Cooking with KP: February 2017

Kay's Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole

I had some leftover steamed broccoli and wanted to make something we haven't had for dinner lately. I haven't made a broccoli and rice casserole in several years, so tonight, I created this one. It came out wonderfully and I will definitely be making it again.

1 ½ cups of cooked white rice
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 6 chicken tenders, diced into small pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1 rib of celery, finely diced
2 Tablespoons parsley
½ green bell pepper, finely diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
¾ cup milk
1 10-ounce box/bag of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed or a small head of broccoli cooked and chopped (this is perfect when you have leftover steamed broccoli)
2 ½ cups Colby Jack cheese, shredded
½ cup fresh Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder

Cook your rice. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add chicken, onions, celery, parsley, and bell pepper. Saute' until chicken is thoroughly cooked and vegetables softened. Remove from skillet. In a mixing bowl, mix soups, milk, pepper, and garlic powder. Pour into skillet. When mixture begins to bubble, add 1 ½ cups of Colby Jack cheese and all of the Parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese are melted. Return chicken and sautéed vegetables. Add broccoli and rice and thoroughly mix. If it seems too thick, add a little more milk. Spray 9x13 casserole dish and spoon ½ of the mixture into dish. Sprinkle ½ cup of Colby Jack cheese on top of rice mixture. Spoon remaining mixture on top. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and top with ½ cup of Colby Jack cheese and return to oven to bake 10 more minutes.

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

This isn't really my recipe; the basic version is all over the internet, so I don't know whom to credit for it. However, I did make a few changes so it is mine! It is delicious and so EASY!

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (don't use really thick ones without splitting them. I recommend 1 inch thick.)
2 toes of garlic, finely minced
1 tsp of red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cups of marina sauce (I use Emeril's)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 5-ounce bag of garlic and herb or Italian croutons (the smaller ones are better but any size will do)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese (fresh not green shaker can)
seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season both sides of chicken breasts with seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and brown both sides of the breasts (2-3 minutes per side). In a 9x13 glass baking dish, brush 1 tablespoon of olive oil to cover bottom. Top with garlic and red pepper flakes. Place chicken breasts on top. Mix Italian seasoning blend and brown sugar in marina sauce and spoon on top of each breast. Then sprinkle 1/2 cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of parmesan on top of sauce. Then top with croutons. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of croutons. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is done. If croutons and cheese seem to be browning too much and chicken isn't done, cover lightly with foil.

NOTE: YOU CAN ALSO MAKE THIS WITH JARRED ALFREDO SAUCE. JUST ELIMINATE THE BROWN SUGAR.

Corned Beef Spread for molding

In the 1950s corned beef molds were quite popular at parties. Of course, they used fresh cooked corned beef briskets to make their molds. My mother didn't like it because it used Knox gelatin. Some people upgraded it lemon jello, but my mother made this for us in the 1970s. It is really good.
She didn't always put in the eggs, but I like it with the eggs.
It is perfect for St. Patrick's Day!

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ lb corned beef, cooked and broken into small pieces or 1 can of corned beef
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2-3 green onions, sliced into small rings
1 rib of celery, diced
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
¼ teaspoon black pepper
a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce
2 boiled eggs, diced (optional)

Spray mold or loaf pan with cooking spray.
In food processor, combine cream cheese, corned beef, mustard, horseradish, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce, and mayonnaise. Pulse until all ingredients are fully combined, then add the green onions, celery, and eggs and pulse only until onions, celery and eggs are incorporated (not long) and then press into mold. Cover with lid or Saran wrap.
Chill the mold least 6 hours. To serve, unmold onto serving dish filled with lettuce or lined with crackers to serve.

Pineapple Ham in the Crockpot

This recipe isn't mine. I can't remember where I found it, but I LOVE IT! Try it and let me know how you like it.

1 ham--spiral, butt, shank whatever kind you want
1 12 ounce jar of pineapple preserves
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
1 8-ounce can of pineapple tidbits (do not drain)
3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Place 1 cup of brown sugar in the bottom of the crockpot. Place ham cut side down on top of brown sugar. In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup brown sugar, pineapple preserves, pineapple tidbits with juice, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour on top of ham. Cover with lid. If ham it too large for crockpot, either cut part off or tent with foil and sit lid on top of foil. Cook on low 5-8 hours.

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Cheaper Cuts of Beef Don't Have To Be Tough

Most people avoid the cheaper cuts of beef because they tend to be tough. With 8 children and three adults in our home, my mother had to find ways to tenderize the cheaper cuts of beef. One way to cook "down", as my mother used to say, a tough cut of beef steak is to season both sides of the steak with garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper. Lightly brown the steak in a large skillet and on top add a diced green bell pepper, medium onion, a bay leaf, parsley flakes, a few dashes of Worchestershire sauce, and a can of diced tomatoes. Cover with lid. Let the steak simmer for 30-50 minutes. Remove lid and thicken juices by cooking 5-10 more minutes. You can also do the same with a cheap beef roast in a crock pot. Add all the ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. The flavor is simple, amazing and great with mashed potatoes.

Fall Vegetables for a Healthy You

As the fall approaches, we will all start to stay indoors more hours. This will lessen our vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, and K, which are enhanced by sunlight. Below are a few vegetables you might want to increase in your diet as the fall and later winter days approach. Besides, they are very tasty. In fact, in the next few weeks, I will be posting recipes that incorporate many of these delicious veggies.

Sweet potatoes and yams are very rich in carotenoids, vitamins A, B6, C, potassium, iron and fiber and are delicious when baked and eaten plain (without butter) or used in soups, casseroles or stir-fries.

Bell peppers are great sources of potassium, manganese, fiber and vitamins A, B, C and K. These sweet peppers are flavorful additions to salads and healthy stir-fries. You can choose from a rainbow of colors, including: green peppers,yellow peppers, orange peppers,and red peppers.

Summer and winter squash are rich in carotenoids, vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium and fiber and can be served alone or added to many dishes.

Just a few tips for you...

Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato- based sauces. No more stains!

Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake! Kids love them.

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugarcone to prevent ice cream drips!

Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off!

If your celery begins to wilt in the fridge, fill a large cup half full of water and place celery in the cup. Put back in the fridge for two hours--it will be crisp. (Learned this from my mother).

Cooking Myth Busted

A Potato Can Save a Salty Soup or Stew. True or False? False. "This is an attractive idea, but it doesn't work because potatoes are not particularly absorbent," says Wolke, who conducted his own soup-and-potato experiment for his Cooking Myth Busters book. "There is no reason they would attract salt." If you remove the raw potato from the soup, the potato will taste salty, but so would a sponge — it has simply soaked up some of the salty liquid. Still, there is hope for salty stews: Adding a bit of vinegar or sugar can "cancel out" the saltiness by giving your taste buds competing flavors.

Super Moist Turkey

If you are looking for a way to get a moist turkey, you might try one of these family hints:

1--bake the turkey upside down--breast down for the first half of the cooking time. It will help the darker meat cook more thoroughly and the fatty juices of the darker meat will drip down to the breast and add moistness. Use a deep roasting pan for this.

2--bake the turkey with the breast up, but rub it with butter, garlic powder and pepper only. Do not salt the skin. Instead, mix salt in a cup of warm water and pour that cup of salted warm-not hot-water inside the cavity of the turkey. The salt water will steam up into the turkey, making it very moist.

3. bake the turkey with the breast up and slice two lemons and one orange in halves. Place the halves inside the seasoned turkey and the juices will steam into the meat, adding moisture and flavor.

Hint of the Week

Here is something I learned from my wonderful Mother, the greatest cook I have ever known. When you have just a small serving of cooked vegetables leftover from dinner, don't throw them away. Keep a large plastic container in the freezer and put the vegetables in the container. Mix them--carrots, corn, green beans, broccoli, etc. When the container is full make a pot of soup or stew. Also, if a recipe calls for 1/2 a chopped onion, chop the whole onion and add the half to the freezer container. My mother made the best vegetable soups from this idea.

Hint for the Week

With Fourth of July quickly approaching, you might be thinking of making Deviled Eggs. If you want perfectly boiled eggs, place eggs in a large pot and completely cover with cold water. Do not layer eggs on top of one another. Bring water to a rapid boil for 2 minutes, reduce to simmer and let eggs simmer 8 minutes, return to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and empty hot water and fill pot with cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes. To peel easily, slightly crush shell in your fist and roll on counter with a firm grip. Of course, you don't want to push through the egg, but by making the shell crack in many small pieces, it is easier to peel. My father saw this on a cooking show years ago and taught me this. It truly works.