BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND TWITTER BACKGROUNDS

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Chicken Pot Pie Cupcakes


My BF raves about my chicken pot pie. Raves. To anyone who will listen. I swear, I think I got it straight from Veg-All years ago, although I couldn't find it on their website to verify. (But I did find a blogger who uses the same recipe, just so I could share it with you.)

So, I knew making these cupcakes, adapted from a post at Quick Dish by Tablespoon, was a huge gamble. Even though the ingredients are very similar, I went ahead and prepared him that it would not be the same, but to just go with me on the experiment.

And, yes, we both still prefer my chicken pot pie...but I still loved this fun alternative. It was a little more time-consuming, but it wins hands-down in the presentation category. Adorable. Perfect little individual servings.

Printable recipe

2 small (5-count) cans flaky biscuits
1 small can Veg-All, drained
1 cup cooked, chopped chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste


Flatten each biscuit and press into greased muffin pan, in bottom and up along sides. Stir together remaining ingredients and fill each cup with mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Smoked Sausage Pasta


There are some recipes on my Pinterest Food board that I've had bookmarked for so long that I wonder if I'll ever make them...and then there are those that I come across and make nearly immediately, like this Spicy Sausage Pasta courtesy of Kevin and Amanda (with a few adjustments on my end).

I was so intrigued by using smoked sausage with pasta instead of the traditional beef or Italian sausage. But what really sucked me in was the fact that you threw the pasta into the mix without cooking it first. How much do I love recipes like that? I know, it's such a simple thing, but eliminating just that one step is so very attractive to me.

When I took my first bite, right out of the pan, my first thought was, "Eh. There's really not much to this." Then, the heat from the Rotel kicked in at the back of my throat. When I went back about 10 minutes later to make my plate, the sauce had thickened up and it had become a dish with a lot of flavor.



Printable recipe

1 package smoked sausage
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken stock
1 can Rotel
8 ounces penne pasta
1 cup mozzarella cheese


Slice sausage and saute in large skillet in olive oil over medium-high heat until brown. Add cream, stock, Rotel (undrained), and pasta (uncooked) and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Add cheese and stir until melted. Let sit off heat for 10 minutes to thicken.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Cheesy Turkey and Ham Bundles


One of my favorite things about Pinterest is that I can shoot my Food link to my BF, and he can scroll through and choose what he wants for dinner. For last night, he picked Chicken Cordon Bleu Roll Ups from Plain Chicken.

I improvised on this one, because I wanted to use what I already had on hand. Instead of chopped chicken and ham, I used whole slices of lunch meat. I also used mozzarella cheese instead of Swiss. I think you could make a variety of adjustments to this recipe, all with successful (and delicious) results.

One thing...since the cheesy sauce is poured over the roll-ups, you lose the flakiness of the crescent rolls, which is my favorite part. In making this again, I think I would put sauce on the bottom as a bed and place bundles on top to get more of a crust.

I think this would be a great dish for kids...meat, cheese, bread. What's to argue with?


Printable recipe

1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls
8 thin slices of turkey
8 thin slices of ham
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup milk
1 cup mozzarella cheese


Open crescent rolls and separate along perforations into eight pieces. Top each piece with a slice of both turkey and ham and roll up. In a small bowl, combine soup, milk, and 1/2 cup cheese. Spread a little of the soup mixture along bottom of a casserole dish. Place the roll-ups on top. Pour rest of soup mixture over top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Cheeseburger Pie


I meant to make this Jack-O-Lantern Cheeseburger Pie from Southern Living back in October for Halloween, but I never got around to it. Nevertheless, the recipe stuck with me.

Instead of assembling flat on a baking sheet, I did this more like a pot pie. I left out the cute design, but you could certainly customize the top to suit a particular occasion.

This was absolutely delicious...all the flavor of a cheeseburger complemented with a flaky, buttery crust.

It seemed a touch dry to me (although it reheated "looser" the next day), so I topped with a dollop of ketchup. And, don't forget the pickles!

Original Southern Living photo

Printable recipe

1 pound ground beef
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1  tablespoon mustard
1 package refrigerated piecrusts


Brown beef with garlic, salt and pepper. Drain and transfer to bowl. Add ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and allow to cool. Add cheese and mix to combine. Line greased pie plate with one piecrust and brush with mustard. Fill with beef mixture. Top with second piecrust and crimp edges to seal. Brush with egg/water mixture and cut a few slits in top to vent. Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.