Cooking with KP

Crockpot Chicken Alfredo

This is a quick to prep meal for when you are busy or tired or both! This is one that is perfect for after school practices.

1 lb, boneless, skinless chicken breasts--2-3 large ones

4 oz cream cheese

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves minced or 1 Tablespoon of garlic powder

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning

½ tsp paprika

2 cups heavy whipping cream. Plus, 1/2 c for later if needed.

1 cup chicken broth

¾ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

8 oz penne or rigatoni pasta, uncooked

Parsley to garnish

In a slow cooker, add chicken, heavy cream, cream cheese, butter, and broth. Season with garlic, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper.

Cook on high for 2-3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours, until chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a plate and shred with two forks, then set aside.

Add pasta and Parmesan to slow cooker, and cook until rigatoni is tender, 20 to 25 minutes more.

Turn shredded chicken to crockpot; stir well, cover with lid. If the mixture appears too dry, add 1/2 cup whipping cream. Turn off heat, but let sit for 10 minutes prior to serving.

Garnish with more shredded cheese and parsley.

This is my adaption of a recipe "Maddie's Pizza Casserole" from Mama Sue's Southern Kitchen. It is quick, easy, and cost effective dish. Serve with a side vegetable of your choice for a perfect dinner.

1 can crescent rolls or crescent sheet

1 pound breakfast sausage (ground beef would work as well)

1 onion, diced

1/2 bag of mini pepperonis

1 23/24 ounce jar of marinara or pasta sauce

2 cups shredded cheese--Mozzarella, pizza blend, Italian blend--your choice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray. If you don't have spray, brush with oil of your choice. Spread out crescent rolls, pinching seams together.

Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes-brown but not cooked through-slightly

In a skillet, brown sausage with onions. (Feel free to add Italian Seasonings, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and pepper--we do!)

Remove from heat and drain any grease. Pour sauce in skillet, add pepperonis.

When crust has baked, remove from oven. Spread meat mixture on top of crust. Top with cheese. Bake 15-20 minutes until fully heated and cheese is melted and slightly brown

Let set for at least 10 minutes prior to serving--cut into squares.

Sheet Pan Enchiladas

This in no way is my original recipe. People have been sharing their versions of this for a few years. Here is mine. Hope you enjoy it.

1 pound ground beef

1/4 diced yellow onion

16-20 small yellow or white corn tortillas

2 10oz cans of red enchilada sauce

1 4oz can of chopped green chilies

1 pack of dry taco seasoning

4 Tablespoons water

2 cups shredded Monterey Cheese or Pepper Jack (if you like spicy)

2 cups shredded Mexican Blend or Fiesta Blend cheese

1/4 cup of thinly sliced red onion

1 4oz can of slice black olives

Cover a 9x 13 sheet pan with foil. Top it with waxed paper or parchment paper (Very important for serving it easily).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut tortillas into 6 slices/triangles. Place in a large mixing bowl.

In a large skilled brown ground beef with onions. Once no longer pink, drain any grease/fat. Add taco seasoning and water. Blend well. Add green chilies. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Pour enchilada sauce over tortilla pieces. Add ground beef blend,1 cup of each type of cheese. Mix well.

Pour mixture even on sheet pan. Sprinkle a handful of cheese on top. Lay red onions on top. Cover with remaining cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until bubbling and edges are getting crispy.

Carefully sprinkle black olives on top and let rest 10 minutes.

Cut into squares. Enjoy!

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Italian Tortellini Salad

I saw a tortellini salad in one of the magazines I subscribe too the other day and decided to try to create one of my own. I just keep tossing in more and more things, hence the name "Everything But the Kitchen Sink." I think this one is a winner!

1 19ounce bag of cheese tortellini, boiled as directed on package

10 grape tomatoes, sliced into rounds

1 cucumber, peeled and quartered

1 orange bell pepper, diced on the large size

1 small purple/red onion, diced on the large size

3 green onions, diced

1 small can of sliced black olives, drained

10 marinated Mozzarella balls, quartered (I used Great Value brand)

3 marinated/pickled pepperoncini peppers , seeded and diced rather large

8 ounces mini pepperonis

4 ounces hard salami, cut into pieces the size of the pepperonis

1 cup of Italian salad dressing (I used Wishbone)

Salt and pepper to your liking

After you boil the tortellini, pour into drainer and rinse in cold water. Let the pasta sit while you dice everything. Occasionally, toss pasta to keep it from sticking together.

Put all items in a large mixing bowl and toss until everything is coated with the dressing.

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Easy Crockpot Meatball Strogonaff

Here is a make it before you go to work and enjoy for dinner crockpot recipe. We really enjoy it.

1 bag frozen meatballs (26 ounces)

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

2 packages of brown gravy mix

2 cups of beef broth

1 package of onion soup mix

3 Tablespoons ketchup

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Dash or two of pepper

1 small can of mushroom slices

1/2 cup sour cream Do NOT add until 30 minutes before serving.

Spray crockpot. Add all ingredients but meatballs. Whisk in crock pot until well blended. Toss in frozen meatball. Cook on low 5-6 hours. Thirty minutes prior to serving, add 1/2 cup of sour cream. Stir well. Serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Jesse's Mega Meat Sauce/Glaze

My grandson has always been interested in cooking. He created this sauce/glaze that works well on both chicken and pork chops. It can easily be doubled if needed.

For 6 pieces of chicken/pork chops

2/3 cup barbecue sauce (We use Kraft Brown Sugar)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

2 heaping Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Jesse recommends using garlic powder, seasoned salt, and pepper on both sides of meat and then brushing the sauce over them before baking.

Mix well and generously brush on both sides of meat. Pour any remaining sauce over meat.

Chicken in cooked in Mega Meat Sauce

King Ranch Casserole

This recipe has been around for years. It is a traditional Tex-Mex dish. I found the principal/basic recipe on Southern Living.com and have made a few adjustments to meet our family likes.

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2-3 cups chopped cooked chicken (I use leftovers at times)

1 (10.5-oz.) can cream of chicken soup

1 (10.5-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 (10-oz.) can diced tomato and green chiles (such as Rotel)

2/3 cup of chicken stock/broth

1 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. ground black pepper

12 corn tortillas, torn into 1-inch pieces

3 cups grated Fiesta blend or Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, add oil and saute bell peppers and onions until tender. Reduce temperature and add soups, broth, sour cream, chicken, Rotel, chili powder, garlic and pepper. Mix well and let get cook about 3 minutes.

Spray 9x13 casserole dish. Place 1/3 of the corn tortillas in the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/3 the chicken mixture and then 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times.

Bake uncovered to 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Cut into large squares. Optional top each potion with some sour cream, chopped green onions, and salsa.

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.