Sweet and Sour Chicken

Super simple meal idea. In the blogging world there have been a ton of recipes for Sweet and Sour Chicken but this one is by far the simpliest. Not to mention the yummiest.

The only change I will be making to this next time I make it is to perhaps only use half of the dry onion soup mix. It was a bit to salty or onion soupy tasteing for my little ol' taste buds to handle. Of course Baby Cakes loved it, I swear this man will eat anything that doesn't eat him first.


Serves 4

4 chicken breast halves (a chicken has 2 breasts)
1 cup Catalina salad dressing
1 cup brown sugar
1 envelope dry onion soup mix (next time I'll try 1/2 a packet)
rice, for serving

Preheat oven to 350F. Place chicken in a casserole dish.

In a small bowl, combine the dressing, brown sugar and onion soup mix. Pour over chicken breasts. Cook in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle.

Serve over rice.


We use brown rice and I steamed some Broccoli just because I always need some green.

If you try it with half of the onion soup mix let me know how it turns out. Until them I'll keep playing with this recipe and posting updates if I do succeed in fine tuning it. XOXO,

Revised Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

So tonight I tried something a bit diffrent with this dish, added brown rice. Afterall tradional stuffed cabbage has beef and rice in it. It was much heartier and more like a complete meal. That wasn't the only little switch I made I also added a pinch of nutmeg. So good with any dishes featuring tomato sauce.


For the original recipe click here, and for this version simply add nutmeg with the rest of the spices, say 2 tsps. and the cooked brown or white rice (anywhere from 2-4 cups) about 15 minutes before cooking time is up.

Yum once more,

Red Pepper Jelly Chops

Another oh my goodness meal y'all. Michael's exact words will have to be censored but it was something like, "this meal is the s**t!". I do agree babe, I do agree.

I noticed when making this that I did have to play with the heat a bit, so on my stove I will, in the future, keep the heat at a lower medium high. There is not a single thing I would change about this dish otherwise. I feel a dinner party coming on.


Red Pepper Jelly Chops

4 (1.65-2 lbs.) boneless pork loin chops
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 large jalapeno seeded and minced
1 1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup (1 jar) red pepper jelly

Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper, liberally. Put oil and butter in a regular skillet (by regular I mean not a non-stick skillet) and turn on burner to medium-high heat. Add pork chops and cook 8 minutes; turn and cook another 8 minutes or until done. Remove from skillet and losely cover with foil to keep warm.

Add flour and jalapeno to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until flour is golden brown (maybe takes 1 minute, watch this closely). Add 1/3 cup chicken stock stirring with a whisk, to loosen particles from bottom of skillet; cook 1 minute or until almost completely reduced.

Add rest of chicken broth, and cook until mixture begins to thicken. Whisk in pepper jelly until melted and smooth. Continue cooking, stirring often, until almost thickened.

Return pork to skillet, turn down heat a bit; continue cooking and turn to coat. Serve pork with sauce and your choice of sides*.

*I used almost 2 lbs. of pork, 4 chops
*we did brown rice and broccoli


Just incase anyone was like 'whoa, what's she doing eating so much?' not my plate. I had the plate with 2 cups of broccoli and 4 oz. of the oh-so-yummy-pepper-pork.

Happily shared on Potluck Sunday hosted by Mommy's Kitchen.

Try it, try it, try it!

Spicy Venison and Corn Chowder

Some more oh-my-goodness goodness. This Soup/Chowder is so good, I ate it without any croutons because frankly I didn't feel that it needed anything more. Another you have to try dish.

I don't like spicy food- funny seeing how much Baby Cakes (BCakes) loves it I know, but I don't. A bit of heat is fine but spicy no thank you, I'll pass. However, every year my husband gets his venison processed into spicy (HOT!) sausage, be it link or ground and cooks it for breakfast with eggs or I use it in dishes, see Sausage and Chicken Jambalaya and/or Sweet and Spicy Vension Sausage for a few more vension sausage dishes. The thing is is I'll cook it in ways that you don't notice the heat so much and in this particular oh-so-yummy recipe the sweetness from the corn and the touch of sugar cuts it way down for me without taking away flavor for BCakes.

Spicy Venison and Corn Chowder
adapted from Deep South Dish


2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 pound of spicy ground venison
1 extra large onion, chopped or 2 small to regular, chopped
1 large (1 pound 12 ounce) can of whole tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 (15 ounce) cans of whole kernel corn, undrained
2 (15 ounce) cans of navy or black beans, undrained
2 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon of salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon of pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of italian seasoning
1 tablespoon of dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, youe choice
Croutons, to garnish, optional

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a stockpot. Add the sausage to the pot and cook until done. Add the onion and cook until tender.

Use a pair of kitchen shears to break up the tomatoes in the can; add the tomatoes and their liquid to the sausage and onion mixture; add the sugar and tomato paste and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes. Add the corn and beans with the liquid, and the water; bring to a boil. Add the salt, pepper, italian seasoning, parsley and cajun seasoning. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Like I said above, this is probably one of my new favorite dishes for cold weather. Make plenty, this is a leftover kind of soup.

Yum Y'all,

Brown Sugar Pie‏

So I am ever on the lookout for yummy recipes and I truly beleive I have found another keeper. Oh my goodness good and all thanks to Grace over at A Southern Grace and her grandmother for sharing it with her.

I know it seems unconventional to have an entire pie focused on brown sugar but well, just try it. I doubled this baby, which ends up being 4 pies. 3 for all the houses we are visting throughout the weekend and one to give as a gift to a dear friend of mine. Definitly worth the bit of time it takes to make them.

Ingredients

3 cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, melted and slightly cooled
3 eggs, beaten well
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
2 regular frozen pie crusts

Directions

Prepare the pie crusts per package instructions.

In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and salt. Be sure to break up any clumps of brown sugar. In a smaller bowl, mix together the melted margarine, beaten eggs, vanilla, and milk; beat well. Add this wet mixture to the brown sugar mixture and blend with a handheld mixer. Pour into the pie crusts and bake at 350F for about 30 minutes, or until set (just a wee bit wobbly) in the middle. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

Oh so yummy,

Corn Dog Casserole

You know what caught my attention on this one? The combination of cornbread and sage, those are the two main ingredients in my Daddy's cornbread dressing on holidays. Oh my gosh. Now I have a reason to enjoy the flavor combo all year round.


adapted from Taste and Tell

1 tablespoon butter
2 cups celery, sliced
1 cup onions, chopped
1 1/2 pounds hot dogs
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
18 oz. cornbread mix
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

In a skillet, melt butter and cook celery and onions until tender over medium high heat. Place in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Cut hot dogs in half, then into slices (like little moons). Place in a skillet, cook until lightly brown. Fold into celery mixture; set aside.

In another bowl, combine eggs, milk and black pepper. Fold about half of the mixture into the hot dog mixture, slowly you don't want scrambled eggs. Stir in cornbread mix. Add sage and rest of egg mixture. Add 3/4 of the shredded cheese and stir.

Spread mixture into a greased 3 quart dish. Top with the reserved cheese and bake uncovered at 350F until golden brown. About 30 minutes, give or take a bit.


You seriously have to try this recipe. Yum,

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

Always on the look out for quick meals (and more than ever healthy quick meals) I came across this recipe on the world wide web. I must admit it is incredibly good. Just sweet enough and just very very good. You have to try this one, not to mention the fact that it is only about 380 calories for 1/4 of the skillet.


Ingredients:

1 lb. 96% extra lean ground beef
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons garlic powder
few shakes seasoning (your choice)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
18-20 oz. tomato sauce, glass jar
1/4 cup water, as needed
3 Tablespoons ketchup
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Cabbage, medium to small- 6 cups chopped

Directions:

Put Tablespoon evoo in pan and brown meat, onion. Add seasonings and garlic powder, to taste. Add Worcestershire sauce.

Stir in tomato sauce, 1/4 cup of water, 3 Tablespoons ketchup and 2 teaspoons brown sugar. Simmer for 15 minutes or so.

Chop cabbage. Add to meat mixture and cover. Lower the heat and cook for about 45 minuntes to an hour, until the cabbage is done. Stir it every so often and add a bit of water as needed. It should be saucy, but not soupy. Not dry at all.

Of course Michael added cheese to his, as well as japs but not me. He keeps saying this is the best meal I have ever cooked before. I have to agree you guys- sooo freakin' good. Only one thing would make it better adding cooked white rice into the entire mixture. Then it would be just like a real stuffed cabbage roll. Yummy, so yummy.

Nom, nom, nom y'all,

Lynn's Feed an Army Cheese and Potato Soup

This recipe originally came from Nanny J who is Michael's Mom's Dad's Mom, you still with me? Shorter version? Michael's Great Grandmother. She made a much smaller version of this soup but all the same ingredients. Lynn explained to me that when the kids were in highschool, Michael, Michelle, Robert (a friend who lived with them for awhile) and Jackie (Father-in-law) got home from work they wanted something hearty and the original soup wouldn't cut it. So she did what all super women do and adapted it. Go Lynn!

You guy's have to try this soup, oh my gosh. It's not like it's crazy cheesy, it's actually the carrots that make it so orange- but it's so good. I didn't add anything. Make it!


Cheese and Potato Soup

15 potatoes, cubed
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
8 carrots, chopped
1 (4 ounces) velveeta cheese
2 cans cream of potato soup
5 tablespoon chicken base
10 slices bacon, crumbled

Melt the butter in a big pot, saute onions, carrots and celery until tender. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil, add the soup and potatoes, stirring often. Add cheese and simmer about 10 minutes over medium/high heat.


Everyone say thank you Lynn- Thank you Lynn.

XOXO,