup chopped pecans

*You can either use salted butter or salted saltines but not both. I used salted crackers and unsalted butter in this one.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Line saltine crackers in a single layer on the cookie sheet.

In a small pot combine sugar and butter and bring to a boil. Once mixture is at a boil, continue boiling for 3 minutes. Mixture should be a deep caramel color. Immediately pour over saltines and spread to cover crackers completely.

Bake at 400 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes. It will get all bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and let sit a couple of minutes to melt. Sometimes I melt the chocolate chips in the microwave for about 1 minute then spread it on. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts if desired. Cool completely and break into pieces.

Chicken Pot Pie

adapted from Martha Stewart Living ( serves 8 )
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into approx. 1′′ cubes 1 pound (about 6 medium) carrots, cut into approx. 1′′ pieces 10-12 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup cognac (I use extra chicken stock)
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk
5 cups chicken, cooked (roasted or poached)
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
5 teaspoons dried parsley
2 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
3 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper (I don’t measure the seasonings and am generally heavy handed with them)
1 sheet frozen puff pasty, thawed (I use an easy pie crust recipe)
1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon water for egg wash

Preparation Instructions: - Preheat oven to 425°F. (If making ahead skip this step.) - In a stock pot or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat.- Add onion, potatoes, carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10-12 minutes. - Add cognac, and combine. - Stir in flour and cook for about 1 minute until combined well. - Add chicken stock and milk. Combine well and bring to a simmer for about 2-minutes, stirring until mixture thickens.
- Add chicken, peas, parsley, thyme, sage, salt and pepper, and combine well. - Transfer mixture to preferred serving vessel. Or if preparing ahead, let cool and refrigerate to re-heat later. - When ready to bake, whisk together the egg yolk and 1 teaspoon of water. - Cut thawed puff pasty 1′′ larger in diameter than the chosen serving dish/vessel, and cut out a 1/2- 1′′ hole in center for venting. - Center cut puff pastry over dish and crimp down around edge of dish to seal. - Brush top of pastry with egg wash. - Bake in 425°F oven on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then cover lightly with aluminum foil and continue baking for another 20-25 minutes.

Crock Bean Soup

1 can whole tomatoes (32oz)

1 can Chicken broth (14oz)

2 cups water

2 med. Onions chopped

4 carrots sliced

2 celery stocks sliced thin

1 teasp garlic powder

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teas. Dried parsley

2 cups turkey ham diced

1 lb. dried beans mixed (I used 3 cans of a variety of beans drained)

Drain your soaked beans, rinse and drain again, then add them and everything

else to the crockpot. Cook all day on low (watch your moisture levels if

you have a newer crockpot, they cook hotter. You may want to add a little

more water, like another ½ cup. Or cook on high for 3-4 hours.

Serving suggestions, salad and whole grain rolls and you’re set.

from LeeAnn Ely