Cracker Barrel Chicken - n - Dumplings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons butter cut into pieces
• 1 cup or less buttermilk
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
• Spices and seasonings to taste -- black pepper, poultry seasoning, parsley, etc.

Instructions:

1. Combine dry ingredients
2. Cut in butter
3. Slowly add buttermilk until dough forms a ball
4. Turn dough out onto a heavily floured work surfance and knead until dough loses it stickimess
5. Roll dough out to a thin sheet and cut into about 2 inch squares.  Irregular shapes are fine
6. Move dumplings to a floured plate and flour between the layers
7. Meanwhile bring the chicken broth to a boil
8. Once boiling, drop the dumplings, one at a time, into the hot broth, stirring constantly
9. Once all of the dumplings have been added, reduce heat a little and cook for about 20 minutes.
10. Add the chicken, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 30 minutes more,  The added flour on the dumplings should thicken the sauce.

Variation:

Chopped carrots, celery, and onions could be added to the broth before the dumplings.  By the time the sauce in thickened, they should be tender.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Mitch and Heather's Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 12 ounce can chicken, drained
• 1 pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup ranch dressing
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup Franks Hot Sauce
• shredded cheese to taste, about 1/2-1 cup

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients together
2. Place in casserole dish or pie pan
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
4. Double the recipe for a 9X13 baking dish.

Dream Cookies

A favorite cookie of Liz Sidor and family

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 cup soft butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup, packed, brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1 pkg (12 ounces) white chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Sift dry ingredients
2. Cream together butter and sugars
3. Add egg and orange peel to creamed mixture
4. Slowly add flour mixture while mixing on a slow speed
5. Add chips
6. Drop onto a greased cookie sheet
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes

Variations:

Replace orange peel with a teaspoon of vanilla and replace white chips with either chocolate chips or butterscotch chips.

Cauliflower Layered Salad

Ingredients

• 1 head lettuce
• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 red onion, sliced thin
• 1 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound bacon, fried crisp and crumbled

Instructions

1. Layer in the order given
2. Refrigerate 8 hours or more
3. When ready to serve, toss well.

Carol's Corn Pudding

Ingredients

• 1 can whole corn, drained
• 1 can cream style corn
• 1 8 ounce package of Jiffy corn muffin mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Combine first 5 ingredients and pour into a 9X13 pan
2. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes
3. Remove from oven and top with cheese
4. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes
5. Let set for 5 minutes before serving warm.

Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients

• 3 T. butter
• 3 T. flour
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• 1 1/2 c, shredded velvetta cheese
• Fresh or frozen broccoli (if frozen, thaw; if fresh boil in salted water for 3-4 minutes)
• 1 sleeve of ritz or town house crackers, crushed

Instuctions

1. Make white sauce in heavy saucepan by adding flour and salt to melted butter and cooking for a couple of minute over meium heat until very lightly brown.  Stir in milk until thickened.  Remove from heat and add cheese, stirring until melted.
2. Add broccoli to cheese sauce
3. Pour into casserole dish, top with crushed crackers, and bake at 350 until heated through, lightly brown and bubbly.

Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 cups chopped apples ( granny smith and gala)

For Frosting:

• 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 4 tablespoons butter at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray and flour a 9X13 pan.  Set aside.
2. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and allspice.  Set aside.
3. In large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Slowly sttir int he flour mixture.  The batter will be thick.  Stir in the apples until cake batter moistens.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes until cake is golden and set.
5. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
6. While cake is cooling, make the cream cheese frosting.  Beat the cream cheese until it is completely smooth, add the butter and beat until combined.  Add the vailla and powdered sugar and beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
7. Frost the cooled cake with cream cheese frosting. Top with caramel sauce if desired.

Simple Tomato Sauce

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Sea salt and ground black pepper
• 2 large cans crushed tomatoes
• 4-6 fresh basil leaves
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 4 T unsalted butter, optional

Directions:

1. In large dutch over or casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat.
2. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes
3. Add celery and carrots, season with salt and pepper and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick.
5. Remove the bay leaves and check seasoning.
6. If sauce tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, a tablespoon at a time to round out flavors.
7. Add half of the sauce to a food processor and process until smooth.  Combine with remaining sauce.

Chicken Parmesan

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

• 3 T olive oil
• 1 t chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 1 t chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 t chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 chicken cutlets, about 3-ounces each
• 1 1/2 c Simple Tomato Sauce or purchased marinara sauce
• 1/2 c shredded mozzarella
• 5-6 T grated Parmesan
• 2 T unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F
2. Stir oil and fresh herbs in small bowl to blend; season with salt and pepper
3. Brush both sides of cutlets with herb oil
4. Heat large heavy oven proof skillet over high heat. Add cutlets and cook just until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove skillet from heat.
5. Spoon the marinara sauce over and around cutlets. Sprinkle each cutlet with mozzarella and Parmesan. Dot each cutlet with butter.
6. Bake 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese melts and chicken is cooked through

Super Sloppy Joes

Recipe by Rachel Ray

Ingredients:

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 1/4 pounds ground beef
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 2-3 t steak seasoning blend
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 2 c tomato sauce
• 2 T tomato paste
• Crusty rolls, split, toasted and lightly buttered
• Optional garnishes: sliced tomatoes, pickles, potato salad

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and ground beef and begin to break up beef.
2. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning.  Add to skillet and combine.
3. When meat is browned, add onion and red peppers to skillet; reduce heat to medium.
4. Add red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to meat mixture and cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste; reduce heat to simmer for 5 more minutes.