Chicken Tortilla Soup

From my friend, Sandra:


2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
1 can corn (drained)
2 chicken breasts, shredded
2 cans Rotel
1 2lb. pkg. Velveeta, cubed

Sitr together all of the ingredients until cheese is melted.  Simmer stirring often.  Serve with tortilla chips.  ENJOY!

Sugie's Dressing...

From my grandmother, Sugie...

3 Corn Kits cornbread packets, mix per recipe and bake
3 slices of white bread, toasted
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 raw eggs
1/2 stick butter
1 bunch green onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper
Poultry seasoning
1 1/2-2 tsp. baking powder
Shredded chicken
Chicken broth

Melt butter in a pan.  Add 3/4 of the green onions to the pan to soften.  Crumble cornbread in a big bowl and tear toasted white bread into small pieces.  To the cornbread mixture add, shredded chicken, cream of mushroom soup, eggs, flour & baking powder.  Mix well.  Also add chicken broth until it is the right consistency. (I used nearly all of a box of broth)  Mix well.  Add salt, pepper and poultry seasoning to taste.

Bake at 350 degrees until set...maybe 30-45 minutes.  Keep an eye on it...you don't want it to get dry.

For Gravy...
Boil 2 eggs and chop.  Add to this 1 can cream of mushroom soup,about 1/2-3/4 cup raw dressing mix, the rest of the green onions and some chicken broth.  Salt, pepper and a little poultry seasoning if desired.  Simmer until dressing mix in gravy is done, stirring often.

Cornflake Wreaths

From my sweet grandmother, Sugie...

This is one of my favorite memories from childhood.  My Sugie has made Cornflake Wreaths with us as long as I can remember.  She has even taken time each year to make them with my boys.  This year in mid-November she broke her hip which meant it was my job to make the Cornflake Wreaths.  At Thanksgiving the boys and I made them and they kept saying "that's not how Sugie does it!"  Cute!

1 stick of butter
1 package of small marshmallows
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 bottle green food coloring
5 cups of Corn Flakes
Red Hots for decoration

Melt stick of butter in a pot on medium heat.  While butter is melting put cornflakes in a big bowl that has been buttered and butter a big spoon.  Add marshmallows to melted butter and NEVER STOP STIRRING.  They will melt in a few minutes but keep stirring a few minutes more so they will "cook" longer.  If you don't let them "cook" longer your mixture will be VERY sticky and hard to work with.  Add your vanilla and food coloring and stir again.  Once the coloring is all stirred in pour the marshmallow mixture in the big bowl with the cornflakes and mix until all the cornflakes are coated with green.  Using your big spoon put scoops of the mixture on wax paper.  Then go back using buttered hands and form the wreaths.  Use the red hots for decoration to look like holly. 

Makes about 9 good sized wreaths.  We always make a double batch. :)

Chicken Lasagna

Taken from Southern Living Cookbook and modified a bit:

2-3 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
Lasagna noodles
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of celery soup, undiluted
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8-9 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 (8-ounce) loaf process American cheese, cute into 1/4-inch slices, divided
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cook lasagna noodles in water with 3 chicken bouillon cubes according to package directions.

Cook garlic in butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add celery soup, 3/4 cup reserved chicken brother, oregano and pepper.

Spoon a small amount of sauce into a lightly greased 11x7x1.5 inch baking dish. Layer with half each of lasagna noodles, sauce, chicken, and American and mozzarella cheeses. Repeat procedure with noodles, sauce, and chicken, reserving remaining cheeses to add later.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes; top with remaining cheeses, and bake 5 additional minutes. Let stand 10 minutes.

Sugar Crusted Almond Pound Cake

From: my Mom

1 Duncan Hines Golden Butter Recipe Cake Mix (no substitutions)
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
Pam spray
1/4 cup or so extra sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray bundt pan with Pam and "flour" with the extra sugar. Mix all other ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes on high. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Cool 15 minutes in pan, then remove.

YUMMY!

Squash Dressing

This recipe is from my friend, Jenny. The first time she made this I knew I loved it. I made it for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful. We ended up having this for our dressing at Christmas...mmmmm!

2 cups squash-cooked and drained
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 small chopped onion
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 pkg. mexican cornbread mix, cooked according to directions.

Crumble cooled cornbread. Saute onions in butter. Mix with squash and cornbread. Add soup and mix well. Stir in eggs. Add black pepper to taste. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Bake in a small casserole dish. Double recipe to fit in a 13 x 9 inch pan.

Chicken and Dumplings Casserole

3 rolls of reduced-fat crescent rolls, divided
2 chicken breast, shredded
1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
1 can chicken broth
Pepper and garlic powder, to taste

Preheat over to 400 degrees.

Dump the cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup and can of chicken broth into a bowl and combine. To soup mixture, add pepper and garlic powder to taste. Put shredded chicken breast in another small bowl and add some of the soup mixture to the chicken just until moistened.

Roll out the cans of crescent sheets and separate into diamond shaped sections. Place a small handful of the chicken mixture on each diamond, fold dough over as best as possible to create a dumpling and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Cut up any excess dough into strips. Place strips in a crisscross pattern on the top of the dumplings and soup mixture and bake until the dumplings are cooked through and the top is bubbly and brown, about 30 minutes.

Monkey Bread

Found this recipe on All Recipes:

2 8-count cans Grands biscuits
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cups raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan so the bread will not stick.

Mix white sugar and cinnamon in a plastic bag. Cut biscuits into quarters. Shake 6 to 8 biscuit pieces in the sugar cinnamon mix. Arrange pieces in the bottom of the prepared pan. Continue until all biscuits are coated and placed in pan. If using nuts and raisins, arrange them in and among the bisuit pieces as you go along.

In a small saucepan, melt the margarine with the brown sugar over medium heat. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over the biscuits.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a plate. Do not cut! The bread just pulls apart.

Sopapilla Cheesecake

From my mom:

2 cans crescent rolls
2 8oz. pkg. cream cheese (low-fat fine)
1 1/2 cups sugar (divided-keep out 3 Tbsp.)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 stick butter, melted
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 inch pan with Pam. Spread 1 can crescent rolls into bottom of pan. Mix cream, sugar and vanilla and spread on crescent rolls. Spread 2nd can crescent rolls on top of mixture (it may not completely cover cream cheese mixture). Mix together cinnamon and 3 Tbsp. sugar and sprinkle over top. Pour melted butter over top. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Orange Brownies

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen (thanks Paula...yum!)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure orange extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 recipe Orange Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x9 x 2 inch pan.

Orange Brownies: Stir together flour, granulated sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add butter, eggs, orange extract, and orange zest. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven, allow to cool. Spread the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting over complete cooled brownies.

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons softened butter
1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice

In a large mixing bowl, whip the butter and cream cheese together with a hand-held electric mixer. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until it is all combined and smooth. Beat in the orange zest and juice. Spread over brownies.

Chicken with White Wine and Mushroom Sauce

Adapted from a recipe found at http://www.eatingwell.com/...

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 4 ounces each)
• 2 egg whites
  
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. olive oil
  
• For the sauce:
  
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons evaporated skim milk
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup white cooking wine, divided
• 2 teaspoons crushed fresh garlic
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms

1. Rinse the chicken with cool water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the chicken pieces on a flat surface, and use a meat mallet to pound each piece to 1/4-inch thickness.
2. Place the egg whites in a shallow dish. Place the flour, salt, and pepper in another shallow dish, and stir to mix well. Dip each chicken piece first in the egg, and then in the flour mixture, turning to coat each side. Set aside.
3. Coat a large nonstick skillet with olive oil, and preheat over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 3 minutes, or until nicely browned. Turn, and cook for 3 additional minutes then transfer to a baking dish. Put it in a 250 degree oven for 10-15 minutes to finish cooking through.
   
4. To make the sauce, place the evaporated milk and cornstarch in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake to mix well. Set aside.
5. Place 1/4 cup of the white cooking wine in the skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until most of the cooking wine has evaporated. Add the garlic and mushrooms, and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to brown and release their juices. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of cooling wine, and cook, stirring frequently, until the wine is reduced by half.
6. Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium, shake the evaporated milk mixture, and add it to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens slightly. Pour the sauce over the chicken, and serve hot.

4 oz. chicken breast with 1/4 of sauce=6 WW Points

Creamy Potato Salad

From Kraft Food Magazine, summer 2008:

1 lb. red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into chunks
1/4 cup Kraft Light Zesty Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
4 green onions, sliced

Cook potatoes in boiling water 15 minutes or until tender. Rinse potatoes with cold water until cooled; drain again.

Mix dressings and mustard in large bowl. Add potatoes, egg and onions, mix lightly. Cover.

Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Makes 4 servings, 3/4 cups each. 1 servings = 4 WW Points

Pork Tenderloin

Found this recipe on Kelly's recipe blog:


1/2 cup soy sauce
2 oranges, juiced
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. chopped scallions
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound in 2 strips)

Combine marinade ingredients in measuring cup and stir to combine. Cut all visible fat off the tenderloin and place the pork tenderloin in a plastic, sealable bag. Pour marinade over the tenderloin and seal bag. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove pork tenderloin from marinade and put in a baking dish. Reserve marinade. Roast tenderloin for 35-45 minutes. Allow meat to rest about 10 minutes before cutting into 2-inch serving pieces.

While meat is cooking, bring reserved marinade to a boil in a small saucepan, then lower the heat and gently simmer until it is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Stir occasionally. Drizzle a small amount of marinade over each piece of meat.

4 oz. porkloin = 2 WW Points